The Unlucky England team of the decade
This has been a mixed decade for the English rugby team, filled with some great highs and all-time nadirs. Over the past ten years, England have had three coaches, Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster and currently Eddie Jones, which means there has been a high turnover of players.
As a result, there have been players that have been neglected and did not establish themselves on the international scene. Some faces have simply not fitted with some coaches, while some have suffered with injuries and some have not helped themselves. For whatever reason, this is England’s Unlucky XV of the decade:
15. Nick Abendanon
Mike Brown has dominated the No15 shirt for England for most of the past decade, but an unfortunate encounter on his first Test start with Sebastian Chabal in a RWC warm-up match in 2007 meant the then 20-year-old Abendanon never played for England again. The former Bath full-back earned his first cap on a June tour of South Africa 13 years ago and his second at Twickenham against France, but that was all at such a young age.
For years though he demonstrated what a mesmerising broken field runner he is with skill, pace and balance, but he never earned an England recall. While some players have been given multiple chances over the years in an England shirt, Abendanon was given just two at a very young age and written off thereafter.
With his England chances all over, he moved to Clermont in 2014 and was named the European player of the year at the end of his first season.
Honourable mention: Alex Goode
14. Chris Ashton
Like Steffon Armitage, Ashton was another player ineligible to play for England despite scoring a bucketload of tries with Toulon (albeit only for a season). He is a player that has also not been helped by his disciplinary record and was ostracised by Lancaster and Jones for that reason.
However, there are few players that have a natural try-scoring instinct equal to Ashton’s and after a move back to Sale Sharks in 2018, the former league man found his way back into the England set-up.
Although he pulled out of contention for the 2019 RWC, he is still open to making a return for his country. He has earned 44 caps, but the 32-year-old was expected to win many more when he first forced his way into the England team in 2010.
13. Henry Trinder
Another player that has never earned an England cap and another that has had a career marred by a litany of injuries. Despite playing for England against the Barbarians in 2014, the Gloucester centre has spent a lot of time on the sidelines, including two ACL surgeries, shoulder surgery and a current achilles injury ruined most of his 2019.
On his day, Trinder is the complete package at outside centre with brilliant hands, footwork and lines to slice through the best defences, but now at 30 years of age he has never been able to stay fit enough to force himself into the national reckoning.
Honourable mention: Mathew Tait
Once the most coveted 15 in Europe, @nick_abendanon is 33, without a club and facing a retirement he didn't see coming and doesn't want
The ex-England back talks to @JLyall93 about Clermont, leaving Bath, and why Stuart Lancaster was wrong in 2015 https://t.co/r7JFbhGyDn
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 19, 2020
12. Jordan Turner-Hall
Having made his debut in 2012 for England at the age of 24 in what looked to be a new era under Lancaster, the former Harlequins centre’s career was cut short in 2015 due to a hip injury. Although he only earned two caps, the powerful centre was always in and around England camps, and questions will remain as to whether he would have added more.
11. Christian Wade
It’s no surprise that the former Wasps winger has now left rugby to pursue a career in American football after years of being spurned by England coaches. One lone cap for England against Argentina during a Lions tour is staggering for a player that finished his rugby career at the age of 27 ranked third in the Premiership’s all-time try-scoring chart.
While his defence was always deemed his weakness and the reason for not being selected, many thought that his ball-carrying prowess negated that. For seven years he made defenders across Europe look foolish with his footwork and unparalleled acceleration. Capable of scoring tries anywhere on the field and in any situation, the American football running back was neglected in rugby, to the dismay of many.
10. Danny Cipriani
The first name on this team sheet, Cipriani has long been the outcast of English rugby. Hailed as a future world beater when he burst onto the scene for Wasps in 2007, but a slew of off-field misdemeanours, a devastating ankle injury in 2008 and a move to the Melbourne Rebels curtailed his Test career somewhat.
England coaches have toyed with the fly-half over the past decade, with Lancaster calling upon him in both 2014 and 2015, but failing to select him for the RWC. There has also been a seismic campaign over the past four years for Jones to pick the now 32-year-old.
While many fans’ wishes were answered in 2018 when he twice played against South Africa, they would be his only appearances under the Australian despite being named the RPA players’ player of the year in 2018/19. With only 16 caps, Cipriani is one that has always been in the limelight (not always for the right reasons) who could have offered England so much more.
The evolution of Danny Cipriani ? pic.twitter.com/QYaIwxcaGQ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 30, 2020
9. Joe Simpson
Simpson may be the form scrum-half in the Gallagher Premiership since his move to Gloucester last summer, but the 31-year-old has been a force for the past decade in England.
The former Wasps player’s pace and mazy running style has not only earned him a dazzling highlights reel, but appearances for both England and Britain sevens teams. However, he only has one solitary cap in the XV format (as a substitute against Georgia in the 2011 RWC) and many feel it could have been more.
1. Alex Corbisiero
Corbisiero’s England career was short and sweet between 2011 and 2015, but he was highly regarded as the ‘new generation’ of mobile props. He had some great moments in his Test career, namely his heroics after being called up to the British and Irish Lions in 2013, but he also struggled with knee, shoulder and back injuries throughout his career, missing the 2015 World Cup with the latter.
The loosehead took a break from rugby at the age of 27 in 2016 after knee surgery, which eventually became his retirement. One of many careers that were tragically blighted by injury.
Honourable mention: Alex Waller
2. Dylan Hartley
This may be a strange list for England’s second-most capped player with 97 caps to be on, but it could have been so much more for the recently retired hooker. While his accumulated 60 weeks of bans were his down to his own doing, the former Northampton Saints forward was infamously omitted from Lancaster’s 2015 RWC squad due to his poor discipline.
Although he did bounce back, becoming England captain in 2016, that exclusion, as well as a knee injury during the last year of his career, deprived him of becoming a centurion.
3. Henry Thomas
After making his debut for England in 2013 at the age of 21, the Bath prop has only amassed seven more caps, all from the bench, with his last being in 2014. He has made appearances in England training camps since then, but nothing else materialised as he has battled various injuries. The now 28-year-old’s 2019/20 season is already over due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury and he faces yet another fight to regain fitness.
How the tragic loss of two teammates has given Henry Thomas perspective on the 'dark side' of mental health issues – RugbyPass https://t.co/1uAMHrHlhI #SCI
— MD Hotline (@MDHotline) February 16, 2020
4. Dave Attwood
In a decade that has had Courtney Lawes, Joe Launchbury, George Kruis and Maro Itoje (for the past four years) vying for places, there have been some very good second rows that have simply fallen short in England’s strongest position. Attwood is in that category.
An imposing presence in the tight, the Bristol Bears lock did earn 24 caps between 2010 and 2016, but he missed out on more appearances behind a supreme generation of locks.
5. Ed Slater
While some players have been unlucky that their Test career didn’t blossom in the way that many expected, there are some that have never had the chance to pull on the white jersey. Slater is one of them.
Now in his third season with Gloucester, it was his time with Leicester at the beginning of the decade where the now 31-year-old made his name, ruling the airwaves for the Tigers and winning a Premiership title in the process. While he has made England squads, he never earned a Test cap, only captaining England in 2014 against the Canterbury Crusaders.
6. Tom Croft
The former Leicester flanker made his debut at the age of 22 in 2008 but truly announced himself to the world for the Lions in 2009 against the Springboks, earning a place on the world player of the year shortlist. The decade started well for him, going to the 2011 RWC and showing perhaps his best form in the 2012 Six Nations, including a sensational try at the Stade de France.
However, he would miss almost a year of international rugby due to injury, returning for two matches in the Six Nations. Although he was included for the 2013 Lions tour, he would only play two more games for England, both in the 2015 Six Nations. He retired from professional rugby two years ago and, on reflection, very few careers have been ravaged by injury in such a way.
7. Steffon Armitage
After moving to Toulon in 2011 from London Irish, Armitage was part of a well-documented standoff with the Rugby Football Union. The flanker tore up trees for four years in the south of France, winning three European Cups and being named the 2014 European player of the year.
However, as England would not pick foreign-based players, he remained in exile. As the 2015 RWC approached, there was much speculation that exceptions would be made, or that the loose forward would make a move back to England to facilitate his selection. Neither happened and he only ended up with five England caps.
8. Nick Easter
Banished from the England team after the 2011 RWC by new coach Lancaster, it looked to be the end of Easter’s career. But the No8 was instrumental in a Harlequins team that experienced a lot of success after 2011 and he was eventually recalled to the England team for 2015 Six Nations.
However, he again missed out on the RWC but he replaced Billy Vunipola midway through and scored a hat-trick in his final appearance against Uruguay at the age of 37.
Honourable mentions: Thomas Waldrom, Jackson Wray
Comments on RugbyPass
You probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
12 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
16 Go to comments