Rugby question for beamer ...

About this Johnny May thing. And alternatives.

I like the progress England have made under Lancaster and his team, in almost all areas - not least team cohesion, and also a certain amount of patience in the desire to win, with a certain nous: THE area England have fallen down on so often. The only real exceptions that are obvious are where Rowntree should have had a bit more effect by now - notably various problems with the hooker(s). ~ ~ And then there's the left wing. Oh, that left wing.

Maybe said lad will come good in time. But in the meantime, a glaring blindspot in Lancaster/Farrell Snr's vision and planning. What do they see in him?

SO THE QUESTION, beams: What's happened to David Strettle? He's still a swervy speed merchant apparently, hardly brittle, and a prolific tryscorer still. Is he considered too old? Too much of a knob because of past indiscretions? Or what? He'd have played better for England this season with an eyepatch on than Johnny May!

Or even Varndell - Ton Varndell - do you know why he too is out of favour, when there's such a screaming weak link in his position for England? Injured?

I understand Ashton has been considered Definitive Knob by the England set-up. But even on the "wrong" wing, and even inclined to be headstrong, he STILL has to be a better option than May on this season's 6N form.

I'd even prefer a decent centre on the wing (e.g. has Barritt been injured?) than the lame headless shambling carthorse we've seen endangering England's line(s) with risible defence, and throwing away promising attacking positions, over five games. (Though to be fair, JM did make one good tackle yesterday ...)

Is there a rational answer? - Has Mayo got compromising pictures of Lancaster & Andy Farrell disporting themselves in the woods, or summat?

(This is not a belated sulk, btw - as I said, I believe Ireland were worthy champs. I am just thinking of 2015. And still a bit aghast at Johnny, Johnny May / Wish they'd taken him away, / No more to ruin the play of Ingerlund / His play's tattered and it's torn, / etc .. )

I don't really follow the club game, so not too sure on the merits of the alternatives. Although apparently Marland Yarde and Christian Wade were the next in line, but both got injured allowing May and Nowell in. Yarde had a pretty impressive tour last summer I seem to remember.

Strettle and Varndell must be pretty old by now, it seems a few years since they were in the picture. After a spectacular start in an England shirt, Ashton just seemed to lose his way and become a liability. Guess there's the likes of Foden who was always a fairly reliable FB/wing as well.

May does look a bit of a headless chicken but maybe as you say he will find his way like Brown did, or perhaps he is just a stopgap from some way down the pecking order.

Thanks for the response.

Strettle is 31 - although I see Lancaster has specifically assured him he's not out of the plans for 2015 - and Varndell 28. The former especially will be considered getting on a bit for his position, even if he scores heaps of tries for his club.

Yarde was just a name for me, didn't follow last summer's trip. And Wade is new to me.

I'd forgotten about Foden! But he seems a bit slight for the modern international game. Perhaps that's a slight on him.

No doubt the Lancaster idea (presumably shared by Farrell Snr) is to look ahead and build on youngsters. And particularly look away from past heroes and villains who are contaminated by the scent of too many defeats. Which is fair enough thinking if it works in individual cases. I think it does in most, not all.

They only showed England's six nations games on Setanta here in Aus. F*cking annoying. I'm not gonna fork out the extra money for that. 99% of the stuff shown on Setanta is shit.

PeterCS wrote:No doubt the Lancaster idea (presumably shared by Farrell Snr) is to look ahead and build on youngsters. And particularly look away from past heroes and villains who are contaminated by the scent of too many defeats. Which is fair enough thinking if it works in individual cases. I think it does in most, not all.

Yeah, we've only got Hartley with over 50 caps, whereas Ireland and Wales must have at least half their sides past that milestone. A lot of the older players were axed after the last World Cup and others have seemingly ruled themselves out by moving to France, or announcing they are to do so in Toby Flood's case.

I'd happily see the cricket setup do the same. If we do have a summer of home annihilations by India and Sri Lanka, and get a coach/head selector in from outside, it may be that even Cook, Bell, Anderson and Broad are seen as damaged goods who we have to move on from.