AS a long-time England supporter I feel compelled to express my concerns about the performances and results of our team.
Much debated selection issues play their part. Steve Borthwick needs to decide who his preferred fly-half is for the build up to the next World Cup. If it is Marcus Smith, then play him and if he’s playing well, leave him on for 80 minutes. Would Ireland have ever have taken Johnny Sexton off in his prime if they still needed to win the game? No.
One solution could be to have George Furbank, or someone similar, on the bench instead – someone who looks to be able to play in several places in the back line should an injury occur – and it would remove the temptation to replace or move the incumbent fly-half just because you have another on the bench.
This story is from the December 01, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the December 01, 2024 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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