Maybe because he's a Paddy?

Although the Aussies are the best in the world you seem to be forgetting who the current World and 4 nations champs are

I agree but most things about that performance were poor and showed just how far behind we are. It wasnt even a particulalry fast or intense game and was a million miles behind the speed and intensity that Australia and New Zealand play at. Despite this we still lost and at times looked amateurish and inept. Once again we looked clueless in defence out wide and could barely string a decent attacking move together. Even the Exiles with hardly any preparation and no games together looked a lot more structured and threatening.

Don't forget the disallowed try for the exiles.

The Exile players only had a couple of days to prepare this week, yet were more fluent in attack than the English lads who have been going into camp for a number of weeks now.



I think the England halves were a complete failure, and i think this is why Sam Tomkins didnt shine as much as at Wigan, normally he links into the line after the Wigan halves have created space with speed in midfield, and quick accurate long balls out to the threequarters.

Myler and Sinfield just didnt look upto that. Infact Myler apart from his support play for the try was completely anonymous as a half with the ball. Sinfield tried but was too slow, and with only him doing anything was easily marshalled.



Robinson was dangerous with the ball at hooker and showed the importance of pace and agility in the midfield area to stand up forwards and put them on the backfoot. Mcilorum just lacked mobility around the ruck area. I actually wonder if he should actually move to loose forward at Wigan, where his physical approach to play may be better suited to the modern day loose forwards role of being like a third prop.



Bridge i felt was a real disappointment in the centres and offered nothing. Carmont eat him for breakfast. On the other centre Shenton had quite a decent game apart from that silly knock on near the end. Which was a mirror of the one he did at the DW earlier this year. Which is interesting to note as its essentially the same mistake, at a similar point in time within the game in the same part of the pitch. I will be looking out for that in the future for Saints, to see if he has a self destruct button in close matches.



For the exiles i think, Rangi Chase put one foot in the door to getting selected for the Kiwis.

Imagine him and Benji Marshall in the halves for new Zealand, with Lulu playing at hooker.

Correct decision. Next.

I thought Wilkin was Englands best player tonight.

and why did you think england would get a flogging?



this exiles team had only been together a short time and that gruop of players havent even played a competitive game together as a team before





if anything the poms should have been handing the flogging out

Why was it disallowed? It wasn't offside or a dangerous tackle, hence no penalty defence.

aye,i will give you that,benji played a blinder.

because although in the forwards i dont think were bad,i thought the flair of hodgson,chase and lealuia would produce more then us,especially without brough and roby.

I'm glad more than anything that we seem to have finally got a way of improving our playing standards in mid-season - the Exiles celebrations at the end showed how much they bought into the concept and it's definitely something that we should continue with and improve.



We have learnt far more in defeat than we ever would against any other side bar Aus/NZ. A couple of players who I previously thought weren't up to scratch at this level have handled the occasion well, namely Wilkin and Carvell. Westwood was outstanding defensively and Robinson was smart out of dummy half, a perfect foil for Roby when he comes back into the fold.



There were also some shocking performances however - I hope I'm wrong and I appreciate that he's had a bad injury, but on the evidence of the last two weeks against Saints and the Exiles it looks like father time has caught up with Peacock. The differences in the halfbacks was striking - Sinfield was way off the pace and surely cannot ever play in the halves for England again, and Myler did nothing to excite with ball in hand either, a great support player but did little more than catch and pass to the next man and we need much more from our 7. Compare and contrast with the Exiles, Leuluai was barking away left and right non-stop calling plays, and Chase looked dangerous every time he touched the ball, he put up an outstanding performance. You can't really judge our 1-5 as they got no decent ball whatsoever.