Is Phil Vickery the right man to skipperEngland?

Question

Can you properly captain a team from a front row position?

Will he always be free of injuries?

Is there anybody else that you would have liked the arm band to go to? etc. etc.

Answer 1

Is it really going to matter? England rugby is in total disarray, the appointment of Vickery as captain isn't going to save them from humiliation at this year's world cup.....

Similar situation to the English cricket team that's just been totally humiliated in the Ashes series........

Answer 2

He makes excellent desserts, that Phil Vickery... Fern's a lucky lady!

Sorry, couldn't resist!!!

I'll go now... :-(

Answer 3

I think this six nations is going to be very interesting and I don't think England will be "thumped" by anyone.

If I were English, let alone England's selector, I'd go with the following for the first game against Scotland :

15. Robinson

14. Lewsey

11. Cueto

13. Tait

12. Noon

10. That Irish bloke

9. Perry

8. Ward-Smith

7. Moody

6. Worsley

5. Corry

4. Palmer

3. Freshwater

2. Chuter

1. Vickery

Who cares who is captain? This is a team of professionals and a captain is needed in order to decide whether or not it's a good idea to run for fun or kick for goal at 9-9 in the World Cup Final; as far as managing the pace and direction of the game is concerned, no captain has a great deal of influence on that, it depends entirely on how you have planned and trained what is happening in front of you, not on some decision made on the spot by an individual. Too much emphasis is put on who is or isn't captain, in my opinion. Vickery is a very good player and is probably a good choice in the sense that he shuts up and plays. Thank God Ashton got rid of Lol Daggers as he'd be running around screaming like a spoilt child if he'd made it into the squad.

Note Corry's inclusion in my England team at second row with Tom Palmer. Corry is big enough to play in the second row, he has experience there but he's probably too ugly and his handling sskills are just not quite good enough for the back row. His ball skills would be a bonus to any second row and Palmer deserves a chance.

This is a top quality England side and if you look at what they have to field on day one of the 6N, 8 months before the world cup and consider that Andy Farrell may replace Noon and Tom Rees may step up and take a place in the back row, not to mention Johnny Wilkinson who will play at fly half during the World Cup. Suddenly there's slightly less to laugh about in terms of England's demise.

I'm Scottish and I'm certainly not rubbing my hands together at the prospect of seeing Scotland taken apart by this team. All England lack is the time to develop a pack with a viscious streak - they have the atheletes up front and behind thre scrum, they just lack the steamroller effect of before the 2003 world cup but those who remain in the team today are maybe not as fast (I'm thinking of Robinson and Lewsey) but are certainly better players nowadays.

Answer 4

Not for me, but we'll see.

Maybe Vickery will be good.

I see the anti-podeans are still in their own little world. Our problems have been in the forwards not the backs.

Answer 5

Who else would you appoint? I think a forward captain is the best position for a captain. Leading the pack I say.

Answer 6

Phil Vickery new captain, well lets be honest who else will be able to fill this role. England has one very big problem at the moment and that is there back line, they must have one of the slowest back lines in world rugby at the moment and they seriously need to bring in some serious pace, other wise they are going to get hammered everytime they play a class team.

Answer 7

He might add some discipline and get the forwards playing properly, but i think the problem is far more deep seated than the coach. They have no good backs at all, who can't seem to play with any kind of cohesiveness or consistency. The forwards win some ball, the backs don't know what to do with it.

The six nations are coming up and i think they will be thumped by France and Ireland. Maybe even Wales and Scotland too. That is how far they have fallen.

Just goes to show - all this strength and conditioning training in the premiership. Someone forgot to coach the rugby side of things.

They can't play the bloody game.....

Answer 8

I think he probably is. At least he looks as though he wants to win!

AND he sings the National Anthem. As for the others we need Steve Thompson back as hooker - he is big, experienced, and quick. The back row has been a shambles and we need to look to the Bristol No8. There are no obvious candidates for Numbers 9&10! I would leave the backs alone except  posssibly Jason Robinson on the wing instead of Cueto.

Answer 9

It doesnt matter who captains England at the moment.

Thier rugby is in shatters and will be until they get a decent management structure.