EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Oakboy]

Which of the swaps wouldn't you have done before the 6N, and which extra player from the backrow would you have dropped to include T Willis?

Ah, I'm prejudiced. I'd have had both Willises in the first place. So far, I have seen nothing to convince me that our best back row is not Curry, J Willis and T Willis. SB has gone with Dombrandt and Ludlam with Curry unfit. Ludlam has played better than I thought he could. I don't rate Earl apart from seeing him as a better bench option than Simmonds or Dombrandt. In due course, I think Ludlam is the ideal bench back-rower but he'll take some shifting from a starting shirt.

That's not really an answer though is it. If you can't pick out the swaps you'd reverse, in order to make one available for T Willis (who like Jack, won't be at training for several of the weeks), then it's not fair to expect it from SB. In addition, Jack was already in the squad, so would be more familiar with plays etc (I doubt Borthwick ripped everything up)

Sorry, I did not make myself clear. I rate T Willis so highly that I'd swap him for almost anybody in the squad. If you want one name, Isiekwe.

[Danno]

Earl*. Because Isiekwe covers lock as well.

*#luxury giraffe. And not all that.

[Spiffy]

He's just so inconsistent as noted and shouted at before

He's been inconsistent,.

So you agree? Excellent.

justice4banquo

No doubting his talent. But he is....inconsistent.

I just get the feeling that Dombrandt will never be a top international 8. Yes he can shine at league level, but so do many others, and international rugby is a significant step up. If ever he had a chance to dominate a game it was against a disorganized Italian pack who lost all discipline for large chunks of the game. His game looks far below that of other 6N No.8s - Doris, Aldritt, Fagerson. Although he has some good moments, he seems to lack a hard-nosed ruthless edge and aggression that great No.8s have. At present I would not bank on his RWC squad selection. Would like to see him in the Wales game head to head against Faletau (who himself is past his peak, but I think Gatland will bring him back for this match.)

[Stom]

Dombrandt is there. The difference in quality between dombrandt, Willis, and Mercer is either small or undiscovered. Do you stick with dombrandt.

But…

After years of Eddie, and now two games of nose scab, and 100+ caps of lukewarm man, I just don’t get the point of picking dombrandt, smith, Marchant, any wing…if Farrell is playing.

He just blunts all attacking and is a defensive liability.

[Danno]

So 10 man it is. But that means Youngs...

[Scrumhead]

He's been inconsistent,.

So you agree? Excellent.

justice4banquo

No doubting his talent. But he is....inconsistent.

I just get the feeling that Dombrandt will never be a top international 8. Yes he can shine at league level, but so do many others, and international rugby is a significant step up. If ever he had a chance to dominate a game it was against a disorganized Italian pack who lost all discipline for large chunks of the game. His game looks far below that of other 6N No.8s - Doris, Aldritt, Fagerson. Although he has some good moments, he seems to lack a hard-nosed ruthless edge and aggression that great No.8s have. At present I would not bank on his RWC squad selection. Would like to see him in the Wales game head to head against Faletau (who himself is past his peak, but I think Gatland will bring him back for this match.)

I agree on the ‘hard-nosed ruthless edge and aggression’ and I agree that his RWC selection is definitely not assured.

Overall though, I’m really not sure it’s a totally fair comparison. The three 8s you have mentioned are significantly more established at test level (25+ caps), they are also playing in teams that are currently a good deal better than England who have settled coaching teams. Doris and Fagerson have the additional benefit of playing alongside regular club mates. Aldritt and Doris also happen to be among the best in the world right now.

In contrast, Dombrandt is 4 starts in to his test career, playing in a struggling team alongside an unfamiliar pack (and 9) for a new coach who is having to tweak the system game by game. He should get at least a little bit of leeway for that.

He absolutely needs to step up, but I think he’s copping a lot of flak for not looking brilliant straight away which is more than a bit harsh IMO.

[Oakboy]

Earl*. Because Isiekwe covers lock as well.

*#luxury giraffe. And not all that.

As a matter of interest, do EPS rules (negotiated with the premiership) apply to players in France located there with the 'ex-Wasps' dispensation? Is there anything to stop SB adding T Willis (and increasing his squad by one) rather than him being a 'swap'?

[Which Tyler]

As a matter of interest, do EPS rules (negotiated with the premiership) apply to players in France located there with the 'ex-Wasps' dispensation? Is there anything to stop SB adding T Willis (and increasing his squad by one) rather than him being a 'swap'?

To the best of my knowledge - and I absolutely reserve the right to be wrong, or simply out of date; the EPS agreement does not, and never has limited selection for the match-day squad, only training squad, rest days, and input from national to club coaches etc.

Meaning that anyone outside of the EPS CAN be called up for any match, it's just that the decks are stacked against them doing so - including that they couldn't attend training days before the match-day squad is announced.

Then there's diplomacy between England head coach, and the clubs themselves to think about.

[Banquo]

So you agree? Excellent.

justice4banquo

No doubting his talent. But he is....inconsistent.

I just get the feeling that Dombrandt will never be a top international 8. Yes he can shine at league level, but so do many others, and international rugby is a significant step up. If ever he had a chance to dominate a game it was against a disorganized Italian pack who lost all discipline for large chunks of the game. His game looks far below that of other 6N No.8s - Doris, Aldritt, Fagerson. Although he has some good moments, he seems to lack a hard-nosed ruthless edge and aggression that great No.8s have. At present I would not bank on his RWC squad selection. Would like to see him in the Wales game head to head against Faletau (who himself is past his peak, but I think Gatland will bring him back for this match.)

but I think he’s copping a lot of flak for not looking brilliant straight away which is more than a bit harsh IMO.

I don't see that- I see people like me noticing some daft errors which detract from anything decent he is doing.

[Oakboy]

As a matter of interest, do EPS rules (negotiated with the premiership) apply to players in France located there with the 'ex-Wasps' dispensation? Is there anything to stop SB adding T Willis (and increasing his squad by one) rather than him being a 'swap'?

To the best of my knowledge - and I absolutely reserve the right to be wrong, or simply out of date; the EPS agreement does not, and never has limited selection for the match-day squad, only training squad, rest days, and input from national to club coaches etc.

Meaning that anyone outside of the EPS CAN be called up for any match, it's just that the decks are stacked against them doing so - including that they couldn't attend training days before the match-day squad is announced.

Then there's diplomacy between England head coach, and the clubs themselves to think about.

That all sounds right but, presumably, it is up to SB to negotiate something separate with French clubs. He has presumably done it with J Willis and appears to include him in the EPS numbers but did he need to? Perhaps, both players have release agreements negotiated into their contracts? Accepting that they will not be fully available for all training sessions etc., they are available and not rigidly EPS. That boils down to nobody from an English club having to be ejected from the EPS to bring in any of the France-based ex-W/W players perhaps???

[Raggs]

As a matter of interest, do EPS rules (negotiated with the premiership) apply to players in France located there with the 'ex-Wasps' dispensation? Is there anything to stop SB adding T Willis (and increasing his squad by one) rather than him being a 'swap'?

To the best of my knowledge - and I absolutely reserve the right to be wrong, or simply out of date; the EPS agreement does not, and never has limited selection for the match-day squad, only training squad, rest days, and input from national to club coaches etc.

Meaning that anyone outside of the EPS CAN be called up for any match, it's just that the decks are stacked against them doing so - including that they couldn't attend training days before the match-day squad is announced.

Then there's diplomacy between England head coach, and the clubs themselves to think about.

That all sounds right but, presumably, it is up to SB to negotiate something separate with French clubs. He has presumably done it with J Willis and appears to include him in the EPS numbers but did he need to? Perhaps, both players have release agreements negotiated into their contracts? Accepting that they will not be fully available for all training sessions etc., they are available and not rigidly EPS. That boils down to nobody from an English club having to be ejected from the EPS to bring in any of the France-based ex-W/W players perhaps???

French clubs have to obey the international regs, which state release must be given. But the week proceeding the 6 nations, and the 2 by weeks, the French clubs will have the players.

I suspect the English clubs would be against the idea of losing more players than necessary whilst Willis is also available. Why annoy the clubs by taking the full EPS allowance, and more players on top.

[Oakboy]

I just get the feeling that Dombrandt will never be a top international 8. Yes he can shine at league level, but so do many others, and international rugby is a significant step up. If ever he had a chance to dominate a game it was against a disorganized Italian pack who lost all discipline for large chunks of the game. His game looks far below that of other 6N No.8s - Doris, Aldritt, Fagerson. Although he has some good moments, he seems to lack a hard-nosed ruthless edge and aggression that great No.8s have. At present I would not bank on his RWC squad selection. Would like to see him in the Wales game head to head against Faletau (who himself is past his peak, but I think Gatland will bring him back for this match.)

but I think he’s copping a lot of flak for not looking brilliant straight away which is more than a bit harsh IMO.

I don't see that- I see people like me noticing some daft errors which detract from anything decent he is doing.

My perception of Dombrandt has always been that he has loads of skill but lacks full 80 minute application. As with all skilful players, one hopes that international ambitions shake out any laziness/lack of dog so that full potential is realised. I'd be fascinated to see Dombrandt in England training sessions. Is he at the front when the tough sessions bite? I'm not directly comparing them but, maybe, there is a smidge of Hughes about him in terms of underachieving or applying himself for whole matches?

It's all guesswork and opinion, but is Dombrandt a real fighter when it counts or does he go missing?

As one who was always a full trier rather than blessed with talent, at both football and rugby, I resented more skilful players who did not give their all. I seemed to spend my time overtaking them in both directions. It taints my opinions, I accept.

[Stom]

but I think he’s copping a lot of flak for not looking brilliant straight away which is more than a bit harsh IMO.

I don't see that- I see people like me noticing some daft errors which detract from anything decent he is doing.

My perception of Dombrandt has always been that he has loads of skill but lacks full 80 minute application. As with all skilful players, one hopes that international ambitions shake out any laziness/lack of dog so that full potential is realised. I'd be fascinated to see Dombrandt in England training sessions. Is he at the front when the tough sessions bite? I'm not directly comparing them but, maybe, there is a smidge of Hughes about him in terms of underachieving or applying himself for whole matches?

It's all guesswork and opinion, but is Dombrandt a real fighter when it counts or does he go missing?

As one who was always a full trier rather than blessed with talent, at both football and rugby, I resented more skilful players who did not give their all. I seemed to spend my time overtaking them in both directions. It taints my opinions, I accept.

I’d say dombrandt is more like Easter…

I think he can appear lazy at times, but his numbers and involvement are far in excess of anything Hughes ever produced.

I’ve not heard it said, but it’s bloody difficult to be a stand out in an underperforming team if you’re not one of those grab the game by the scruff of the neck types. It’s not dombrandts fault he’s not that type, but England do lack them in general.

It’s probably a big reason Farrell is kept around, even though his grabbing the game moments seem to be more negative than positive…

I’m hopeful that, given a run with Willis at 7, he’ll start to look better. But without a 10 with the skill and vision to notice his runs and pull off the pass, will he blossom? I’m not sure he will.

[Raggs]

I don't see that- I see people like me noticing some daft errors which detract from anything decent he is doing.

My perception of Dombrandt has always been that he has loads of skill but lacks full 80 minute application. As with all skilful players, one hopes that international ambitions shake out any laziness/lack of dog so that full potential is realised. I'd be fascinated to see Dombrandt in England training sessions. Is he at the front when the tough sessions bite? I'm not directly comparing them but, maybe, there is a smidge of Hughes about him in terms of underachieving or applying himself for whole matches?

It's all guesswork and opinion, but is Dombrandt a real fighter when it counts or does he go missing?

As one who was always a full trier rather than blessed with talent, at both football and rugby, I resented more skilful players who did not give their all. I seemed to spend my time overtaking them in both directions. It taints my opinions, I accept.

I’d say dombrandt is more like Easter…

I think he can appear lazy at times, but his numbers and involvement are far in excess of anything Hughes ever produced.

I’ve not heard it said, but it’s bloody difficult to be a stand out in an underperforming team if you’re not one of those grab the game by the scruff of the neck types. It’s not dombrandts fault he’s not that type, but England do lack them in general.

It’s probably a big reason Farrell is kept around, even though his grabbing the game moments seem to be more negative than positive…

I’m hopeful that, given a run with Willis at 7, he’ll start to look better. But without a 10 with the skill and vision to notice his runs and pull off the pass, will he blossom? I’m not sure he will.

If you have a player who's completely reliant on another to bring the best out of them, they may not be the best choice. Using Jack Willis as a great example, he tends to be a player who imposes himself on the game, rather than expecting others to allow him to do so. He's a good carrier, but if he's not getting that, he smacks into tackles, or produces turnovers etc. Tom Curry is often similar, doing what is needed and available. Genge is another. They have the capability of doing really flash stuff if given the game breaking pass, but they don't require it.

[Which Tyler]

I’ve not heard it said, but it’s bloody difficult to be a stand out in an underperforming team if you’re not one of those grab the game by the scruff of the neck types. It’s not dombrandts fault he’s not that type, but England do lack them in general.

Compounded in Dombrandt's case in that his obvious alternative, Zach, IS that type of player

[Mellsblue]

I suppose the issue with Dombrandt is that his biggest attributes, for me, are running great lines and therefore needing others to recognise those lines and time a pass, and offloading/linking, which requires others to be expecting this offloads etc. There’s also a need for him to understand others abilities, eg overrunning a couple of passes that would perhaps get to him quicker at Quins.
That said, not dropping restarts and beating the first man 1v1 more regularly would also help.

[Puja]

but I think he’s copping a lot of flak for not looking brilliant straight away which is more than a bit harsh IMO.

I don't see that- I see people like me noticing some daft errors which detract from anything decent he is doing.

My perception of Dombrandt has always been that he has loads of skill but lacks full 80 minute application. As with all skilful players, one hopes that international ambitions shake out any laziness/lack of dog so that full potential is realised. I'd be fascinated to see Dombrandt in England training sessions. Is he at the front when the tough sessions bite? I'm not directly comparing them but, maybe, there is a smidge of Hughes about him in terms of underachieving or applying himself for whole matches?

It's all guesswork and opinion, but is Dombrandt a real fighter when it counts or does he go missing?

As one who was always a full trier rather than blessed with talent, at both football and rugby, I resented more skilful players who did not give their all. I seemed to spend my time overtaking them in both directions. It taints my opinions, I accept.

I will say though, while I agree with your assessment of Dombrandt as infuriatingly inconsistent, I haven't spotted any hint of Hughes-like laziness in his play from doing the m-b-ms. If anything, he's got an admirable workrate - I criticised him for missing the tackle on DVDM, but he did get there, which is a lot more than can be said for a lot of the England team.

I would say that he's maybe missing the top two inches. Nick Easter could work half as hard and end up in just the right place because he knew where he needed to be. Dombrandt's only been playing professional rugby for 4 and a half years - he's naturally talented, but I don't know how many of the instincts that he has engrained into him that players who have been in academies since they were 15 would have.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

I suppose the issue with Dombrandt is that his biggest attributes, for me, are running great lines and therefore needing others to recognise those lines and time a pass, and offloading/linking, which requires others to be expecting this offloads etc. There’s also a need for him to understand others abilities, eg overrunning a couple of passes that would perhaps get to him quicker at Quins.
That said, not dropping restarts and beating the first man 1v1 more regularly would also help.

I don't disagree on those strengths, but I'm also a bit unsure about the whole lazy, temperamental, fades-in-and-out-of-games narrative. It's hard to make comparisons when there's one player you routinely watch for 80 minutes (and are inevitably biased towards) vs a lot of highlights or more casual viewings for the alternatives. I can't think of many players I have seen turn a game/momentum completely on its head more frequently than him, and is doing so more and more with defensive interventions rather merely conjuring tries out of nowhere (which for some bizarre reason is not viewed as the most valuable possible asset in a player) but I don't get the sense that will mean anything until he seen to be tough and gritty and being a hard bastard etc.

That's not to say he's looked that way at international level. He can't continue to underwhelm and keep gathering caps, but there's promising signs his attacking game could start clicking.

Equally I hope Tom Willis and Zach Mercer get a proper go of it if given a run in the 8 shirt at some point. WT's observation of Mercer is interesting, having presumably seen an awful lot more of him than I have, because I'd have levelled a lot of the same criticisms at Mercer as a player. He's clearly come on a lot as a player in France (dare I say the Montpellier pack might be better than Bath's?) but talk of him as some sort of established test-match animal seems premature.

Interesting point Puja on the embedded rugby instincts. That's definitely something Mercer looks like he has.

[Stom]

I don't see that- I see people like me noticing some daft errors which detract from anything decent he is doing.

My perception of Dombrandt has always been that he has loads of skill but lacks full 80 minute application. As with all skilful players, one hopes that international ambitions shake out any laziness/lack of dog so that full potential is realised. I'd be fascinated to see Dombrandt in England training sessions. Is he at the front when the tough sessions bite? I'm not directly comparing them but, maybe, there is a smidge of Hughes about him in terms of underachieving or applying himself for whole matches?

It's all guesswork and opinion, but is Dombrandt a real fighter when it counts or does he go missing?

As one who was always a full trier rather than blessed with talent, at both football and rugby, I resented more skilful players who did not give their all. I seemed to spend my time overtaking them in both directions. It taints my opinions, I accept.

I will say though, while I agree with your assessment of Dombrandt as infuriatingly inconsistent, I haven't spotted any hint of Hughes-like laziness in his play from doing the m-b-ms. If anything, he's got an admirable workrate - I criticised him for missing the tackle on DVDM, but he did get there, which is a lot more than can be said for a lot of the England team.

I would say that he's maybe missing the top two inches. Nick Easter could work half as hard and end up in just the right place because he knew where he needed to be. Dombrandt's only been playing professional rugby for 4 and a half years - he's naturally talented, but I don't know how many of the instincts that he has engrained into him that players who have been in academies since they were 15 would have.

Puja

Easter is comparable, though, as he was also a relative late comer and he only really started to display that consistency in his late 20s. Before that he was full of mistakes.

[Puja]

Yeah, sorry - I was referring to late-career Easter, rather than the younger one. Not very clearly written in retrospect.

Puja

[Raggs]

I don't see that- I see people like me noticing some daft errors which detract from anything decent he is doing.

My perception of Dombrandt has always been that he has loads of skill but lacks full 80 minute application. As with all skilful players, one hopes that international ambitions shake out any laziness/lack of dog so that full potential is realised. I'd be fascinated to see Dombrandt in England training sessions. Is he at the front when the tough sessions bite? I'm not directly comparing them but, maybe, there is a smidge of Hughes about him in terms of underachieving or applying himself for whole matches?

It's all guesswork and opinion, but is Dombrandt a real fighter when it counts or does he go missing?

As one who was always a full trier rather than blessed with talent, at both football and rugby, I resented more skilful players who did not give their all. I seemed to spend my time overtaking them in both directions. It taints my opinions, I accept.

I will say though, while I agree with your assessment of Dombrandt as infuriatingly inconsistent, I haven't spotted any hint of Hughes-like laziness in his play from doing the m-b-ms. If anything, he's got an admirable workrate - I criticised him for missing the tackle on DVDM, but he did get there, which is a lot more than can be said for a lot of the England team.

I would say that he's maybe missing the top two inches. Nick Easter could work half as hard and end up in just the right place because he knew where he needed to be. Dombrandt's only been playing professional rugby for 4 and a half years - he's naturally talented, but I don't know how many of the instincts that he has engrained into him that players who have been in academies since they were 15 would have.

Puja

Yeah, not sure that's actually good workrate! We had a box kick just inside our 22, most our players had got upto the halfway line in the chase up to frorm a defensive line. Behind them we see the 3/4 forwards that had been part of the caterpillar ruck. Even further back, was Dombrandt. That's why he was in position to attempt to tackle Duane, not some insane workrate, but due to the fact he was between our 22 and 10m line when he comes into the picture.

[Puja]

My perception of Dombrandt has always been that he has loads of skill but lacks full 80 minute application. As with all skilful players, one hopes that international ambitions shake out any laziness/lack of dog so that full potential is realised. I'd be fascinated to see Dombrandt in England training sessions. Is he at the front when the tough sessions bite? I'm not directly comparing them but, maybe, there is a smidge of Hughes about him in terms of underachieving or applying himself for whole matches?

It's all guesswork and opinion, but is Dombrandt a real fighter when it counts or does he go missing?

As one who was always a full trier rather than blessed with talent, at both football and rugby, I resented more skilful players who did not give their all. I seemed to spend my time overtaking them in both directions. It taints my opinions, I accept.

I will say though, while I agree with your assessment of Dombrandt as infuriatingly inconsistent, I haven't spotted any hint of Hughes-like laziness in his play from doing the m-b-ms. If anything, he's got an admirable workrate - I criticised him for missing the tackle on DVDM, but he did get there, which is a lot more than can be said for a lot of the England team.

I would say that he's maybe missing the top two inches. Nick Easter could work half as hard and end up in just the right place because he knew where he needed to be. Dombrandt's only been playing professional rugby for 4 and a half years - he's naturally talented, but I don't know how many of the instincts that he has engrained into him that players who have been in academies since they were 15 would have.

Puja

Yeah, not sure that's actually good workrate! We had a box kick just inside our 22, most our players had got upto the halfway line in the chase up to frorm a defensive line. Behind them we see the 3/4 forwards that had been part of the caterpillar ruck. Even further back, was Dombrandt. That's why he was in position to attempt to tackle Duane, not some insane workrate, but due to the fact he was between our 22 and 10m line when he comes into the picture.

In fairness, Dombrandt was the player who had carried the ball up to set up that box-kick (according to my m-b-m anyway), so it makes sense that he'd be last up - he'd be too late to join a defensive line and staying back would allow him to support if Scotland kicked it back.

You are right that that does give him a head start on the rest of the team though.

Puja

[francoisfou]

From what I’ve seen and read of both Zach Mercer and Tom Willis here in France, the England 8 jersey should be in very good hands for a few seasons. Both are exceptional players and light years ahead of Dombrandt.

[Scrumhead]

I suppose the issue with Dombrandt is that his biggest attributes, for me, are running great lines and therefore needing others to recognise those lines and time a pass, and offloading/linking, which requires others to be expecting this offloads etc. There’s also a need for him to understand others abilities, eg overrunning a couple of passes that would perhaps get to him quicker at Quins.
That said, not dropping restarts and beating the first man 1v1 more regularly would also help.

I don't disagree on those strengths, but I'm also a bit unsure about the whole lazy, temperamental, fades-in-and-out-of-games narrative. It's hard to make comparisons when there's one player you routinely watch for 80 minutes (and are inevitably biased towards) vs a lot of highlights or more casual viewings for the alternatives. I can't think of many players I have seen turn a game/momentum completely on its head more frequently than him, and is doing so more and more with defensive interventions rather merely conjuring tries out of nowhere (which for some bizarre reason is not viewed as the most valuable possible asset in a player) but I don't get the sense that will mean anything until he seen to be tough and gritty and being a hard bastard etc.

That's not to say he's looked that way at international level. He can't continue to underwhelm and keep gathering caps, but there's promising signs his attacking game could start clicking.

Equally I hope Tom Willis and Zach Mercer get a proper go of it if given a run in the 8 shirt at some point. WT's observation of Mercer is interesting, having presumably seen an awful lot more of him than I have, because I'd have levelled a lot of the same criticisms at Mercer as a player. He's clearly come on a lot as a player in France (dare I say the Montpellier pack might be better than Bath's?) but talk of him as some sort of established test-match animal seems premature.

Interesting point Puja on the embedded rugby instincts. That's definitely something Mercer looks like he has.

Great post. Like you, I also get frustrated with the perception of Dombrandt which really doesn’t match he reality of what we see at Quins … hey ho. Anyway, it’s up to him to change that with some better performances now.

I also agree it’s a little premature to talk of Mercer as a sure thing. While I do expect him to make the step up quickly, there is no guarantee that he won’t need the same adaptation period to test rugby that Dombrandt is currently going through with even less time to accomplish it (RWC warm up games at best). With all that said, I watched him a lot at Bath and he was always very influential and consistent and the way he adapted so quickly in France suggests he has the ability and mentality to get to where we need him to be quickly.

The same applies to Tom Willis. Again, I’d back him to step up quickly, but with any test rookie, you have to factor in a period of time for them to find their feet and we don’t really have that luxury right now. Also worth considering we can only play one 8, so whoever is playing is effectively taking the game time from their competitors. If we change too much, no-one really benefits.

If you have a player who's completely reliant on another to bring the best out of them, they may not be the best choice. Using Jack Willis as a great example, he tends to be a player who imposes himself on the game, rather than expecting others to allow him to do so. He's a good carrier, but if he's not getting that, he smacks into tackles, or produces turnovers etc. Tom Curry is often similar, doing what is needed and available. Genge is another. They have the capability of doing really flash stuff if given the game breaking pass, but they don't require it.

I also agree with this, but I’d be inclined to say that this is one of the things that makes those players exceptional rather than it being the norm.

[Scrumhead]

From what I’ve seen and read of both Zach Mercer and Tom Willis here in France, the England 8 jersey should be in very good hands for a few seasons. Both are exceptional players and light years ahead of Dombrandt.

Sorry, but I don’t agree with that last sentence. When they’ve played head to head (which has been pretty recent), there’s been very little between them.

I actually think Mercer is the best of the three, but I really don’t think it’s by that much. Certainly not light years.

I just don’t understand why Dombrandt is getting such an rough ride?

Why are other inexperienced players exempt? For example, OHC has done very little and hasn’t done particularly well with any opportunities he has had, but he’s somehow escaped any criticism.