England's next captain

There has been lots of debate about who should be our next captain with some calling for Robshaw, others for Croft/Wood...etc.

However, my latest edition of Rugby World magazine says that Toby Flood should be that man.
He tends to divide opinion between us England fans. I like him and he does bring more dynamism to the game but I must admit, I'd never thought of him as England captain material.

I'd have Wood as our next captain. Some may argue that he doesnt get into the team, but most of us would agree that on form, he should have played a lot more in the RWC. He was our standout forward in last years 6N. He is our Sam Warburton, (without the penchant for dangerous tackiling.)

Keen for my fellow England fans thoughts...

Wood is not a bad call and should certainly have started more WC games but he does still need to cement his place in the team. I can see Croft and Robshaw at the very least in the fight with him for two places which is of course healthy (so the same argument applies to them too). It would be wrong to make any of the three of them "untouchable" by making them captain as seemed to happen with Moody. That said who IS inked in......... Dan Cole perhaps.

As you say plenty of debates already so perhaps time for a poll

Phil Vickery.

The problem is that the captain (in my opinion) needs to be a definate starter.
For England that would mean: Cole, Ashton, Foden.

Now none of them stand out as actual Captaincy material.

We need to pick the team initially THEN pick the one who has the most influence on the team. Now that doesnt have to be the one that shouts the most or is the cockiest...ie Ashton or Hartley etc.

Tom Wood is one of my favorite players....and its a trevesty that he didnt start more during the WC. He is a quiet lad who gets on plays...and gets stuck in. A player that is not afraid to put his head where it hurts even in a team going backwards...see the Ireland game in the 6n.
This is the type of player others will follow...so i could certainly acept him short term.

You can't be serious about Foden. He implodes under pressure.

Remember reading a Moody article after the WC and was a bit surprised that Flood was a member of the 'team leaders' (along with Moody, Tindall, Easter & Wilkinson I think it was, maybe Shaw as well but can't remember) but he is obviously highly thought of within the set up. Also in the leaked report someone stated that Flood should have played as he leads/directs the team whilst on the field.

If Wilkinson is now officially unavailable then at least he would be one of the few players guaranteed his place. Must be honest though I'm not a fan of having a captain playing in a position where they is always a specialist on the bench. Unless a game is well and truly won early in the second half or he gets injured then I feel a captain should always be on the pitch, so in theory you put yourself at a disadvantage of the other team who can potentially change all their players (although I don't agree with changing players for the sake of it but there are times when fresh legs & idea's are useful such as when chasing a game). However he could be the best of the candidates for now.

I would consider Wood but his form of late has been ropey and he isn't guarenteed a starting berth. Flood is certainly very vocal for England and Tigers but has never been given the armband by either.

Definite starters
1.-
2.- (Thompson injured and Hartley out of form)
3.Dan Cole
4.Lawes
5.-
6.- (though probabley Croft)
7.-
8.-
9.-
10.Flood
11.-
12.- (though should be Barritt)
13.Manu
14.Ashton (questionable recent form)
15.Foden

Maybe reaccess after the 6N and give Nick Easter the job in the short term?

There isn't an obvious choice.

Easter would perhaps work as a short-term stop-gap, but that logic obviously has its flaws if a new coach wants to come in and take a long-term view.

Knowing England's luck whoever is selected with suffer a tragic dip in form and no longer merit his place in the XV.

Knowing England's luck whoever is selected with suffer a tragic dip in form and no longer merit his place in the XV

Good point, give it to Robshaw, Foden or a Sarries player then.

I'd say either Wood of Flood for me.
We always always play better when flood is at FH.

Joe Marler?! ;-)

croft, wood and robshaw all good candidates but none guaranteed their place.

has to be easter for me, i dont think his england career is finished as some suggest although he may be under pressure from waldrom.

flood will lead the backs and should take the arm band if easter goes off.

a re-evaluation after the 6 nations.

HQ matt wrote:croft, wood and robshaw all good candidates but none guaranteed their place.

has to be easter for me, i dont think his england career is finished as some suggest although he may be under pressure from waldrom.

flood will lead the backs and should take the arm band if easter goes off.

a re-evaluation after the 6 nations.

God that would depress me. I just feel Easter is symptomatic with everything that is wrong with us at the moment. We can't have a backrow player who hits a maximum of 2 rucks each game. He is not international quality and there is a reason he is not Quins captain, because he's actually carp at it.

I sincerely hope his England career is finished.

I think there is a simple solution. Clearly Robshaw, Wood and Croft are the three most outstanding back row options available for England, with Haskell unavailable, Fearns out injured, Moody retired and Easter finally recognised as surplus to requirements.

The captain of the team should not be named until the back row for the first game of the six nations is selected.

If Robshaw and Croft get selected - I would be more inclined to give the inexperienced (at international level) Robshaw the captaincy.

If Wood is selected to partner either Croft of Robshaw, with the latter in my opinion a more likely option. Then I feel it would make sense to appoint Wood as the captain.

However this is the twist, if Wood is named captain I think it would be important to name one of Croft or Robshaw as vice-captains. Therefore if Wood gets dropped for one of the Robshaw or Croft, one of them can slip into the captaincy role with ease.

My preference for the back row would be...

6. Robshaw (vc)
7. Wood (c)
8. Waldrom*

19. Croft

I know many people doubt Waldrom, however he is a class player coming into very good form for Leicester. He offers a lot more go forward with his ball carrying and is deceptively fast (a lot faster than Easter!) He also has a high work-rate, with a high tackle count and is very strong at the breakdown. I feel he would be the perfect player to compete with Haskell when he returns from his 'travels'.

funnyExiledScot wrote:There isn't an obvious choice.

Easter would perhaps work as a short-term stop-gap, but that logic obviously has its flaws if a new coach wants to come in and take a long-term view.

Knowing England's luck whoever is selected with suffer a tragic dip in form and no longer merit his place in the XV.

I think its more down to poor coaching and a poor England environment....rather than bad luck. You get the feeling its almost a negative thing to be in and around the camp....

This is why its essential we bring in a coaching team that will mean joining the England camp is a positive thing...and get the best out of the undoubted talent England have....

I think you should be selecting one of your older more experienced players (Easter) than someone inexperienced, as your captain for this 6 nations. If you do not have any suitable candidates, then it is silly to just throw it onto someone just to see how they do. It could ruin their whole development and confidence.

This 6 nations England will be undergoing a massive amount of changes, in coaching, leadership and players. They will likely not perform all that well, as the new team takes its first steps towards gelling together. IMO Easter should be selected as temporary captain, and as your new team gels together, a captain can be selected over the next 12 months.

Who ever it is for the next England Captain, it should be some one who is in the England team now. Alot of people have been calling for Robshaw to be the next captain. Robshaw may be a good call but he is not in the England team, and has yet to make the England team.

With Martin Johnson now retired from the England manager job and with Rob Andrew saying in his statement, we know the England team for the up and coming 6NS. Well you have to ask your self Will RobShaw be in the England squad for the 6ns?

It is a wait and see thing isn't it?

I think it is.. what is the rush to picking a young captain who you think will be around in 4 years? Just pick the most suitable candidate for this 6 nations, someone like Easter, who has a vast amount of experience. Let the rest of the team settle in, and when Easter leaves, someone will have surely put their hand up.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/2011/11/27/chris-robshaw-should-be-england-captain-reckons-nick-easter-115875-23592366/

Well i'm pretty sure Easter is advocating the selection of Chris Robshaw as the next captain of England here.

People say Robshaw isn't a dead certainty to get in the England team, however I completely disagree and feel if he is injury free he will definitely start for England in the six nations, a hell of player who never has an off game.

Easter has plenty of off games... he's not a brilliant player. He's an average one.

I think he meant Robshaw never has an off game. I think Robshaw should be starting for England yes, but he shouldn't be made captain during the 6 nations. He should be given time to settle.

Depends on how clean a break with the immediate past you want.

If the leaked comments are to be believed, Robshaw was worthy of a place in the RWC squad and was only denied it by a conservatism that instead saw players who were performing less well picked ahead of him.

But the fact that he wasn't on the trip means he's got no baggage and can set the tone for a new culture. If changing the ethos matters to the new DoR - and it should - how many other young English players are as qualified to do that?

It's not as if there's no precedent. Carling for England and Johnson for the Lions were both appointed captains very early in their careers because smart coaches wanted to set a tone for their squads.

Being captain these days means you need good communication skills on and off the field.
If I was England's head coach I would just select the squad and appoint a captain for the next match and maybe a different one for for the match after that.
There is no need to rush into anything and who knows maybe a youngster from the squad will put his hand up and say I'm the man like Warburton did for Wales.

Lets see if Robshaw has a good run in the six nations before contemplating him as a captain.

Its a hard question to answer, as no one knows what the England team will look like come the six nations. Wholesale changes are to be expected, and who knows what injuries may crop up.

I think Easter will be the captain, experienced, does nothing outstanding but is noticed when hes not playing. An he was one of the few who kept squeaky clean in NZ. He will only be a stop gap captain though, lots of new caps in the Six nations I think... hopefully someone will step up.

tomhughesnice wrote:Lets see if Robshaw has a good run in the six nations before contemplating him as a captain.

Its a hard question to answer, as no one knows what the England team will look like come the six nations. Wholesale changes are to be expected, and who knows what injuries may crop up.

I think Easter will be the captain, experienced, does nothing outstanding but is noticed when hes not playing. An he was one of the few who kept squeaky clean in NZ. He will only be a stop gap captain though, lots of new caps in the Six nations I think... hopefully someone will step up.

Completely agree with all of this

So Nick Easter, a player who was involved in the drinking games in the world cup on the night of the 'dwarf throwing'. A player who many consider to be a decent club number 8, who falls short of international standards. I would honestly prefer any of Waldrom, Fearns, Narraway or Dowson to be selected ahead of Easter

Surely appointing Easter as captain would be a massive step in the wrong direction, he represents the past. This England team should be about the future, at 33 there is no chance he will feature for England in the next world cup.

Robshaw at 25 and Wood at 24 will most likely both be key figures for England over the next few years. It has to be one of them.

Why would you pick either Robshaw or Wood when they haven't even nailed a starting spot yet? You need to let the new England team gel first, as they will be undergoing massive changes. Within the next 12 months, someone will have put their hand up for the captaincy. For now, as a stop-gap, Easter should be captain or someone with his experience and leadership at least.

Where was this dwarf throwing ?

Surely a captain should be someone who is guranteed to start ?

Woods has been immense for the Saints so far and has to be starter for England. He's a much more useful player than Croft in my opinion who has been overrated by everyone since the lions tour. Anyway i think Wood or Hartley could be good captains.

England's next captain? Is Coco the Clown available?

tom_watson wrote:So Nick Easter, a player who was involved in the drinking games in the world cup on the night of the 'dwarf throwing'. A player who many consider to be a decent club number 8, who falls short of international standards. I would honestly prefer any of Waldrom, Fearns, Narraway or Dowson to be selected ahead of Easter

I am partially in agreement with you, that Easter does fall abit short compared to his other international counterparts. But I think England should have a transition period for new players to be tried out. Introducing many new players at the same time will most likely result in and England drubbing. Every team needs a few old heads, and by the six nations I imagine Easter may be the only England player over 30.

Bring back Borthwick!