Steve Thompson Retires

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/16018570.stm

Sorry if this has already been done, I couldn’t see it when I trawled through the forums. It’s a shame because I still see/saw him as England’s first choice, but he’s doing the right thing. He was an excellent player and in all likelihood will go down as an England great. In his prime he was the best hooker in the world.

I have some great memories of watching him play. I’ll always remember a Six Nations match against Italy when the commentator brought up the fact that Thompson was a former roller skating champion. The pub I was in, to a man broke down in fits of laughter.

It is a great shame for Thommo, he was playing all right to be honest.
But now he has been forced to retire from rubgy all together, it did leave me thinking that now England have a caretaker coach for the 6ns, would he have still bee chosen, or would he be too old.

I do wish him all the best in whatever he intends to do since his retirement.

I feel for Thommo, but as he'd retired due to medical advice on a neck injury before, I get the feeling it was only going to be a matter of time. Better to quit whilst you're ahead than with a really serious injury from a collapsed scrum.

A good servant for England, and an absolute beast in the loose. Here's hoping that Hartley has learned from him. I want to see Thommo as a forwards coach in the future.

Enjoy your retirement big man

Aaargh!!!.....real area of concern for me hooker....hoped he would have carried on and done a job for a while longer, the fact that folks seem to think Hrtley's a shoe in worries me massively, he's a back stuck in an almost forwards body and in the rwc it showed!
Our young 'uns aren't near ready yet either.......think this years 6n's will be painful.

He was for a while the best hooker in the world. Returning a huge insurance payout to try again deserves so much praise. Front row forwards, unlike wingers, do not tend to go down in Rugby annals which is a shame.

He may have looked like Shrek, but Wally was a great player. Like a previous poster said I hope we see him coaching - I understand he was pretty good at it when at Brive.

At least he had a 2nd bite of the cherry after he retired 1st time. He's been great servant for England and maybe was still their best no2. Enjoy your retirement Steve .

So, whos the backup for Hartley?

LondonTiger wrote:He was for a while the best hooker in the world. Returning a huge insurance payout to try again deserves so much praise. Front row forwards, unlike wingers, do not tend to go down in Rugby annals which is a shame.

He may have looked like Shrek, but Wally was a great player. Like a previous poster said I hope we see him coaching - I understand he was pretty good at it when at Brive.

LT,

I don't know the funbus is pretty legendary as are the likes of the Viet Gwent, Fitzy and Woody. Not as many as maybe the glory boys I know but still get their recognition.

Gutted for Thommo & Wasps but better to retire able bodied than risk further injury.
Good luck in retirement Thommo.

doctor_grey wrote:So, whos the backup for Hartley?

Or more worrying, who's the back up to Hartley's back up? There's a number of very tough club games before the 6 nation. If Hartley gets injured, we could be looking at some seriously inexperienced players in the EPS. Lee Mears is already out injured until at least mid January which leaves who with international experience? George Chuter? David Paice? Not great is it?

What about Webber, Grey at quins...id be happy to put them ahead of Hartley at the moment to be honest....

Let's be honest you can put any good mobile scrummager that can lob a ball fairly straight in the No 2 shirt these days. The days of Hookers needing to lift one leg up are long gone.

Enjoy the retirement Steve better to go now than risk further injury.

I believe he was a BMX champion... Be hard to imagine a bike carrying his weight these days.

Sad day, but as has been said better a happy and healthy retirement than the alternative

lostinwales wrote:I believe he was a BMX champion... Be hard to imagine a bike carrying his weight these days.

It's actually weirder than that, he was British Roller-Skating champion!

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Rugby+Union%3A+TOMMO'S+ON+A+ROLL%3B+From+skater+boy+to+world's+best...-a0107977676

Shame for Thompson, echo sentiments that it was the right decision at the right time though, and I too hope to see him get involved with some coaching.

For England, I reckon we'll get Paice in there as our second choice hooker. Mears might come in as a reliable third choice, but I'd be tempted to go for someone more progressive like Gray or George.

robbo - surely george isnt getting much gametime behind smit and brits!
Mears is injured isnt he?

Paice and Grey are the only other, regular starting options - there arent really that many options.

Hartley, even if he is playing poorly will likely be the starter for England.

Sad for Big Steve, I hope he gets to enjoy his insurance cheque this time round. Arguably a regular in Englands best ever front row.

I'd love to know if Thommo is insured for the recurrence of an old neck injury. I wouldn't have thought so as it was a pre-existing condition.

But said, it was great for him to pay back his compensation last time around to re-join the fray.

Good luck Steve - a great servant of rugby.

What are the other options....

Lindsay (further back in development - needs to work on his lineout) but he's a big ol unit.

George ? at Sarries - can only be helping his development playing with those two top drawer hookers.

Hayward? - Saints...is putting in some eyecatching performances.

We need another 2 hookers in the EPS -

Paice - well, he is a bit hit and miss - also has a fiery reputation.
Grey - is looking good at Quins, being rotated with Chris Brooker but I think he is probably 1st choice there.
Webber - what has he been doing? Was on that tour to Oz - has he been injured?

Other options -
Mears - perhaps its time for him just to concentrate on club
Chuter - his international time is past
Tom Youngs - needs to consistently superceed Chuter for Tigers starting berth
Jamie George - Learning behind Smit and Brits (looks like a good scrummager)

Who else is there?

What is Titerell doing? (05 Lions) - is he still at Leeds?

Jamie George wouldn't be an ideal solution, but unless there are further injuries he would be third choice and wouldn't make the bench. However, it might be beneficial for him to get a feel of the squad and what International rugby is all about.

Mears has a nasty bicep injury (he tore the muscle from the bone, ouch!) that will see him out until at least mid January, possibly longer. I'm not sure he'll be match fit/ available in time for the start of the Six Nations.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15763156.stm

I think Hartley keeps his place by default. He hasn't been playing particularly well, but he's pretty internationally experienced now (34 caps) and can at least hold his own at that level. I reckon the squad will be contain Hartley, Paice and Gray.

The things about them is, they don't have the same raw power and weight in the scrum and the loose that Thompson had. It's easy to forget just how big of a physical presence Thompson was. Hartley seems like a big bloke too, but just doesn't seem to offer the same power. Considering the loss of Shaw in the boiler room, England could have lost a degree of physicality from the pack.

It's definitely a fast track position though, some of the young lands need to be pushed though the Saxons.