England close to a Hooker Crisis?

Two hookers were named in the EPS:

Dylan Hartley - incumbent, fractured his eye socket against Wasps. Proper diagnosis and recovery time is pending the swelling reducing, but Saints (and Lancaster) are hopeful he is out for just two weeks.

Rob Webber - Long term injury will not see him play this year.


Meanwhile in the Saxons squad we have:

Joe Gray - been in good form but suffered an eye injury against Saracens that reports suggest will keep him out for 4-6 weeks.

David Paice - just back from a 7 week ban for fighting on the last day of last season (2 replacement caps on 2008 tour to NZ)

Tom Youngs - making really good progress and has started evry AP match this season. Past problems with his neck.




Here is hoping that Hartley is only out for 2 weeks, because otherwise the options look very raw. God help us, but the Independent today suggested that Lancaster may have to persuade Lee Mears to rescind his retirement!!!

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/dylan-hartley-injury-adds-to-englands-hooker-trouble-8193114.html

I dont think Hartley will miss the AI's...its only a hairline fracture (which sounds bad enough to me like) which apparently is only going to miss a week or two.

Id possibly start Youngs against the Fijians...which gives Hartley an extra week to recover...and also to see how Gray goes...
I think Youngs lineout has been an improvement...Tiger fans can confirm. And a front Row of Marler, Youngs and Cole would be an aggressive, powerful one with some serious ball carrying aswell....

I would also seriously look at Lindsay but his lineout is very poor (please sort this out)...and without some serious lineout kings (Croft etc) that could be decidedly dodgy....

Whats the crack with Jaime George at Sarries...has he had any gametime this season?

PS...if as that article suggests that England might try to coax Lee Mears out of retirement i would utterly despair.

Mears v Youngs or Lindsay is a no brainer in my eyes...

Youngs has definitely been improving. He had an excellent game at the weekend, and showed up very well in the loose. I think the time he spent in the EPS over the summer in SA really spurred him on to improve his throwing. He has looked excellent since he's come back.

Lindsay is a physical specimen- he looked very good with ball in hand at the weekend (a knock on or two aside), but was very poor in the lineout. Lawes was disrupting him all day. However, this could be because every lineout ball was aimed at Palmer or Wentzel, and it doesn't take a genius to eventually start covering both.

Yeah thats my concern with Lindsay...he looks a serious prospect...but the lineout is still crucial...
Lets hope Wapss can really sort that aspect out...

Well, he's got the chance to learn from Rhys Thomas at Wasps now, who's a seasoned vetern with a good level of international experience. Hopefully he'll be embracing the opportunity to learn from him with open arms

Definately...if he had a reasonable lineout i would have him in the squad now without hesitation.

As it is...Youngs looks to be getting ahead of him now for the moment...

Where is Jaime George...EDIT - I see he started and got 46 mins against Exeter and came off the bench v LI, for 16 mins.

No idea where George is GF....he needs consistent game time soon.

George has played 70 minutes for Sarries

(gray 299, Youngs 349, Lindsay 230)

Cheers LT

So as i saide...Youngs should rightfully start in place of Hartley.

Its funny...i appreciate Gray is a good player...and an itegral part of the Quins championship winning team but like George Robson as well im just not a fan...cant explain it.

Tom youngs is such an exciting prospect, a real pocket battleship....he's only 5ft 9 but with his explosive power, pace, running lines and hands he's a different animal to our last diminute hooker lee 'piglet' mears. He's also got a big old temper on him, which i like to see in a hooker, not being an ar**hole like dylan hartley, but not stepping back from anything.

Tom lindsay has had the chance to kick on for a while now but still cant throw a bloomin ball in, he's a big steve thompson hulk of a hooker, but if you cant do your basics then forget about international rugby.

Such a shame about Rob Webber, he's another angry young gunslinger of a hooker with a good all round game but another long term injury see's him slip way down the pecking order

I like Youngs a lot, he's gone really well for Tigers so far considering his real lack of experience. He will need time to develop on the international stage and some time coming on as a replacement for Hartley will do him well in games.

The other prospect I might look to give a go is young Rob Buchanan at Quins. He did really well with the U20s and has turned in some excellent performances in the Jeff so far. He's young and needs game time, but he's got all the attributes and looks a real class act.

As far as Jamie George goes he was the coming man last season but his decision to stay at Sarries has hampered him in my opinion. Yes it sounds great to learn from two great hookers in Smit and Brits, but at 23 he needs to be laying down his own game as well and that isn't happening at Saracens.

you can have Hibberd on a long term/perm loan just don't bring him on with 15 to go