The Most Underrated English Rugby Union Player of All Time Revealed

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It is no secret that the British public and media love to over hype their indigenous players. However, one man has for his whole career managed to escape such universal praise. His stats read like a moneyball/fantasy football aficionado wet dream given the lack of hype. He cannot be mentioned by name in case he becomes hyped beyond control.

In 302 club matches he has amassed 2892 points which at one point made him the Aviva Premiership all time top points scorer (since been overtaken by Hodgson due to two stints abroad). He also has two Heineken cup winners medals and multiple AP winners medals. In his maiden season in the French Top 14 he was the second highest points scorer with 235 points for a mid table team.

His club scoring average is only 2 points per games less than Wilko's and two more than Owen Farrell and Charlie Hodgson's averages. For England he averaged a meager 6.2 points per game in his 17 caps but in his 7 starts against good opposition he averaged 11.7 points. Wilko's career average is 12.9 for England, Hodgson 7 and Farrell 10.

Why does this man not routinely fail to get the accolades he deserves?

Andy Powell?

Footwork?

Oh that's made my day

Strettle must be a candidate for this position. He's like a classier Tony Swift.

Gwlad wrote:Andy Powell?

Footwork?

Oh that's made my day

I think I once saw him do a sidestep but AP never really did subtle

Nick Easter. It is well worth revisiting the stats for the 6N when he did play.  They were pretty high across the board and he did a lot of work for England. A lot of carries a lot of yards and good in the lineout too. Only thing he really lacked was any kind of pace at all- a bit of a throwback to the days of Deano I guess. Oh - and although he was a great pack leader England did badly when he was captain.

i guess one of the most underrated English player as to be David Strettle.

The amount of tries he scores, per game......At least 2.

Goode was and is an excellent club player but I feel was one of those guys who are a fraction if a second off being able to run a game well at international level. Hodgson is a very different player,  but had the same problem: his skills didn't translate to the higher pressure environment. Goode might have been OK had England had a decent centre pairing, but we didn't.

As a Quins fan, I am a little biased about Easter, but I fondly remember a Quins-Wasps game where Powell made loads of yards and carries,  but found himself battering against a brick wall on the try line and unable to score. Easter totally controlled that game, which Quins won, without doing anything very flash.  Guess who Sky (I think it was Dallaglio) gave MOTM to?

Back rows are all about balance. You wouldn't play Woodshaw with Easter at international level - you'd want Billy or Haskell at 6 (just as Quins' best recent back row was Fa'asavalu, Robshaw, Easter)

Poorfour wrote:Goode was and is an excellent club player but I feel was one of those guys who are a fraction if a second off being able to run a game well at international level. Hodgson is a very different player,  but had the same problem: his skills didn't translate to the higher pressure environment. Goode might have been OK had England had a decent centre pairing, but we didn't.

As a Quins fan, I am a little biased about Easter, but I fondly remember a Quins-Wasps game where Powell made loads of yards and carries,  but found himself battering against a brick wall on the try line and unable to score. Easter totally controlled that game, which Quins won, without doing anything very flash.  Guess who Sky (I think it was Dallaglio) gave MOTM to?

Back rows are all about balance. You wouldn't play Woodshaw with Easter at international level - you'd want Billy or Haskell at 6 (just as Quins' best recent back row was Fa'asavalu, Robshaw, Easter)

Drives me nuts that thing about motm going to be who do lots of flashy but not effective stuff vs the opposite.

Its like watching England. Everyone is down about the back play, especially because there are always the knock ons and mistakes. But when they do manage to not mess things up the moves that lead to tries tend to be very quick.