BUT what does it all mean? That is always my big problem with these trial games – sorry, World Cup warm-up matches – sorry, make that Summer Series clashes. I have no idea where they sit in the big picture. Whether to take them seriously … or whether to just zip it and stay mute until the World Cup starts.
Take England for example. Before yesterday’s miserably poor defeat against Wales we were assured by assistant Richard Wigglesworth that individual players weren’t on trial. Which is pretty much on a par with the ubiquitous football club chairman telling his manager his job is safe.
Just about every player who might be considered a fringe selection – Joe Cokanasinga, Joe Marchant, Guy Porter, Tom Pearson, Alex Dombrandt, Jamie Blamire and possibly Dave Ribbans was involved from the start. And frankly most of them played like players on trial.
And that alone confuses me because after ten weeks of rolling camps England will announce their final World Cup squad tomorrow. Now if this wasn’t a trial game, as England insist, why not announce that definitive World Cup squad last week and give that finalised settled group four games together to find their style and form?
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin August 06, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin August 06, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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