KiwiRooster says...

A French ploy to disrupt the English side... boela you must be delusional. You mention the FFR, it has nothing to do with it. The FFR does not rule the clubs in France, that is the role of the LNR. Here is what you have to remember though, the FFR last season released Julien Dupuy twice right in the middle of the Six Nations so he could rejoin Leicester and play against the London Wasps and Gloucester. And you think the French are in bad faith? Be graceful and get a reality check while you are at it. There are laws and even the RFU is not above, mate. Outside the international windows ruled by the IRB, players must be made available to their employer and that is unless a contract has been signed between the federation and their club. The RFU is not Haskell's employer, Stade Francais is. The same way the FFR was not Dupuy's employer, the Leicester Tigers were. How come the FFR and other Federations respect the rules when the RFU could not care less? Should there be a set of rules designed to accommodate England only? There is no ploy here (by the way all the French internationals are on deck with their clubs), there is just a sheer amount of stupidity and arrogance from the RFU and the England coach.

Posted 22:35 04th March 2010

boela says...

I think that John Taylor, the Welsh corrspondent for rugby, explicitly made the point that England under the RFU are the most overdone undercooked project in world rugby. The example by the RFU to force the hand of the FFR simply shows how desperate the RFU are reinsure themselves of the power they now have and the desperate struggle to hold on to some sort of the respect they once so proudly enjoyed. England have the biggest player depth in the world and if the , under the guise ofg the RFU, they cannot accomodate their agreement with the French or , better yet, replace Haskell with another player who can perform equally or better than Haskell(and England do have the players), I say to hell with them and I am going to find another side to support. Taylor makes it clear when he say that Easter is too slow and Haskell is too spasmodic, despite his two trys against Wales, to insure that , at the very least, the English backs get some time to find adventure. Don't blame the poor performance or uunimaginative backline display solely on the backs. The backrow has a great responsibility which has been sadly gone missing.

I almost think the French would rather not play Haskell. It is simply a French ploy to disrupt the English side. Instead Martin Johnson should recognize an opportunity and take it.

Posted 23:00 03rd March 2010