England vs. South Africa - Investec Challenge Series First Test - 18/11/06

England Rugby has plummeted to new depths, the fortress that was Twickenham has long gone, in fact the feel good factor after the Rugby World Cup 2003 is well and truly dead!

What happened? Lots really, retirement of established players, long term injury to other players, Sir Clive Woodward jumping ship having lost interest.  However,  by far the most important and telling is the lack of leadership both on and off the field, lack of vision by not bringing on and trying new younger players at least two years ago, loss of confidence by the players and now sadly a man who does not know when to fall on his sword and do the decent thing!

So we have two matches left in this year's Investec Challenge Autumn Internals and boy is this series living up to its name, seriously this is a mighty 'Challenge ' now for England and English Rugby.   

We have England RWC2003 Champions with egg on their face, the All Blacks having fried them and Argentina doing a lovely sort of scrambled/soufflé of them!    

Hang on minute though, yes we are hopeless at the moment but let us give credit where it is due!  The All Blacks came to conquer and they did but we put tries past them.  Argentina are a superb team and need to be given credit for their performance and I seriously question why the Tri Nations teams don't want Argentina in their tournament?  I rather think I know why?  Damn good team they are and make no mistake.

Having said all of that, England are bereft at the moment of leadership, ideas and confidence.  I would say we have the skills and the players but nobody has had the lion-heartedness to ignited the fire and move England forward with passion..   

So here we go again this weekend the 'Bok' awaits us, will we be poached or left sunnyside up?  Joking I hope!  All week posters have been putting forward who they would want in their team this Saturday, this is what I want to see:-

Who would I want in my team............

15 committed players
15 confident players
15 players, playing for one another
15 players looking up
15 players who want the win so badly it hurts
15 players who tackle until they are worn out
15 players who get up and run back to support quickly, not an age as it seems now
15 players we can be proud of regardless of the result

So, what have we got 'Magnificent Seven' changes!  

Mark Cueto, who has recovered from an ankle injury, comes in for right-wing Paul Sackey.   Mathew Tait, Pete Richards, Andrew Sheridan, Tom Palmer, and Joe Worsley come in for Anthony Allen, Shaun Perry, Perry Freshwater, Danny Grewcock and Lewis Moody respectively.  

UPDATE 15-11-05  Northampton's Ben Cohen has been recalled to the side on the left wing, with Josh Lewsey moving from wing to full-back in a defensive reshuffle.

There are three positional switches - for Jamie Noon, from outside to inside centre, while Pat Sanderson moves to open-side flanker from No 8, a shirt now filled by captain Martin Corry.   London Wasps prop Phil Vickery returns to the match squad for the first time since November 2005.

Unofficial England Rugby wishes each and every one of them a fantastic game - go get the 'Bok'  England!

England  Team:
I Balshaw (Gloucester); M Cueto (Sale), M Tait (Newcastle), J Noon (Newcastle), J Lewsey (Wasps); C Hodgson (Sale), P Richards (Gloucester); A Sheridan (Sale), G Chuter (Leicester), J White (Leicester), T Palmer (Wasps), B Kay (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), P Sanderson (Worcester), M Corry (Leicester,  Captain).
Replacements: L Mears (Bath), P Vickery (Wasps), C Jones (Sale), L Moody (Leicester), S Perry (Bristol), A Goode (Leicester), T Flood (Newcastle).

South Africa Team:  Steyn; Ndungane, Olivier, de Villiers, Habana; James, Januarie; van der Linde, Smit (Captain), Botha, Ackermann, Muller, Spies, Rossouw, Cronje.

Replacements: Ralepelle, Carstens, van den Berg, Lobberts, Pienaar, A Pretorius, Fortuin.

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