Dawson wins battle of D’s

Dawson wins battle of D’s

7 Mar 2006

Matt Dawson is in the match 15, but Lawrence Dallaglio has to be content with a second half subs role when England go to Paris in search of a Six Nations victory against France.

Forget Scotland’s claims on championship glory, whoever wins here will win the Six Nations.

Dawson will start at No 9, despite former England utility back Austin Healey urging Andy Robinson to drop the veteran halfback. Clearly, Healey’s opinions have meaning to Robinson.

Dallaglio remains on replacement duty for a fourth-successive Six Nations game, losing out to Martin Corry, who retains the captaincy.

Dawson was at the helm when England last beat France in Paris six years ago, so perhaps Robinson is going for a good luck omen.

In a surprise selection SA-born prop Matt Stevens has edged out giant Andy Sheridan in the front row.

England: J Lewsey (Wasps); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), J Noon (Newcastle), M Tindall (Gloucester), B Cohen (Northampton); C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), M Dawson (Wasps); M Stevens (Bath), S Thompson (Northampton), J White (Leicester), S Borthwick (Bath), D Grewcock (Bath), J Worsley (Wasps), L Moody (Leicester), M Corry (Leicester, capt). Subs: L Mears (Bath), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), S Shaw (Wasps), L Dallaglio (Wasps), H Ellis (Leicester), A Goode (Leicester) and T Voyce (Wasps).


17 Comments

  • 1.EkskrieWP: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 16:43 pm

    Yawn

  • 2.LoveJoy: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 17:05 pm

    tindall…
    eish, guess we can rule out inovative back play!

    who’s playing for the froggies?

  • 3.bullseye: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 17:21 pm

    Damm Matt Stevens is a talent lost to SA rugby. Why the heck did he decide to go and study at a k@k place like Bath.

  • 4.gecko: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 17:28 pm

    Matt Stevens is great in the loose, but can’t (overpower in the) scrum. Surprised he has been picked, Stuart Barnes, Stephen Jones & Paul Ackford thought he should not have been brought back.

  • 5.munkiboi: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 17:48 pm

    if the frogs were in the form of last autumn, i’d say cake walk. but they’re closer to the ridiculous than the sublime at the moment. that said, frogs still 60/40 favorites. they’ll have taken heart from how impotent england were against Scotland.

  • 6.munkiboi: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 17:50 pm

    matt dawson is a liability in his arrogant old age. healy likes him nothing, but then healy hardly endeared himself to robinson, and i believe there is some animosity there.

    pole – who is the biggest *** in english rugby:
    dawson or healey?

    grewcock is just a plank.

  • 7.jondood: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 17:52 pm

    munkiboi

    Dawson is the ultimate english ****.

  • 8.gecko: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 18:00 pm

    I’d say StMick.

    I like Healey – cocky, but funny.

  • 9.Jester: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 18:20 pm

    Now now guys……..All the above “*****” would get into the Springbok squad.

  • 10.munkiboi: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 18:26 pm

    gecko – went to a rugby function recently where Healey was compere, he was damn good at it and damned funny – very quick witted with excellent questions. but it hurt everytime i laughed because i’ve never liked him.

    jester – you jest, surely not ALL…?

  • 11.CSI:Rugby: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 22:25 pm

    Biggest ****…..goes to…..Both of them.

  • 12.Dre Dirt: Reply to this comment
    7 Mar 2006, 23:33 pm

    They are both arrogant no hoping *****, but if I hd to make a choice Healy would win the race he was only a half decent winger in the northern hemisphere. When he came up against the Boks,the AB’s and the Wallabies he looked like a scared feather weight boxer fighting out of his weight category! LOL

  • 13.Hier kom groot k..: Reply to this comment
    8 Mar 2006, 00:15 am

    Go Froggies! Trample the Poms into the dirt where they belong. :lol:

  • 14.pompies: Reply to this comment
    8 Mar 2006, 05:49 am

    Koos give the poms a break they are the world chumps you know

  • 15.bokusa: Reply to this comment
    8 Mar 2006, 09:57 am

    Big mistake putting in Dawson. He is past his sell by date. Frankly, makes me happy because it helps France. By the way, the greatest prop that ever lived per the English press has been dropped. So much for that b.s. A loss to France will really send them spinning and hopefully Ireland can deal the fatal blow the following weekend.

  • 16.NZMaori: Reply to this comment
    8 Mar 2006, 11:55 am

    Dawson for sure but Grewcock – he is my most hated. But unlike Dawson and Healy he can actually hold his own is his position. It has to go to Dawson. Hes is the biggest girl in world rugby

  • 17.tokolosi: Reply to this comment
    9 Mar 2006, 15:27 pm

    this is the most boring competition in the world, I would rather watch my friends dog lick its own balls

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