Goode fills Cipriani’s boots
3 Feb 2009
Keo.co.za bings you the latest team announcements from the Six Nations squads.
Goode fills Cipriani’s boots
Martin Johnson has handed a surprise recall to Andy Goode, who will take Danny Cipriani’s place at flyhalf.
Cipriani started three of the four November Tests but his troubles have been well-documented and he was last night named in the England Saxons squad to play Ireland A on Friday. Toby Flood was expected to be handed the No 10 jersey, but his calf strain ruled him out.
Goode, who played for Leicester last year but has now moved to French club Brive, last played for England in 2006. Shane Geraghty will cover flyhalf off the bench.
Wing Mark Cueto and outside centre Mike Tindall also earn re-calls.
Openside flanker Steffon Armitage wins his debut, while his brother Delon will also start. Uncapped scrumhalf/fullback Ben Foden is in the 22.
England – 15 Delon Armitage (London Irish); 14 Paul Sackey (Wasps), 13 Mike Tindall (Gloucester), 12 Riki Flutey (Wasps), 11 Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks); 10 Andy Goode (Brive), 9 Danny Care (Harlequins); 8 Nick Easter (Harlequins), 7 Steffon Armitage (London Irish), 6 James Haskell (Wasps), 5 Nick Kennedy (London Irish), 4 Steve Borthwick (Saracens, c), 3 Phil Vickery (Wasps), 2 Lee Mears (Bath), 1 Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks).
Subs: 16 Dylan Hartley (Northampton), 17 Jason White (Leicester), 18 Tom Croft (Leicester), 19 Joe Worsley (Wasps), 20 Ben Foden (Northampton), 21 Shane Geraghty (London Irish), 22 Matthew Tait (Sale Sharks).
Wallace to partner O’Driscoll
Paddy Wallace will make his first start as Brian O’Driscoll’s midfield partner in the Six Nations when Ireland play France on Saturday.
Wallace historically prefers flyhalf, but the pair did play together on last year’s tour of Australasia. This move has meant highly rated Luke Fitzgerald moves to the wing, while Rob Kearney then switches to fullback in the only changes to the team that defeated Argentina in November.
Gordon D’Arcy wins a place on the bench for the first time since breaking his arm in 2007.
Ireland – 15 Rob Kearney (Leinster); 14 Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), 13 Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster, c), 12 Paddy Wallace (Ulster), 11 Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster); 10 Ronan O’Gara (Munster), 9 Tomas O’Leary (Munster); 8 Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), 7 David Wallace (Munster), 6 Stephen Ferris (Ulster), 5 Paul O’Connell (Munster), 4 Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster), 3 Jim Hayes (Munster), 2 Jerry Flannery (Munster), 1 Marcus Horan (Munster).
Subs: 16 Rory Best (Ulster), 17 Tom Court (Ulster), 18 Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster), 19 Dennis Leamy (Munster), 20 Peter Stringer (Munster), 21 Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster), 22 Geordan Murphy (Leicester).
France recall Beauxis
Marc Lievremont has recalled flyhalf Lionel Beauxis, No 15 Clement Poitrenaud and centre Florian Fritz to his team to face Ireland on Saturday.
Beauxis and Poitrenaud have both not payed during the Lievremont regime, with their last showings in the 2007 World Cup. Fritz, who last wore the French jersey in the previous Six Nations campaign, will partner Toulouse team-mate Yannick Jauzion in the midfield.
Lievremont has constantly experimented with weakened teams, but this looks to be his strongest outfit for the stern challenge in Dublin.
France – 15-Clement Poitrenaud, 14-Julien Malzieu, 13-Yannick Jauzion, 12-Florian Fritz, 11-Maxime Medard, 10-Lionel Beauxis, 9-Sebastien Tillous-Borde; 8-Imanol Harinordoquy, 7-Fulgence Ouedraogo, 6-Thierry Dusautoir, 5-Lionel Nallet (capt), 4-Sebastien Chabal, 3-Benoit Lecouls, 2-Dimitri Szarzewski, 1-Lionel Faure.
Subs: 16-Benjamin Kayzer, 17-Nicolas Mas, 18-Romain Millo-Chluski, 19-Louis Picamoles, 20-Morgan Parra, 21-Benoit Baby, 22-Cedric Heymans.
40 Comments
3 Feb 2009, 11:49 am
Total Recall Dragon
3 Feb 2009, 11:55 am
Where the hell is that little dynamo on the wing – is his surname Clerc?
3 Feb 2009, 12:03 pm
#2 puff:
puff da majic Dragon
3 Feb 2009, 12:03 pm
#2 puff: Just came back after recovering from long-term injury
3 Feb 2009, 13:35 pm
No Skrela?? Michalak?? Beauxis is talented but not enough experience… ala Cipriani….
3 Feb 2009, 13:38 pm
Shane Geraghty is a better prospect than Cipriani….
3 Feb 2009, 14:27 pm
Hehehe.
So, in the eyes of the English coaches and management, Andy Goode is the man to play 10, to control play and get the English backline firing. To be fair, he has had a good season since leaving Leicester and playing in the T14 for Brive. But let’s be honest, he’d never make a NH XV, let a lone a world XV.
Where does this leave Cipriani? Fourth in line after Goode, Flood and the soon to return Wilkinson? I hope he puts his head down and works hard on the deficiencies in his game. More time on the training pitch, less time in the papers me thinks. Oh, and a little word in the papers to lay off the hyperbole for a couple of years would do him the world of good. I can’t see him making the Lions at this rate
On a positive note, it’s great to see Steffon Armitage get a start in the 7 jersey. I hope he does well. He offers so much more than the journeyman 7s England have put out in recent years like Moody and Lipman. He and Rees will push each other for years to come. IMO, Armitage has better athleticism and skills than Rees. If looked after properly, England could finally have found a player worthy of calling himself an openside for the first time since Neil Back retired.
3 Feb 2009, 14:32 pm
Yeesh. Is this a joke?
3 Feb 2009, 14:34 pm
England is desperate for a flyhalf if they are recalling Goode. He is pretty much a carthorse.
3 Feb 2009, 14:46 pm
Whatever happened to Barkley? He wasn’t so bad.
3 Feb 2009, 15:07 pm
this is like when the Boks recalled Liefling
3 Feb 2009, 15:21 pm
so andy goode gets a recall, from brive, antoine claasens is captain of brive, dynamic blind-side flank what a player and captain, he’s in all the action, he’s making one hell of an impression, gerard vosloo is the other flank, and ronnie cooke a timid centre, with goode these guys have brought brive from bottom of log to 6th place.where does claasens come from, he’s awesome.
3 Feb 2009, 16:06 pm
Forza Italia!
3 Feb 2009, 16:51 pm
Goode?? this is bad
3 Feb 2009, 17:06 pm
Andy “willem de waal” goode is the most useless 10 in the UK. Poor Capriati is going to suffer from gaffie du toit syndrome, and will probably never be heard from again. What a joke.
I would have gone with Capriati as my 10, and Flood benching to cover 12 ad 10.
3 Feb 2009, 17:07 pm
#12 jean-jacques:
Antonie Claasens(ex:DHS old boy/Natal Craven Week 2002) is the son of ex Bok captain Wynand Claasens.He played junior rugby for the Blue Bulls u19&u21 as their captain between 2003-2005.he was surplus to requirements at the bulls with the emergence of Spies/Potgieter/van Velze at 8.Plus the presence of Boks in Wannenburg/Rossouw/Leonard made it near impossible for him to make the grade there.he was drafted to the Falcons where he didnt make a significant impact to gain recognition from the big union.
The is a decent player but nowhere near the current loosies in SA
3 Feb 2009, 17:10 pm
Mike Tindall making another comeback….England is a joke
3 Feb 2009, 17:44 pm
Interesting selections by England, cant understand why Tindall keps making it although he has had some good games at club level I just think to have him playing at centre cancels out some of england fast men Sackey and the in form Cueto, he barely get the ball to his wings playing at club level. I watched him in the games in NZ last year and was exposed badly.
Never brought into this Cipriani hype how you could label someone as a world beater from one test against Ireland, hey if he had ripped the boks and ABs to bits yes he may have had promise but please… He was woeful in the autumn internationals , there are a lot of excuses sure he was coming back from a bad injury but look at carter in 2005 he broke his leg and then came back on the grand slam tour ripping apart wales with a couple of tries and about 20 points then ripped apart England to set up the ABs two tries. ( thats the sign of a good fly half). . Expect Italy to give it there all as this is maybe the best chance they have in beating England in years good battle in the forwards however the poms should take it, watch for Foden he has some real flair if he gets on.
3 Feb 2009, 18:10 pm
#18 hawkes: Carter was **** in 2007 carrying injuries and was part of le grande choke. Cipriani is an awesome 10 he just hasn’t regained his form after injury, it’ll take time but when he’s ready you’ll know about it.
#7 stodders: how is Moody a journeyman? I really question your rugby knowledge stooders. In any event, Goode or Cipriani would still walk into the Scotland team.
3 Feb 2009, 18:20 pm
#19 Big Hit: You have to admit though BH, Goode is a bit of a suprise. Has his game improved that much since playing for Brive? Maybe he lost some weight?
3 Feb 2009, 18:35 pm
#20 JimT: he was never that bad, he just looked ridiculous
3 Feb 2009, 18:59 pm
There you go again talking him up before he has played test match rugby against quality opposition and when he has he was woeful, I really question your rugby knowledge if it is based on playing in an average domestic competition ( proven by the quality of rugby from the northern masters played against Tri nations teams last year I think it was 20 games with 1 win) and one good game against Ireland.
I didnt see Cipriani nominated for player of the year for 2008 what happened, I think Carter was he has actually won it before to ,no doubt Cipriani will win it next year,
3 Feb 2009, 19:08 pm
#21 Big Hit: LOL
3 Feb 2009, 19:15 pm
#22 hawkes: yeah the rules were changed (ELVs) to suit the Antipodean teams because they caught the plane home together with their tail between their legs in 2007 (at the hands of NH teams no less)
I understand you may not have seen him play much but its better to be quiet on a subject than to open up and confirm your ignorance.
3 Feb 2009, 19:32 pm
.
mishiniwami, thanks for the scoop, claasens might be not in bok or super 14 league, but he must be
3 Feb 2009, 19:40 pm
mishiwami claasens must be a quality dude, if they let him captain brive, they know their rugby there, and its unusual for them to pick a foreigner, we’ll see how goode features on saturday, he’s been consiistent but is slow, let’s hope mallet springs a surprise, not impossible.
3 Feb 2009, 19:52 pm
#24 Big Hit: The rules were changed because everyone in the NH was falling asleep watching the poms play, jeez BH take your head out of your arse for a couple of minutes and look around you, the pomy team will be lucky to finish last in the 09 season, bloody hell, next MJ will be bringing back ***** Catt.
As to your comment, no the SH won the WC, you finished 2nd, no prizes for that, or prizes for last year debarcle, what a discrace, a team full of hot air, pumped up by BH, no body else will!!!!!!!
3 Feb 2009, 20:09 pm
#7 stodders: Yes Armitage is a find, I hope that they do not realise it
Employing Goode at flyhalf is a pathetic attempt and he will get his backside handed to him on a platter against the SH sides, glad to see that MJ agree that Cipriani is not nowhere as good as what the press made him out to be
3 Feb 2009, 20:11 pm
#24 Big Hit: You are a funny guy, stop smoking the green stuff, England has a sorry record against the Rugby Super Powers
Beating NZ only 6 times ever, and getting SMASHED 42-6 by the Boks.
The ELVs has got nothing to do with the England rugby team
3 Feb 2009, 20:19 pm
#19 Big Hit: I hope Cipriani playes for England, really love that weak channel with him there
He has not got a pass or a kick only a side step and that is where it ends
3 Feb 2009, 20:45 pm
#27 CHAZ: yeah well you finished 8th, hahaha
#29 JL1: we’re brought in some new players things take time, the ELVs have everything to do with it, we were a great mauling side but the Aussies took that away
3 Feb 2009, 20:45 pm
#7 stodders:
Hi stooders cant wait for the 6 nations to start, its a shame Cipriani isnt starting as he is a guaranteed 7-10 points for the wops via a mandatory charge down try and maybe a penalty for some sort of infringement. the fact that goode is the best England have to offer is quite hilarious and fills me with hope, but from what i see it is a weak looking team void of any ‘stars’. I agree with BIGHIT though Cipriani or Goode would walk into the Scotland team but that isnt saying much as they have Parks and Godman in front of them. All the other positions we are equalish we have the better back row void of fatboys like Easter and haskell.
I hope the taffs get raped by us scoth boys at the weekend i cant see it as Scotland are traditionally an unlucky team and Wales often get the luck of the bounce. I hope that c==t Eddie butler isnt commentating he makes my D-ck itch. Just glad the rugby is on get some proper sport back on telly instead of bloody football and Fkn Chris hoys mug everywhere.
BIGHIT is our bet still on the loser has to change his name to HAIRYMUFF if our team loses to each other. if so get ready for a name change
3 Feb 2009, 21:17 pm
#19 Big Hit: cipriani is a never-was fat prat – and a useless rugby player to boot – another one of your “wait until the autumn internationals” expert opinions eh, big ***
3 Feb 2009, 22:24 pm
#32 dquinn25: haha, you’re sounding confident, yes the bet is still on
I hope you do Wales tho
#33 clayfin: now now don’t get jealous, the boy has a steel pin inserted in his ankle, its going to take time before he’s back to his best. NZ didn’t deserve to win that game in the AIs anyway, they clearly had the ref on their team.
3 Feb 2009, 22:59 pm
#34 Big Hit:
cool, i personally dont think Cipriani will ever be better than Dan parks he will always be an average player, rugby is a very ‘team’ orientated sport if you dont have all round talent over the field even great players will never be able to show their potential.
i very much doubt your McCaws Burgers Carters Habanas etc would ever shine if they were part of say the Italian team or Canada or teams of that ilk. That is part of the reason Cipriani will never be a great. Anyway the man is a lucky b–tard getting to F–k kelly brook on a nightly basis, it would be impossible for any man to be 100% focused when hes got that piece of *** at home waiting for him.
3 Feb 2009, 23:23 pm
Cipriani obviously will not beat Dan Carter when he cannot even beat Johnny Wilko. Johnny Wilko is the best 10 England have to offer. Cipriani does the basics badly. BIG HIT is always blaming the ELV’s. The truth is Cipriani is a show pony..
Johnny gets the job done. If Johnny plays in the autumn internationals England get a better result against the SHem..
3 Feb 2009, 23:38 pm
#18 hawkes: Its is wrong to even cvompare Cipriani and Carter. Carter is the complete fly-half. He tackles, kicks and runs. Cipriani does not kick that well or intelligently and he does not tackle. Johnny was great although basic he kicks very well and tackles even better..
Cipriani has another 2 years before he is Johnny. Maybe 10… He does his show pony tricks at the wrong time. He has no tact, e.g the tap pass against Leicester last season where Sackey scores..Unnecessary..
3 Feb 2009, 23:48 pm
#31 Big Hit: Now remind again, how many games has England won when mauling against the ABs, 6 times lol
4 Feb 2009, 03:12 am
#31 Big Hit: I dosn’t matter what you were, it matters what you are, finishing 8th or 18th neither here or there, all that matters is where we are now, eh??? And we all know where the AB’s are, ummm, where are the pasty poms eh??
4 Feb 2009, 03:14 am
#34 Big Hit: You sure they didn’t put that steel pin in his brain, come to think of it, there’s probably a few other pomy players with that complaint!!
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