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The return of Steve Thompson
It's been three years, a neck injury, a misdiagnosis, a retirement, a proper diagnosis and a return to rugby since Steve Thompson last played for England and on Saturday he is back in the starting line-up. That it has come to this is largely due to injury to Lee Mears and a doubt over Dylan Hartley's ability to last a full game following his recent crocking.
However, few would begrudge Thompson this chance to play at the highest level again after what he has been through; and the fact is that England have spent the last three years trying and failing to find a permanent replacement for the former Saint.
The dearth of hooking talent in England at the minute means this is a massive opportunity for him to claim the shirt permanently and I don't think it will take much as Thompson is everything you need in a hooker. He's big (unlike Mears), mobile, a good scrummager, a solid thrower and can usually get through a game without trying to maim someone (unlike Hartley). I must admit I have not seen him much at Brive so cannot say what his form is like at the minute, but if it's anything like what it used to be then he should be a shoo-in or the forseeable future.
As you can imagine, he's very happy to be back. If his return keeps Mears and Hartley in their rightful place as second-string internationals then every England fan should be equally joyful. Full England team after the jump..
England: U Monye (Harlequins); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), D Hipkiss (Leicester), S Geraghty (Northampton), M Banahan (Bath); J Wilkinson (Toulon), D Care (Harlequins); T Payne (Wasps), S Thompson (Brive), D Wilson (Bath), L Deacon (Leicester), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), T Croft (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), J Crane (Leicester).
Replacements: D Hartley (Northampton), D Bell (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), J Haskell (Stade Francais), P Hodgson (London Irish), A Goode (Brive), A Erinle (Biarritz).
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November 5, 2009 in Autumn Internationals, England | Permalink| Del.icio.us this!|Digg this! | Punditit this!
Comments
My first comment on here...Ouch for Hartley! He's been by & large a good boy for a couple of years now, yet has the mantle of a psycho hanging over him largely because of Stuart Barnes on Rugby Club claiming he's mental.
Thompson has looked stodgy, overweight and unfit from what I've seen of late. But given the inclusion of both him and Andy 'permanent position in the pie shop queue' Goode, clearly they have compromising pictures of Jonno tucked away somewhere in the South of France.
It's also made a mockery of the 'go to France and you won't get picked' approach - given there are 5 French based players in the 22! Rather, 'go to France and as we won't see if you're any good, you're in with a shout'.
Posted by: BigR | Nov 5, 2009 11:13:42 AM
Or go to france and not get crocked
Posted by: AndyinBrum | Nov 5, 2009 2:29:48 PM
Rod,
To be fair to Thommo, he always looked overweight even in 2003, but there is no excuse for being unfit if that is the case.
Agree with Andy that there are loads of French in due to injuries, but only to a certain extent. For a start Erinle should be nowhere near an England shirt.
Posted by: lee_editor | Nov 5, 2009 3:12:57 PM
Sorry to burst the bubble but George Smith is gonna have a field day at the break down.
Posted by: Kenny | Nov 5, 2009 4:24:02 PM
not sure what bubble you are referring to Kenny, but I agree. Moody is after all generally a shambling buffoon who seems to be selected on his enthusiasm alone.
Posted by: lee_editor | Nov 5, 2009 4:27:32 PM
George Smith is very easy to wind up... plus if you give him a few hard hits, he'll stay away. I would be more concerned about Rocky Elsom. The guy is on fire right now and an awesome ball carrier... he's the man to watch.
Posted by: Dan | Nov 5, 2009 10:53:03 PM
moody is like a golden retriever - enthusiastic, energetic but ultimately brainless - are there no intelligent English open sides out there? - on the subject of bringing in the expats from France, I hear that things are going very well for Magnus Lund, any chance of a recall for him?
& I echo a number of comments here - the message from the England Management was "don't go to France, you are endangering your England future" & now, I have never seen so many France based players in an England 22
Posted by: Nick C | Nov 6, 2009 7:47:10 AM
Don't have a problem with Thompson but would prefer to see George Chuter back - seems to be more dynamic and in my view carries the ball better than any other hooker. Totally agree with BigR and Barnes comments on Hartley. Very unhelpful, surely Hartley is the long term answer, not just as hooker bu also as captain.
Posted by: nick_b | Nov 6, 2009 10:00:52 AM
Hey have you seen the Aussie's have picked Quade Cooper at centre, my God if there's ever a chance... Get Moody, Croft and Crane running at him all day long :)
Posted by: Dan | Nov 6, 2009 10:47:15 AM
I agree with Kenny etc, in that I dont get leaving Steffon Armitage out for Moody- he may be build like an egg with legs, but he is an out and out openside, and can work the breakdown. Love the golden retreiver line though.
I dont see Hartley as captain though, whatever you say about Mears he has kept him out thus far, and a captain has to justify his place. Borthwick the exception that proves the rule, evidently.
Posted by: ScrumGuru | Nov 6, 2009 6:48:33 PM
