Blood & Mud

RBS 6 Nations: Has there ever been a worse crop of talent at fly-half?

The Six Nations is the caviar of Northern Hemisphere rugby.  Sure, there are differing standards across the countries, but you can usually find some real quality in every position if you consider all six of the teams on the field in any tournament weekend. For a Luke McLean there's a George North, for a Yoann Huget there's a Stuart Hogg - there is always a SHIT/GOOD trade-off to be found in any position. 

This weekend could see an end to this in the 10 shirt as the most underwhelming set of first receivers take the field since Arwel Thomas and Craig Chalmers started the same game in 1997.  

With some teams still to be announced we can safely assume that the starting out-halves will be: Kris Burton, Toby Flood, Dan Biggar, Duncan Weir, Paddy Jackson and Francois Trinh-Duc.  It's not exactly a vintage crop is it?  This is a bit like the Grand National 2013 field being made up entirely of shire horses and retired beach donkeys with ne'er a thoroughbred in sight.

Many will say that Jackson and Weir have so little experience that it's unfair to judge them at this point, and while there is something in that, no-one can honestly say that they look like top-drawer talent.  Biggar is so mediocre that most were genuinely surprised that he managed to put two acceptable performances together recently, and Flood and Trinh-Duc are talented but not of a level that makes fans cheer their selections or their play.  Kris Burton is just plain awful, but awful is relative when the other bloke is Luciano Orquera.

If this is the caviar, then imagine what the fish fingers would look like.  

Is this the worst crop of tens you've seen, or am I being too harsh?  You're invited to fill the comments with your wisdom...

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RBS 6 Nations: Has there ever been a worse crop of talent at fly-half?

The Six Nations is the caviar of Northern Hemisphere rugby.  Sure, there are differing standards across the countries, but you can usually find some real quality in every position if you consider all six of the teams on the field in any tournament weekend. For a Luke McLean there's a George North, for a Yoann Huget there's a Stuart Hogg - there is always a SHIT/GOOD trade-off to be found in any position. 

This weekend could see an end to this in the 10 shirt as the most underwhelming set of first receivers take the field since Arwel Thomas and Craig Chalmers started the same game in 1997.  

With some teams still to be announced we can safely assume that the starting out-halves will be: Kris Burton, Toby Flood, Dan Biggar, Duncan Weir, Paddy Jackson and Francois Trinh-Duc.  It's not exactly a vintage crop is it?  This is a bit like the Grand National 2013 field being made up entirely of shire horses and retired beach donkeys with ne'er a thoroughbred in sight.

Many will say that Jackson and Weir have so little experience that it's unfair to judge them at this point, and while there is something in that, no-one can honestly say that they look like top-drawer talent.  Biggar is so mediocre that most were genuinely surprised that he managed to put two acceptable performances together recently, and Flood and Trinh-Duc are talented but not of a level that makes fans cheer their selections or their play.  Kris Burton is just plain awful, but awful is relative when the other bloke is Luciano Orquera.

If this is the caviar, then imagine what the fish fingers would look like.  

Is this the worst crop of tens you've seen, or am I being too harsh?  You're invited to fill the comments with your wisdom...