"Stop messing about" - Sir Clive Woodward slams Eddie Jones selection - Ruck

“Stop messing about” – Sir Clive Woodward slams Eddie Jones selection

Shifting Owen Farrell back to 12 and playing Manu Tuilagi on the wing is a compromise and it could backfire, according to World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward.

“Will England beat Australia with Manu Tuilagi playing on the wing? Absolutely they will,” wrote Woodward.

“But will England win the World Cup, Grand Slam or trouble the All Blacks with Tuilagi on the wing? I’m not so sure about that. He is back to full fitness and in great shape but he is not a wing.

“Switching him to the wing at this stage of his career is a big ask. It didn’t work seven years ago and there is no reason to see why it would be an outstanding success this time round. It comes with considerable risk.

EDITORS PICKS:

“It is all a bit confusing and to be selecting players, even those as talented as Tuilagi, out of position is not the way to build a World Cup-winning team.

}But is the selection of Owen Farrell at inside centre a compromise? It is now an ‘either or’ selection at fly-half between Smith and Farrell and to shift the skipper back to 12 is a compromise. And compromises sometimes misfire.

“Switching around the backs also deprives England of a world-class centre combination in midfield. Why would you do that?”

Fans have ranked the five most love to ‘HATE’ rugby players in the world

We’ve compiled a list of those who, whether it be for their antics on or off the pitch, have developed an unenviable reputation in the game, not just among certain sets of fans or clubs, but by the entire rugby population.

#5. Dan Biggar (Wales)

Biggar is the epitome of players you hate until they are on your team.The way the fly-half continues to moan to referees vociferously has seemingly only got worse throughout his career. It got so bad that popular online personality and diehard Scotland fan Glove39 made a video called ‘birdman’ mocking the way in which he always raises his arms in frustration to officials.

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