I wouldn't know but good try.

Apart from an assist in the first minute you mean?

Joel Tomkins didn't want to be picked. That's the difference between the two.

team for next week should be

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Ryan Hall
3. Jack Reed
4. Kirk Yeaman
5. Tom Briscoe
6. Gareth Widdop
7. Rangi Chase
8. James Graham
9. James Roby
10. Jamie Peacock
11. Gareth Ellis
12. Ben Westwood
13. Jon Wilkin

14. Adrian Morley
15. Chris Heightington
16. Gareth Carvell
17. Kevin Sinfield

Widdop needs to start at 6, get heightington off the bench for impact in the back row he seems more of a second rower than a loose forward for me.

I have a funny feeling Sam Tomkins is going to have an almighty tournament. I understand the reasons why he went off but he was no doubt the best player on the field today.

To be honest that was the nearest to a perfect game England could have wished for a warm-up. If we had have blown them 70 -0 everyone would have been moaning about it just been France and it woukdnt have done England any good.

We look pretty good in defence in the first half with France paying some half decent stuff. We slipped away in the second half but i would rather we did it this week than against OZ or NZ. Still plenty to work on.

Ona nother note, i found it a bit cringe worthy with all the interviews of the "English players" having aussie or New Zealand Accents. Doesn't potray us in a good image.

Rangi Chase is not English. His selection is a disgrace to the people of England, and an insult to young English players.

No one really stood out for me. Westwood was impressive again, and Graham led the way with some big carries but we still lacked anything out wide for most of the game and switched off a couple of times. Chase didn't have an awful match but how he was MoM I've no idea - by the look on his face, neither does he.

Don't disagree but I'd rather it was because the French were really good than England being disjointed, sluggish, unimaginative or to cut it short we were Crap!

I thought chase started to get a bit frustrated in the second half. His handling was not as it should be and he lost concentration for the tap penalty try. Difficult decisions need to be made in the halves and that will not be made playing against Wales. But the outside backs and most of the pack looked good. Just those halves. Who do you pick? Because Sinny was not great either.

Surely Widdop plays next week?

The French turn the lights off and upset Eddie, how many times have I wanted to do the same

Would anyone else play leeds' loose forward at stand off instead of melbourne's stand off?

Brough & Widdop should have been the halves but now we're stuck with Chase at scrum half. Let's hope that McNamara comes into a little sense in the next few days and puts Widdop in at stand off.

There's no place for Sinfield, top class football teams can't carry a traditional ball playing loose forward any more it's now three back rowers who carry the ball strongly and tackle all day.

Carvel has to come onto the bench.

Chase is a stand off for a start, but of course they looked disjointed. It was their first match together ffs!

Good hit out. France were motivated and aggressive, this was their 'grand final'.

The only tweak i'd make is widdop to 6 and sinfield to 13.

I like the make up of this team, especially once the rustiness is gone.Theres pace and skill in the right places and then combined with the engine room.

I thought Tomkins had a poor game tonight. I know he was supposed to have an injury carried over from the playoffs but in that case he should never have played. It was a case of getting rid of the ball as soon as he got it. Widdop at least went forward which Tomkins hardly managed at all.

northernsportsreport.wordpress.c ... s-england/ Match report written by me. Any feedback is most welcome.

northernsportsreport.wordpress.c ... s-england/ Match report written by me. Any feedback is most welcome.

Why should brough and widdop have been the halves?

You have the MOS and grand final winning SO in the halves. I can certainly see why mcnamara went for them. Oh you come on here, the big man decked out with your hindsight 'this should have been, that should have been done', well no deal.

Mcnamara knows more than you and I trust his judgement.

On his kick returns I only recall one offload, and that was his pass to briscoe. Tomkins is so quick and elusive you always feel he will do something on kick returns.

Chase had a good first half and we looked dangerous down that left side. He then went and controlled things in the middle as Sinfield went missing.

Don't think I can put my finger on one player that didn't play well or didn't make mistakes. Heighington had a great game in defence, I think and Reed looks dangerous. I think he needs a better winger than Hall.

We do look like we're missing a recognised scrum-half. Chase is not a kicker and likes to be the mercurial player than the guy controlling things.

Most of his post stems from the fact it's Rangi Chase.

Had it been a Wakefield player, however, I really doubt he would have been as scathing in his criticism.

You know what, I never factored that in when making my judgment!

You're a genius



Not

Good luck with that!

It's not hindsight when you said on numerous occasions for weeks before the event.

Don't talk crap Fully and you know me better than that.

I've also been as critical of Sinfield and he's nowt to do with Cas.

I'm watching the game as an England fan, Wakefield allegiances don't come into it as far as I'm concerned, obviously you and a couple of others can't say the same.

Double