www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... -hong-kong Think this will bring a bit more media attention to the tournament - as long as they dont win it!!

www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... -hong-kong Think this will bring a bit more media attention to the tournament - as long as they dont win it!!

Happy with that as long as we can enter a team into the 7's. Our best backs would easily win it.

would struggle with all the 3 man scrums there'd be from the RU boys dropping the ball every 2nd pass

its a good idea, lets hope the superleague clubs put them in their place. really enjoyed the event at brantingham last year and will definately be attending a couple of these again. pity there's not many higher profile players involved, but can see the reasons why

free pies at brantingham last year too, amazing that nigel wood wasn't there

Been there, done it, watched Edwards lift the trophy.

Is there not a danger they could win our comp and make us look silly? The backs in club Union are generally far superior to Super Leagues and it's not like the likes of Tomkins and Watkins will be risked in this.

Really?!!! I don't think so.

Well I don't watch much of it, but it seems so. Every time I turn the TV on and the Union Premiership comes on, they seem to have real fliers on the wings. Maybe I'm wrong.

I think the Union fans would sit up more and take notice if we were to do it now. Send our best, biggest, fastest athletes and ruin them.

Tomkins
Atkins
Watkins

Spring to mind as awesome 7's players. They would rip it up. We could put a sensational team together.

A Super League 7's side would tear their comp apart, it would be great to watch

Imagine an NRL 7's side. They would make the RU 7's look like schoolboys....

Slater
Inglis
Hayne
Uate
Marshall
Idris
Thurston

If it is England RU 7s versus the squad players of SL teams they will walk it.

If Sl teams put out their best players then it would be a close thing.

If Sl was to put out an England A team then they would win it.

If SL put out an England best team they would walk it.

I've never actually watched 9's but can see that a couple of more players compared with 7's would make it a decent game.

As much as I like Dubai 7s there isn't really much to the game

I think people underestimate some of unions players because of the dull overcramped nature of the game. RL might be more entertaining and a better education in free flowing rugby but some of their fellas would make mince meat of ours, simply a bigger player pool

You outdo yourself with each post.



Glorified British Bulldog.

They might have a bigger player pool, but they're hardly ripping it up at club or international level. Any of the backs from our top four or even five teams would walk into the current international RU side.

And IMO sevens is pretty dull - it's like watching basketball. One end to the other in a matter of seconds without any real substance.

If only... I'd throw Jennings in there for Idris.

really? REALLY? Should have gone to specsavers.
You're right about 7's though, bloody awful, would rather watch that 15 man travesty instead

Rah, rah, rah! We're going to smash the oiks!

I can imagine it now, RU player kicks it, then an RL player takes the ball and carves up the whole team. Let them enter and embarrass themselves. I should imagine it wouldn't be a full strength team anyhow.

If England bring their Sevens squad that is currently playing on the IRB tour, they'll be in with a really good chance of winning it IMO.

The core of that side has been together over a number of years and are specialists at the reduced form of the union game. They've got a smattering of big lads (take a look at Isoa Damudamu if you don't believe me) but some real pace and athleticism across the side to go with it.

Given they'll primarily be up against kids from SL sides Under 20s, this could end up being quite the PR coup for the RFU.

No first teamers will be risked in this competition. It would be good if they were tho, so we can get one over our southern counterparts.

England RL 9s team would look like this in my opinion.

Tomkins
BJB
Watkins
Charnley
Burrow
Roby
Haughton - Need a couple of players who can tackle

But as it will only be academy players who will play there is no point in giving the RFU any more publicity by them winning it.

After watching a fair bit of the RU sevens circuit in the last year or so there is no doubt that the teams have significantly increased in their conditioning and are faster and stronger than a few years back. The England team is a pretty athletic bunch and a SL squad would not beat them particularly in power and pace

Where they are still lacking though is in the exploitation of space and attacking invention – still far too many lateral passes and looking to go around the opposition. The days when Wigan and Bradford showed the 7’s teams how to attack through the line was a few years ago but the situation has not changed dramatically since then

With two more players on each side, I think this lack of invention would be even more apparent but the Union 7’s team would show up pretty well against a SL squad team. Will be interesting to watch if it comes off

Surely they would have a better chance with 9 players?

The England 7s squad is generally players who have been signed up to full time contracts solely for 7s. They tend to be players outside of the premiership who are unlikely to make it in the 15 a side game. Never the less, they have great experience in this game and their fitness must be very high. They still have a few oversized, under skilled guys though. I think they'd win the Carnegie 9's against SL reserve teams.