Further to my post above, it's worth remembering that we presently have no fewer than 10 Junior World Cup winners who even though they're only 18 or 19, are all now on the verges of their clubs' Premiership squads. And this is only World Cup winners...our list of young talent extend far beyond this. England have an extraordinarily rich future which most nations would envy and handled properly, we should be nailed on for one of the next two World Cups. Junior World Cup winners:

Prop:
Paul Hill (Northampton)

Hooker:
Jack Walker (Leeds Carnegie)

Lock:
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)

Backrow:
Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints) -- captain of World Cup winning side at 8 and supposed to be world class prospect
Will Owen (Leicester Tigers)
James Chisholm (Harlequins)

Backs:

Scrum Half:
Stuart Townsend (Exeter Chiefs)

Fly Half/1st 5/8s:
Harry Mallinder (Northampton Saints, Jim's son)

Centre:
Nick Tompkins (Saracens)

Winger:
Aaron Morris (Bedford Blues)

Full Back:
Howard Packman (Northampton SaintsJWC Winner)

These are names to really look out for.

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

Agree with Armitage but I ignored him because I don't think there's an earthly they'll change their mind about overseas players anytime soon. Re: Tuilagi, I took Slade for a couple of reasons. First, I think he's more multi-dimensional; Tuilagi is a bit more one dimensional although absolutely brilliant in his one dimension and I think he'd be a major impact player coming off the bench against tired defenses in a way that Slade wouldn't be, but Slade might be better suited to starting. Second, my entire midfield is Bath: Ford-Slade-Joseph and I think there's something to be said about leveraging club understanding at international level. Third, not that it's relevant, but Slade is English and Tuilagi just has an English passport. And fourth, FFS Tuilagi plays for Leicester and is a thug :-)

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

Just got in. What a fantastic afternoon. I'm a tad tipsy but thoroughly enjoyed myself.

So close but not quite close enough. Thought Barnes made some odd calls on both sides but willing to accept that being at the game things can seem different.

Better decisions last week might have put us in a better position but I am so proud of the lads. I have always said we lack depth, this World Cup has proved that is not really the case

Cymru am byth

Welsh can be, and no doubt are, immensely proud. You can't criticise their players because everyone manned-up but it really is a great pity they were decimated by injuries. Although their replacements did everything that could be asked, too many of them were ultimately military medium in quality compared to the players they replaced. Had Wales been at full strength you can't but wonder how far they might have gone. Bread was absolutely epic yesterday; a captain's performance.

A good day for England too as France proved we had only the second most embarrassing World Cup of the home nations. What a simply awful performance; good as the ABs were you can hardly even be impressed against a team that was falling apart, didn't show up, didn't bother to tackle, and really, simply chose to give up and self destruct. The first time in French rugby history that France has exited a World Cup without beating a Tier 1 side. If you think English Rugby is in a mess, we're not even close to the mess that France are in.

Edited by sydtheeagle (18 Oct 2015 11.18am)

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

Ireland with a mountain to climb. The Pumas looking very good.

'Lies to the masses as are like fly's to mollasses...they want more and more and more'

The gap between Southern and Northern hemisphere rugby grows ever larger.
How many are Scotland going to lose by?

Edited by mr. apollo (18 Oct 2015 3.03pm)