Kenny 5 wrote: Boss was so slow at getting the ball out against France, not a chance I'd drop Stringer for Boss.
Amazotheamazing wrote: Boss was a journeyman in NZ and he's a journeyman here. Anyone else hear a rumour that Stringer is out of the RWC, long term injury picked up before the end of last season?
daveirl wrote: This post has been deleted.
damnyanks wrote: Stringer is fine as long as he doesnt try to make a break. Obviously when he does and it works its great but most of the time they just pick the ball off him and throw him away.
Can I ask what exactly people want Strings to do? He's proven himself continually over the last two years to be better than his opposite number every time they played (I wouldn't regard him as a better player than Peel but he's been better when they played against each other), he provides quick service to the backs without taking loads of steps out of it like Boss.
I'm utterly convinced Boss offers nothing to the team, he can break but chooses his times to do this unwisely and delays the pass every time. I believe Reddan may offer more than Stringer but we don't know this and it wouldn't be the first time a player looked amazing at HEC but never cut it at International.
Aldini98 wrote: Im not Stringers biggest fan but hes effective and his relationship with ROG is important. Drop Shaggy if we're dropping anyone. Over-rated, cant catch a ball and it should take 3 fellas to take him down but its generally one.
Tim Robbins wrote: yeah it sounds silly when you cut it up. But, what I mean in terms of it's so predictable what a girl is going to do when playing tag,ate my point rationally and reasonably.
Tim Robbins wrote: Can you name a couple of games? I thought he was good: Leinster V Ulster and Ireland V France which were the only two times I saw him play live. He is too predictable, and fringe defenders now they can line up the next player. He reminds me of a girl player someone playing tag rugby, as obvious as 1 + 1 = 2, where he is going to pass. So if you are the marker all you have to do is line up that player. Usually if a scrum is under pressure (happens to the best scrums in the world), the scrum half is supposed to pick it up and set up the next phase. Stringer can't do this because he is too small.
Tim Robbins wrote: I think the problem with Boss is that he takes to long to make the decision whether to make the break or not. He should have that decision before he puts his hands on the ball a la Dawson. But he puts his hands on the ball, then decides. He's not perfect but his far better than Stringer. I have a bias here that I think every Rugby player should be able to carry the ball, tackle and do more than one thing when they have the ball. Other people believe that each position has one really important thing and if a player is the best at that then it's really is the best for that position.
Amz wrote: It sounds silly because it is silly, you're a moron and I hope that you're a future Darwin award winner.
marco_polo wrote: Picking up from the base of a messy scrum is generally the number 8's job. Scrum halves will usually only break from a solid scrum.
If Boss can't make a quick decision by now he never will, you can't coach instinct. He may be big strong athletic scrum half but his decision making is far two poor for an international scrum half. To my eyes me he looks for the break first and eventually if he decides it isn't on he passes it out wide eventually. Is that any less easy to defend against that stringers supposed predictability? Sure when he makes a incisive break it looks great, but I am not convinced that these occasions are a result of spotting a gap with good vision and more to do with the sheer number of times he tries it whether it is actually on or not. Stringer is a much better decision maker end of. That is the key attibute for the position not who is the better passer, kicker etc. He may have some limitations but he is still the only scrum half with proven top level tests experience. Boss is considered a journeyman scrum half back in his own country, are Ireland so hampered by Stringers lack of a break that they will settle for this?
Reddan for me is still somewhat unproven, the GP is some way below international test standard bespite what sky would have you believe. I am all for giving him more chances to prove himself before the RWC and he is definately a better prospect than Boss and should be number 2.
