God save our gracious McQueen

[Dunbar]

McQueen isn't good enough to make the English squad.

I would have Sam Burgess in the front row rotation as he is a world class prop and O'Loughlin is nailed on for the loose forward spot if fit.

For the second row I would have Ferres and Whitehead as the right side options and Bateman and Currie as the left side choices (with Whitehead and Currie my preference).

McQueen isn't as good as any of these.

[Guest]

Does anyone care when the English Cricket and Rugby Union teams are full of foreigners? Does anyone in Portugal care that 1/3 of their national football team are not from Portugal? Does anyone care that Chris Froome isn't really British?

 

No, as long as they win, that's all that matters.

I care because it lessens the value of international sport for me even though I'm not really a big cricket or RU fan never mind it happening in RL. The thing that sticks in my throat the most is a lot of the names mentioned are players that are well into their careers and have all of a sudden become "patriotic englishmen" who want to belt out "god save the queen" at the top of their lungs. Let's be honest and say that representing England is 3rd choice for a lot of these plastic pommie wannabes after representing Australia and NSW/Queensland has gone.

[Guest]

Well done on the topic title.

Not quite. For me it should read :-

"God save us from ungracious McQueen and his ilk."

[ghost crayfish]

Bennett has consistently denied these stories, so until shown otherwise I'd say this is all a journalism beat up. That said, every other rugby league nation are happy to pick from whoever is available! It's really only England who don't do it...

[wackojacko]

Not quite. For me it should read :-

"God save us from ungracious McQueen and his ilk."

 

It doesn't really scan.

[Guest]

It doesn't really scan.

Lose the "and his ilk."

[Tommygilf]

Does anyone care when the English Cricket and Rugby Union teams are full of foreigners? Does anyone in Portugal care that 1/3 of their national football team are not from Portugal? Does anyone care that Chris Froome isn't really British?

No, as long as they win, that's all that matters.

Particularly in RU, a lot of the so called "foreign" players were actually playing rugby in England as schoolboys (Dylan Hartley eg.) as well as having English parents or Grandparents. They also represented England at junior levels. Even Taulupe "Toby" Faletau (who plays for Wales) came through the British school system.

Froome certainly doesn't get the same level of support as Wiggins.

As for Portugal, AFAIK these players have been playing for Portugal all their careers.

IMO players should commit to a nation at u20/21/23 (whichever RL adopts as highest level of "junior") and stick to it. Except for exceptional circumstances such as a nation gaining independence or after political disputes, IE former Yugoslav states now recognised or even Western Papua which is more applicable to RL.

[jackknife]

Wouldn't of minded morris twins

[terrywebbisgod]

Wouldn't of minded morris twins

Keep your personal fantasies to yourself

[Viking Warrior]

I have no issue with heritage players if they are genuine class and haven't represented another nation. Blake Austin would be a great solution in the halves IMO.

luke gale mark sneyd and joe mellor would also be good solutions for the halves 

[Viking Warrior]

In those sports it's one nation for life, you have to fully commit to the country and you play all the internationals not just the big tournsments. So there is a difference.

 

 

not really one nation for life in union, graham bachop has played for the all blacks, samoa and japan

[Odsal Outlaw]

not really one nation for life in union, graham bachop has played for the all blacks, samoa and japan

Well it is one nation for life, you've probably just found one exception from a few years ago. It's not the norm by any stretch. In fact Union rules specifically state you can only represent one nation at senior level. Also, I'm not sure he played from Samoa?