Armitage: rewarded for his form

The talent of the squads is not in doubt but having watched a lot of New Zealand's National Provincial tournament how they deal with northern hemisphere refereeing interpretation at the breakdown is a different worry for the teams.

Stuart Barnes
Quotes of the week

Surprise, surprise; as the international series of autumn fixtures loomed ever nearer, so the players initially excluded from the elite squad have made their way into the squad as injuries, loss of form and gentle manipulation of the agreement by the England management paved the way towards the inevitable.

The clubs have been moderate in accepting what appears as the inevitable but one wonders how long the Premiership will accept the agreement's bias towards the international team?

As it is there have been some fascinating late additions to the squad with Nick Easter running into form and probably the starting fifteen. Ugo Monye could also have sprinted straight into the team to face the Pacific Islands but the inclusion of Delon Armitage is most interesting.

Brian Smith loves his combination of counter attacking quality and defensive solidity. Possibly not as subtle a runner as Nick Abendanon but his power in defence could squeeze him in at full back.

I would still love to see the individualism of the Bath man, especially as James Simpson Daniel's injury robs the squad of some magical skills. It is at outside centre, where Armitage has impressed with his running angles, his aggression and his booming boot where he could add most to an area where none of the contenders have the complete game. Even before injuries the London Irish man would have been my first choice.

On the subject of first choice it is good to see such strong squads travelling from the south. The talent of the squads is not in doubt but having watched a lot of New Zealand's National Provincial tournament how they deal with northern hemisphere refereeing interpretation at the breakdown is a different worry for the teams and the sport that is divided by the ideological drive for changing a game that needs only the smallest degree of tinkering.

Let us hope it is the rugby and not the rules that drive the agenda in the next month. Now to this week's mail.

Stuart answers your e-mails

Got a question for Stuart? Email him at skysportsclub@bskyb.com or use the feedback form below...

Pride and passion

Hi Stuart, I watched The Rugby Club this week and couldn't help but relive the passion of the 1997 Lions tour which, for me, even as a fervent English fan I rate above the 2003 World Cup as my favourite sporting moments. Watching the footage I began to wonder whether professionalism just doesn't sit well with the English mentality and whether the amateur / professionals (who also ended up forming the backbone of the RWC victory) had conversely more motivation to play. It is rude and defamatory to accuse them of being more passionate than the current players but I would suggest that by not having financial incentives and job security to worry about they had a more open mind. Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.Seb Wooderson
STUART SAYS: Seb, I don't think your argument should be limited to 'the English mentality'. Money does many wonderful things for an individual but on the flip side it can indeed - as you say - demotivate. The Greeks had a word for it, 'arete', excellence for its own sake and sometimes the amateurs, those who play for love and excellence, rather than primarily money, have an edge. But the bottom line is the best are the best, professional or not, because of the standards they set themselves.

Handle with Care

Hi Stuart, Excellent punditry as always at the weekend and I always look forward on a Monday to reading your opinions on the website. My question is a brief one; everyone seems to be talking about Danny Care as a shoe-in for the England number 9 jersey. As a Northampton supporter, I am obviously slightly biased, but do you think Ben Foden is pushing him for the spot? Do you think Sale have missed a trick by letting him go and do you think Johnson picked his England squads a bit early, thereby starving some individuals of a chance to prove their credentials? Also, any thoughts on Chris Ashton as an England player this year? Nick Edwards
STUART SAYS:Nick, Danny Care has been the most complete nine in the land by a mile and deserves to be included (although Harry Ellis should not be quite as forgotten as he seems to be). Foden has immense talent but not yet the range of Care's game. If England were to be really bold they could include Foden in the 2009 squad and use him as a cover for both scrum half and full back. He is growing into the role of a scrum half but he is more than ready to fit the bill off the bench.

This squad's date of selection was driven by the contractual agreements between club and country. July 1st does not suit Johnson because it is based upon the previous season but recent days have shown that the agreement is not worth much more than the paper upon which it was written. As for Chris Ashton, I think he has massive potential, despite his tentative start in the Premiership but he has a long road to travel before we know if that potential is to be fulfilled. He is in the right place. Very impressed with the Saints patient management team.

Boks face northern exposure?

Stuart, with all the Lions watch's going on I was wondering if you had any Springbok stars for us to look out for? I know the bok coach has not picked Butch James for the Autumn tours, which in my mind is a bit of a mistake. Ruan Pienaar is apparently going to play that role, but he has said he wants to play scrum-half. Frans Steyn has also been touted there too, but how much do you think they will miss James in that position?Rab Shelder, London
STUART SAYS:Rab, James is an intelligent fly half who has really matured in recent years. He has been a key component for Bath since joining but he may well be an awfully tired ten by the end of the season. Shoulder injury aside he has been at it for some time and there has to be a distinct possibility that he will be drained come the Lions tour. If he is fit and up for selection, all well and good but if not the use of another ten this Autumn is a brilliant chance for the Springboks to adapt and fit someone new into the position.

Lions watch

No news this week because I was in Istanbul, saw no rugby and, as a golden rule, only base opinions on the evidence in front of my eyes and not hearsay....sorry about that but in the weeks to come we'll remedy this week's little absence.

Got a question for Stuart? Email him at skysportsclub@bskyb.com or use the feedback form below...