Brawn over beauty
By Jamie Hunt Last updated: 5th September 2007
England's power game
It is pointless having the likes of Paul Sackey and Jason Robinson basically languishing on their wing and not getting any ball or space to create things.
Dewi Morris has told Sky Sports News that he thinks England's World Cup squad is short of creative ability.
Brian Ashton picked his final 30 players for the 2007 World Cup, which begins in France on Friday September 7, and Morris feels that England have opted for age and power over youth and creativity.
He said: "It is very much in evidence that England have picked a bullying pack.
"I just feel that these guys are so overcoached in the defensive role that when it comes to the offensive role, they can't break down defences.
"Defence is very, very important in the game, the power of the forwards is very important but when you play the big games - against South Africa and hopefully further on in the competition - we have to have some creative skill.
"It is pointless having the likes of Paul Sackey and Jason Robinson basically languishing on their wing and not getting any ball or space to create things.
"England have gone back a step to get the power game and to get the platform. That is all well and good but when you win 65 per cent of the ball against a very good French side, but can't convert it into tries, it is a fearsome situation.
"I don't think South Africa will be fearing this bullying pack that England are going to produce."
Ashton omitted ten players from his original squad of 40, and of those ten, Morris felt that Newcastle fly-half-centre Toby Flood and Wasps back row player James Haskell can count themselves the unluckiest not to be in the party for France.
"Flood is very, very unlucky because he is one guy, a bit like Wilkinson or Tait, who can add pace and something else into the game, a little bit of flair basically," said Morris.
"With Dan Ward-Smith not available, the big number eight from Bristol, and we saw what Chabal did as an impact player off the bench, Haskell could do that job. I am upset in a sense that he hasn't been given the chance to do that 20 or 30 minute impact role at the end.
"But Brian has gone with the old heads, the experience at the expense of a little bit of impact, a little bit of flair, a little bit of youth and a little bit of arrogance."
