Johnson to decide his own future after Cup

Yeah, Shaw was one hell of a player. Such a shame we didn't see that much of him in his prime. Such a great athlete for a big man. I try and watch him closely when he comes on, and his reading of a game is second to none. His anticipation, his niggling play at rucks. He instinctively knows what to do and the shortest way to go where he needs to be. Even in his battered state I recall against Wales (I think) in the most recent 6N he came on and smashed the Welsh scrum half when Wales were attacking near the end of the match and turned over the ball. Courtney Lawes is a similar type of player. I would hope that he would fill out physically and be a new Shaw.

I was pretty gutted, tbh...

Yes maybe age and injuries and general body wear of tear of playing top level pro rugby for so long is starting to wane on Simon Shaw. But this is off topic to a bit, but he was one hell of a player when fit. He is a 6'8 giant who maritn Johnson kept out of the side during is playing time, and he was one hell of a player , but in 2009 I watched the 209 British lions series, and i don't think i have just about seen a better match form a lock ever in a high pressure game like a lions series when it was still everything to play for. ANd he was up against bakkies and out did him, Bakkies also was strong. The lions probably would of won had they not lost there 2 props during the match. but yes simon shaw wa simmense and would be the perfect player tohave as a sub now at his age in a RWC. if you could 20 high impact minutes out of him form 60minute mark onwards would be huge asset for england. But if not fit he can't go and i think will be quite a big loss he made good contribution forth bench with jonny WIlkinson. Who I have a hunch may be the starting 5/8 come quarter finals stages . But Toby flood has improved immensely, and is a better 1 on 1 runner than Jonny WIlkinson.

I think Banahan is a better centre than winger too. He isn't that fast, and doesn't have great turning speed, which makes him vulnerable to balls put behind him. I specifically think he's better at 12, as I don't think he is agile enough to defend the 13 channel, and I believe his off-loading skills are better suited closer to the 10. I wouldn't start him in every game, as he is still very raw, but I suspect that against certain sides he would thrive. The one thing I have noticed with Banahan is how his conditioning has improved over recent seasons. Realistically, he has done very well to go from locking to being such a force even at Aviva Premiership level. If you convert a forward then that is a long-term project, so I think this will be too. Perhaps a little too much is expected of him at this stage in his career. SBW is special. Agreed. I think energy is a good word to describe him.

To be fair to Borthwick he is a very good club player, but just doesn't have the physical capacity to play Test rugby. The major problem for Johnson is that there weren't many locks in form back then. Shaw has been in and out of the side due to injury, but I get the impression he's waning. I thought during the 6N (and also in the Autumn Tests) that he put in some great work as a sub, and he really knows his way around the pitch, but apparently due to shoulder injuries he can only scrummage on one shoulder, and his gym work is seriously restricted... He just doesn't look the same player now, and might not make the WC squad. Sorry, bit off topic there... Shaw hasn't been consistently fit, Deacon has also been injury prone, and if we consider natural 5 lock replacements for Borthwick, England did have (and still do now) a dearth of middle jumpers. Tom Palmer was fitful at Wasps, and only showed how good he is due to being one of the last men standing. Nick Kennedy proved that he wasn't quite physical enough (and now he's completely ruining his chances by attempting to ape the play of 4 locks like Lawes... and beyond that we had a handful of possibles without anybody really putting there hands up. England have not really had that balance of a 4-5 like South Africa do, for example, for a while now, although I think Lawes and Palmer could really develop as a partnership over the next two seasons.

And i just read Steve Borthwick led Saracens to the title in Engnland this year so he has been in some form. But the 2nd row is 1 area where England have a lot of depth. Eg lawes, Shaw, Deacon as examples.

I think England will be a force this world cup just have a feeling they won't be overcooked from a hard tri nations will be fresh. I am also very curious how they will use matt Banahan a giant of a back. he is 6'7 he started off not surprisingly as a lock. But for a back he is massive. SBW is 6'3 , Robbie freeman who will not be there is 6'3, yeuzon is 6'4 he won't be there. Shows size is not everything but i think he is a btter centre than wing and i think he will be a real handle even for SBW. He is though used to tackling men like Willie Mason at training in his league days but still no one would like having a 6'7 mark them or run at them, will be interesting clash if Matt Banahagan and SBW square up, a classic, but I would still back SBW over just about anybody in a fight in world rugby and 1 on physicality and skill he is still no1 player in world rugby in those areas. I would be terrified to mark a fired up SBW i don't think any opposition team like facing SBW. He has that jonah Lomu energy to him, you hate to mark up aginst SBW or Lomu but would love to have them on your team.

Steve Borthwick is a tough one... I was, and still am, one of his harshest critics as a player, but I can understand why Johnson kept faith with him. He was a very good lineout forward, indeed, England at one point (I think 2009) had what was statistically the best lineout in the world. A lot of that is attributable to Borthwick. Secondly, the players seemed to respond to him, even if the media didn't. Thirdly, there weren't any other real alternatives: Vickery was basically a spent force when Johnson took over; Steve Thompson was retired; Moody, Wilkinson and Tindall were injured for large parts of Johnson's early years, and a lot of players like Corry and Lewsey had retired, thereby robbing the side of an experienced core. Borthwick was the only real senior player guranteed of his place at that point. I wish he hadn't of been captain, but I understand why he was. It will be interesting to see who gets the nod over Moody when Moody retires. I hope it's not Hartley...

Some very good insights Ben s. I also like the way i believe he has brought out th best in courteneay Lawes, and also kept Simon Shaw willing and motivated as he will be 38 this year Simon shaw. 1 of his mistakes I believe was keeping faith with steve borthwick for so long, but he has improved massively science when he 1st took over, and has had to deal with a horrific injury toll, that would even test the likes of the ALL Blacks.

In his first 4 games he told one of the youngest and most inexperienced sides in English history to go out and play what was in front of them. Obviously in hindsight that was a mistake, but it was an attempt at a positive start after years of playing by numbers, which I think is a valuable insight into his mindset. Johnson has also had to endure an injury list longer than any English coach over the past decade, so whenever England looked like kicking on it was back to square one. For example, after the thrashings against NZ and SA, Johnson took England to their best 6N finish (with the most tries scored) since 2003. He then took a team (minus the Lions) to a 1-1 summer draw with Argentina, which was a positive considering the squad he took and the fact that England routed Argentina at Old Trafford and only lost in Argentina by 2 points. Then he had around 25 injuries, and so the Autumn Tests were a complete wash-out. The following 6N was less positive and Johnson pushed injured players like Flutey and Delon Armitage back in to the side too quickly. The result was a static game, but the side were trying to play positive rugby, which is significant, they were just doing it badly, and the balance of the side was wrong (especially the 10-12-13 channel of Wilkinson-Flutey-Tait). Then he changed the side for the Paris Test and the rest is history. But even when he was looking to kick on in the most recent 6N he lost Sheridan, Lawes, Croft, Moody and Tindall, all key players in the way England are trying to play. I know injuries are a part of modern rugby, but with such an inexperienced side they hit England harder than most other nations. Ultimately, IMO Johnson has been a bold selector. He has put a huge amount of faith in to a very young playing group. For all the talk of Australia being a young side, the England side that beat them in Sydney was younger and more inexperienced. He has obviously made mistakes, but England have done a lot of good things under him. People who he played under always commented that he was a very deep thinker about rugby, and I think that has become obvious the longer he has been in the job.

Well some of his selections and leadership desicons and tactual designs were found wanting terribly when he started at this level. But he has regrouped maybe changed his mindset a little and been a more flexible and tactical astute coach. Or maybe he is like Big Mal , just a figure head in reality with high quality assistant coaches who really run the show with tactics and game plans , i don't no but it is possible.

i'm sure all the English will be devastated to hear that Dave. All 50 odd million of 'em. Especially since at least a couple of them are rumoured to speak quite highly of you.

He certainly hasn't done any worse than Ashton or Robinson who preceded him. Not that I have any particular love for the English...

Predictable. I think you should at least attempt to explain what Martin Johnson has done that is so bad, rather than simply making consistently wild and emotive statements minus any form of measured qualification.

“There is unlikely to be a CEO before January. I will have no problem in sitting down with Martin after the World Cup and resolving his position in the interests of England and the coaching team.” This is a sentence to be read with utter horror. That this disastrous buffoon who appointed Johnson should be allowed to reappoint him before he leaves and thereby cursing England for yet more years is the most terrible outcome of the dire events in the RFU possible.