Captaincy complaint
Last updated: 11th January 2008
Greenwood: captaincy complaint
I wouldn't have Vickery as my captain. I don't think he's played enough games. I think he needs to go into the Heineken Cup in the next two weeks and prove himself worthy of his starting position. I myself would have gone for (Mike) Tindall.
Will Greenwood
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Will Greenwood believes Brian Ashton has "missed a trick" by turning his back on youth - and made a mistake in sticking with Phil Vickery as captain.
The World Cup winner was less than impressed with some of the England coach's selections as he began the post-World Cup era by naming his Six Nations squad.
Lesley Vainikolo's inclusion raised most eyebrows, but The Rugby Club's resident panellists also pointed to the fact that Ashton has decided to keep faith with Vickery as his leader.
Both Stuart Barnes and Dewi Morris believe the decision was born out of loyalty rather than any rational rugby reasoning, and having lined up alongside him in the triumphant side of 2003, Greenwood is sceptical about the Gloucester man's current form.
"I think it's an interesting blend, but I wouldn't have Vickery as my captain," he told The Rugby Club. "I don't think he's played enough games."
"I think he needs to go into the Heineken Cup in the next two weeks and prove himself worthy of his starting position. I myself would have gone for (Mike) Tindall."
While Greenwood disagreed with Dewi Morris's notion that now is the time for England to start building for the 2011 World Cup, he did lament a lack of experimentation in the 32-man party.
He had no major complaints with the core of the squad, but was not happy with the omission of London Irish due Nick Kennedy and Shane Geraghty and Leicester's Tom Varndell.
Wasted
And with three fly-halfs in there, the former Lions centre believes that Ashton has wasted the chance to involve some of the Guinness Premiership's younger talents in the international set-up.
"I'm reasonably settled on the 22 that will start against Wales, but I do think it's those next 10 positions where Brian has missed in a trick.
"I think (Nick) Kennedy could have been in instead of Deacon; I think Varndell could have been in instead of Cueto and I don't see why they've gone for three fly-halfs.
"Charlie's goiung to go down their on the Monday and be told 'thanks for coming, Charlie. Now hold some tackle pads'. And Geraghty could have been in at inside centre.
"We need to adapt and be flexible in terms of we need some old guys, we need some fresh guys from the present, like your Sheridans, your Floods, your Taits, who are relatively inexperienced but have been in World Cup finals.
"Then around them we need to introduce the people from left-field, the Vianaikolo's, the Haskell's, the Cipriani's."
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