Mark Calderwood had the game of his life on Friday. Watched on by Tony Smith, he kept Wigan in the game time and time again when Leeds seemed to have got one over them. Jamie Jones-Buchanan was denied in the corner thanks to Calderwood, as was Burrow, in a situation that has seen the little scrum half score from countless times before. And with Gareth Raynor out of the world cup with a toe injury, it seems the left wing shirt is up for grabs.
Peter Fox would seem the likely candidate. He made his international debut against France in this seasons international against France. However, despite Fox being the favourite Lee Smith is also a worthy candidate. But some pundits are now saying Calderwood should be within a shout. And in all fairness, they couldn’t be more wrong.
On Friday, Calderwood showed what he could do at the top of his game. In my opinion he was man of the match despite being on the losing side. No single player in a Leeds shirt outplayed him, but was let down by a second best forward pack in the cherry and white. But despite his heroics at Headingley, I don’t think he has shown enough of the same throughout the season to warrant himself a place in the starting seventeen against Papa New Guinea. Smith will no doubt feel the same. Smith, in his second year as the national team coach, has come across as a coach who is after quality and consistency in all of his players. Calderwood has not shown that this season.
All of this speculation is despite Calderwood being named in the Scotland squad via his grand parentage. Well good luck to him in the Scottish thistle, but if he were to be included in the England squad I have no doubt his selection would be a waste.
EDIT 29/9/08: Tony Smith has said previuously he will only pick players who are on form for the international side. However he has failed to mention if this is good form, bad form or previous season's form.
No comments:
Post a Comment