England's Rugby dilemma - makes you want Dean Richards as Director of Rugby, and what about Jonnie?

I start this from the point of being a Harlequins fan, so excuse the bias. But the difference in performance of Quins players when playing for the club, or the Lions, and playing in Martin Johnson's England side is very telling.
Compare and contrast what Ugo Monye does with the ball when playing for the Lions - highest try scorer in the squad and an incredible intercept leading to a try run the full length of the pitch, or the way he probes the opposition with the ball in hand when playing for Quins to his lack of ball paly, constant kicking of the ball, and being placed out of position at Full Back for England (Quins only use him as stand in Full Back when Mick brown is not available).
Compare and contrast the play of Danny Care in the tryfest that was the Gloucester match this week, play which was ably supported by Nick Evans, Nick Easter and George Lowe, with his performance for England. Read what Danny said about that difference in the Sunday Telegraph this week:

"It was frustrating that the game-plan England chose to play for the opening two internationals didn't really suit the way I play," Care said. "It probably suited [London Irish scrum-half] Paul Hodgson a bit more.
"It was frustrating that the game-plan England chose to play for the opening two internationals didn't really suit the way I play," Care said. "It probably suited [London Irish scrum-half] Paul Hodgson a bit more.

As Simon Briggs went on to say in the Telegraph article:

On the evidence of the autumn internationals, Hodgson is indeed a more natural partner for Jonny Wilkinson, who likes to lie deep at outside-half. But with the fleet-footed Nick Evans outside him at Quins, Care creates a dangerous threat down the middle of the field.

Now the question has to be, even with Jonnie's high score rate, do we want England bogged down in a style of Rugby that is totally defensive, relies on the boot and not tries, and gets our players bogged down constantly behind the gain line. Or do we want a style of Rugby that sets players free, uses dummy runners, probes defences with the ball in hand and attracts spectators.
I know which I prefer.
So is it off with Martin Johnson's head? No, I think he needs some time, though I have to say that Rob Andrew in my view has had his day. Quite frankly, if Dean Richards wasn't banned I would put him behind Rob Andrew's desk tomorrow.
The question is who should be Fly Half? My money is on Toby Flood to partner Danny Care and Nick Easter in that key play making threesome... but then again I am biased on two of them.

This post first appeared on Rucku