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Pack for next season...

Posted: Sun May 22, 2016 9:48 pm
by Dave
Will it be good enough? Discuss...

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Sun May 22, 2016 9:57 pm
by bazzaj
As I just said the best signing we could make is a decent forwards coach as the current one has a track record of non development and coming up short.
I believe that is the main issue.

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Sun May 22, 2016 11:06 pm
by Dave
Yes that is one issue for sure. Scrum, ball carrying, leadership, personnel etc.. also remain questionable.

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Sun May 22, 2016 11:30 pm
by CIMANFOREVER
Front line/ starters and bench;
McCall, Best Herring, Herbst, VDM, Tuohy Hendo, Henry Reidy, Coetzee, AOC.
That's it.
Diack and Roger are 20 min/ break glass.

CB, Lutton, Browne, Cross not good enough for anything other than break glass at pro12 level.
Ah Ye I have serious doubts about. Treadwell heard good things about but will wait and see.

That leaves us short an international quality Loose and Tighthead, as well as the well documented back row depth.
Add to that a captain. Rory has too much on his plate and is in the twilight. We need a captain who will not trouble the international arena. Red has been criminally underused as well. No more cameos, I'd like to see proper rotation between two fine international class hookers, and also manage Rory's remaining playing life.

Basically, I see the same outcome and finish next year year unless we spring some academy potential which I seriously doubt we have. Serious questions on why our academy doesn't produce quality forwards.
Kiss will have gotten his bearings, so I want to see a change in the forwards coaching team... how about getting Codling back, and dumping Clarke? Sweet......

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Sun May 22, 2016 11:45 pm
by Dan Dare
I have very high hopes for Kieran Treadwell. Think that he will be a very good addition. Think that he will start with VDM

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 12:34 am
by Nightsoil
Dave wrote:Will it be good enough? Discuss...
It will be if no one gets injured, particularly if Herbst and McCall hit their full potential. They turn the scrum from surviving to thriving.

When the injuries and Ireland call-ups come, we will run out of depth, and it won't be.

If that's going to change, then a whole rake of academy forwards need big breakout seasons. I'm not going to demand the coaches pick the young guys every chance they get, simply because my guess is most of them don't deserve it and won't gain enough from it, but a few risks might need taken with those who do have the glimmer of something as we search for life beyond Black, Lutton, Diack and Wilson. And I'd park that extra half a million in the best scrum coach and the best forwards coach I could (although I'm guessing the IRFU would say no).

Have to admit, I'm always musing ahead to signings for season after. Tempting Paddy Mac back would be nice. Maybe persuade Annett back too? I think Brendon O'Connor at Leicester is Irish-qualified - dunno when his contract is up, but could make a good replacement for Chad. Even a couple of quality IQ forwards from outside the province could make a huge difference.

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 7:10 am
by bazzaj
Dave wrote:Yes that is one issue for sure. Scrum, ball carrying, leadership, personnel etc.. also remain questionable.
You would be amazed how decent coaching can make a difference in these areas.
Think Doakball to the way our backs are playing now.

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 8:34 am
by Jackie Brown
VDM for captain?

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Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 8:35 am
by Blow in
Other than Henderson and Best scrap the lot and start again.

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 8:43 am
by againstthehead
What do we make of Aye You? Haven't seen much of him myself - decent signing? Long way off a quality pack. At full-strength we could probably get parity with most sides at home but away from home, in particular, we need a bit more quality to be even competitive with the top sides. It's a shame because our backs are likely to be pretty handy.

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 8:53 am
by Rooster
I wonder how long it will take before Willie Anderson and Clarke have a major bust up and Clarke comes out second best and departs.

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 8:57 am
by Jackie Brown
Is Willie involved these days?

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Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 9:55 am
by justinr73
Jackie Brown wrote:VDM for captain?

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He'd have been the obvious one to stand in for Rory this season but didn't for whatever reason.

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 10:20 am
by rorybestsbigbaldnoggin
againstthehead wrote:What do we make of Aye You? Haven't seen much of him myself - decent signing? Long way off a quality pack. At full-strength we could probably get parity with most sides at home but away from home, in particular, we need a bit more quality to be even competitive with the top sides. It's a shame because our backs are likely to be pretty handy.
Remember when we signed Nick, and people were unsure whether we could get anything out of him? That's roughly Ah You now.


To be clear, I'm not categorically saying that Ah You will guarantee us the same level of performance. However, there are striking similarities: both NZ u-20, both graduated to NH journeymen, both are prone to poor conditioning but can run over people if and when arsed. It could work out well, and Rory's endorsement stands for a lot, but there's a lot of work for Ah You to do before he steps foot on the pitch.

Re: Pack for next season...

Posted: Mon May 23, 2016 10:21 am
by launish116
are we under the impression, all signings have been announced? and no more forwards to pop up?