Potential new scrum half after Ruan leaves,

[Rooster]

the chat seems to be this boy Stewart is to be the real deal and Ulster/Ireland see him as the future. I heard they will spend this season trying to bulk him up, let him play limited amount of rugby so he is ready for next season.

Er so we have a potential scrum half who will spend a year eating lots and then potentially will be our starting 9 next season ?

I'd say the most likely scheme is that he'll sit on the bench behind Cooney or Marshall.

And if Marshall gets busted in the week before the SDC he would be our starting 9, yip real smart idea unless they have something else planned

[therealspratt]

the chat seems to be this boy Stewart is to be the real deal and Ulster/Ireland see him as the future. I heard they will spend this season trying to bulk him up, let him play limited amount of rugby so he is ready for next season.

Er so we have a potential scrum half who will spend a year eating lots and then potentially will be our starting 9 next season ?

I'd say the most likely scheme is that he'll sit on the bench behind Cooney or Marshall.

And if Marshall gets busted in the week before the SDC he would be our starting 9, yip real smart idea unless they have something else planned

Angus Lloyd!

[therealspratt]

Or Shanahan...

[Snipe Watson]

I have confidence that if there is an IQ scrumhalf out there who is amenable to a move, Bryn will find him.

[BaggyTrousers]

Peter Stringer is comfortably the best option if he'd consider playing for Nordies. Sad but true.

[Rooster]

Peter Stringer is comfortably the best option if he'd consider playing for Nordies. Sad but true.

How very true Baggy, I am not convinced about any of the other options

[Snipe Watson]

Age has to catch up with Stringer soon. I wouldn't like to be the one proposing that we sign a 40 year old scrumhalf to Les.

[BaggyTrousers]

Austin Healy was and is a Bellend but could play both scrum and wing. Lyttle is our saviour.

That is true also, we too have wee-p who has filled in on the wing in a injury crisis, I seem to recall Irish 9 John Maloney doing similar, but that is pretty much a move that swift 9s can make occasionally.

As for that get Healy, I believe him to have been overrated as a 9, I think his overconfidence lured a few to into believing the hype. He was a fast but modest player.

I still hope to see Healy perish under the wheels of a pantechnicon before my own imminent demise.

Ian Humphreys once of this parish dealt with Healy, cant find the footage but it was a joy to behold

It was an utter joy to watch, Healy being a dickhead turned ballsout rather than the planned arsefirst the show usually had. Oh how we laughed as iHumph, banged the first attempt flush into Healy's meat & two making the little shitbag scream. Not a hint of sympathy from the rest of the Tigers as they flocked to congratulate iHumph. Possibly his career highlight though he may cite 2 wins at Toemund Parc as his favourites.

SKY pulled the video from Yachube, for no good apparent reason other than that they could. You'd have thunk with the wee ballix at BTSport, perhaps SKY can be prevailed upon to permit access? May I'll email them.

[BaggyTrousers]

Age has to catch up with Stringer soon. I wouldn't like to be the one proposing that we sign a 40 year old scrumhalf to Les.

Of course that is correct however, two things make it far from impossible, Stringer himself: wears a pioneer badge, never smoked or drank, he is as fit as a fiddle & importantly mentally he is driven & wants to play for ever, I spoke to him in Caaaaaaaaaaadiff after Munster won the ERC in 2008 with him on the bench, he had his medal, the cup was won, but he was personally desolate because he'd not played the final. Secondly the absolute dearth of viable options that are IQ.

If only to stick a wee finger in the dike (ooooh err matron) whilst young Stewart becomes the whizz that several here insist he will be, then Stringer has to be an option - if he would play here and I've never been convinced he would.

[damianmcr]

the chat seems to be this boy Stewart is to be the real deal and Ulster/Ireland see him as the future. I heard they will spend this season trying to bulk him up, let him play limited amount of rugby so he is ready for next season.

[Snipe Watson]

Sorted..... Bryn, Les, and Rab greet new IQ 9.

[onefisbetterthan2]

At the risk of offending those who believe that we will become the first professional rugby team ever (I await correction ) to convert a professional winger to a starting scrum half, would it not be worth looking a little closer to home and trawling the Aviva Prem to find a decent starting scrum half with a Jack Charlton Granny? Got to be a higher chance of success, even as a stop gap, than picking up a 20 year old ATM Cup level player from NZ who might not be up to it.

[Joe Schmo]

the chat seems to be this boy Stewart is to be the real deal and Ulster/Ireland see him as the future. I heard they will spend this season trying to bulk him up, let him play limited amount of rugby so he is ready for next season.

Er so we have a potential scrum half who will spend a year eating lots and then potentially will be our starting 9 next season ?

Sounds like a plan to me.....

A crap plan, but a plan nevertheless.

yeah, I love it when a crap plan comes together.

[Nightsoil]

I hope they at least ask Stringer. He's not just the best IQ scrum-half coming out of contract this season, he's not just the best mentor we could get for a young scrum-half, he'd also be one hell of a professional example for, well, everyone in the squad. If he doesn't want to, fair dos, but he's worth asking. Even if he's 400.

[Russ]

Surely bringing in Stringer is harming indigenous talent from progressing ...