Pack for next season...

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allezlesverres
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by allezlesverres »

The front row is as good as it has ever been and for the few games we get Henderson and Carter, I think the second row is good to very good. I know Carter gets a tough rap in this parish but I think he is a good all rounder. He isn't the most eye catching lock, but all the "lock" jobs work better when he is playing versus when he isn't playing so I always think the lineout, attacking mauls and maul defence all look better with him involved. I don't think he is a better or worse scrummager than AOC or brienne of tarth. I'd love to see more of Izzy if he can get recovered from that knee injury - he was shaping up to be something to talk about.

The back row is a disaster unless some of the players start to prove us wrong. Timoney has been on an upward curve - how high can he go? Nordi is solid. McCann is loudly touted on here as the next big thing but while he was brilliant in the A's game, his first team performances have been lukewarm. Maybe he will develop with a few more caps. But barring a miracle, that isn't a back row that is going to be even close to competitive in interpros or in Europe. It could be a hard season coming up for our half backs. I'd love to be proved wrong.
launish116
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by launish116 »

allezlesverres wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:06 am But barring a miracle, that isn't a back row that is going to be even close to competitive in interpros or in Europe. It could be a hard season coming up for our half backs. I'd love to be proved wrong.
And that’s before considering injuries and rotation.
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Loki
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by Loki »

allezlesverres wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:06 am The front row is as good as it has ever been and for the few games we get Henderson and Carter, I think the second row is good to very good. I know Carter gets a tough rap in this parish but I think he is a good all rounder. He isn't the most eye catching lock, but all the "lock" jobs work better when he is playing versus when he isn't playing so I always think the lineout, attacking mauls and maul defence all look better with him involved. I don't think he is a better or worse scrummager than AOC or brienne of tarth. I'd love to see more of Izzy if he can get recovered from that knee injury - he was shaping up to be something to talk about.

The back row is a disaster unless some of the players start to prove us wrong. Timoney has been on an upward curve - how high can he go? Nordi is solid. McCann is loudly touted on here as the next big thing but while he was brilliant in the A's game, his first team performances have been lukewarm. Maybe he will develop with a few more caps. But barring a miracle, that isn't a back row that is going to be even close to competitive in interpros or in Europe. It could be a hard season coming up for our half backs. I'd love to be proved wrong.
Nail on the head. Carter is more than competent at most aspects of his position and if he hadn't been ballixed by injuries we'd look on him much more favourably as a slightly better Franco van der Merwe imo. AOC is justifiably getting the most out of his talent (wherever the upper limit of that may be) and Treadwell remains someone who might develop...but who knows. Too often the latter can't put together a string of reasonable performances. Izzy is maybe a player slightly ahead of time - you could see players of his physical profile coming into view in Eddie Jones' 'hybrid' chat - but he's going to have missed a lot of rugby down the ladder; hopefully he can make up for lost time on his return.

Timoney is a really interesting one for me, and I can only hope time with the national team elevates him further. Like many here I've always had huge time for him and what he can bring on a good day. He's delivering on his potential and still has huge scope for improvement, though as with all of our backrow the sheer power most of the top teams have just might not be there. The same can be said for McCann, obviously, and while I haven't been wowed by him just yet not every young player is going to blow you away on first viewing. If he can develop appropriately there's a very obvious pathway to as many caps as he wants.

Also, Brienne of Tarth is the best nickname I've heard in ages - chapeau!
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Dave
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by Dave »

Brienne of Tarth

I knew who it was straight away.
I have my own tv channel, what have you got?
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solidarity
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by solidarity »

Dave wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:18 pm Brienne of Tarth ImageImageImageImageImage

I knew who it was straight away.
Nope. Lost on me I'm afraid.
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Snipe Watson
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by Snipe Watson »

solidarity wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 7:27 pm
Dave wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 1:18 pm Brienne of Tarth ImageImageImageImageImage

I knew who it was straight away.
Nope. Lost on me I'm afraid.
Tall, blonde, I'm guessing Treaders
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Dave
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by Dave »

Game of thrones reference.
220px-Brienne_of_Tarth-Gwendoline_Christie.jpg
220px-Brienne_of_Tarth-Gwendoline_Christie.jpg (23.11 KiB) Viewed 2122 times
I have my own tv channel, what have you got?
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solidarity
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by solidarity »

What a cultural Philistine I am!

But I can see the Treaders reference.
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solidarity
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by solidarity »

What a cultural Philistine I am!

But I can see the Treaders reference now. :thumright:
rumncoke
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by rumncoke »

Back 5 in the scrum are all somewhat light against a heavy pack and a team playing "tanks' -one pass and proceed forward till stopped .

Timoney is another Diack -- he is not a first up receiver -- needs someone to feed him in to space .

The back row is reasonable until injury strikes and in my book the main core is starting to look a little old ( Reid and Murphy ) while the second string is rather green and light (Reas and McCann ) thus we function for a half and disappear a la Leicester
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launish116
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by launish116 »

rumncoke wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 12:00 pm Back 5 in the scrum are all somewhat light against a heavy pack and a team playing "tanks' -one pass and proceed forward till stopped .

The back row is reasonable until injury strikes and in my book the main core is starting to look a little old ( Reid and Murphy ) while the second string is rather green and light (Reas and McCann ) thus we function for a half and disappear a la Leicester
Couldn't agree more, we're very good at one out games in most cases. Punch well above our weight. Any requirement for a period of must win games and we just can't cope.

We Realistically have 3 starters and a bench in Murphy, Reidy, Timoney & Rea Snr. At that we need them playing consistently at the top of their game, which just isn't feasible week in week out. Flogging them really isn't going to help our cause either.

Combine rotation and potential injuries and we are in a very worrying place. Throwing in the likes of Rea Jnr, McCann isn't going to fix that scenario.
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BR
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by BR »

Why? Are we going somewhere?
Can I come out from behind the sofa yet?
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Dave
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by Dave »

BR wrote:Why? Are we going somewhere?
It's just you. We've found the perfect facility for you.
I have my own tv channel, what have you got?
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Dave
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by Dave »

2023/24 discuss....

I have my own tv channel, what have you got?
ljsulster
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Re: Pack for next season...

Post by ljsulster »

Kitschoff
Stewart
Otoole
Sheridan
Hendy/treadwell
Ewers
The not rubbish Rea
Dave McCann


Hopefully Izzy can get himself back in the reckoning and I would like to see McNabney or mcloughlin get a run out at some stage- I’ve heard Mcloughlin isn’t far away.
Herring is quality but I think Stewart will cement himself as first choice, James Mccormick will be an option when he gets over his injury
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