Matt Banahan will come good, you'll see

First topic message reminder :

I'm a little fed up with reading about how lucky Banahan is to be on the plane to NZ.

So here are some facts.



England Stats
2009/-- 13 caps scored 4 tries. Not bad seeing as his played out of position most of the time or is a sub.


JEFF Stats
2010/11 - scored 8 tries in the Jeff making him the 4th top try scorer behind A.Tuilagi (Sam), C.ASHTON, T.OJO (both ENG)

2009/10 - scored 10 tries in the Jeff making him the 3rd top try scorer behind C.ASHTON (Eng), J.Maddock (NZ)

So not bad stats for a player who is useless and can't finish, and apart form Ashton our next best winger who scores tries apart from Ojo, but Ojo hotels and NZ don't mix well!!!

and another thing

Banahan v Shane

Yes he should have scored, but there are one or two reasons why he didn't.

1 - Shane jumped up and hung onto his neck, possible high tackle!

2 - Seeing as his a large man the playing surface at the MS was unsuitable for him to be able to accelerate with out losing his footing on the lose turf, this resulted in the fact it looked like he was standing still when he received the ball.

Great White wrote:Yet strangely, England's WC record is far superior to that of Wales, Ireland or Scotland.

World Cups dont count, ask New Zealand!

What would NZ know about winning the WC? A proper one anyway.

World cups is a poor way of measuring it anyway. Win percentage is a better barometer.

I agree that the premiership needs restructuring, but I'm not sure how. The clubs need to stay as no one is going to be able to force through regions. However if things continue the way they are we will drift towards football where club > country for many players.

Yes but that trend will not last unless English rugby moves with the times. The AP was the strongest league in Europe by a quite a bit. It is now behind he top14 by a fair bit and possibly behind the Rabo now too, certainly in terms of Hcup success.

You cant win - in the 6N there was all this fuss about the 'use of the elbow in a handoff' that wasnt - when he sent that guy flying - and now everyone says he cant hand off.

Its amazing how people here just build themselves up into a frenzy over one player or another. Players have off days and good days. Banahan cant be that much of an idiot if his coaches have been playing him in different positions and some very good coaches do rate him. He can cause a lot of damage and in some of the 6N games he did do just that - tied in a lot of defenders and got some very nice offloads out of the tackle.

He isnt the novelty he was though - and other teams have obviously started to work on ways to deal with him - but he is only one guy in a team of 15 and as we know with Jamie Roberts/Andy powell if the possible threats are limited they can be snuffed out.

Leinsterbaby again you are not correct.

English teams have won 6 HCs, French teams 5 and Irish 5.

4 different English sides have won the HC, 3 different Irish/Rabo ones, 2 different French sides.

Only Ireland contribute to the Rabo tally.

It tells you which is still the best league. I think an English side will win the HC this season.

England are becoming and English club team with players arriving from all over the world. Surely you would much prefer a system where homegrown talent is nurtured and developed into world beaters. There's no reason why not but IT'S NOT WORKING IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM..

It worked fine in 2003 and has worked in a stop start manner since (the coaching regimes have failed as much as anything else). The RFU has started to subsidise clubs who use a higher number of English qualified youngsters and the English teams still compete well in the HEC and have the most valuable league of the home nations.

There's no easy ligitimate way to re-structure the league in order to promote England rugby. The teams work to their own goals and produce a fair number of English youngsters each. Ireland work soley to the benefit of Ireland and that's fair enough the IRFU sponser the provinces heavilly (apart from Connacht), the RFU won't/can't afford to do that and so the clubs are inherently self serving as they feel no allegiance to the RFU.

beshocked wrote:Leinsterbaby again you are not correct.

English teams have won 6 HCs, French teams 5 and Irish 5.

4 different English sides have won the HC, 3 different Irish/Rabo ones, 2 different French sides.

Only Ireland contribute to the Rabo tally.

It tells you which is still the best league. I think an English side will win the HC this season.

Are you clueless or what. I correctly said the AP used to dominate but no longer do as they havent won a Hcup in about 6 years.

So what leinster baby? An English side will win it this year. Every single time the HC final has been at Twickenham an English side has won. 3/3.

It's Leinster and Munster who have done well in the HC recently.

Toulouse are pretty much the only team who carry the flag for France.

I expect Saracens,Saints and Leicester to all be in the mix this year from England.

You cant win - in the 6N there was all this fuss about the 'use of the elbow in a handoff' that wasnt - when he sent that guy flying - and now everyone says he cant hand off.

The frustration isn't that he can't hand off is that he didn't. Banahan is a powerful runner and we see it in the AP where he finished those sort of chances with ease and against Wales he completely bottled it. I can't remember any English fan villifing him for that incident either, a couple of celtic fans had a go as well as the usual exageration from the pundits but that should be no excuse not to try some trick in order to get over the line.

Sarries were quite poor in Europe last year. Leicester limped out in the quarters and I guarantee will not make the final. Northamption were excellent toward the latter stages but had a ridiculously easy run to the final.

Leicester may struggle in their group with Ulster and Clermont tough opposition. If they do qualify they may not get a home quarter.

Sarries will also do very well to top Biarritz and Ospreys, plus Treviso are good for an Italian team.

Northamption only really have Munster to worry about.

Sir Geech rates Banahan.

End of discussion.

Leicester limped out in the quarters and I guarantee will not make the final.

Depends entirely on what happens with injuries etc. That's what killed us last time, you can't go into a game as big as Leinster away with only one expereinced second row, we were doing alright until Deacon went off and then Slater and Mafi were horribley exposed and the ball started to slow and the lineout went AWOL, even then Leinster only managed one try and that was from a counter attack. The squad has been well strengthened and all the young players we had last year are now more experienced and more cohesive as a unit. I think we might do okay if we win our home games against Clermont and Ulster and slaughter Aironi home and away.

Sarries may well be a different proposition next year as Hodgson will bring a whole lot of leadership and a whole lot of invention to the backline, Saints I'd back against Munster who were pretty underwhelming last season. Gloucester may suprise a few people as well, give them room and you'll regret it quickly.

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Sir Geech rates Banahan.

End of discussion.

He is also very diplomatic.

Comfort wrote:

Great White wrote:

Comfort wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:I mean can you imagine the RFU trying to tell Bath, Gloucester and Bristol to form a region or Tigers and Saints to club together? The infighting within each region would make the PRL vs RFU war look like a minor scuffle.

See the Welsh regions for an ongoing example...

Indeed, and furthermore, Welsh Regional rugby hasn't exactly set the world alight has it?

Nope, but it does allow a country with a very small population compete very equally with its giant evil neighbouring country in a game they invented who should really dominate everyone because of their vast playing numbers

Well Jersey has done pretty well for its population size producing Banahan, the best England could do was George North. (Ashton was made in Rugby League, which isnt in England)

Leinsterbaby our HC group was my ideal group. We have inflicted on Biarritz their heaviest ever defeat in Europe. We beat the O's in our last HC encounter. These two sides hold no fears for Saracens. If you said Leinster,Clermont and Racing Metro......

In European rugby we haven't lost to weak sides for a long time.

Ospreys are not a good side anymore. Biarritz have benefitted hugely from soft HC pools and will be found out this year in my opinion. Neither side did well in their domestic league.

Are wins against them foregone conclusions? No but I fancy us to top the pool and get a home quarter.

I expect to see at least 3 English sides in the HC quarter finals.

He probably is just about good enough to play for Jersey.

leinsterbaby wrote:He probably is just about good enough to play for Jersey.

Hes playing for the pride of wearing the All Blacks jersey now

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

leinsterbaby wrote:He probably is just about good enough to play for Jersey.

Hes playing for the pride of wearing the All Blacks jersey now

He's facing stiff competition from the typical type of winger England produce though, Lesley Vanikolo.

The Ospreys will miss Hook, just goes to show they should have given him the number 10 shirt and not Dan Biggar if you look at his recent performances for Wales

Dan Biggar is a good player actually. Hook is a really good player but I would actually play him centre too. In any he doesn't seem too loyal and ospreys have decent cover but we will see.

In any he doesn't seem too loyal and ospreys have decent cover but we will see..

Do they have decent cover? I thought centre was the weak point in the Ospreys squad and that quite a chunk of their fans were hoping for a signing in that position post RWC. Not sure whether Hook is being disloyal by wanting a move away, why stay where you are not happy and where you seemingly disagree with the coaching staff? The move to France will allow him to grow as a player and set up a handy retirement fund. I'm sure return to Wales at some point anyway and it's not like Stephan Jones didn't benefit from his trip abroad is it.

This is quite far off topic really but I think Ospreys will still have enough to cause teams trouble.

The big question is, with the ospreys needing a centre:

Banahan to the ospreys?

At least he wouldnt have to worry about being manhandled by shane again....

... ill get my coat.

I challenge anyone to try and run with a someone hanging round your neck.

Leinsterbaby are you an Ospreys fan? You seem to be an awfully big fan.

Ospreys have got rid of their best fly half Cap'n Hook. They have lost Lee Byrne and Mike Phillips who are not that good anyway.

They basically only have 3 quality players who are well known left - Tommy Bowe,Adam Jones and ickle Shane. Alun Wyn Jones isn't bad either.

Overrated Welsh players like Ryan Jones and Paul James aren't that good.

Banahan wouldn't get into the O's side at wing but probably in the centres.

The O's are an average team.

They are better than bath. I am not an ospreys fan but the won the ml last year and have done quite good in the Hcup as recently as the year before last.

Plus to win the ml they beat Leinster in Dublin. Leinster hammered Saracens in Dublin and beat Leicester reasonably easily and then beat Northampton in the final. So you can see why I think ospreys are good.

But was it Leinsters HC team or there ML team that the Ospreys beat?

theres a game report BATH....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/8713104.stm

BATH_BTGOG wrote:I challenge anyone to try and run with a someone hanging round your neck.

Thomas Wladrom won Premiership runner of teh year (or something) despite have two shane williams worth of weight hanging off him.

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Banahan-s-versatility-key-ndash-Geech/story-13201620-detail/story.html

This is what Geech has to say about him, ever the diplomat but I think he is basically saying they havent been using Banahan in the right way?

leinsterbaby you are living the past. That was 2 seasons ago. Ospreys were mediocre this year. What has Leinster winning matches have to do with the O's.

Munster won the ML. Ospreys won 11 games in the ML which isn't that great. Leinster won the HC.

Leinster are better than Saracens I don't deny that. Ospreys are nowhere near as good as the top 4 English teams. Not based on the latest season.

Ospreys got unceremoniously dumped out of the HC like ourselves.

Saracens will knock out Ospreys and Biarritz again in the HC in my opinion. I think Saints will dispatch Munster. Leicester will take down Ulster but might fall to Clermont.

Beshocked, since ive joined this site, i've got the impression you're not too fond of us welsh

That's not true. I have a Welsh mate who I have banter with

I like Sam Warburton. He's a good young player.

Ickle Shane is a great one too. He gets a lot of stick but he keeps on going.

George North just doesn't know how to stop scoring tries.

Jamie Roberts/Desperate Dan seems a good lad too.

I use the word overrated a lot. Probably overexcessively! I see quite a few of the Welsh side as overhyped/overrated. It's probably because it's your national sport so you get a little carried away.

Too much hype surrounds Hook but he is a good player who should play at fly half. I feel Ospreys should have handled him better.

I am not a big fan of the likes of Ryan Jones,Lee Byrne, Mike Phillips and Paul James who I believe get too much praise.

Also I have disliked the hype surrounding Ospreys. Now that they have jettisoned their more high profile names they can rebuild. Do I rate them as one of the top sides in Europe? No. They are not a bad team, just an average one going through the rebuilding phase.

I do not think they are as good as the top 4 in the AP.