Players of the season (Early front runners?)

Its still early....and lots have been away for the World Cup, but who has impressed so far this season, and which players have been off the pace?

There are two that immediatley spring to my mind and they are both open-sides in the 'fetcher' mould. They are Dave Seymour at Sale and Luke Wallace at Quins. They have both been excellent every time I have seen them and won a couple of MOTM awards each too I think.

Nick Evans
Owen Farrell

For London Irish Jonathon Joseph has been arguably our best player in every game.

Tom Youngs has given Tigers fans a lot of hope, he already seems a match for Chuter at the lineout and is a step up at the scrum and in the loose. We've been after a replacement for Chuter for years and Youngs looks like he is up to the job. Parling returning is also a massive boost, he is a very classy lock.

Brad Barritt isn't so much knocking on the door to the 6N EPS squad as kicking it down, really has been holding together the Sarries midfield in defence and in attack is showing a nice range of running, passing and crashing skills. If he can show off a bit of a kicking game he will be almost certainly involved.

Nutely the Saints backrower has been showing some good form and rather a lack of care for his own personal safety. Good to see that level of commitment in a flanker, hope he stays injury free.

Cox is looking ever more a first team regular at Gloucester, he's got a real motor to him and seems pretty savvy at the breakdown.

JJ has been excellent in the games I've seen him play. Wade has also been impressive, as have Poff & Launchbury for Wasps (he's been playing blindside, but he's usually a lock isn't he?).

Barritt has been superb in the Sarries matches I've watched. Naqelevuki for Exeter.

I've only seen one Saints game so far this season, but Nutley certainly stood out for a 19yo.

How's Fearns been doing for Bath?

Naqer is a good shout for the Chiefs, also either of Brett Sturgess or Hoani Tui, unsung heroes who ensure that Exe have a formidable set piece

I think Fearns has been playing very well....especially at the breakdown...

Get him in the England side! ha ha

Naqalevuki
Joseph
Bowden
Seymour
Farrell
Cox

Have impressed me

Wallace, York, Fearns and JJ. Given the limitations in the senior England side these are all good news.

Plenty of other players have impressed though. Barritt looks better with Hodgson at 10, Wade seems to have adapted to the 15 man game well, Launchbury continues to look a class act and Abbott and Cox has also started well. Twelvetrees showed he could carry hard on Saturday too, which will please the England management.

Miller (like Alex Goode with added pace), Addison (like May has the pace to play wing and the skillset to play IC), Seymour and Thomas have also looked good at Sale.

I'd like to see a young FH playing well, though I do think Ford has looked like he will be able to stand up to senior rugby (I was worried) and I also liked what I saw of Heathcote on Saturday.

Wallace
Lowe
Evans

Are all top performers at the moment for Quins

Dave...

Do you go with the idea that Fearns is finally the real deal for the England 8 position...or do you think he will stay on the flank?

I think he'll end up as an 8 unless someone becomes world class in that position before he gets there. He may have to wait until his mid-20s before he's allowed to play there though, and in the meantime I think he'll debut for England on the flank, possibly as soon as this 6 Nations.

Having said that, with Haskell unavailable and Easter potentially ready to be moved on (only potentially mind, I'm not certain by any means MJ will do it) there is an opportunity for him to take the 8 shirt in this 6 Nations. But is Wells the man to make a radical call like that?

Edit: One other who impressed me was Yarde - pace and power. And Homer. Basically loads of players.

I'm not sure we'll see Fearns in an England shirt just yet as there is quite a bit of competition about. Easter, Waldrom, Narraway (if his Twitter outburst hasn't cost him) and Guest could all be in the running as well. Crane is injured as is Guest at the moment which should give Fearns a slight advantage but being kept on the flank by Simon Taylor who is average at best will not help his cause.

Tom Homer I could see earning a quick promotion to the England team as he's quite a powerful back three player, which Johnno likes, he's got pace and he's also got a big kicking game and that is why Cueto and Armitage are utilised on the wing. I'd love to see Wade given a run out as well.

Sam you make it out as if there are tons of class English no 8s fighting it out for the shirt. Where are they?
Either injured,not English or just not good enough.

DaveM who is this Miller you speak of?

DaveM who is this Miller you speak of?.

Rob Miller flyhalf/fullback at Sale formerly of Newcastle. Big boot and pace but not the most dazzling of footwork for a fullback, long term prospect at ten if the can get more game time there.

Sam you make it out as if there are tons of class English no 8s fighting it out for the shirt. Where are they?
Either injured,not English or just not good enough.

Easter, Crane and Narraway are all good enough to appear for England based on last available form. Crane will be missing for this season but Waldrom (English grandmother) and Guest offer more attacking options and the Brand will only be missing the 6Ns, he is supposed to be back by the start of next season so he can play for Wasps. Dowson is still playing at Saints and not a long term option but could slot into the squad in an emergency.

So available for the 6N = Easter, Narraway, Waldrom, Guest, Dowson as well as Fearns. There's even more competition on the flanks with Croft nailed on in the 6 shirt on current form and the likes of Moody, Woods, Robshaw and Fourie all competing for the 7 shirt. Fearns will be amongst the talented youngsters trying to get into the Saxons squad and impress in case of injuries, suspensions and ahead of the 2012/13 season.

formerly known as Sam wrote:I'm not sure we'll see Fearns in an England shirt just yet as there is quite a bit of competition about. Easter, Waldrom, Narraway (if his Twitter outburst hasn't cost him) and Guest could all be in the running as well. Crane is injured as is Guest at the moment which should give Fearns a slight advantage but being kept on the flank by Simon Taylor who is average at best will not help his cause.

Tom Homer I could see earning a quick promotion to the England team as he's quite a powerful back three player, which Johnno likes, he's got pace and he's also got a big kicking game and that is why Cueto and Armitage are utilised on the wing. I'd love to see Wade given a run out as well.

Geech seems to think otherwise?

Geech is missing his experienced flankers Moody and Louw to the RWC, I'd guess Taylor is there to steady the ship for the youngsters Ovens and Fearns. Taylor is a cheap shot merchant who does so hard work in the tight but really isn't much use against those he can't bully.

To be honest there are plenty of 8's out there, but they've either for the last 10 minutes of Eng matches to show off their skills (crane) or got injured when ever they are likely to be picked (Narroway and Guest).

And MJ decided he wanted to try out DWS anyhows.

God knows why.

Think he liked the idea of DWS covering second row and 8 from the bench as well as offering a ball carrying threat. Wasted selection in my view but I could see the logic.

Yappysnap there are plenty but most are of mediocre quality. Also most are close to 30 or over.

To be fir we'll probably never know the quality of a few of them, a lot of players aren't world beaters straight away, it takes time to get used to the pressures of international rugby and to fit in to the team dynamic.

Unfortunately no8 is a position where MJ has never tried to fix this problem.

He seemed to have lined up his two possible successors through the Saxons. Crane and Narraway, both have experience captaining sides and both are steady at the back of the scrum with good work rates. Injuries made it impossible for either to make the squad, well not in Narraway's view but in MJ's. They are both mid 20s with plenty of HEC and AP experience and I would say neither was mediocare.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Geech is missing his experienced flankers Moody and Louw to the RWC, I'd guess Taylor is there to steady the ship for the youngsters Ovens and Fearns. Taylor is a cheap shot merchant who does so hard work in the tight but really isn't much use against those he can't bully.

Ouch, Sam, that sounds personal?

"long term prospect at ten if the can get more game time there."

Sam, thats an arguement us Falcons fans have been making for all the youngsters who leave...

They might be going to bigger clubs...but surely its in their interest to stay at the smaller club and get actual premiership gametime....rather than getting spelks etc.

I agree with you Geordie, some of the players that have left Newcastle have left me scratching my head. I was a bit suprised when Brookes and Young came to us, both were basically accepting bench roles and in Brookes case not even that. Ok Brookes will get to learn from two of the best tightheads going and will get some action during international windows but it's not the same as playing weekly at the Faclons. Maybe he'd been told Euan Murray was definitley first choice and thought that covering with Tigers during international windows was better than covering at Falcons.

Ouch, Sam, that sounds personal?

I just remember last season and him coming around the side of a ruck to land a right hook on Agulla's temple whilst he wasn't looking and then run away. I hate cheap shotters who throw punches when people are blind spotted and then run away. If you're going to do then do it to the guys face.

Exactly Sam. Like a certain boxing champ.

Well from todays game Luke Wallace has to be ahead of the pack.

I too hate that kind of "fysical" player who only goes out looking for a fight, played against a team with a lad like that in it a while back and his own team mates were embarassed for him. He did in the end get a red card though so ended on high.

Azam is one like that and Grewcock used to have his moments.

Poor old Narraway won't get a look in the England set up ever again cause of his twitter outburst not while Johnno is in charge anyway. He will join the likes of olly barkley, nick kennedy, danny cipriani, james simpson daniel on the bad list.

What did JSD do though?

Yappy...Wallace is certainly putting his hand up isnt he...and im beginning to say that Robshaw is the answer to 6...we need some power in there.

Harlequins have started well but can they win on the road against tough opposition? So far they have beaten Worcester, an understrength Leicester and London Irish (more like a home game). I think we'll have to see how the Quins face up to real adversity.

Quins have done well, but I can't help thinking that had Toby Booth not started with Jarvis at 10 against them, and had trusted Shingler at 12 outside of Bowden at 10 from the outset, we would have beaten them at Twickenham.

It's all ifs and ands though, and they have won 6 from 6 and will be very confident going on from here. It is going to be a real scrap for the play offs this season, with a fair few teams involved.

The only team that I feel 100% confident will be in the play offs at this stage is Saracens.

Ozzy of course I am biased but I have to agree.

London Irish are always a wildcard in my opinion. Unfortunately I don't see you as hugely consistent.

Sale have really impressed me. They are the real surprise in my opinion.

Quins' run doesn't surprise me.

That's the key word there beshocked, consistency.

Saracens have that. Togers normally do, but after their start it may take a bit of time for them to get that back. Nobody else has that from what I can see so far, despite Quins 100% record.

I reckon the only teams that genuinely have no chance of making the play offs this season are Worcester and Newcastle. All 10 other teams could make it. It's going to be one hell of a bunfight that is for sure, and I cannot wait.

Ozzy,

Quins have been consistent for a couple of seasons now. Last season, they were consistently close to wining in the early part of the season, strung together ten wins in a row in the middle, and then hit an injury crisis that derailed the season - but were still picking up the LBPs.

The big difference so far this season is that they are scoring those last few points. They are still playing in the same way, but they are making more of their visits to the opposition 22 count.

It's only the start of a long season, but Quins and Sarries have given themselves a decent headstart, and have got some tough games out of the way. Everyone else is playing catch up for now

There are English qualified 8's, but I don't find any of them particularly convincing. Crane is a fine club player, but even assuming he gets back to his previous level after his surgery, I don't see him as an international. Narraway perhaps, but why not invest the time in Fearns and see if he can grow into the role. I believe Dalliglio played 8 for England before he did for Wasps.

Further down the age-groups Sisi is a very interesting prospect at LI.

Edit: Although Haskell will surely be the 8 from 2012/13 onwards unless someone else makes a strong case, as he looked on the verge of a breakthrough this WC.

This time last season, Guest was showing the sort of form at 8 that could have seen him in the EPS - but two freak injuries have seen him only play one game since January. He should be back in November, and then I hope we will see if he can take over from Easter in the England squad.

It's not at all certain, but as DaveM says, the long term competition is worryingly thin.

Sisi is a very promising player, although not clear yet which will be his best position. Has already got gametime for the first team and is only just 18 years old and stands at 6'4 and 18 stone.

Came on at lock yesterday against Worcester, but can play 6,7 and 8. Going to be interesting to see how he develops.

Not in this year's u20 squad yet, although I'd imagine he may be called up by JWC time. He certainly isn't too small. At u18 level he must be an absolute monster.

He made his first team debut for us last season aged 17, in an LV Cup game and he wasn't even an academy player then, he was in the AASE group. That is pretty impressive for a forward really.

I will be very surprised if he isn't in the 23 for this weeks game against Quins, and in all honesty he will likely be in the starting line up.

I think we're going to rue letting Ben Morgan slip through the net.

Don't think we've let him slip through the net I think it's more that he's decided he wants to play for Wales. He was offered a Saxons call up in order to challenge for a place in the 40 man squad and turned it down.

Wasn't fearns the next big thing at 8? He captained the Eng age grades there and won player of the tournament in the one of the WC's if my memory serves.

And then Quins production line also has York playing 8 now who looks completely comfortable.

I think/hope the bigger tours will help us sort out these kind of issues as more guys are given a run out.

Well if England are touring next summer I see no point in taking the RWC players as they need a break. Better off declaring it a Saxons tour and letting the younger/uncapped players try and make a name for themselves, it will give England a more experienced group of players to choose from come the AIs.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Don't think we've let him slip through the net I think it's more that he's decided he wants to play for Wales. He was offered a Saxons call up in order to challenge for a place in the 40 man squad and turned it down.

He is only in Wales because the Premiership clubs failed to spot his potential, it's not like he was raised over there, he went at 18 when no club in England would give him a chance.

I've posted this elsewhere, so apologies for those who have seen it before, but:

A lot of praise was heaped on Morgan last season, but he hasn't really been tested. He barely featured in their HC campaign (just the Treviso games) and he's yet to face Heaslip, O'Brien or Leamy. Thomas most definitely got the better of him when Ospreys beat Scarlets 60-17 last season. Plus he's far from setting the league alight at the moment.

We'd be much better off developing players of a similar age that have been through (& captained) England age grade teams, the very impressive Carl Fearns and U16, U18 & U20 6N granslam winning captain Alex Gray (golden boy being groomed as a future senior side captain if ever I saw one).

He is only in Wales because the Premiership clubs failed to spot his potential, it's not like he was raised over there, he went at 18 when no club in England would give him a chance..

True but he still turned down a Saxons call up.

stlowe

I agree, Morgan has done little so far this season, and whilst he showed last year he was a decent ball carrier, other aspects of his game still need much work.

There are decent enough young 8's coming through now in England that we need not be concerned if he decides to declare for Wales, where he is going to have a serious fight on his hands trying to dislodge the impressive Toby Faletau from the shirt.

Whats the name of the young 8 (well he's prob about 24 now) at Leeds, who seems plagued by injuries.

Is he playing for Leeds this season....he looked a right prospect a few year back and a big lump to go with it