BATH

First topic message reminder :

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DEPTH CHART

1. Healy / Catt / Bristow
2. Strauss / Tolufua / Batty / Dunn
3. Franks / KPN / Tomascyzk
4. Muller / Hooper / Beaumont
5. Attwood / Eldsadt / Spencer
6. SOB / Fearns / Lund
7. Louw / Salvi / Mercer
8. Beattie / Kalamafoni / Skirving
9. Kerr-Barlow / Classens / Cook
10. Hook / Olding / Clegg
11. Ranger / Biggs
12. Steyn / Eastmond / Barkley / Williams
13. Bosch / Lualala / Daly / Mosses
14. Bowe  / Woodburn
15. Dagg / Goode / Catterick /Chisholm

6Ns
Catt - Strauss - Franks
Muller - Attwood
Louw - Kala - Salvi
Kerr-Barlow - Olding
Eastmond - Bosch
Biggs - Dagg - Ranger

4Ns
Healy - Tolufua - Tomascyuk
Muller - Attwood
SOB - Kala - Salvi
Classens - Hook
Eastmond - Lualala
Ranger - Daly - Bowe

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SENIOR SQUAD

Squad Size: 45/45
Hookers: 4
Props: 6 (2 LH, 3 TH)
Locks: 4
Back Row: 9
Half Backs: 6
Centres: 8
Back Three: 9

English Qualified: 24
Foreign: 21

Hookers
Adriaan Strauss [RSA]
Christopher Tolofua [FRA]
Ross Batty [ENG]
Tom Dunn [ENG] ACADEMY

Props
Cian Healy [IRE]
Nathan Catt* [ENG]
Tom Bristow [ENG]

Owen Franks* [NZL]
Kane Palmer Newport [ENG]
Oliver Tomascyzk [ENG]

Second Row
David Attwood* [ENG]
Johann Muller* [RSA]
Rynhardt Elstadt [RSA] (BS)
Stuart Hooper [ENG]

Back Row
Francois Louw* [RSA] (BS/OS/N8)
Julian Salvi [AUS] 
Guy Mercer [ENG]

Sean O'Brien [IRE] (BS/OS/N8)
Carl Fearns* [ENG] (BS/OS/N8)
Magnus Lund [ENG](BS/OS/N8)

Johnnie Beattie [SCO] (BS/N8)
Sione Kalamafoni [TON] (BS/N8)
Ben Skirving [ENG] (BS/N8)

Half Backs
Tawera Kerr - Barlow [NZL]
Michael Claassens* [RSA]
Chris Cook [ENG] - 16/4/91

James Hook [WAL] (FH/IC/OC/FB)
Stuart Olding [IRE] - 11/3/93 (FH/IC)
Rory Clegg [ENG]

Centres
Francois Steyn* [RSA] (IC/OC/FB/FH)
Kyle Eastmond* [ENG] (IC/OC/WG/FH)
Ollie Barkley [ENG] (IC/FH)
Ben Williams [ENG] (IC/OC)

Marcelo Bosch [ARG] (OC/IC/FB/FH)
Casey Laulala [NZL]
Eliot Daly [ENG] -8/10/92 (OC/FB/WG)
Ben Mosses [ENG]

Back Three
Tommy Bowe* [IRE] (WG/OC/FB)
Rene Ranger* [NZL] (WG/OC)
Tom Biggs [ENG]
Olly Woodburn [ENG] - 18/11/91

Israel Dagg* [NZL]
Alex Goode [ENG] (FB/FH)
Ross Chisholm [ENG]
Tom Catterick [ENG]
Rob Cook [ENG]

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THE ACADEMY

Squad Size: 20/20

HK - Max Anderson
PR - Tom Meatyard
LK - Will Spencer - 30/5/92
LK - Tom Ellis (England U18)
LK - Jamie Collins
LK - Josh Beaumont - 24/3/92
LK - Jake Oldaker - (England 18)
BR - Joe Buckle - 13/5/93
BR - Tom Baldwin - 28/9/92
BR - James Stephenson - 13/12/91
BR - Max Northcote-Green (England U18)
BR - Joe Ellyatt
N8 - Will Skuse - 14/2/92
N8 - James Tyas

SH - Matt Keyte - 5/4/91
SH - Will Clemensha - 4/9/92
FH - Ollie Devoto (England U20)
FH - Fred Gabbitas
WG - Richard Lane - 21/7/93
FB - Jamie-John Kilmartin - 21/1/93 (Scotland U20)

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INJURIES/SUSPENSIONS
Players are available in:
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BUDGET

Transfers/Loans In: (£-) Shaw - 0m, Phillips - 0m, Franks - 25m, Steyn - 23m, Laulala - 0m, Dagg - 22m, Golding, Muller, Lund, Clegg, Catterick, Beaumont - p/x, Chisholm - 2.5m, O'Brien - 23m, Cook 1.5m, Healy - 22m, Tolofua - £10m, Hook - 23m, Daly - 12m (plus 2m if EPS), Tomascyzk - 2m, Kalamafoni - 1.5m, Bowe - 24m, FVDMerwe - 7m, Salvi - 12m, Elstadt - 19m, Varndell - p/ex, Goode - p/ex, Ranger - 21m, Kerr-Barlow - 19m, Olding - 10m, Beattie - 20.5m, Bristow - 2m

Transfers/Loans Out:  Biller - 4m, Cuthbert - 8.5m, Scott Hobson - 1.5m, Bell - 2.5m, Roberts - 1.5m, Phillips - 5m, Beattie - 1.5m, Tanner - 1.5m, Lilley - 1.5m, Wilson, Shaw, Moody, Heathcote, Abendanon - p/x, Scott - 1.5m, Ovens - 1.5m, Beech - 1.5m, Flatman - 5m, Retirements - 8m, Moss - 0.5m, Donald - 2.5m, Taylor - 2.5m, Dixon, 1.5m, Vesty - 2.5m, Caldwell - 1.5m, Carraro - 1.5m, Mears - 8m, Banahan - p/ex, Varndell - p/ex, Hipkiss - 5m, Golding - 3m, Donald - 2.5m, McMillan - 1.5m

Budget Bonuses: £- 12m League, £10m TV Rights, £8m Sponsorship, £6m Cup

Current Budget: £3m

Sorry mate big fan of young Harrison won't be letting him go permanetly. Been watching him since he came to England (snapped him up on the other game as well).

make an offer

im intrested in, Attwood, Hook,Dagg and Banahan

no because im only intrested in one of them players..

na i'd like to keep monye, let me see how the cipraini deal goes and il get back to you on possible deals.

would really like to add james hook to my squad..

What for James Hook?

AP 7 - L Mears
AP 8 - J Hook
AP 9 - J Muller

1 of Mark Sorenson/Christian Day could go on loan for 2/3 mil till Muller is back?

Can't let hamilton go sorry!! Could let james/brown go?!

just seen your offer, tempting...let me think bout it, and get back to you.

I've got Cronje as an 8 option, playing really well in T14

A Johnson + Steggman
=
Louw

?

Hook + Banahan
4
Farrell + Brown

you know what...i shall deal on that, is it ok to confirm and put the players in my squad??

ah yes so that deal is off then, although i think Farrell maybe injured as well.

ok mate

will consider it and get back to you.

Interested in; Healy, Catt, Attwood, Muller, Daly and biggs

forgot about that sorry, erm no deal pal sorry.

Hi mate

With regards to your prediction this week what problems did you see with my back 3 form wise. North has 5 tries already this season in the Rabo League , Ashley - Cooper has been great for Aus on the wing and Bendy has been winning plenty of plaudits at 15 for Bath.

I'm not having a dig but for the sake of improvement in my side i have to know why it would be marked down as a weakness.

i aint losing Waldrom or Monye at the moment..

Fourie is useful back up, i dont wanna lose Monye or Waldrom

anything for Olly Barkley?

no chance lol, i dont wanna lose Care, and to be honest it would take a better deal than that for me to lose farrell.

i'l do Burger for Hipkiss..

na i'd like to keep skiv and wentz

na its either Burger for Hipkiss or nothing sorry?

Cheers for the feedback fella...interested in Devoto

Whay for Barkley fella?

Q's my in form player sorry!! Would be happy to take K off your hands, maybe for cash!

Would do heatcote for Barkley

That's fair enough fella....I'll come after him later on in the season

No worries bud

Quick point though , In AP round 8 you put me down for a defeat whilst everyone else had me pegged for the win. Any reasons which jump out at you? I'm not having a dig , just need to know to improve my side.

Cheers fella.

Best thing to do is ignore preados but if it's a slow day can't help but have a read through lol.

Bath Rugby
Manager – Bathite

01. N.Catt	09. M.Classens (c)
02. L.Mears	10. O.Barkley (k)
03. K.P-Newport
04. J.Muller	11. K.Eastmond
05. D.Attwood	12. F.Steyn (lk)
06. S.O'Brien	13. C.Laulala
07. C.Fearns	14. T.Biggs
08. S.Kalamafoni	15. R.Cook

16. A.Perenise 17. R.Batty 18. J.Golding 19. R.Caldwell 20. M.Lund 21. C.Cook 22. E.Daly 23. M.Banahan

TACTICS TBC

General
- Coming off the back of a 24-19 victory against Harlequins away from home. We want to use this momentum at home, where we are unbeaten.

- We want to make sure that we play rugby in the opposition half and force handling errors, where we can attack the scrum. Use the physicality of our pack to our advantage, keeping the ball tight in the middle section of the pitch to retain possession and build a platform to attack from. In our third clear to touch and challenge for the ball at lineout.

- With slow ball, look to mix up first receiver between Steyn and Barkley and then look for back row runners on inside shoulder

- Steyn to ensure we play sensible rugby in the right areas, kicking long for touch in our 22, using the up and under in the centre of the pitch and delicate grubbers in behind centres to chase and force kickable penalties.

- Steyn leads the rush defence, with SOB flying up to cramp 10 for time and space and ensuring he takes the ball deep behind the gainline and starving their outside backs of ball. Classens sweeps up behind for counter attacks

- Big impact bench, with the likes of Perenise, Catt, Fearns, Caldwell providing ball carrying options up front. Bowe and Fearns will wreak havoc in the last 20 minutes, as the space opens up. Real advantage over the opposition in terms of bench options

Forwards
* Fearns and SOB released to play as out and out flankers, linking play. Kalamafoni provides the physicality off the back of the scrum in defence and attack
* Picked a very physical pack to make sure that we defend strongly and smash over the gainline.
* At the lineout, Muller will lead the calls as in real life and look to pressurise opposition hooker and compete at every throw.
* Use ball carriers of Catt, Attwood, O'Brien, Kalamafoni to make hard yards up the pitch and draw defenders into the ruck area, looking to create space around the fringes for Laulala to exploit

Backs
* Eastmond given free rein in attack, looking to come into the line either side of Laulala. Laulala to look for the half gap with power and offload (only if on), with the pace of Biggs and Cook on their shoulder to make the break
* Barkley to take the ball flat on the gainline, drawing defenders and buying time and space for Steyn. Steyn often used as dummy runner to keep it unpredictable
* Use the inside pass with forward runners of SOB, Attwood, Fearns to keep the inside shoulder honest and force the 10 to make tackles.
* Get Laulala on the ball early on and encourage a very pacy back three to run off his shoulder. Only offload if it is on, otherwise, crash it up and use SOB and Healy to clear out and Fearns to secure.
* Banahan to come on after 50/60 minutes to run straight and hard at a tired defence, particularly the 10 channel

Skirving 4 Abbott

I'll happily loan him mate but thought you would prefer someone back

Oh I thought this was a free loan. To used to the other game I fear. Will have to leave it thanks

Yer that'd be perfect

anything for Sean O'Brien?

so..

Mas for O'brien?

Just look for confusion in your back 3 because they haven't played much together, nothing controversial.

Not digging or nothing, back 3's generally get better the more they play together imo.

Yea you too, should be a good one

What for James Hook?

Could get AAC involved in a deal?

Healy/SOB/Mosses/Eastmond/Daly

Didnt know that cheers mate. Be interested to see how he gets on. He pops up everywhere in attack so won't be a problem. Keen to see how he gets on defensively though. Doubt it will be much of a test though!

Quite like the idea of him on the wing though nowadays. Could be Bath and Englands version of JOC if used right and if he keeps coming along

All would need huge, check my reply to Drivers enquiry for Carter.

Marler + Morgan EQ of a standard I don't think your EQ are

Beale best FB in the world and can play FH