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Waiting List
1. pullthestrings
2. Bathite

Id turn it off Matt, not a great display from Gloucester. Got a bit of a shoeing in the scrum

take me out. Television at its best!

For me you can't go croft and wood. Croft and robshaw yes.

Got to the bitter end. Unfortunately when Brown and lawson play our scrum ain't great. However play will James and we scrum well but have no lineout

Matt

Have you heard that James Hudson could be on his way to glaws if we go down

Driver not heard that but what a signing that
Would
Be. That would be such good news. Hudson is a great prem
Player

Good in the lineout but not great in the loose. Lacks physicality.

Big fan of Hudson, good all rounder. I was always a little surprised Irish offloaded him and kept Kennedy.

He's been pretty good in the loose this year by all accounts. The news doesn't get any better with with Goppereth set to sign a new deal in the next few days

Kennedy better in lineout, both average in the loose.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jan/07/newcastle-alan-tait-future-exeter






New Job! lol

Don't think any coach could
Have saved Newcastle this year. They have so few quality players

We've only got James Hudson and Taiasina Tuifua , got some quality youngsters but can't play them as we have to try and win every game.

There's no dog in the pack besides Hudson , Tuifua and Swinson. Once over the players give 120% because they wanted to play for the club getting players to be like that is the hardest job of any coach. If your players do that you can't ask anything more of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2KZ0Xtelkw

Steve Shingler - explain this.......

That's Tait's squad, he's been given cash to spend and he's spent it on the whole on mediocrity. We are neither attractive to watch or bloody hard to beat....we are just poor.

Tait has took us backwards at an alarming rate and should never have kept his job after last season.

He has took us backwards since day 1.

If Thompson hadn't peed Fletcher off , we would be laughing now as that upset the likes of Flood and Tait who both left because of it!

regarding shingler, all seems a bit of a shambles.

thing is, he is not even that good! has potential though.

At half time in Leicester game. Webbers throw is all over the place as is youngs pass.

Young Sam jones and Elliot daly have been excellent. Wasps been very competitive. Think having poff back really helps.

Mat - was at the game yesterday and wasn't very happy with how the ref was with quite a lot of the game. He started off ok, but let Tigers get away with murder at the breakdown, hands all over the ball and if Wasps did the same it was an instant penalty. Poff and du Plessis were getting pretty pi ssed off with how the breakdown was being officiated.

Couldn't believe Hawkins wasn't yellow carded for his shoulder on Jones - was a blatant yellow and have seen some red cards for that type of thing this season.

Also found it really odd with the lineouts, as Hawkins throws were far from straight, it was only because Croft is so quick at getting up that he gets away with it - was a lot of wind pitchside - but think Hawkins only got pinged once!

Youngs needs to up his game some more though, started off so brightly but faded until he set up 36's second try. Lee Dickson must be getting closer to EPS selection. Also think Twelvetrees has to leave Tigers this summer if he is going to fulfill his potential, he isnt a fly half at all and Cockerill clearly favours Allen as his first team 12.

Not sure where he'd go though - think he'd be good at Saints, maybe Bath as well, but they have so many centres.

I'd have been very surprised had Toby Flood stayed at Newcastle. May have worked out better for Tait in long term, who if he gets fit and in form with Leicester will really push for the England side.

Loved watching Mathew Tait at his best.

I have to say Chris I did notice that there were a few not straight Leicester throws that weren't called. Hawkins got a great chance of EPS in the future if he nails Leicester starting shirt and sorts out his throwing a little. Just the way he works with Croft at the lineout could work in his favour!

That bloke is a beast of a man - didn;t realise how fast he was. Was it Sam Jones he Samoan shoulder charged? Even the Leicester fan I sat next to was saying that's him off with a red card. He put in a few nasty hits during the game, think he was trying to prove a point and bully some of the young Wasps players - personally think Haywood at Saints is one of the best young prospects in the no2 shirt, but like Scott Spurling for Sarries - he's like an English Brits!

We struggle after 60mins in all our games as we just don;t have any subs that can keep up the level of performance e.g. I think we had two players we've borrowed from London Welsh on the bench as our squad is so ravaged with injuries and we now get to add Haughton and Varndell to that list! Sounds like Tom Rees is back next month, could really do with Launchberry and Filipo too.

Hawkins is really energetic but miles away from eps with his basics was the same when he was at bath.

I have seen him play flanker for bath before and he was certainly quick enough and did a good job.

That Hawkins shoulder charge was a penalty. It would have been a harsh yellow and a ridiculous red Chris. Watch it on the tv Chris its not bad at all

If you compare it to Payne's yellow then it was a red - just seen both on sky+, amazed Payne was given a yellow for that.

I think it was a yellow, as guy made no attempt to wrap his arms - pretty sure if you asked Pete or Nick about how many weeks one of their players would get banned for that then they'd have some interesting comments! Sure Armitage got a 2-4 week ban for exactly the same thing.

Sam Jones was very good, espec as he has normally played no6 for us at all age levels. What did you make of Elliot Daly? Thought he had a v good first half, but we just defended in second. Flutey has also changed his style so much now, playing at Wasps has meant he is now really just defending!

Hape was citied and banned for 4 weeks for an exactly the same shoulder charge, and if Armitage makes a challenge like that today people will be screaming blue murder for him to banned.

There are some serious double standards amongst the citing/disciplinary panels. Leicester get away with murder on a regular basis.

I thought Wasps put up a great fight and the real difference between them and Falcons this year really, we'd have got beat by 40+ in that one.

Like the look of Jones but seems more a 7 and Daley looks like a Jared Payne clone in style.

My point is that the hape one was never a ban and was a yellow at most. Rugby is a contact game and whilst no arms in the tackle is wrong it's never a red.

Armitage on the other hand is a bit of the boy who cried wolf done so many stupid things that people think the worse and gets more harshly treated. He is rugbys Joey barton

Go back through Delon's bans, and with the exception of pushing the doping officer, show me one which is for a challenge/incident that you don't see players get away with in every match.

The next ban he gets will be monster in length due to his history, which is wrong if you consider that his history constitutes bans for things that others get away with on a regular basis.

I have serious concerns over the England 9 spot after watching that game. Simpson apparently dropped and youngs all over the place taking the wrong option often kicking poorly and also some terrible passes. However he did some good stuff in setting up 36 second try which shows his quality.

On form and for balance we need Dickson in the squad and bench because if youngs replicates his club for we need some one steady to replace him off the bench.

Daly looked very good and has a lot of attributes that stand out.

Poff is some player in defence.

Simpson came on and was pretty solid yesterday, he's been working on his game with Bracken over the last month or so - his box kicking has improved a lot since then. His game management has got a lot better too, doesnt always choose to run it.

Trouble with Simpson is that he is playing behind a pack that doesn't always give him a platform - would like to see what he can do with a pack that goes forwards, like Saints or Tigers.

Daly was tipped a few years ago as one of the best young prospects coming through the academies in England - Wasps coaching set up described him as natually more talented and gifted than Cipriani. Expecting big things of him as midfield def looks better with him and Flutey instead of Waldouck.

Was also impressed by Sam jones carrying. For a youngster he certainly is powerful. Is he a 6 or 7 normally

He's played 6 a lot for us - but wasnt getting a look in there because of the form of Launcberry, who I am hoping is back soon.

He's a clever player and played a lot of games for the England u20s last year alongside Grey and Kvesvic. He's taken his chance well, think the injuries with had in backrow to Everard (good u20 from Tigers), Harries, Vunipola, Hart, Rees and Launchberry - together with injuries in second row to Filipo and a few others that have seen Birkett move back to no4 have really helped him.

The form 9 is Dickson. Has been excellent in recent weeks. Won't start ahead of Youngs even though he is struggling but injury to Youngs could give him the chance.

Youngs at 70/80% is still out best option at 9, hes a proven performer on the top stage and is a nailed on starter.

Dickson would be a great bench option and offers a steady game, only question marks are he's doesnt offer much when Saints aren't dominating upfront. Good solid player though

With Care out I imagine we'll go Youngs/Dickson + 1 other, prob Simpson.

Wouldn't say he is nailed on. I don't think he is that comfortable. He is in pole position with Care out but he isn't untouchable by any stretch.

January Sales at Tigers

Looking for a 9 available during the 6N, 3, 6 and 12.
Better players need top deals.

Clarke Dermody (LH) (NZL)
Dan Murphy (LH) (ENG)
Tom Youngs (HK) (ENG)
Marc Jones (HK) (WAL)
Faan Rautenbach (TH) (RSA)
Jason Hobson (TH) (ENG)
Pascal Papé (FRA)
Dan Vickerman (AUS)
Chris Jack (NZL)
Tom Denton (ENG)
John Barclay (OS) (SCO)
Rodney So'oialo (N8/BS) (NZL)
Jordan Crane (N8/BS/LK) (ENG)
Jonathan Poff (OS/BS/N8) (NZL)
Chris Cusiter (SCO)
Scott Mathie (RSA)
Brock James (AUS)
Dave Walder (ENG)
Rob Miller (ENG)
Tim Molenaar (OC) (NZL)
Alesana Tuilagi (WG) (SAM)
Napolioni Nalaga (WG) (FIJ)
Rupeni Caucaunibuca (WG) (FIJ)
Mark van Gisbergen (FB/FH) (ENG)


Much more likely to respond to offers, as opposed to "what for ????"....

I think there's a few that are nailed on, we need some Int experience and there's only really Dickson pushing Youngs and he'd be new to the environment in a key position.

Nailed on starters:

Hartley, Youngs, Ashton, Foden

I'd have thrown Flood/Manu in there also but injuries etc

Cole and Croft are also nailed on starters for me. In fact only Foden is more nailed on that Cole.

Cole most nailed on starter. I would start youngs but he needs a rocket been poor for a long time. In fact has not come back from injury the same player.

Croft is hitting good form at the moment

Youngs hasn't been poor, he's been doing some magic things but has been untidy.

His kicking and passing have been really average but it's his decision making that has been poor. He is an instinctive player and when on form he picks the right option. There were quite a few times yesterday and every other game I have seen where he has gone the wrong way or kicked when the ball should have been passed.

Whereas flood has been in top form for me youngs has been really really off his game. Yesterday a prime example.

It was a good example really, he done some really top draw things with little breaks and pops (Cole one was magic), he always looks to be ready to go but I don't think Leicester had the backline to play off this and he got a bit isolated at times.

Kicks were very up and down, I'd give him a 7/10 but he needs to play better (which he generally does) when he pulls on the white. I thought his decision making was pretty good myself and took a lot of heat off 36 who played more like a 10/12 than a 10.

He'll def start v Jocks as he scares the oposition and keeps the backrow tied in. Really unsure of other combo's.

He has to start but with a question mark
Over his head.
I agree with the commentators yesterday about it him having a poor game. 5/10 ie average.

If care was not banned I would pick care on form. Just has not been right since his injury. One good cameo
Off the bench in the world cup and not much since.

He is one of the
Better England players we need him back firing. He is essentially a senior England player now as we are so
Light on experience

I didn't hear the commentators say that, we def need some experience through the side though as it's a big step up to Internationals

Cole's carrying yesterday was excellent. Commentators also said how a big performance from Corbs today could put him ahead in the race for the loosehead shirt as Wood was poor yesterday.

Corbs really needs a big game, but again he's got that Int experience and is probably front runner

Corbs not starting though I've just realised.