Dom Day signs for Bath

Been rumoured for a while. But it's now offical :


http://www.bathrugby.com/news/team-news/day-signs-with-bath-rugby

Hopefully he is the only high profile player leaving the region this summer.

And he's not exactly high profile for us either. What's annoying is that after a fair few average seasons with us, this year, he's actually found some form. Looks like Bath might be getting his best years too.

Makes it even more important now that we hold on to Reed (even if I don't rate him that much).

We really, really need to recruit in the 2nd row, we've been saying it for seasons but it seems more important now than ever!

out of the 18 players out of contract this summer, would say he was one of the higher profile ones of them. but granted not in the same league as foxy, north, stevo etc...think his form this season coincides with him needing to play for a contract this summer. but you're right his best years are infront of him. shame as he was pretty close to getting into the welsh squad this season. we have signed Lewis Rawlins from Cross Keys but I think he will be a work in progress and will feature more for Llanelli RFC than us.

have we actually signed him, or was he just a rumour?

we need 2nd row regardless. We've got Welch and Timani (arguably our best paring) and then of course Reed who hasn't played much this season and is also rumoured to be leaving.

I don't like playing Shingler and McCusker in the 2nd row either. We really need an out and out specialist!

the dom day rumour been doing the rounds for a while, would have liked to have kept him but cant blame him going if he'd been offered reduced terms by the scarlets. This one's for u dreamer, rumour i heard on saturday is that the scarlets are in talks with ex all blacks second row jason eaton, would be a good choice if he can remain injury free.

looks like rawlins is coming:

http://www.campaignseries.co.uk/sport/9539429.Rawlins_set_for_Scarlets_move/

true 3 locks isn't enough to see us through next season. haven't heard the jason eaton rumour, although think he would be a huge hit down at the scarlets. is he still sporting that huge beard? the other rumour doing the rounds is ian evans, but think that's more wishful thinking.

Damn that's a shame as like you say he was finding some form and if he'd continued to improve would have given us some options in the 2nd row (which would have been mad) instead we'll prob be stuck with a work in progress from one of the prem sides or shifting Shingler, Turnbull or McCusker there -which I'm not a fan of.

Jason Eaton? Really? as an ex all-black though, won't he be asking for pretty high wages? I didn't think we had any arian to spare, although we badly need to recruit well in the 2nd row.

I have just googled him for more info - he appears to have the ability to grow some amazing facial hair. Now I know that shouldn't be a factor, but tis mightly impressive.....

Hope we get someone good in anyways. It's the one position we've been lacking in now for seasons.

pioden - id heard the ian evans rumour to. dom day and lou reed out, ian evans and jason eaton in? sortred! . seriously though, it would b one or the other and i cant see ian evans leaving the O's. as for jason eaton, hid beard alone would add about 10 stone to our pack!

Evans has another season under contract anyways and I can't see us buying him out!

Where did you hear this Eaton rumour then? I don't want to have gotten my hopes up for nothing so it best have been a good one!

if eaton did sign i hope he is better than the last ex all black second row we signed Simon Maling. what a waste of money he was!

I don't remember who that is pioden

but then, maybe that's a good thing!

well dreamer, i got the info off my mate who may or may not be closely related to a current scarlets player . he said they were in talks, so its not a done deal but it is positive news. he also said that jd2 has had a big offer from northanpton saints. but with some big earners leaving i hope we'll be able to up our contract offer for him.

pioden- as for eaton being better than mailing? yes, mailing was shiiite!

hmmm well fingers crossed then Buzz!

Also, I would hope that money isn't all that's important to foxy. He's still so young, he can go chasing the big money contracts in his late 20's I hope. We really need him to stay, and with the likes of Lamont going, that should free up some cash for him (pretty please)

Thanks Scarlets, I promise Bath'll look after him, they might even "put some bits" on him and return him in 3 years time, who knows?

Has anyone got a general synopsis of him?

Is he a lineout specialist, good with ball in or out of hands, quick, a carrier, enforcer, any of the above?

I'd appreciate any insights.

dreamer:

we signed simon maling in 2008 from japan. He was was an ex all balck with 11 caps. but didn't seem to have much appetite for rugby at that point in his career, and spent most of his time on the physio table.

pjholybloke:

Day is a modern athletic lock. does well in lineouts,tackles well (occasional big hit too), carriers well, has a good engine on him.....but his problem is he blows hot and cold too often. also sometimes lacks aggression/grunt that you want from your second row. but he's played well this season, and was unlucky not to make the welsh squad ahead of his team mate lou reed in my opinion. would say he would be a good signing for bath.

Thanks Pioden,

Sounds like Day is in a similar place to where Caldwell was before joining Bath, plenty of potential but not quite living up to it consistently enough?

To be fair to him though, if he was "unlucky" not to get a call up to the current Wales squad, he must be doing plenty right, it's not as if Wales are scraping the barrell is it?

If the Bath coaching team can bring him on as well as they have done Caldwell this season, I would expect him to be knocking on Gatland's door for the 6N next year.

What have Scarlets got in the way of front rowers.......? Just asking like.

BuzzScarlet wrote:the dom day rumour been doing the rounds for a while, would have liked to have kept him but cant blame him going if he'd been offered reduced terms by the scarlets. This one's for u dreamer, rumour i heard on saturday is that the scarlets are in talks with ex all blacks second row jason eaton, would be a good choice if he can remain injury free.

Another Simon Marling (was it Simon, I can't remember as he played what once)?

Apparently not only was Dom offered a reduced contract, he was also only offered a one year deal when he wanted more

Well if that's the case then you can't really blame him for going, although really I think it's his own fault we only offered him a year. It shouldn't take him until the last year of his current contract to start putting in good performances.

PJ - Dom is a good guy and has all the attributes of being a very very good 2nd row player, he just doesn't quite replicate his good performances enough. A lot of raw talent to work with though, so hope you guys can get more out of him then we did.

PJ:

In the frontrow dept we don't have many props ourselves, but plenty of hookers. Two international hookers in smiler & ken. We've also got the current 20's captain in myhill and a very good hooker in Emyr Phillips. That's one position we are particulary healthy in at the moment

Spiderman:

Heard the same thing that Day was offered reduced terms, although apparently they did wait until last Tuesday to see if they could find extra money to improve his contract. But unfortunately it was never going to be close to what Bath offered him, shame really cause apparently he wanted to stay with us.

We have a fair few props. Iestyn Thomas, Phil John and Rhodri Jones on the loose head side and then Gardener, Edwards, Manu and Thomas on the tighthead side. Then there are a few kicking around the age grades too I believe. I appreciate that we will most likely lose two or three of the props in the summer but we have started to build some depth.

Yeah I heard Dom wanted to stay, but I guess with it being a job he needed security.

Thanks for all the info guys (and Dreamer ), I've got a pretty good feeling about "Double D" (as he will almost certainly be known as henceforth), and can assure you he will be very warmly welcomed at the club. Bath is a wonderful club and has a very traditional core, I just hope he enjoys his stay with us as much as we will enjoy having him. To be fair though, it's not a massive trip back home for him is it?

I hope the new salary cap doesn't affect the regions too badly as I'm loving Welsh rugby right now, it reminds me very much of my younger years when everything that was proper rugby was made in Wales, infact my own particular rugby god is a Welsman who epitomised everything about the game I love so much.

Here's to the future of Welsh rugby , good luck for Saturday and I hope it's a cracking game.

Derwyn Jones mentioned on commentary during yesterday's game, that one of Dom Day's motives to move to Bath was to gain International recognition with England. Apparently Day has an English mother, so is going to take his chances with England. Who know's Ben Morgan might not be the last Scarlet to to put on an English shirt.

Diolch PJ a phob lwc i chithau hefyd - Thanks PJ and good luck too- like you said it should be a cracker!

PJ - ah sure, Bath and Scarlets are such similar clubs and we've got such a great rivalry between our two teams, am sure Dom will fit right in

What I want to know now is, who's going to replace Dom as one of our main poster boys?!

Pioden - that motive doesn't surprise me actually. Must have been tough for Dom to take when Reed was called up to the Wales squad over him, when he's been playing so much better than him this season.

Find it weird that he would move to England from Wales for international recognition? Would have thought second row was one area that Wales were a bit weak and lacking depth, whilst its one are that England actually have some talent coming through, Garvey, Attwood, Slater, Launchbury etc

bathite:

Dom Day feels like he has been snubbed by Wales. His second row partner at the Scarlets Lou Reed was picked ahead of him for the Welsh squad this year. Although most observers belive that Day has been playing the better rugby - like dreamer mentions above. It was his agent Derwyn Jones that mentioned the possibility of playing for England - maybe he did it to put pressure on the Welsh selector to pick his client for the summer tour, or just to put it out there that his client was eligble for England. Just doing his job as an agent I guess. But you're right Bathite he would have more competition getting into an English shirt than a Welsh one in that dept.

Fair enough, thanks for the explanation mate. This Derwyn Jones chap gets a lot of mentions on here, doesn't seem too popular!

To put it as politely as possible Bathite, he's an idiot

looks like lou reed is leaving too:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2012/02/29/blues-set-to-sign-lou-reed-91466-30426908/

hope nige has a plan up his sleeve on what we are going to do for locks next season! does that only leave us with welch & timani as recognised locks for next season? know turnbull and shingler have covered there before, but wouldn't include them in our pool of locks.

Hmmm it's still not definite pioden, but there have been strong rumours about this going around for months.

Reed hasn't really featured much for us this season, and is only 3rd choice 2nd row really.

We're going to be really lacking for back up 2nd rows though if Welch and Timani get injured (plus we'll need to rest them!)

2nd row signing needed asap.

Dreamer:

I know we shouldn't take anything Andy Howells seriously, but this story has seemed to be pulished in a few places. Maybe Nigel has deemed Dom Day & Lou Reed not good enough, and has someone else in mind. Just worrying that the front 5 was one area I'd like to have seen strengthened this summer, and already we've possibly lost Rhys Thomas, Dom Day and Lou Reed.

good TH and locks aren't cheap either

no, but with Lamont going and Gloucester possibly buying Ben Mogs out of his contract, that should give us enough money for one of either a TH or 2nd row. Fingers crossed we get one of them anyways, we really need them!

I hope Nige isn't going to rely on that Carmarthen Quins Pacific Islander as back up to Timani and Welch. I'm still hoping this Reed story isn't true, but that seems a bit of a forlorn hope now.

Still as long as we don't loose anymore then next season it won't be too bad a side -
1. I Thomas/R Jones
2. Rees/Owens/Phillips
3. Manu/Gardiner/Peter (jones?)
4. Timani/?
5.Welch/?
6. McCusker/Shingler
7. Turnbull/Edwards/Gilbert
8. Morgan?/Murphy
9.Knoyle/G Davies
10. Priestland/Jones/J Williams/A Thomas
11. Stodds/Ionghi/Fenby
12. J Davies/Warren/Reynolds
13 S Williams/Maule
14 North/Lee Williams
15 L Williams/Newton/D Evans

It's not too bad except at lock

priest:

who is the other islander at the quins? We have those twins who are locks, but I think they are only 17/18 ish so not ready for regional rugby yet. think one of them has had some game time with the quins. but the second rows look bare!

the TH is Peter Edwards, good scrumiging prop, but not really the fitness to last a whole 80mins of rugby. hopefully Manu will stay for another season, until a suitable replacement is found ( if Rhodri is more a LH, rather than TH) There is also Gardiner, but heard he is not in the reckoning (Spiderman might know more on the Gardiner situation)

But don't worry priest, sure Gypo and his scouts are busy looking for TH & locks as we speak

Preist - I thought that Timani was the Islander at the Quins, unless they have another one now. Also you've missed Phill John off your list of players, he can do a decent enough job on both sides of the scrum.

Whilst our lock options may be a bit grim, we do have Turnbull, McCukser and Shingler who have all played in the second row for us in the past. So i guess if you back row options are starting to look better (especially when you see some of the youngsters like Dan Thomas) maybe we could afford to move one of those boys to lock?

Pioden Gorllewin - to be honest I ain't heard much about Gardiner recently, which is probably a good thing as the grapevine only ever gets in full swing for bad news/slagging folk. Hopefully he can sort out his issues with Nige, as he does seem to have potential

Ahh of course how could I forget about P John! And how could I forget that fine figure of a man is Peter Edwards instead of Jones.
I thought I'd heard rumours that there was a big Pacific Islander at the Quins who we were in the process of signing - it's very likely I'm wrong and my memory is playing me up again - but if I am wrong then we are very, very bare in the lock department (please stay Reed!).

Gardiner looked really good when he started playing for us last season, and he's been on the bench recently hasn't he? But yes I do hope whatever issue there is gets sorted out.

I still can't understand why Day has signed for Bath to play for a team near the bottom of the league and not likely to play in the HC, it has to be money unless he does not get on with Niigel?

alun:

dom day was offered reduced terms i believe, however in the recent crys 16 fans meeting nigel implied that they didn't even offer him a contract. maybe they have someone else in mind. in the same meeting Mark Davies, Chief Executive told the fans that they will strengthen in the summer. but it's a waiting game, and to see who is left after the french clubs have brought their players & what terms the out of contract players that are left what for joining us. there is a lot more info on the scarlets fever forum where a lot of the posters attended the meeting.