Another Gloucester Lad goes Welsh

Runciman (Cheltenham lad, Gloucester Academy, Gloucester 2 seasons) joins London Oxford Welsh.
Still, at least we retrieved prodigal son Morgan, back home again this season, after his odyssey in a foreign land.

As a local lad I wish him well, but he is not a top class SH. I see him as a poor man's Haydn Thomas. A firey SH, but doesn't have a great pass or capable of making darting runs.

HK, yes I agree with you, not our worst loss. Being tongue in cheek here. I notice there is a lot of interchange over the county border with our Welsh cousins, who I think are secretly fond of occasionally nicking Gloucestershire's boys. Cuthbert was a Glos county boy we let slip.

Gregor - I think you boys are just as bad. Mefin Davies, Gareth Delve (Ok from Bath) and Martyn Thomas (Nigel Davies and Paul Moriaty) spring to mind. I guess you do it the right way though we poach them when they are unknowns and not proven, you get them when they are battle hardened and proven up to the job.

Scarlet, I think the proximity of the county to Wales is a factor. Yes it cuts both way, One of our best FHs in recent years Nicky Robinson (Glos LV cup final win / MoM) and as you say Delve.

Matthew Watkins to add to the list

Wasn't this lad Runciman meant to have been at LW in the past though?

Yes, I read that Runciman had previous with L/Welsh.

Gareth Cooper.

Glos went all Scots for a while, and in addition from Wales, Cooper, N Robinson and Delve during this period. So hands up, guilty your honour. With our new coach ex Llanelli.. just watch this space, there may be some more to come. Leaky border agency.

Will James.

oh yes, of course

HongKongCherry wrote:As a local lad I wish him well, but he is not a top class SH. I see him as a poor man's Haydn Thomas. A firey SH, but doesn't have a great pass or capable of making darting runs.

Still better than Dave Lewis.

Seriously though, just because a player plays for London Welsh it does not meen he becomes Welsh. London Welsh is an English club, end of. The only reason it has it's name is because a bunch of Welsh people who lived in London put a team together to support. If anybody else from that area wants to go and support them then thats up to them, but I suppose there are a few thousand Welsh people, or people with Welsh heritage who will want to support them, so that should be enough to get some people backs up I suppose.

EnglishReign wrote:

HongKongCherry wrote:As a local lad I wish him well, but he is not a top class SH. I see him as a poor man's Haydn Thomas. A firey SH, but doesn't have a great pass or capable of making darting runs.

Still better than Dave Lewis.

A few years ago when he burst on to the scene and got ahead of Lawson and Cooper I thought we'd found a real gem. But he seems to be going backwards at the moment and Cowan can't arrive soon enough! In the meantime I really hope ND starts with Robson to get more game time. At present I feel Lewis is really going to struggle to get another contract offer, unless he's content to sit as 3rd choice.

LordDowlais wrote:Seriously though, just because a player plays for London Welsh it does not meen he becomes Welsh. London Welsh is an English club, end of. The only reason it has it's name is because a bunch of Welsh people who lived in London put a team together to support. If anybody else from that area wants to go and support them then thats up to them, but I suppose there are a few thousand Welsh people, or people with Welsh heritage who will want to support them, so that should be enough to get some people backs up I suppose.

Well as long as they are prepared to drive 60 miles up the road to Oxford to do it...

The teams to watch next season will be Oxford Welsh and Gloucester Welsh.

gregortree wrote:The teams to watch next season will be Oxford Welsh and Gloucester Welsh.

And the other two London Welshes (Wasps and Irish). We're spreading like a virus.

HongKongCherry wrote:

EnglishReign wrote:

HongKongCherry wrote:As a local lad I wish him well, but he is not a top class SH. I see him as a poor man's Haydn Thomas. A firey SH, but doesn't have a great pass or capable of making darting runs.

Still better than Dave Lewis.

A few years ago when he burst on to the scene and got ahead of Lawson and Cooper I thought we'd found a real gem. But he seems to be going backwards at the moment and Cowan can't arrive soon enough! In the meantime I really hope ND starts with Robson to get more game time. At present I feel Lewis is really going to struggle to get another contract offer, unless he's content to sit as 3rd choice.

He really didn't step up towards the end of last season with Lawson out. I've never seen our backs have to kick so much due to lack of quick ball, whereas Runciman at least looked like he wanted to win. Agree re Robson, he's got some improvements to make but still a very good prospect, I think.