Aviva R12

First topic message reminder :

Various games today with a fun one last night and another tomorrow;

Fri
Bath vs Wasps

Sat
Gloucester vs Sale
London Irish vs Newcastle
Saracens vs Worcester
*** WATCH THIS *** Harlequins vs Northampton - Big Game 10 LIVE CHANNEL 5 from 15.30 (+1 Freeview channel 44 I think)

Sun
Exeter vs Leicester

As described, fun game last night with Bath not contesting the breakdown and Wasps disappointingly loose and inaccurate, otherwise would have been 50 plus. Cipriani, Robson and Launchbury mom, offering plenty as did others for Wasps. Mercer showed well for for Bath. Ref Luke P had a good game.

Aside. I never fancied the Bath coach when he was at the Crusaders and he was very lucky to get the Bath gig.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x0muEM0770

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFjWcS74gjI

Tend to agree. Think Lam is their best signing. Andy Robinson was and is an absolute joke in almost every coaching role he’s been in.

Huge game for Wasps next Sunday versus Saracens. Regardless if BV returns or not, I expect Sarries to have too much considering the dozen or so Wasps injuries. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

Bathite wrote:Who else is out of contract at saints? Would be a dream to sign Lawes to replace Charteris

Lawes - Need to keep
Myler - Time is up, got Biggar coming
Paterson, Michael - Probably keep but not on too high a salary
Brookes, Kieran - Get rid
North, George - Leaving
Elliott, Jamie - Surely leaving, out of favour
Foden, Ben - Doubt we will re-sign

mid_gen wrote:Would love to have Lawes at quins....our pack in general has got a lot better but we're lacking some 'beast' in the second row. Horwill is a hard worker, Matthews is usually rubbish, Twomey unspectacular. Someone with a bit more pace and aggression in defence is missing for us (although Luamanu seems to have lost a lot of weight and is getting around the park much better, or is it just me?

Merrick is developing nicely..

Scottrf wrote:

Bathite wrote:Who else is out of contract at saints? Would be a dream to sign Lawes to replace Charteris

Lawes - Need to keep
Myler - Time is up, got Biggar coming
Paterson, Michael - Probably keep but not on too high a salary
Brookes, Kieran - Get rid
North, George - Leaving
Elliott, Jamie - Surely leaving, out of favour
Foden, Ben - Doubt we will re-sign

You think that Lawes will stay? Seems like an interim coaching setup will only cause more uncertainty? He could basically join whichever club he wanted at this stage, off the back of his form for the last 18 months. At 28, it is probably his penultimate contract and the point where he's at his most valuable. Personally, can't understand why he'd want to stay, but at the same time, can't see him elsewhere. Sarries don't need him and couldn't afford him and having 3 locks away with England at once. Doesn't feel like an Exeter signing. Glos look to be offloading some big earners in their pack, Hibbard and Afoa, but Thrush, Slater, Savage are great options. I'd love it if Bath signed him, with Charteris potentially on the way out, with Attwood having a chance of early retirement, but I have no idea if we'd be in for him. Depends on whether Tapaui re-signs or not, as we will need some big recruitment in the back three and centre.

Quins could use an additional decent lock - Horwell and Lawes with Merrick to come off bench.
You will probably find that Bristol will offer some silly salary on the expectation of them coming up and staying.
I am sure that Maurad Bouj will be interested and I hope that Courtney isn't tempted away as I am sure that Eddie will stick to his selection policy.

No idea if he will stay. Northampton lad but we are a shambles. Wasps seems possible, play with Launch.

Wasps and Quins both great shouts, I hadn't thought about them.

The word is Brookes is going to Wasps.

kingelderfield wrote:The word is Brookes is going to Wasps.

Yeah have heard that one. Wont miss him, lazy.

kingelderfield wrote:The word is Brookes is going to Wasps.

Yep that'll definitely sort their scrum out...

Was fantastic each time at Falcons. He just can't seem to cut it being at a bigger club.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Was fantastic each time at Falcons. He just can't seem to cut it being at a bigger club.

He started off fantastic at Saints before his injury. We don't have a great track record for developing props recently so he may do well elsewhere but he has so little game impact compared to what he should be capable of. And our scrum is shocking which is due to the unit but a TH has a big role to play.

And I'll hold onto that bigger club comment dearly.

I think he enjoyed being a big fish Scott, we loved him up here. Even at his fittest he was never more than a 50min prop though....

Lets hope Dean isn't thinking of bringing him back for a 3rd time! I wouldn't be happy with that and not sure he would be very welcome

I also hope this rumour about Dorian West isn't true. Supposedly, John Wells is leaving rugby in the summer and going in to teaching and West is his replacement.

Scottrf wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Was fantastic each time at Falcons. He just can't seem to cut it being at a bigger club.

He started off fantastic at Saints before his injury. We don't have a great track record for developing props recently so he may do well elsewhere but he has so little game impact compared to what he should be capable of. And our scrum is shocking which is due to the unit but a TH has a big role to play.

And I'll hold onto that bigger club comment dearly.

We had a similar problem at Tigers. He had no interest in undertaking rehab following his knee injury he spent his time playing video games and going to Nandos. He ended up well over weight and needed to be booted out the club to get a wakeup call.

I'm not convinced he has more commitment to his career now. Falcons did a great job with him but he looks out of shape and lazy to me.

I agree Brookes is lazy except at McDonald's. Not sure where this came from, but earlier this season at the Gardens, some fans were calling him '6 Cheeseburger'. Imagine how big he will be a year or so after his playing days are over.

Lawes will probably stay at Saints. He is a local lad who came up through the system. He can get the money from any club, and he doesn't need additional recognition to earn or maintain his place in the England side.

I think the rest of the club is going to be hard to predict until we know who will take Mallinder's former position on a permanent basis.

If anything, for a player of Lawes's age and standing, changing clubs would reduce rather than increase his chance of further caps. It normally takes at least a season for a player to get used to a new system and their performance and chance of call ups tends to dip while that's happening. That's especially true for players in setpiece positions.

That makes sense.  And, to your point, I can't see anyone in or close to the England squad taking any chances which could diminish his chance of being in the team for the RWC.  

And, by the way, the RWC is next year already.  Hard to believe.