2016/17 Pre-season thread

[brokenoses]

Playing at 13 or 15 will bring Nowell into the game more than being on the wing even with licence to roam so I think that needs to happen. It may depend on what the England set up have in mind for him though, if they see him as a winger only then Exe may have to work around that with the new RFU agreement, but as BPM says, they may see him as a future FB and Mike Browns replacement, hopefully sooner rather than later.

I am very keen to see what Lachie Turner can do after his cameo at the deep end last season. He played the full 80 at FB yesterday (Chiefs 45 - 3 Scarlets) so RB obviously has that position in mind for him, which could suggest Nowell sticking around on the wing or 13.

 

[BPM]

Well as Nowell will be missing until October/November. Turner and Short have the chance to show what they can do.

Nowell will surely come back in to the side when fit, but in who's place will probably depend on a combination of who's in better form/where England see Nowell longer term.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Well as Nowell will be missing until October/November. Turner and Short have the chance to show what they can do.

Nowell will surely come back in to the side when fit, but in who's place will probably depend on a combination of who's in better form/where England see Nowell longer term.

Dollman's ahead of Turner for the 15 shirt. I can't see him replacing Dollman right at the start of the season, it would take some less than stellar performances for him to be dropped. I'm also doubtful that Turner will make the bench, so he may not get much of a chance to show what he can do.

 

[BPM]

I would have thought Turner would have been an ideal bench option?

In fairness to Exeter, one of their strengths is the fact that they have lots of players who are very good, but probably just short of demanding test selection - Dollman, Whitten, Waldrom, Armand, Short, Woodburn and even Ewers (currently). Throw in some extra quality from overseas like Salvi and Dennis and you have an extremely competitive squad that is likely to stay playing together all season.

Quins are almost the polar opposite. Take our internationals away and we're pretty poor ... Not to mention the fact that our signings have all been average filler rather than genuine quality.

Any questions we had about the quality of our second string were well and truly answered last weekend - they are exactly as average as we feared.

 

[Geordie]

Glad to see everything sorted with Zac Kibirige and he can now get back to focusing on the rugby. We did wonder why he missed a lot of rugby last season.

Anyway...our new Canadian lock Evan Olmstead looks a monster...and very athletic as well. He seems to have a bit of a nasty streak in him.
Chisanga is also going to be a fan favourite...very much in the style of Latu. Physical, aggressive.

Will Witty our young lock has also started the preseasons very well. Looks physical and strong.

No doubt we'll just get them ready for Leicester or Saints to come raiding again...pah.

Fonua is an interesting signing for us.

 

[Geordie]

Nope it was simply that he bench pressed the most in the squad. Don Armand was 2nd, he managed 160kg and weighs 112kg. After that I'm not sure of order of how strong players were or what they lifted, but my brother commented that Whitten and Ewers were also very strong, so I'd imagine that they were 3rd and 4th.

Apparently Harry Williams (prop) benched 175kg.

But 160kg for Short and Jess also benched that weight is pretty impressive!

 

[RedruthRFC]

Nope it was simply that he bench pressed the most in the squad. Don Armand was 2nd, he managed 160kg and weighs 112kg. After that I'm not sure of order of how strong players were or what they lifted, but my brother commented that Whitten and Ewers were also very strong, so I'd imagine that they were 3rd and 4th.

This doesn't make him the strongest player in the side, it makes him the best bench presser in the side.

 

[brokenoses]

Dollman's ahead of Turner for the 15 shirt. I can't see him replacing Dollman right at the start of the season, it would take some less than stellar performances for him to be dropped. I'm also doubtful that Turner will make the bench, so he may not get much of a chance to show what he can do.

Do you think RB would see Devoto as 10 cover? Having 10. Steeno, 13. Slade and 22. Devoto (or other variations) seems like one too many players with similar skill sets, even though Devoto isn't a 10. But then, I can't see any of the 3 missing many games.

 

[Which Tyler]

Devo's fine to have as 3rd / 4th choice FH, but its really not what he does, its just added flexibility. Put him at 12, and hell be getting caps sooner rather than later, put him at 13 and you'll keep him for much longer, and he'll be a good premiership player, put him at 10 or kept on the bench and you'll be wasting his talent.
Of course, if you play him at 15 for anything other than an injury crisis then Baxter can kiss goodbye to any England role.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Named a squad of pretty much all of our first teamers for the Edinburgh game tomorrow. Biggest news is Beaumont back from injury

Byron McGuigan, Paulo Odogwu, Charlie Ingall, Will Addison, Jonny Leota, Sam Bedlow, Sam James, Nick Scott, Nev Edwards, AJ MacGinty, Dan Mugford, Peter Stringer, James Mitchell, Mike Phillips, Ross Harrison, Eifion Lewis Roberts, James Flynn, Neil Briggs, Rob Webber, Curtis Langdon, Halani Aulika, Kieran Longbottom, Brian Mujati, Jonathan Mills, George Nott, Lou Reed, Andrei Ostrikov, Cameron Neild, David Seymour, TJ Ioane, Magnus Lund, Josh Beaumont (Captain), Lawrence Pearce

 

[BPM]

Named a squad of pretty much all of our first teamers for the Edinburgh game tomorrow. Biggest news is Beaumont back from injury

Byron McGuigan, Paulo Odogwu, Charlie Ingall, Will Addison, Jonny Leota, Sam Bedlow, Sam James, Nick Scott, Nev Edwards, AJ MacGinty, Dan Mugford, Peter Stringer, James Mitchell, Mike Phillips, Ross Harrison, Eifion Lewis Roberts, James Flynn, Neil Briggs, Rob Webber, Curtis Langdon, Halani Aulika, Kieran Longbottom, Brian Mujati, Jonathan Mills, George Nott, Lou Reed, Andrei Ostrikov, Cameron Neild, David Seymour, TJ Ioane, Magnus Lund, Josh Beaumont (Captain), Lawrence Pearce

This is a big season for Sale. Taylor and Cipriani will be missed, but Diamond has made some clever signings and has done really well to get the most promising players to commit.

Where is Cameron Neild going to play? With Webber coming in, I would have thought he'd be the first-choice hooker and I thought Neild looked really good as a flanker last season.

Flanker makes more sense at club level as Seymour's not getting any younger and if he has international ambitions in the longer term, I reckon there's about 7 very good hookers in front of him (Hartley, George, Cowan-Dickie, Youngs, Taylor, Walker, McGuigan and maybe Thacker) competing for one shirt. Either way - very good young player to have - just curious to get a Sale fans perspective.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I think I read he's going to spend another season at 6.
Long term he sees himself as a hooker, but as you said he looked very good in the backrow last year.
Dan Braid is also very keen to keep him on the flank (he's on the coaching staff now).

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Leicester team up and the game will be streamed tonight @ 19:15 Evans starts @ 7 again, Manu starts @ 13.

Team is:
15) Worth, 14) Betham, 13) Manu, 12) Smith, 11) Thompstone, 10) Burns, 9) Kitto
1) Ayerza, 2) Youngs, 3) Bateman, 4) Slater, 5) Kitchener, 6) O'Connor, 7) Evans. 8) McCaffrey

Bench inculdes
Forwards: Thacker, McGuigan, Genge, Balmain, Betts, Lewis, Tuilagi,
Backs: Harrison, White, Bryant, Roberts

Will be streamed
https://www.facebook.com/BenettonRugbyTreviso
and here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHDVY4l2RzA

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Damn this Treviso stream is pretty damn good.

Quite jealous.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Sale started with this XV, in the end:
Harrison, Briggs, Longbottom,
Mills, Ostrikov,
Neild, Seymour, Beaumont,
Stringer, MacGinty
Scott, James, Addison, Odogwu
McGuigan

I think that could be our starting 1-10 going in to the start of the season (maybe Webber starting, maybe Mooj)
Interesting to see Will in the centres again, when Arscott is back and Charnley arrived well be pretty well stocked on the wing and a James/Addison centre partnership has the potential to be vveerryy good

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

That Leicester kit doesn't look half bad in action.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Won 33-28 in the end, so happy with that

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

please tell me Odogwu didn't score a try.

 

[Gavin]

Who is the Tuilagi playing for Leicester? Another one off the conveyor belt?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Who is the Tuilagi playing for Leicester? Another one off the conveyor belt?

That is Fred jnr (Freddie Tuilagi's youngest) plays number 8 but started off as a hooker.