Aviva Premiership 16/17 - Round 5

[SelimNiai]

Things fell away from the start of that second half. To get nilled is disapointing aswell, we had some chances but messed up instead of taking them, becoming a theme. So, thats the first 5 gone, 1 point, could and perhaps shoudld have been 4, now the games we need to get more from are coming, no more excuses.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Exeter getting more out of the Bath players than we did. Woodburn in particular looks like a new player.

 

[Which Tyler]

I'm not so sure TBH.
Woodburn was always pretty good for Bath, and anywhere giving him enough game-time would improve that. He left us as 3rd/4th choice wing. If he were with us now, he'd be what? 3rd/4th choice wing?
At Ex, of course, he's 2nd/3rd choice wing. He looks more confident than he did at Bath, but that's what happens with game-time (and decent man-management); I don't think he looks a new player though.

Devoto will improve with game-time, currently he's a bit of a Twelvetrees - all the skills (if not quite so sublime as Billy can be), a boshing option; but no consistency (yet still more so than Billy at the same stage). That consistency is never there for young players when they're not able to settle. Letting Ollie play a full season, and only at centre, and he'll be genuinely challenging for England.

Ollie's principal challenger for the England 12 slot for 2023 are going to be Slade and Mallinder (and Fazlet if he makes a full-time switch). The trouble is that one of those challengers is at the same club, wanting the same role in the team. To me, Slades always looked a better option at 12 than at 10, even though he's barely ever played there, and is obviously earmarked as a FH going forwards; but if Baxter changes his mind on that, it'll be a real problem for Ollie. Not insurmountable, but problematic.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I disagree.

He looked ready to step up to regular first team action in his last year with Bath but wasn't really selected.

Whether he should have been, either in a rotation or as a straight preference over someone else is another matter.

 

[BPM]

In fairness, I think a lot of clubs are quick to dismiss players who haven't really nailed a place in the starting XV by the age of 22/23. Woodburn being a topical example.

I think player development has come on a lot in recent years and starting XVs are getting increasingly younger, but at the same time, it doesn't really allow for players maturing at a slightly different rate or the higher level of competition that exists in bigger squads.

You will always get the freaks like Itoje breaking through early at 19/20, but in the main, I think 22-24 is the critical age range and maybe Bath were a bit too quick to let Woodburn go. Especially when someone like Aled Brew's definitely not an improvement.

Quins are historically good at brining our academy players through, but someone like Marchant is probably the exception (Clifford would have been too but for his injury). Others like Sinckler, Twomey and Merrick have only really become regular starters at 22/23. I think other clubs make decisions on players much sooner than that which isn't always the way to go.

Sarries will be an interesting case - they've really upped the productivity of their academy in the past few years and have done a great job with Farrell and Itoje. On the other hand, they've almost created a problem for themselves as they've now got a whole raft of current/ex-U20 internationals who it looks like they'll struggle to accommodate in the first team squad in the next 2-3 years. I can see Nathan Earle, Max Malins, Henry Taylor and maybe Billy Walker making it through, but with the expectation level on Sarries winning week-in, week-out, I think a good chunk of the others will either go the way of Ben Ransom or won't make it at all. It's then a case of when the decision is made on a player having first team potential or not. It's perfectly possible that someone like George Perkins doesn't make it at Sarries and then finds himself starring elsewhere.

 

[Which Tyler]

I disagree.

He looked ready to step up to regular first team action in his last year with Bath but wasn't really selected.

Whether he should have been, either in a rotation or as a straight preference over someone else is another matter.

I'd agree with that, ready to step up; but behind Banahan and Agulla, fighting Roko for the bench spot. Looking less experienced comfortable at this level, but not "a new player"

In fairness, I think a lot of clubs are quick to dismiss players who haven't really nailed a place in the starting XV by the age of 22/23. Woodburn being a topical example.

I think player development has come on a lot in recent years and starting XVs are getting increasingly younger, but at the same time, it doesn't really allow for players maturing at a slightly different rate or the higher level of competition that exists in bigger squads.

You will always get the freaks like Itoje breaking through early at 19/20, but in the main, I think 22-24 is the critical age range and maybe Bath were a bit too quick to let Woodburn go. Especially when someone like Aled Brew's definitely not an improvement.

I think you'll find that Bath didn't "let him go" - we offered a new contract, Ex offered a broadly similar contract, but with greater likeihood of game time. Aled Brew was brought in more than a year later, as a punt on someone playing a lower level than their talent; not as Woodburn's replacement.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Wouldn't be a Tigers game without late changes
Worth for Burns on the bench.

- - - Updated - - -

Sale V tigers end to end stuff ATM 7-7 10 mins in.

- - - Updated - - -

TIGERS ARE DOING BACKS MOVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7 - 14

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Betham's running is sick,
Our tackling is optional


Interesting to see Addison as first choice kicker,
AJ's hamstring must not be 100%

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Betham's running is sick,
Our tackling is optional

Odogwu looks really nervous in attack v Thombstone, Don't know if that is because V Tigers or what.

first time Tigers backs are doing actual moves in a long time.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Crazy that kitchener has 100+ appearances for Tigers, I still think of him as being recently pinched from Wuss

Big hit from Addison on Brady

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Nice move by Sale.

Exciting game so far, who says Super rugby has all the attacking skills.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That lineout was...not very straight!
Great to see Nutini get his first try though!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Did Cole just make a run and then offload from the floor??????

sale getting the rub of the green ATM.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Seymour turnover on Brady eventually leading to a try ❤❤❤

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Seymour turnover on Brady eventually leading to a try ❤❤❤

Illegal turnover.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Illegal turnover.

.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I demand 50 mins of scrums now.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

We can't do scrums
Perils of having 2 RL coaches, and shopping only at RL sides.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Genge is a right prick, isn't he?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Genge doing a job on Longbottom.

Genge is a right prick, isn't he?

anyone who chews chuddie during the game is a sound lad.