Transfers 2012/13

[TRF_Cymro]

According to the Wales on Sunday:

Lou Reed (Scarlets), Benoit Bourrust (Perpignan ) and Andy Kyriacou (Ulster) have all but signed for the Blues.

 

[Feicarsinn]

What an incredibly average bunch of signings.

 

[psychic duck]

According to the Wales on Sunday:

Lou Reed (Scarlets), Benoit Bourrust (Perpignan ) and Andy Kyriacou (Ulster) have all but signed for the Blues.

of the Blues signings (Ma'afu, Copeland, Reed, Bourrust, Kyriacou and Tovey)

how many do you think will be starters next season Cymro?

 

[Draggs]

of the Blues signings (Ma'afu, Copeland, Reed, Bourrust, Kyriacou and Tovey)

how many do you think will be starters next season Cymro?

Bourrust might. Reed won't (Not ahead of Davies, Downes, Cook, IMO). Kyriacou, don't know, I rate Rhys Williams higher). Tovey will.

 

[munstermuffin]

What an incredibly average bunch of signings.

Thats very nice for you to compliment them with "Average"

They are awful

 

[TRF_Cymro]

of the Blues signings (Ma'afu, Copeland, Reed, Bourrust, Kyriacou and Tovey)

how many do you think will be starters next season Cymro?

Well now then, this is a tough question. I feel that Reed and Tovey will definitely start and one of Ma'afu / Bourrust depending if the Blues want to develop Hobbs / Andrews further. I think Copeland will be eased in and might start a few games. Andy Kyriacou seems to have played a bit of rugby for Ulster this year and is apparently known for his work in the tight and has covered when Rory Best has been away so it's good that he's familiar with the Pro 12.

I really hope Andries Pretorius gets back fit and healthy because then you might well see:

6. Paterson / Pretorius / Copeland
7. Warburton / Navidi
8. Rush / Pretorius / Hamilton

 

[Peat]

I like Kyriacou. Gets around the pitch, goes well in contact. Hooker is the one area of the park in which Ulster have been fairly set, so there's no shame on him in my eyes for scrapping with a place with Brady. Can be a little shaky on the essentials, or he'd be well past him imo, but still a useful little player to have around the place.

Shouldn't be trusted alone in an Italian taxi though.

edit: Better than their current hooker, couldn't say, but there's plenty worse squad players in the Rabble Pro. Most of Ulster's squad back-rows for one...

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I like Kyriacou. Gets around the pitch, goes well in contact. Hooker is the one area of the park in which Ulster have been fairly set, so there's no shame on him in my eyes for scrapping with a place with Brady. Can be a little shaky on the essentials, or he'd be well past him imo, but still a useful little player to have around the place.

Shouldn't be trusted alone in an Italian taxi though.

edit: Better than their current hooker, couldn't say, but there's plenty worse squad players in the Rabble Pro. Most of Ulster's squad back-rows for one...

Story.

 

[Peat]

Story.

Taken (in dodgy translation for added hilarity) from http://www.microsofttranslator.com/B...guai-1.3738303

Andy Kyriacou, Ulster Hooker, 29 years old, after the match against Benetton rugby of ' third time» had to have made more than one. ' Was unable to stand-tells upset the cabbie who responded to the call-and I could do? " Hard to leave one of his walk, whereupon the tonnage driver has done a nice recommendation and went to the hotel where he downloaded the rugby player.
The journey lasted a handful of kilometres, but thirty were enough a few hundred metres away. When the taxi has embarked on viale della Repubblica, English (by Liverpool) started to spit inside the car-tells the head of the cooperative taxi Treviso-once, twice, three times, biascicando words that you don't understand and ignoring the request to a set of links. Then: the unthinkable. «The rugby player he untied the flap of the pants and started to pee in the machine '. Realising what was happening in the car, the taxi driver has nailed and approached a road side fell and screaming, opened the door and ordered to dismount rugby player from the car.
When he saw that the English, completely drunk, did not respond, he called the police. Only then understood the antiphon, Kyriacou was released from the machine leaning heavily to a pole, as she hollered at the taxi driver and spintonandolo. He, then, did the only thing that seemed right to do: give up the rugby player in the middle of the street. But the young Andy was not of the same opinion, and when he saw the cabbie climb to the driving position, turn on the engine and the gear mesh is attached to the handle of the door by pulling it up to tearing and inveighed against punches and kicks to the body. An incredible scene, the taxi driver was left behind in the rapid intervention of hoping flying police.
Yesterday, after having brought the machine in the workshop for clean, igienizzarla and replace the body, sent a request for damages to Ulster. «But we reserve the right to make a complaint to the team-leader of Co.Ta.Tre says. Paolo Busato-is unacceptable. Oscar Wilde used to say "rugby is a good opportunity to keep away thirty Simian grunts from the city centre. The problem, chew bitter someone is when they come back

Note: 'Body' in this context means the cab, rather than the cabbie, which makes it hilarious rather than worrying. Well, ok, still a little worrying.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Brilliant. Fits well within the culture at the Blues :lol:

 

[Draggs]

"Everybody in South African rugby knows there is something special happening at Saracens, and I can't wait to get stuck in and make a contribution to the continuing development of the club," Hargreaves said.

http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2011-12/rugby/story/162844.html

Haven't seen this in a while.

Anyway, disappointed to see Alistair go, but I think Bresler and Jan Andre would be ahead of him, with Peet and PSdT coming through as well.

 

[getmeaway]

Porical to Stade Français:

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...677915,00.html

what a shame. It has not been his best season, but he is a legend for USAP supporters. I wish him the best.

 

[psychic duck]

I added Pro D2 transfers to the front page

 

[ZeFrenchy]

Rodrigo Roncero, from Stade français and Argentina, announced his retirement from rugby today. He's going back to Argentina to work as a doctor.

 

[psychic duck]

I just heard that Connacht released Peter Borlase from his loan back to Munster for the reason that he was a bit pants

he must be hurting being told he's not good enough for Connacht

 

[lucky number 7]

I just heard that Connacht released Peter Borlase from his loan back to Munster for the reason that he was a bit pants

he must be hurting being told he's not good enough for Connacht

That's like a horse being rejected from the glue factory..

 

[Feicarsinn]

Considering that Connacht have Nathan White (who is absolutely excellent) coming in next year, it's hardly surprising. I kind of feel sorry for Borlase truth be told. It was a major commitment coming over to Ireland and it's essentially ruined his career. Hopefully he can return to New Zealand and get a decent ITM cup contract.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wasn't Borlase considered a decent scrummager in New Zealand before going to Ireland?
I remember seeing videos of him being a fairly destructive scrummager - what went wrong? I don't think the step up from ITM to Pro12 is enough to see him go from a decent prop to a terrible one.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Wasn't Borlase considered a decent scrummager in New Zealand before going to Ireland?
I remember seeing videos of him being a fairly destructive scrummager - what went wrong? I don't think the step up from ITM to Pro12 is enough to see him go from a decent prop to a terrible one.

Yeah, I remember when he signed we heard good things Zealand about him. At the very start his poor performances were blamed on the fact that he came straight from the end of the ITM into the beginning of the ML and was therefore wrecked. Unfortunately things never got better for him.

I don't know much about the coaching set up down south, but I get the impression that before the arrival of BJ Botha, the scrum coaching in Munster was fairly shocking. Add that to the fact that the players he'd be learning from were Tony Buckle and John Hayes and you can see where things might have gone wrong for him. A shame.

 

[Peat]

Connacht's record in the front row's probably been better than Munster's recently tbh, hardly a suprise Connacht don't want him if Munster don't.