Transfers 2015/16

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Did Bath pay a release fee?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Don't know, I doubt it.

Lahiff was barely third choice by the end of his first season with them, I imagine he was released before we contracted him.

 

[Ready23]

I've seen elsewhere that he was released from his contract, can't remember where though!

 

[ratsapprentice]

Just read that:

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@rpetty80 @neilfissler @martin_crowson rebels released cos of an injury issue. Worries he may retire but did rehab at bath and is good 2 go
— LondonIrishBlog (@LondonIrishBlog) January 30, 2015​

"Rehab"

:lol:
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[TheSaffycen]

Pretorius to join Dragons

http://www.sportinglife.com/rugby-union/news/article/504/9687746/guinness-pro12-south-african-scrum-half-sarel-pretorius-to-join-newport-gwent-dragons-in-the-summer

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Pretorius to join Dragons

http://www.sportinglife.com/rugby-u...s-to-join-newport-gwent-dragons-in-the-summer

One of those players that can grab a win for his team against the run of play. A pity he was around while FdP and Pienaar were fixtures in SA and rightly ahead of him and then he went to Aussie and then he got injured and then Piet van Zyl kept him on the bench with 1 great season. All the best to Super Sarel!- he still has a couple of years of rugby in him. My only problem with him is his unwillingness to commit too tackles.

 

[Draggs]

I'd rather sign some more tight five players, but certainly a step up from the days of Wayne Evans.

 

[Maverick1987]

It is a bloody exodus from Tigers! Owen Williams will be playing on his own.

I know !! Maybe we are making room in the salary cap to sign Steffon !!! Fingers crossed

 

[Irishkid]

Now I hadn't thought of that.

 

[Irishkid]

How embarrassing is it for Bath fans that they have to take most of the players from our club.

 

[ratsapprentice]

How embarrassing is it for Irish fans that poor management has led to their stellar academy products wanting to leave in droves?

They lost two guys who the players clearly have a massive affinity with on a personal level, let alone a rugby one... because they brought in someone who the players didn't seem to like very much.

 

[Patchey]

Touché...

You know what really IS embarrassing? The press still won't stop printing stories about Steffon being in the RWC squad / returning to England deposits continual denials and the fact he's now part of a criminal investigation. Are we that desperate?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah, I don't get that.

I mean I guess it interests casual rugby fans who've seen he's won an award n stuff, but I think he's as much chance of getting into the England squad as last year...and the year before.
So none.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Two possibilities, in my mind....

1 - This is a complete fabrication.

2 - They've been told either by Armitage himself or by Lancaster, that he's probably going to be invited into the RWC squad.

 

[Maverick1987]

Two possibilities, in my mind....

1 - This is a complete fabrication.

2 - They've been told either by Armitage himself or by Lancaster, that he's probably going to be invited into the RWC squad.

I hope it's the latter ...... Whatever happens he's one of the best back row forwards in the world . With our back row we can afford to be leaving players out of his calibre . He might come back and not recreate the form he does for Toulon but it would be nice to know ...... If he's not as good for England at least the press would shut up then

 

[Irishkid]

How embarrassing is it for Irish fans that poor management has led to their stellar academy products wanting to leave in droves?

They lost two guys who the players clearly have a massive affinity with on a personal level, let alone a rugby one... because they brought in someone who the players didn't seem to like very much.

To be fair Smith was clueless but also looking at the other players that have left as well it's so frustrating. But it must show that your academy is struggling a bit.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I know !! Maybe we are making room in the salary cap to sign Steffon !!! Fingers crossed

Yeh right because the Armitages love Leicester

 

[ratsapprentice]

To be fair Smith was clueless but also looking at the other players that have left as well it's so frustrating. But it must show that your academy is struggling a bit.

It must be massively frustrating - that's completely understandable.
But in my mind those players were leaving a ship they saw as sinking regardless - we happened to hire two coaches who made our club extremely appealing (above and beyond what the club itself offers).
I don't feel embarrassed at all.

Bath's academy wasn't doing so well a few years ago due to lack of investment and poor management, thankfully it's doing much better now.
In saying that: it still drip-fed a number of quality players into our squad.

Not sure why you're firing pot shots at it?

 

[j'nuh]

Two possibilities, in my mind....

1 - This is a complete fabrication.

2 - They've been told either by Armitage himself or by Lancaster, that he's probably going to be invited into the RWC squad.

3 - Even though it'll never happen, it's still a talking point for lots of people and journos print it because it sells. Even on this forum we spend an absurd amount of time talking about Armitage, even though the vast majority of us know he won't be playing for England.

Same with Burgess. Like on ESPN: "Saxons win as Burgess makes debut", with a big picture of Burgess on the front page and the opening paragraph, "Sam Burgess made a forgettable representative union debut..." He literally stole the headlines for being forgettable. He does it in every game he plays.

The journalists know full well that they only print this stuff because people talk about it, not necessarily because it's the most important detail going on in the England scene right now. Sadly, it kind of means that guys like Ewers, Kvesic and Slade probably would have wider support had the media attention not been so focused on Armitage and Burgess.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Jonathan Evans ----> Dragons.