Re: The Official English Rugby Thread
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2023 7:44 pm

Thanks both. Always happy to find out the grey matter's not yet betraying me.
A place where escape goats go to play
https://notplanetrugby.com/
They're beneficiaries of LIs problems, getting HEC rugby next season, & with some good, cheap players available.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 7:51 pm Ollie Hoskins was laughing on a podcast this week about van Rensburg as the worst trainer he's ever shared a club with. Completely chilled, semi interested and laissez-faire on both the paddock and in the gym. Just has a go switch on match day where he clicks into a hyper competitive monster for 80 minutes.
Decent signing for Bristol
At the rate the league's going every team will be qualifying for the HC next season.fishfoodie wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 8:01 pmThey're beneficiaries of LIs problems, getting HEC rugby next season, & with some good, cheap players available.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 7:51 pm Ollie Hoskins was laughing on a podcast this week about van Rensburg as the worst trainer he's ever shared a club with. Completely chilled, semi interested and laissez-faire on both the paddock and in the gym. Just has a go switch on match day where he clicks into a hyper competitive monster for 80 minutes.
Decent signing for Bristol
I'll wind & all that.
Wonder if he had no offers from English clubs, or if he genuinely fancied a bit of time in France?sockwithaticket wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:48 amWasps and Worcester players got the rest of 22/23 as an exemption, presume Irish players would get the same for 23/24.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:20 am French press reporting Arundell to Racing as a done deal.
Will be interesting to see what they exemption situation (if any) is for next season
Initially linked with Bristol. But then a lot of players are!geordie_6 wrote: Sat Jun 17, 2023 7:36 amWonder if he had no offers from English clubs, or if he genuinely fancied a bit of time in France?sockwithaticket wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:48 amWasps and Worcester players got the rest of 22/23 as an exemption, presume Irish players would get the same for 23/24.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:20 am French press reporting Arundell to Racing as a done deal.
Will be interesting to see what they exemption situation (if any) is for next season
Dispensation or simply a change. Borthers is sounding far less compliant on this issue than Burt or Eddie, and Eddie was starting to get more annoyed in public with itMargin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 11:07 amYou'd presume, but the RFU have been silent so far.sockwithaticket wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:48 amWasps and Worcester players got the rest of 22/23 as an exemption, presume Irish players would get the same for 23/24.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 10:20 am French press reporting Arundell to Racing as a done deal.
Will be interesting to see what they exemption situation (if any) is for next season
Could take the view that it was different as the season had started already and LI players in England contention have more to time to arrange premiership deals (despite a still challenging market where offers will be supressed in value as a result of clubs being close to the cap)
But, yeah. More likely than not he gets dispensation for a year.
Ben Loader signed for Stormers and heading to S Africa!Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 7:51 pm Ollie Hoskins was laughing on a podcast this week about van Rensburg as the worst trainer he's ever shared a club with. Completely chilled, semi interested and laissez-faire on both the paddock and in the gym. Just has a go switch on match day where he clicks into a hyper competitive monster for 80 minutes.
Decent signing for Bristol
Potentially. Not confirmed by team or player yet though.SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 18, 2023 10:14 amBen Loader signed for Stormers and heading to S Africa!Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 7:51 pm Ollie Hoskins was laughing on a podcast this week about van Rensburg as the worst trainer he's ever shared a club with. Completely chilled, semi interested and laissez-faire on both the paddock and in the gym. Just has a go switch on match day where he clicks into a hyper competitive monster for 80 minutes.
Decent signing for Bristol
Ahh! Rugby paper saying he's met Dobson and is joining!!Margin__Walker wrote: Sun Jun 18, 2023 10:49 amPotentially. Not confirmed by team or player yet though.SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 18, 2023 10:14 amBen Loader signed for Stormers and heading to S Africa!Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 7:51 pm Ollie Hoskins was laughing on a podcast this week about van Rensburg as the worst trainer he's ever shared a club with. Completely chilled, semi interested and laissez-faire on both the paddock and in the gym. Just has a go switch on match day where he clicks into a hyper competitive monster for 80 minutes.
Decent signing for Bristol
Injury? Although I've not heard anything.JM2K6 wrote: Mon Jun 19, 2023 10:22 am Might herald Dan's selection. Lawrence dropping out is weird, one of the few success stories?
A bit uninspiring. Is their no new coaching talent in English rugby anywhere?inactionman wrote: Tue Jun 20, 2023 10:43 pm Andy Robinson back at Bath as head academy coach.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65959199
As a big Will Collier fan, say no more - I'm on board the Lovejoy BoatMargin__Walker wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:54 pm Really pleased for LJ, not having to uproot his young family. Really cracking guy, who may surprise a few. Started for us more than Hoskins this year. Really simple, old school TH, despite being a relatively late convert. Doesn't offer a huge amount around the park, but loves a scrum and just doesn't get folded. Dealt absolutely fine with a stacked Stormers front row twice in the HC this season.
https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/ne ... saintsNorthampton Saints can today confirm that coach Ian Vass has left the Club by mutual consent.
The 41-year-old joined the coaching set-up at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in January 2020, looking after Saints’ defence, and has helped to guide the men in Black, Green and Gold to two Gallagher Premiership semi-finals in three seasons.
Not a surprise, never going to win anything with the worst defence in the league, even if the attack is the best.SaintK wrote: Fri Jun 23, 2023 4:23 pm Hopefully Saints will bring in someone that can tighten up the defence. The writing has been on the wall for a while!!https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/ne ... saintsNorthampton Saints can today confirm that coach Ian Vass has left the Club by mutual consent.
The 41-year-old joined the coaching set-up at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in January 2020, looking after Saints’ defence, and has helped to guide the men in Black, Green and Gold to two Gallagher Premiership semi-finals in three seasons.
Collins has signed for Ealing according to The Rugby PaperOxbow wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:41 amTom Collins. Word is he might end up at Bedford and still have a connection to Saints.Kawazaki wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:37 amMargin__Walker wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2023 7:36 am Saints are first out of the blocks on the LI players, signing Munga, Haffar and Pearson. The latter will get the headlines, but Haffar is one I'd watch out for. Only 21, but was keeping guys like Goodrick-Clark and Gigena out of the match day 23 in the second half of the season. Freakishly athletic for a prop and hasn't been embarrassed at set piece so far.
Who was the Saints player who was leaving to join London Irish? He must be a tad pissed off.
Also, expect Quins fans to accuse Northampton of cheating.
I'm glad he's found a club, but he's way better than Championship standard. Still, there are likely LI players left without a club at all, so small mercies.SaintK wrote: Sun Jun 25, 2023 9:45 amCollins has signed for Ealing according to The Rugby PaperOxbow wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:41 amTom Collins. Word is he might end up at Bedford and still have a connection to Saints.Kawazaki wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2023 8:37 am
Who was the Saints player who was leaving to join London Irish? He must be a tad pissed off.
Also, expect Quins fans to accuse Northampton of cheating.
Cinti has joined them too. Seems like a classy operator.Margin__Walker wrote: Thu Jun 22, 2023 1:45 pm Yeah, Hoskins will be interesting too at Sarries. Another big character and the polar opposite as a TH. Huge engine and dynamic round the park, but prone to a bad day here and there in the set piece
Yeah, Cinti's understated but very good. Part of a settled back three for much of this season with Loader and OHC. Decent athlete and very strong aerially.
Yeah, it's a crap market for them, as you'd expect.
Yeah I'm amazed Rogerson hasn't been picked up. He's a Jono Ross kind of player - perfect club rugby material. I really hope he finds somewhere, because you just know he'd end up being a mini club legend wherever he rocks up, even if he maybe doesn't have the same ceiling as some of the bigger names from Irish. He's probably on a lot of short lists for injury replacements for next season.Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2023 8:08 amYeah, it's a crap market for them, as you'd expect.
Saw Rogerson (or his agent) stick some highlights up yesterday which probably proves the point. Club captain, the kind of player coaches love and you'd think would walk into a contract in the Prem with relatively little fuss.
You're probably just going to get this pain with a bit of a reset in how good you need to be in a prem squad with the reduction to 10 teams. The squad players in the three defunct teams are just the unlucky ones who are most at a disadvantage in the shift, but there will be a knock on in the next few seasons to other squads. The kind of player that may comfortably have come through and had a bits and pieces career in the premiership, may find themselves out of luck.
Mentioned before, but the obvious way to reduce the impact on the home grown player pool is to keep hiking the EQP number requirements.
Albeit Mercer's actually coming back for it. FWIW I don't think T Willis instead is a crazy call. I think he's got a lot to offer as a slightly tighter option.Hal Jordan wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2023 9:15 am I assume Mercer is the new Armitage, assuming the mantle of the Prince Across The Water?
I know Gloucester's a bit like another country, but it isn't actually separated from the rest of England by any bodies of water.Hal Jordan wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2023 9:15 am I assume Mercer is the new Armitage, assuming the mantle of the Prince Across The Water?
Yeah, agree. Assuming they take two 8's (rather than take one have Ludlum covering) it's likely Dombrandt/Willis or Dombrandt/Vunipola. If you really thought Billy would be fit and ready, you probably don't have Willis in camp.JM2K6 wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2023 9:20 am Suggests to me that Billy is completely out of the picture despite all the friendly press recently. Willis the replacement tank option.