NPR

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Mon May 17, 2021 8:49 pm Bristol eventually handy winners against 14 man Gloucester. So many tries left out there, though. Their accuracy needs to pick up.

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Mon May 17, 2021 6:59 pm

inactionman wrote: ↑Mon May 17, 2021 11:09 am Kyle Eastmond retires from professional rugby.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/57143061

Seemed to be a bit of an injury magnet for Wasps and Leicester, but for a season or so he was part of a hugely exciting backline at Bath that looked like it would be challenging for a few honours - Eastmond outside Ford and inside JJ, but able to interchange. All went wrong when (1) Mike Ford promised the earth contract-wise which he couldn't make good on, which also contributed to Ollie Devoto leaving and (ii) the Burgess ructions, in some part with Eastmond missing out on an England WC spot to his out-of-position clubmate. And, of course, (iii) when his chief sponsor Mike Ford was the shown the door.

Bans as well as injuries. Missed more weeks than many do across their career for some bad high tackles.

Niegs wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 1:58 am

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Mon May 17, 2021 6:59 pm

inactionman wrote: ↑Mon May 17, 2021 11:09 am Kyle Eastmond retires from professional rugby.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/57143061

Seemed to be a bit of an injury magnet for Wasps and Leicester, but for a season or so he was part of a hugely exciting backline at Bath that looked like it would be challenging for a few honours - Eastmond outside Ford and inside JJ, but able to interchange. All went wrong when (1) Mike Ford promised the earth contract-wise which he couldn't make good on, which also contributed to Ollie Devoto leaving and (ii) the Burgess ructions, in some part with Eastmond missing out on an England WC spot to his out-of-position clubmate. And, of course, (iii) when his chief sponsor Mike Ford was the shown the door.

Bans as well as injuries. Missed more weeks than many do across their career for some bad high tackles.

Eastmond had high tackle bans? Isn’t he actually about 5’7”?

Niegs wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 1:58 am

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Mon May 17, 2021 6:59 pm

inactionman wrote: ↑Mon May 17, 2021 11:09 am Kyle Eastmond retires from professional rugby.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/57143061

Seemed to be a bit of an injury magnet for Wasps and Leicester, but for a season or so he was part of a hugely exciting backline at Bath that looked like it would be challenging for a few honours - Eastmond outside Ford and inside JJ, but able to interchange. All went wrong when (1) Mike Ford promised the earth contract-wise which he couldn't make good on, which also contributed to Ollie Devoto leaving and (ii) the Burgess ructions, in some part with Eastmond missing out on an England WC spot to his out-of-position clubmate. And, of course, (iii) when his chief sponsor Mike Ford was the shown the door.

Bans as well as injuries. Missed more weeks than many do across their career for some bad high tackles.

Eastmond had high tackle bans? Isn’t he actually about 5’7”?

ASMO wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 7:06 am Eastmond was one of those players that never realised his potential in Union, he was a Jason Robinson lite, probably not even a lite, more of a bad impersonator, shame as i think given the right team and coaching he could have been really really good.

Niegs wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 2:34 pm

ASMO wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 7:06 am Eastmond was one of those players that never realised his potential in Union, he was a Jason Robinson lite, probably not even a lite, more of a bad impersonator, shame as i think given the right team and coaching he could have been really really good.

Agreed! I've been a fan of his nimble running abilities and his passing. Someone who played well in space, but maybe the way centres are positioned/used these days worked against him?

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 3:25 pm Yeah, I remember wondering each time he'd get a shot in the white (or purple) shirt what he'd done to warrant being dropped. I can't even remember who he was being dropped for, was it Burrell and/or Twelvetrees?

It's like when Freddie Burns steered what was basically a Saxons team to a very close loss against NZ in their own back yard only to be dropped for the next week's fixture. What exactly did he do other than not be someone else the coaches like more?

I'm quite the Lancaster defender, but there were definitely some near indefensible selectorial decisions at times.

Raggs wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 3:32 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Tue May 18, 2021 3:25 pm Yeah, I remember wondering each time he'd get a shot in the white (or purple) shirt what he'd done to warrant being dropped. I can't even remember who he was being dropped for, was it Burrell and/or Twelvetrees?

It's like when Freddie Burns steered what was basically a Saxons team to a very close loss against NZ in their own back yard only to be dropped for the next week's fixture. What exactly did he do other than not be someone else the coaches like more?

I'm quite the Lancaster defender, but there were definitely some near indefensible selectorial decisions at times.

Same. Eastmond would pick holes in the defence, with footwork or passing, and get dropped. He got dropped for a systemic error in one of the AB games, where they opened up our defence 3 times with the exact same move, think he was dropped after the second one (end of first half), and the replacements let the same move happen again anyway. It was the first NZ test in the series that Burns had a great game, and if Nigel hadn't started making up laws (it went backwards off the hands, but it's stilla knock on, and if the player hadn't just come on the pitch, he'd have got a yellow...). we may well have taken it.

assfly wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 5:48 am I'm sure it's been discussed before on here, but Chris Ashton was saying that the praise for Simmonds' try scoring record should also consider that most of his tries come from 5m or less of the tryline, and from a lot of work by his forward pack that is part of a concerted game plan that will always lead to the 8 scoring a lot.

But also sounds like a slightly jealous winger having a moan

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 7:47 am Yeah that's clearly correct - in teams with a different structure he'd have scored half the tries.

shaggy wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 7:41 am

assfly wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 5:48 am I'm sure it's been discussed before on here, but Chris Ashton was saying that the praise for Simmonds' try scoring record should also consider that most of his tries come from 5m or less of the tryline, and from a lot of work by his forward pack that is part of a concerted game plan that will always lead to the 8 scoring a lot.

But also sounds like a slightly jealous winger having a moan

Nah, there is an article (Guardian?) where he himself says it is partly the structure they play that allows him to score so many. Ashton is sound here

ASMO wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 8:30 am Waldron would never have scored a 60m try like Simmons did against Quins

Margin__Walker wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 7:52 am

shaggy wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 7:41 am

assfly wrote: ↑Wed May 19, 2021 5:48 am I'm sure it's been discussed before on here, but Chris Ashton was saying that the praise for Simmonds' try scoring record should also consider that most of his tries come from 5m or less of the tryline, and from a lot of work by his forward pack that is part of a concerted game plan that will always lead to the 8 scoring a lot.

But also sounds like a slightly jealous winger having a moan

Nah, there is an article (Guardian?) where he himself says it is partly the structure they play that allows him to score so many. Ashton is sound here

Sort of.

You don't get carried to that many tries though. The only two comparable forwards in the Premiership era are Back and Waldrom with 16. Simmonds has 19 with 3 games to play.

The top 12 all time prem try scorers are backs (and only Care on that list isn't an outside back)