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talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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Meh, he’s alright. Definitely not a terrible player just not a particularly great one either. He can do a job over a short period as cover if he’s your first choice playing 25 plus games then you might be a bit disappointed. He’s alright, though.

I wondered wtf you were on about re the lion comment as I was 99% he had never played for the lions then googled it and I do remember that thing with the lion when I saw the vid again. Can’t believe I forgot it. Actually, I can believe it seeing as I can barely remember my own name most days.

To be honest we've had such a shoddy selection of hookers over the last few years that as long as he can throw relatively straight and knows how to scrummage then he'll probably be our starting hooker for years to come.
 

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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To be honest we've had such a shoddy selection of hookers over the last few years that as long as he can throw relatively straight and knows how to scrummage then he'll probably be our starting hooker for years to come.

Tbf, having Marler and Sinkler in your front row is pretty tasty and more than compensates for a average hooker so you should be alright.

He’s often on Scrum V and comes across as a nice enough bloke, not that that really matters.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
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Tigers are right in the mix for relegation. Crazy.

I think it could happen, they look in a real rut. No point in having an all-star backline when the forwards are getting absolutely obliterated every game, and you'd have to ask if it's money well spent when they're missing for big chunks of the season anyway on international duty. They're also basically operating without a coaching team currently, the old boys who run the club have put one of their own (Murphy) in charge and he's seemingly way out of his depth.
 

teok

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Aug 11, 2011
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Yeah they have been badly mis managed. They have an ok front row back but the back and second row are just terrible. Remember when they would just constantly have the england players in those positions and every one was scared of going up there.
 

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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Eddie Jones has dismissed the role of Lions head coach as an "ambassador job" while refusing to rule out the possibility of succeeding Michael Cheika as Australia boss

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-uni...-says-coaching-the-lions-is-an-ambassador-job

He knows his stock is a lot lower than it was 18 months ago or so is unlikely to get it (unless England do well at the WC)

I’m amazed Chieka is still in a job tbh but you’d imagine they’ll go for someone different when he does finally go.
 

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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@talkshowhost86 looks like you’ve signed some kid called Luke Northmore from Cardiff uni. Some surprised people in Wales that he wasnt snapped up by a Welsh region not helped by the mess going on no doubt. Incredible tekkers in this vid tbf. Will be interested to hear from you how he does if he gets any time.

 

talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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@talkshowhost86 looks like you’ve signed some kid called Luke Northmore from Cardiff uni. Some surprised people in Wales that he wasnt snapped up by a Welsh region not helped by the mess going on no doubt. Incredible tekkers in this vid tbf. Will be interested to hear from you how he does if he gets any time.



Yeah we've picked up a few youngsters in the last week (we signed 12 players in total last week) so will be interesting to see how they develop.

For years Quins have had a great academy, but it's been slowing up a bit recently in terms of players coming through (Smith being the exception) so Gustard has clearly looked at it and thought we need to top it up a bit.

Love that video of Northmore. Very hard to know how players will develop from that age, but it's good to see that if the Welsh regions are farting about trying to merge with each other that there is a home for the talented youngsters in Wales. Don't think he'll get a huge amount of time next season, but playing in the A-team and the odd cup game will be a big step up for him. Hopefully he can have the same impact as Dombrandt!
 

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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Yeah we've picked up a few youngsters in the last week (we signed 12 players in total last week) so will be interesting to see how they develop.

For years Quins have had a great academy, but it's been slowing up a bit recently in terms of players coming through (Smith being the exception) so Gustard has clearly looked at it and thought we need to top it up a bit.

Love that video of Northmore. Very hard to know how players will develop from that age, but it's good to see that if the Welsh regions are farting about trying to merge with each other that there is a home for the talented youngsters in Wales. Don't think he'll get a huge amount of time next season, but playing in the A-team and the odd cup game will be a big step up for him. Hopefully he can have the same impact as Dombrandt!

Yeah I think he’s mates with Dombramdt which should help him settle.

Like Dombrandt I don’t think he has any welsh links (other than living in Wales for 3 years but I’m not sure he might have a Welsh grandparent or something) but we could’ve at least got him signed to a region and then started the brainwashing process by which time he would’ve qualified through residency. Looks a player, though.
 

Japhet

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Aug 30, 2010
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Eddie Jones has dismissed the role of Lions head coach as an "ambassador job" while refusing to rule out the possibility of succeeding Michael Cheika as Australia boss

https://www.skysports.com/rugby-uni...-says-coaching-the-lions-is-an-ambassador-job


Lions Head Coach is probably the only job in Rugby where you can't actually pick the squad or the team that you want. Wouldn't be surprised if he replaced Chieka who must have incriminating pictures of somebody high up in Aussie Rugby.
 

E17yid

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Lions Head Coach is probably the only job in Rugby where you can't actually pick the squad or the team that you want. Wouldn't be surprised if he replaced Chieka who must have incriminating pictures of somebody high up in Aussie Rugby.

I’m not sure what you mean? Do you mean the head coach feels an obligation to pick players he coaches for the national team? If so there is probably some truth in that.

I heard Biggar had a great game for you against Leicester last week.
 

Japhet

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Aug 30, 2010
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I’m not sure what you mean? Do you mean the head coach feels an obligation to pick players he coaches for the national team? If so there is probably some truth in that.

I heard Biggar had a great game for you against Leicester last week.

There always seems to be an element of tokenism in the Lions - at least, that's how it seems to me. Biggar had a great game v Leicester. He's turned out well for us considering I thought he'd spend 90% of his time on the physio's couch.
 

E17yid

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There always seems to be an element of tokenism in the Lions - at least, that's how it seems to me. Biggar had a great game v Leicester. He's turned out well for us considering I thought he'd spend 90% of his time on the physio's couch.

Nah, more like 50% with the physio and 50% getting pissed up in Cardiff.
 

talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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I’m not sure what you mean? Do you mean the head coach feels an obligation to pick players he coaches for the national team? If so there is probably some truth in that.

I heard Biggar had a great game for you against Leicester last week.

It's a weird one being Lions head coach. Presumably you know your national players better than any others so feel obliged to pick them, but I suspect there is also pressure to at least include players from each country. I can't imagine a Lions coach picking many Scotland players on merit at the moment for example, but I bet they would have to.

Either way Jones would be a terrible Lions head coach, having spent most of the last few years bad-mouthing all the other six nations teams, fans and coaches.
 

E17yid

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It's a weird one being Lions head coach. Presumably you know your national players better than any others so feel obliged to pick them, but I suspect there is also pressure to at least include players from each country. I can't imagine a Lions coach picking many Scotland players on merit at the moment for example, but I bet they would have to.

Either way Jones would be a terrible Lions head coach, having spent most of the last few years bad-mouthing all the other six nations teams, fans and coaches.

Gatland mugged off Scotland pretty bad. They hate him for that, and other reasons. Obviously Hogg was in, rightly so, but Gats didn’t feel the need to pick players coz he feels he has to, IMO

You’re right, though, when it’s a tight call between a couple of players one from the country you coach and another you don’t you’re naturally going to gravitate towards the player you know better.

If there was another Lions tour tomorrow you’d see a good split between Irish, Welsh and English with a handful of Scots but I don’t think those Scots would be taken coz they’re Scots they’d be taken on merit.

If I was picking the lions Squad I’d be looking to take Mcinally, Russell, Hogg, Price and possibly another 2-3 other players. Liked the look of that Graham winger who looks like a young, Scottish Shane Williams but he’s pretty raw.
 

talkshowhost86

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Oct 2, 2004
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Gatland mugged off Scotland pretty bad. They hate him for that, and other reasons. Obviously Hogg was in, rightly so, but Gats didn’t feel the need to pick players coz he feels he has to, IMO

You’re right, though, when it’s a tight call between a couple of players one from the country you coach and another you don’t you’re naturally going to gravitate towards the player you know better.

If there was another Lions tour tomorrow you’d see a good split between Irish, Welsh and English with a handful of Scots but I don’t think those Scots would be taken coz they’re Scots they’d be taken on merit.

If I was picking the lions Squad I’d be looking to take Mcinally, Russell, Hogg, Price and possibly another 2-3 other players. Liked the look of that Graham winger who looks like a young, Scottish Shane Williams but he’s pretty raw.

Gatland did do very well in largely picking players on merit rather than nationality. Weirdly Sir Clive picked on both merit and nationality and that failed miserably. Basically it's a very tricky job.

Based on the 6Ns just gone you probably wouldn't pick many Irish players to be honest, but there has to be a longer term view than that.

Anyway...most of us won't have heard of most of the squad when the Lions are next picked. Dombrandt will definitely be captain though.
 

E17yid

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Jan 21, 2013
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Oh, would definitely take Watson to. Though, tbf, the back row for the lions would be ridiculously competitive
 
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