Squad 19/20

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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby New Gunner on Sun Jan 13, 2019 5:33 pm

From the club website match report interview with Cockers: “Viliame is very important along with everybody else and he’ll be with us for a long time to come.”

I really really hope Cockers has some very good news up his sleeve - I don’t think to the end of next season is ‘a long time’.

Also similar comments in the Sunday Times: “I’ve every intention to do everything we can to keep Viliame at this club for as long as is necessary. Whatever that takes, we’ll do what we need to do to make that happen. Same with WP, Hamish Watson, Gilchrist or whoever. We want a team we can build on, and just because guys aren’t Scottish doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep them. If we’ve got ambition, we’ve got to keep our best players. Viliame should take the credit because he’s a world class player, but so’s McInally, so’s Nel, so’s Schoeman. If we create the right environment, if we have days like this, why wouldn’t you want to stay and play for us?”

Dell may be part of ‘whatever it takes’...

Regarding Willemse, presumably Ford is gone at the end of the season, and with Rambo, Cherry and Fenton all SQ it is sound planning to have at least one NSQ in the mix.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby The Feral Goat on Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:54 am

I imagine both Ford and Dell are on decent wages and with a need to add depth (or retain) in other areas Cockerill will have some tough decisions to make.

Berghan – again probably on decent money and now a proven international TH there is perhaps a balance between needing to spend a lot to retain him and belief in McCallum to step up.

However we are then looking at losing Ford, Dell and Berghan and suddenly our front row depth takes a knock, but we could really do with another quality 9 and a bit more quality in the back 3. Really tough balancing act for Cockerill and co.

On Dell, I would have thought he could do better than LI, he is a good player and his scrummaging has improved following his injury. Given his contribution this season Marfos 2yr deal is not looking good business, thought he looked a bit out of shape when on the pitch pre-kings match.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby dolf_lundgren on Mon Jan 14, 2019 12:15 pm

Ford, Cherry and Fenton are all out of contract in the summer I think, so it may not just be Frd leaving, or he may stay. I think he still has a bit to offer, although it is clear that Cockers wasnt happy with his leadership during the AIs.

Agree with the comment that losing Dell, Ford and Berghan would majorly weaken us, one of our real strengths has been the ability to change the front row with no let up on the pressure on the opposition. Berghan has really added workrate and carrying to his game this season and may well have driven Nel to get back to his best. Ceccerelli is out of contract and given the competiion for Scotland there should be plenty of game time for all 3 of them. It will depend on budget and whether we can afford to pay a big wedge to a 2/3rd choice tighthead when we need more cover at half back and back 3.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby dolf_lundgren on Mon Jan 14, 2019 12:17 pm

Just an aside but SHC has been playing club rugby in Wales as he has been overtaken you a youngster.

If he has an epiphany that he is not gods gift and needs to work harder then I think he could certainly do a job for us. Cockers had him playing some good stuff last year and he is I think, sill better than Fowles and Kennedy. They certainly wont both be here next year and possibly neither of them.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby biffer on Mon Jan 14, 2019 1:22 pm

dolf_lundgren wrote:Just an aside but SHC has been playing club rugby in Wales as he has been overtaken you a youngster.

If he has an epiphany that he is not gods gift and needs to work harder then I think he could certainly do a job for us. Cockers had him playing some good stuff last year and he is I think, sill better than Fowles and Kennedy. They certainly wont both be here next year and possibly neither of them.


I doubt that epiphany will happen. I'd be more interested in making sure we retain Pyrgos.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby The Feral Goat on Mon Jan 14, 2019 11:12 pm

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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Sun Jan 20, 2019 1:38 pm

Mark Palmer has Graham and Watson staying. Great news!

Apparently Clermont made an offers for Watson, obviously delighted he's apparently staying but watching Watson for Clermont would've been fun.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby macdone on Sun Jan 20, 2019 9:55 pm

Friday Knight Lights wrote:Mark Palmer has Graham and Watson staying. Great news!

Apparently Clermont made an offers for Watson, obviously delighted he's apparently staying but watching Watson for Clermont would've been fun.


That is good news - Palmer is normally right too.

Big question for next year is the centres. Personally I don't feel Scott and Bennett are the answer because their passing isn't good enough which has a knock on effect to the whole backline. It's the only position where we don't have someone who could challenge for a Scotland starting spot (unless Dean does). If we can get Johnny Williams and Chris Harris, along with Cameron Hutchinson we will have some decent options.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby royc on Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:44 am

macdone wrote:[

Big question for next year is the centres. Personally I don't feel Scott and Bennett are the answer because their passing isn't good enough which has a knock on effect to the whole backline. It's the only position where we don't have someone who could challenge for a Scotland starting spot (unless Dean does). If we can get Johnny Williams and Chris Harris, along with Cameron Hutchinson we will have some decent options.


I doubt that changing the centres is an option, as 5 of them are in contract for next season (Bennett, Johnstone, Scott, Dean, Socino) and I wouldn't think the budget is there to carry more centres. Taylor is the only one OOC, being a 1st year beginner on a 1-year contract, but he'll have a chance to cement his place over the 6N and looks like he has potential at O/C.

Scott was looking good before his injury and, if we can get Bennett back to his best, that's a pretty good starting pair, with two good and improving back-ups in JJ and Dean. My issue with the midfield is that we have the talent or near enough, they can all tackle well enough, run at an inside shoulder and pass a ball out of contact. But all learn that in their first year of rugby! What is missing I think is a bit of an attacking plan and tactics, where the centres work in concert with wingers coming in or the loose forwards and half backs coming up to give the extra numbers, angles and overlaps to break through a solid defensive line. I feel we haven't progressed much beyond square one as yet in that respect or in the range of tactical plays centres can use to open up space against a solid or rush defence.

I thought Cameron Hutchison was v good for the U20s, another season at Stade Nicois and he could be a good addition at I/C.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby Friday Knight Lights on Mon Jan 21, 2019 8:41 am

Dean 12 and Scott 13.

I don't think we'll see an effective Bennett after two brutal knee injuries. He was already showing it last year when he didn't have his outrageous stepping and acceleration. I'd love to be wrong of course but his injuries have been absolutely brutal.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby TheSmidge on Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:21 am

I thought Bennett's contract was up this year? Did he sign a 3-year contract?
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby The Feral Goat on Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:25 am

TheSmidge wrote:I thought Bennett's contract was up this year? Did he sign a 3-year contract?


yes 3 yr
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby dolf_lundgren on Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:39 pm

I reluctantly agree, the chances of Bennet getting anywhere near the player he was are slim. He relied upon acceleration so much. Huge amounts of bad luck.

He may be able to re-invent himself as a different type of player though, he has a good rugby brain, but that will take time and we shouldnt write him off yet. A spell with the s to get his mojo back and work on speed etc may do him the world of good, Im not sure we have the luxury of being able to do that though.

We shoudlnt get to excited about Barclay yet either, he has had a serious injury and he is not coming back as expected, so he may not be the player he was. Hopefully he can be though.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby STKS on Mon Jan 21, 2019 1:18 pm

I'd actually say he has a better chance at finding form now than he did before he did his hamstring. A severe Hamstring injury can heal fully without any loss in future performance, it just takes time - see Dave Denton. All the time he's been out, his rehab for the ACL will have been continuing, he'll always have a reduced ability to change direction, but i never thought Bennett was well known for his footwork, no more so than any other 13 anyway. The things that made Bennett stand out to me were his acceleration, ability to read the opposition and get an intercept and lastly his ability to offload the ball in contact. All of those will be unaffected by an ACL injury. As he gets older (still only 25) he'd need to focus on those skills anyway as more agile players pop up.

If he comes back for the end of this season, gets a good pre-season in, and then does well during the first half of next season i'd be surprised if we didn't offer him another contract.
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Re: Squad 19/20

Postby The Feral Goat on Mon Jan 21, 2019 2:17 pm

I think the likes of Bennett, Pyrgos and Barclay are important to the squad as they are the players with experience of winning tournaments. I would like to think that after the league playoff v Munster last season and this seasons Champions cup run all the players have much more self-belief but having players that have been through the process of winning has got to be positive.

Assuming no lengthy injuries lists on either side I think the Munster QF will be a pretty even affair the difference may come down to the top 2 inches, they have a number of Grand Slam winners etc who know how to win games, that is where I think Barclay in particular may be huge asset for us and Bennett too could add real value if he is back and fit.
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