Who are the main candidates for relegation?

[BG]

The common denominator has to be Cosec Exceed Services Ltd.. if you drill down the list of officers you'll find

Gert Albertus VAN RHYN

Cape Town..

He has a load of companies involving the word "Exceed" but if you look into who are linked to that... it turns a full circle.. most of who are now or was registered, are all at the same address again.

Gert is the accountant behind the web I think.. and it looks like he's still active as a director or officer of most of the companies via his various other LTD companies

[RBB]

More information about Exceed here, the previously mentioned chap is no longer engaged/involved. However there does appear to be a lot of South African nationals involved in this firm? https://www.exceedca.com/who-we-are/our-people

[BG]

Back to the rugby.. having taken a look at the league table... Tigers and Wasps at the bottom.. Our positions reflect last season's performances and it appears that nothing has really changed

Both teams were poor for most of the season, leaking tries, lacking in confidence and rudderless. We had a very good unexpected victory against Exeter which pulled us away from the relegation battle.

Tigers have multiple WC players to come back (we only have Launchbury) but its questionable whether those players will make a difference.

Its a long season and we're only a few games into it and the business end is normally around Feb/March where clubs either pull away from the bottom or slowly sink.

[Westy68]

Launchbury is going to struggle to get into the England squad for the 6 nations so I don’t think we will miss him as much as much as a regular international player.

The pack is good, I like our first choice front row for me it drops too much with the replacements.

2nd row is good if launchburys in it. I only have a problem with Rowlands because when I look at him he is a colossus and I say hell no one is going to stop him. Too often he takes the ball standing still, when he gets in on the run he normally scores a try. I maybe expect too much from him and when he as a ok game (which is more often then not)for me I’m expecting more. Gaskell is injured a lot but I do like him. As said before the back row is a strong point. I do like the 8 and I believe he will be great in 2/3 years let’s see if he is good enough now

For me 10 in a problem, he just can’t get going. Umaga will get there but not this season I do think we should play him more as he is better then our other options. But for us to be better this season we need someone at 10 playing better. 12 and 13 is ok 9 is good real shame about vellacott. 15 I’m not sure about have to wait and see. I know people will have a go but I’m not happy with are wing options. Bassett has dropped off alarmingly, Zach is great going forward but we do look very Vulnerable in defence and set up. Watson is ok but I want better and Paolo is a 2/3rd choice player.

I believe with the league going to be so tight this season we are about 4 players of real quality short.

Poor choices made by the coaching set up as put us in this position. Personally believe we will be in the bottom 3

[Silent Bob]

We have not had a great start to season but we are not the only ones.
What worries me is that this year there is no stand out sure fire candidate to go down.
Its going to be a scrap and not sure if we are built for it.
Its going to be a nervy season until/unless we start putting a run of wins together.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Launchbury is going to struggle to get into the England squad for the 6 nations so I don’t think we will miss him as much as much as a regular international player.

The pack is good, I like our first choice front row for me it drops too much with the replacements.

2nd row is good if launchburys in it. I only have a problem with Rowlands because when I look at him he is a colossus and I say hell no one is going to stop him. Too often he takes the ball standing still, when he gets in on the run he normally scores a try. I maybe expect too much from him and when he as a ok game (which is more often then not)for me I’m expecting more. Gaskell is injured a lot but I do like him. As said before the back row is a strong point. I do like the 8 and I believe he will be great in 2/3 years let’s see if he is good enough now

For me 10 in a problem, he just can’t get going. Umaga will get there but not this season I do think we should play him more as he is better then our other options. But for us to be better this season we need someone at 10 playing better. 12 and 13 is ok 9 is good real shame about vellacott. 15 I’m not sure about have to wait and see. I know people will have a go but I’m not happy with are wing options. Bassett has dropped off alarmingly, Zach is great going forward but we do look very Vulnerable in defence and set up. Watson is ok but I want better and Paolo is a 2/3rd choice player.

I believe with the league going to be so tight this season we are about 4 players of real quality short.

Poor choices made by the coaching set up as put us in this position. Personally believe we will be in the bottom 3

I have been very (for me) quiet over these first few games. However. I agree with Westy, in the main. Bottom 3 seems very likely. A few lucky wins could see us a little above that. What to do about it is where I profess to be of no help at all. Rugby is not about individual players, so I am not sure about picking out some players.

It just isn't working. I have no idea what on earth is going on in the coaching sessions, but based on Dai's comments after the games, there is a major disconnect between coaching & training, and the games ... and someone better get on top of it, quick. During the Sale game, I saw little evidence of true leadership, effective decision making, or flexible team working.

They were just 23 individual athletes who might just as well have met each other for the first time a couple of days ago. Not Brothers in Arms.

[Rifleman Harris]

I wonder if they do any Sports Psychology or similar.  It seems like it is the top 2" that are missing.  We have been close in a number of games, better thought processes and clearer thinking could have yielded another 5 points at least and then things would be looking a whole lot more rosy.  We aren't playing well, but we aren't a million miles off the rest. A bit of leadership is needed and clearer thinking would go a long way.  The latter you can train with specialist help, the former is more innate I would say, and short of Gopperth and Shields I'm not sure where it will come from.

[Hymenoptera]

Hate to say it NWW but for me it is about individuals. If you have under performers its unfair to those that are performing to be in the same category.
I agree with Westy on the wing front, we have never invested in this area, we always relied on Wade. That said, whilst I wasnt sold on the Kibrige signing, I have been impressed with what he has delivered. Some question his defence, I believe the position he has been left in by the team structure is more to blame than him himself, time will tell. What I do know is he is a finisher..any weaker area's can be sorted. Marcus is a form player and doesnt work well in tight play, give him space then he's golden. Basset..sadly the decline in what he is now offering is alarming, he hasn't added anything to his game from when he broke through. I have yet to see anything from Dog to change my view on him. The stupidity he showed on Friday with an uncalled for kick in the face...less said about that the better.
Having watched every game of the first rounds I can say that whilst the table is grim, the on field play of us versus others isn't a mile away. Some games have been dire with a few stand outs. The difference is literally the individual mistakes and decision making. If they come good we will pick up wins...but when/if this happens I have no idea.

[Mellie]

It just isn't working. I have no idea what on earth is going on in the coaching sessions, but based on Dai's comments after the games, there is a major disconnect between coaching & training, and the games ... and someone better get on top of it, quick. During the Sale game, I saw little evidence of true leadership, effective decision making, or flexible team working.

They were just 23 individual athletes who might just as well have met each other for the first time a couple of days ago.

I suspect training has been spent working on a game plan which is rigidly adhered to during a game. If it doesn't work then we're stuffed. If game plan is changed but substituted for another rigid variety, e.g. when Sops was subbed against Sale, it is pointless if that doesn't work either.

Training has to be about recognising what's in front of you and reacting quickly to a pattern that everyone understands. I'm sure that's what Sarries do. It's fine to try to impose a game plan on the opposition but flexibility to react and change has to be key.

[Rossm]

If game plan is changed but substituted for another rigid variety, e.g. when Sops was subbed against Sale,

Just learnt that Lima was subbed due to his calf tightening up. More details in Gaskell injury thread.

[Mellie]

If game plan is changed but substituted for another rigid variety, e.g. when Sops was subbed against Sale,

Just learnt that Lima was subbed due to his calf tightening up. More details in Gaskell injury thread.

Maybe, but my point still stands. Billy came.on with a new strategy to kick everything long, presumably to play in Sale territory. It wasn't executed very well and didn't work but still persisted with none the less.