I'd not watched Alfie play before he started for us in the back row.
However, I'd read a few game reports that questioned his line out throwing.
When you've got the open field pay that he has, if your line out throwing isn't up to scratch, there's little point in playing him as a hooker.
I'm also yet to be convinced by Oghre's throwing under pressure - obviously there was that one lineout at the death in the final, but I certainly won't hold that one against him.
However there were some other dodgy ones the next time he played too.
I'm willing to accept that it was just playing on his mind and that he was over trying (I also think our starting hooker struggled in that game too, so if may have been weather conditions etc)…...... But I want to see some good like out work from him before I put that one to bed.
I'd want to keep TT and Cruse if there's any doubt over the line out work if Gaby or Alfie
As for Brookes, we should be trying to keep him at all costs.
Tight head props as good as him are rare and expensive.
JTA is better in the open, Brookes is better at scrum time
It's an attritional position, so having 2 first choice props is not a bad thing.... Alo and Owlett will get plenty of game time