Levi Douglas

[COYW15]

Has joined Toulon

http://www.rctoulon.com/news/article/recrutement-le-deuxieme-ligne-levi-douglas-rejoint-le-rugby-club-toulonnais/

Google translated statement:

English Levi Douglas joins Rugby Club Toulonnais until the end of the season as a medical joker. Thus, he reinforces the Toulon second row and will compensate for the injury of Brian Alainu’uese.

With many experiences in England, Levi Douglas has played 11 games this season with the Wasps. Passed by Bath and the Scottish Londons, he will discover for the first time in his career the TOP 14 for the final sprint of the Red and Black.

[hookender]

Thought we needed cover?

[Beasties]

That's a bit of a shock with Launch crocked?

[Rossm]

Help! Don't we need a medical joker?

[HDAWG]

Are we actually going to have a match day 23 next season?

In all seriousness the lack of signings isn't very encouraging given the exodus.

[Neils]

Help! Don't we need a medical joker?

Yes Now

[Neils]

So who have we currently got fit for 2nd Row going into Quins? Will, Cardall, Gaskell(?) and our Georgian.  Can't think we have too many more.

[RogerE]

Well we're well stocked with back row players, so we can move the like of Shields there.

Oh wait a minute...

[BdeB]

Strange things are afoot at Ricoh. We are either cutting costs right down knowing that we can’t be relegated to save some cash in the short term or optimistically there is something big brewing either in terms of signings or commercially that might lead to signings.
Another thought might this be something to sweeten the fact that Brookes is resigning with us and not Toulon maybe breaking a pre-contract agreement? Wishful thinking maybe but we can all dream.

[Shugs]

Oddness abounds. Can't really work this out at all. Either from our point of view or theirs. The optimist in me imagines a mix up with the player headed to Toulon.

[Damian68]

Looking at Levi's Instagram page it would appear he's gone for good! Perhaps the use of an exclamation mark in his announcement signals that he feels he hasn't been given the opportunities he was expecting at Wasps (but perhaps I'm just reading too much into his use of punctuation).

[JonnyD]

Douglas could well be off at the end of the season anyway, maybe only given a one year deal so this opportunity could have come up, he gets to move to the south of France and put himself in the shop window.

Not sure Gaskell is back yet, Morris could be back from his broken nose to cover and shields could play there too but not ideal.
Arguably Jailani hasn’t played at this level yet despite his international experience so we are definitely short and don’t really have any younger options.
Rowlands and Cardall to start and then whoever is willing. Hopefully Gaskell will Be back or the lineout could go to pieces again

[HDAWG]

I mean surely we've got to have some big signings coming through. (Don't call me Shirley). Why else would we have the audacity to let a lock go? Exacerbated by injuries. Really don't follow this.

[will311293]

I have to be honest, i really hope Bobby brings this up in his next interview.

The lack of signings, outbounds and injured is starting to mount up, particularly in the forwards.

So in total we have:

Long Term Injuries - J Willis, Launchbury, Mills, Watson and Vukasonovic

Other Injuries - Barbeary, Minozzi, Spink, Alo, McIntyre, Cruse, Gaskell, Gopperth

Left - Douglas

Not Used - Thomas, De Jongh, Zhvania

On Loan: Simmonds, Sirker

So realistically we have the following available for rest of season

Oghre, Taylor, Brookes, Harris, Owlett, JTA, West, Cardall, Jaiani, Rowlands, Morris, Shields, Vailanu, T Willis, T Young

Porter, Robson, Vellacott, Wolstenholme, Umaga, Atkinson, Sopoaga, Fekitoa, Le Bourgeois, Bassett, Kibirige, Odogwu, Miller

So realistically, we are going to have 15 forwards and 13 backs to pick from in a match day squad? With 5 of those being props and 4 scrum halves?

This is going from unlucky to verging on poor management. Letting a player go mid season when we are already lacking is plain stupid even if he's not adding a huge amount.

Does this mean we have to use more academy players?

The strongest squad we can field now is

West, Taylor, Brookes, Rowlands, Cardall, Shields, Young, T Willis
Robson, Umaga, Le Bourgeois, Fekitoa, Odogwu, Bassett, Miller

Bench: Oghre, Harris, JTA, Jaiani, Morris, Porter, Sops, Kibrige

Leaving Owlett, Vailani, Vellacott, Wolstenholme, Atkinson and whatever De Jongh, Zhvania and Thomas are doing.

It's getting tough out here.

[Shugs]

I suspect this was agreed before Joe's injury. Although even if that was the case I'm not sure why.