Backs - Thoughts on next season (long)

[Rossm]

I thought there was somewhat of a mystery injury which was caught in time, otherwise Matteo would have gone blind in one eye?

[Neils]

I thought there was somewhat of a mystery injury which was caught in time, otherwise Matteo would have gone blind in one eye?

I think the eye problem was in addition to the list given. Poor bugger.

[13thWarrior]

First, thank you for not mentioning Barbeary anywhere in that post
 
Second, thanks for laying it all out, I hadn't really appreciated what a potential problem we might have at 13. Will be interesting to see if one comes in soon.

I disagree 15 is particularly weak for us, I think Crossdale (with a run of games I think he'd improve a lot), Minozzi, and Umaga are more than good enough. I think the usggestion of Umaga playing his way back to 10 via a stint at 15 is credible too.

Finally, this highlights what an odd, if exciting, signing Haydon-Wood would be. If we really needed more cover at 10, going for someone more different to Atkinson, i.e., experienced, would have made much more sense. Will believe it when I see it.

[WonkyWasp]

Poor Matteo.  What an annus horribilis for the poor chap

[JonnyD]

Poor Matteo.  What an annus horribilis for the poor chap

This on the back of his publicised self removal from the Italy reckoning for a while due to his mental health. Hopefully all of his bad luck is behind him as there is no doubt that with a good run of games and some confidence he is a classy operator and see him equally able on the wing. If he has another year it makes Watson surplus to requirements in my opinion, especially as he’s probably on a pretty good wage and that money would easily pay for Baldwin, Williams and Dawkins for a few years.
It is true that a majority of other clubs have a production line of under 21 outside backs coming through and getting game time

[Bloke in North Dorset]

According to all.rugby Hayden-Wood has played at inside centre this year. At 5’ 10” and 85kg he isn’t a crash down the middle centre but perhaps the coaching team see 12 as a 2nd distributor? As someone commented, there isn’t another another Esterhuizen out there, so you play to the talent that is available. 

Having 2 inexperienced players at 10 & 12  requires a lot of faith in their talent, but with a Jacob at 15 that could lead to some wild and exciting backs play. 

[DGP Wasp]

According to all.rugby Hayden-Wood has played at inside centre this year. At 5’ 10” and 85kg he isn’t a crash down the middle centre but perhaps the coaching team see 12 as a 2nd distributor? As someone commented, there isn’t another another Esterhuizen out there, so you play to the talent that is available. 

Having 2 inexperienced players at 10 & 12  requires a lot of faith in their talent, but with a Jacob at 15 that could lead to some wild and exciting backs play.

Odendaal looks for all the world like an attempt to find another Esterhuizen, so where does that leave him?  13?

[baldpaul101]

For me Umaga is total confidence player.
If he can get his mind right, he's exciting & creative. If his mind is wrong, mistakes get made & the more mistakes he makes the more things go pear shaped & the harder he tries to make something happen.

I know he has worked on that side of his game & stepping away from people on social media having a pop can only have helped.
15 may be a better position for him as it takes the pressure off getting large amounts of ball & getting pulled into feeling he has to do something magical every time.

Dropping a confidence player & telling him to go away and work harder is, in my experience, not the answer. I know plenty on here think it is, no doubt based on their own experience of coaching/managing players. Lets see what Lee's approach brings Wasps for the rest of the season.

[Steve from Cov]

For me Umaga is total confidence player.
If he can get his mind right, he's exciting & creative. If his mind is wrong, mistakes get made & the more mistakes he makes the more things go pear shaped & the harder he tries to make something happen.

I know he has worked on that side of his game & stepping away from people on social media having a pop can only have helped.
15 may be a better position for him as it takes the pressure off getting large amounts of ball & getting pulled into feeling he has to do something magical every time.

Dropping a confidence player & telling him to go away and work harder is, in my experience, not the answer. I know plenty on here think it is, no doubt based on their own experience of coaching/managing players. Lets see what Lee's approach brings Wasps for the rest of the season.

I think your analysis is spot on and I believe Lee and his coaching team will get Jacob where he needs to be.

Jacob is immensely talented but just needs to develop his consistency and game management.

[westwaleswasp]

Minnozzi is a class act.
He has not shown it yet, but injuries have limited opportunities.
Give him a clear run and he will perform.

[Shugs]

Being brutally honest I don’t think Minozzi is that good. And certainly hasn’t been for Wasps. If he is here next year I’d be surprised even if he has a year on his contract. I wouldn’t even consider Haydon-Wood at 12 if all of Odendaal, Mills, Hartley and Le Bourgeois are fit.

[Neils]

Being brutally honest I don’t think Minozzi is that good. And certainly hasn’t been for Wasps. If he is here next year I’d be surprised even if he has a year on his contract. I wouldn’t even consider Haydon-Wood at 12 if all of Odendaal, Mills, Hartley and Le Bourgeois are fit.

Matteo has one year remaining.

[Shugs]

Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll see very much of him. All about opinions but at full back for me he doesn’t play ahead of Crossdale, Miller, Umaga or Simonds.

[Jac A]

Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll see very much of him. All about opinions but at full back for me he doesn’t play ahead of Crossdale, Miller, Umaga or Simonds.

With everything that has gone on for him I'm not sure how well Minozzi will come back and we do seem to have options ahead of him but I including Simonds as ahead of him seems a bit bizarre to me. Despite his issues, Minozzi is an international full-back (24 caps and 11 tries) who was in the 6 Nations Team of the Tournament and was in the team that got us to our last Premiership final, while Will Simonds has played little more than 200 mins of professional rugby in four years, none of that at 15.

[Shugs]

Minozzi’s achievements are all pretty historic whereas Simonds is a prospect. As it stands in the present day Minozzi may be the better full back (debatable) but Simonds is someone we need to develop hence playing him first.