Jacob Umaga

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Played again yesterday and scored 10 of Carnegie's 20 points (his last kick won them the game - a very difficult kick from the touchline, but it easily sailed over, dead centre). He had an excellent game at 12 by all accounts. I seem to recall Pendlebury saying he was back to play maybe on 17 December in the A team? That would suggest he would not be playing in the Coventry vs Carnegie game on the 15th, so his last game for Carnegie might be next Sunday vs Nottingham (at Nottingham, maybe a quick drive home to Kenilworth afterwards?).

Despite him playing full back for a game, it looks like he preferred position is still 12. I wonder how easy he will find it to get first team game time, and if he doesn't, will he leave?

[Vespula Vulgaris]

It's very early to be wondering about his motivation I'd say.

The things we know for sure are:

1) He haqs genuine talent
2) He plays well at 12
3) We are desparately short of a decent 12

I'd love to see how he goes at 12 with Lima at 10 inside him.  I am deeply unimpressed with Searle at the moment and think we need to be looking to get someone into the back line ahead of him if we are going to stand any chance of getting to the play offs this season.

[Rossm]

Despite him playing full back for a game, it looks like he preferred position is still 12. I wonder how easy he will find it to get first team game time, and if he doesn't, will he leave?

He's very much the new boy. If he wants game team, he's much more likely to get it if he's flexible as to which position he plays.

[wasps]

How much game time did he actually get in New Zealand, and was it all at 15?

[NellyWellyWaspy]

How much game time did he actually get in New Zealand, and was it all at 15?

He got very little, most of it was at 15, but he was training as a 12. He did a lot of kick training. If you see him now, he has that same metronomic precision as Jimmy Gopperth. He slots almost all of them over, from wherever. Here's a video from yesterday (the match winning kick - no pressure then!):

https://twitter.com/carnegierugby/status/1068896922679894017

You take what you can get to get on the pitch.

[Raggs]

He got very little in the Mitre cup, but was involved a lot when not injured at the next level down.

I still don't think he's solid enough to play 12, but as a 10/12 pair with Sopoaga could work with them both switching in as first receiver.

Now we no longer have Cips, whilst Sops still runs most of the game from 10, we also rotate the first receiver a lot more again, as we did before cips, and we have a lot of players capable of doing it, it means the opposition cannot relax, which is great news.

[wasps]

He's not sounding like the shoe-in that some on the other site had been suggesting

MlB is coming on really well in my opinion.
If we felt that Umaga was at that standard or better, them I'd agree that we should be giving him 1st team game time.
However it sounds like he hasn't really shown that level of quality yet, and therefore MlB should be the one continuing to get the game time.

I think that some posters feel that he'll be a superstar because of his family.... It doesn't always work like that.

He needs to be standing out in a championship side, winning MoM awards etc and showing to Dai that he isn't a gamble, but is already the real deal.
With our injury issues, Dai will jump at the chance to bring someone in that he knows can do the job....... But it's up to the player to make it a no brainer

[Brandnewtorugby]

There is also the conditioning. I think Dai felt forced to bring Jack in earlier than planned, he went well, but I seem to remember he had to try and manage his game time. As it happens his injury was caused by an awkward tackle angle I think and probably not so much to do with conditioning. Maybe 12 and 15 are less brutal than back row, but all players can find themselves in any role.