Always a Wasp
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31
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Front row options
« on: November 24, 2020, 09:01:20 PM »
Ok, hypothetical scenario
Next week is a season defining game or a cup final. We must win, and it's felt that it's important to have scrum dominance throughout the game to give us the best chance of winning.
What is your starting front row, and who do you have on the bench?
The loosehead side is the tricky one for me. I think I choose McIntyre, but I'm really not sure how I rank our loosehead props, purely on scrummaging ability
I think I go with:
1. McIntyre
2. Taylor
3. Brookes
16. Cruse
17. Harris
18. JTA
I think Oghre adds a lot around the park and at the breakdown, but in a do or die game where scrummaging is the focus, I'd still pick Cruse on the bench.
In a year or so maybe that changes... Or maybe we'll have seen more of Barbeary in the front row
Next week is a season defining game or a cup final. We must win, and it's felt that it's important to have scrum dominance throughout the game to give us the best chance of winning.
What is your starting front row, and who do you have on the bench?
The loosehead side is the tricky one for me. I think I choose McIntyre, but I'm really not sure how I rank our loosehead props, purely on scrummaging ability
I think I go with:
1. McIntyre
2. Taylor
3. Brookes
16. Cruse
17. Harris
18. JTA
I think Oghre adds a lot around the park and at the breakdown, but in a do or die game where scrummaging is the focus, I'd still pick Cruse on the bench.
In a year or so maybe that changes... Or maybe we'll have seen more of Barbeary in the front row
32
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Site navigation - on mobile
« on: November 24, 2020, 07:58:58 PM »I browse this site almost completely on a mobile (Android).
I'm the past few months, I'm finding it becoming less and less responsive - is anyone else finding this too?
In particular:
-- often clicking any button (compose new message, reply, quote etc), the site hangs and I either have to refresh or click the button again. Sometimes waiting 30 seconds will bring it back to life
-- when scrolling through a long post, the page becomes jerky
-- when typing messages, sometimes the text doesn't appear on screen... If I wait 30 seconds or so, or go back to my home screen and then reopen the browser, all the text appears
If no one else is experiencing these issues then I'll assume that it's something on my end.
However, is a fairly recent mid/high end phone that has no problem on other sites/forums
33
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Salary cap
« on: November 20, 2020, 11:19:29 PM »I was bored this evening and took a look at the salary cap rules.
A championship club getting promoted at the end of the 18/19 season, needed to provide documentation to prove that they abided by the premiership's salary cap in both 18/19 and 17/18.
That requirement to abide by the salary cap for 2 consecutive seasons before being promoted would have caused Saracens some real problems
However, it appears to have been changed in the documents for 20/21 and 21/22.
A club gaining promotion only needs to prove that they were within the premierships salary cap for that season.
There's probably a good argument that it makes sense to be like that
However, it fucking annoys me that they've changed it just to appease Saracens
34
Wasps Rugby Discussion / I'm at 6's and 7's
« on: October 28, 2020, 12:53:34 PM »Is Jack Willis a 6 or a 7, and does it matter?
I still think of blind side flankers as being like Richard Hill.
Tough tackler, ball carrying option, slowing down opposition set piece. Generally someone to stop the opposition playing
Open side flankers on the other hand, like Neil Back, were meant to win ball at the ruck, link play between the forwards and backs, and try to take out the opposition play maker (legally, of course). They also seemed to be everywhere on the park at once and the first to the breakdown.
So, where does Jack fit in this?
His headline skill is definitely winning turnovers. So does that alone make him an open side?
His general approach to the game seems to be "tough as nails, don't miss tackles". That's obviously a general skill for a forward, but he physically looks more like a blind side.
I don't think of ball carrying when I think of Jack, but also I've never seen anything you suggest he doesn't or can't.
He doesn't feel like a link player in the way that Thomas Young does. You'll often see Thomas breaking off a ruck into space, draw a defender and pass to a centre or winger.
So, without any other names in the team sheet, where does Jack get selected?
My gut feel is that you get best use out of him by using him as we do. A blind side flanker who just happens to be better than anyone else at stealing the ball on the ground.
35
Wasps Rugby Discussion / The last 5 minutes...
« on: October 26, 2020, 07:42:18 PM »What would you have done?
There's lots of comments on other threads regarding the decision to take the lineout, particularly after Gaby's first one went very wonky.
Try to take hindsight out if it, what do you do?
For me, I'm still not entirely sure that the they're was bad. It seemed that no one jumped, other than a half hearted attempt right at the back when it had already gone wrong. Was the call to the middle, rather than the rear and we actually had no jumper?
I'm sure it was playing in their minds that we'd been down the road before of drawing with Exeter at full time, but this time there was an option to actually win it.
It's also quite possible that Exeter could have worked their own penalty if we'd taken ours, and still lost.
With hindsight, it was obviously the wrong call, but in the heat of the moment, I'm happy to go the "no guts, no glory" approach.
36
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Tony Rowe thinks England have to much player access
« on: October 26, 2020, 07:19:56 AM »An article in the Telegraph this morning appears to be saying that Tony Rowe feels England get to much access to the players which is hurting the domestic game.
The article is behind a pay wall so I can only see the headline.
This will likely ignite the club v country conversations again.
It's a very difficult balance and it's unlikely both sides will ever be perfectly happy - particularly if there's a higher tenancy for players to get injured while on international duty
37
Wasps Rugby Discussion / The Times - sky sports to review rugby personnel
« on: October 17, 2020, 02:15:34 PM »The Times are running an article saying that sky sports are reviewing all of their rugby talent, with their highlight being that Will Greenwood's role is under threat.
I don't subscribe so can't see the whole article, but I didn't see any mention of Stuart Barnes which is where I'd start
38
Wasps Rugby Discussion / The grass isn't always greener - RL / RU
« on: September 20, 2020, 03:02:03 PM »
Luther Burrell is back and has signed for Newcastle
39
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Rugby conspiracy theories
« on: February 18, 2020, 11:29:29 AM »An article on ruck.co.uk
https://www.ruck.co.uk/5-rugby-conspiracy-theories-that-might-actually-be-true/4/
I've linked straight to page 4 because it's probably the biggest talking point
40
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Rugby quizzes on Ruck.co.uk
« on: January 27, 2020, 08:43:11 AM »I discovered last night that ruck.co.uk post quizzes on their website.
Their 2 Friday quizzes were pretty good, so I thought I'd post the links here for anyone who hasn't already seen them
https://www.ruck.co.uk/friday-rugby-quiz-1-how-well-do-you-know-the-game/
https://www.ruck.co.uk/friday-rugby-quiz-2-how-well-do-you-know-the-game/
41
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Will Saracens need a new sponsor?
« on: January 19, 2020, 08:03:58 AM »
I wonder if it's getting to the point where Allianz are concerned by their close ties to Saracens.
If they were to step away, who would want to sponsor Saracens following this debacle
Shamelessly stolen from Twitter
If they were to step away, who would want to sponsor Saracens following this debacle
Shamelessly stolen from Twitter
42
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Saracens - and news from Andy Goode
« on: January 18, 2020, 08:03:08 PM »Via Twitter
Hearing that Ed Griffiths the @Saracens CEO has been acting as an agent without an RFU license and also is representing some of the current Saracens players! Pretty sure this is against the @premrugby regulations and will be investigated as it means he shouldn’t be a club CEO....
43
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Everyone's First choice 15
« on: January 15, 2020, 01:01:08 PM »
I know it's not a 15 man game any more, and i know that rotation is required etc etc etc.
However, we can't qualify for Europe, so with no premiership games around, i'm bored.
We're about half way through the season, so on current form, if we were in the premiership final this weekend who would you pick as your starting 15?
Feel free to add a bench if you want
I would say that it's ok to pick players who are short term injured, but not those that have been injured long term.
i.e. Yes to Ben Harris, No to James Gaskell.
Just a bit of fun, so feel free to bend the rule if it helps
Here's mine
1. Zurabi Zhvania (honorable mentions to Tom West and Ben Harris)
2. Tommy Taylor
3. Kieran Brookes
4. Joe Launchbury
5. Thibaud Flament
6. Jack Willis
7. Thomas Young
8. Nizaam Carr
9. Dan Robson (I'm excited by Wusty though)
10. Jacob Umaga
11. Josh Basssett
12. Jimmy Gopperth
13. Malakai Fekitoa
14. Marcus Watson
15. Matteo Minozzi
The wings were the toughest decision here, and unfortunately it wasn't for the right reasons
Bench would be something like
Tom Cruse
Simon McIntyre (would be starting if he had any form to speak of)
Toomaga-Allen (his last couple of games have been better and i'm not convinced yet by Owlett)
Charlie Matthews
Brad Shields
Sam Wolstenholme
Lima Sopoaga
Michael le Bourgeois (although i nearly picked Rob Miller)
However, we can't qualify for Europe, so with no premiership games around, i'm bored.
We're about half way through the season, so on current form, if we were in the premiership final this weekend who would you pick as your starting 15?
Feel free to add a bench if you want
I would say that it's ok to pick players who are short term injured, but not those that have been injured long term.
i.e. Yes to Ben Harris, No to James Gaskell.
Just a bit of fun, so feel free to bend the rule if it helps
Here's mine
1. Zurabi Zhvania (honorable mentions to Tom West and Ben Harris)
2. Tommy Taylor
3. Kieran Brookes
4. Joe Launchbury
5. Thibaud Flament
6. Jack Willis
7. Thomas Young
8. Nizaam Carr
9. Dan Robson (I'm excited by Wusty though)
10. Jacob Umaga
11. Josh Basssett
12. Jimmy Gopperth
13. Malakai Fekitoa
14. Marcus Watson
15. Matteo Minozzi
The wings were the toughest decision here, and unfortunately it wasn't for the right reasons
Bench would be something like
Tom Cruse
Simon McIntyre (would be starting if he had any form to speak of)
Toomaga-Allen (his last couple of games have been better and i'm not convinced yet by Owlett)
Charlie Matthews
Brad Shields
Sam Wolstenholme
Lima Sopoaga
Michael le Bourgeois (although i nearly picked Rob Miller)
44
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Wasps injuries - Simon McIntyre
« on: January 09, 2020, 10:05:43 PM »
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-injury-updates-agen-rugby-17540834
The best news of all - Chesty has overcome his head injury and has returned to training.
Love that guy, can't wait to see him back on the pitch
The best news of all - Chesty has overcome his head injury and has returned to training.
Love that guy, can't wait to see him back on the pitch
45
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Most expensive positions
« on: December 30, 2019, 09:57:11 AM »
On one of the threads (probably a Saracens related one), I posted some statistics about the highest paid positions in the 3 main NH leagues for the 18/19 season.
Esportif have just posted the details for the 19/20 season
I don't really understand how they can compile this list if salaries are secret and only passed onto the salary cap manager... but hey ho.
For comparison, I've posted both the 18/19 and 19/20 details below
2018/2019
2019/2020
Esportif have just posted the details for the 19/20 season
I don't really understand how they can compile this list if salaries are secret and only passed onto the salary cap manager... but hey ho.
For comparison, I've posted both the 18/19 and 19/20 details below
2018/2019
2019/2020