2019-2020 transfers

I think there is a difference between occasionally taking opportunities to pick players who qualify on residency (Hughes and Solomona) and actively recruiting a player from overseas with the specific intention of making them a ‘Project Player’ i.e. CJ Stander, Josh Strauss etc.

For the most part, the England players who are considered ‘poaches’ have an English parent (Hartley, Te’o, Shields x2) or have lived in England for most of their lives/have come through the English system (Tuilagi, Cokanasiga). The Vunipola brothers are slightly more tenuous given their clear links to Wales.

 

Bastareaud to Lyon before he goes off to America.

The coaching staff and Bastareaud seem keen on playing him at No. 8 which could potentially be a good move for him. He’s very good at the breakdown and obviously has the size for it.

 

I've thought fo years that would be a far better position for him

 

Im keen to see this, 8/13, also on occasion could give you a 6/2 spit opportunity on the bench. On field centre cover.

 

Easy to imagine him leaping like a salmon in the lineout.....

 

Well he has the pace like a 13, looks like an 8 and jackles like a 7 so why cant he jump like a 5

 

When you say 13 I think you meant 3. When say 8 I think you meant 3....

 

So put him as a big ass prop haha

 

To be fair Bastareaud looks like a prop.

Since Tuilagi’s slowed down a bit, I’ve sometimes pondered whether he could make a decent 8 (for Tigers not England). He’s only an inch or so shorter than Billy and I think he’d be lethal carrying off the base of the scrum. His work at the breakdown isn’t particularly notable but he is very good at clearing rucks. Can’t ever see it happening, just a fanciful idea.

 

Christo Bezuidenhout or my namesake Bobby Skinstad could be added to the list of your exceptions. And I find it interesting that you talk about the reasons that people like Mtawarira turn out for SA as opposed to where they were born; due to social and economic problems in their country of birth. Kind of sounds like a similar rationale to that for players who move from SA to play for a country like Scotland

Thanks again for playing

 

Or any PI playets, or namibians, or any non tier 1 nation tbh aha

 

Exactly. The poster in question appears to have drawn a rather arbitrary line in saying players turning out for SA but not born there are ok, but players turning out for Scotland (or England, Ireland etc) but not both there are not ok.

 

Guy Armitage to London Broncos

 

Peter Sullivan of Lansdowne has been picked up by Connacht on trial.
Also Conan O'Donnell on the Ollie Jaeger road less travelled is playing with Counties Manukau after leaving the Sunwolves. Good experience for him, but he was such a promising player I'm surprised he didn't make it at Connacht even with injuries.

 

Joe Ford head coach (and player) at Yorkshire Carnegie @Tigs Man

Yikes

 

So one brother is gearing up for a world cup and is second choice in the whole country and the other has just realised those who cant.. teach.

 

Napoleoni Nalaga to Lokomotiv (Russia)

 

Bristol Bears have signed teenage former American footballer Tyrese Johnson-Fisher on a one-year contract.


Would love it to work out for him!

 

he's from the UK. he came here to play football and after one season it didn't work out. He had a highlight reel from his rugby playing days that went viral and that's why he came over.

 

Yeah I know "American footballer as in ex American footballer" obvs rugby as well ahah who hasn't seen those highlights!!!