RaboDirect Pro 12 Round 1, 2

[Peat]

If we struggle against Court and Afoa, how will we fare against Ayerza/Stankovich and Cole/Castrogiovanni, Steenkamp/Poux and Johnston/Kakovin.

Your underrating of Ulster props has been noticed and will be punished.

More seriously, we did get a penalty try off of Leicester in pre-season - albeit with Castro at LH - and have dicked on a number of sides in recent times with this scrummaging line-up. There are better scrums than ours, but not by much.

 

[welshglory]

You've got a brilliant first choice front row but you don't have that much depth there after that.

If we're playing against Leicester and Toulouse and they can bring on these destructive scrummagers and adding the fact that we don't have a backline that can cause any damage to compensate, then we will be in for a tough ride.

 

[Amiga500]

You've got a brilliant first choice front row but you don't have that much depth there after that.

Last year, I would have agreed with you.

This year, a lot is changing. One year's more growing for the youngsters and we've all of a sudden got real depth across the entire squad (except for the half-backs).

 

[big ginger 8]

If we struggle against Court and Afoa, how will we fare against Ayerza/Stankovich and Cole/Castrogiovanni, Steenkamp/Poux and Johnston/Kakovin.

Afoa and Court are both strong scrummagers and proven at international level.

 

[welshglory]

Afoa and Court are both strong scrummagers and proven at international level.

I'm talking more about the depth.

 

[big ginger 8]

Debatable.

In his actual position of Loosehead nah it's not.

 

[welshglory]

In his actual position of Loosehead nah it's not.

Compared to Ayerza and Steenkamp it is

 

[big ginger 8]

The term proven is subjective. In my view to be proven at international level you need to hold you own against all the major nations. Five of Court's six starts at international level are against Canada, Samoa, Scotland and USA.

True but he has held his own against the likes of France(one time he gave Mas who I think was also a sub a bad enough time), New Zealand, South Africa and England when he's come on. I'm not saying he's someone who'll dominate other teams scrums at international level but he won't give much in terms of penalties or meters to the other team.

Compared to Ayerza and Steenkamp it is

That's not the point I said he's proven internationally and your original post almost belittled them.