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State of Your Team for next season?

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monkeypigeon

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With essentially all the end of year (In the NH) development squads are now coming home from the likes of the Junior World Cup, Churchill Cup and IRB Nations Cup, we've had a chance to see many of the acedemy players and fringe players who will be forcing their way into their respective squads over the next year or so.

So it's a simple question of what state do you think your team are in for next year? Everyone will probably be overly optimistic (unless from Bath) so feel free to give your thoughts on the talent coming through on other people's home team but this really here for learning what to watch out for and expect in the rugby world next year.

What will your squad look like? Who needs to be kicked out and where does the squad need strengtening? Hopes and Aspirations?

I'm from Munster so I'll talk about them later,
Northampton folk can concentrate on Northampton,
London Irish news will come from Reading,
Some South African guy will fill us in on Sarecen,
I'm sure sure somebody will vollenteer and talk about Wasps seeing as they have no fans,
and I'm sure Toulon fans will pay someone else to write this for them...

Hopefully we'll all learn lots...
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Monkeypigeon @ Jun 22 2009, 10:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
I'm sure sure somebody will vollenteer and talk about Wasps seeing as they have no fans,
and I'm sure Toulon fans will pay someone else to write this for them...[/b]
Lol.

Llanelli Scarlets: good young talent coming through. The backline looked very solid during the end of season run in, and they'll have Sean Lamont there next season to replace the permanently injured Mark Jones. We have Rhys Thomas at prop, so we'll be slightly less awful up front. I definately expect some good things from the side. Nothing special. Realistically we can hope for two victories in Europe, since we're rebuilding, plus we're in the Champions' pool, and somewhere in the top 4 in the Magners would be very good.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Monkeypigeon @ Jun 22 2009, 10:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Everyone will probably be overly optimistic (unless from Bath)[/b]

Hmm...well i AM cautiously optimistic about Bath. Watson and Salvi (now confirmed) look great additions to the back row, as well as skirving, and we've been promised two new signings in the backs, as well as the name Ross Skeate being thrown around as a second row replacement for harrison. Along with Barkley returning at inside centre and wilson filling in the space where stevens left, that leaves us a lot more promising than i could imagine come the beginning of the summer. Our potential best squad next season looks like this

1. Flatman
2. Mears
3. Wilson
4. Hooper
5. Short
6. Beattie
7. Salvi *until november when Watson can play*
8. Skirving *Salvi after november*
9. Claassens
10. Davis/mystery signing *Until Butch returs*
11. Banahan
12. Barkley
13. Hape
14. Maddock
15. Abendanon

Not as bad as i thought :D
 
Stormers to end last in next year's Super 15/16/18 or what ever its going to be called, because they will be without JDV :cryy: :p

Lots of our "good" players are leaving for Europe or have retired, JDV will probably join Munster, Schalk Brits is off to Sarries, Mujati to Northampton I think, Watson to Bath, AJ Venter & Monty have retired and Peter Grant might go play down-under...

Hopefully guys like Burger, Bekker, Fondse, Duane Vermeulen, Gcobani Bobo, Conrad Jantjes, Chavhanga & Willem de Waal will stick around so that we have a solid-ish base to build around with the "new" guys.

Pretty tough season awaits the Stormers next year -_-
 
Leinster... pffwa lot of rebuilding to do, last year was really the culmination of about 7 seasons of crud but we're losing two big players in Contepomi and Elsom and by the looks of it we're trying to fill the void with our own products.I dunno what happened with the whole Mike Ross thing tho so I wont includer him. I'd say we'll look something like this:
1) Healy
2) Jackman
3) Wright
4) Cullen
5) Toner
6) O'Brien
7) Jennings
8) Heaslip
9) Reddan
10) Sexton
11) Fitzgerald
12) D'arcy
13) O'Driscoll
14) Horgan
15) Kearney/Nacewa

Not too shabby I would think. There'll be alot of switching in the back 3 what with us having 4 or 5 very good players in that area. Also expect to see Fergus McFadden get alot of gametime in the centre . I reckon this is the year Toner finally overtakes O'Kelly and break his way into the first XV. Even without Elsom I think it's a team to challenge for the crown again what with the likes of Sean O'Brien coming through to take his place.
 
Well up untill recently it was always worrying about the backs with a solid pack...but now the pack are turning into fossils just as the backs are starting to get drips of yooung blood (and there are a few coming through) we start worrying about the forwards again. Particularly at prop.

1.Horan,
2.Flannery...with Fogarty being developed because he's looking very good,
3.Hayes....with some sort of futile attempt to bring Buckley's scrummaging upto scratch.
4.5 POC and DOC with Ryan getting game time too,
6. Alan Quinlan/Niall Ronan?? We need a new quality 6 to emerge fairly pronto or bring someone in
7. Wallace
8. Leamy

9. That Moreland fella untill O'Leary is Fixed.
10. O'Gara/Warwick and Andrew Burke slowly being given game time.

12. Mafi (presuming that De Villiers isn't coming)
13. Earls

11. Murphy
14. Howlett
15. Jones

Hopefully we'll also see a bit of Ciaran O'Boyle who looked good in the few matches he got last year, Scott Deasy who's coming out of the Acedemy and was fantastic in AIL2 last year and Darragh Hurley.

Hopefully we can fight for Magners and Heineken Cup again and work on developing the squad without having a shiitty development season(s) like seemed to happen to the Scarlets.
 
Peter Stringer, Ian Dowling?

Best case scenario, Munster backline

9. Tomás O'Leary (back in November I think, Stringer until then)
10. Paul Warwick
11. Keith Earls
12. De Villiers
13. Lifemi Mafi
14. Doug Howlett
15. Felix Jones

20. Peter Stringer
21. Ronan O'Gara
22. Barry Murphy
 
Well Sale, we're losing a lot of good players (JM Lobbe, Chabal, White, Lamont, McAllister, Keil etc') and have so far brought in some uninspiring replacements. So no Premiership or Heineken Cup challenge next year I would think.

I'd like to see this team:

15. Marika Vakacegu
14. Mark Cueto
13. Matthew Tait
12. Anitelia Tuilagi
11. Ben Cohen
10. Charlie Hodgson
9. Dwayne Peel

1. Andrew Sheridan
2. Neil Briggs
3. Eifion Lewis-Roberts
4. Kristian Ormsby
5. Dean Schofield
6. Chris Jones
7. Luke Abraham
8. Sisa Koyamaibole
 
Lots of excitement surrounding Saints' potential for next season. Already made good solid signings in the likes of Dowson, Vickerman and Geraghty, with rumours of a South African international to be announced at the end of the Lions tour. Fingers crossed for Mr Habana, but I secretly think it might be JP Pieterson. No evidence to support this, but you heard it here first if I'm right. There are also some excellent youngsters coming through, the best of which has to be Courtney Lawes. Already made a bit of a name for himself in the line of destroying French scrum-halves, so will be hoping to add to his experience and really try and nail down a starting spot if possible.

Potential team based around current status could read:

1. Tonga'uiha/Mujati
2. Hartley
3. Murray
4. Lobbe/Lawes
5. Kruger
6. Best
7. Gray
8. Wilson

9. Dickson
10. Myler
11. Reihana
12. Downey/Geraghty
13. Clarke/Ansbro
14. Diggin
15. Foden


Should be plenty of competition for places, a top 6 finish and a real go at getting out of our tough Heineken Cup group would be nice. I think we could cause a few surprises over the next 12 months.
 
The Brumbies are about to embark on a 4 game French tour against Bourgoin-Jallieu, Bayonne, Perpignan and Toulon...

The team will comprise of frontline players not involved with Wallaby duty (Hoiles, Chisholm, Shepherdson etc.) as well as Brumbies Academy players...

With Giteau returning home and Rocky Elsom signing up the Brumbies have managed to get two of the best players in the world currently... plus, Valentine has come across to continue his partnership with Giteau and there's a chance Huxley will return... with all the talent and depth they have in the squad only a series of mass injuries can cost them a place in the finals next year...

Anything less than a finals spot will be seen as a failure...

Possible lineup -

1. Alexander
2. Moore
3. Shepherdson
4. Hand
5. Chisholm
6. Elsom
7. Smith
8. Hoiles ©
9. Valentine
10. Giteau
11. Fainifo
12. Smith
13. Mortlock
14. Mafi
15. Ashley-Cooper

16. Edmonds
17. Maafu
18. Kimlin
19. Chapman
20. Phibbs
21. Toomua/Lealiifaano
22. ?
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Intercept King JdV @ Jun 22 2009, 10:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
Stormers to end last in next year's Super 15/16/18 or what ever its going to be called, because they will be without JDV :cryy: :p

Lots of our "good" players are leaving for Europe or have retired, JDV will probably join Munster, Schalk Brits is off to Sarries, Mujati to Northampton I think, Watson to Bath, AJ Venter & Monty have retired and Peter Grant might go play down-under...

Hopefully guys like Burger, Bekker, Fondse, Duane Vermeulen, Gcobani Bobo, Conrad Jantjes, Chavhanga & Willem de Waal will stick around so that we have a solid-ish base to build around with the "new" guys.

Pretty tough season awaits the Stormers next year -_-[/b]

Julian Salvi is off to Bath as well... who else have they got in their backrow?

I'm surprised that the Brumbies didn't retain Salvi but Chapman didn't want to go back to the Reds... we've got so many lock/backrowers for next year - Chisholm, Kimlin, Hand, Chapman, Timani and Vanderglas...
 
I'm from Nottingham, but support the Ospreys (My dad's birthplace was just outside Neath) for obvious reasons.

I think we've got the poental to be pretty good next season, providing the squad can gel again, as they did in the 07/08 season, as they started to play as indivduals, not a team lately.

Forwards will be much-improved, now Duncan's fit again, and with a couple of new signings. However, with Adam Jones out until Christmas, looks like Duncan'll be having to play on the Tighthead side and leave Loosehead to Paul James. *Sigh* Back row should be good, in particular.

1- Paul James
2- Huw Bennet
3- Duncan Jones
4- Ian Gouth
5- Alun Wyn Jones
6- Jerry Collins
7- Filo Tiatia
8- Ryan Jones

I hope they play Ryan Jones at 8, as it is his best position.

Backs are even better, though. Dan Biggar or James Hook at Fly-Half? And when playing Biggar, does that mean we've got to play Hook at Centre (Over either Henson, Parker or Bishop) or Fullback (Over Byrne)? Choice is good. Wings are better, mind. Tommy Bowe, Nikki Walker and Shane Williams all up for consideration....

9- Mike Phillips
10- James Hook/Dan Biggar
11- Shane Williams
12- Gavin Henson/James Hook (If not at 10)
13- Andrew Bishop
14- Tomym Bowe (Possibly Nikki Walker)
15- Lee Byrne

As I said, pleanty of decent choices. Good stuff.
 
We're f***ed. ;)

Ideally:

15. Lee Byrne
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Andrew Bishop
12. Gavin Henson
11. Shane Williams
10. James Hook
9. Mike Phillips

1. Duncan Jones
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Ian Gough
5. Alun-Wyn Jones
6. Jerry Collins
7. Marty Holah
8. Ryan Jones ©

16. Huw Bennet
17. Paul James
18. Ian Evans
19. Jonathan Thomas
20. Jamie f***ing Nutbrown I guess
21. Dan Biggar
22. Nikki Walker
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cyRil of Ospreylia @ Jul 12 2009, 08:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
We're f***ed. ;)

Ideally:

15. Lee Byrne
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Andrew Bishop
12. Gavin Henson
11. Shane Williams
10. James Hook
9. Mike Phillips


1. Duncan Jones
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Ian Gough
5. Alun-Wyn Jones
6. Jerry Collins
7. Marty Holah
8. Ryan Jones ©


16. Huw Bennet
17. Paul James
18. Ian Evans
19. Jonathan Thomas
20. Jamie f***ing Nutbrown I guess
21. Dan Biggar
22. Nikki Walker[/b]

That is one freaking good backline and backrow! :eek: :mellow: :huh:
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Intercept King JdV @ Jul 12 2009, 07:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cyRil of Ospreylia @ Jul 12 2009, 08:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
We're f***ed. ;)

Ideally:

15. Lee Byrne
14. Tommy Bowe
13. Andrew Bishop
12. Gavin Henson
11. Shane Williams
10. James Hook
9. Mike Phillips


1. Duncan Jones
2. Richard Hibbard
3. Adam Jones
4. Ian Gough
5. Alun-Wyn Jones
6. Jerry Collins
7. Marty Holah
8. Ryan Jones ©


16. Huw Bennet
17. Paul James
18. Ian Evans
19. Jonathan Thomas
20. Jamie f***ing Nutbrown I guess
21. Dan Biggar
22. Nikki Walker[/b]

That is one freaking good backline and backrow! :eek: :mellow: :huh:
[/b][/quote]
Perhaps you can begin to see the frustrations us as fans have had over the last 5 years with the ridiculous underachievement of our team.
 

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