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New Giant second row
Topic Started: Jan 5 2017, 05:44 PM (328 Views)
big mac returns
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https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/news/latest-headlines/2017/jan-2017/saints-bring-in-second-row/
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happyclapper
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Looks like a prospect but know nothing about him!!!!
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Rushdensaint
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Welcome David, hopefully he will be treated better than Victor Matfield!,
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ElmaFudd
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Sounds good most have acknowledged our pack is too lightweight this should add some much needed power behind the front row.

Welcome to the Saints David.
Edited by ElmaFudd, Jan 6 2017, 08:48 AM.
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Wibble
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Agreed. Welcome

We have quite a lot of forwards available to us now and the question will be can we keep them all happy? Well I think between the bench and rotation we should be OK but i worry for our youngsters that they dont seem to get given a go before we bring in someone from outside the club. That said, we do have quite a good percentage of home grown players in the wider 23 for most matches so thats probably just my imagination.
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happyclapper
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We need to remember that not everyone from the academy is going to make it.
So the likes of Onajaife, Ludlum etc, may be decent academy players but aren't really ready, and may never be ready, for the step up. Only the coaches will know this from looking at them in Wandies and training.
"Giving them a go" does not mean they will get better and suddenly make the jump up. They've got to show something first, then they'll be given the go. We do have a track record of giving players a go when they are good enough:
Wallers
Heywood
Courtney
Craig

To name but a few...
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Hood56
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Rushdensaint
Jan 5 2017, 08:08 PM
Welcome David, hopefully he will be treated better than Victor Matfield!,
What have I missed? I thought Victor got quite a decent amount of game time and it ended on good terms?
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big mac returns
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Wibble
Jan 6 2017, 11:29 AM
Agreed. Welcome

We have quite a lot of forwards available to us now and the question will be can we keep them all happy? Well I think between the bench and rotation we should be OK but i worry for our youngsters that they dont seem to get given a go before we bring in someone from outside the club. That said, we do have quite a good percentage of home grown players in the wider 23 for most matches so thats probably just my imagination.
Peters, Onojaife and Moon seem to be the lads that are being by passed.

to me this seems to be in keeping in what Jim has done though out, we rarely go and sign big names, they tend to try and get players they thing they can make better. Here we seemingly have a very young lad that has been through one of the best academy systems around that has produced some amazing locks, we must have a connection out there, and we reckon we can turn him into a top player.

in terms of second row

day lawes (both outstanding, lawes is away during season and day is 33 so prob has a few years left_
craig paterson ( both shown glimpses but never really lived up to first team standard, solid squad players, cant see them getting better)
Api (admittedly new and looks a decent player, but probably like paterson solid but not top drawer)

none of them are youngsters none are going to improve dramatically (you'd imagine) and possibly in the long term they could leave.

so to replace these players in the long term we have,

Moon Peters Onjaife and now ribbans. four big big boys who are all still very young, by the time the current first teamer would be retiring it would be about the right time for these guys to step up.
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happyclapper
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I imagine the new fella has come for game time, not to Wandie/Bench. After all it seems he was well thought of in SA. So unless he wants to live in England and play for England, he's here for a couple of seasons of game time (like Kruger) before going home.
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big mac returns
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Hes much younger though and has no super rugby experience.
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happyclapper
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True, but can't think why else he'd move if not for first team experience. I'd be surprised if we're not seeing him regularly in the first team.
But it is looking congested now...
Lawes
Daisy
Patterson
Api
Craig

Unless Daisy is close to calling it a day (oh yes, I did do that) and Ribbans is seen as the long term replacement. With Api and Patterson providing backup?
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ElmaFudd
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With England blessed with qualitity in the 2nd row. The driving factors are game time and money. I think we could see him preferred to Api/Craig and Patterson as 2nd choice after a little time. Depends on the length of his contract but as HC says maybe a nod to a Daisy replacement.

Thing is last season we were confident in our strength in depth in the 2nd row and we were soon stretched thanks to injuries. Only takes a couple of bad ones and international call ups for Lawes and our options are light.

I'm hoping he'll be a rough diamond.
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Ossie Reborn
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Can he kick?
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ElmaFudd
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Nope
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happyclapper
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Eales could so who knows?!?!?!?
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Bedford Saint
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Well before Daisy decides to hang up his boots we should be discussing a lineout coaching role with him, very underrated in my opinion.
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danjsaints
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Jan 7 2017, 08:20 PM
Well before Daisy decides to hang up his boots we should be discussing a lineout coaching role with him, very underrated in my opinion.
Not a bad shout. Just bought a new place in Northampton apparently so clearly family very settled here. His role as RPA chairman obviously isn't full time so fingers crossed we can keep him on the books somehow.
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happyclapper
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If that's what he wants to do, then he certainly deserves a crack at Saints. The correct thing is to give him a responsibility with the academy and see how he gets on.
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