Category: Premiership Rugby

URC 2023/24: 7 to Watch

URC 2023/24: 7 to Watch

It feels like it has been gone for ages, but we are now just weeks away from the beginning of the new United Rugby Championship season! Things are a little different this year, with the league kicking off later due to the World Cup, but some things remain the same, and that means the return of my “Players to Watch” series, where I look at all the players who have moved clubs this summer and pick out 7 players who I think we should be keeping an eye on this season. And as usual, we have a nice blend of domestic transfers and new arrivals to the league…

Paolo Odogwu

After years of being messed around by Eddie Jones, Odogwu nailed his colours to the mast of the Italian flag and finds himself at the World Cup, and he will be remaining in Italy following the tournament after moving to Benetton. Capable of playing 1 or wider, Odogwu is a talented and dangerous attacker, compact but lightning fast with good upper body strength. Became available following the demise of Wasps, having spent the remainder of last season on loan with Stade Francais.

Willie le Roux

A player I absolutely love watching and will continue to argue does not get the recognition he deserves. Though not the best defender, le Roux is a talented and experienced playmaker who can come in at first receiver but thrives in wider channels where he can release his outside man or send them over for a try with a perfectly timed pass. His move to the Bulls from Toyota Verblitz will give so much support to Johan Goosen/Jaco van der Walt at 10.

Santiago Cordero

That Cordero is so down the pecking order with Los Pumas seems a little wrong, but also shows the quality they have in the back 3. A player who I loved watching tear up the Premiership for Exeter (albeit grudgingly when it was against Gloucester), Cordero is an elusive attacking star who is capable of playing wing or fullback. After carrying on his top performances at Bordeaux, his move to Connacht will be a warning to teams not to kick loosely against them.

Alex Nankivell

Munster may be losing a talented centre in Malakai Fekitoa, but they are replacing him with Chiefs 13 Alex Nankivell. Though never capped by the All Blacks, he has been a capable and consistent performer for the Chiefs for years, with his reliable defence earning him multiple appearances in Māori All Blacks or All Blacks XV squads.

Taine Plumtree

A player already catching Warren Gatland’s attention, Plumtree was eligible for South Africa, New Zealand or Wales, but chose to leave the Blues for Wales and the Scarlets and found himself immediately brought in to Wales’ World Cup training squad, and may have made it to France had he not been disrupted by injury. A strong but dynamic player with a wide range of skills, he looks like he will be comfortable across the back 5 of the scrum at club level, and more likely a 6/8 at Test level.

Steven Kitshoff

With respect to Ulster, it is not easy to hold level with rival provinces Munster and Leinster, but the arrival of one of the best looseheads in World Rugby will certainly help with that! An impressive scrummager, he is also strong and dynamic in the loose, but also an elite jackal at the breakdown, likely to provide at least a couple of turnovers per game.

Danilo Fischetti

A key member of the Italian national team, Fischetti made the Premiership version of this list last year as he earned a move from Zebre to London Irish. Unfortunately, Irish’s demise and tight budgets see him returning to Zebre this season, where he will be a key player for them. He’s like the younger, Italian Kitshoff; good in the scrum, always willing to put in a hard carry or tackle and usually earning a couple of breakdown turnovers each match. Hopefully he will get his big move again soon.

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Which new signings are you most looking forward to watching?

Thanks for reading!

Movember_Partner Badges_Proud Mo Grower_BlackThis year, I’m doing Movember a little different with my Movember Marathon.

You can find all the details on my announcement.

Visit my JustGiving page for updates or if you would like to donate.

Help me to change the face of men’s health!

Movember_Iconic Mo_Black

Premiership Rugby 2023/24: 7 to Watch

Premiership Rugby 2023/24: 7 to Watch

It feels like it has been gone for ages, but we are now just weeks away from the beginning of the new Premiership Rugby season! Things certainly feel different this season, with us going in knowing that we are down 3 teams following the losses of Worcester, Wasps and London Irish, while the league is also kicking off later due to the World Cup, with the majority of the Premiership Rugby Cup (this year also including Championship teams) currently underway and being used as an introduction to the new season.

But while there may be differences in the Premiership this season, some things remain the same, and that means the return of my “Players to Watch” series, where I look at all the players who have moved clubs this summer and pick out 7 players who I think we should be keeping an eye on this season. And as usual, we have a nice blend of domestic transfers and new arrivals to the league…

Finn Russell

I would argue that last summer was a disaster in building a playing squad for Bath, but things worked out in their favour as it left them cap space to make the first moves in scavenging Worcester for their best players, picking up Ted Hill and Ollie Lawrence, which saved them from a season that should have been of disappointment. They have made moves for this season though, with the notable signing of Finn Russell from Racing 92. One of the most talented fly halves in the world, Russell gives them the experience and quality they were missing to move the team around the pitch and make them a real threat.

Benhard Janse van Rensburg

One of the stars of London Irish’s final season with his solid defence and incredible carrying. Bristol have lost some key players from their back line this summer in Semi Radradra and Salesi Piutau, and while van Rensburg may not be a direct replacement, he will add a key physical element with the ability to consistently get his team over the gain line and create the space for fellow signing Virimi Vakatawa to shine.

Joe Hawkins

A transfer that (for now at least) has brought an end to what appeared to be a promising international career. Hawkins’ transfer to Exeter made him ineligible for Wales’ World Cup squad, as he decided that the uncertainty in Welsh Rugby was too much of a risk. Exeter have lost a number of stars this summer, but Hawkins is a fantastic pick-up, physically strong enough to hit the line himself but also with the playmaking ability to spread the ball, while he also has experience at 10 to push Harvey Skinner with Joe Simmonds now gone.

Zach Mercer

A star at Bath for years who any smart international coach can see was the obvious option at 8 for England, Mercer made the decision to go to Montpellier and proved himself equally capable at Montpellier, becoming a firm favourite with his wide range of skills and his incredible workrate. Now he returns to England with Gloucester and after being cut early during England’s World Cup preparations will be looking forward to showing Steve Borthwick what he is missing. Expect him to become a favourite of the Shed in no time at all.

Burger Odendaal

The second South African 12 to make this list, Odendaal just beats out Tom Pearson—who was incredible for London Irish last season—as Northampton’s signing to make the list. Had an incredible start to last season, being almost unplayable for Wasps until their demise. Has kept himself going with a stint in Japan with Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and now returns to wreak havoc on the Premiership. Saints have a talented back line, but have generally lacked that physical option in midfield to help them against teams like Sale and Saracens… but expect Odendaal to provide that.

Luke Cowan-Dickie

Sale looked to potentially be in trouble at hooker with both Ewan Ashman and Akker van der Merwe moving on this summer, but jumped in to snatch Cowan-Dickie after his move across the Channel fell through. A physical but mobile hooker, the only worry here is his tendency to throw himself at the legs of ball carriers, which should be penalised more often, but ore importantly sees him putting his body at serious risk.

Juan Martín González

One of the new stars of the Argentina national team, González is a perfect all-round option at either 6 or 8. Strong enough to stop a carrier in their tracks and keep them held up on their own, he also has great pace with a long rangy stride (think Tom Croft in his prime) and is also a more than capable option in the lineout. Now he finds himself moving to Saracens following the collapse of London Irish, and you can expect him to become a regular in their ideal back row. Not only that but a back row combination of González, Ben Earl and Theo McFarland could potentially be the fastest to ever feature in the competition.

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Which new signings are you most looking forward to watching?

Thanks for reading!

Movember_Partner Badges_Proud Mo Grower_BlackThis year, I’m doing Movember a little different with my Movember Marathon.

You can find all the details on my announcement.

Visit my JustGiving page for updates or if you would like to donate.

Help me to change the face of men’s health!

Movember_Iconic Mo_Black

XV of the Finals

XV of the Finals

Any regular readers will know that I love to put together a combined XV, and after taking a little more interest in the latter stages of European competition this year for the first time in a while, the plan was to put together a combined XV from the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals. Unfortunately—or maybe not as it turned out—I was too busy that week, so with the Premiership and URC finals now also watched, I decided to hang on just a little longer to make it a European competitions’ finals’ XV by also accounting for the Top 14… and then because that wasn’t enough, I held off for 1 more week to also account for the Super Rugby Pacific final, as that meant that my XV would now account for the finals of all rugby’s top tier men’s club competitions. So for those who have missed some of the finals, what happened?

  • Sergio Parisse ended his career on the high of a Challenge Cup victory as Toulon overcame a number of injuries during the match to overpower Glasgow
  • Leinster came flying out the blocks with 3 early tries, only for La Rochelle to fight back and clinch victory in arguably one of the greatest Champions Cup finals in memory
  • A spirited Munster side ended the season with 6 away matches on the bounce and overcame an early intercept try as they defeated the Stormers to win the United Rugby Championship
  • Saracens’ championship experience saw them outlast a powerful Sale side for their first Premiership Rugby title since their relegation for breaching the salary cap
  • La Rochelle were denied the double (and their first Top 14 title) as Romain Ntamack’s late try saw Toulouse emerge victorious
  • The Crusaders said farewell to head coach Scott Robertson (who will be taking over as head coach of the All Blacks following the World Cup) as they overcame a powerful but ill-disciplined Chiefs side for yet another Super Rugby Pacific title

And so it is time to bid farewell to the club season by picking the 15 men who make my Team of the tournament. Let me know how my picks compare to yours!

So without further ado, the players who make up my Combined XV are:

1) Tamaiti Williams: The 22-year-old has just been called up for the All Black’s Super Rugby campaign and showed why with an impressive performance. With limited scrums, the young loosehead was able to focus on his play in the loose, where he carried hard and used his size to become an immovable object over the ruck while claiming a vital turnover.

2) Dan Sheehan: Firmly establishing himself as one of the best and most exciting hookers in world rugby. Very few hookers could have replicated his efforts for his 2 early tries, while he remained a dynamic and dangerous performer until finally being removed with 2 minutes left.

3) Uini Atonio: One of the behemoths that Ronan O’Gara uses to devastating effect. Scrums hard and carries even harder. Used his size to good effect to help batter both Leinster and Toulouse.

4 & 5) Scott Barrett & Will Skelton: The Crusaders skipper put in a huge second half performance. Carried hard as always, but also came up with a crucial lineout steal in his own 22 and used his dynamism to make a number of important tackles on the nimble and pacy backs in the Chiefs backfield. Meanwhile, Will Skelton was putting in performances that will have made it hard for Eddie Jones to ignore, using his size and power to carry the hard yards and having a huge impact entering breakdowns with force.

6) Levani Botia: Surprisingly given we’ve created this squad from 6 matches, nobody at blindside really stood out enough to secure a spot on this list, so Levani Botia takes the spot after just missing out on the  shirt. Did give away a few penalties as he played on the edge, but carried hard in both of La Rochelle’s matches, while he forced Leinster to account for him at the breakdown, neutralising the impact of Josh van der Flier.

7) Charles Ollivon: Rightly saw his try disallowed for being offside at a lineout, but this showed his alertness as well as his handling skills. Carries hard but comes alive in a bit of space and uses his huge hands to get offloads away to his support men.

8) Grégory Alldritt: Arguably one of the hardest positions to pick. Parisse was instrumental in his swansong, Gavin Coombes was vital for putting Munster on the front foot, but Alldritt gets the vote here. Carries hard, is a constant threat at the breakdown but also does the most amazing job of presenting the ball back at every breakdown when tackled to allow quick ball.

9) Baptiste Serin: You always want your scrum half to be pulling the strings in a game, but such was Serin’s performance in his 40 minutes on the pitch that he gets the nod here. He didn’t just pull the strings for his team but was the ultimate puppet master. That France can have both Dupont and Serin feels almost unfair on other teams.

10) Owen Farrell: Special mention to Jack Crowley whose overcame his inexperience to direct Munster to victory in front of a partisan South African crowd, but Owen Farrell gets the nod after pulling the strings for Saracens. Appears to play with much more freedom and happiness compared to when in an England shirt, and that really does bring out the best in him.

11) Leicester Fainga’anuku: Gabin Villière was fantastic for Toulon but injury limited him to just 40 minutes which opened the door for Toulon’s newest wing Fainga’anuku. Carried hard and smart throughout to put the Crusaders attack on the front foot, while in defence he came up with a number of crucial turnovers,including the match-winner. It’s a shame that at just 23, the Rugby World Cup could be the last we see of him on the international stage (though he would become eligible for Tonga in time for the 2027 tournament).

12) Jonathan Danty: His yellow card towards the end of the Champions Cup final certainly made things closer than many would have liked, but beyond that he was so impressive. Can always be trusted to carry hard in attack and front up in defence, while proving a nightmare for the opposition at the breakdown. His try against Leinster helped turn the momentum in La Rochelle’s favour.

13) Santiago Chocobares: It’s been a couple of years since he was capped by the Pumas, but the 24-year-old is maturing as a player and must be close to a World Cup spot. Did a great job to front up against La Rochelle’s physical attack, and took his opportunity when it came to score the opening try against the run of play.

14) Emoni Narawa: Another year, another breakout talen added to the All Blacks’ ranks. Narawa was arguably one of the stars of the Super Rugby final and was desperately unlucky to be on the losing team. Took both his tries so well, even if one was chalked off for Damian McKenzie’s inability to stay back 10 metres at a lineout, and also showed up well on both sides of the kicking game.

15) Cheslin Kolbe: Shaun Stevenson almost stole this spot with a great performance for the Chiefs, but Kolbe’s performance stuck with me. Did his usual in attack, but what really stood out was his ferocious defence towards the end, with a pair of brilliant man-and-ball tackles on Kyle Steyn just 5 out from the Toulon try line.

Movember_Partner Badges_Proud Mo Grower_BlackThis year, I’m doing Movember a little different with my Movember Marathon.

You can find all the details on my announcement.

Visit my JustGiving page for updates or if you would like to donate.

Help me to change the face of men’s health!

Movember_Iconic Mo_Black

Premiership Rugby 2022/23: 7 to Watch

Premiership Rugby 2022/23: 7 to Watch

It feels like it has been gone for ages, but we are now just weeks away from the beginning of the new Premiership Rugby season! While there may still be plenty of stories to play out between now and the opening games on 9ᵗʰ September (Bristol v Bath and Sale v Northampton), it’s time for us to start getting excited for another season of rugby.

And that can only mean one thing: the return of my “Players to Watch” series, where I look at all the players who have moved clubs this summer and pick out 7 players who I think we should be keeping an eye on this season. And as usual, we have a nice blend of domestic transfers and new arrivals to the league…

Ellis Genge

The news that Leicester Tigers captain Ellis Genge would be returning back home to Bristol was already somewhat of a shock, and now feels even more of a surprise after last season ended with him lifting the Premiership title, but after developing from a dynamic young prop into a genuine world-class talent it will be interesting to see just how well the baby rhino adapts to a new team. Genge’s ability in the loose certainly seems a good mix with Bristol’s expansive attacking game as they look to put the disappointment of last season behind them.

Albert Tuisue

Gloucester’s only new arrival of the season, the Fijian back row will be looking to quickly establish himself as a favourite of the Shed following his move from London Irish. In a back row corps that already boasted Jordy Reid, Lewis Ludlow, Ben Morgan, Ruan Ackermann, Jake Polledri (returning from injury) and Jack Clement (Senior Academy) among a number of other talented academy players, Tuisue will bring his own brand of strength and athleticism, and if rumours of Zach Mercer arriving a Kingsholm for the 2023/24 season are to be believed, he will have to be consistently at the top of his game to make the 23.

Handré Pollard

Tigers may have just won the title, but they are facing a big reset this season with a number of big names leaving. And part of that reset is the arrival of South African Pollard to be the new fly half. On paper, it feels like Leicester would have a playstyle that would suit him, with a strong pack and a back line featuring game managers at 9, physical centres and explosive game changers in the back 3, but he comes in with the pressure of having to follow on from George Ford, while much of his last season in France was spent at 12.

Danilo Fischetti

One of my favourite signings of the summer, I’m just absolutely gutted that he isn’t coming to Kingsholm. The Italian loosehead is quickly developing into one of the top props in the world, and this move from Zebre to London Irish will see him training with and competing against some of the best i the world on a weekly basis, which can only be good news for his development and the Azzurri. Watch out for him racking up the turnovers at the breakdown.

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto

This seems an interesting move for the 25-cap Wallaby, as it will be bringing a halt to his international career. The Queensland Red makes the move to Northampton, and I feel that this could be the move that makes his career. Formerly a back row but now a lock, Salakaia-Loto brings dynamism and strength, and has plenty of experience for a 25-year-old. An expansive attacking team like Northampton will surely benefit from his qualities, while I think that a couple of years in the Premiership could help his development as a lock, setting him up to be a key part of the Wallabies squad when he returns Down Under in a couple of years.

George Ford

As I alluded to earlier, Ellis Genge isn’t the only big name leaving the defending champions this summer, as George Ford moves to Sale. Ford is a clearly talented player, and was in some of the form of his life at Leicester with Steve Borthwick. Will he be able to maintain this form at Sale, whose back line’s most notable talents will be the injury Risk called Manu Tuilagi and fellow new signing Tom O’Flaherty?

Hugh Tizard

And finally we reach Hugh Tizard, who moves to Saracens off the back of a fantastic season with Harlequins. Tizard was a standout player at the Stoop last season and I was honestly shocked that he did not tour with England this summer, such was his dynamism and general talent. Now the big question is on the gametime he will get, as he moves from a club where he was a guaranteed starter to a side that already boasts Maro Itoje, Nick Isiekwe and Theo McFarland at the position.

Which new signings are you most looking forward to watching?

Thanks for reading!

Upward Trajectories

Upward Trajectories

After a highly impressive victory over Toulouse in the semifinal, many were expecting Leinster to once again win the Champions Cup final last weekend. However, La Rochelle had different ideas, and Arthur Retière’s late try helped secure a 24-21 victory for the Top 14 outfit.

And while many people will be celebrated for the victory, one notable name is really adding to their legacy: Ronan O’Gara. The Munster and Ireland fly half had a legendary playing career which has seen him inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame, but his coaching career is taking him to even higher levels. After retiring from playing in 2013, O’Gara joined Racing 92 as a defence coach, who won the Top 14 once during his 4-year spell. From there, he moved to New Zealand to join Scott Robertson’s Crusaders team as a backs coach, and during his spell there, the Crusaders won back-to-back Super Rugby titles. After this success, O’Gara jumped up to the top spot as head coach of La Rochelle. Having been promoted to the Top 14 in 2014, the team had been developing some consistency in making the playoffs, and O’Gara built on that, with the team losing in the finals of both the Top 14 and the Champions Cup (both to Toulouse), before taking the step forward to win the ultimate European prize this season. And while results have generally gone well, it is also the performances and O’Gara’s way of thinking that has drawn praise from players, pundits and fans alike. It’s hard to imagine anyone else being the frontrunner for the Irish job if Andy Farrell were to step away right now, and in fact probably the bigger question is whether he comes back to lead a province beforehand, especially with Munster going through somewhat of a rebuild this summer and also seeing Graham Rowntree come in as head coach.

With O’Gara’s growth and development surely making an international appointment just a matter of “when” rather than “if”, it got me thinking of some other coaches whose success surely has them deserving of—or well on their way to—an international head coaching gig.

Scott Robertson

If I’d been in charge of selecting Steve Hansen’s successor, Robertson would already be the head coach of the All Blacks. While the All Blacks have faltered, the Crusaders have continued their success, and Robertson has been key to it. After the dark days of the end of Todd Blackadder’s reign, which saw the team finish as low as 7ᵗʰ in the 2015 and 2016 Super Rugby seasons, the team won 3 Super Rugby tournaments in a row and were running 3ʳᵈ when the 2020 Super Rugby season was halted by COVID. However, they then won back-to-back Super Rugby Aotearoa titles, while a 3ʳᵈ-place finish in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman saw them miss out on a spot in the final by just 6 points (which must have hit them hard as they conceded a try at the death in 2 wins, one of which even denied them a bonus point). However, they once again finished in the top 2 of the table in the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific season and (at time of writing, ahead of the quarterfinals) will be looking to earn that title over the coming weeks.

Robertson is (in my opinion) one of the top coaches out there, and I’ll be shocked if he is not appointed the All Blacks head coach following the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

 Steve Borthwick

Another player whose quick turnaround of a struggling team to return them to greatness, Steve Borthwick already has experience in an international coaching setup as England forwards coach, before moving to Leicester. Tigers had just finished 11ᵗʰ in back-to-back seasons, but Borthwick immediately turned things around and got the team back into the top half of the table in the 2020/21 season, before topping the table in the 2021/22 season to secure a home semi-final.

Though he has limited experience as a head coach, he has showed that he can get a team united in one vision and turn around a team with high expectations in a tough league, while his experience at Test level both as a player and forwards coach would set him up as a great option for many international teams, perhaps he will even be Eddie Jones’ replacement after RWC2023.

Stuart Lancaster

The former England head coach has the ignominy of leading England to their pool-stage exit at RWC2015, but it is clear that other parties were interfering with that run—highlighted by the Sam Burgess saga. However his move to Leinster, where he is a senior coach, has seen him earn praise across the board, while Leinster have won 4 consecutive Pro14s, a Champions Cup and at time of writing are probably the favourites to win the inaugural URC having topped the combined table.

Such has been his success, it’s time that he gets another shot at Test level, perhaps with a nation that has slightly lower expectations than England (how much would an Italy/Georgia/USA benefit from a coach of his calibre) while teams like Wales and Scotland may also want someone reliable to steady the ship following the disappointing (so far) reigns of Wayne Pivac and Gregor Townsend.

Shaun Edwards

The best defensive coach in World Rugby. The former Wigan rugby league star has become known for his time as defence coach of Wales, the 2009 British & Irish Lions and now France, where he has solidified himself as one of the best coaches in the game. But he also has plenty of head coaching experience, having led Wasps (then London Wasps) from 2005-2011, having started there as a defence/backs coach in 2001. Edwards’ trophy cabinet speaks for itself:

  • Wasps assistant coach: 1 Heineken Cup, 3 Premierships
  • Wasps head coach: 1 Heineken Cup, 1 European Challenge Cup, 1 Premiership
  • Wales assistant coach: 3 Six Nations
  • France assistant coach: 1 Six Nations

Edwards sets a culture within the team, which helps lead to success. If the RFU aren’t looking at him as Eddie Jones’ replacement following the World Cup, it will be a crime!

Who else would you add to this list?

Premiership Rugby 2021/22: 7 to Watch

Premiership Rugby 2021/22: 7 to Watch

With the newest season of the Premiership just weeks away, it’s that time of year again when I look at the all the Premiership teams and select 7 players new to their clubs this season who I think we should all be keeping an eye on. It’s safe to say that I’ve had mixed results in the past with my picks, but hopefully after a season off (sadly with the amateurish way the league was being ran in COVID and a number of loan moves just allowing Saracens to get a leg up on this season, I found myself not interested) I’ll find myself doing a bit better with my selections.

A quick reminder of the rules:

  • Players must be new transfers into the club. Academy graduates/short-term contracts from last year that have now signed longer permanent contracts/players who joined the club midway through last season/players returning from loans will not be included
  • Maximum 1 player per team, even if they have multiple players deserving of a spot on the list

So without further ado, let’s get on with the list…

Adam Hastings

The arrival of Danny Cipriani to Gloucester had a massive impact on the team. The pack were able to get on the front foot and the former England international had the skill and vision to unlock the backline, leading to the Cherry & Whites’ most successful season in years. Sadly a combination of injuries and issues in his private life, combined with less success from the Gloucester pack meant that the success was fleeting and after he was able to leave his contract early, Gloucester were left with Lloyd Evans and young George Barton as the team’s specialist 10s. Bringing in Hastings from Glasgow once again gives the team a top international quality 10 to unlock a team full of potent attacking threats, while his goal kicking percentages (an issue for many Gloucester kickers bar Barton in recent years) could be the difference in close games.

Huw Jones

Last year’s champions Harlequins are seeing quite a change of personnel in their midfield this summer, with centres James Lang, Michele Campagnaro and Ben Tapuai all on their way out, but Huw Jones arriving from Glasgow. Jones has had his ups and downs for both Glasgow and Scotland since arriving from South Africa, but is a real attacking talent who at his best can be a top tier 13. Combine him with Marcus Smith at 10 and with either Paul Lasike/André Esterhuizen drawing defenders’ attention at 12, and this could be the chance for Jones to thrive.

Marco van Staden

The Tigers have had a few down years but look to be getting back on track with the arrival of Steve Borthwick and a new exciting back line. What they need now is to secure the ball for said backs. And who better to help with that than Marco van Staden. The 26-year-old arrives from the Bulls off the back of a summer with the Springboks, where he has been showing his impact (literally) with some physical performances off the bench. Tigers fans are never going to turn down a big bruising forward, don’t be shocked to quickly see him become a fan favourite at Welford Road.

Mike Brown

While Nathan Earl was also a potential pick here, I’ve gone for Mike Brown as my new arrival in Newcastle. After 16 years at the club, Mike Brown was unceremoniously considered surplus to requirements at Quins, but rather than end his career as a one-club man, he has signed for the Falcons and will surely have a point to prove. A former England regular, Brown’s form in recent seasons has arguably been as good as (if not better than) when he was playing Test rugby. His experience, grit and determination will be great for young outside backs like Adam Radwan and Mateo Carreras to learn from.

Ruben de Haas

So this is maybe a bit of an outside pick as with former Wales international already at the club and 6-cap Springbok Ivan van Zyl also joining, de Haas’ game time may not be at the same level as many of the other players on this list. And yet the USA international (yes, Salarycens can still field 3 internationals at 1 position!) is a quality young player who has really impressed with the Eagles and certainly deserves his chance to play and learn in a top league.

Vaea Fifita

All Blacks coming over to the Premiership tend to fall into one of 2 categories: superstars or disappointments. Fifita certainly seems like a player with the potential to go either way. The former Hurricane looked to be the man to replace Jerome Kaino in the All Blacks’ 6 jersey when he was first capped, but never managed to secure the position and has dropped down the pecking order over the years. However, he is still a strong player who is a dangerous carrying option in the loose, while his ability to play either lock or flanker gives a degree of versatility to Wasps’ team selections.

Duhan van der Merwe

With plenty of handy players arriving at Sixways, a Worcester signing was always going to make this list, and the one who secured the spot was Duhan van der Merwe. Scotland’s South African-born winger has impressed in recent years for Edinburgh, and replicated his form for both Scotland and the British & Irish Lions. With great pace and incredible strength, van der Merwe will be a nightmare match-up for opposition wingers. Don’t be shocked to see him high up on the try-scoring charts come the end of the season.

 

Who would you put on this list?

This year, I will be running a predictions league for the Premiership on Superbru, and you are all invited! It’s free to enter and entirely for fun.

For those of you who have never done this before, each week you select who you think will win each match and by what margin (a draw is also an option) and you will be awarded points depending on how successful your predictions are.

Interested? You can join my league here or by downloading the Superbru app and searching for the pool with code densjest

 

Thanks for reading!

A Prize Worth Fighting For

A Prize Worth Fighting For

There were crazy scenes in France over the weekend as Steffon Armitage slotted the kick that won Biarritz a penalty shoot-out against Bayonne to earn the final spot in next season’s Top14. Biarritz had finished 3ʳᵈ in Pro D2, but made it through the playoffs (which include the top 6 teams, with the top 2 getting byes in the first round) to the final, where they lost to table-topping Perpignan.

Meanwhile over in England, RFU Championship table-toppers Ealing Trailfinders were hammered 0-60 at home in the home leg of the final against Premiership cheaters Saracens, who were fielding a team chock-full of internationals. Saracens are now just 80 minutes away from being welcomed back into the Premiership, despite rules on promotion stating that a team needs to be able to show proof that they have been within the salary cap for the past 2 seasons (which they haven’t) in order to be promoted. Get ready for a season of BT peddling the “revenge tour” or “redemption tour” narratives for all of their matches.

The final was just a formality anyway, as Ealing had just found out that Premiership Rugby had denied them the opportunity to be promoted as they failed to provide proof before a set deadline that they had a home ground that met requirements. Of course, it’s never that simple though, as Ealing knew their home ground wasn’t sufficient so arranged a ground share for a suitable stadium, but were awaiting confirmation from Premiership Rugby as to the finding they would receive as a non-shareholder in the Premiership. In a league where the majority of teams are being forced to go semi-pro due to the lack of funding from the RFU, it is already hard enough for a team to rise up and challenge the relegated Premiership team (who get a parachute payment to help them) for a spot in the top flight without all the extra red tape and efforts against them from Premiership Rugby.

This is not sustainable in the long term, and it is a clear ploy to introduce a long-term ringfencing of the Premiership sooner rather than later (this is already happening this season due to the impact of COVID-19 on the table). Meanwhile, talent continues to leave these shores to go to France, where both the Top14 an Pro D2 are fully professional and a third tier of professional rugby is soon to come into effect. Only with such a model can a top-flight team have any realistic chance of holding onto its top players when being relegated, while the depth in the quality of player base grows as teams face tougher tests on a weekly basis.

The Premiership may be one of the best rugby leagues in the world, but by the RFU letting them have their own way and not sufficiently supporting the other leagues, the chance of another fairytale story like that of Exeter looks like nothing more than a work of fiction…

Post-Lockdown Blues

Post-Lockdown Blues

We’re 3 rounds into the return of Premiership Rugby following the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and if I’m being completely honest, I couldn’t care less! Almost as soon as the competition went on hiatus, my feelings were that the season should just be considered null and void and preparations should be made for the 2020/21 season. And while I have really tried to give the competition a chance, the action we’re seeing is making me feel that I was right.

feat rugby sale gloucester lineout

The season should have been over months ago, so in order to cause minimal disruption to the next season, the remaining games are being crammed into the shortest time possible. While this may work fr a limited contact game like football, the body needs time to recover and this is a nightmare for player well-being, as teams are having up to 3 matches in a week. What this is leading to is heavy rotation within teams between matches, and this has taken away any point of these games being competitive. Bristol’s rotation saw them put out a largely 2ⁿᵈ string (if no weaker) side against a Sale team that was close to its ideal XV. That Sale ran away with the game says nothing about their ability and everything about the lineups being used, while we had similar in Exeter’s demolition of Worcester and Bath’s win at Leicester. Even in Gloucester’s match against Tigers this weekend, the game was a rout in the first half until Tigers brought their stars off the bench and Gloucester took their big names off to keep them fresh. Yes, we as fans want to see tries, but we don’t want to see a team having a glorified training session running though a vastly inferior lineup. Alex Shaw put it best on Twitter when he asked if the integrity of the individual matches being sacrificed (uneven squads) to maintain integrity of the competition (play whole fixture list), and I can’t help feel that the answer is yes, which as a result is ruining the spectacle of such a good competition, while now a team may also make the playoffs thanks to playing a number of weakened teams at the expense of a better team who continually faced XVs that were close to the ideal selection. There is no easy way to get around all this, and it will leave questions over whoever wins the competition, which could have been avoided by having an extended preseason to prepare for 2020/21.

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Considering the amount of international rugby coming in the next 12 months – the Home Nations have the Autumn Tests, Summer Tests, the remains of the 2020 Six Nations, the 2021 Six Nations and the British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa – the rest caused by a longer preseason would have benefited everybody, while also allowing players to adapt to the new interpretation of the breakdown, which has only further ruined the early weeks of matches as penalties are given continuously while players learn the limits of the officials’ tolerance.

feat rugby kingsholm gloucester main stand west terrace

The issue of player selection doesn’t even just come down to squad rotation, but also the players available to pick from. Due to the season having gone longer than usual, player contracts expired, and that has led to a number of players moving clubs mid-season (like Ben Spencer’s transfer from Saracens to Bath), leaving the league altogether (Will Skelton), signing short-term contracts to stay with the club until the end of the current season (Franco Marais), signing short-term deals with a new club until the end of this season (Matt Garvey, who is currently with Gloucester after leaving Bath) or entering the league midway through the season (Jonny Gray). Even the players Saracens are loaning out when they are in the Championship next season are already playing for their new clubs! What this has led to is completely different squads – especially when you look at the turnover at a club like Leicester – competing in this final stretch of the season, including the playoffs, and giving a completely different feel to this final stretch. You just have to look at Northampton’s struggles since the restart after being one of the best teams in the league pre-COVID to see how heavily impacted this season has been, and as such it doesn’t feel like a continuation of what came before.

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Obviously, I understand that with a league that is not ring-fenced, I understand that usually the league season would need to be completed if only to see who would be relegated, but this season that was not an issue as Saracens were already officially relegated as their punishment for years of cheating by breaching the salary cap. I would argue that the Sarries case even added to the argument to make the season null and void as if you look back at the lineups they were putting out before the lockdown, they were heavily varied first as they looked to try building up enough points to avoid relegation despite the initial points deduction, before then resting a their first XV as they switched their attention to Europe. How would it have been fair if a spot in the playoff was decided by one team beating Sarries’ 3ʳᵈ XV while another lost to their 1ˢᵗ XV? With Saracens relegated, it would have been easy enough to declare the season null and void, relegate Saracens – with Newcastle coming up in their place – and then using last season’s standings (with teams below Saracens pushed up a spot) to decide who qualified for the 2020/21 Champions Cup. It may be harsh on teams who improved this year, but it seems that it would have been a fairer way to do things.

Feat rugby london irish gloucester lineout

Instead, we’re stuck watching 1ˢᵗ XVs piling on the points against glorified A-League lineups in empty grounds that takes away home advantage, while being forced to listen to awful manufactured crowd noise. Coming off the back of Super Rugby Aotearoa, it looks an absolute shambles.

feat rugby Twickenham WC england wales empty

Unfortunately, what is right is not he priority for the RFU or Premiership Rugby. We see all the time that the organisations only care about what will get them money or keep them safe, as seen by the loss of contracts for the England 7s program, or the way that deserving teams like Georgia never get a shot in Tier 1 tournaments but Japan buy their way into SANZAAR competitions. The league season is being finished, the competition put in jeopardy and players put at risk is just for money, and that has to change if we want the rugby to go to the next level.

feat rugby kingsholm panorama

The Gloucester Rugby XV of my Life

The Gloucester Rugby XV of my Life

Anyone else missing rugby during this pandemic? Yeah, me too!

As you may have seen with my regular posts, I have been keeping my rugby brain working during this lockdown by creating XVs or matchday 23s. Recently I selected my Gloucester 23 for this season, but as I was doing so, I found myself going down memory lane and thinking of some of the brilliant players that have featured for the cherry and whites through the years… and so that is what I am looking at today.

For this, I will be selecting a Gloucester Rugby XV of my favourite players to have represented my beloved Gloucester Rugby since I took an interest. I got into rugby when I went to secondary school, which was just in time for the success of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph and Gloucester’s 2003 Powergen Cup win and loss in the Premiership final. What I have also done is made the decision to pick my favourite players rather than the players I think are the best (although some will be the same!) as the game has changed so much over the years, making it difficult to give a true comparison.

For this article, I also reached out to my friend and occasional contributor Phil for his list, to see the similarities. As we go through, Phil’s selections will be bracketed and in red.

1: Nick Wood (Nick Wood):- This was not an easy pick at all. For ages, I was thinking to the formidable Gloucester pack of my early years and trying to pick between World Cup winner Trevor Woodman and Argentine hero Rodrigo Roncero. Then, a couple of clips on YouTube reminded me of Nick Wood. “The Commander” was an underrated player and a great operator at the scrum. Since retiring, he has gone on to become a referee – how great must it be to a have a ref who knows exactly what is going on in a scrum?!

2: Richard Hibbard (Olivier Azam):- There were 2 clear standouts at hooker and it appears Phil and I were split as to who came top. Ollie Azam was a part of those legendary Gloucester packs and I always remember my cousin once saying that you could tell were he was on the pitch by seeing the opposition players being thrown into the air. Hibbs got my vote here though (potentially in part a recency bias) as he always looked to give 110% on the pitch and always enjoyed the sight of him in either attack or defence looking like a little cherry and white cannonball with flowing blonde locks.

3: Phil Vickey (Phil Vickery):- John Afoa was under consideration here, but recency bias wasn’t enough this time as he lost out to Phil Vickery. The Gloucester and England captain and World Cup winner certainly earned the nickname “The Raging Bull” with his physicality and was a fantastic player whose career was unfortunately hampered by injuries, which eventually led to his release in 2006.

4 & 5: Alex Brown & Jeremy Thrush (Alex Brown & Marco Bortolami):- This was not easy to pick at all and the fact that I probably missed names even in my honourable mentions (Bortolami, Ed Slater, Franco Mostert, Jim Hamilton and Tom Savage) shows just how great our options have been at lock. Bortolami was such a big name for club and country and at the time one of the best locks in the world, but I went for a much more recent (though not as long-serving) player in Jeremy Thrush, who brought his All Blacks quality to a team severely lacking in the pack at the time. Both of us were set on Alex Brown, though, in no small part due to his consistency (a record 87 consecutive starts, despite a series of injuries through his career) and his mastery of the lineout. Though injury forced him to retire in 2012, he continues to work at Gloucester Rugby to this day.

6: Jake Polledri (Jake Polledri):- That both of us picked a young flanker who only came into the squad in the last couple of seasons and probably hasn’t reached his peak yet shows just how highly we rate Jake Polledri. The Italian back rower is a fantastic talent, with the pace to cause trouble in open space, but the power to make ground almost every time he gets the ball. I can see him going on to be one of Italy’s superstars.

7: Akapusi Qera (Akapusi Qera):- The fact that we both picked Akapusi Qera over one-club man Andy Hazell shows just how highly we regard the Fijian. Q was a fantastic back rower for Gloucester and England, combining FIjian flair, physicality and breakdown nous to create one hell of a player. Though he left Gloucester in 2014, he is back as part of the Glaws family as he currently plays for Hartpury College.

8: James Forrester (Luke Narraway):- Luke Narraway was a fantastic player and a great servant to Gloucester Rugby, but my mind could not pass beyond a player who could have gone on to be a superstar were it not for injuries: James Forrester. Forrester had the blend of pace and power and also the ability to produce at the lineout, but his career was cut short by a knee injury aged 27. Despite this, he was a key part of Gloucester’s success in the early 2000s and scored the winning try in extra time of the 2006 European Challenge Cup Final, getting on the end of his own grubber kick through.

9: Dan Robson (Andy Gomarsall):- There have been so many quality 9s at Gloucester even just in the time that I have been watching rugby (Jimmy Cowan, Greig Laidlaw, Rory Lawson, Willi Heinz to name just a few) while I also just missed Dmitri Yachvili’s time at Kingsholm. World Cup winner Gomars quickly became one of my favourite players in my early days and the story of his career post-Gloucester that saw him go from struggling to find a club to being England’s starting scrum half in the 2007 Rugby World Cup is a great tale of not giving up. Having said all that, I was shocked to not find myself picking him, but I instead saw him just beaten out by Dan Robson. Robson was a fantastic player for Gloucester (and has remained so for Wasps) but I always felt that he never got his fair shot at the starting spot with a litany of star names being brought in ahead of him, and it was this defence of him during those seasons that came to mind first when picking my scrum half.

10: Danny Cipriani (Danny Cipriani):- Considering the amount of quality fly halves Gloucester have had since I became a fan (including Ludovic Mercier, the Burns brothers, James Hook and Nicky Robinson), the fact that Danny Cipriani was a unanimous pick says a lot about him. He is one of the most talented players I have ever seen and his golden wrists were key to Gloucester’s success last season. But what has elevated Cips even further is his openness regarding mental health and his #BeKind campaign this year – he’s made mistakes in his life but he is becoming a real role model and I would love him to see out his career at Kingsholm.

11: Jonny May (Lesley Vainikolo):- Big Les was a fantastic attacking player when on form and had an impact similar to that of Taqele Naiyaravoro currently at Northampton. Ollie Thorley has the potential to take this spot if he stays at Kingsholm long-term, but my current pick is Jonny May, who I am thrilled to see returning to the club next season. May is pure pace and I always loved seeing his meandering runs that would result in him finding and exploiting a gap by turning on the afterburners. His try for England against New Zealand will live long in the memory.

12: Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu (Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu):- I was very close to selecting Mark Atkinson, who I believe to be highly underrated, but in the end I found myself agreeing with Phil’s pick of Fuimaono-Sapolu. The Samoan may be a controversial figure, but there were 2 big moments that stuck in my mind making this selection: his intercept try in the dying seconds to salvage a 41-41 draw at Welford Road in 2011 and the craziest of one-handed dummies against Newport.

13: Terry Fanolua (Terry Fanolua):- Had injuries not ruined so much of his career, Henry Trinder had the potential to compete at this spot, but right now it was an easy choice. One of the first overseas players in the Premiership, I still remember to this day hearing the Shed chanting his name. Fanolua was a key player in the successful Gloucester squads of the early 2000s and at the time he left the club, he had more Premiership appearances and tries than any other player in cherry and white.

14: James Simpson-Daniel (James Simpson-Daniel):- Of course this was a unanimous pick! Charlie Sharples deserves a mention and Louis Rees-Zammit has the potential to fight for a spot in the XV in the future, but it would be at the expense of Jonny May, such is the level Sinbad is on! Ask a Gloucester rugby fan who should have received more caps, I doubt many would say someone other than him, such was his quality, but his career was heavily impacted by injuries. As well as scoring a wonderful try for England against the Baabaas that saw him round Jonah Lomu, he also played a key part in one of the greatest tries in Gloucester Rugby history – turning Lawrence Dallaglio inside out right in front of the Shed before feeding James Bailey for the try. He is without a doubt my favourite player in all of rugby.

rugby thinus delport15: Thinus Delport (Tom Marshall):- Very interesting selections here and it’s certainly one I look forward to discussing with Phil much more over a pint when the lockdown is over. Marshall is a fantastic all-round player but never really came into serious contention for me. Jason Woodward is a player I could watch with ball in hand all day, while Olly Morgan is the James Forrester of the backs, but Thinus Delport gets the nod for me. Perhaps a big part of it is the memories of him as the starting 15 during my early years as a fan as Gloucester fund success, but I think a big part of it is remembering my cousin having a massive crush on him. I finally managed to help her get a picture with him a few years back and was immediately cropped out of the image – that’s gratitude for you!

 

Who would make your list?

Until next time!

2019/20 Gloucester Rugby 23

2019/20 Gloucester Rugby 23

The COVID-19 pandemic is seeing me going crazy with no sport to watch and it’s no shock to say that I have been missing watching my beloved Gloucester Rugby play.

It’s not been the best of seasons for the cherry and whites, who find themselves 9ᵗʰ in the Premiership table with just 4 wins from 13 games, however one bright spark has been the amount of international representation this season during both the World Cup and the Six Nations. Despite the bad results, I still feel that this is a very strong squad, but there have been issues with injuries and dips in form that have left them lacking wins.

For this article, I will be looking at the Gloucester squad and selecting my ideal matchday 23 if everyone was fully fit.

Starting XV

1: Val Rapava-Ruskin:- Injuries have been the big issue for the Georgian, but he is an incredible talent when physically fit. He can hold his own in the scrum, but comes to life at the breakdown, where he becomes like and extra back row with his ability to jackal and win a turnover.

2: Franco Marais:- So let me get the negative out of the way first: for a top flight hooker, he has been unreliable at the lineout this season. However, his impact on the match is largely positive, as he carries hard and tackles even harder. I could imagine him being used as an emergency 6 and being able to hold his own at the position.

3: Fraser Balmain:- With my decision to go for a player known more for their play in the loose than their scrummaging at loosehead, I have gone for a scrummaging specialist at tighthead. That’s not to say Balmain is a one-trick pony as he also carries very well to help create a platform for the backs.

4 & 5: Ed Slater & Franco Mostert:- Slater was very much missed earlier in the season but has largely put his injuries behind him since moving from Leicester and I would argue that he should have got closer to England recognition when you look at some of the players who have been called up ahead of him. He is a proven leader, a strong carrier and a key part of the lineout. World Cup winner Franco Mostert is also strong at the lineout but more than anything, he is an engine who will keep going all game and top the tackle charts with regularity. Slater and Mostert are arguably one of the strongest second row pairings in the league.

6: Freddie Clarke:- I was initially thinking of putting Clarke on the bench due to his versatility, but eventually decided that he had earned a starting spot and could switch positions mid-game if needed. Clarke is an underrated talent who does not get the respect that he deserves for his work around the park, while he is a strong carrier who can make a team pay if they give him a big enough gap.

7: Jake Polledri:- Anyone who regularly reads my articles will know that I am a big fan of Polledri and while I would not consider him an out-and-out jackal, he is probably the most successful over the breakdown of my back row selections. Where he really comes into his own is as a carrier, where he rarely fails to make ground, while he is another who can fully exploit a gap that opens in front of them.

8: Ruan Ackermann:- Ben Morgan has failed to live up to last year’s performances and at 31, he may now be reaching his decline. Instead, I have gone with Ruan Ackermann who has a wealth of top flight experience for someone who is only 24. Ackermann is another strong carrier who can make the hard yards and tackle all day long.

9: Willi Heinz:- I’ll be the first to say that I don’t think Heinz should be in the England 23 right now as Dan Robson and Ben Spencer are the 9s I think should be building with the squad in this cycle, but I think that the kiwi is a fantastic player. Years of playing for the Crusaders and Gloucester have made him a proven leader and he controls the game so well, including having a strong kicking game to help take pressure off the fly half.

10: Danny Cipriani:- He may not have reached the heights of last season, but let’s be honest: this team’s attack is built around Danny Cipriani. He is one of the most skilful playmakers I have ever seen, who reads the game so well and has the ability to pick out a man with a pin-point accurate pass or kick.

11: Ollie Thorley:- If you’ve never seen his try against Leicester, you need to watch it! That try highlights his pace and footwork, but strangely enough that’s probably the underrate side of his attacking game, as his strength and ability to break a tackle is what put him on most people’s radar. And at just 23, he will only get better!

12: Mark Atkinson:- He’s started to get the plaudits from some pundits, but I still think that Atkinson is one of the most underrated players in the league. He has always been a solid defender and a hard runner with a dangerous offload, but over the last couple of years, he has become even more of an all-rounder and even developed a decent kicking game to exploit the defence out wide.

13: Billy Twelvetrees:- While I think that Chris Harris has got better as the season has gone on and he built chemistry with the players around him, I still think that the way the teams plays benefits from having a second playmaker in the centre… and that man is Billy Twelvetrees. He has had his ups and downs at Gloucester but always puts in 100% and is one of the players who really appeared to have benefited most from Johan Ackermann taking over at Kingsholm.

14: Louis Rees-Zammit:- I’d heard of Rees-Zammit and his crazy speed from the Gloucester age groups, but going into this season, I wasn’t expecting to see him much at all for the seniors this season. However, he came in and shocked the world with 12 tries in 1074 minutes (a try every 89.5 minutes) including a hat-trick against Northampton, fully earning his spot on the wing ahead of his far more experienced teammates.

15: Jason Woodward:- This was a difficult pick for me and I must admit that I am a big fan of Woodward so may have a degree of bias. However the former Hurricane gets the nod for me here. He is such a dangerous player on the counter-attack and his ability to play fullback/wing/centre makes him dangerous coming into the line at any spot. I will however give this caveat: in terrible conditions that favour a kick-heavy territorial game, I go for the more positionally sound Tom Marshall.

Bench

16: Todd Gleave:- This may be a bit of a shock considering James Hanson is still on the roster, but he was not the most reliable at the lineout and has been out for a long time. Gleave may be on paper the 3ʳᵈ or 4ᵗʰ hooker on the depth chart if everyone is fit, but he has impressed me when given the chance, causing some issues for the opposition at the breakdown while also being a bit more reliable at the lineout.

17 & 18: Josh Hohneck & Jamal Ford-Robinson:- As I mentioned when looking at my starting props, I looked to pair one specialist scrummager with one who is a bit more of a open-play threat. While being a kiwi means that he is naturally skilled in the loose, Josh Hohneck will provide a stable scrum, while Ford-Robinson can hold his own at the scrum and then cause issues for tired defences with his carrying.

19: Gerbrandt Grobler:- Say what you want about whether Grobler should be allowed to play having tested positive for an anabolic steroid in 2014, but Grobler served his ban and has gone about reviving his career since. He would be a fantastic starter for Gloucester but unfortunately finds himself at the club at the same time as Slater and Mostert,but that allows for great rotation at lock. Grobler will carry and tackle all day long and is yet another fine lineout operator.

20: Lewis Ludlow:- With 3 ball carriers in my starting back row, I have gone for Ludlow over Morgan for the bench spot as he provides a different dynamic. Ludlow is another potential jackal but has an issue with giving away penalties at the breakdown this season, however his best season came a few years back where he was used primarily as a tackle machine, allowing other players to then get in over the top and make the turnover.

21: Joe Simpson:- I was a little nervous when it was announced that Joe Simpson would be coming to Kingsholm as I had always seen him as a pacy attacking 9, who was now getting on in age. However in the absence of Willi Heinz, he instantly proved his quality as a game manager and leader while still causing the opposition problems with his own legs.

22: Chris Harris:- Henry Trinder was a wonderful talent ruined by a litany of injuries, so Chris Harris gets the nod here, as Billy Twelvetrees can cover fly half. Harris provides a defensively solid, strong running option from the bench to create a solid centre pairing with either Atkinson or Twelvetrees.

23: Tom Marshall:- It’s probably no real surprise given I mentioned him as a possible starter at 15, but Tom Marshall gets the final spot here to cover the back 3. He is a fantastic attacking player and good in the air. I would feel sorry for a team that saw him coming on when they felt tired after 50-60 minutes.

 

Who would make your squad?

Until next time…