How is your club’s squad looking ahead of the restart?

[Scrumhead]

Apart from the silence at London Irish, most squads seem to have been finalised or are very close.

At Quins, I believe we’re yet to confirm some signings, but our squad is looking reasonably strong:

1. Marler / Garcia Botta / (Els)
2. Baldwin / Elia / Gray / Musk
3. Louw / Collier / Kerrod / (Trenier)
4. Lewies / Young / Lamb / Jurevicius*
5. Symons / Cavubati
6. J. Chisholm / White
7. Robshaw / Clifford / Evans
8. Dombrandt / Lawday
9. Care / Landajo
10. Smith / Lang / Herron
11. Earle / Ibitoye / R. Chisholm
12. Esterhuizen / Tapuai / Lasike
13. Marchant / Campagnaro / Northmore
14. Ashton / Murley / Green
15. Brown / Morris

Els and Trenier are strongly rumoured to have signed from Ealing but are yet to be confirmed.

I think Jurevicius is dual registered with London Scottish.

All in all, apart from Scrum Half where we’re lacking any depth, I think we’re looking in decent shape and harder grounds in late August and September could suit us well.

I’ll be really curious to see how Saracens line up given that the majority of their incoming signings are clearly with the Championship in mind.

[Mellsblue]

We are f**ked.

Prop:
Penny
McCarthy
Wrafter
Paul

Hooker:

2nd Row:
Onojaife

Back row:
Temm
Atkinson


Scrum half:
Hart

Fly Half:

Centre:
Worley

Wing:

Full Back:
Lane


Northampton’s academy needs to be heavy on both quality and quantity.

[Which Tyler]

Bath:
1 Obano / Catt / Boyce / Vaughan
2 Dunn / Walker / Batty / Doughty
3 Thomas / Stuart / Shoeman / Judge
4 Stooke / Spencer
5 Ewels / McNally
6 Ellis / Williams / Reid
7 Underhill / Bayliss
8 Mercer / Faletau
23
9 Spencer / Chudley / Green / Fox
10 Priestland / Redpath
11 Cokanasiga / Hamer-Webb
12 Matavesi / Wright
13 Joseph / Clark
14 McConochie / Rokodugini
15 Watson / De Glanville / Atkins
17

Behind that, in the senior academy, we've got:
2 Hookers
4 Props
3 Locks
4 Backrows
2 Utility back 5s

1 Scum Half
1 Fly Half
2 Centres
1 Wing
1 Full Back

[Stom]

Apart from the silence at London Irish, most squads seem to have been finalised or are very close.

At Quins, I believe we’re yet to confirm some signings, but our squad is looking reasonably strong:

1. Marler / Garcia Botta / (Els)
2. Baldwin / Elia / Gray / Musk
3. Louw / Collier / Kerrod / (Trenier)
4. Lewies / Young / Lamb / Jurevicius*
5. Symons / Cavubati
6. J. Chisholm / White
7. Robshaw / Clifford / Evans
8. Dombrandt / Lawday
9. Care / Landajo
10. Smith / Lang / Herron
11. Earle / Ibitoye / R. Chisholm
12. Esterhuizen / Tapuai / Lasike
13. Marchant / Campagnaro / Northmore
14. Ashton / Murley / Green
15. Brown / Morris

Els and Trenier are strongly rumoured to have signed from Ealing but are yet to be confirmed.

I think Jurevicius is dual registered with London Scottish.

All in all, apart from Scrum Half where we’re lacking any depth, I think we’re looking in decent shape and harder grounds in late August and September could suit us well.

I’ll be really curious to see how Saracens line up given that the majority of their incoming signings are clearly with the Championship in mind.

I'd say, and hope, that Green is actually Brown's understudy.

[Puja]

11 Matavesi / Wright
12 Joseph / Clark
13 Cokanasiga / Hamer-Webb
14 McConochie / Rokodugini
15 Watson / De Glanville / Atkins

I have to question your numbering system for your backs.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

11 Matavesi / Wright
12 Joseph / Clark
13 Cokanasiga / Hamer-Webb
14 McConochie / Rokodugini
15 Watson / De Glanville / Atkins

I have to question your numbering system for your backs.

Puja

You'd be right to - oops

[Scrumhead]

Apart from the silence at London Irish, most squads seem to have been finalised or are very close.

At Quins, I believe we’re yet to confirm some signings, but our squad is looking reasonably strong:

1. Marler / Garcia Botta / (Els)
2. Baldwin / Elia / Gray / Musk
3. Louw / Collier / Kerrod / (Trenier)
4. Lewies / Young / Lamb / Jurevicius*
5. Symons / Cavubati
6. J. Chisholm / White
7. Robshaw / Clifford / Evans
8. Dombrandt / Lawday
9. Care / Landajo
10. Smith / Lang / Herron
11. Earle / Ibitoye / R. Chisholm
12. Esterhuizen / Tapuai / Lasike
13. Marchant / Campagnaro / Northmore
14. Ashton / Murley / Green
15. Brown / Morris

Els and Trenier are strongly rumoured to have signed from Ealing but are yet to be confirmed.

I think Jurevicius is dual registered with London Scottish.

All in all, apart from Scrum Half where we’re lacking any depth, I think we’re looking in decent shape and harder grounds in late August and September could suit us well.

I’ll be really curious to see how Saracens line up given that the majority of their incoming signings are clearly with the Championship in mind.

I'd say, and hope, that Green is actually Brown's understudy.

Possibly? I think we’ve signed him with that in mind, but I’m half expecting to see him on the wing to begin with. If Brown isn’t fit, I like the idea of him playing a Damian McKenzie type role at 15. Particularly on what are likely to be harder, faster pitches. It could really add something to our attack.

Having Marchant back is a massive boost too, particularly considering he should be the sharpest player in the league in terms of match fitness/recent game time.

Really keen to see Earle back in action too.

[Raggs]

Copied from elsewhere for Wasps.


Looseheads
Ben Harris
Simon McIntyre
Tom West - Extended 20/21
Zurabi Zhvania

Hookers
Alfie Barbeary - Promoted 20/21
Tom Cruse
Gabriel Oghre - Promoted 19/20
Tommy Taylor

Tighthead
Biyi Alo - Extended 20/21
Kieran Brookes
Jack Owlett - Signed 19/20
Jeff Toomaga-Allen - Signed 19/20

Locks
Tim Cardall - Promoted 19/20
James Gaskell
Joe Launchbury - Extended 20/21
Will Rowlands
Theo Vukasinovic - Signed 19/20
Miles Edwards - Signed 20/21

Backrow
Ben Morris
Brad Shields
Sione Vailanu - Signed 19/20
Jack Willis - Extended 20/21
Tom Willis
Thomas Young - Extended 20/21

Scrum Half
Will Porter - Promoted 19/20
Dan Robson
Ben Vellacott - Signed 19/20
Sam Wolstenholme - Extended 20/21

Fly Half
Jimmy Gopperth - Extended 20/21
Lima Sopoaga - Ends 20/21
Jacob Umaga - Extended 20/21

Centre
Juan De Jongh
Malakai Fekitoa - Signed 19/20
Michael Le Bourgeois - Extended 20/21
Ryan Mills - Signed 20/21
Will Simonds - Promoted 20/21
Sam Spink - Promoted 19/20

Winger
Josh Bassett
Zach Kibirige - Signed 19/20
Paolo Odogwu - Signed 19/20
Callum Sirker - Promoted 19/20
Marcus Watson - Extended 20/21

Fullback
Matteo Minozzi - Signed 19/20
Rob Miller - Extended 20/21

---------------

I presume players signed like Mills, will be playing for Wasps rather than Wuss if the season restarts.

[Puja]

Leicester is still a bit up in the air, with them stretching out all of their contract renewals so that they can present a glut of positive news stories to drown out the very public furore about Manu et al and the opinion pieces on Leicester being f*cked.

However, this is what I believe we have announced/heavily rumoured (academy people who could maybe step up in brackets):

1) Genge / Gigena / (Whitcombe)
2) Montoya / Mamukashvili / TYoungs / Kerr / Clare
3) Cole / Heyes / Leatigaga
4) Enever / Lavanini / (Martin)
5) Green / Wells / Lewis / (Manz)
6) Brink / Liebenberg / (Ilione)
7) Reffell / (Lavin)
8) Taufua(?) / Coghlan / (Smith)

9) Youngs / White / Simmons / (Van Poortvliet) / (Law)
10) Ford / Henry / McPhillips
11) Nadolo / Potter / Williams
12) Taute / Hardwick
13) Scott
14) Olowofela / Aspland-Robinson / (Browning)
15) Worth / (Steward)

To say that's looking thin would be drastically understating it. I've included the likes of Whitcombe, Martin, Manz, Ilione, Lavin, and Smith in the forward, but Smith is the oldest at 20 and it'd be a big ask for any of them to play a significant part in the season. The backs are a little better covered than they appear, with Olowofela covering 13-15 and Worth covering anywhere but 9, but we're still gonna be expecting a good shift out of Steward and Browning from the academy.

And, let's not ignore our usual gaping deficiency in the back row. We've not even got multiple spare locks that we could shove in there. Was it not worth offering Thompson a cut rate contract to hang on and mentor the kids?

Puja

[BenHK]

Think it's safe to say we're a bit thin on the ground, but luckily not that many will be missing during international windows

Forwards:

Ross Harrison
Valery Morozov
Coenie Oosthuizen
Jake Cooper-Woolley
Will-Griff John
Akker Van Der Merwe
Curtis Langdon
Cameron Nield
Lood De Jager
Josh Beaumont
James Phillips
Matt Postlethwaite
Cobus Wiese (*Subject to Visa)
Ben Curry
Tom Curry
Jono Ross
Jean-Luc Du Preez
Daniel Du Preez

Backs:

Faf De Klerk
Will Cliff
Gus Warr
Kieran Wilkinson
Rob Du Preez
AJ MacGinty
Sam James
Luke James
Sam Hill
Rohan Janse Van Rensburg
Denny Solomona
Marland Yarde
Byron McGuigan
Arron Reed
Simon Hammersley


Leaving Players:

Nic Dolly
Rob Webber
Joe Jones
Bryn Evans
Rouban Birch
Ciaran Booth
Mark Wilson
Teddy Leatherbarrow
Sam Dugdale
Matt Sturgess

[Puja]

Think it's safe to say we're a bit thin on the ground, but luckily not that many will be missing during international windows.

I was actually thinking that your lot were going to be the most comfortable. You got your contracts done nice and early as a bloc, didn't lose any of your major South Africans and you already have the production line of youngsters. That squad's a hell of a lot plumper than most of the Prem is going to be (I'm sure there's a joke about the departure of Rob Webber in there somewhere).

Puja

[Raggs]

I do wonder if there's more announcements to come from Wasps, considering we seem to have gone for a blanket 25% unless you sign a long deal, there's been very few leavers announced. The backrow looks slightly thin, but Flament can cover there as well as lock if needed.

[Puja]

I do wonder if there's more announcements to come from Wasps, considering we seem to have gone for a blanket 25% unless you sign a long deal, there's been very few leavers announced. The backrow looks slightly thin, but Flament can cover there as well as lock if needed.

Isn't Flament off?

Puja

[Raggs]

I do wonder if there's more announcements to come from Wasps, considering we seem to have gone for a blanket 25% unless you sign a long deal, there's been very few leavers announced. The backrow looks slightly thin, but Flament can cover there as well as lock if needed.

Isn't Flament off?

Puja

Plenty of rumours, no confirmation.

[Scrumhead]

Copied from elsewhere for Wasps.


Looseheads
Ben Harris
Simon McIntyre
Tom West - Extended 20/21
Zurabi Zhvania

Hookers
Alfie Barbeary - Promoted 20/21
Tom Cruse
Gabriel Oghre - Promoted 19/20
Tommy Taylor

Tighthead
Biyi Alo - Extended 20/21
Kieran Brookes
Jack Owlett - Signed 19/20
Jeff Toomaga-Allen - Signed 19/20

Locks
Tim Cardall - Promoted 19/20
James Gaskell
Joe Launchbury - Extended 20/21
Will Rowlands
Theo Vukasinovic - Signed 19/20
Miles Edwards - Signed 20/21

Backrow
Ben Morris
Brad Shields
Sione Vailanu - Signed 19/20
Jack Willis - Extended 20/21
Tom Willis
Thomas Young - Extended 20/21

Scrum Half
Will Porter - Promoted 19/20
Dan Robson
Ben Vellacott - Signed 19/20
Sam Wolstenholme - Extended 20/21

Fly Half
Jimmy Gopperth - Extended 20/21
Lima Sopoaga - Ends 20/21
Jacob Umaga - Extended 20/21

Centre
Juan De Jongh
Malakai Fekitoa - Signed 19/20
Michael Le Bourgeois - Extended 20/21
Ryan Mills - Signed 20/21
Will Simonds - Promoted 20/21
Sam Spink - Promoted 19/20

Winger
Josh Bassett
Zach Kibirige - Signed 19/20
Paolo Odogwu - Signed 19/20
Callum Sirker - Promoted 19/20
Marcus Watson - Extended 20/21

Fullback
Matteo Minozzi - Signed 19/20
Rob Miller - Extended 20/21

---------------

I presume players signed like Mills, will be playing for Wasps rather than Wuss if the season restarts.

Yes. I believe all of the contracts started this month so they’re now at their new clubs and eligible to play out the remainder of the season.

Not a lot of signings for Wasps but Sopoaga was finally coming good prior to the stoppage (albeit at 15) and Fekitoa was starting to show his class too. With Gopperth back, Mills signing and Umaga showing real potential, I think they could be really exciting to watch.

[jimKRFC]

With no news from Bristol about extensions the squad is (*DENOTES INTEGRATED ACADEMY):

THP: John Afoa/Jake Armstrong/ Kyle Sinckler
LHP: Max Lahiff/ Yann Thomas/ Jake Woolmore/ Andrew Turner*
Hooker: Will Capon/ Harry Thacker/ Bryan Byrne/ George Kloska*
2nd row: Dave Attwood/ John Hawkins/Ed Holmes/ Joe Joyce/ Chris Vui/ Ben Bamber*/ Alex Groves*
Back row: James Dun/ Mitch Eadie/ Ben Earl/ Jake Heenan/ Nathan Hughes/ Steven Luatua/ Dan Thomas/ Fitz Harding*
9: Chris Cook/ Harry Randall/ Andy Uren/ Blake Boyland*
10: Tiff Eden/ Callum Sheedy/ Ioan Lloyd*/ Tom Wilstead*
12/13: Sam Bedlow/ Piers O’Conor/ Siale Piutau/ Charlie Powell/ Semi Radradra/ Harry Ascherl*/ Jack Bates*
11/14: Toby Fricker/ Alapati Leiua/Luke Morahan/ Siva Naulago/ Henry Purdy/ Deago Bailey*/ Freddie Owsley*
15: Max Malins/ Charles Piutau

Reduced numbers but man for an improvement, hopefully Lloyd, Boyland Ascherl and Bailey all step up.

[Which Tyler]

I was actually thinking that your lot were going to be the most comfortable. You got your contracts done nice and early as a bloc, didn't lose any of your major South Africans and you already have the production line of youngsters. That squad's a hell of a lot plumper than most of the Prem is going to be (I'm sure there's a joke about the departure of Rob Webber in there somewhere).

Not sure about plumpest squad (17+15) - Sale usually have the smallest by a long way - but probably the least disrupted; and most acustomed to dealing with their current squad size.

[anders_limpar]

Northampton:

PROPS
Nick Auterac
Owen Franks
Karl Garside
Paul Hill
Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
Emmanuel Iyogun*
Ehren Painter
Ed Prowse*
Alex Waller
Francois van Wyk

HOOKERS
Callum Burns*
James Fish
Mikey Haywood
Jack Hughes*
Samson Ma’asi
Reece Marshall
Sam Matavesi

LOCKS & LOOSE FORWARDS
Shaun Adendorff
Lewis Bean
Alex Coles
Teimana Harrison
Nick Isiekwe (season-long loan, starting 1 August)
Courtney Lawes
Lewis Ludlam
Alex Moon
Ollie Newman*
Api Ratuniyarawa
David Ribbans
Kayde Sylvester*
JJ Tonks*
Tui Uru*
Tom Wood

SCRUM-HALVES
Tom James
Alex Mitchell
Henry Taylor
Connor Tupai

FLY HALVES
Dan Biggar
James Grayson
Tommy Mathews*

CENTRES
Reuben Bird-Tulloch*
Fraser Dingwall
Piers Francis
Ethan Grayson*
Rory Hutchinson
Tom Litchfield*
Matt Proctor

WINGERS
Tom Collins
Josh Gillespie*
Dani Long-Martinez*
Taqele Naiyaravoro
Ryan Olowofela
Ollie Sleightholme

FULL-BACKS
Tommy Freeman*
George Furbank
Harry Mallinder
Ahsee Tuala

* Senior Academy 2020/21

Maybe slightly light in the back row and centre but by and large pretty happy with that. Of the senior academy, apparently the one to watch is Kayde Sylvester who is supposed to be quite something

[Mellsblue]

Northampton:

PROPS
Nick Auterac
Owen Franks
Karl Garside
Paul Hill
Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
Emmanuel Iyogun*
Ehren Painter
Ed Prowse*
Alex Waller
Francois van Wyk

HOOKERS
Callum Burns*
James Fish
Mikey Haywood
Jack Hughes*
Samson Ma’asi
Reece Marshall
Sam Matavesi

LOCKS & LOOSE FORWARDS
Shaun Adendorff
Lewis Bean
Alex Coles
Teimana Harrison
Nick Isiekwe (season-long loan, starting 1 August)
Courtney Lawes
Lewis Ludlam
Alex Moon
Ollie Newman*
Api Ratuniyarawa
David Ribbans
Kayde Sylvester*
JJ Tonks*
Tui Uru*
Tom Wood

SCRUM-HALVES
Tom James
Alex Mitchell
Henry Taylor
Connor Tupai

FLY HALVES
Dan Biggar
James Grayson
Tommy Mathews*

CENTRES
Reuben Bird-Tulloch*
Fraser Dingwall
Piers Francis
Ethan Grayson*
Rory Hutchinson
Tom Litchfield*
Matt Proctor

WINGERS
Tom Collins
Josh Gillespie*
Dani Long-Martinez*
Taqele Naiyaravoro
Ryan Olowofela
Ollie Sleightholme

FULL-BACKS
Tommy Freeman*
George Furbank
Harry Mallinder
Ahsee Tuala

* Senior Academy 2020/21

Maybe slightly light in the back row and centre but by and large pretty happy with that. Of the senior academy, apparently the one to watch is Kayde Sylvester who is supposed to be quite something

I’m assuming you’ve handily marked all the players with * after their name, plus Tupai, who will be heading down the A428!
Sylvester went to my alma mater and from everything I’ve heard on the grapevine he’s the business both on and off the field.

[Puja]

Northampton:

Maybe slightly light in the back row and centre but by and large pretty happy with that. Of the senior academy, apparently the one to watch is Kayde Sylvester who is supposed to be quite something

Now *that* is a handy looking squad. Can't we have just one of your spare looseheads? Really great to see the bank of good young English scrum-halves with no foreigner brought in to replace Reinach. You'd expect Mitchell to be given the keys to the kingdom immediately after the restart and could easily be the England 9 for the 2021 6N (assuming there is such a thing).

I'd've said you were okay in the centre - Mallinder and Collins can cover there if needs be. Odd to have let go Gibson given you are a little light in the back row though.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

Saints definitely have a good, nicely balanced squad.

I’m not quite sure on what the story is with all the loosehead props though? By my reckoning, they’ve got Waller, van Wyk, Auterac and Hobbs-Awoyemi plus Iyogun who is apparently the bees knees: https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/spor ... ts-2870136

[Mellsblue]

Hopefully they’ll see give Waller a rest..... one game a season would be an improvement.

[Gloskarlos]

Props
Rapava Ruskin
Balmain
Ford-Robinson
Hohneck
Seville
Knight
Stanley
Fourie

Hookers
Hanson
Gleave
Walker
Singleton (loan)

Locks
Slater
Craig

Back row
Morgan
Ackermann
Ludlow
Polledri
Clarke
Reid

Scrum Halves
Heinz
Simpson
Chapman

Fly Halves
Cipriani
Evans

Centres
Atkinson
Trinder
Twelvetrees
Harris

Wings
Sharples
Thorley
May
Rees Zammit
Seabrook
Banahan

Fullbacks
Woodward
Hudson

[Puja]

Glaws squad

Reading through that, "Props look good, hookers look good, locks... holy shit!"

Very few back row as well.

Puja

[Scrumhead]

Locks are a massive worry for Gloucester. Not many good ones available either ...

Back row looks fine to me though? Good options and all with the exception or Reid are proven Premiership players. I didn’t see Reid in the Championship, but he was always pretty decent in Super Rugby so I’m sure he’ll be up to standard too.