Transfer gossip - sometimes even accurate (accidentally) - Season 2022/23

[Puja]

Joe Taufete'e has apparently left Leicester, because he was playing for Houston Sabercats in MLR the other day. Shame we never saw him back at the form that he had in those seasons for Worcester.

Puja

Club confirmed it the other day. Five appearances wasn't exactly the impact I thought he'd have. Only game I remember him playing well was off the bench Vs Saints away.

Now Dolly is fit we probably don't need him in the squad so him leaving works for both parties. As an aside having Dolly fit for the big games coming up could be a massive boost.

I did wonder if Taufete'e might get a contract for next season as hooker and TH cover would be useful in a world cup year where at least one hooker and TH will be on international duty at the start of the season. Potentially the same again come the 6N.

He'd be on intern... ah yeah, no USA in the RWC.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Raft of departures from Bath announced yesterday: https://www.bathrugby.com/news/eight-se ... ath-rugby/
None of them regular starters, but a couple of surprises in there:
Darren Atkins, Tom Doughty, Max Green, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Valeriy Morozov, D’Arcy Rae, Will Spencer and Wesley White.

Doughty and Green going means we only have 2 senior hookers and 2 senior scrum-halves (pending academy graduates). I suspect that those 2 + GHW are more victims of the continued reduced cap, and timings of previous contracts than anything much else.


No news yet on Schoeman, Jonker, Verden, FLW, Tonks, Van Velze, Francis and JJ - all of whom are thought to be out of contract this summer, except for JJ who's surplus to requirements, but might be struggling to find another club for a mid-contract switch.

It puts Bath's transfer business at 2 in, 15 out, so far.
ETA: Oh, and 2 coaches out as well.

[Banquo]

Raft of departures from Bath announced yesterday: https://www.bathrugby.com/news/eight-se ... ath-rugby/
None of them regular starters, but a couple of surprises in there:
Darren Atkins, Tom Doughty, Max Green, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Valeriy Morozov, D’Arcy Rae, Will Spencer and Wesley White.

Doughty and Green going means we only have 2 senior hookers and 2 senior scrum-halves (pending academy graduates). I suspect that those 2 + GHW are more victims of the continued reduced cap, and timings of previous contracts than anything much else.


No news yet on Schoeman, Jonker, Verden, FLW, Tonks, Van Velze, Francis and JJ - all of whom are thought to be out of contract this summer, except for JJ who's surplus to requirements, but might be struggling to find another club for a mid-contract switch.

It puts Bath's transfer business at 2 in, 15 out, so far.
ETA: Oh, and 2 coaches out as well.

JJ would be great for Tigers, if a little young.

[FKAS]

Raft of departures from Bath announced yesterday: https://www.bathrugby.com/news/eight-se ... ath-rugby/
None of them regular starters, but a couple of surprises in there:
Darren Atkins, Tom Doughty, Max Green, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Valeriy Morozov, D’Arcy Rae, Will Spencer and Wesley White.

Doughty and Green going means we only have 2 senior hookers and 2 senior scrum-halves (pending academy graduates). I suspect that those 2 + GHW are more victims of the continued reduced cap, and timings of previous contracts than anything much else.


No news yet on Schoeman, Jonker, Verden, FLW, Tonks, Van Velze, Francis and JJ - all of whom are thought to be out of contract this summer, except for JJ who's surplus to requirements, but might be struggling to find another club for a mid-contract switch.

It puts Bath's transfer business at 2 in, 15 out, so far.
ETA: Oh, and 2 coaches out as well.

JJ would be great for Tigers, if a little young.

He's about to turn 32, prime age to join the Tigers backline. He could still be playing there in another 5 years easy.

Seriously I'd take him in a heartbeat. We've got some young centres coming through that would learn a lot from him and he'd help Porter out with his defensive positioning. Sadly I doubt he'd be willing to take the level of pay cut required to join us.

[Banquo]

Raft of departures from Bath announced yesterday: https://www.bathrugby.com/news/eight-se ... ath-rugby/
None of them regular starters, but a couple of surprises in there:
Darren Atkins, Tom Doughty, Max Green, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Valeriy Morozov, D’Arcy Rae, Will Spencer and Wesley White.

Doughty and Green going means we only have 2 senior hookers and 2 senior scrum-halves (pending academy graduates). I suspect that those 2 + GHW are more victims of the continued reduced cap, and timings of previous contracts than anything much else.


No news yet on Schoeman, Jonker, Verden, FLW, Tonks, Van Velze, Francis and JJ - all of whom are thought to be out of contract this summer, except for JJ who's surplus to requirements, but might be struggling to find another club for a mid-contract switch.

It puts Bath's transfer business at 2 in, 15 out, so far.
ETA: Oh, and 2 coaches out as well.

JJ would be great for Tigers, if a little young.

He's about to turn 32, prime age to join the Tigers backline. He could still be playing there in another 5 years easy.

Seriously I'd take him in a heartbeat. We've got some young centres coming through that would learn a lot from him and he'd help Porter out with his defensive positioning. Sadly I doubt he'd be willing to take the level of pay cut required to join us.

He would be good for you- but surely even 32 is too young . Given the number of prem players out of contract at the mo, he may not have the luxury of choice.

[Puja]

Raft of departures from Bath announced yesterday: https://www.bathrugby.com/news/eight-se ... ath-rugby/
None of them regular starters, but a couple of surprises in there:
Darren Atkins, Tom Doughty, Max Green, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Valeriy Morozov, D’Arcy Rae, Will Spencer and Wesley White.

Doughty and Green going means we only have 2 senior hookers and 2 senior scrum-halves (pending academy graduates). I suspect that those 2 + GHW are more victims of the continued reduced cap, and timings of previous contracts than anything much else.


No news yet on Schoeman, Jonker, Verden, FLW, Tonks, Van Velze, Francis and JJ - all of whom are thought to be out of contract this summer, except for JJ who's surplus to requirements, but might be struggling to find another club for a mid-contract switch.

It puts Bath's transfer business at 2 in, 15 out, so far.
ETA: Oh, and 2 coaches out as well.

JJ would be great for Tigers, if a little young.

He's about to turn 32, prime age to join the Tigers backline. He could still be playing there in another 5 years easy.

Seriously I'd take him in a heartbeat. We've got some young centres coming through that would learn a lot from him and he'd help Porter out with his defensive positioning. Sadly I doubt he'd be willing to take the level of pay cut required to join us.

I'd be over the moon to get Joseph in, but I can't see it happening. Surely there's a pension top-up in Japan or France available to him?

Puja

[FKAS]

JJ would be great for Tigers, if a little young.

He's about to turn 32, prime age to join the Tigers backline. He could still be playing there in another 5 years easy.

Seriously I'd take him in a heartbeat. We've got some young centres coming through that would learn a lot from him and he'd help Porter out with his defensive positioning. Sadly I doubt he'd be willing to take the level of pay cut required to join us.

He would be good for you- but surely even 32 is too young . Given the number of prem players out of contract at the mo, he may not have the luxury of choice.

He's under contract though Bath and Joseph might be happy to part ways. He might opt to take a pay cut in order to play more but I'd have thought Puja is closer to it and that a couple of years in the south of France might be more popular.

[Banquo]

He's about to turn 32, prime age to join the Tigers backline. He could still be playing there in another 5 years easy.

Seriously I'd take him in a heartbeat. We've got some young centres coming through that would learn a lot from him and he'd help Porter out with his defensive positioning. Sadly I doubt he'd be willing to take the level of pay cut required to join us.

He would be good for you- but surely even 32 is too young . Given the number of prem players out of contract at the mo, he may not have the luxury of choice.

He's under contract though Bath and Joseph might be happy to part ways. He might opt to take a pay cut in order to play more but I'd have thought Puja is closer to it and that a couple of years in the south of France might be more popular.

True, alas I can see a lot heading that way. The English finances are in a mess, and from what I've found out about the champ needs so far, massive squeezes all round.

[Which Tyler]

It puts Bath's transfer business at 2 in, 15 out, so far.
ETA: Oh, and 2 coaches out as well.

And Lee Blackett's in for Maddock: https://www.bathrugby.com/news/lee-blac ... ant-coach/
Rumour has it that Richard Blaze is Hatley's replacement, completed but waiting to announce.


Looks like we're getting the coaching turnover we ought to have had last year; and this time, they're JvG's appointments (Maddock came in during JvG's tenure, but was a Hooper appointment)

[FKAS]

I've heard Blaze to Bath as well. Interesting that they are appointing the Wasps coaches. Hope they don't come after Everard, want to keep him at Tigers.

Blaze has experience as a forwards and as a defence coach. Helpful asset for Bath you'd have thought.

[Which Tyler]

And, confirmed: https://www.bathrugby.com/club-news/ric ... 24-season/

[Puja]

Very strong lineup for Bath - Blackett and Blaze is the kind of coaching team that a few international sides wouldn't mind.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Very strong lineup for Bath - Blackett and Blaze is the kind of coaching team that a few international sides wouldn't mind.

Puja

Yup, much happier with the coaching set up now, and even Charteris has been relegated to the academy where he (currently) belongs.

Even if I disagree with JvG, he's lightyears ahead of anything we've had in a long time; and whilst it's taken a bit of time, he's getting the players and coaches he wants.

I always did wonder why Bath skimped on coaches, where there's no salary cap; but pushed for increases and exemptions for the playing staff salary cap.

[16th man]

Rick are linking Sale with Tolu Latu which would almost be self parody given his disciplinary record.

[Which Tyler]

And Hooper's gone: https://www.bathrugby.com/news/stuart-h ... edication/

[Puja]

And Hooper's gone: https://www.bathrugby.com/news/stuart-h ... edication/

Great turns of phrase in that article: "Hooper guided Bath to a top four finish in the Premiership in 2019/20 and after a couple more seasons as DoR..."

No mention of the league positiin in the "couple more seasons", Bath?

Puja

[Which Tyler]

I kinda see him as similar to Johnson for England - a good man, and potentially a good coach (or manager in SH's case) who should never have been offered the job he was, or at least, not at the time he was offered it - but probably took it out of a misplaced feeling of loyalty (and ego). Once there, he really needed to be better supported.
If he wants to, I think he's knowledgable enough, and has the right characteristics to be a success in rugby management, but he'd need to put in the leg work (which typically means coaching) first. Could easily be one of those to thrive in a different environment.

From a club perspective, I felt that he (and Hatley, and probably Charteris) needed to go once JvG was appointed, leaving room for JvG to be the clear top man and with his own appointments in place.

I'm still concerned that the source of the rot is still in place, in Tarquin McDonald - though if JvG does end up a success story for Bath (which I'm far from confident about), then I'd have to reconsider (though it'd make him 1 from 3, and still an issue)

[Puja]

I kinda see him as similar to Johnson for England - a good man, and potentially a good coach (or manager in SH's case) who should never have been offered the job he was, or at least, not at the time he was offered it - but probably took it out of a misplaced feeling of loyalty (and ego). Once there, he really needed to be better supported.
If he wants to, I think he's knowledgable enough, and has the right characteristics to be a success in rugby management, but he'd need to put in the leg work (which typically means coaching) first. Could easily be one of those to thrive in a different environment.

From a club perspective, I felt that he (and Hatley, and probably Charteris) needed to go once JvG was appointed, leaving room for JvG to be the clear top man and with his own appointments in place.

I'm still concerned that the source of the rot is still in place, in Tarquin McDonald - though if JvG does end up a success story for Bath (which I'm far from confident about), then I'd have to reconsider (though it'd make him 1 from 3, and still an issue)

I always saw him as a second Geordan Murphy, promoted above his station into coaching on the basis of being a club stalwart and always failing upwards until the top job became available and he fell into it by default. Good man and possibly a good coach eventually, but never should've been allowed to climb so high, so fast.

Puja

[FKAS]

Yeah I see Hooper as similar to Murphy in that regard. Agree with that.

I still think Murphy could be a really good coach at some point in the right regime. He was just to nice to tell the board to feck off when they pushed him into the HC role. I suspect Hooker was similar. Best thing for either would be to go and do their apprenticeship as a coach away from the club. I suspect Murphy will be able to make a living doing speaking engagements and media work though.

[Puja]

Sale release a bunch of players, incouding Sam Hill, Ryan Mills, Jason Woodward, and Dom Barrow: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65488277

Puja

[FKAS]

Surprised Keiran Wilkinson has been let go. He seems to have lost out to Tom Curtis in the young understudy role. I doubt he'll be without a club for long if he hasn't already signed somewhere else. I remember last season he and Quirke really showed up Care and Smith when they went to the AJ Bell.

[Mikey Brown]

What happened to Woodward? Injuries? He seemed to be class for Gloucester for a good few seasons then just kind of faded away?

[Which Tyler]

What happened to Woodward? Injuries? He seemed to be class for Gloucester for a good few seasons then just kind of faded away?

Dare we suggest that Eddie was right about him?

[Mikey Brown]

What happened to Woodward? Injuries? He seemed to be class for Gloucester for a good few seasons then just kind of faded away?

Dare we suggest that Eddie was right about him?

What did Eddie say? Did he get a cap that I’ve forgotten? Or did Eddie just have a look and then slag him off?

[FKAS]

What happened to Woodward? Injuries? He seemed to be class for Gloucester for a good few seasons then just kind of faded away?

Dare we suggest that Eddie was right about him?

What did Eddie say? Did he get a cap that I’ve forgotten? Or did Eddie just have a look and then slag him off?

He was EQ so in the conversation but Eddie didn't seem fussed. Injuries ravaged his career.