Premiership 'Ones to Watch' XV 2017/18

[anders_limpar]

Any others for the 'Return from Injury XV'???

Definitely Tom Stephenson at saints

[Puja]

Any others for the 'Return from Injury XV'???

Definitely Tom Stephenson at saints

Good shout! Will he get much time with Rob Horne having signed though?

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Does Clifford count? A season without concussion or lengthy injury would be real nice.

[Stom]

Does Clifford count? A season without concussion or lengthy injury would be real nice.

On that note, George Lowe. Will he come back anywhere near where he was? Will he come back at all?

Just remember what COS said about him when he left...

George Lowe I would count as one of the most special people I have come across in the game. He is such a good club person and he will go in for more surgery after the final. He has been so unlucky with injuries and will miss the start of next season and be back in October. People like him are what I will take away from this club. The likes of George Lowe are what rugby is all about, selfless and always about the team rather than ego.

[Mellsblue]

I'd forgotten about Lowe. I really rated him. I remember watching the Big Game during his first or second season and he did one side step that sent the entire borough of Twickenham the wrong way.

[Puja]

Not quite a return from injury, as he did come back end of last season, but I'll be interested to see how Henry Trinder goes after a pre-season. Another ridiculous talent.

Puja

[Timbo]

Yeah, in another life both Trinder and Lowe could have had 20-30 caps each.

[Stom]

I'd forgotten about Lowe. I really rated him. I remember watching the Big Game during his first or second season and he did one side step that sent the entire borough of Twickenham the wrong way.

I'd heard a bit about this kid coming through who was rapid as fook. So went down to an a-game, and there he was. One of a few players (I still have Adam Jones' autograph from when he was a 17 y/o) I instantly thought could be someone. But injuries have ruled that out.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Never got the big deal about Lowe. An good premiership outside centre, but nothing that jumps out at you beyond pace. If you compared Trinder and Lowe as a base skill set then Trinder is a distance ahead, albeit both have been fucked by injuries. If you compared to say JJ or Daly the. neither really comes close.

[Digby]

https://alexshawsports.wordpress.com/20 ... lysis/amp/

More background reading than specific to players.

[Mikey Brown]

Never got the big deal about Lowe. An good premiership outside centre, but nothing that jumps out at you beyond pace. If you compared Trinder and Lowe as a base skill set then Trinder is a distance ahead, albeit both have been fucked by injuries. If you compared to say JJ or Daly the. neither really comes close.

Way more physical then the other 3 surely? There are lots with pace and a step but he was often just that bit stronger than people would expect and would get through the gap.

[anders_limpar]

Any others for the 'Return from Injury XV'???

Definitely Tom Stephenson at saints

Good shout! Will he get much time with Rob Horne having signed though?

Puja

Really depends on Francis as well I think - if he's a 10 then there's probably a spot up for grabs alongside Horne but if he's a 12 (and especially if Eddie wants him at 12) then that would indicate probably not.

That said, wouldn't surprise me if Horne was on the wing a fair bit

[Adam_P]

Definitely Tom Stephenson at saints

Good shout! Will he get much time with Rob Horne having signed though?

Puja

Really depends on Francis as well I think - if he's a 10 then there's probably a spot up for grabs alongside Horne but if he's a 12 (and especially if Eddie wants him at 12) then that would indicate probably not.

That said, wouldn't surprise me if Horne was on the wing a fair bit

Agreed. I am fairly sure Saints have signed Francis primarily as a 10, but wont be surprised to see him at 12 a bit. Stephenson can play both centre positions seemingly equally well, so will be competing with Mallinder and Burrell (ha!) for 12 and Horne and Tuitavake for 13. I also think we might see a bit of Horne playing on the wing, which could give us a very good backline on paper of Reinach, Francis, North, Mallinder, Stephenson, Horne, Foden/Ace.

[Mikey Brown]

Are the Pisis no more?

[Adam_P]

George has gone, Ken is still at Saints

[Stom]

Never got the big deal about Lowe. An good premiership outside centre, but nothing that jumps out at you beyond pace. If you compared Trinder and Lowe as a base skill set then Trinder is a distance ahead, albeit both have been fucked by injuries. If you compared to say JJ or Daly the. neither really comes close.

Way more physical then the other 3 surely? There are lots with pace and a step but he was often just that bit stronger than people would expect and would get through the gap.

JJ and Daly are superb. But Lowe was looking good just before they came through, and then he got crocked the first time...

He has very good defense, and is a good organiser, has/had pace to burn, a good step and good awareness. He is/was kind of a poor man's JJ. But JJ is superb, so that's not exactly a bad thing!

Should have been one of the top AP players if not quite good enough to be an England regular. But injuries have taken their toll...

[Puja]

https://alexshawsports.wordpress.com/20 ... lysis/amp/

More background reading than specific to players.

That's really interesting reading. Was taken aback by the percentage of Tigers' squad that had come through the academy before realising that Youngs, Cole, Croft, Youngs, and Smith would all count in absolute numbers, when I'm more used to, "What has the academy done for us recently?" conversations.

Also notable for my discovery that there exists a Manu Vunipola, who is apparently a cousin of Mako and Billy and is yet another promising young fly-half at Saracens.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Quick feet, great lines and a bit more physical than those mentioned. I'm not sure he's as good as or could be as good as Daly or Joseph, but as I feel those two will both be classed as top test players and possibly world class by the time they're retired that's no slight on Lowe.

[Scrumhead]

Never got the big deal about Lowe. An good premiership outside centre, but nothing that jumps out at you beyond pace. If you compared Trinder and Lowe as a base skill set then Trinder is a distance ahead, albeit both have been fucked by injuries. If you compared to say JJ or Daly the. neither really comes close.

Way more physical then the other 3 surely? There are lots with pace and a step but he was often just that bit stronger than people would expect and would get through the gap.

JJ and Daly are superb. But Lowe was looking good just before they came through, and then he got crocked the first time...

He has very good defense, and is a good organiser, has/had pace to burn, a good step and good awareness. He is/was kind of a poor man's JJ. But JJ is superb, so that's not exactly a bad thing!

Should have been one of the top AP players if not quite good enough to be an England regular. But injuries have taken their toll...

No news on Lowe for ages to the point that I'm worried there will be a retirement announcement coming ...

Great player and so unfortunate to be injured just when he was beginning to look like a top class player.

[Mikey Brown]

I don't know if I said it already in here but that announcement would not surprise me at all. God, I do hope Marchant has more luck than Lowe, Smith, Abbott.

[Spiffy]

Good shout! Will he get much time with Rob Horne having signed though?

Puja

Really depends on Francis as well I think - if he's a 10 then there's probably a spot up for grabs alongside Horne but if he's a 12 (and especially if Eddie wants him at 12) then that would indicate probably not.

That said, wouldn't surprise me if Horne was on the wing a fair bit

Agreed. I am fairly sure Saints have signed Francis primarily as a 10, but wont be surprised to see him at 12 a bit. Stephenson can play both centre positions seemingly equally well, so will be competing with Mallinder and Burrell (ha!) for 12 and Horne and Tuitavake for 13. I also think we might see a bit of Horne playing on the wing, which could give us a very good backline on paper of Reinach, Francis, North, Mallinder, Stephenson, Horne, Foden/Ace.

What happened to Jamie Elliott at Saints? Not big, but fast and a good strike rate. A couple of seasons ago a few of us here had him down as one to watch, but he seems to have slipped off the radar.

[Mikey Brown]

TOO SMAAALLLL.

[anders_limpar]

Just seemed to ebb away, with K Pisi being preferred, and back end of last season Foden was on the wing a lot, as he's no longer quite cutting it at 15

Most Saints fans will go on and on about how Tom Collins should be starting despite him never having done a great deal - he is at least very fast but likely to fall in the too small category. Wings are a spot that is very much up for grabs next season, it's two from North (when not with Wales/injured), Foden, Pisi, Estelles, Collins, Elliot, Horne, none of whom really convince for one reason or another. It's not a great list.

[Hucks]

some seasons ago now, I was very lucky to spend a season watching an esher backline that had robbie shaw (USA eagles 9), david slemen at 10, seb jewell at 12, George Lowe 13, chralie amesbury & dougie flockhart (scotland 'A') on the wing and sam ulph (wasps academy at time) at 15.

it was a total mismatch game after game in ND1 & in the champ. if the esher pack got parity, that back line just tore opponents to shreds.

But whilst as a unit they were great, and certainly amesbury stood out in patches, it was the jewell / lowe combo that looked special. Lowe in particular was so far and away the best player on the park in every game he played that it was just a joke. I really thought he'd be a guy we'd be talking about for years to come. such a shame.

[Tigersman]

Jonah Holmes (leicester Tigers) just have a feeling.