RugbyRebels

Journo rumour from SDM Robertson has Brian signed up beyond this season. Weeg poster is certain it's two years and was signed last month with them just waiting for PR value.

Think Big Brian has done well since he stopped getting yellow carded every game but im not convinced there isnt a decent academy player who should have that spot in a year or 2, even as a project player im not sure he would get near the scotland team and would be 6th - 7th choice right now behind everyone else

whatisthejava wrote:Think Big Brian has done well since he stopped getting yellow carded every game but im not convinced there isnt a decent academy player who should have that spot in a year or 2, even as a project player im not sure he would get near the scotland team and would be 6th - 7th choice right now behind everyone else

A 140kg non internationally occupied tank with good hands, a great engine and a fair candidate for player of the aeason discussion isn't good enough to merit a contract?

whatisthejava wrote:Think Big Brian has done well since he stopped getting yellow carded every game but im not convinced there isnt a decent academy player who should have that spot in a year or 2, even as a project player im not sure he would get near the scotland team and would be 6th - 7th choice right now behind everyone else

Are you having one of your mental episodes again? He didn't make a huge impact in his first game or two but since then he's the find of the season and is better than anything at Edinburgh on current form. He's only just turned 23 I think, so the same age as Jonny Gray. He's going to be a very, very good international player. AFAIK this is his first professional season which makes his progress even more remarkable.

Glasgow have a young Scottish player in 20 year old Scott Cummings so I'm not sure what you're getting at.

If we were picking a tour squad & Brian was qualified he'd be on the plane.

I desperately hope Brian agrees to become a project player. He has that much potential. Java you really are nuts or on the wind up.

Must be a typo on Brian's birth certificate or he had a hell of a tough paper round. Looks 43 not 23.

But agree with others who say he's been a brilliant find.

BA is a heck of a player, and I hope that given his last club was Waikato & the Chiefs, he should be well known to Rennie and a good signing. I hope he stays.

On a similar note, Callum Gibbins looks like a heck of a signing, he's playing really really well.

Well no-one in NZ seems to be missing BA, so I suspect that if you want him for Scotland,he may well be yours. (Retallick is only 25, Scott Barrett is the new kid off the block at 23). BA was thought too young for NZ U20s in 2013 but played for Samoa instead, so you would be doing them out of a potential test player. He didn't make either NZ or Samoan U20s in 2014, managed only 17 provincial caps over 4 seasons and appeared only twice for the Chiefs. Mind you, you wouldn't necessarily expect a teenage/early 20s lock to set the world on fire immediately (blokes called Retallick aside).

Jps wrote:BA is a heck of a player, and I hope that given his last club was Waikato & the Chiefs, he should be well known to Rennie and a good signing. I hope he stays.

On a similar note, Callum Gibbins looks like a heck of a signing, he's playing really really well.

He was Rennies recommendation.

I'm more concerned about him opting for Samoa. Does he consider himself a Kiwi then?

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:I'm more concerned about him opting for Samoa. Does he consider himself a Kiwi then?

Who knows. Hope he picks Samoa.

There's a kiwi website not talking about his contract extension btw

Brian signs another 2 years bringing him up to the 3 years mark for those hoping he becomes a project player

hp18 wrote:

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:I'm more concerned about him opting for Samoa. Does he consider himself a Kiwi then?

Who knows. Hope he picks Samoa.

I was kind of hoping he'd pick Scotland...

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:

hp18 wrote:

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:I'm more concerned about him opting for Samoa. Does he consider himself a Kiwi then?

Who knows. Hope he picks Samoa.

I was kind of hoping he'd pick Scotland...

That's widely expected to take 5 years fairly soon.

hp18 wrote:

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:

hp18 wrote: Who knows. Hope he picks Samoa.

I was kind of hoping he'd pick Scotland...

That's widely expected to take 5 years fairly soon.

So I was thinking abuot who'd likely vote for and against that amongst tier 1 nations, just spit balling, and this is what I came up with

For:
England
Argentina
SA
Fiji
Samoa
Tonga

Against:
Scotland
Wales
Ireland- I'm in between on deciding what they'd do, but seems they like projects
Italy
Australia- their playing numbers are down, and they have a decent number of Islanders.
France? I'm not sure but looking at their squad, they aren't afraid to field project players.


Can't decide maybe others can:
New Zealand- they make fair use of kids coming to NZ for school, then staying on- but it's my understand the residency has to be post education, so who knows- they lose lots but they also get plenty. Look at Fekitoa in the current squad.

Maybe those all aren't tier 1 and maybe I've missed some, but what do other people think of how that would shake out?

France are pushing their own residency/nationality selection criteria JPS. They'd be all for it.

Gibbons scored a couple today. I love watching super rugby but fuck me, defence and defensive shape seem optional for some sides.

Big D wrote:Gibbons scored a couple today. I love watching super rugby but fuck me, defence and defensive shape seem optional for some sides.

If by "some sides" you basically mean the Kings and Sunwolves then yes. Otherwise you are confusing good attack for bad defence.

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Big D wrote:Gibbons scored a couple today. I love watching super rugby but fuck me, defence and defensive shape seem optional for some sides.

If by "some sides" you basically mean the Kings and Sunwolves then yes. Otherwise you are confusing good attack for bad defence.

Sorry Eug, I have to disagree. Great attack and poor defence are not mutually exclusive.

Teams missing between 20% and 30% of tackles is not all down to good attack.

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Big D wrote:Gibbons scored a couple today. I love watching super rugby but fuck me, defence and defensive shape seem optional for some sides.

If by "some sides" you basically mean the Kings and Sunwolves then yes. Otherwise you are confusing good attack for bad defence.

Sorry Eug, I have to disagree. Great attack and poor defence are not mutually exclusive.

Teams missing between 20% and 30% of tackles is not all down to good attack.

Sean Lamont to don the blonde hair and orange gloves if his charity donation target is reached.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sean-lamont

hugh_woatmeigh wrote:Sean Lamont to don the blonde hair and orange gloves if his charity donation target is reached.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sean-lamont

Nearly 1400 now.

Through the total now. Good man.

He's always seemed like a good guy.

Looking back on his career pre knee injuries I do wonder how good he could have been. Strange thinking that about someone with 100 caps.