EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Oakboy]

Coming to an EPS near you soon? The best Prem u23XV as per OPTA

That's Dors's 1st XV, bar the unqualified Hitchinson.

He wouldn’t need an excuse to get Slade in the XV but it’s there anyway.

Not a bad team, anyway. I think an interesting exercise is to try starting with a blank sheet of paper or a young team like this and then working out who, from the existing lot, forces their way back in without question. Quite a few do, obviously, but the debate is over who does not.

[twitchy]

There were rumours that joe was considering quitting rugby altogether. I think there must be some foundation if eddie is getting involved publicly.

[twitchy]

[jimKRFC]

Andy Uren makes the Opta list of best scrum halves since 2019:


No idea how it's worked out though...

[Digby]

But at least you knew who he was

[Mellsblue]

Andy Uren makes the Opta list of best scrum halves since 2019:


No idea how it's worked out though...

Same as any other ‘best of’ list: anyone who has been through the Goldington Rd Finishing School sits atop said list.

[Scrumhead]

Just read an interesting article on Olly Cracknell in WalesOnline: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 149681.amp

Apparently he’s made 568 tackles and 370 carries over the last 2 seasons which is pretty impressive. He’s only 25 and while he got a Wales call-up he was never capped. I don’t see him as having test potential but as one to bring back to the Premiership he could be worth a few clubs keeping an eye on.

[twitchy]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... ront-line/

[Banquo]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... ront-line/

He was the real deal as a player, looks like that is more so as a person. Fair play.

[ExAviator]

From Scrum

"May 7, 2020
Scotland wing Sean Maitland will play in the second tier of English rugby next season, after it was today (Thursday) confirmed he’s signed a new deal to remain at Saracens.

Maitland, capped 48 times by Scotland since his 2012 debut, had been widely tipped to leave Sarries this summer, with the club facing relegation from the Gallagher Premiership as punishment for breaches of the salary cap.

However, a club spokesperson confirmed to SCRUM that the 31-year-old, a try-scorer in his most recent Test outing in Scotland’s 2020 Guinness Six Nations win over France, will remain at Allianz Park next season.

During the 2020 Guinness Six Nations, Maitland said he “loved” it at Saracens, and that he and was “really settled” at the club.

He added: “The club have looked after me really well over the last four seasons, so we’ll see what happens.”"

[Mellsblue]

The lengths people will go to play at Goldington Rd.....

[Puja]

Joe Marchant due to get back to rugby soon: https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id ... ght-return

[Digby]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/analysis ... y-pyramid/

[twitchy]

Quality article digby.

[Digby]

I don't think it throws up any surprises, but it does start to get into how detailed rugby is at the top end

[Banquo]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/analysis ... y-pyramid/

Had to lol at the 'eyes and ears' of the back three piece, like this was something innovative.

[Digby]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/analysis ... y-pyramid/

Had to lol at the 'eyes and ears' of the back three piece, like this was something innovative.

Yes but blockers are new!

Mostly I remain depressed at the notion it's 3 phases and bust

[Banquo]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/analysis ... y-pyramid/

Had to lol at the 'eyes and ears' of the back three piece, like this was something innovative.

Yes but blockers are new!

Mostly I remain depressed at the notion it's 3 phases and bust

me too, ergo it all looks a little bit pre-programmed still. I think planning for three phases is sort of ok, but then kicking if you haven't struck is poor.

[Digby]

Had to lol at the 'eyes and ears' of the back three piece, like this was something innovative.

Yes but blockers are new!

Mostly I remain depressed at the notion it's 3 phases and bust

me too, ergo it all looks a little bit pre-programmed still. I think planning for three phases is sort of ok, but then kicking if you haven't struck is poor.

I wonder how often England have given away a penalty in defence on phase 4 or above? One might wonder at the need when a defence would already be so organised no one could breach it. Even allowing for territory could rather shift the point being made.

[Stom]

Just saw this video of Quins u18 Cassius Cleaves. The name alone is good but he’s quick and strong.

[Puja]

Just saw this video of Quins u18 Cassius Cleaves. The name alone is good but he’s quick and strong.

Always hard to tell from a highlights video, especially at age group, but I'm encouraged by the step and how he looks to run at gaps. Too many kids that size would be running through people.

Puja

[Timbo]

Looks talented.

But more importantly, who are the commentators commentating for in those clips?

[Puja]

Looks talented.

But more importantly, who are the commentators commentating for in those clips?

Most of the commentary is when he's playing Harlequins age groups and those games are filmed and shown on Harlequins website sometimes. There's one game for Wellington College with commentary, but that's probably a Daily Mail Cup match which Sky sometimes show.

Puja

[Digby]

Loving the ball out of the back on 50 seconds, and nice pace across all the clips, excellent from a standing start too. Not much evidence there he carries in two hands nor that he knows he has a left hand, which might only suggest with training he can get much better.

[Digby]

Eddie was being interview t'other day and made a number of interesting points. He spoke about ball in play time, noting it'd stayed around 35 minutes for quite some time and whilst I thought it'd upped from that his development on this point was that 80 minute games now last around 100-110 minutes with subs, HIAs, TMOs, and as he puts it refs like to talk (he didn't mention teams like England are slow into restarts and scrum resets I think), so even if ball in play has increased a little the game has hugely increased rest time anyway. And then he had a couple of ideas on how to speed the game up, limit the bench to 6 subs, Eddie has in mind 3 front row, 1 back five forward, a halfback and a general outside back and that he felt would add fatigue and thus increase speed, and also whilst he'd perhaps like to think around the impact having penalties resulting from the scrum require a tap restart, i.e. you couldn't kick them to touch or for points