My questions for fans of the regions

[MrK]

Couple of questions for fans of the regions on "best 15"

Blues. - Assuming everyone is fit - who starts in the back row in the big games ? Jenkins, Warburton, Navidi, Turnbull, N Williams

Ospreys - Parry or Baldwin, Biggar or Davies?

Scarlets - Centre - Parkes, Davies or Williams ?

Dragons - What is your best available 15 ?

[Son of Mathonwy]

Ospreys: never been completely convinced by Baldwin, but the evidence on Parry is inconclusive so far. If forced to choose, I'd say Parry.

Definitely Davies, not Biggar. We need that flair & aggressive attack.

[Digby]

What'd be wrong with picking Davies and Biggar?

[ALunpg]

Couple of questions for fans of the regions on "best 15"

Blues. - Assuming everyone is fit - who starts in the back row in the big games ? Jenkins, Warburton, Navidi, Turnbull, N Williams

Ospreys - Parry or Baldwin, Biggar or Davies?

Scarlets - Centre - Parkes, Davies or Williams ?

Dragons - What is your best available 15 ?

Jenkins Williams Warburton

Parry Davies

Parkes Davies ...

I do not have a clue who is fit for the Dragons...they can have an awesome back line if all fit..Angus O Brien is starting to step up ... they just are lacking confidence . The pack have some good players but just seem to come off second best at times.

[MrK]

What'd be wrong with picking Davies and Biggar?

SO 2 options

10/12
My answer to that is that for certain games, sure we should try that...but I think with Matevesi and Beck we have a potential very good centre partnership - chuck in John and Watkins when hes fit (and Hook next season who had his best season for the Os at 12) - and Id say we are covered at centre.

10/15
This one is more likely as we only really have Dan Evans at the moment - I think we may see this a few times this season, again, next season - we will have Hook to cover 15 also

[Digby]

Matavesi is a tidy enough player, but even with a bit more physicality he's not in the same class as Biggar.

I'd tend to see Hook as a 12 too, but if there's a hole at 15 I'd put him there before Davies when looking to next season

[Son of Mathonwy]

What'd be wrong with picking Davies and Biggar?

Coz that probably means Davies will not be 10, his best position.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Matavesi is a tidy enough player, but even with a bit more physicality he's not in the same class as Biggar.

I'd tend to see Hook as a 12 too, but if there's a hole at 15 I'd put him there before Davies when looking to next season

Matavesi can do a job at 10, but 12 seems to be his best position.

Hook should be very useful for the Ospreys. Presumably he'll be 10 mostly in the international windows. The rest of the time I'd prefer him at 12, but I'm sure he'll be seen at 15 too.

[Numbers]

Couple of questions for fans of the regions on "best 15"

Blues. - Assuming everyone is fit - who starts in the back row in the big games ? Jenkins, Warburton, Navidi, Turnbull, N Williams

Ospreys - Parry or Baldwin, Biggar or Davies?

Scarlets - Centre - Parkes, Davies or Williams ?

Dragons - What is your best available 15 ?

Blues: Jenkins, Warburton, Navidi.

Ospreys: Parry and Davies.

Scarlets: Williams, Davies.

Dragons: Meyer, Hewitt, Morgan, Dixon, Amos, MacLeod, Knoyle, Phil Price, Eliot Dee, Brock Harris, Corey Hill, Rynard Landman, Lewis Evans, Oliie Griffiths, Harrison Keddie (This is certainly the team with the most potential, obviously Cudd is up there but Griffiths is one for the future certainly).

[MrK]

Are Wales bringing back the A Team in 17 ? Or did I just make that up completely ?

[Sandydragon]

Couple of questions for fans of the regions on "best 15"

Blues. - Assuming everyone is fit - who starts in the back row in the big games ? Jenkins, Warburton, Navidi, Turnbull, N Williams

Ospreys - Parry or Baldwin, Biggar or Davies?

Scarlets - Centre - Parkes, Davies or Williams ?

Dragons - What is your best available 15 ?

Blues: Jenkins, Warburton, Navidi.

Ospreys: Parry and Davies.

Scarlets: Williams, Davies.

Dragons: Meyer, Hewitt, Morgan, Dixon, Amos, MacLeod, Knoyle, Phil Price, Eliot Dee, Brock Harris, Corey Hill, Rynard Landman, Lewis Evans, Oliie Griffiths, Harrison Keddie (This is certainly the team with the most potential, obviously Cudd is up there but Griffiths is one for the future certainly).

I prefer Pretorious at scrum half, bit otherwise agree.

[Sourdust]

Os:

Baldwin would be my starter, if available. Parry is a terrific back-up though and I'm pretty agnostic here.

Sam Davies makes our attack work better and can turn a game's momentum with his tactical kicking. But Biggar is a class act and a much tougher proposition when we're in a scrap. Horses for courses. I want both in the XXIII whenever possible.

As regards Hook, yes we all know he can cover anywhere but we also know how that has screwed his entire career, and where he wants to play. We will clearly have fly-half issues for the rest of the season and beyond. I'm not privvy to anything, but I'd be surprised if the negotiations for Hook's return didn't include at least a "gentleman's agreement" that he'll be used primarily at 10.

[Son of Mathonwy]

Os:

Baldwin would be my starter, if available. Parry is a terrific back-up though and I'm pretty agnostic here.

Sam Davies makes our attack work better and can turn a game's momentum with his tactical kicking. But Biggar is a class act and a much tougher proposition when we're in a scrap. Horses for courses. I want both in the XXIII whenever possible.

As regards Hook, yes we all know he can cover anywhere but we also know how that has screwed his entire career, and where he wants to play. We will clearly have fly-half issues for the rest of the season and beyond. I'm not privvy to anything, but I'd be surprised if the negotiations for Hook's return didn't include at least a "gentleman's agreement" that he'll be used primarily at 10.

But with Biggar AND Davies at the Liberty, Hook couldn't possibly expect to be played primarily at 10. He must know that he'll be played whereever he's needed most... 10, 12, 13 or 15. From his comments, I think he accepts this (even if, as you rightly say, his versatility has blighted his career*).

[Numbers]

Os:

Baldwin would be my starter, if available. Parry is a terrific back-up though and I'm pretty agnostic here.

Sam Davies makes our attack work better and can turn a game's momentum with his tactical kicking. But Biggar is a class act and a much tougher proposition when we're in a scrap. Horses for courses. I want both in the XXIII whenever possible.

As regards Hook, yes we all know he can cover anywhere but we also know how that has screwed his entire career, and where he wants to play. We will clearly have fly-half issues for the rest of the season and beyond. I'm not privvy to anything, but I'd be surprised if the negotiations for Hook's return didn't include at least a "gentleman's agreement" that he'll be used primarily at 10.

I would imagine that highly unlikely when he went to Glos to play at 10 and ended up at 15, due to him being less effective at controlling the game than the lesser Burns lad.

[Sandydragon]

Os:

Baldwin would be my starter, if available. Parry is a terrific back-up though and I'm pretty agnostic here.

Sam Davies makes our attack work better and can turn a game's momentum with his tactical kicking. But Biggar is a class act and a much tougher proposition when we're in a scrap. Horses for courses. I want both in the XXIII whenever possible.

As regards Hook, yes we all know he can cover anywhere but we also know how that has screwed his entire career, and where he wants to play. We will clearly have fly-half issues for the rest of the season and beyond. I'm not privvy to anything, but I'd be surprised if the negotiations for Hook's return didn't include at least a "gentleman's agreement" that he'll be used primarily at 10.

I would imagine that highly unlikely when he went to Glos to play at 10 and ended up at 15, due to him being less effective at controlling the game than the lesser Burns lad.

Which has been the problem his entire career. Shame to see such talent not used to its potential by club and country.

[Ross. S]

Shame to see such talent not used to its potential by club and country.

Its quite sad really isn't it. Rewind 10 years, Hook and Henson looked to be the Wales and O's mid field for a very long time, look how they both ended up. Sure a glance at their carrers and you'd be quite impressed but on closer inspection they should/could have got so much more.

[Sandydragon]

Shame to see such talent not used to its potential by club and country.

Its quite sad really isn't it. Rewind 10 years, Hook and Henson looked to be the Wales and O's mid field for a very long time, look how they both ended up. Sure a glance at their carrers and you'd be quite impressed but on closer inspection they should/could have got so much more.

I wonder how much better we would have been in the 2011 RWC with a footballing centre of Henson's quality. His loss to the sport for such a period was a real shame, for him and us. Hook was just misused. His lack of control was a real factor and whilst playing with strong figures to guide him (like Henson) helped, at some point he needed to be re-positioned. But he should have been given an opportunity to settle in a new position. He made a few appearances in the centre but was quickly moved on, ditto full back. He was a real footballing talent but continualy moving around ruined him.

[Sourdust]

I'm assuming that Hook is in the squad specifically as fly-half cover in the likely event that Os lose both 10s during the 6N. He would have been bloody useful during the AIs as it happened. I understood (perhaps incorrectly) that he had had a lot of game time at 10 for Glos recently?

I'm not sure we need centre cover that much, although full-back is a concern.