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  3. Ins and Outs across the Prem
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #30 on: »
Quote from: Bolly-Quin on Tuesday 19-Apr-2022, 21:39*
Does the "four" in your name refer to No 4/lock during your playing career? - Just wondering...

Yes, although you're only the second person ever to comment on it. As an 11 year old playing rugby for the first time I was 5'10" and fast enough to be on the relay team. I had two very enjoyable seasons of playing No 8 and haring round the field smashing into people. Then I grew a bit taller and every subsequent coach and team could only see me as a lock. Being a schoolboy lock in the '80s was dull as *&$@ unless you had a progressive coach and a switched on No 8 ; I spent the rest of my rugby career trundling between the bottom of the ruck and the middle of the scrum, got bored, picked up a couple of minor injuries and drifted out of the game.

I wish someone had encouraged me to keep playing, but no-one did so I took up gridiron instead. I didn't come back to the game until my wife and I started supporting Quins in the early 2000s. Then our kids started playing in the early 2010s, I started coaching and reffing them and working hard on my knowledge of the game to keep up.
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #31 on: »
Quote from: poorfour on Tuesday 19-Apr-2022, 22:20*
Yes, although you're only the second person ever to comment on it. As an 11 year old playing rugby for the first time I was 5'10" and fast enough to be on the relay team. I had two very enjoyable seasons of playing No 8 and haring round the field smashing into people. Then I grew a bit taller and every subsequent coach and team could only see me as a lock. Being a schoolboy lock in the '80s was dull as *&$@ unless you had a progressive coach and a switched on No 8 ; I spent the rest of my rugby career trundling between the bottom of the ruck and the middle of the scrum, got bored, picked up a couple of minor injuries and drifted out of the game.

I wish someone had encouraged me to keep playing, but no-one did so I took up gridiron instead. I didn't come back to the game until my wife and I started supporting Quins in the early 2000s. Then our kids started playing in the early 2010s, I started coaching and reffing them and working hard on my knowledge of the game to keep up.

All very interesting but the big question is does the "poor" in your name refer to the state your wife has left you in?
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #32 on: »
As I read it poorfour actually wanted to be greateight but his coaches pushed him in to playing in the second row.
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #33 on: »
Quote from: poorfour on Tuesday 19-Apr-2022, 22:20*
Yes, although you're only the second person ever to comment on it. As an 11 year old playing rugby for the first time I was 5'10" and fast enough to be on the relay team. I had two very enjoyable seasons of playing No 8 and haring round the field smashing into people. Then I grew a bit taller and every subsequent coach and team could only see me as a lock. Being a schoolboy lock in the '80s was dull as *&$@ unless you had a progressive coach and a switched on No 8 ; I spent the rest of my rugby career trundling between the bottom of the ruck and the middle of the scrum, got bored, picked up a couple of minor injuries and drifted out of the game.

I wish someone had encouraged me to keep playing, but no-one did so I took up gridiron instead. I didn't come back to the game until my wife and I started supporting Quins in the early 2000s. Then our kids started playing in the early 2010s, I started coaching and reffing them and working hard on my knowledge of the game to keep up.

My first game was at prop, then most of my junior career was at lock, with occasional back row forays. Senior rugby - I'd stopped growing upwards, and started at fullback, before switching (mostly) to fly half - and at some point playing every position from 9 to 15. Being 6 foot 1 and 15 stone at the time was big for a 10, but these days I'd probably be considered small! But I concur that olden days locks had less fun; plenty of workhorse stuff and a few scums falling on top of us.
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #34 on: »
None of this has anything to do with Premiership Ins and Outs, so we should probably try not to derail the bread any further, but … I really wish I’d known I wasn’t going to grow any more from about 15 onwards. In the space of a couple of years, I went from being average/slightly bigger than average to relatively small. It basically meant that I was always a forward in a scrum half’s body.
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #35 on: »
Quote from: Quinston Churchill on Thursday 21-Apr-2022, 21:23*
None of this has anything to do with Premiership Ins and Outs, so we should probably try not to derail the bread any further, but … I really wish I’d known I wasn’t going to grow any more from about 15 onwards. In the space of a couple of years, I went from being average/slightly bigger than average to relatively small. It basically meant that I was always a forward in a scrum half’s body.
Is that you, Wev?
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #36 on: »
I wish  :D
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #37 on: »
Quote from: Quinston Churchill on Thursday 21-Apr-2022, 21:23*
None of this has anything to do with Premiership Ins and Outs, so we should probably try not to derail the bread any further, but … I really wish I’d known I wasn’t going to grow any more from about 15 onwards. In the space of a couple of years, I went from being average/slightly bigger than average to relatively small. It basically meant that I was always a forward in a scrum half’s body.

Same as me!
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #38 on: »
Bristol's exciting inside centre Frisch going to Munster.

It is a shame it does seem the quality of talent across the Prem is definitely declining for next season...
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #39 on: »
Is there a URC Salary Cap?
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #40 on: »
Quote from: Captquin on Friday 22-Apr-2022, 10:46*
Bristol's exciting inside centre Frisch going to Munster.

It is a shame it does seem the quality of talent across the Prem is definitely declining for next season...

Outside of Bristol and their well-publicised salary cap snafu, I don't think that's necessarily the case. If you look at the quality of academy players coming into the game, I think there's a good chance that the loss of more established talent will be offset by emerging EQP talent getting game time earlier in their careers.

The Prem sides will probably be at a bit of a disadvantage in European competition next year with the amount of change in squads and the loss of experience, but over the next RWC cycle it may well pay off for both English clubs and England itself.
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #41 on: »
Quote from: deadlyfrom5yardsout on Tuesday 03-May-2022, 10:23*
Is there a URC Salary Cap?

I doubt it because of the different ways the teams are organised/funded depending on the union.
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #42 on: »
In terms of headline talent leaving the Premiership, the main ones would be de Klerk, de Jager and Faletau (although you could argue he’s no longer at that level and hasn’t really added a great deal to the Premiership).

There are some very good players leaving like Thomas Young and Nathan Hughes who have been big contributors to the league in the past, but again are probably at the tail end of being truly influential. Arguably, they’re being replaced by young English talent too. Barbeary isn’t a like for like but fills the vacancy in Wasps’ back row and Harding has already established himself as a very promising replacement for Hughes.

There are also some good players coming in to the league and even if I don’t personally rate him that much, Pollard is definitely a big name arriving.

Ultimately, losing someone like Antoine Frisch who has looked very good, but was playing D2 (or D3) rugby not that long ago, isn’t indicative of a talent drain IMO. A better example would have been Vaea Fifita, but his move smacks of mercenary behaviour.
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #43 on: »
John Afoa is joining RC Vannes (Pro2) from Bristol on a 2 year contract.
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Re: Ins and Outs across the Prem
« Reply #44 on: »
Yeah, it wasn’t intended to be an exhaustive list of good players who are leaving the league. As good as Afoa has been at times over the years, I’d question how much of a loss to the league a 38yr old playing a bit part role is.
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  3. Ins and Outs across the Prem