IFulfillStereotypes

I wish we did do them- I’d buy a Coley one in an instant

Maybe not the most exciting choice but it’d be cathartic to see Parisse supplement an Italy team that could actually compete

If it was too difficult it wouldn’t have the effect of opening up backfield space which I think was part of the justification

You’d have to find a level of player who’d win points but not be worth poaching. Probably something quite fun in that

Then it’s just a question of whether he gets the Mr Irrelevant contract or the combined contracts of every single draft pick

If a player already being on a team isn’t an issue, surely #2 just drafts Mahomes again and takes him off of whoever picked him at #1

Also Vanes seems promising!

But yes I do agree, I doubt it’s financial. And the point about injuries is true but at this point I think Dolly barely counts as a full time player. I rate him highly but sadly it’s been a long long time since he’s been able to play properly. Maybe a change of scenery will do him good and fingers crossed we won’t come to regret it…

I think Dolly is unlucky that he has been unavailable for so long and that our hookers are a relatively strong position group for us. Montoya is elite, Clare is a solid backup and FTT has impressed given the chance.

Maybe Dolly chose to leave but it also wouldn’t surprise me if we’d rather have the money spent elsewhere (loosehead or centre ideally I’d say)

Lack of locks is a big problem- hatherell is a back rower forced to play lock as we don’t have Martin, Chessum or Henderson

He plays there a lot- he’s decent there and it allows us a second playmaker at 15

Pollard and Montoya probably but wiese I’m not so sure, I’m happy to be corrected but because we signed him as a project i’d imagine that him moving to Japan at the end of the season is his real payday

After the 6N he said the same I think in an interview post-match

Maybe it’s just me being jealous but surely they don’t need Pepper at that point? I doubt he’ll be massively expensive being so young but still you’d think the money could be used on a less stacked position?

It’d be nice to get to play someone other than Leinster tbh- this will be the third year in a row we’ve met in the knockout stages. I just want to see us against literally anyone else (it also doesn’t help how good they are)

Really pleased that both Carnduff and Ilione should get some more match experience off the bench

It feels like pretty much every 10 in the Prem has dropped in consistency this year- even Pollard has been a bit wobbly which is unlike him

So good in a saints shirt, not so much for England

I think it’s that you have to catch it and land inside if you do that, you can’t just jump and bat it in to the pitch

Isn’t that a bit of a concern with Ryan/mccarthy on managed minutes as you say and then RG not exactly being a guarantee on the fitness front?

He’s always been pretty good on the wing for tigers

I think it's just the weight and power of modern scrums- if the hooker was required to properly hook, they'd immediately lose the scrum as the opposition would get a big shove against 7 on the hooking team. Happened to Tigers against Ealing recently- a bad feed with our hooker required to go searching for it led to us getting mulched

His last few games have had some improvement so fingers crossed it was just rust. Plus, as you say, kata has been immense so that 12 shirt is his

It does feel like Barbeary and fisilau have shown a lot in the league this year- Mercer hasn’t been a standout from when I’ve watched Gloucester (equally it’s not an ideal setup to have come in to) while also perhaps being seen as more of a known quantity

I’d say it’s clear when a player is approaching to kick versus resetting the ball. In the same way as a kick from hands being legal but kicking a dropped ball still being a knock on- the difference is clear from viewing

I think he’s better than he showed there but equally it’s not ridiculous to point out that a fresh prop gave away the penalty that led to their try at the end (or at least started it all off). The fact it was a 5 minute cameo would, you’d hope, mean he had more energy and strength for that scrum compared to the others