Will 7 be a worry?

[Blabyboy]

so open side has been a great position for tigers in the recent past and we have given the shirt to some really class act players, back, kronfeld, skinner herring, moody etc. it seems to me that next season we wont have the class players included in the previous last sentence. whats going to occur, will youngs step up, will croft, with his burning pace, swap to open, will we sign george smith(if only) or something else.......what do you think ?

[Snorbins]

i dont think we have any problem. george smith? are you sure, another one who will only come to annihlate the salary cap for his pension. Let him go to france.

[dontlookdown]

If Ben Woods can keep fit then he should be more than able to fill the gap. He was very impressive when Moody was out last season - and when hes played this season.

[rugger]

Our back row does not have the balance or class needed to push for honours greater than the premiership. The closest we came in recent years included Jennings at 7. Very much like england we have not produced that dog on floor type individual for some years. Observation not criticism before anyone starts !

[MJ Chairman]

Our back row does not have the balance or class needed to push for honours greater than the premiership. The closest we came in recent years included Jennings at 7. Very much like england we have not produced that dog on floor type individual for some years. Observation not criticism before anyone starts !

The dog on the floor type is called Craig Newby who IMHO should be the first back rower on the team sheet every week either at 6 or 8

[kornboy130]

Our back row does not have the balance or class needed to push for honours greater than the premiership. The closest we came in recent years included Jennings at 7. Very much like england we have not produced that dog on floor type individual for some years. Observation not criticism before anyone starts !

Not like we made the HEC final last year with Ben Woods at 7 is it?

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good whinge though.

[kingol22]

i think we can offer a very balanced back row.
say we had a backrow of 6. newby
7.croft
8.tank
theres newby to do the stealing of balls and croft does this well also you have croft with the pace and tank (cant remember his actual name) to do the tackle breaking and make the hard yards. and then you have quality players like crane and woods to challenge from the bench.

[MurphysLaw]

[quote="kornboy130"][quote="rugger"]Our back row does not have the balance or class needed to push for honours greater than the premiership. The closest we came in recent years included Jennings at 7. Very much like england we have not produced that dog on floor type individual for some years. Observation not criticism before anyone starts ![/quote]

Not like we made the HEC final last year with Ben Woods at 7 is it?

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good whinge though.[/quote]

Why is this seen as a whinge? As the OP says, just an observation.

I agree that Ben Woods, when fit, is a great 7. I would love to see him back fit and having a good run in the side. However, if Ben is unavailable, we are going to be short of any depth in that position. Ben Pienaar is next in line, and he is still learning. Beyond him it's players like Newbs, who are great 6s. But beyond Ben Woods, do we currently have a fast, out and out openside specialist?

Again, an observation, and not a whinge

[Darc Tiger]

Pienaar will probably have a bigger role next season. And maybe the talented mister Everard will have a shot at the big time.

[tigerburnie]

No one likes change,it's a fact of life,but then so is change it's self(blimey didn't know I was becoming a philosopher in my old age).
I for one have been both pleased and dissapointed in equal measure this season so far,great wins against teams on fire,not least saffacens at their place,humping the pests and barf at home,plus of course that Springboks game.Down about the Heineken results,but hey ho,onwards and upwards still got the GP to win.
Players wise,I look forward to seeing some of our own exciting young bloods coming into play,yes I will name Billy as one of them,though he is clearly not the only one.England youth internationals,including their grand slam captain,can't wait.

COME ON YOU TIGERRRRRRRRRRRRssssssssssssss

[mike]

Yes - I think it will . I'm far from convinced that Ben Woods is top drawer - certainly good but not in the Rees , Wallace, Moody or even Armitage class .To win the Heineken Cup you need an outstanding 7 , someone like Neil Back perhaps . Unfortunately woods does seem to be a bit injury prone as well , like someone else used to be .

[J.McM]

Thomas Waldrom can play openside flanker aswell. He had a great game this morning at openside.

[sam16111986]

Matt Everard looks the business at 7 in the development games and I think he will be a real asset he has the velcro hands like all the best opensides we just need to bring him over a season or two. I wonder whether Cockers will bring in a veteran 7 who only wants to play part time to cover Woods, that way Everard can get game time and we'd have a knarley old scavenger for the big games. Now if only we could lay our hands on one....

[Kinoulton]

I don't think there is any point in worrying about a number 7 being injury prone.

If they're not injury prone, they're probably not doing their job right.

[westy154]

I would be more than happy to have a fit Ben Woods as the club's first choice openside.

Waldrom also seems highly capable. I was still half asleep when I watched the game, but didn't they (the Crusaders) chose to play Richie Macaw at lock so that Waldrom could play at 7? That must be a pretty decent reccommendation surely?