We have to keep Agulla- all threads merged

[The Boy Dave]

Not sure about these though :

tigerburnie wrote:

A. if you had to pick between Ayerza and Agulla,I'd have to go with Cockers decision.
B. the club keeps going from strength to strength.

To play devils advocate:
On point A, we have plenty of prop cover (Stanko, Brookes, Mulipola, Cole, Castro, Bower, Bucknall?), but less so at wing (Hamilton, Lewington, Benjamin, Thompstone, Morris & probably Goneva (assuming Smith is a 13))
and when you compare the quality available, the difference is even more marked = 5 proven/class props and 0 wings...
Even during 6N/autumn Ints we will only have 2 props missing.

So choosing between them (if that was the option, which it is not) is not so clear cut for me .... and we can have both IMO.
The next big thing in the academy may be prop or wing (we don't know).

At this time Ayerza IS the best loosehead in world rugby IMO and if Tigers are to challenge for major honours next season he must be retained. Look at what happened in the LV Cup Final when Ayerza came on. I dont think that there is a tighthead capable of competing with him for long apart from our own Castro and maybe Cole very soon. Ayerza is one of the all time great looseheadse IMO and we are very lucky to have him. To compare Ayerza's level with Agulla's is completely out of order IMO.

[Crumblies]

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but:

Wasn't 12Ts offered a contract which he rejected. Now since he rejected that contract as far as I can make out no one else has be added to the squad (all our imports were already agreed). So were Lewington & Bower were already scheduled to leave.

So if that is not the case quick as a flash I deduce that there should be a significant amount of money available within the salary cap and this is just a red herring.

Elsewhere I posted that I thought this was RC obstinacy following Waldroms England international recognition. I still hold that view!

[tigerburnie]

tig1 that's a very well put observation,I wonder if the political climate is right though.The potential for a fanbase is there,but it needs the will to succeed.Pity as I feel Argentina have come further than pretty much any other rugby nation in the last decade,their world cup performances have shown what they are capable of as have some of their home internationals.

[tig1]

tig1 that's a very well put observation,I wonder if the political climate is right though.The potential for a fanbase is there,but it needs the will to succeed.Pity as I feel Argentina have come further than pretty much any other rugby nation in the last decade,their world cup performances have shown what they are capable of as have some of their home internationals.

Your right Tigerburnie, its entirely political. But i didnt want to say that in the previous post because anybody who has visited knows its an absolutely beuatiful country.

The very sad fact is that it is considered the most corrupt mid - large size nation in the world. And so it lurches from economic crisis to crisis.

Really it has everything to do with Argentina getting their own act together.

[tb1]

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but:

Wasn't 12Ts offered a contract which he rejected. Now since he rejected that contract as far as I can make out no one else has be added to the squad (all our imports were already agreed). So were Lewington & Bower were already scheduled to leave.

So if that is not the case quick as a flash I deduce that there should be a significant amount of money available within the salary cap and this is just a red herring.

Elsewhere I posted that I thought this was RC obstinacy following Waldroms England international recognition. I still hold that view!

You have it wrong I believe.

Bowden is the replacement, he was sounded out as a possible replacement in the case of Tony or Billy leaving, but the signing was not made until Billy was confirmed leaving.

[fleabane]

Don't forget Tiger's practice of agreeing terms but leaving the signatures until the last minute in case someone leaves / does not leave / gets injured / recovers more quickly than anticipated, etc.

I suspect that Castro will be our Marquee player outside the cap, that the youngsters coming into the squad will have had to have had a salary / appearance money increase to retain them, and that the new signings will have been keenly bought.

In the current climate, outside of Bath and Sarries, I doubt that clubs will be spending up to the cap, and that includes us.