Owen Williams or Freddie Burns

[mightymouse]

Burns has of course yet to be "Tigerized" - there are obvious players who have benefitted from this process, like Allan and Tait but I'm sure we could name plenty more, possibly Salvi and Goneva for instance - very occasionally it fails ................ like Lamb (beyond redemption) - Burns I am sure will be the former not the latter, due to youth and inate talent.

Who will start? - well maybe Williams at the beginning of the season but Burns will get his chance to shine, in the Autumn and again in February and March when Williams is starting for Wales!

[Will S]

I really like the thought of Burns playing for Tigers. Behind a struggling Glos pack he found things difficult - probably because he was trying too hard to create something out of nothing all the time. Behind a strong Tigers pack with strike runners outside him (and Allen to help manage him) I think he will be a huge asset.

At the moment Williams would certainly have the shirt. However, IMO Burns can do things Williams can't and is the longer term answer for us.

[Smurphswillgetya]

I think 2 young quality fly halves fighting for a place with the likes of Youngs and Mele and Anthony Allen guiding them along can only be a good thing for the club. Though in 2 years time we could have a problem if one is picked by Wales and the other by England. We may yet need to bring back Lamb to the club!

[Stu_F]

Didn't David Mele play 10 for Perpignan at Welford Road a couple of years ago?

Doesn't that give some resilience in the event of both Williams and Burns getting international call ups?

[RagingBull]

Hopefully we will have Bai and maybe one of the youngster will be ready for the odd game or two.

[TigerCam]

OW came with potential and is developing into a confident 10. Gatland will do himself a favour by having a good look at OW for the RWC squad.

[tigerben]

Article in Wales Online by Delme Parfitt on Williams and international selection - includes a poll on whether he should go to South Africa in the summer - currently 92% yes
clicky

[Latecomer]

Tigers have a fantastic knack of getting the best out of seemingly poor or past it players. Look at Scott Bemand. Was going nowhere when he arrived at Welford Rd and by the end of the season he had made the no 9 shirt his own and was going on tour with England. I'm sure they will be able to work their magic with Freddie Burns and either he or Owen Williams behind a powerful Tigers pack will do a great job.

[RayDTuTu]

There have also been some failures.
Ryan Lamb,
Micky Young off the top of my head
Successes probably outweigh failures.
In some cases we have had to wait a long time to get a return. Matt Tait for instance.

[Hinckley Bob]

Burns has of course yet to be "Tigerized" - there are obvious players who have benefitted from this process, like Allan and Tait but I'm sure we could name plenty more, possibly Salvi and Goneva for instance - very occasionally it fails ................ like Lamb (beyond redemption) - Burns I am sure will be the former not the latter, due to youth and inate talent.

Who will start? - well maybe Williams at the beginning of the season but Burns will get his chance to shine, in the Autumn and again in February and March when Williams is starting for Wales!

I believe that Burns has the talent, the physique, the application and the ambition. Short term loss of form does not matter if he is prepared to come to Tigers, knowing that he will have to work and prove that he is the best at the club to earn the shirt. As Mick Cleary says in the DT today, good players become better players at Tigers. Competition with OW will only make them both better.

[Hot_Charlie]

There have also been some failures.
Ryan Lamb,
Micky Young off the top of my head
Successes probably outweigh failures.
In some cases we have had to wait a long time to get a return. Matt Tait for instance.

Was Micky Young a failure? Injury and a (harsh?) ban really summed up his time at Tigers, and he didn't really have the opportunity to progress. If he'd been fit and available for the whole 2 years and warmed the bench, I'd say he'd been a failure.

I also disagree with Lamb as a failure. An idiot in a reserve game, yes, and a very poor game away to Saracens, but all in all, when he played he did a reasonable job. The fact he's gone is more that he was signed just in case Williams wasn't up to scratch IMHO and was surplus to requirements being #3.

Mat Tait, well yeah, he was a medical risk - and the club knew it when he was signed - but as soon as he was fully fit (or as fully fit as he's been in 4 years), he's been back to his best. Hardly any hint of slow progress or failure.

[longlivethecrumbie]

Cockers also shouting about the virtues of Williams http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/n ... -cockerill

[welshy08]

Williams will never play for Wales as long as the PRL has their mitts all over him..

Why take him to South Africa when he will miss the game against them in the Autumn and only be made available for a fraction of the time biggar and priest land are?

No 10 is a key role..

You will want your best players to gain worthwhile and consistent international experience, and not be hindered by their association with spiteful English rugby administrators.

[longlivethecrumbie]

You will want your best players to gain worthwhile and consistent international experience, and not be hindered by their association with spiteful English rugby administrators.

I assume you're referring to the fine that was incurred by Saints for North playing for Wales OUTSIDE of the agreed international window? By the same logic, North should not be considered by Wales, being as he plays in the EPL - the same EPL that the Welsh regions were hell bent on joining to get away from the clutches of their own union....

[jgriffin]

Williams will never play for Wales as long as the PRL has their mitts all over him..

Why take him to South Africa when he will miss the game against them in the Autumn and only be made available for a fraction of the time biggar and priest land are?

No 10 is a key role..

You will want your best players to gain worthwhile and consistent international experience, and not be hindered by their association with spiteful English rugby administrators.

Such attitudes are why Welsh rugby is heading for the Stone Age. A bitter, sad post.