Starting XV

[dunc]

If everyone is available, who do we pick? There are so many people putting their hands up.

Big questions for me at 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12 and 14

How do we accommodate Martin?
Is Heyes moving ahead of Cole?
Has Kelly done enough to displace Scott?
Is Nadolo nailed on when he returns? Who do you give the other wing spot to? Potter is growing every game, Murimurivalu had his best game vs Newcastle, Van Wyk has also shown glimpses.

[dunc]

For me it is

1 Genge
2 Montoya
3 Cole
4 Wells
5 Martin
6 Liebenberg
7 Reffell
8 Wiese
9 Youngs
10 Ford
11 Nadolo
12 Scott
13 Moroni
14 Murimurivalu
15 Stewart

[sam16111986]

I don't think Borthwick wants a traditional starting 15. He wants 40 players he knows will do the job for him and then he'll select the permeation from that squad that suit the next game and the overall season plan.

This seems as far removed from Cockers "my only focus is the win next Saturday" mentality as you can get. Yes we will want to win next Saturday but also the Saturday after that.

Borthwick and Geordie before him have changed the ethos and mentality a great deal. Borthwick wouldn't be happy if it was easy to pick a best 15.

[loretta]

For me it is

1 Genge
2 Montoya
3 Cole
4 Wells
5 Martin
6 Liebenberg
7 Reffell
8 Wiese
9 Youngs
10 Ford
11 Nadolo
12 Scott
13 Moroni
14 Murimurivalu
15 Stewart

I'm afraid, if everyone is fit, Murimurivalu just isn't quick enough to be first choice winger. I'd be very happy with Nadolo, because he brings another big strength.

[JP14]

I don't think Borthwick wants a traditional starting 15. He wants 40 players he knows will do the job for him and then he'll select the permeation from that squad that suit the next game and the overall season plan.

This seems as far removed from Cockers "my only focus is the win next Saturday" mentality as you can get. Yes we will want to win next Saturday but also the Saturday after that.

Borthwick and Geordie before him have changed the ethos and mentality a great deal. Borthwick wouldn't be happy if it was easy to pick a best 15.

Very Leinster-esque, love it!

[JP14]

Only in the regard of having an extremely competitive squad using a core of homegrown players, that's where the similarity stops. Whilst I'm glad they beat Exeter, would much prefer Toulouse to get the 5 stars rather than Leinster.

[Scott1]

Tbf Muri had a great game yesterday,was offloading and keeping the ball alive,,always sharp around the BD with pick and goes. If he doesn’t start I’d have him at 23 with his ability to cover 11,13,14,15.

[sam16111986]

For me it is

1 Genge
2 Montoya
3 Cole
4 Wells
5 Martin
6 Liebenberg
7 Reffell
8 Wiese
9 Youngs
10 Ford
11 Nadolo
12 Scott
13 Moroni
14 Murimurivalu
15 Stewart

I'm afraid, if everyone is fit, Murimurivalu just isn't quick enough to be first choice winger. I'd be very happy with Nadolo, because he brings another big strength.

Murimurivalu offers that off the shoulder option coming into the line and the cheeky pick and go from the breakdown. He's not as rapid as he was in his 20s but he's such an intelligent rugby player he gives us a different way to attack and creates problems for the opposition defence. I hope he's mentoring the younger Tigers wingers in how to scan a defence and then go looking for work in attack, imagine if Potter started doing that with his speed and step, he already follows the breaks and supports well. We've already seen Porter try some of Kin's tricks from the wing Vs Connacht.

[ay2oh]

Agree that Muri would defo be in the 23

[RagingBull]

I wonder if part of our recent problem has been too much focus on having a "starting XV"

[wellstiger]

EEEEH gods.
For three or more seasons we survived with a squad that was cobbled together with poor purchases and a few who couldn't have cared less.
Now we have a squad that is competitive and a genuine fight for places. A squad fit to fight in domestic and European arenas.
And we are still questioning who fits in where?
I think yesterday shows how far we have come under SB and by resting ( in general ) international contingent, we will be a stronger team to face Barff.

So my question - do we really need a starting XV or a squad?

[RunTigerRun]

Best thing about our wingers imo is that we have some genuine pace options, some bulk power options and some intelligent looking for work, running off shoulder options.

I’d imagine pairings are probably about right with no one necessarily nailed on 1st choice.

Nadolo + Potter has a really nice balance of power and pace.
Simmons + Murimurivalu has raw speed and intelligent options.
Porter + van Wyk has a nice balance with some guile and strength.

That’s without mentioning some of the loan guys SAR, Williams, Olowofela, Browning etc coming through.

Don’t think we’ve had as quality a pair of wingers as we do now since the Alesana Tuilagi and Scott Hamilton/Johne Murphy days.

[tigerburnie]

I like the rotation policy, there are games when JvP would start ahead of Ben and I quite like occasional games where the experience of yesterdays bench was exactly what we needed, Tom Youngs and Dan Cole along with Ben and George is exactly what you want for the last 30 minutes to either win a game or close it out as happened yesterday.

[Traveller]

The things that excites me about the current situation is that for the first time in years we won't have two thirds of a squad leaving and two thirds joining. Of the 'key' players is it just - Le Bruin, Lavanini going? There will be others no doubt but they've barely played. Conversely just a small group of talented players arriving who seem to have been carefully recruited i.e. Van Staden, Snyman etc.

So I'll add stability, to my own mantra of humility and patience.

[OakhamTiger32]

For me it is

1 Genge
2 Montoya
3 Cole
4 Wells
5 Martin
6 Liebenberg
7 Reffell
8 Wiese
9 Youngs
10 Ford
11 Nadolo
12 Kelly
13 Moroni
14 Potter
15 Stewart