AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS 2021

[mol2]

Who knows. With Cockers an Jones in the coaching line up there may well be a temptation to go with a smaller hooker.

At this level hookers have to contribute in the scrum and my concern is that Dolly might not be big enough.

Not sure, aside from Cowan-Dickie, who of the crop of English hookers is a powerful scrummager
George seems a dwindling force.

The games against South Africa may have seen the penny drop that the scrum is a key contest. Arguably the selection of Macko over Marler and Genge cost us the world Cup final. Yes the early loss of Sinkler was a compounding issue. Presumably that's why he resisted the temptation to call up Macko when Marler and Genge were taken out by Covid. Shame the opportunity to try the alternatives last year was squandered.

As for the 4 who should be dropped, the replacements suggested are perhaps contentious.

[kk20gb30]

Ranknigs after the weekend (21/11/21) and some (South African betting) World Cup odds :

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/sport/r ... -breaking/

[Roadsweeper]

With Dolly do we have a similar situation to that which happened with Jake Kerr. Good player who got capped in a crisis for Scotland, then he fell out of favour and down the pecking order?

As nobody knows the situation with Tom Youngs, but assuming his involvement going forward is going to as an occasional starter or impact sub, We have:
1. Montoya
2. Clare
3. Dolly
4. A N Other from the youth

Plus Youngs.

It really depends on whether the coaches "fancy" him as a player going forwards. Or perhaps he moves on to get regular first team rugby.

[Scott1]

Equally we don't know if Clare is going to hit the heights of last season

[sam16111986]

Who knows. With Cockers an Jones in the coaching line up there may well be a temptation to go with a smaller hooker.

Eddie has tended towards bigger hookers. Blamire is certainly not a small lad. LCD and George almost prop size. I think Eddie intended to give George time to work on his Sarries form and at the time to give Blamire more exposure. When LCD went down back in came George.

I'd expect LCD, George and Blamire to be the three hookers come the 6N if there's no injuries. There's a nice succession planning there and they all play a similar type of game.

[Systonite]

Fine though Dolly has been, I would prefer us to get the scrum working and, for that reason, I would go with Clare, who can scrummage as well as any hooker around.

[Rutlandtiger]

BBC reporting Manu out for 6 weeks with torn hamstring. The guy has no luck with injuries.

[Old Hob]

BBC reporting Manu out for 6 weeks with torn hamstring. The guy has no luck with injuries.

In another thread
Transfers & Rumours Non-Tigers 2020-21

I posted 6 weeks and I was, apparently, wrong. Could be a lot longer.

[Tigerbeat]

Fine though Dolly has been, I would prefer us to get the scrum working and, for that reason, I would go with Clare, who can scrummage as well as any hooker around.

Dont see any issues with Dolly so far........

[kk20gb30]

The closure of the Autumn Series comes on Saturday Nov 27 , Barbarians squads to Face Samoa (Men) and South Africa (Women) announced :

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/wallabies ... a-20211123

[Scott1]

Can any of our front row guys tell me how they know the strengths of a hookers scrummaging? You can see if a TH or LH is doing a number on his man just by the pictures you are getting from the game but hooker? Are we just going on word of mouth or their size or are there subtleties we can look out for? Thanks

[Soggypitch]

Can any of our front row guys tell me how they know the strengths of a hookers scrummaging? You can see if a TH or LH is doing a number on his man just by the pictures you are getting from the game but hooker? Are we just going on word of mouth or their size or are there subtleties we can look out for? Thanks

Err............no

[Scott1]

Can any of our front row guys tell me how they know the strengths of a hookers scrummaging? You can see if a TH or LH is doing a number on his man just by the pictures you are getting from the game but hooker? Are we just going on word of mouth or their size or are there subtleties we can look out for? Thanks

Err............no

Haha

[Robespierre]

Romain Ntamack - Magnifique!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3-N4q0e1qM

[Scott1]

Romain Ntamack - Magnifique!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3-N4q0e1qM

Watching that at the time I was on my feet!