Are our expectations now higher? |
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Eastern outpost
Rambler Joined: 13 March 2012 Location: South Suffolk Status: Offline Points: 21937 |
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profession wrong, however, here goes. You could pitch those away trips to any rugby supporting learner drivers as an intensive weekend away, designed to accelerate their date with a successful test. For the French club, maybe there’s some folk who want to have a go at driving on the other side of the road with someone else’s car and insurance. If there’s a spare seat in the car for that, more difficult to sell, trip you could always add a Con Air member. They’re especially handy on width judgements abroad, I understand. 😇 |
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Speedy
Veteran Joined: 04 September 2004 Location: Gelendzhik Status: Offline Points: 14400 |
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One area we can improve is by getting ourselves home draws in these knockout stages, thus making our chances of progression far more likely.
Its what Leinsters success is based upon.
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SospanMawr
Veteran Joined: 03 April 2013 Location: The North Stand Status: Offline Points: 10035 |
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My expectations (or I suppose these are hopes) are a bit different
- Our website gets better. More content. Better aesthetically. More player biographies etc. - Our average attendance is over 10k again. - Three sell outs (home knockout league, home knockout cup, Ospreys, maybe another?) - Another good season for our age grade teams. |
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Fscarlet
Moderator Group Joined: 26 January 2015 Status: Offline Points: 8871 |
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Whilst this is true, I think it is very fair to say that our International Window squad is probably going to be one of the strongest we've had this coming season. This is where Leinster, for me, have been at an advantage for so long. So with a bit of luck we will have a squad capable of stepping up during the windows.
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reesytheexile
Veteran Joined: 11 August 2012 Location: Machynys Status: Offline Points: 17530 |
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SA14
Moderator Group Wwwww mince Joined: 15 August 2004 Location: Pemberton Status: Offline Points: 23830 |
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I wouldn’t go that far. I’d say it’s about the same. |
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Fscarlet
Moderator Group Joined: 26 January 2015 Status: Offline Points: 8871 |
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I would say it is slightly stronger given that the young backs that came in this season will have another years experience, plus we have the additions of Blade Thomson, Uzair Cassiem, Clayton Blommetjies who will be available during windows which should help. I know we didn't lose Beirne but still we have recruited well in the pack for window periods.
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PE SA
Veteran Joined: 22 July 2009 Status: Offline Points: 12515 |
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But they had those this year - apart from RM! These are players that will miss a large chunks of the season though. So again, I see them complaining about depth again next year. As for Brown, its not certain he will be back playing yet is it? Everyone can see that they have some promising youngsters. They always have had promising youngsters. Its just that for whatever reason they have never realised their full potential there. Even Faletau left as he was not as good as what was hoped, got extremely stale there. He went to Bath and reached another level. I don't think these lads can be as good as they can under the current set up. Zero man management skills. I think the issue everyone has with the Dragons is the way that Scarlets were watched getting rid of all high earners, not signing anyone, and going with kids because of our debt....Ospreys now in major cash troubles - having similar stories to us back then that they are now "struggling to continue as a business", Cardiff Blues have also had their issues...Dragons have had their debts wiped clean, given the go ahead to sign players that wouldn't be cheap (Morroarity, Hibbard etc), and continuous Andy Howell and Robin Davey stupid news days and over the top positive press. Even Scrum V spoke more about Gwent area than Cardiff Blues winning the European trophy! Scrum V also allocated goodness knows how many positive chats about them after their embarrassing losses through the season "its all about next year". The only thing that's happened is that Jackman has managed to get himself unsackable this year after getting people to believe that...even though he is the worst Dragons coach in their entire history results wise. The squad that they will have next year (apart from RM, JW and RW) were embarrassed out in South Africa and Martyn Williams and Jiffy thankfully called it on them that that was the side that they thought was "their strongest side" - everyone else was being released. They went on to say the players that they signed with respect are players that wouldn't get into other regions. Have they got an improved squad? hard to say as a squad needs depth. They've got rid of players that would give them decent depth! For example, I cant believe for one second they think Jacob Botica and Josh Lewis are better options at 10 than Angus OBrien - who is both younger and far more experienced than Botica and Lewis! So with injuries and call ups, I can see them having no real progress personally. They are targeting 6 wins...we will see.
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scarletnut
Veteran Joined: 28 April 2009 Status: Offline Points: 14170 |
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I still wake up late at night and think of what might have been when tim stimpson hit that jammy penalty1
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aber-fan
Veteran Joined: 25 October 2004 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 18857 |
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Ah... memories of Brive!
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“You cannot reason a man out of what he never reasoned himself into.” (Jonathan Swift)
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supertaf
Veteran Joined: 17 August 2004 Location: Down the Parc Status: Offline Points: 9079 |
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Sense.
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Scarlets - Suppliers of fine rugby since 1872
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NobbySosban
Veteran Joined: 30 June 2010 Location: Sir Berk Status: Offline Points: 6278 |
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Having made Champs Cup Semi & PRO14 Final, anything less is going to feel like a step back this season.
In reality, being involved and competitive in the knock-out stages of both tournaments for a successive season would be terrific, and would show sustained progress & performance. However, it will be the players along with this group of coaches who will set the expectations for the season ahead, as they did last season, and I can't see them settling for anything less than they've just tasted. Leinster are the benchmark and will be in our Conference once again, so beating them will be the main focus and motivation as the keystone to greater success. |
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RR1972
Veteran Joined: 27 April 2009 Status: Offline Points: 18274 |
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unless Scotland call up hdc and Thompson , not sure what samoa are doing these days but if they play ai games fonotina will be with them Plus we will be missing beirne who was available all last season during the international period. So in the ai we could see just the two saffer lads added to our squad and in the 6 nations the two saffer lads plus fonotina I'll leave that to others to decide if that makes us far stronger than last year
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GPR - Rochester
Veteran Joined: 01 December 2014 Location: Rhydcymerau Status: Offline Points: 18784 |
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Firstly pe sa I can only agree with you on how poor the Dragons/Jackman have been this season. My gripe is the way some on here don't see any signs of progress in their recruitment. Rhodri & Moriarty are players who we would have welcomed into our squad so they must be good signings. Tyler Morgan & Ollie Griffiths, both quality players missed most of the season through injury. So first up you have 4 top players to boost the team. Add in the 2nd row recently signed and they are starting to look competitive. Don't get me wrong they are going to need to improve the squad over the next couple of seasons to get anywhere near Heineken qualification but they have to start somewhere. A very large weakness they need to address is at 10. Henson is not the answer now and their signings so far have been pretty underwhelming. Amos, Hewitt, Morgan, Dixon, Jordan, Lewis, Rhodri, Bevington, Dee, Brown, New Guy, Hill, Keddie, Moriarty, Griffiths is a pretty decent 15 with Hibbard, Fairbrother, Wainwright & Benjamin providing some forward ballast of the bench. As I said nowhere near Heineken level but with another 4-5 top level players next season with good retention they will start to climb the table which is all their long suffering supporters can hope for.
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scarletnut
Veteran Joined: 28 April 2009 Status: Offline Points: 14170 |
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Edited by scarletnut - 14 June 2018 at 10:36am |
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I still wake up late at night and think of what might have been when tim stimpson hit that jammy penalty1
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SospanMawr
Veteran Joined: 03 April 2013 Location: The North Stand Status: Offline Points: 10035 |
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Don't forget we have players who will be another year down the line in terms of development- Elias, Taylor Davies, Steff Hughes, Josh MacLeod, Will Boyde, Dan Jones, Ioan Nicholas etc. Phil Price is ahead of Dylan (upgrade) and we may see Fawcett come through. Blommetjies is now our International time full back (upgrade). Angus O'Brien is now our second choice 10 during internationals (upgrade). Not to mention players returning from injury such as Daf Hughes, Tom Price, Tom Phillips, Paul Asquith etc. Edited by SospanMawr - 14 June 2018 at 10:38am |
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