Gerard Ellis joins London Irish |
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haydn_davies
Veteran Joined: 10 April 2009 Location: Llanelli Status: Offline Points: 17955 |
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Posted: 02 July 2012 at 2:28pm |
Played a few games for the Drovers last season, was captain of Llandovery College.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/18673535 |
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Think, think, think - it's a thinking man's game!! - The Great Carwyn James.
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Wil Chips
Rambler Joined: 23 August 2009 Location: Pembs Status: Online Points: 50980 |
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Very highly rated...not clear if he was Wales qualified...or how the regions missed him?
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haydn_davies
Veteran Joined: 10 April 2009 Location: Llanelli Status: Offline Points: 17955 |
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I heard that Iestyn Thomas rated him as highly as Alyn Wyn Jones and George North. 3 appearances and 1 try for the Drovers last season. Blindside I believe. |
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Think, think, think - it's a thinking man's game!! - The Great Carwyn James.
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Wil Chips
Rambler Joined: 23 August 2009 Location: Pembs Status: Online Points: 50980 |
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Aye def back row...is that our Iestyn ?
Isn't there anothr Iestyn tied in with Llandivery coll...used to be with Wasps or Quins I think? |
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haydn_davies
Veteran Joined: 10 April 2009 Location: Llanelli Status: Offline Points: 17955 |
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Our Iestyn I thought. But you could well be right Will. EDIT: Llandovery College 1st XV rugby team is coached by a Iestyn Thomas. Can't have been our Iestyn. He must have been with the college a while to compare Gerard Ellis to AWJ and George!! Edited by haydn_davies - 03 July 2012 at 2:50pm |
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Think, think, think - it's a thinking man's game!! - The Great Carwyn James.
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PE SA
Veteran Joined: 22 July 2009 Status: Offline Points: 12515 |
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unfortunatly we cant keep everyone. back row is a big strength of ours with the eldest one being only 26 in rob gog or is jon eds a little older? we have mccusker, turnbull, shingler, edwards, dan thomas, nic cudd, craig price, kieran murphy plus a few i have probably missed. not a case of not wanting him, is he better than what we have. i trust the coaches judgement...but no doubt they will have one or two wrong, but they will keep the best ones imo.
with a young squad and a constant belt of youngsters, some will have to leave.
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omri jones
Veteran Joined: 27 August 2004 Status: Offline Points: 6996 |
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Was he in our U18 squad or Academy? I don't think so. He scored a lot of tries and had some excellent write-ups for Llandovery Coll but wasn't in the Welsh U18 development squad picked to tour S.Africa, although our back-row Sion Bennett was chosen and Daniel Thomas would have joined him if he was not being rested after returning from the U20s World Cup. He has probably decided that he's Irish. Maybe having Gerrard as a first name may be a clue. Or he may of course not want to be confused with Kieran Murphy.
Llandovery Coll has produced some excellent players in its time and much as I dislike private schools I hope this one doesn't go bust.
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Wil Chips
Rambler Joined: 23 August 2009 Location: Pembs Status: Online Points: 50980 |
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Oddly he did play RL U18 for Wales I read somewhere...
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LLANDRE
Veteran Joined: 31 July 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 17329 |
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Iestyn Thomas has coached Llandovery, London Welsh and Harelequins and been at Llanovery College on and off for over twenty years. He coached the Drovers when they won the Swalec Cup
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West is Best (Fin gwybod)
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Wil Chips
Rambler Joined: 23 August 2009 Location: Pembs Status: Online Points: 50980 |
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Diolch Llandre.
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Ginge
Newbie Joined: 08 July 2012 Location: Southampton Status: Offline Points: 4 |
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I'm a friend of Gerard's. From what I understand Gerard was offered a 5 yr academy contract with scarlets something he was heavily advised against. As this would keep him contracted until the age of 24. He is making the transition from back row to Hooker now at London Irish, he was part of there system before moving to Llandovery and when the opportunity to move back arose he took it. Hope this clears some things up/
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omri jones
Veteran Joined: 27 August 2004 Status: Offline Points: 6996 |
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I was under the impression that only those still involved in education could be awarded Academy contracts, so unless Gerard was thinking of studying medicine or some other extended course in the region a 5 year contract would have been far too long and unlikely to have been offered.
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Dan the Drover
Veteran Joined: 20 April 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3671 |
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Jeez guys, let's not crucify ourselves over an opportunity that might not have been there in the first place. Gerard Ellis, if he can maintain his standard relative to his peers, is going to be a phenomenal rugby player. He was already way too good for schools rugby, and the sooner he tests himself at the senior level the better. But he is English, lives (as far as I know) in England, and just happens to have been at a boarding school in Wales which is renowned for its rugby. He's easily good enough already to make a living in the English premiership, and is obviously England qualified, which is increasingly a requirement. Let's wish him luck.
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Wil Chips
Rambler Joined: 23 August 2009 Location: Pembs Status: Online Points: 50980 |
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Thanks for updateing us...could that be a Development contract (not an academy one)? |
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Ginge
Newbie Joined: 08 July 2012 Location: Southampton Status: Offline Points: 4 |
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5 years was offered as they said it would take 2 years to succesfully move him to Hooker, the pay would rise incrementally as would his status with in the club. Going from an academy to development to first team contract. He wants to push on with Rugby but also has the desire to read accounting and finance at Uni. Resulting in him choosing London Irish as there offer was more suited to reaching these goals. |
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omri jones
Veteran Joined: 27 August 2004 Status: Offline Points: 6996 |
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Did the Scarlets also want to convert him to hooker then? I'd have thought we were more in need of a ball-carrying back-rower.
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