The scrum half issue |
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reesytheexile
Veteran Joined: 11 August 2012 Location: Machynys Status: Offline Points: 17468 |
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Posted: 15 May 2018 at 4:41pm |
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Feverpitch
Senior Member Joined: 05 December 2016 Status: Offline Points: 352 |
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Ha ha ha. Are you really saying that Wayne and Stevo came up with a great tactical plan of Cawdor being as greedy as possible. I can imagine the team talk " Gareth, when you've got the ball don't worry about a team game. Go for it yourself, be greedy and don't worry if you blow several guilt edged scoring chances for anyone outside you. It won't matter because when you are replaced Johnny Evs will benefit from the extra space and we will run in tries later in the game " To be honest, apart from his kicking, I have thought that Cawdors weakness has been that he slows down attacks by getting to a breakdown and waiting before deciding who to pass to. But at the start of this season he had improved in that department releasing the ball a lot quicker to supporting players to keep up the tempo and attacks flowing. However since returning from National camp he seems to have been Howleyfied and resorted to slowing things down. He has looked tired and struggling after 50 to 60 minutes and this culminated in the Cheetahs game where he has tried too hard to make things happen on his own, only to ignore the try scoring opportunities for others. I hope the 2 week rest will have refreshed him for this week and with the extended period of coaching from Stevo he will be back to his best, and play the team game not his own. |
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GPR - Rochester
Veteran Joined: 01 December 2014 Location: Rhydcymerau Status: Offline Points: 18737 |
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I certainly do rate Jonathan but with Cawdor likely to be sitting out a number of games we will need 3 strong 9's as back up.
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Feverpitch
Senior Member Joined: 05 December 2016 Status: Offline Points: 352 |
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Do you not rate Johnny Evs then ? |
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aber-fan
Veteran Joined: 25 October 2004 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 18822 |
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Most of the examples I listed are of players who definitely don't mind being seen as versatile.
I suppose Patch is a bit of an exception, because at the Blues he was played at 15 when Anscombe was picked before him at 10. In the Scarlets set-up, there is no question that he is first choice at 10 - it's just that, with injuries, it has been necessary at times to move him to 15. I'm sure he understands that. To the best of my knowledge, SHC doesn't mind being seen as a 9/10 - certainly, he is listed as being able to play 9, 10 or 15 on Wikipedia... we'll see how he sees himself when he turns up!
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“You cannot reason a man out of what he never reasoned himself into.” (Jonathan Swift)
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GPR - Rochester
Veteran Joined: 01 December 2014 Location: Rhydcymerau Status: Offline Points: 18737 |
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Versatility is very much a positive but my comment relates to the preference of the player. I very much doubt whether we would have signed either Halfpenny or Patchell if we had promised them as many games at 14 or 15 as their preferred positions of 15 & 10. Playing in their non favoured positions for one off knock out games to cover for injury is one thing. SHC will get plenty of games at 9 or 21 with Cawdor's enforced abscences due to the NDC. I am looking forward to seeing him play at 10.
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PE SA
Veteran Joined: 22 July 2009 Status: Offline Points: 12515 |
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Lets not forget Cawdor is now an NDC player and with the World Cup coming up these lads I am sure will be wrapped in as much cotton wool as possible in readiness for the World Cup. so IMO, we will see Cawdor playing the 16 games and thats it - 6 group stage games of europe, possibly the derby fixtures, and any QFs/SFs/play offs. The rest will be split between Jonny and SHC and if SHC is called upon by Scotland, then Hardy and Smith are battling out for that spot too. |
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aber-fan
Veteran Joined: 25 October 2004 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 18822 |
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I'm sure I read somewhere that SHC played all his early (schools?) rugby at 10, and only moved to 9 as a senior - so he'll have plenty of experience, even if at a much lower level... it won't be completely strange, anyway, if he has to play there. Well have to see how good a fist he makes of it, when the time comes. I'm not convinced by your point about utility players - as for 9/10, very many French players can operate in both positions, as can Laidlaw of Scotland - so no reason SHC can't... and as for the Scarlets, we seem to have a plethora of 'utility' players ATM, which adds immensely to the flexibility of the squad, and provides valuable cover in cases of injuries: Halfpenny, Prydie, Mcnicholl, Steff Evans: 15 or wing Scott and Hadleigh: 12 or 13 (H can also do an impersonation of a 10!) Asquith: 10, centre, wing SHC: 9 or 10 Patch and Dan J: 10 or 15 Beirne, Shingler, Rawlins: second row or 6 Barclay, Boyde, Macleod: anywhere in back row Cubby: 7 or wing So - it seems to me that the coaches have deliberately targeted players who can cover more than one position, which makes sense given that we're not amongst the richest club around. |
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“You cannot reason a man out of what he never reasoned himself into.” (Jonathan Swift)
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Rob o'r Bont
Veteran Dr. Optimist Joined: 03 May 2008 Location: Bont Status: Offline Points: 14617 |
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Our 'scrum half issue' is an issue that comes with success, i.e. this season we have three if not four very good scrum halves. Apologies for not remembering the name of the youngster that came on a few times (no not MIke Phillips) but he was also a class act and looking forward to seeing more of him in the future.
If our scrum half stock was the same as other clubs then there would be no 'issue' as Cawdor would stand out head and shoulders above the rest, as will Aled next season at the Ospreys. The only real issue is keeping them all happy by giving them enough game time between them all to satisfy their personal ambitions, and that's probably impossible.
Edited by Rob o'r Bont - 08 May 2018 at 11:57am |
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Fscarlet
Moderator Group Joined: 26 January 2015 Status: Offline Points: 8854 |
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As an aside SHC (& the other Edinburgh scrum half) made the Sky Sports team of the weekend for their displays against Munster...
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NobbySosban
Veteran Joined: 30 June 2010 Location: Sir Berk Status: Offline Points: 6278 |
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Sam H-C has just been named in the Scotland squad for their summer tour to the Americas - this time they didn't even wait for him to play his way back into form at the Scarlets, they just knew to pick him.
(Barclay not named in the squad - presumably a summer rest was part of the deal before going to Edinburgh.) Edited by NobbySosban - 08 May 2018 at 11:43am |
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reesytheexile
Veteran Joined: 11 August 2012 Location: Machynys Status: Offline Points: 17468 |
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Gareth is a fine scrum half. If I had to ask for one more thing he could possibly work on, it is the height and length of his box kicks which sometimes seem to me to go to far with not enough height rendering any chase futile, but that is being picky as he has other valuable skills and a killer try scoring instinct. As posters have said no-one is perfect and its good to have him in our team.
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GPR - Rochester
Veteran Joined: 01 December 2014 Location: Rhydcymerau Status: Offline Points: 18737 |
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Fair summation that - however if he is attracting defenders because he is so explosive & dangerous then it must open up opportunities elsewhere. We have not looked ourselves in recent games but Saturday was a big step in the right direction. A lot is being said about how poor the Cheetahs were but to be fair we didn't let them play. Our best performances in the past 18 months have been when we enter the field of play with a plan to take our game quickly to the opposition and not allow them into the game - Connaght, Ospreys, Leinster & Munster last season & Bath, La Rochelle & Cheetahs this. All these games were almost over by half time with bursts of devastating interplay which our opponents couldn't handle. Key to this is getting quick phase ball, spreading it wide to the 15 metre channels & using the footballing abilities of players like Steff, Foxy, Scott, McNichol, Asquith & now hopefully Prydie to create go forward/half breaks relying on inside support runners like the back row, FB & Cawdor.
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GPR - Rochester
Veteran Joined: 01 December 2014 Location: Rhydcymerau Status: Offline Points: 18737 |
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SHC has indeed featured at 10 but I don't know how many times/how effective he has been. Much will depend on where he sees himself playing - not many are happy to be considered as utility players apart from Asquith who is well pleased with getting into our top 23. However if he is happy to play 10 all the better. Wherever he features he will improve our kicking game which is nowhere near Champion standard.
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s.pimpernel
Veteran A.F.K.A.P. Joined: 17 August 2004 Status: Offline Points: 13847 |
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In soccer terms, Gareth has been "man-marked" in the last 3 games. Is he in form, I`d suggest no but I don`t think any of our players look at their best at the moment. And as far as leaving tries on the pitch goes, Prydie, Dan Jones and Scott all blew try scoring chances. I`d like to think Pivac has seen the man marking aspect and will come up with a plan that gives him some room or gives the opposition back row something else to think about. Defences are terrified of him and rightly so. He`s had an outstanding season and a couple of mediocre games won`t change that.
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In Pivac we trust
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thommo
Veteran Joined: 26 March 2005 Status: Offline Points: 1854 |
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Hidalgo clyne can cover 10 and has a sound kicking game. Has good pace over the first 10 and offers a different option to dan as a back up 10. Could overtake dan at 10 next season if we are picking horses for courses.
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