Brits abroad

[Puja]

And, on that note, we have now several threads for discussing Skip Beatboxing's future plans and selections. I'm going to move the last few posts to one of those instead.

Mod

[Galfon]

Arundell appears to be morphing into an Argentinian wing but with extra zip - his legs appear to pump too fast for his shape, but then he's gone. We'll be learning alot of french superlatives this winter.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Marchant starts at 13 for Stade and Arundell on the bench for Racing

[francoisfou]

AWJ is said to be playing his last match of his career this evening for Toulon away to Clermont. His second row partner will be Dave Ribbans.

[Mikey Brown]

AWJ is said to be playing his last match of his career this evening for Toulon away to Clermont. His second row partner will be Dave Ribbans.

Why? Was he just injury cover for the World Cup?

[FKAS]

AWJ is said to be playing his last match of his career this evening for Toulon away to Clermont. His second row partner will be Dave Ribbans.

Why? Was he just injury cover for the World Cup?

Yes.

[Peej]

Elsewhere, Umaga apparently doing quite well with Treviso. No great loss to England, but until he switches to Samoa for the 2027 world cup he'll still count as a Brit abroad

[FKAS]

Elsewhere, Umaga apparently doing quite well with Treviso. No great loss to England, but until he switches to Samoa for the 2027 world cup he'll still count as a Brit abroad

He could qualify for Samoa from next year as well. Could feature in the AIs. Be a boost for Samoa.

[francoisfou]

There are a few Brits in this weekend's Top14 fixtures:
Montpellier - 8 Sam Simmonds at home against Oyonnax. Montpellier desperately need a win and they have an all-new coaching team led by Bernard Laporte)
Pau - 10 Joe Simmonds, 9 Dan Robson at home to top of the table Stade Français
Toulon - 4 Dave Ribbans, 21 Ben White, 23 Kieran Brookes at home to Castres, for whom ex Irish Lion Jeremy Davidson is head coach

[16th man]

Is there any hope that a bit of time in France may help Brookes relocate some of that early promise?

[Puja]

Is there any hope that a bit of time in France may help Brookes relocate some of that early promise?

Brookes has been in France for the past 4 seasons, hasn't he? If it was going to happen, I suspect it would've happened by now.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Is there any hope that a bit of time in France may help Brookes relocate some of that early promise?

Brookes has been in France for the past 4 seasons, hasn't he? If it was going to happen, I suspect it would've happened by now.

Puja

God it's weird remembering how good Brookes looked (like he was going to be) for a brief period. It could have made a big different in the last few years with Sinkler going off course.

It's interesting for all the talk of props generally coming in to their prime in their late 20s how often we see them have a great couple of seasons for England and then just burn out by the time they're 30. Was Brookes one who suffered under certain rule changes or did he just never get his fitness sorted?

[Epaminondas Pules]

Ben Loader was on the wing for the Stormers in their narrow loss to Cardiff. He’s been playing 13 all season and looked really sharp.

[Mellsblue]

Do we actually know how Brookes is playing?

[Epaminondas Pules]

Do we actually know how Brookes is playing?

Bout the same as he was over here.

[Puja]

Was Brookes one who suffered under certain rule changes or did he just never get his fitness sorted?

Pretty much that. He does feel like such a wasted talent, but then I suppose he has had quite a good career at club level (and probably relatively lucrative considering he's had about 11 seasons of top-level contracts at tighthead, with the last three being as a regular for Toulon), so I guess there's been worse uses of talent.

Puja

[Epaminondas Pules]

Arundell playing 15 vs La Rochelle tomorrow

[Mellsblue]

Arundell playing 15 vs La Rochelle tomorrow

Insert aubergine emoji here.
Please let him go well.
Insert prayer emoji here.

[francoisfou]

Arundell playing 15 vs La Rochelle tomorrow

Not a Brit, but it’s worth noting that The Boks captain Kolisi makes his début for Racing wearing 7.

[p/d]

Arundell bags another

[Margin_Walker]

Was an odd cagey game after the 1st half red for LR. Racing never really looked fluid and actually played a lot of the rest of the game without the ball. Racing spent large periods not being able to win a scrum and LR had half their lineouts stolen.

Solid game from Arundell. Never really got the ball in too much space but was solid defensively and very secure under the high ball. Got an opportunity and took it at the end though with a very nice finish.

Try could perhaps have been called back for an earlier knock on, but I think the TMO had clocked off for the day by that point and didn't notice it.

[Banquo]

Solid game from Arundell. Never really got the ball in too much space but was solid defensively and very secure under the high ball. Got an opportunity and took it at the end though with a very nice finish.

Good news. I'd love him to be a roving winger for England if Steward can translate his attacking play at club level to intl level (its not wholly his fault he hasn't- he's been in a sh8t team for attacking backs for ages). Freeman, Arundell, Steward has to be an option to start the 6N surely- Freeman playing 13 might be a red herring for England (his distribution under pressure at 13 needs a bit of grooving ).

[francoisfou]

Varying fortunes for the Simmonds brothers who came to the Top14 this season.

Joe has settled in rather well with his new club Pau. He's played every minute of all eight games in the Top14 and contributed to Saturday's win over fellow high fliers Stade Français converting all three tries and kicking three penalties.

Brother Sam, however, is having the opposite experience with Montpellier. He's played in seven of the eight games (starting five) and has lost every one, and Montpellier are firmly at the bottom of the Top14. Richard Cockerill was sacked a week ago and replaced by a new coaching team with the dubious Bernard Laporte as DoR.

Edit:
Joe Simmonds is currently the highest points scorer in the Top14 with 103, and in second place is Lyon's Paddy Jackson with 98.

[oldprussians]

Elsewhere, Umaga apparently doing quite well with Treviso. No great loss to England, but until he switches to Samoa for the 2027 world cup he'll still count as a Brit abroad

He could qualify for Samoa from next year as well. Could feature in the AIs. Be a boost for Samoa.

Personal I think him and Uren are the 2 current best performing 9 10 combo, but 0 chance of being picked.

Uren especially has been a very clever 9, and Treviso are not playing rubbish teams and are in the top half of the URC and their game management a big part of why they are there

[jimKRFC]

Uren especially has been a very clever 9, and Treviso are not playing rubbish teams and are in the top half of the URC and their game management a big part of why they are there

Haven't seen the URC games but glad to hear he's doing well! Could do with him at Bristol now with Randell not playing that well.