Team for Scotland

[Digby]

All Dimes needs to do is let him have a few scrums running/defending from 8 on occasion. It'll add something different to their game, and it'll look good to all those players at Sale who want/hope to play test rugby. Or Dimes can stand in the way of one of his players adding something to their skillset that could help that player make a test team and succeed in a test environment.

Okay you don't have to pick a Premier League final as the time to run an experiment, unless you're Bath, but whilst outside such a rarefied game Dimes will often get away with stubbornness this doesn't feel like that. It never does when a club starts looking to limit the options of their players to perform on the international scene. You can easily make the players just think you're being a dick, and that feeds into training, into contract negotiations, into games.... Dimes might well argue he's always a dick, but like him or not the players will see that in the main as being about Sale winning, and thus them succeeding, which is very different to making chances at test rugby difficult

Dimes might well want to give Wilson a bit of time at 8 off the scrum too, just to be fair.

Outside the playing at the base of the scrum the running lines don't vary that much from 7 so Curry is probably okay outside that one specific role

[Oakboy]

On the other hand, in a straightforward matter of professional opinion, Diamond might be right and Jones wrong. I just cannot fathom how Jones could be taking the 'Curry at 8' route without discussing it with the club first. IMO, that is bad manners and poor management.

[Mikey Brown]

It’s just such an odd conversation to be having because there wasn’t a particular issue that needed solving. Sure we need a good backup to Vunipola but I think if you’d asked anyone who that may be a year back Curry would have been at least 10th on the list.

Similarly when he was at 7 the only ‘problem’ was we might like to see more of Underhill too.

If there was a top 6 banging at the door I might understand the move. I like what Ludlum brings but there are a fair few names I picture owning that England 6 shirt ahead of him in the next few years.

All very odd and all very, very Eddie.

[jngf]

On the other hand, in a straightforward matter of professional opinion, Diamond might be right and Jones wrong. I just cannot fathom how Jones could be taking the 'Curry at 8' route without discussing it with the club first. IMO, that is bad manners and poor management.

Dimes would be right to stick to his guns, after all within a month it’s possible Eddie could well be handed his P45 and with that the Curry at 8 experiment be brought to an abrupt halt.

[Stom]

And if we wanted to pick a flanker at 8...Earl has played there for his club. Willis has played there for his club. Chisholm has played there for his club. Thompson has played there for his club. The list goes on...

I mean, a backrow of Curry, Underhill, Willis would be pretty epic, carrying threat aside.

It could do a job in a specific situation.

And if you needed a big carrier, bring in Dombrandt. Or try Mercer when fit.

The point is, there are plenty of options, and it's always worth introducing a new face, imo.

I mean, Furbank might well turn into a credible option at 15, which would increase our options a lot.

[Banquo]

It’s just such an odd conversation to be having

Indeed. Nothing new there, then.

[Mr Mwenda]

I can imagine Diamond is a dick to deal with whatever happens. Jones probably made a swift and sensible decision to have as little to do with him as possible.

[Oakboy]

I can imagine Diamond is a dick to deal with whatever happens. Jones probably made a swift and sensible decision to have as little to do with him as possible.

I think you could transpose the two names and make a justifiable statement.

[Mikey Brown]

Diamond seems to lose his shit pretty easily, but acknowledges that and actually seems pretty down to earth whenever I’ve seen him interviewed. Jones pretending he doesn’t get massively riled up by the media or any criticism of his performance is fucking hilarious, but I find it harder to respect.

[Banquo]

Diamond seems to lose his shit pretty easily, but acknowledges that and actually seems pretty down to earth whenever I’ve seen him interviewed. Jones pretending he doesn’t get massively riled up by the media or any criticism of his performance is fucking hilarious, but I find it harder to respect.

Just started reading Jones's book. Worth doing if you want some insight into his psyche.

[Mikey Brown]

Diamond seems to lose his shit pretty easily, but acknowledges that and actually seems pretty down to earth whenever I’ve seen him interviewed. Jones pretending he doesn’t get massively riled up by the media or any criticism of his performance is fucking hilarious, but I find it harder to respect.

Just started reading Jones's book. Worth doing if you want some insight into his psyche.

I'm genuinely unsure how I feel about that.

[Mikey Brown]

On a different note I'm going to start banging on about how we should play Farrell at 7 again.



He can be our 2016 Hask with slightly better hands.

[Banquo]

Diamond seems to lose his shit pretty easily, but acknowledges that and actually seems pretty down to earth whenever I’ve seen him interviewed. Jones pretending he doesn’t get massively riled up by the media or any criticism of his performance is fucking hilarious, but I find it harder to respect.

Just started reading Jones's book. Worth doing if you want some insight into his psyche.

I'm genuinely unsure how I feel about that.

why? Its interesting to see his background and why he behaves as he does. Interesting so far

[Mikey Brown]

Fair enough. I guess using the word 'genuinely' when you're being sarcastic is a bit unhelpful.

I'd be curious how he puts the part (as I've heard it reported but may not be at all accurate) where he says Ford (and I think Mako) should have been dropped for the final. It's a tasty soundbite but I wonder if it was so black and white in the book.

[Banquo]

Fair enough. I guess using the word 'genuinely' when you're being sarcastic is a bit unhelpful.

I'd be curious how he puts the part (as I've heard it reported but may not be at all accurate) where he says Ford (and I think Mako) should have been dropped for the final. It's a tasty soundbite but I wonder if it was so black and white in the book.

Haven’t got that far- it’s a full autobiography, and you can see why he comes across as he does already.

[p/d]

it’s a full autobiography, and you can see why he comes across as he does already.

diggers minute-by-minute review is now looking like a blockbuster of a read!

[Banquo]

it’s a full autobiography, and you can see why he comes across as he does already.

diggers minute-by-minute review is now looking like a blockbuster of a read!

Its genuinely interesting so far. Talks about growing up alongside the Ella brothers and playing in the same team as them, his family background from WW2 and so on. Probably not enough on hairstyles or shorts for you

[p/d]

it’s a full autobiography, and you can see why he comes across as he does already.

diggers minute-by-minute review is now looking like a blockbuster of a read!

Its genuinely interesting so far. Talks about growing up alongside the Ella brothers and playing in the same team as them, his family background from WW2 and so on. Probably not enough on hairstyles or shorts for you

Sarcasm or not?

.... genuinely, I'm unsure

[p/d]

and I can't believe a book that talks about the Ella brothers doesn't have mention to hairstyles

[Banquo]

and I can't believe a book that talks about the Ella brothers doesn't have mention to hairstyles

good point, it does.

And its genuinely genuinely interesting.

[twitchy]