Bristol vs Exeter - Tues - 7.45

[Mikey Brown]

Just seen Charlie Morgan raving about Josh Hodge on twitter. He just looked like a weak version of Harry Mallinder? Is he meant to be good?

He seemed to be at least as effective skipping around players in defence as he was in attack.

[fivepointer]

Hodge is very good.
He was a bit hit and miss last night, probably trying to make a mark a bit too much. But he is one to keep an eye on and will get better as he settles into the side.

[Scrumhead]

Agreed. He reminds me more of a young Jonny May - elusive but a bit too much sideways running. That will improve with training and as fivepointer said, it’s probably because he was trying too hard to seize his chance.

[twitchy]

Just seen Charlie Morgan raving about Josh Hodge on twitter. He just looked like a weak version of Harry Mallinder? Is he meant to be good?

He seemed to be at least as effective skipping around players in defence as he was in attack.

Incredibly highly rated at age group level. He is very quick. He definitely was nervous as hell last night though.

[Puja]

His kicking and decision-making was shunt - verging on active liability levels. Probably nerves on his first start though.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

His kicking and decision-making was shunt - verging on active liability levels. Probably nerves on his first start though.

Puja

Yes, I just had it in my head he spent all night chasing his own rubbish kicks and then flying a mile passed the person who caught it.

Not meaning to dismiss him as a prospect, the Jonny May thing I can kind of see. Whatever happened to May in the last few years we need to know how to replicate with a few more young wingers.

[FKAS]

His kicking and decision-making was shunt - verging on active liability levels. Probably nerves on his first start though.

Puja

Yes, I just had it in my head he spent all night chasing his own rubbish kicks and then flying a mile passed the person who caught it.

Not meaning to dismiss him as a prospect, the Jonny May thing I can kind of see. Whatever happened to May in the last few years we need to know how to replicate with a few more young wingers.

You want to send him to work with Geordan Murphy? Not sure Baxter will go for that. Murphy is already working on an England under 20s fullback though so we're ok.

Hodge hasn't had any Prem experience previously so it might take a while for him to bed in at this level. He's got all the natural ability to be a very good player.

[Mikey Brown]

His kicking and decision-making was shunt - verging on active liability levels. Probably nerves on his first start though.

Puja

Yes, I just had it in my head he spent all night chasing his own rubbish kicks and then flying a mile passed the person who caught it.

Not meaning to dismiss him as a prospect, the Jonny May thing I can kind of see. Whatever happened to May in the last few years we need to know how to replicate with a few more young wingers.

You want to send him to work with Geordan Murphy? Not sure Baxter will go for that. Murphy is already working on an England under 20s fullback though so we're ok.

Hodge hasn't had any Prem experience previously so it might take a while for him to bed in at this level. He's got all the natural ability to be a very good player.

Oh so that what Murphy was doing?

[Puja]

Yes, I just had it in my head he spent all night chasing his own rubbish kicks and then flying a mile passed the person who caught it.

Not meaning to dismiss him as a prospect, the Jonny May thing I can kind of see. Whatever happened to May in the last few years we need to know how to replicate with a few more young wingers.

You want to send him to work with Geordan Murphy? Not sure Baxter will go for that. Murphy is already working on an England under 20s fullback though so we're ok.

Hodge hasn't had any Prem experience previously so it might take a while for him to bed in at this level. He's got all the natural ability to be a very good player.

Oh so that what Murphy was doing?

Jesus Christ, an actual answer on what the purpose of Geordan Murphy is!?

Mind, bravery was never May's issue - I think early May was hampered by decision-making and the coordination of a drunken-giraffe combined with the confidence that he could make it round everybody if he just kept running sideways long enough (reinforced by the fact that he quite often could!). I don't remember him ever being much of a liability in defence, although could just be my duff memory.

Puja

[FKAS]

Yes, I just had it in my head he spent all night chasing his own rubbish kicks and then flying a mile passed the person who caught it.

Not meaning to dismiss him as a prospect, the Jonny May thing I can kind of see. Whatever happened to May in the last few years we need to know how to replicate with a few more young wingers.

You want to send him to work with Geordan Murphy? Not sure Baxter will go for that. Murphy is already working on an England under 20s fullback though so we're ok.

Hodge hasn't had any Prem experience previously so it might take a while for him to bed in at this level. He's got all the natural ability to be a very good player.

Oh so that what Murphy was doing?

He's been pretty good at improving the positional play and ability under the high ball of back three players at Tigers. You look at players like May and TV who arrived at Tigers with brilliant attacking skills but who had questions over the more tactical requirements of a back three player but who ended being excellent all rounders.

Puja, what Murphy did as a head coach erm I'm not sure. It was more like he was doing the DOR job and no one was doing the head coach job. Still an improvement on when MOC was head coach when we didn't prioritise fitness and had the players running into contact at any given opportunity.

[Puja]

You want to send him to work with Geordan Murphy? Not sure Baxter will go for that. Murphy is already working on an England under 20s fullback though so we're ok.

Hodge hasn't had any Prem experience previously so it might take a while for him to bed in at this level. He's got all the natural ability to be a very good player.

Oh so that what Murphy was doing?

He's been pretty good at improving the positional play and ability under the high ball of back three players at Tigers. You look at players like May and TV who arrived at Tigers with brilliant attacking skills but who had questions over the more tactical requirements of a back three player but who ended being excellent all rounders.

Puja, what Murphy did as a head coach erm I'm not sure. It was more like he was doing the DOR job and no one was doing the head coach job. Still an improvement on when MOC was head coach when we didn't prioritise fitness and had the players running into contact at any given opportunity.

For a minute, my brain was only parsing TV as Tom Varndell and I got terribly confused!

Puja

[FKAS]

Ha, I always liked Varndell but it always felt a little like there was a one in three chance he'd drop the ball. Less said about his defending the better. Outstanding finisher mind.

[Scrumhead]

May played under Murphy for the couple of seasons but I think his improvement had started well before that while he was still at Gloucester.

Not taking credit away from Murphy completely, but I think it’s overstating it to suggest he’s responsible for May becoming a better player.

[Raggs]

May's improvements definitely came from before the tigers move. I think it was England that helped him the most. He had the raw talent, but I think that gave him the direction.

(Someone pointed at the posts and said that's the direction.)