Tighthead

[paddy no 11]

Being reported that zander has a calf issue and is out?

[Mikey Brown]

He’s been out. I understand it’s just about waiting to see when he’s due back, but he’s probably cutting it fine.

Gutted for him if he doesn’t make it. He is so fucking good. Stuart has stepped up massively and Balham is good, but Fagerson’s work rate and general heft in contact is huge.

Obviously Furlong is class, but not sure he’s really the same player anymore. Feels like he hardly even plays?

[paddy no 11]

He’s been out. I understand it’s just about waiting to see when he’s due back, but he’s probably cutting it fine.

Gutted for him if he doesn’t make it. He is so fucking good. Stuart has stepped up massively and Balham is good, but Fagerson’s work rate and general heft in contact is huge.

Obviously Furlong is class, but not sure he’s really the same player anymore. Feels like he hardly even plays?

Agree with all that, furlong played v Northampton but you wouldn't know it tbh he's lost it

[Puja]

Could be a callup for Sinckler? I understand he's been good in France and he's experienced.

Puja

[Tuco Ramirez]

Porter to move back across?

[Big D]

Gutted for Zander. I'm sure Bealham will be fine but the form he was in earlier thisnyear deserved an injury free run at the Lions and it wasn't to be.

[Puja]

Gutted for Zander. I'm sure Bealham will be fine but the form he was in earlier thisnyear deserved an injury free run at the Lions and it wasn't to be.

Agreed - poor sod, especially after he didn't get a cap last time.

Lions have also called up 20 year old, 1 replacement cap, England tighthead Asher Opoku-Fordjour as cover for the next training week and the Argentina game while Stuart and Furlong are off doing club duty. Incredible learning experience for him and he is an ridiculous prospect, but, from an England perspctive, I hope he doesn't go with the Lions proper as he is overplayed for a 20 year old this season already.

Wild that he's apparently the next cab off the rank though. Surely there must be someone else ahead of him to call up?

Puja

[paddy no 11]

Real shame for fagerson

[Big D]

Gutted for Zander. I'm sure Bealham will be fine but the form he was in earlier thisnyear deserved an injury free run at the Lions and it wasn't to be.

Agreed - poor sod, especially after he didn't get a cap last time.

Lions have also called up 20 year old, 1 replacement cap, England tighthead Asher Opoku-Fordjour as cover for the next training week and the Argentina game while Stuart and Furlong are off doing club duty. Incredible learning experience for him and he is an ridiculous prospect, but, from an England perspctive, I hope he doesn't go with the Lions proper as he is overplayed for a 20 year old this season already.

Wild that he's apparently the next cab off the rank though. Surely there must be someone else ahead of him to call up?

Puja

It's one of two things:
1. An enthusiastic, high energy camp body to take part while the real 5th choice is playing for Tigers or in France. Or.

2. An indication that they are less worried about the set piece as AOF isn't the strongest in the set piece (at the moment) and had a hard time at the weekend. Possibly expected at the end of a hard season.

[Puja]

Gutted for Zander. I'm sure Bealham will be fine but the form he was in earlier thisnyear deserved an injury free run at the Lions and it wasn't to be.

Agreed - poor sod, especially after he didn't get a cap last time.

Lions have also called up 20 year old, 1 replacement cap, England tighthead Asher Opoku-Fordjour as cover for the next training week and the Argentina game while Stuart and Furlong are off doing club duty. Incredible learning experience for him and he is an ridiculous prospect, but, from an England perspctive, I hope he doesn't go with the Lions proper as he is overplayed for a 20 year old this season already.

Wild that he's apparently the next cab off the rank though. Surely there must be someone else ahead of him to call up?

Puja

It's one of two things:
1. An enthusiastic, high energy camp body to take part while the real 5th choice is playing for Tigers or in France. Or.

2. An indication that they are less worried about the set piece as AOF isn't the strongest in the set piece (at the moment) and had a hard time at the weekend. Possibly expected at the end of a hard season.

I would say he's very strong in the set piece, but his flaw is always going to be lack of experience. Sale played Leicester in the regular season about 4 weeks back and AOF went toe-to-toe with NSmith and had the edge over him a few times. Moving on a month and they come back with the knowledge of what the other brought and having worked on their counters in training, but NSmith obviously brought something that AOF hadn't prepared for and didn't have the depth of knowledge-base to know how to deal with, whereas the surprises that AOF had prepared would all have been things that the experienced Smith has seen before.

If there's one thing about AOF though, it's that he learns and adapts incredibly quickly, and getting that kind of working over is just going to make him more dangerous going forwards. But he's absolutely not ready for a full-blown Lions place.

Good shout though as an enthusiastic body in training who will lift the energy and not be disappointed when the plane leaves without him.

Out of interest - who are you thinking of as the fifth choice playing for Leicester? Cole has the experience, but is retiring and has declined to being under Heyes, Heyes is fringe for England, and Hurd's behind both of those.

Puja

[Big D]

Agreed - poor sod, especially after he didn't get a cap last time.

Lions have also called up 20 year old, 1 replacement cap, England tighthead Asher Opoku-Fordjour as cover for the next training week and the Argentina game while Stuart and Furlong are off doing club duty. Incredible learning experience for him and he is an ridiculous prospect, but, from an England perspctive, I hope he doesn't go with the Lions proper as he is overplayed for a 20 year old this season already.

Wild that he's apparently the next cab off the rank though. Surely there must be someone else ahead of him to call up?

Puja

It's one of two things:
1. An enthusiastic, high energy camp body to take part while the real 5th choice is playing for Tigers or in France. Or.

2. An indication that they are less worried about the set piece as AOF isn't the strongest in the set piece (at the moment) and had a hard time at the weekend. Possibly expected at the end of a hard season.

I would say he's very strong in the set piece, but his flaw is always going to be lack of experience. Sale played Leicester in the regular season about 4 weeks back and AOF went toe-to-toe with NSmith and had the edge over him a few times. Moving on a month and they come back with the knowledge of what the other brought and having worked on their counters in training, but NSmith obviously brought something that AOF hadn't prepared for and didn't have the depth of knowledge-base to know how to deal with, whereas the surprises that AOF had prepared would all have been things that the experienced Smith has seen before.

If there's one thing about AOF though, it's that he learns and adapts incredibly quickly, and getting that kind of working over is just going to make him more dangerous going forwards. But he's absolutely not ready for a full-blown Lions place.

Good shout though as an enthusiastic body in training who will lift the energy and not be disappointed when the plane leaves without him.

Out of interest - who are you thinking of as the fifth choice playing for Leicester? Cole has the experience, but is retiring and has declined to being under Heyes, Heyes is fringe for England, and Hurd's behind both of those.

Puja

Nott sure where the ", Leinster" went from my post!

More just that it isn't guarenteed AOF is 5th choice. I do like him but a call-up to training that isn't a full call up doesnt neccesarily mean he's ahead of others who the coaches may like but cant call up because they are playing. Dalziel and Farrell may like Heyes, Clarkson at Leinster or even Sinkcler.

[Puja]

Hey look, Kyle Sinckler's got a job being a pundit for Sky Sports, on location in Australia. That's nice for him being in Australia while the Lions games are going on. I hope he has a wonderful time in Australia, where he'll be going for punditry purposes and no other reason for being on location, in Australia.

Gosh, just imagine if another tighthead goes down injured? I wonder if he'd even have thought to have packed his boots in his suitcase.

Puja