[DavenportSharky]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... njury.html

Need a temporary signing fast.

[chris1850]

Massive blow. Do we know extent of Wills injury?

[Olyy]

Bloody hell, that's not good at all

I think we need to be looking at short term cover - if Raffi is in the England squad then he'll likely be in the 6N squad too, that's a long time to be down two scrumhalves,
Three if Wilf is out too (as above: no idea what his current injury is)

Warr looks promising from the bench but not sure how I'd feel having Warr as first choice and then Thomas, who's never played senior pro rugby, as 2nd choice

[StalyShark]

Eddie won’t let any of the three 9s go for match days as he’ll keep them in the match day squad just in case. I think we’ll need to scout around. Nick Groom at Tel Aviv?

[DaveAitch]

At least he will be fresh when he does come back. It's the opportunity for someone to become a legend.

[StalyShark]

An injured Cliff and a virtually untested Warr isn’t ideal. Definitely need another experienced head unless this Thomas fella is Raffi mk2.

[Elgar]

What's Charlie Mulchrone doing these days?

[Major Bloodnok]

How's Peter Stringer fixed?

[RinTin]

Do we get anything from SA for this mess? Everything i've read is stating Faf was injured against the Lions. The duty of care was therefore with SA which is very disappointing.

Said it before, Chris Cook from Saints. Chiefs have a lot of scrum halves on their books, but Townsend having surgery means they likely won't loan any out. James Mitchell at Jersey has been impressive this year.

That being said I'm fully expecting to bring in an Ozzy/ Kiwi on a short term deal due to it being their off season. Someone like Fin Christie from the Blues or Joe Powell from the Rebels would be nice for 3 months.

[Olyy]

His salary won't count towards the cap until he plays for us, so we'll have plenty of room to bring in cover

Don't think Unions pay out for injuries, though, so it'd be an extra expenditure

[Elgar]

James Mitchell at Jersey has been impressive this year.

Good call in terms of probability.

[ledzepsfr]

Do we get anything from SA for this mess? Everything i've read is stating Faf was injured against the Lions. The duty of care was therefore with SA which is very disappointing.

Said it before, Chris Cook from Saints. Chiefs have a lot of scrum halves on their books, but Townsend having surgery means they likely won't loan any out. James Mitchell at Jersey has been impressive this year.

That being said I'm fully expecting to bring in an Ozzy/ Kiwi on a short term deal due to it being their off season. Someone like Fin Christie from the Blues or Joe Powell from the Rebels would be nice for 3 months.

Love to see Joe Powell in a Sale shirt

[Altishark2222]

There was a picture on Faf’s birthday Instagram yesterday of him on crutches saying surgery went well.

[Van Cannonball]

Doesn’t Faf have to take some culpability for continuing to play injured in addition to the SA medics?

I’m all for giving Faf every opportunity to play for his country, but as a seasoned pro he should know better.

[StalyShark]

Not so good news for the prospects of getting a foreign 9.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/scrumhal ... nwuij-aKC0

[poyntonshark]

Doesn't that improve the chances of getting an overseas 9? (Not a French one) As fewer of them will be going to the big money in France if they are not JIFF (which I assume is the equivalent of EQP)

[Elgar]

Doesn't the reference in that to the JIFF protocols (about French clubs fielding France eligible players) suggest that the international market won't be affected by French demand? Which is net neutral for us (unless we were hoping to get a French 9 ourselves on short term cover).

[StalyShark]

If the clubs have lost so many 9s then the demand for ones brought in from outside the league will rise. Such clubs will probably look for top-class short term cover from non JIFF players and make up their quota with back three players on the bench. Well, that’s what I’d do if I was a planning mon jour avec ma croissant dans le matin à Racing.

[Elgar]

That's an interesting interpretation of the article which introduces itself as related to demand for 9s in France rather than demand from France.

The explanation of JIFF rules provided in the article suggests that many clubs wanting to sign a foreign 9 might have to drop another non-JIFF player out of their 35 man squad (which might not be a great thing to do with that player for quite a few reasons) along with the injured 9 and sign a JIFF substitute for that dropped player along with the non-JIFF replacement 9.

[chris1850]

If the clubs have lost so many 9s then the demand for ones brought in from outside the league will rise. Such clubs will probably look for top-class short term cover from non JIFF players and make up their quota with back three players on the bench. Well, that’s what I’d do if I was a planning mon jour avec ma croissant dans le matin à Racing.

En matin?
Chez Racing?

A level D grade French 1977.......
Obviously happy to be corrected!!

[poyntonshark]

Ça m'a l'air d'être un jeu dangereux, avec ou sans croissant.

O level A grade French 1984 (corrected by actual French person)

[StalyShark]

Desole, mon francais est comme le caca la chien mais j’aime le croissants.

À bientot mes petit saucissons.

[DaveAitch]

This is even more off topic: once, when in France, a lady shopkeeper asked me to put her window banner motto into correct English. I started to do that, then told her that it was better to keep it as it was: her version was much more eye-catching.
It doesn't matter how poor one's French is, the French appreciate foreigners making an attempt. 'O' level foreign language 1963: Latin. French learned on the hoof.

[Olyy]

Axe article up on the offy:
5 months hopefully will become 4, and we won't be looking for a replacement unless Raffi is playing in the 6N

https://www.salesharks.com/2021/10/21/f ... ter-clash/

[Clutch]

Good to know Nye Thomas is another rapid Rafi style 9

[Elgar]

I like that from Axe.

Excited to see Nye Thomas in the prem cup now!

(and Warr make his first Prem start).

[H's D]

Just as well the Axe thinks we can cope and aren't looking to the continent: there can't be that many available top quality scrumhalfs with HGV licences!

[poyntonshark]

Desole, mon francais est comme le caca la chien mais j’aime le croissants.

À bientot mes petit saucissons.

les croissants.
Just sayin.

[DaveAitch]

Someone I knew several years back taught German at Liverpool University. He always argued that English, unlike French, German, Spanish etcetera, had the sense to lose all this masculine, feminine or neuter malarky for inanimate objects.
I've looked croissant up: as we know, male in French, also in Spanish, but neuter in German.

[SixNineOne]

The problem for us English speakers when we’re confronted with genders apparently being ascribed to inanimate objects is that we think of the object and try to discern its gender from its characteristics. In fact we should be looking at the word itself to decide which article or adjective to use with it. So the French see nothing wrong with a male goat being une chèvre because they look at the word and not at the goat’s tackle…

[poyntonshark]

If the goats tackle they'll never play for Bath.

[ageinghoody]

The problem for us English speakers when we’re confronted with genders apparently being ascribed to inanimate objects is that we think of the object and try to discern its gender from its characteristics. In fact we should be looking at the word itself to decide which article or adjective to use with it. So the French see nothing wrong with a male goat being une chèvre because they look at the word and not at the goat’s tackle…

And a German girl is "Das" Madchen!

[dinogyro]

The problem for us English speakers when we’re confronted with genders apparently being ascribed to inanimate objects is that we think of the object and try to discern its gender from its characteristics. In fact we should be looking at the word itself to decide which article or adjective to use with it. So the French see nothing wrong with a male goat being une chèvre because they look at the word and not at the goat’s tackle…

So goats can make illegal tackles because we're not looking at them?

[Yareet]

The problem for us English speakers when we’re confronted with genders apparently being ascribed to inanimate objects is that we think of the object and try to discern its gender from its characteristics. In fact we should be looking at the word itself to decide which article or adjective to use with it. So the French see nothing wrong with a male goat being une chèvre because they look at the word and not at the goat’s tackle…

So goats can make illegal tackles because we're not looking at them?

Isn’t Tom the GOAT?

[DaveAitch]

Andy Murray said it was Serena Williams. Blair and Brown had a selection of goats.

Useless information #1,273: goats: tail up, sheep: tail down.

[Yareet]

Useless information #1,273: goats: tail up, sheep: tail down.

What are you doing to them?

[Major Bloodnok]

Useless information #1,273: goats: tail up, sheep: tail down.

What are you doing to them?

It's true; it was on QI.

[Flumpty]

Chris Cook has just left Stains.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/spor ... ce-3432869

[45jumper]

If Cliff is going to be out for longer than first thought, Cook would be a decent stopgap.

[Clutch]

Bang average when I’ve seen him. Don’t see the point.

[chris1850]

Bang average when I’ve seen him. Don’t see the point.

Agreed. Would only take him as an absolute necessity, if we cant find someone better