Benn Robinson Ruled Out for the 2011 Season with Injury

[WB3]

Terrible news.

I'm also disappointed that Kepu seems unlikely to get a shot at TH this year in the wake of this news. I was really impressed with him there in the S15.
Can anyone explain why they would play him at LH and Alexander at TH when they played in the opposite roles provincially (mostly)? That's the impression I'm getting from the papers at this point.

 

[dobduff11]

Tbh from what I've gathered from SHM, Slipper is pretty much guaranteed a test spot at no 3 because Fat cat is injured.

Before Injury: 1. Robinson/Alexander 3. Slipper/Kepu

After Injury: 1. Kepu/Alexander/Daley 3. Slipper

 

[Balls_SlanderandRuck]

There will be parties in Dublin and Rome tonight. Irish pack are starting to bully again. The Italians always try to win with a wrestling match type game. This has totally swung in their favour.

A plus side is teams may revert to trying to bully us off the pitch, and ditch creativity like a lot of teams did - making the gameplan perfect for our backs to match them with the attacking gameplan.

Then again Castro will be stroking his beard, undoubtedly smoking a Cigar judging by the size of himself over in Rome right now.

 

[Braveheart.]

There will be parties in Dublin and Rome tonight. Irish pack are starting to bully again. The Italians always try to win with a wrestling match type game. This has totally swung in their favour.

How can we argue that this has swung totally in Italy and Irelands favour?

It's not the applocolyse.

If we can get some sort of parity in the scrum, then we'll run around them in the backs. Simple.

 

[WB3]

Tbh from what I've gathered from SHM, Slipper is pretty much guaranteed a test spot at no 3 because Fat cat is injured.

Before Injury: 1. Robinson/Alexander 3. Slipper/Kepu

After Injury: 1. Kepu/Alexander/Daley 3. Slipper

Seems reasonable, but isn't Slipper out for this weekend, leaving us Kepu and Alexander at 1 and 3 respectively or am I missing something? If that IS the case, it doesn't make sense.
When Slipper returns I'm all for Kepu/Moore/Slipper to be the front row.

 

[Groucho]

There will be parties in Dublin and Rome tonight. Irish pack are starting to bully again. The Italians always try to win with a wrestling match type game. This has totally swung in their favour.

A plus side is teams may revert to trying to bully us off the pitch, and ditch creativity like a lot of teams did - making the gameplan perfect for our backs to match them with the attacking gameplan.

Then again Castro will be stroking his beard, undoubtedly smoking a Cigar judging by the size of himself over in Rome right now.

I'm not so certain that Kepu will get monstered by Castrogiovanni.

And I seriously doubt that Ireland will get the better of our scrum.

 

[Groucho]

Seems reasonable, but isn't Slipper out for this weekend, leaving us Kepu and Alexander at 1 and 3 respectively or am I missing something? If that IS the case, it doesn't make sense.
When Slipper returns I'm all for Kepu/Moore/Slipper to be the front row.

I think Kepu and Alexander at 1 and 3 makes perfect sense. Alexander may be covering both sides from the bench, so he needs some game time at THP. I expect to see him get some time there in the TN as well.

 

[MrTimms]

I might be Robinson Crusoe here, but I don't want BA playing tight head.

He might cope, just. but he will never dominate and we lose his work around the park. Let him be a good lose head, isn't that enough?

 

[Swarley]

I might be Robinson Crusoe here, but I don't want BA playing tight head.

He might cope, just. but he will never dominate and we lose his work around the park. Let him be a good lose head, isn't that enough?

I don't really understand why he deserves to start? He can't scrummage nearly as well as either Kepu or Slipper and his work-rate isn't as high as theirs as well.

 

[Groucho]

I don't really understand why he deserves to start? He can't scrummage nearly as well as either Kepu or Slipper and his work-rate isn't as high as theirs as well.

I doubt he'll start.

 

[Richo]

But he is a try-scoring machine.

 

[Joe Blow]

I don't really understand why he deserves to start? He can't scrummage nearly as well as either Kepu or Slipper and his work-rate isn't as high as theirs as well.

Who else would you put there right now?
Yes, he likes to showboat and score tries but he was very effective at scrum time a couple of years ago and he can be again this year.

 

[Swarley]

Who else would you put there right now?
Yes, he likes to showboat and score tries but he was very effective at scrum time a couple of years ago and he can be again this year.

Right now, he's probably the best available. But as soon as Slipper's back to full-fitness he should come straight in.

 

[fatprop]

Losing Fatcat means we are one injury closer to total poo.

The set of Alexander, Fatcat, Kepu & Slipper was a wonderfully decent set of front rowers. Shit we had four decent ones, now we have three

The replacement for fatcat with any of the next level and the set is clearly diminished, lose another and .................................................

 

[Joe Blow]

It's a done deal.
So now we have to rethink our front row and switching Kepu to the loosehead side is not such a bad idea.
Some here claim he is our best scrummager. If so he can probably do more damage from that side while Slipper and Alexander hold up the TH spot.

 

[Richard D. James]

I don't get this idea that Ireland and Italy will be licking their lips now that Robinson out. As others have said:

Kepu/Slipper/Alexander are all decent props

Ireland's scrum is not that good anyway.

Italy have nothing but a scrum

What happened the last time we were completely dominated by another scrum? we won the game. (England in Perth)

And when England beat us these last two times it had nothing to do with their scrum.


It's a blow, no doubt, but all it means is we go from having a potentially dominant scrum to a competitive scrum. That's all we need.

 

[What2040]

I don't get this idea that Ireland and Italy will be licking their lips now that Robinson out. As others have said:

Kepu/Slipper/Alexander are all decent props

Ireland's scrum is not that good anyway.

Italy have nothing but a scrum

What happened the last time we were completely dominated by another scrum? we won the game. (England in Perth)

And when England beat us these last two times it had nothing to do with their scrum.


It's a blow, no doubt, but all it means is we go from having a potentially dominant scrum to a competitive scrum. That's all we need.

IMO seems hard to believe that 1 prop (whomever) can make a potentially dominant scrum to only a competitive scrum particularly when Robbo is replaced with Kepu (a quality scrummager in his own right) - There are another 7 blokes out there who need to play together. Hopefully the meercats from 2010 put their heads down until the last moment.

 

[Lee Grant]

I'm not so certain that Kepu will get monstered by Castrogiovanni.

And I seriously doubt that Ireland will get the better of our scrum.

Right and right.

Young Slipper got dudded by referee Berdos last year as Castro bore in all day. LHPs get away with this all the time but it's pretty obvious when a THP does it except to someone like Berdos, a poor scrum ref.


The Ireland scrum is usually mediocre. They now have a handy pot plant at 3, Mike Ross, the successor to Bull Hayes, after Tony Buckley flattered to deceive. Their LHP Healey is great around the park but not a noted scrummager.

I might be Robinson Crusoe here, but I don't want BA playing tight head.

He might cope, just. but he will never dominate and we lose his work around the park. Let him be a good lose head, isn't that enough?

Have courage - you are not alone. Content with Benny ending up a good LHP? I'd welcome that change.

Make me eat my words Bennie.

 

[Balls_SlanderandRuck]

I don't get this idea that Ireland and Italy will be licking their lips now that Robinson out. As others have said:

Kepu/Slipper/Alexander are all decent props

Ireland's scrum is not that good anyway.

Italy have nothing but a scrum

What happened the last time we were completely dominated by another scrum? we won the game. (England in Perth)

And when England beat us these last two times it had nothing to do with their scrum.


It's a blow, no doubt, but all it means is we go from having a potentially dominant scrum to a competitive scrum. That's all we need.

No because Irelands scrum has come on in the last 8 months given to the arrival of Ross who bullied the crap out of most props in Europe, including top french and English ones that took a proverbial shite on our scrum over the past 2 years.

I never said they'll win, i said they'll be happy that our worrysome scrum has taken a decent blow.

 

[PTB]

toby smith waikato, australian born i think. good player.