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       #Post#: 141748--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: FatQuin
       Date: September 1, 2025, 12:02 pm
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       --- Quote from: Brown Bottle link ---
       >
       > How many of them were actually available?
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       I have no idea.  I’m not a scout or an agent.  That doesn’t make
       my point that we really need another 12 any less valid however
       so I’m not sure what other exam questions you want to set me but
       it won’t change what most of us accept is true and the club have
       had a very long time to sort it out.
       #Post#: 141749--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: Brown Bottle
       Date: September 1, 2025, 12:09 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: FatQuin link ---
       >
       > I have no idea.  I’m not a scout or an agent.  That doesn’t
       make my point that we really need another 12 any less valid
       however so I’m not sure what other exam questions you want to
       set me but it won’t change what most of us accept is true and
       the club have had a very long time to sort it out.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Just pointing out that posting "We could just buy a 12." is very
       easy and involves virtually no thought, insight or knowledge at
       all.
       #Post#: 141752--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: FatQuin
       Date: September 1, 2025, 2:36 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Brown Bottle link ---
       >
       > Just pointing out that posting "We could just buy a 12." is
       very easy and involves virtually no thought, insight or
       knowledge at all.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Why not just ignore my post if it’s of so little value to the
       discussion? Was a passing comment and really not particularly
       controversial.  I’m sorry you were triggered by it.
       #Post#: 141753--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: Brown Bottle
       Date: September 1, 2025, 3:02 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: FatQuin link ---
       >
       > Why not just ignore my post if it’s of so little value to the
       discussion? Was a passing comment and really not particularly
       controversial.  I’m sorry you were triggered by it.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Yeah, fair enough. Probably just a bit grumpy at the time.
       Sorry.👍
       #Post#: 141754--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: Rugbycat
       Date: September 1, 2025, 3:56 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I wonder how close we are to the wage cap, a 12 to actually be
       better than what we have behind our young but promising starter
       already would not be cheap, so unless we can find someone in the
       champ, do we have many options.
       Yes I agree we should have worked this out a long time ago, and
       playing our number 8 there is not funny.
       On the bright side we are not a Welsh region.
       #Post#: 141755--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: September 1, 2025, 5:06 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: MaidstoneQuin link ---
       > Whilst not his fault i wouldn’t like to see the games win %
       with Luke at 12.
       --- End Quote ---
       23/24 - 4 starts at 12, 2 wins,  2 losses, 50% win rate
       24/25 - 10 starts at 12, 2 wins, 1 draw,  7 losses,  20% win
       rate (3 starts at 13, 1 win)
       Howeverrrrrr it's not quite as straightforward as it looks:
       Northmore at 13: played 3, 1 win, 2 losses
       Without Northmore at all: played 8, won 6, lost 2
       Northmore on the bench: played 2, won 1, lost 1
       Sides we lost to when Northmore started at 12:
       Bath(H), Bristol(H), Toulon(A), Bath(A), Sale(H), Tigers(A),
       Bristol(A)
       Plus the draw with Tigers(H)
       so basically the entire top 4 last season plus Toulon away - all
       teams better than us by a distance anyway, so it's difficult to
       judge the stats with and without him (don't think he was the
       reason why we lost that home match against Bath example - he was
       excellent, really carried very well and had huge impact; he was
       also one of the few highlights in the away game against them
       too)
       As a 12 he does break tackles, does carry pretty often, does
       carry hard and for a lot of metres. Wins the occasional
       turnover. Scores a decent number of tries (4 from those 10
       starts). Does often miss too many tackles and doesn't offload as
       much as you'd like.
       I've seen a lot worse from actual Quins 12s over the years. I'd
       rather see him at 13 and I definitely think we should be trying
       to make the most of Waghorn, who doesn't have as many strings to
       his bow but frees up everyone else and is definitely a serious
       heavy hitter in midfield, even showing up well in defence
       against Leinster. I just don't think Northmore has done a
       terrible job.
       #Post#: 141758--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: Quinky
       Date: September 2, 2025, 1:50 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       As with everything, there are multiple factors involved and it's
       rarely down to just one player. As JG mentions above, it's not
       as straightforward as it looks.
       I'm a great believer that you can't just parachute player X in
       and fix everything. It's more about combinations. Rugby is a
       team game, and one player - as good as he may be - won't change
       things alone. Looking at our Prem winning teams, there were some
       very good individuals, but many less than stellar names. What we
       did have was great combinations. Lowe and JTH were very good
       players, but nobody would say they were the best centres in the
       Prem (well, I would :) ) However as a pairing they were
       phenomenal, and with DC and Nev at half back, everything just
       clicked. Tom Williams never won a senior cap, but I'd honestly
       have picked him over any other winger - even Ugo - because his
       skillset and his ability to combine with other players was
       beyond excellent. In the engine room, Robson wasn't world class,
       and Kohn's one cap belied his abilities, but as a unit they just
       worked brilliantly. And let's not mention our history of
       under-capped back rows. This is why I'm always loathe to blame
       just a prop for scrum woes.
       Back to the 12 issue - it's not just a case of putting a world
       class 12 in there. It worked with Andre, but not with Roberts.
       It can be affected by the service from the halfbacks, the
       support play, the style of game we're playing, and the
       opposition. In Luke's case, IIRC he had a fairly disjointed
       season with injuries and being shifted around. I was surprised
       he made the England tour, but he played well when he got there.
       Sticking with Waghorn isn't such a bad idea. He's young, he's
       been around the squad a long time and he has a lot of raw
       talent. He's shown up well when called upon and is likely to
       keep improving. But he does need backup to share the workload
       and cover the inevitable injuries.
       We have a nucleus of young players who will continue to grow
       together, and there are shades of 2012 IMO. Let's hope so.
       #Post#: 141759--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: poorfour
       Date: September 2, 2025, 2:56 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Agree with all the above, except for two things:
       I genuinely believe that if Lowe's career hadn't coincided with
       that of one M Tuilagi Esq, or even if it hadn't been cut short
       by that awful dump tackle, we'd have seen a lot more of him at
       England level. He displaced a current Argentine international in
       the Quins squad as a teenager fresh out of the academy, and if
       he'd still been playing when Manu began his run of injuries I
       think he could well have overtaken JJ. That said, successive
       England coaches undervalued Nacho, so what do I know.
       The other point is that I'd not describe Waghorn as a raw talent
       - quite the opposite. What struck me about his performances last
       year was his maturity, especially compared to peers like Beard
       and Benson who had to learn not to try to do it all themselves
       to become effective members of the team. Waghorn isn't flash,
       but he consistently fixes the defence, takes the ball to the
       line and distributes - all of which makes it easier for the
       players around him to strut their stuff. I imagine that as he
       matures physically and gets a bit wilier in contact, we'll see
       more line breaks, but for now he is doing a good job enabling
       the players around him.
       #Post#: 141760--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: FatQuin
       Date: September 2, 2025, 2:56 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Brown Bottle link ---
       >
       > Yeah, fair enough. Probably just a bit grumpy at the time.
       Sorry.👍
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Good on ya.  I have my moments too.  COYQ!
       #Post#: 141762--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Another Argentine
   DIR By: Twickersman
       Date: September 2, 2025, 5:41 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I can see Waghorn and Sean Kerr sharing the bulk of the
       responsibility at 12. Both can play 13, too, but I see both of
       them as long-term 12s. Kerr is not quite as big as Waghorn and
       is certainly no Andre Esterhauzen, but he is a silky runner, a
       great distributor and an excellent kicker.
       Both are relatively young, but both are very talented and
       ex-England U20 centre partners.
       I agree that we need one more player; otherwise, we will see
       Jarrod Evans at 12 or Northmore, which is not ideal.
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