which club do you think has made the best signings this summer?

Lots of clubs have added to their playing squads for the upcoming Aviva Premiership season. Not just the teams at the top have made additions even some of the smaller clubs or ones closer to the bottom have done so, i woner which players will have the most impact at their particular clubs.
Some of the big name signings:

Bath- Agulla, James, webber
Chiefs- Camacho, mumm
Glaws- Cowan, Morgan, 12trees
Quins- ?
Tigers- Bowden, Benjamin
Irish- o'leary, humphries, geraghty
Wasps- Palmer, Haskell, Masi
Welsh- Henson
Saints- Waldouck
Sharks- Cipriani, Shepard, Gray
Sarries- Ashton, Tomkins, Hargreaves
Warriors- Hodgeson, Lemi, schofield

Only quins have really decided not to make changes (relying on the academy).

Glaws and Sharks look to have done some decent business to streghten their challenge on the HC and Playoff places.

Also Wasps and Warriors have recruited well IMO, will be interesting to see if either or both can avoid a relegation battle this season.

I listed AP clubs but all welcome.

HQ matt wrote:Lots of clubs have added to their playing squads for the upcoming Aviva Premiership season. Not just the teams at the top have made additions even some of the smaller clubs or ones closer to the bottom have done so, i woner which players will have the most impact at their particular clubs.
Some of the big name signings:

Bath- Agulla, James, webber
Chiefs- Camacho, mumm
Glaws- Cowan, Morgan, 12trees
Quins- ?
Tigers- Bowden, Benjamin
Irish- o'leary, humphries, geraghty
Wasps- Palmer, Haskell, Masi
Welsh- Henson
Saints- Waldouck
Sharks- Cipriani, Shepard, Gray
Sarries- Ashton, Tomkins, Hargreaves
Warriors- Hodgeson, Lemi, schofield

Only quins have really decided not to make changes (relying on the academy).

Glaws and Sharks look to have done some decent business to streghten their challenge on the HC and Playoff places.

Also Wasps and Warriors have recruited well IMO, will be interesting to see if either or both can avoid a relegation battle this season.

I listed AP clubs but all welcome.

Matt, Gonzo joined the Chiefs a year ago, and is obviously away with Argentina in TRC at the moment, likewise Dean Mumm is still in Australia on stand-by for Aus for the sme competition. The signing that could be most exciting for Exe to my mind is one that is still to be formalised - Watisoni Votu. The former Fiji 7s captain and Exe are in the process if sorting out his visa&work permit, much delayed by the onrush of visitors for the Olympics

Tomkins isn't strictly a new signing for Saracens. He arrived last November.

Best signings award probably goes to Gloucester overall but the best individual signing is Gray for Sale.

Seriously how did Sale get Gray?

I am pleased with Tigers recruitment, bringing in three excellent wingers and two good 10/12 cover options as well as another lock were all good moves. The injury cover signings for the backrow are less exciting but useful I suppose.

Glaws have done good things bringing in Edmonds, the two full backs, Morgan, Cowan and Twelvetrees. Though a second row and another loosehead might have also been needed.

Sale have recruited pretty well in a slightly more ambitious way this season. Gray and Cipriani are fairly big signings and will have to deal with the pressure of that (may be an issue for Cips).

Quins have dipped into the market signing the hooker from the Cornish Pirates (Ward?) and the 10/12 Botica (who's dad was a rather famous All Black).

Who has done the best will only become obvious after a few games have been played. I have a nagging feeling Sale might be quite good but I also expect a big improvement from Glaws.

Surely Steve Jones is a bigger signing for Wasps than Masi? I would say that Wasps have made some good signings this season, even though most are squad filler, there have been some that IMO will make a difference this coming season.

Which club has the best Academy players progress to first team honours?

Which club has the best Academy players progress to first team honours?

The most first team players from the academy? Quins.

The most academy players going on to International duty? Tigers.

Surely Steve Jones is a bigger signing for Wasps than Masi?

Depends if they start. Southwell has been given the captaincy so Masi will be left vying for the 13 spot with the other 4 or 5 centres on Wasps books. Jones will be up against the young lad Bell and fellow Welshman Robinson. I think long term the effects of the Jones's signing will be more in terms of coaching than playing though that's not to say he won't be a real playing asset this season.

Sam - Dai Young has tried to sign Steve Jones every time his contract has been up, so I would believe that there will be large amounts of game time for him.

I think Sale have probably done the best. They have not just bought anyone to fatten the squad. Their signings are all thought out and could compete for first team honours.

- Danny Cipriani
- Richie Gray
- Cameron Shepherd
- Corne Uys
- Effion Lewis Roberts

Also compared with some of the other teams they haven't lost many of their top players. Gloucester have signed good backs but they lost Strokosch and Narraway. They are big losses for a pack and I thought Eliota F-Sapulo was a great player for them last season. Sale have just done a bit better.

If you ask me I would say Bath have made "THEE" best signing with the signature of Paul James. In a forward dominated inviroment which the Aviva Prem tends to be Paul James will be a massive hit, and his unseen work is second to none, he clears out rucks like a demented rhino, and his ball pilfering is excelent, trust me I do not think you Bath fans realise what a gem you have signed.

Staggy, ELR is a replacement for Sheridan, Cipriani is a belated replacement for Hodgson and both Shepherd and Uys will likely only be squad players with Sale already having better fullbacks and centres. Only Gray is an out and out addition of real strength to the first team.

Buying in good players is one thing, but doesn't help if you lost better players.
Also Academy players making the step up is a big help.

But have to agree, Sale getting Gray, WTF, he'd be a player that all the top teams would want. Surprised it wasn't Leinster that he went to, after all its a position the could do with strenghtening, following Hinds and Thorne, Gray would have fitted right in.
No offense to Sale, but if it was a choice between Leinster or Sale, it should be a no brainer.
Or else Gray has the worst agent in the buiness and he told him Sale was the best he could get him?

Kingshu, Leinster are relient on the IRFU allowing them to make signings and given that the IRFU are trying to move towards a near all Irish participation in the Provinces they were unlikely to allow Leinster to sign Gray. The lack of a foreign lock signing this year for Leinster would seem to highlight this.

There is also the chance that Sale simply outbid the likes of Leinster and other clubs, it seemed likely that he would stay in Scotland so by the time that it came to light that he was available many clubs may have not had the budget to fund a move having already planned ahead for the following season.

For Ulster
Players in (Season 2012/2013)
Tommy Bowe from Ospreys
Roger Wilson from Northampton
Niall O'Connor from Connacht Rugby
Rob Herring from Western Province
Michael Heaney from Doncaster Knights
Sean Doyle from Southern Districts
Nick Williams from Aironi

Players out (Season 2012/2013)
Conor Gaston to London Irish
Ian Whitten to Exeter Chiefs
Willie Faloon to Connacht Rugby
Pedrie Wannenburg to Castres
Andy Kyriacou to Cardiff Blues
Ian Humphreys to London Irish
Tim Barker to Rainey Old Boys
Simon Danielli Retiring
Stefan Terblanche Retiring
James McKinney to Rotherham
Jerry Cronin to Doncaster Knights

Overall I'd say we're stronger first XV and squad wise;

lost Pedrie Wannenburg gained Wilson back
Lost Simon Danielli gained Bowe back
Lost Stefan Terblanche but he was only injury cover for Payne who is back from injury
lost Willie Faloon gained Willaims and moved Birch up from acamady
lost Ian Humphreys, but promoted P Jackson and brought NOC back (have to see if this is better or not this season, but will be better for future)
Lost Ian Whitten who is a good player but was only 3rd choice 12, so better for him to leave for 1st team rugby
Most others are like for like, either bringing in similar (maybe better we'll see over the season) or promoting from within.

Sam
Maybe Leinster were only allowed a project player at lock, since Ulster already have a NIQ lock, I don't think anyone knew he was considering the move before Sale annoced it.

But under the new rules Leinster could still have signed him, next year your allowed 4+1 project, and only one in each position across the 3 provinces. So if Ulster have a NIQ (Muller) at 4, Leinster could get a NIQ and play them at 5!
Leinster still also have a NIQ space they haven't used this year, which is good for Irish rugby, but Lock is prob the only weak area in the Leinster team

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Which club has the best Academy players progress to first team honours?

The most first team players from the academy? Quins.

The most academy players going on to International duty? Tigers.

Surely Steve Jones is a bigger signing for Wasps than Masi?

Depends if they start. Southwell has been given the captaincy so Masi will be left vying for the 13 spot with the other 4 or 5 centres on Wasps books. Jones will be up against the young lad Bell and fellow Welshman Robinson. I think long term the effects of the Jones's signing will be more in terms of coaching than playing though that's not to say he won't be a real playing asset this season.

I agree re Wellies.

Many have said he has the makings of a fantastic coach.

Well - today's edition of the Times has devoted almost a whole page to the Oxford Welsh signing. So it must be the best.....

Sale are close to Scotland and have a Scottish owner. That might have something to do with Gray signing for them.

Kingshu wrote:For Ulster
Players in (Season 2012/2013)
Tommy Bowe from Ospreys
Roger Wilson from Northampton
Niall O'Connor from Connacht Rugby
Rob Herring from Western Province
Michael Heaney from Doncaster Knights
Sean Doyle from Southern Districts
Nick Williams from Aironi

Players out (Season 2012/2013)
Conor Gaston to London Irish
Ian Whitten to Exeter Chiefs
Willie Faloon to Connacht Rugby
Pedrie Wannenburg to Castres
Andy Kyriacou to Cardiff Blues
Ian Humphreys to London Irish
Tim Barker to Rainey Old Boys
Simon Danielli Retiring
Stefan Terblanche Retiring
James McKinney to Rotherham
Jerry Cronin to Doncaster Knights

Overall I'd say we're stronger first XV and squad wise;

lost Pedrie Wannenburg gained Wilson back
Lost Simon Danielli gained Bowe back
Lost Stefan Terblanche but he was only injury cover for Payne who is back from injury
lost Willie Faloon gained Willaims and moved Birch up from acamady
lost Ian Humphreys, but promoted P Jackson and brought NOC back (have to see if this is better or not this season, but will be better for future)
Lost Ian Whitten who is a good player but was only 3rd choice 12, so better for him to leave for 1st team rugby
Most others are like for like, either bringing in similar (maybe better we'll see over the season) or promoting from within.

Do you think Ulster have a better all round squad this season?

I like what Ulster are doing. If a player is just short of the required level they let him go and take a chance on someone else ie Doyle for Faloon, Herring for Kyriacou etc.

I do think however that losing Wannenburg is a blow and I would have preferred McKinney to NOC. Ian Whitten is also a lose to the squad although the new centers coming through look like class players and I think they could be in the next world cup squad!

Leinster still also have a NIQ space they haven't used this year, which is good for Irish rugby, but Lock is prob the only weak area in the Leinster team

Leinster do tend to look abroad for their gritty enforcers. I would agree that is probably their only weakness, well that and a solid but not spectacular scrum. Hardly the worst problems to have but in the very physical games the lack of a Thorn esque beast in the engine room might hinder them slightly.

I do think overall the squad is better,
Losing Wannenburg is a loss, but getting Wilson to replace him means gain an IQ player, who may be slightly better, not a worse player anyway.

McKinney for NOC is a harder one, but P Jackson and McKinney are both young and inexperienced, so an experinced NOC with PJ would be preferable to two inexperienced outhalfs.

Whitten would really strugle to get a game in the center this year, so his move has to be accepted.

Faloon may come back in a year or two and the experince wil do him good, plus you now have Doyle and Birch behind Henry (last year itr was just Falloon, so more depth and Birch is reconed to be as good a player now as Falloon (we'll see if thats true this season)
Kyriacou was 2/3rd choice hooker, better to get a younger player who has the potention to plus up to 2nd choice in.
Lost Barker before the end of last season but Henderson is ready now to step up into his place this year and shhould end up a much better player

I'm a little worried by Quins, i've said it before but I would have liked to see an older head or two brought in. Maybe not even as first teamers but just as stand ins for experienced players who are bound to miss games eg Nev, Kohn, Robson, Brown.

We have a huge amount of young inexperienced-to-fairly experienced talent coming through the ranks so a couple of old pro's would have been useful.

Sadly all the older players either seem to go to France for the sunshine or Bath for err...

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Surely Steve Jones is a bigger signing for Wasps than Masi? I would say that Wasps have made some good signings this season, even though most are squad filler, there have been some that IMO will make a difference this coming season.

I would rate the South Afriacn no 8 Ashley Johnson as a bigger signing than Masi & Jones but happy to have them all.

Dare I say it, I think with Miles Benjamin and Adam Thompstone joining, Leicester have done nicely for themselves!

red_stag wrote: Gloucester have signed good backs but they lost Strokosch and Narraway. They are big losses for a pack and I thought Eliota F-Sapulo was a great player for them last season. Sale have just done a bit better.

I think you must have meant 2 seasons ago. EFS went from the sublime to the ridiculous as was pretty dire for us last season. If EFS had been in form he would have been a huge loss, but based on last season he won't be missed too much. I also think 36 will provide a far better balance to our backline than EFs and we should have a more rounded kicking game.

Glaws have certainly done well on the transfer front and the likes of 36, Cowan, Morgan and Kalamafoni should make a big impact. I agree with Sam though that we need more locks.

Whilst as an individual Gray has to be the best signing I don't think he is the best team signing. Sale's weakness is their front 5 in the scrum. Gray is excellent at many things but he isn't the man to add the grunt that is sorely needed.

I think Miles Benjamin and Dean Mumm will be excellent signings

I think collectively I'd probably go for Wasps. Returning old boys Palmer and Haskell will settle in quickly and really boost their pack, and I think Masi will do very well.

Best individual signing has to be Richie Gray at Sale. I rarely rave about a player, but this guy is one of the outstanding locks of world rugby. He should have gone to Toulouse!

Benjamin will be a huge hit a Leicester though. He'll score bucket loads of tries there.

Benjamin will be a huge hit a Leicester though. He'll score bucket loads of tries there

I think he'll be a good acquisition but I reckon it will be Vereniki Goneva that is the suprise package on the Tigers wing. He seems to have great acceleration and has shown in pre season that he is a winger to make breaks in the outside channels creating one and scoring two in two games.

I don't really rate Mumm, he's a big name but I could see him just not working out for Exeter. When ever I saw him play in SuRu he always seemed a bit underpowered and had little impact apart from that one monstrous hand off which has pretty much made his reputation.

funnyExiledScot wrote:I think collectively I'd probably go for Wasps. Returning old boys Palmer and Haskell will settle in quickly and really boost their pack, and I think Masi will do very well.

Best individual signing has to be Richie Gray at Sale. I rarely rave about a player, but this guy is one of the outstanding locks of world rugby. He should have gone to Toulouse!

Benjamin will be a huge hit a Leicester though. He'll score bucket loads of tries there.

You don't know how right you may be there, I can't help feeling Sale may do more harm then good for him in the long run. Just look at what happened to Peel. Scots fans should possibly be a little nervous.

Yappy, Peel has been one of the best 9s in the AP for the last couple of years. He's unfortunate to be stuck behind a bit of a dodgey pack (that is improving) but he's still got it. Should his international coach ever ditch his love affair with Mike Phillips Peel would be a good shout to get a couple more caps.

I think that time has been and gone now tbh, can't see Peel ever adding to his international caps which is a shame.

Peel is a good scrum half, and to partner Cips you couldn't ask for better.

A very physical scrumhalf to cover a defensively poor outhalf.

nothing against defensively poor outhalfs, RoG, Parks, I Humph have all done very well and are great players, but with them you normally need to add a physical player to cover, either at 12, scrumhalf or in backrow.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Yappy, Peel has been one of the best 9s in the AP for the last couple of years. He's unfortunate to be stuck behind a bit of a dodgey pack (that is improving) but he's still got it. Should his international coach ever ditch his love affair with Mike Phillips Peel would be a good shout to get a couple more caps.

I think the Peel/Gatland thing is a bit of a personality clash.

maestegmafia wrote:Which club has the best Academy players progress to first team honours?

Ospreys

Shifty wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:Which club has the best Academy players progress to first team honours?

Ospreys

I thought Ospreys were a region not a club?

sorry if i missed a few names out in the OP.

The general consensus seems to be that Glaws, Sale and maybe Wasps have done the best business. Teams like Tigers always do well with transfers as they have such a strong squad anyway.

What do people think of the signing Irish have made?

Also what about the warriors? Jon Clarke, Paul Hodgeson, David Lemi, dean schofield. And andress, matavesi and donnelly. Lots of players to bring in and some good players in there. Never touted for much.. what the chances of avoiding the relegation battle most would predict?

LordDowlais wrote:If you ask me I would say Bath have made "THEE" best signing with the signature of Paul James. In a forward dominated inviroment which the Aviva Prem tends to be Paul James will be a massive hit, and his unseen work is second to none, he clears out rucks like a demented rhino, and his ball pilfering is excelent, trust me I do not think you Bath fans realise what a gem you have signed.

Bath fans can also look forward to seeing him raise his arms in disbelief as the referee penalises him at yet another scrum.

yappysnap wrote:We have a huge amount of young inexperienced-to-fairly experienced talent coming through the ranks so a couple of old pro's would have been useful.

Yappy, I think you might be mistaking age for experience there, mate. 21 (over half) of the current squad have over 50 first team appearances, of whom 12 have over 100. That's a pretty good level of experience. What's misleading is how young some of the experienced players are. Marler has 60 first team appearances (at what, 21?), Lowe has a scarcely credible 83. There are 14 guys in that group who lived through Bloodgate, and more who've been through the Amlin and AP Finals.

We could probably do with a big lump of a lock to cover for Olly until Browne and Matthews have a bit more experience (and bulk), and were there a clone of Nick Evans we could afford within the salary cap or a disgruntled George Ford looking for somewhere better to develop, I'd take them... but neither of those is realistically available within the cap.

Sale, just

formerly known as Sam wrote:Yappy, Peel has been one of the best 9s in the AP for the last couple of years. He's unfortunate to be stuck behind a bit of a dodgey pack (that is improving) but he's still got it. Should his international coach ever ditch his love affair with Mike Phillips Peel would be a good shout to get a couple more caps.

I'd love to see Peel go with the Lions. Far better 9 than Phillips IMO

ChequeredJersey wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Yappy, Peel has been one of the best 9s in the AP for the last couple of years. He's unfortunate to be stuck behind a bit of a dodgey pack (that is improving) but he's still got it. Should his international coach ever ditch his love affair with Mike Phillips Peel would be a good shout to get a couple more caps.

I'd love to see Peel go with the Lions. Far better 9 than Phillips IMO

Peel has definitely deserved more caps.

Scrum half is a relatively competitive position for the Lions -I can't see Gatland being persuaded to take Peel on the Lions tour though can you?

Unfortunately not.

Is it bad for Gray's game that he's gone somewhere like Sale and not Toulouse/Leinster?

No offence to Sale, they've got HC rugby but a very mediocre DoR

and were there a clone of Nick Evans we could afford within the salary cap or a disgruntled George Ford looking for somewhere better to develop, I'd take them... but neither of those is realistically available within the cap

Keep your hands off of George. It's bad enough you pilfered the young winger Walker out of our academy a couple of years back don't start trying to nick Fordy as well. LI and Sale both tried that last season with no luck.

Is it bad for Gray's game that he's gone somewhere like Sale and not Toulouse/Leinster?

Personally I think he may have struggled with the physicality in France initially which would have seen a short term loss of form for long term gain. At Leinster he would have not been on the same level of contract as at Sale so may have lost out financially but gained more silverware. Sale isn't a bad club to be at, they are developing a number of talented youngsters that are in the England under 20s and are building productively for the future.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

and were there a clone of Nick Evans we could afford within the salary cap or a disgruntled George Ford looking for somewhere better to develop, I'd take them... but neither of those is realistically available within the cap

Keep your hands off of George. It's bad enough you pilfered the young winger Walker out of our academy a couple of years back don't start trying to nick Fordy as well. LI and Sale both tried that last season with no luck.
.

Yeah but we are actually good!
( just kidding Sale fans )

His long term future is at Tigers, future Tigers captain one day. I think we'll start to see Flood go to 12 as Ford starts to command the 10 shirt.