Racing Metro confirm Lydiate is returning to Welsh rugby after Autumn Internationals

Wonder where he'll go, rumours are saying the Ospreys?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/29829607?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_wales_sport&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=wales

Yes I heard that too. Not sure I want him there though??

A decent understudy for James King...

Unlikely, but could he be an injury cover for Bath?

HongKongCherry wrote:Unlikely, but could he be an injury cover for Bath?

Not unless Bath are relocating to Wales

He's going to Ospreys. Don't know why they're delaying announcing it.

Released mid contract? That's strange, is he not getting game time or have they paid for his release or what?

He's not really playing now. Probably suits both parties, as Lydiate can probably (wrongfully) walk straight into a region's team and racing lose a player off their wage bill who doesn't fit in.

Honestly don't know which Region he'd be best suited for? I think the Scarlets have an injury crisis right now, maybe he can fill in there.

Blues have plenty of flankers
Ospreys have a lot of emerging young talent
Dragons have a settled backrow

Not bad news for Ospreys I guess. It's no surprise the Wales back-row plays their best when Lydiate is on form at No.6. Right now I wouldn't say he is on form though.

Why does Lydiate not fit in?

Lots of hot air from the Racing coaches but what's the actual problem with the player? He's always come across as honest and hard working which is what I thought every coach wanted.

Seems a bit off to dump a player just because they're injured if that's the case

That's French club rugby for you.

Risca Rev wrote:He's not really playing now. Probably suits both parties, as Lydiate can probably (wrongfully) walk straight into a region's team and racing lose a player off their wage bill who doesn't fit in.

I heard personal family reasons were a major factor in his decision. Probably missed the family farm.

He was always going to miss the farm. That's why I'm surprised he left in the first place.

Racing didn't really play to his strengths either, by playing left and right, as opposed to open and blindside.

yappysnap wrote:Why does Lydiate not fit in?

Lots of hot air from the Racing coaches but what's the actual problem with the player? He's always come across as honest and hard working which is what I thought every coach wanted.

Seems a bit off to dump a player just because they're injured if that's the case

Lydiate is not injured - hasnt been for a while and certainly not this season.

what's wrong in stating that he never performed at the level he did for Wales during their 6N wins? was he great when playing for the Dragons? Maybe Racing backrow is better balanced when he's not playing or that he has communications issues.

whocares wrote:

yappysnap wrote:Why does Lydiate not fit in?

Lots of hot air from the Racing coaches but what's the actual problem with the player? He's always come across as honest and hard working which is what I thought every coach wanted.

Seems a bit off to dump a player just because they're injured if that's the case

Lydiate is not injured - hasnt been for a while and certainly not this season.

what's wrong in stating that he never performed at the level he did for Wales during their 6N wins? was he great when playing for the Dragons?  Maybe Racing backrow is better balanced when he's not playing or that he has communications issues.

Yes - personal experience showed that its very hard to perform to the best of your ability in a different environment regardless of how well others manage in the same place.

yappysnap wrote:Why does Lydiate not fit in?

Lots of hot air from the Racing coaches but what's the actual problem with the player? He's always come across as honest and hard working which is what I thought every coach wanted.

Seems a bit off to dump a player just because they're injured if that's the case

I think the 'problem' has been telegraphed for some weeks now in advance.  Gatland got out his crystal ball some few weeks ago and 'knew' that some guys were thinking about coming home - even though they never said nothing to nobody and denied it when put to them

It's all a pre-plan to entice certain players back into the fold at Wales now that the Regional issues have been...................... well, we'll say 'solved' but we'll also add 'for now' just to be safe. I'm sure Lydiate not only talked things through with his own Racing bosses but with Gatland's people and with Ospreys people.  It's no quick thought in Lydiate's head that he suddenly wants to get home to a farm.

Couple of things we are assuming here..

Is he returning on a WRU contract... Do we actually know if this is true. If it is, according to the WRU contract "rules", his home region has first dibs... Is that the Dragon, as he is a product of the Gwent region. Or does his family home in Llandrindod come under Scarlets territory.

Did he play for Racing in the European Cup (cant remember if he featured on any team sheet), because if he has he wont be able to play for his new team in that tournament.

I actually think Dan will be an asset to whoever picks him up. He is an exceptional player and gives his all when playing for Wales. But it all depends on the game plan. You want a 6 to tackle all day, he's your man. Against the big SH teams, I reckon we need him. His lack of game time is another issue, but his abiity and dedication will overcome that.

I'm just glad we have another quality player returning to the regions

Sam wrote:Released mid contract? That's strange, is he not getting game time or have they paid for his release or what?

At the request of the player, and after reaching a mutual agreement with the club, Dan Lydiate will leave Racing Metro 92 and return to Wales following the November tests.

Having joined Racing Metro 92 at the start of the 2013-2014 season from the Newport Gwent Dragons, the international flanker will be joining one of the Welsh regions as of December.

“We wish Dan an excellent end to the season with his new club, and all the best for his international future with Wales, whether for the November tests, the Six Nations, or the 2015 Rugby World Cup,” said Racing Metro 92 chairman Jacky Lorenzetti.

Currently in camp with the Wales squad near Cardiff, Lydiate said : “I would like to thank Racing Metro 92 for their welcome, and the 17 months I spent at the club. I would also like to thank the club officials for their understanding, and especially the way they agreed to release me from my contract.”

http://www.racing-metro92.com/en/Equipe_Pro/Dan_Lydiate_quitte_le_Racing_Metro_92_pour_le_Pays_de_Galles-Actualite-49-3331.html

maestegmafia wrote:I'm just glad we have another quality player returning to the regions

Cant disagree with that...

No9 wrote: Did he play for Racing in the European Cup (cant remember if he featured on any team sheet), because if he has he wont be able to play for his new team in that tournament.

Looking at the EPRPRCRPCRCPRCRCRC website, he's not listed for either Northampton Saints (H) or Benetton Treviso(A)

Out the nine TOP 14 games so far, he has started in :-
Round 4 - ASM Clermont Auvergne (A)
Round 7 - Grenoble (A)

All a bit strange, was it a case of Racing Metro not rating him?

I'm beginning to question the loyalty of modern rugby players.

As we keep on banging on he has a bunch of average skills and a few truly exceptional ones. Used the right way in the right system he can be very effective (e.g. Wales) If his skill set doesnt match what Racing Metro need then they are not going to be using him much.

It doesnt reflect badly on either side, its just a mismatch

HongKongCherry wrote:Unlikely, but could he be an injury cover for Bath?

I'm sure Craig used to have some involvement with Metro

TightHEAD wrote:

I'm beginning to question the loyalty of modern rugby players.

What a strange comment....???

Not really Maestegmafia, if he isn't getting game time I'd expect an international/B+I Lion to fight for his place not look to leave early and return home.  

I don't agree that a player of his talent can't find a way to fit into the Metros system, maybe he didn't want to fight for the shirt.

Laurent Travers one of the racing coaches admits he has his share of responsability in Lydiate failure by not giving him enough game time.
http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/top-14/2014-2015/top-14-racing-metro-laurent-travers-lydiate-c-est-aussi-un-echec-de-l-entraineur_sto4458456/story.shtml

TightHEAD wrote:Not really Maestegmafia, if he isn't getting game time I'd expect an international/B+I Lion to fight for his place not look to leave early and return home.  

I don't agree that a player of his talent can't find a way to fit into the Metros system, maybe he didn't want to fight for the shirt.

There's a bit if truth in that. He chose to go over there and leave the region that stood by him through two serious injuries too. He should stay and fight for his place, seeing as he wanted to go there. Sadly players like him only think about what is best for getting them into a team Wales shirt though.

In a way it's a bit wrong that he is likely to pick up a dual contract too, seeing as Gareth Davies seemingly prefers them to be used to keep players in Wales where possible.

Its a little sad when a player leaves mid contract due to things not working out. A little like Benji Marshall albeit longer... I mean Marshall simply wasn't up for it.

One thing that springs from this is that it might not do the regions any favours. How big is his contract 400k EUR? Will the regions match this? That's a lot of money for the regions.

Will Lydiate repay the sum by giving his new region a better European cup position or via Wales and their annual "outside of the test window" test match???? Its doubtful.
Can one player make that much a difference? Perhaps but cover at 6 is pretty strong in Wales. Its not like they'd be facing a choice of Peter Wright or Karl Hayman.

Risca Rev wrote:

In a way it's a bit wrong that he is likely to pick up a dual contract too, seeing as Gareth Davies seemingly prefers them to be used to keep players in Wales where possible.

Not exactly a bad thing though. I reckon we need a few more centre's on dual contracts...

fa0019 wrote:One thing that springs from this is that it might not do the regions any favours. How big is his contract 400k EUR? Will the regions match this? That's a lot of money for the regions.

I'm sure it'll be like every other contract negotiation i.e. its a negotiation!

Notch wrote:

fa0019 wrote:One thing that springs from this is that it might not do the regions any favours. How big is his contract 400k EUR? Will the regions match this? That's a lot of money for the regions.

I'm sure it'll be like every other contract negotiation i.e. its a negotiation!

Boys, WRUburton was on a CC of only £275K and reports are of his DC being the same, if so Lydiate will NOT be on that kind of Money, I'd be very surprised if he is on anything above £250K

Notch wrote:

fa0019 wrote:One thing that springs from this is that it might not do the regions any favours. How big is his contract 400k EUR? Will the regions match this? That's a lot of money for the regions.

I'm sure it'll be like every other contract negotiation i.e. its a negotiation!

Ok so not 400k, 250k. Is dan lydiate worth 250k a year compared to the next alternative? With Wales is it worth it for the one game per year they play him outside the window... It's not like they have to worry about player fatigue given he's not a regular starter at RM.

That's a lot of additional money for the WRU. That's 10 youth player contracts.

Dan - Once a Dragon, ALWAYS a Dragon!

fa0019 wrote:

Notch wrote:

fa0019 wrote:One thing that springs from this is that it might not do the regions any favours. How big is his contract 400k EUR? Will the regions match this? That's a lot of money for the regions.

I'm sure it'll be like every other contract negotiation i.e. its a negotiation!

Ok so not 400k, 250k. Is dan lydiate worth 250k a year compared to the next alternative? With Wales is it worth it for the one game per year they play him outside the window... It's not like they have to worry about player fatigue given he's not a regular starter at RM.

That's a lot of additional money for the WRU. That's 10 youth player contracts.

fa, the WRU will only pay 60% of that, £150K and they will be able to stipulate how many games he will play and have him available for all training camps within the year, cheap at half the price.

No9 wrote:Couple of things we are assuming here..

Is he returning on a WRU contract... Do we actually know if this is true. If it is, according to the WRU contract "rules", his home region has first dibs... Is that the Dragon, as he is a product of the Gwent region. Or does his family home in Llandrindod come under Scarlets territory.

Did he play for Racing in the European Cup (cant remember if he featured on any team sheet), because if he has he wont be able to play for his new team in that tournament.

I actually think Dan will be an asset to whoever picks him up. He is an exceptional player and gives his all when playing for Wales. But it all depends on the game plan. You want a 6 to tackle all day, he's your man. Against the big SH teams, I reckon we need him. His lack of game time is another issue, but his abiity and dedication will overcome that.

Never mind the fact that his limited threat with the ball, along with the general excellence of the big SH teams in supporting the ball carrier and winning the breakdown, mean that Dan is a particularly redundant facet of Gatland's plan A, B, and C, and a key reason Wales never beat a big SH team....

dragon999 wrote:Dan - Once a Dragon, ALWAYS a Dragon!

I really hope so, would love him to come back to the Dragons but we could only afford him on a dual contract.

Risca Rev wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:Not really Maestegmafia, if he isn't getting game time I'd expect an international/B+I Lion to fight for his place not look to leave early and return home.  

I don't agree that a player of his talent can't find a way to fit into the Metros system, maybe he didn't want to fight for the shirt.

There's a bit if truth in that. He chose to go over there and leave the region that stood by him through two serious injuries too. He should stay and fight for his place, seeing as he wanted to go there. Sadly players like him only think about what is best for getting them into a team Wales shirt though.

In a way it's a bit wrong that he is likely to pick up a dual contract too, seeing as Gareth Davies seemingly prefers them to be used to keep players in Wales where possible.

This.

Would also add that Lydiate would bring nothing to the Dragons, we need ball carriers, a ten who is consistent, and at least one running threat in the centres. Not a luxury blindside who makes no yards and will be prioritising Team Rog alongside his Bessie mate WRUburton.

Dragons got rid of Talei maybe because they knew Dan became available?

dragon4life wrote:Dragons got rid of Talei maybe because they knew Dan became available?

Why release one player we will never see only to sign another we will see just as rarely?

bedfordwelsh wrote:

dragon999 wrote:Dan - Once a Dragon, ALWAYS a Dragon!

I really hope so, would love him to come back to the Dragons but we could only afford him on a dual contract.

BW and Dragon, I've said elsewhere I hope the same as you, we want and NEED 4 strong Regions and we need to work together to achieve this, it was good to see this week Ieuan Jones come to us because of our back row crisis, and how we helped you lot out when we lent you Ben John, can you imagine this happening before 2 years ago, because of the antics of the Dodger and Prickering we HAD to join up, I bet those 2 are ruing the day that that happened.

wayne wrote:

bedfordwelsh wrote:

dragon999 wrote:Dan - Once a Dragon, ALWAYS a Dragon!

I really hope so, would love him to come back to the Dragons but we could only afford him on a dual contract.

BW and Dragon, I've said elsewhere I hope the same as you, we want and NEED 4 strong Regions and we need to work together to achieve this, it was good to see this week Ieuan Jones come to us because of our back row crisis, and how we helped you lot out when we lent you Ben John, can you imagine this happening before 2 years ago, because of the antics of the Dodger and Prickering we HAD to join up, I bet those 2 are ruing the day that that happened.

It is good how we are working together aye.

Lydiate is only going one place though and it isn't Newport or Ystrad Mynach.

Factual Rev?

Rev is in the know ie a relationship with Jason Tovey, I'd take his word for it.

That was a joke btw Rev. I know it's a few pints at Risca RFC only relationship.

Thanks Saint - friends in low places

Tovey hasn't said anything and doesn't give me "exclusives" or things like that. It's just obvious that's where he is going and seems to be a widely held view. Robin Davey reckons Ospreys have signed him outright. I doubt that's the case. I would also say that even forty percent of his wages (if that was the case) represents poor value for us, given we need to spend it elsewhere. Even if we did release Talei, it wouldn't have been for that.

Glad to see him returning to wales. he will be on a dual contract for sure. Hope that more follow. Will improve european hopes with more internationals returning. its not a secret he's going to ospreys, is it ?

So there was a board meeting at Dragons today, they have first dibs on Dan & are said to be furious with the Ospreys link - Do Dragons want him?

Do we want him? Of course we do, why would you not want to add an international quality and BI Lion to your squad, it would give the region a boost and show our ambition

Do we need him? Probably not, with Lewis Evans, Powell not to mention a raft of U20's coming through arguably it would be best to keep hold of them.

Could we afford him? I doubt it!

However if he does go to the Ospreys I would like to hear from the Dragons about whether we did approach him because if he had snubbed us to go west I would be very disappointed, especially after we supported him through his neck injury

If he's offered a dual contract he may have limited choice where he goes? So it may not be a snub