Andy Powell rumoured to have two broken bones in his hand

Stupido

.....another one bites the dust?

Stupido

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http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2009/06/10/leigh-halfpenny-out-of-british-lions-tour-91466-23833971/

anonymous_joe

Good.

Andy Powell's got everything you need to be a world-class 8 but he just isn't.

He's been terrible for the Lions, which is a massive pity. Someone needs to take him aside and teach him the value of variety.

funky penguin

Jaysus. This tour really is cursed.

Otacon

Maybe the Ryan Jones selection makes more sense now?

thomond2006

Andy Powell going home? ....meh

stackerman

Feel sorry for him, good 6 nations player but TOTALLY out of his depth at this level. Runs away from support and not good at the breakdown.
Heart breaking for him though

chupacabra

If they are to name a replacement who is top of the list? Leamey, Easter?

dan719

Are there even any back row players left in the home nations at this stage? Starting to fancy myself for a test team start if this continues! :rolleyes::P

Podge_irl

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Andy Powell's got everything you need to be a world-class 8

Except brains

remwhite

chupacabra wrote: »

If they are to name a replacement who is top of the list? Leamey, Easter?

Can't see either of them being called up. It's too late in the day to be calling up someone who is only going to be cover for Ryan Jones. Also the gulf between those players and the original selections is ENORMOUS.

corny

Powell would be a liability running away from cover into the arms of the Springbok loose forwards. It doesn't matter anyway Heaslip is made of Steel and is our Number 8 for all 240 mins of the 3 tests.

Ciaran-Irl

remwhite wrote: »

Can't see either of them being called up. It's too late in the day to be calling up someone who is only going to be cover for Ryan Jones. Also the gulf between those players and the original selections is ENORMOUS.

The gulf between Leamy & Easter with, say.... Joe Worsley, is enormous? Nay, ENORMOUS?

Come off it...

Having said that, I do think Leamy would be better served getting a rest this summer after the year he has had.

smurphy29

This is getting bizarre. Having said that Powell is awful, and should never have been picked. A one trick pony who has been found out. He's a Magners League player. Hard to know if it's worth calling up a replacement, as Jones can play 8 in the midweeks. Heaslip was always nailed on for the test shirt in any case.

dan719

corny wrote: »

It doesn't matter anyway Heaslip is made of Steel and is our Number 8 for all 240 mins of the 3 tests.

The same way Ferris was nailed on for the 6 shirt? What happens if Heaslip gets injured aswell?

remwhite

Ciaran-Irl wrote: »

The gulf between Leamy & Easter with, say.... Joe Worsley, is enormous? Nay, ENORMOUS?

Come off it...

Having said that, I do think Leamy would be better served getting a rest this summer after the year he has had.

Obviously Worsley is in the gap between both. Easter is massively over rated and Leamy has physicallity and that's about it. Neither are in the league of Wallace, Heaslip, Ferris or Williams. The gap is indeed ENORMOUS.

budhabob

so out of curiousity, has the powell injury been confirmed or anything, or was it a rumour and nothing more? I havent seen anything else about it.

danthefan

budhabob wrote: »

so out of curiousity, has the powell injury been confirmed or anything, or was it a rumour and nothing more? I havent seen anything else about it.

Lions website says he's fine.

In my opinion if Heaslip or Croft get injured now the Lions are in massive trouble. Heaslip is by far the best 8 in GB&I now.

Nilther

Seems he's been having trouble with his hand but nothing serious.

http://www.lionsrugby.com/news/8042.php

Ciaran-Irl

remwhite wrote: »

Obviously Worsley is in the gap between both. Easter is massively over rated and Leamy has physicallity and that's about it. Neither are in the league of Wallace, Heaslip, Ferris or Williams. The gap is indeed ENORMOUS.

I dunno. I'm not saying Easter is great or anything. I'd possibly put Haskell or Simon Taylor before him even. Leamy is indeed struggling with form after a difficult season injury wise.

The point here is that Worsley is very limited - in my opinion. Only Stephen Jones thinks he is a great player, and we all know how retarded Stephen Jones is.

There is indeed a distance between them and Wallace, Heaslip, Ferris or Williams. Even Croft. But Worsley? Not for me. Worsley is a good defender. Is very far off test standard for everything else. A "tree cutter" will not win us the tests. We need much more than that.

r0nanf

I found it hard to believe that Powell was selected for the tour first off. He is the Gary Doherty of rugby - will fall around the place for a year or two before being consigned to the history books as one of those "where the f*ck did he come from/go to"...

He is an awful player who doesn't even do the basics well (i.e. watch him go into a collision with the ball in the contact arm every time, one handed carries, run into people not spaces, look like a tart etc). They could have picked Strokosh, Leamy, Jennings before him, and definintely before Ryan Jones was drafted in.

Why is it that every replacement has been Welsh? Even Jenkins has appeared whilst on "holiday" in SA to give a hand kicking. The Jones' are in danger of doing a Clive...

anonymous_joe

r0nanf wrote: »

I found it hard to believe that Powell was selected for the tour first off. He is the Gary Doherty of rugby - will fall around the place for a year or two before being consigned to the history books as one of those "where the f*ck did he come from/go to"...

He is an awful player who doesn't even do the basics well (i.e. watch him go into a collision with the ball in the contact arm every time, one handed carries, run into people not spaces, look like a tart etc). They could have picked Strokosh, Leamy, Jennings before him, and definintely before Ryan Jones was drafted in.

Why is it that every replacement has been Welsh? Even Jenkins has appeared whilst on "holiday" in SA to give a hand kicking. The Jones' are in danger of doing a Clive...

That's a crock of shíte!

Andy Powell's an unreal talent. He might misuse his talent by turning into a crash ball merchant, but he has the talent. He could still be a world class 8 though it's unlikely.

jimmybeige

He may have physical ability but he certainly is not the most talented or gifted player. He misuses much of that physicality and just runs into brick walls constantly.

anonymous_joe

jimmybeige wrote: »

He may have physical ability but he certainly is not the most talented or gifted player. He misuses much of that physicality and just runs into brick walls constantly.

I disagree when you say that he doesn't have the ability.

I think the greatest criticism of him is that he's the only player in the NH who resembles Pierre Spies (a number 8 whose merely an attacking player (someone who missed half their tackles is not a defensive player)) - and while he's not as physically impressive as Spies, he does have pace strength balance etc, and completely misuses them.

Which is a crying shame tbh.

r0nanf

anonymous_joe wrote: »

he does have pace strength balance etc, and completely misuses them.

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Andy Powell's an unreal talent. He might misuse his talent..

That just nonsensical. Sure I'm a world class painter - I just misuse the brush.

He's nowhere near Spies, nowhere near Parisse, nowhere near Heaslip, nowhere near Kaino. He can't even get into the Cardiff starting lineup!

Any senior player who carries a ball in one hand into contact on the same arm doesn't have the basic knowledge required to play test rugby. An ordinary, over blown, domestic league player.

spank_inferno

Agreed... Powell is usefull but everytime I see him play I see him as as much a liability as an asset..

He's not as strong in the tackle as people think he is, he is rash in possession.

I think he's ok, but if he is out injured I dont hold it as a devastating loss.

(I wonder if welsh rugby forums are weeping in their sorrow )

anonymous_joe

r0nanf wrote: »

That just nonsensical. Sure I'm a world class painter - I just misuse the brush.

He's nowhere near Spies, nowhere near Parisse, nowhere near Heaslip, nowhere near Kaino. He can't even get into the Cardiff starting lineup!

Any senior player who carries a ball in one hand into contact on the same arm doesn't have the basic knowledge required to play test rugby. An ordinary, over blown, domestic league player.

It's nonsensical at all.

If you had a winger who was fast, good under the high ball, could kick and was defensively sound and yet they always made the wrong decisions that would be a misuse of talent.

That's what I meant - he's got everything you need to be a world class 8 - he's fast, strong and breaks tackles. However he's become a one trick pony. Thus his talents are wasted.

jimmybeige

jimmybeige wrote: »

He may have physical ability but he certainly is not the most talented or gifted player.

anonymous_joe wrote: »

I disagree when you say that he doesn't have the ability.

I am not sure you are reading the posts correctly! I said he HAD ability! Not sure that equates to talent as a rugby player though.

I can't see him being any more like Spies than other NH no. 8s and Parisse is a much better attacking player on many levels. Resembling Pierre Spies most definitely is not the greatest criticism someone could have of Andy Powell.

anonymous_joe

jimmybeige wrote: »

I am not sure you are reading the posts correctly! I said he HAD ability! Not sure that equates to talent as a rugby player though.

I can't see him being any more like Spies than other NH no. 8s and Parisse is a much better attacking player on many levels. Resembling Pierre Spies most definitely is not the greatest criticism someone could have of Andy Powell.

Perhaps I am making a mistake, but he just strikes me as someone who needs to be coached better. Turned more into an asset than a liability...

Amabokke

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Perhaps I am making a mistake, but he just strikes me as someone who needs to be coached better. Turned more into an asset than a liability...

I was typing something when I saw this. Spot on, Powell was a monster agains the boks in their last test matches. Seems like coaches focust too much on Shane Williams in the 6N and told Powell to take the ball and bash through. If his coaches can quide him to do a bit more linking in with the backline, run at spaces and a bit more style of play like Heaslip he would be very good.

jimmybeige

Yea, no doubt he has potential to be a much better player. Most of the criticism of him is aimed at his mental capabilites and decision making. He would be a much better player if he managed to improve these and perhaps better coaching would do this. Then again I guess most players would be better if they did the same. He's not exactly a youngster either, so I can't see him changing soon.