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Bath sign two players, including a history-making ex-Wales winger
Gallagher Premiership strugglers Bath have bolstered their resources ahead of their Champions Cup campaign by adding Welsh international Tom Prydie and Jordan Venter to their roster. Back three player Prydie is a short-term injury cover signing by Bath while South African centre Venter has joined from Edinburgh until the end of the 2022/23 season.
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“We are really pleased to be able to bring Tom and Jordan into the club,” enthused Bath boss Stuart Hooper following a start to the league season that has seen them lose all nine matches ahead of European assignments away to Leinster and at home to La Rochelle, last season’s beaten finalists.
“Tom is an experienced international player who does have Premiership experience from his short time with Wasps and European experience with Scarlets. He is quick, he is very committed and he has added a very experienced head in training. He has been someone we have been really impressed with so far.
“Jordan is someone we have seen potential in for a long time. He is a young, dynamic centre who can also play wing and we have watched a lot of him. He is very ambitious, very hungry and has a lot of attributes we look for off the field too.”
Now 29, Prydie created history in 2010 when making his Test debut at the age of 18 years and 25 days against Italy in the Six Nations. He then eclipsed a near-120-year record by becoming Wales’ youngest-ever try-scorer 77 days later.
The La Rochelle boss has colourfully set the scene ahead of this weekend's opening round of European matches#LaRochelle #LARvGLA #HeinekenChampionsCup
https://t.co/CKzRbH4M17— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 7, 2021
“Bath is a great club with an amazing history and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” said Prydie, the seven-cap signing from Scarlets whose last Test appearance for Wales came in 2018 versus Argentina. “I know I have a lot to offer to Bath and I’m excited by the idea of helping the younger lads with my experience. I’ll give all I can to contribute on and off the pitch.”
The 19-year-old Venter, meanwhile, had spent the past twelve months in Scotland after moving there from South Africa. “It’s a big honour to have signed for Bath as it’s a big club with a huge history and heritage,” he said. “I’m excited to grow as a player here; this is where I want to be situated and give 110 per cent to and if I can contribute in any way it will be amazing.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
There’s value gleaned from having an All Black star running and training with your team. How many games he starts (or even where he plays in the backline) will be decided on a week by week basis based on the needs for that week. But the overall learning and growth for all concerned, I’d think, is massively beneficial. Especially for Irish players.
7 Go to commentsSon, whith just " raw athlete “ , you are able to beat “ better rugby players “ by 74 points…. May be England should recruit in athletics….
1 Go to commentsPffft. It’s not a one-way street bud and Irish teams don’t seem to have had an issue taking kiwi players previously.
7 Go to commentsParticularly great to have captain Scott Barrett back after going off last week for the Crusaders. Codie Taylor a real leader and mighty Tamaiti Williams join Fletcher Newell in the front row. Those 2 will make a big difference. Great bench with the likes of Tom Christie, Jamie Hannah etc who are playing well. Should be a great derby.
1 Go to commentsDoes a blitz defence not have a weekness against a well-placed grubber kick, perhaps angled cleverly. All the defence is up and the full-back can only cover so much ground. Thoughts?
28 Go to commentsWhile Iose is destructive in the Canes set-up, he is not big for an international 8 and could struggle against the top teams. With his speed, he could be developed into a seven but, as Ben points out, he doesn’t show a scavenging game with the Canes or make dominating tackles. Sotutu has shown a step up this year and attitude plus motivation seems to be the big areas of growth. Deserves another AB shot imo.
3 Go to commentsNaholo is my only question mark for this side. He wasn’t the only one who had a forgettable game against the Brumbies but he was passive, defensively poor and generally lacked energy. Needs to get a whole lot busier for me. I would have liked to see Sullivan on that wing with Higgins on the bench (if staying with a 6-2 as BeegMike points out on here!)
3 Go to commentsWell, I am sure that Eben said exactly what he meant to say, exactly how he meant to say it. Does he strike you as a man that doesn't know arrogance when he sees it. He should know it because he has shaken the arrogance out of many foes before.
132 Go to commentsPls get it into your thick arrogant heads that the final was played by two Southern Hemisphere teams. The best against the best and that Argentina was just unlucky otherwise non of the Northetn Hemisphere teams would have seen the light of day.
132 Go to commentsAs long as New Zealand youth are involved in sport they are passionate for, and are well supported, it’s all good. I love league as well as rugby. NRL clubs have long since scouted the First 15 competitions, the NH and Japan scout super rugby and NPC. It’s a miracle there’s any players left for the all blacks to pick from.
4 Go to commentsI'm a Bok fan, so I don't say this lightly, but he is one of my all time favourite players. I am really going to miss watching him play. Thanks for many great memories. You are a true legend of the game.
3 Go to commentsBest way to deal with all of this is to play another game.
132 Go to commentsIt’s 12-15 games Luke. Ringrose has barely played in 2024 and Henshaw and Keenan have also been out for spells in the same time period. There are always injuries and for younger players to play with the likes of Barrett will be great for them. It’s just looking for negatives where there are none.
7 Go to commentsAndy Goode pushing his own agenda with very dubious considerations on refereeing performances. Luke Pearce speaking a bit of French doesn’t make him a good and adequate referee for the Champions Cup final; his latest refereeing performance in particular was not so great.
4 Go to commentsJordie knows that he has to earn the right to put on the jersey, whatever that jersey might be.
7 Go to commentsThe best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
3 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
4 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
132 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
3 Go to comments