Think style of play is important. You might attract players like Lowe and Fardy with money alone, but the fact that the style really suits their game makes more sense for them when they’d have a few options. Fardy is just a great signing. Attitude, experience, maturity, highly mobile for a lock, but good at breakdown and lineout. The better French teams, Saracens and Exeter will present a challenge in that they are weightier, but the high pace game, which he contributes to is a joy to watch.Oldschool wrote:Fardy definitely and obviously Lowe is in "one swallow etc" just now.artaneboy wrote:Admittedly it’s still early days, but I’d venture that in Fardy and Lowe we seem to have the best NIQ pair of new signings in a long time. Real quality and real leadership from both of them.
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However does the fact that Leinster have got their mojo back make it easier to recruit a better quality of NIQ?
Lowe is a smashing player, but I’ve seen him look average in teams who play conservative. In the Leinster of a few years ago, it’s be a waste of his time having him in the team. You’d be foolish in my opinion to think signings alone would make the change in that scenario. When you go out and try stuff though, as the chiefs generally do, his skill level is phenomenal. But that needs players of like mind, ambition and ability to bring the best out in him and vice versa. I think McKenzie will miss him in super rugby. Together then were dynamite.
It should be noted you could sign players of higher reputation, don’t forget neither of these 2 fellas were getting chosen internationally. But you have to give credit to the scouting work done. Don’t want to use the word culture, and I appreciate its early days, one swallow as you say, but they were picked for specific reasons to suit this team and the way it wants to play - and i think they do.
The argument that maybe someone who adds weight and is exclusively a second row, would suit the latter stages of Europe better has been made to me. And maybe that’s true. But maybe not. I think it’d need a hell of a heavy player to match the other things Fardy brings to the team, that a lesser mobile player couldn’t. The latter stages of Europe are usually played in good weather on good pitches, so I think it’s a good decision to go this way, but in the short term Exeter in the next game will be a very tough one.
Another asset coming through the conveyor belt!
