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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:07:14:13:17:00 by Stuart Anderton.

The pessimist in me always niggled that the Burgess 'experiment' might disrupt the balance of the squad.
Fearns is far too good a player to permanently be on the bench so we wish him well in his further career.
Hopefully time will bring a fluidity about who gets to play on match day and who is prepared to sit and wait for the overall betterment of the team.

So he's 'never quite nailed down a starting position' in four seasons, but it's somehow Burgess playing at 6 for the last two months of the season that has pushed him out? Don't buy that logic at all.

To be clear, I don't really think it is Burgess forcing him out (it's Faletau), I just had to pick an image in order to post a story and get the board back up

To be fair to Carl 'never quite nailed down a starting position' was initially more down to injury than the performance of other players.

Garvey's arrival (and employment at 6 preferred to lock) placed him on the bench-but Carls value has been proven as a versatile bencher or starter who has given good service at 6, 8 & occasionally 7.

I hope he enjoys a successful time in Lyon & that we really have signed a quality player if we are letting him go.


PG

There's no formal confirmation of Fearns leaving, so isn't it a tad premature to comment?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:06:19:15:12:30 by The Artist formerly known as RCC.

Says it all that it is illustrated by a photo not of Fearns blasting defenders out of the road, but a picture of the project with which he's not in fair competition. I'm impressed with Fearns' attitude. It seems quite the opposite of Priestland's mildly-defeatist acceptance of a decent wedge in exchange for crumbs and splinters.

There weren't any immediately available pictures of Fearns in the library for stories. Don't read too much into it.

Changed the pic to keep folks happy.

Stuart

Former ed.

Ha ha - changing the deal would be a real result!!

Now mentioned in The Times -along with a reference to imminent signing of Faletau.

suggests it is true.


PG

I'm disappointed to lose him; a real human bowling ball. I was rather hoping that we could develop a version of the Ulster fans' chant for Steven Ferris, namely "There's only one F'in Fearns".

I wish him well.

Good luck in France Fearnsy Sorry to see you go

I'm a big Fearns fan and I'm sorry to see him go. And that punch that decked Henson was a beauty.

Disappointed that Carl is leaving. Best of luck in France.

Bad decision by the club in my mind.

It's his decision to go Didn't want to be a bench player & the title of the thread is correct
Good luck in France

IFhe goes, and there is nothing but conjecture at this point, it must be because he feels aggrieved that Burgess is being selected ahead of him purely on status as opposed to merit.

If this happened at Tiggers, they'd be crying blue murder that he's not willing to stay and fight for his place.

Quote:

The Artist formerly known as RCC
If this happened at Tiggers, they'd be crying blue murder that he's not willing to stay and fight for his place.

When it happens a Tiggers I just laugh!

Clearly if he chose to go, he doesn't want/feel able to win his place on merit.

A touch disappointing in my view, if that is correct. Therefore he is probably going for the money, and any aspirations of playing for his country will go with him.

Hope his new masters are willing to play him every week, if he can stay fit which has been one of the things to hold him back at the Rec. If he had managed to maintain full fitness, he may well have by his efforts further developed as a player and become a first choice starter. Regrettably he never managed to nail down that regular starting position.

He'll be playing in Pro D2 in France. If he can't command a starting position in that league then it's not that big a loss.

Quote:

hasta
He'll be playing in Pro D2 in France. If he can't command a starting position in that league then it's not that big a loss.

I thought the loss of Bri meant the end of the idiotic throw away one liners, I was wrong.

Fearns gave his all when he was on the field in the BBW, he does not deserve disparaging remarks from an over opinionated armchair wannabee.

Eh?

Is he not going to a second tier French club then? I've got a lot of time for him, but he seems to be taking a step down for whatever reason.

That doesn't seem to be in bri's territory.

I think Fearns has been an excellent servant to Bath. What he hasn't been is a regular starter. That's primarily due to Garvey, not Burgess. I think it's highly likely that if he'd been playing for a mid/lower-table club he'd have been a starter and that it's extremely likely that he'll be a starter for a Pro D2 club. However, if he can't command that starting position for a lower division club (which I think is unlikely) it doesn't speak highly to his any likely further development had he been staying here.

Tl;dr he's been great, I think Faletau will be better.

Why is he going to Pro D2?

Bath wouldn't release him from his contract to join a Premiership club.

He wants to play. He doesn't want to join a club where he'll find himself sat in the bench again. That rules out most of the T14. It's late in the recruitment cycle and he wants to go somewhere that has ambition and some money.

All of these factors combined significantly limit the options.

He is too good for Lyon but they do have money and ambition. If they get promoted he'll be in the T14 next season. If not he'll have had a season of games to put himself in the shop window and Bath will no longer be able to prevent him from playing for another Premiership side.

So he's going to spend a year in a beautiful city in France, with a club that wants him, being paid well to play rugby, rather than spend another year on the bench at Bath, where they would rather use his cap for someone else.

It isn't really hard to see the attraction.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:06:25:12:07:12 by malco.

That all assumes that a season of Pro D2 is more valuable than sitting on the bench (and playing a fair bit) in an AP and European campaign.

I'm pretty dubious about that, Pro D2 doesn't strike me as much of a shop window. He could wind up in a years time looking comfortable in D2 but approaching 28, lacking the potential he once had, with a history of failing to hold down a shirt in a top level team.

In a years time presumably Bath couldn't stop him going anywhere anyway?

He does have limited options, but the one he's chosen seems odd to me. Unless for course Bath have shown him the door, in which case its a bit rich for us to limit where he can play.

Why on earth would we prevent him playing in the Premiership? Where does it say this?

Why would we release him early from his contract to play for another Premiership club against us? This is a mutual decision. He wants to play rugby, Bath want to use his cap on another player. I'm sure his preferred option would have been to play for Bath. Bath had other ideas.

"Why would we release him early from his contract to play for another Premiership club against us?"

"Bath want to use his cap on another player"

I guess we were lucky, Lyon were happy to pay over the odds and Carl was happy to play beneath himself. Both could probably have done better.

Tom Homer for us, Orlandi for the Falcons. It even happens mid-season. Sounds like a speculative angle at best. I can't see us having much power to dictate who he can play for when he leaves and I can't see us wanting to.

Has he actually signed because with the Faletau transfer looking doubtful we would be wise to hold on to him.

Might find out next wee:

[www.lourugby.fr]

Stuart

Former ed.