TRU's Rugby Stock Watch - Week 5

Munster stole the headlines this week with a 34-23 away victory over Leinster, whilst Bath once again impressed with a 21-11 win against Saracens at The Rec.

All four teams are packed with players in and around their respective international teams and as such, feature heavily in this week’s stock watch. Ulster’s 30-0 dismantling of Edinburgh also drew plenty of attention, as did Gloucester’s comfortable 33-16 victory over an ailing Leicester side. With no further ado, here are your risers and fallers this week. 

Stock Rising:

Semesa Rokoduguni, Bath and England

Rokoduguni actually featured last week, but such was his performance against Saracens on Friday night, that is impossible not to mention him again. The winger may not have crossed the try line, but his attacking play was devastating to Saracens’ vaunted defence, as he made 89 running metres with a staggering NINE defenders beaten. Wingers rarely see enough of the ball to even approach that number, but his eagerness for work and mesmeric feet were a joy to watch at The Rec.

Marland Yarde’s place on the wing seems secure for England, but finding a partner for him on the opposite side will not be an easy decision for Stuart Lancaster, with Christian Wade, Jack Nowell and Chris Ashton all throwing their hats into the ring. That said, Rokoduguni is doing all he can to make the decision as simple as possible for Lancaster.

Stuart McCloskey, Ulster and Ireland

A second stellar performance in as many weeks from McCloskey will not have gone unnoticed by Joe Schmidt. The trio of Andrew Trimble, Jared Payne and Tommy Bowe all impressed for Ulster, but much of their impressive outings have to be attributed to the endeavour, ambition and distribution of McCloskey at inside centre.

The midfield remains an area in flux for Ireland following the retirement of Brian O’Driscoll, but McCloskey is making a compelling case that, at the age of 22, he is already ready for the demands of international rugby. Bearing in mind that it’s a Rugby World Cup year, Schmidt may prefer a more experienced option, but McCloskey is certainly laying down a marker about his international prospects.

 Macauley Cook, Cardiff Blues and Wales

The hybrid lock/flanker was in good form for Cardiff on Friday night, leading his side in tackles and lineout tackles, and arguably outplayed his back row colleague, Sam Warburton. Cook was also on hand to score a late try, which helped Cardiff steal a dramatic draw at The Sportsground.

Cook’s chances of dislodging Dan Lydiate or working his way into an engine room currently occupied by the likes of Alun Wyn Jones and Jake Ball are slim, but his versatility could make him a welcome addition to Warren Gatland’s armoury at some point down the road.

Greig Laidlaw, Gloucester and Scotland

Laidlaw has been amongst our recent stock fallers, but his contribution to Gloucester’s 33-16 victory over Leicester this weekend was significant. Not only did Laidlaw provide 18 of his side’s points, but the tempo he played at looked noticeably quicker than in recent weeks and he showed some real chemistry with James Hook outside of him.

Still the most accomplished scrum-half that Vern Cotter has at his disposal, Laidlaw will be hoping that Saturday’s win over Leicester marks the beginning of a bright career for him at Kingsholm, especially with the likes of Henry Pyrgos, Sean Kennedy and even Sam Hidalgo-Clyne putting their hands up for selection.

Other Risers – Jonathan Joseph, Robbie Henshaw, Kieran Marmion, Rhys Patchell, Conor Murray, CJ Stander, James Cronin, Michele Campagnaro, Nathan Hughes, David Seymour, Tommy Seymour, Liam Williams.

Stock Falling:

Freddie Burns, Leicester Tigers and England

It was almost as if we had all popped in the DeLorean on Saturday, as Kingsholm played host to another uncomfortable performance from Burns, as he displayed he still has penchant for compounding mistakes. It’s important to recognise that Burns had very little help from his fellow Tigers, but wayward kicks and poor decision-making resurfaced as he made his first trip back to his old stomping grounds.

There’s no doubt now that Leicester’s poor form is impacting Burns’ immediate international prospects, as the likes of George Ford, Henry Slade and Danny Cipriani continue to shine for their respective clubs. The stability and platform Burns expected when joining Leicester is currently missing in action, but once a few stalwarts return from injury, Burns will be hoping he can kick-start his season.

Rhys Gill, Saracens and Wales

The combination of Gill’s form last season and the recent diminishing returns of Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones had many suggesting it could be the right time for Gill’s reintroduction, but a tough outing against Bath on Friday may have quietened those voices.

Gill missed five tackles and was put under constant pressure by Bath’s David Wilson at scrum time, whilst fellow Welsh loosehead Paul James impressed in the same game, as he had powerhouse prop James Johnston in all kinds of trouble in their front row duel.

Dave Kilcoyne and Jack McGrath, Munster, Leinster and Ireland

Bit of a stretch here, as most Irish players impressed at the weekend outside of Connacht’s late collapse against Cardiff, but with Cian Healy currently injured, Irish looseheads will be under the spotlight right now. Kilcoyne was solid off the bench from Munster, whilst McGrath didn’t play for Leinster, but the performance of James Cronin will have turned heads.

Admittedly, Cronin struggled early on, but bounced back well and certainly got the better of the veteran Mike Ross by the time he left the pitch. A try added some polish to his performance, but it was trouble he got Ross into at scrum time, particularly in the second half, that would have impressed Schmidt.    

Rory Sutherland, Edinburgh and Scotland

Hopes are high that Sutherland, 22, can develop into a quality prop for Edinburgh and, perhaps, Scotland, but he was given a torrid time by Wiehahn Herbst against Ulster on Friday night. In fairness, John Andress, who was packing down at tighthead for Edinburgh, had by far the worst night of the Edinburgh front rowers, but Sutherland was exposed by Herbst, who has settled quickly into life in Belfast.

With stalwarts like Euan Murray, Alasdair Dickinson and Geoff Cross now all the wrong side of 30, attentions will be turning to the next generation of Scottish props, and although Sutherland certainly has the potential to be a force for both club and country, he has plenty of areas to work on before that time comes.

Other Fallers – Mike Ross, James Gaskell, Billy Twlevetrees.