Michael Bent

[fourthirtythree]

Bent's job isn't to be better than Mike Ross, it's to be better than Archer and Hagan. Any more than that is a bonus.

Bent's job is to be better than Hagan. If he is backup to Fitzpatrick, i.e. not injured, that is a bonus. He wasn't hired for or by Ireland and his performances for the national team really were an unexpected, and in many quarters unwanted, bonus.

[jezzer]

Bent's job isn't to be better than Mike Ross, it's to be better than Archer and Hagan. Any more than that is a bonus.

That makes no sense Ronk.

[ronk]

Bent's job isn't to be better than Mike Ross, it's to be better than Archer and Hagan. Any more than that is a bonus.

That makes no sense Ronk.

Bent wasn't signed to take Mike Ross's place, so we shouldn't expect him to be better than him. He's done well for us, but he's a young prop with a lot to learn.

Bent has improved the Leinster squad and will do more as he adapts. It's not realistic to expect him to be getting the better of Nathan White at this point.

[desperado]

Offhand I can't recall whether Ross was injured in the first or second scrum, but I doubt he would have been on had we a tighthead on the bench past a few minutes into the match.

Sorry, if you are a Kidder apologist: Ross is cr@p anyway and some paratrooper is better than Court. Let's try to humiliate them in as cowardly fashion as one can imagine using a whispering campaign by proxy.

If you're referring to me, I certainly am not a Kidder apologist. My point is our woes in the scrum that day weren't all down to a TH issue. The first scrum for instance Healy got eaten by Cole. The England pack were humiliated in Lansdowne the previous year and made it their business to exact revenge. They did their homework and we didn't. It was their tight 5 and 8 did the damage as a unit not just their front row. AFAIR Ross was injured around 30 mind in - could be wrong though.

[FLIP]

Ross was injured around 30 mind in - could be wrong though.

You are, he was very clearly injured in the first scrum in what was in my eyes a targeted collapse.

[fourthirtythree]

Ross was injured around 30 mind in - could be wrong though.

You are, he was very clearly injured in the first scrum in what was in my eyes a targeted collapse.

But he is right in the rest of the post.

[simonokeeffe]

a good way to judge Bent would be how he fares when we at least have parity/stability on loosehead side, even ignoring scrummaging abilities of TH lock

but he does need to learn how to counter opposition LH driving up and in

[lummix]

An interesting side point is Nathan White at Connacht will be Irish qualified at the end of next season I think, just in time to get bedded in for the world cup. Then after that world cup Moore and furlong should be ready so bent maybe just a stop gap

[ceemec]

An interesting side point is Nathan White at Connacht will be Irish qualified at the end of next season I think, just in time to get bedded in for the world cup. Then after that world cup Moore and furlong should be ready so bent maybe just a stop gap

Indeed. However, White will be 33 before he can make his debut for Ireland. Given the age profile of other players in the position I can see them getting the nod ahead of him and him only being capped in the event of a couple of injuries. I wish him the best and delighted to see him getting a good run in this country but I don't think he'll get an international cap out of it. 4 years of pro rugby is a pretty good deal though for him and he seems like a smart bloke with a lot of knowledge so I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest to see his involvement in Irish rugby extend beyond his playing career.

[simonokeeffe]

Missed second one taking the dinner out of the oven but Bent had 3 scrums tonight, got mangled in first 2 but held his own in the third, didnt have the luxury of scrummaging against chunk
last scrum was the only one with 8 men for us wasnt it or 8 forwards at least?
the way the prop is essentialy at sharp point in triangle of 3 pushing means having Boss pushing really does him no favours

am getting perilously close to sounding like a Sean Quinn supporter

[jezzer]

Missed second one taking the dinner out of the oven but Bent had 3 scrums tonight, got mangled in first 2 but held his own in the third, didnt have the luxury of scrummaging against chunk
last scrum was the only one with 8 men for us wasnt it or 8 forwards at least?
the way the prop is essentialy at sharp point in triangle of 3 pushing means having Boss pushing really does him no favours

am getting perilously close to sounding like a Sean Quinn supporter

Not to mention Denton.

[simonokeeffe]

Missed second one taking the dinner out of the oven but Bent had 3 scrums tonight, got mangled in first 2 but held his own in the third, didnt have the luxury of scrummaging against chunk
last scrum was the only one with 8 men for us wasnt it or 8 forwards at least?
the way the prop is essentialy at sharp point in triangle of 3 pushing means having Boss pushing really does him no favours

am getting perilously close to sounding like a Sean Quinn supporter

Not to mention Denton.

Not to mention Bent having Denton pushing behind him or not to mention my previous attempts to defend Denton?

[cwebber82]

An interesting side point is Nathan White at Connacht will be Irish qualified at the end of next season I think, just in time to get bedded in for the world cup. Then after that world cup Moore and furlong should be ready so bent maybe just a stop gap

Early days but looks like we drew the short straw in bringing Bent in and letting White go. Granted the suits may have had something to do with it but we have a real problem now if Ross gets injured. At least last season we had White to come in and do a good job.

Regarding White and Ireland, I think there is a prettty good chance he will be brought into the international fold before the next world cup. Ross might not make 2015 and it may come too early for Moore and Furlong. Hope I'm wrong but Bent is beginning to look a bit like the Borlase project

[CiaranIrl]

An interesting side point is Nathan White at Connacht will be Irish qualified at the end of next season I think, just in time to get bedded in for the world cup. Then after that world cup Moore and furlong should be ready so bent maybe just a stop gap

Early days but looks like we drew the short straw in bringing Bent in and letting White go. Granted the suits may have had something to do with it but we have a real problem now if Ross gets injured. At least last season we had White to come in and do a good job.

Regarding White and Ireland, I think there is a prettty good chance he will be brought into the international fold before the next world cup. Ross might not make 2015 and it may come too early for Moore and Furlong. Hope I'm wrong but Bent is beginning to look a bit like the Borlase project

This is nuts. How many starts do you need to castigate a player and give up on them? 2? 3?

Three it seems. He has played all of 199 minutes for Leinster, with three starts.

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/profiles/in ... ef=dynamic

[ronk]

An interesting side point is Nathan White at Connacht will be Irish qualified at the end of next season I think, just in time to get bedded in for the world cup. Then after that world cup Moore and furlong should be ready so bent maybe just a stop gap

Early days but looks like we drew the short straw in bringing Bent in and letting White go. Granted the suits may have had something to do with it but we have a real problem now if Ross gets injured. At least last season we had White to come in and do a good job.

Regarding White and Ireland, I think there is a prettty good chance he will be brought into the international fold before the next world cup. Ross might not make 2015 and it may come too early for Moore and Furlong. Hope I'm wrong but Bent is beginning to look a bit like the Borlase project

This is nuts. How many starts do you need to castigate a player and give up on them? 2? 3?

Three it seems. He has played all of 199 minutes for Leinster, with three starts.

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/profiles/in ... ef=dynamic

I don't think there's any reason to panic with Bent. But it's also totally unrealistic to expect him to be better than Nathan White. White is a really good player who was hugely important for us. We would absolutely have loved to keep him on, especially in terms of short terms considerations.

Bent has looked decent, but has a long way to go in some ways. Very unfair to go comparing him to Peter Borlase.

[FLIP]

This is nuts. How many starts do you need to castigate a player and give up on them? 2? 3?

Three it seems. He has played all of 199 minutes for Leinster, with three starts.

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/profiles/in ... ef=dynamic

15 minutes in green was all it took for him to be better than Ross in the eyes of the ignorant.

[CiaranIrl]

This is nuts. How many starts do you need to castigate a player and give up on them? 2? 3?

Three it seems. He has played all of 199 minutes for Leinster, with three starts.

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/profiles/in ... ef=dynamic

15 minutes in green was all it took for him to be better than Ross in the eyes of the ignorant.

Yeah, that was nuts too. Lets wait until a short while longer before passing final judgement

[jezzer]

Missed second one taking the dinner out of the oven but Bent had 3 scrums tonight, got mangled in first 2 but held his own in the third, didnt have the luxury of scrummaging against chunk
last scrum was the only one with 8 men for us wasnt it or 8 forwards at least?
the way the prop is essentialy at sharp point in triangle of 3 pushing means having Boss pushing really does him no favours

am getting perilously close to sounding like a Sean Quinn supporter

Not to mention Denton.

Not to mention Bent having Denton pushing behind him or not to mention my previous attempts to defend Denton?

The first one!

[simonokeeffe]

OK
If Bent was good enough to play for Ireland and Borlaise wasn't good enough to play for Connacht its an inaccurate comparison
Plus we had to lose White as he was NIQ and Bent is IQ

[backrower8]

Unfortunately Benty had another inglorious outing yesterday evening - under pressure and coughed up a peno