Quantcast

The Case for Ruaridh Jackson as Wasps' First Choice Fly Half


Ruaridh Jackson Scores

By Vespula Vulgaris
December 6 2015

Jimmy Gopperth is clearly the first choice at 10 for Wasps, I'd like to show why that is a mistake. Firstly lets just look at the basic statistics of the season so far. 

 

Game 1 – Harlequins away. Gopperth starts, Wasps lose (1Bonus point).

Game 2 – Bath at home. Gopperth starts, Wasps win.

Game 3 – Leicester away. Gopperth starts, Wasps lose.

Game 4 – Gloucester at home. Jackson starts, Wasps win.

Game 5 – Leinster away. Jackson starts, Wasps win.

Game 6 – Toulon at home. Jackson starts, Wasps win (Try bonus point).

Game 7 – London Irish away. Jackson starts, Wasps win (Try bonus point).  

Game 8 – Exeter at home. Gopperth starts, Wasps lose.

So even when not looking at style of play, skill level, or anything other than base figures both 10s have started 4 games. Jackson has a 100% win rate with two bonus points, Gopperth has a 25% win rate with one losing bonus point. You can't even say that Jackson had the easiest games, as he led the team to wins against both Leinster and Toulon.

Rather than try to explain why Gopperth is not right for Wasps I'd like to explain in detail why it is that Jackson is a diamond in the rough. Why it is that he has all the attributes that Wasps need if they are going to carry on improving and claim the play-off spot they haven't had for so many years.

We'll start with Simpson's try against Leinster. There's a ruck and Simpson gets fast ball and immediately passes to Jackson. Jackson glances up, and immediately sees that nothing on on for him, but that Wade and Halai are both in the same line spreading the defense wide and so he passes it down the line to Jacobs who finds the space to squeeze through and offloads to Halai, who in turn shifts it on to Simpson who sprints in to get the score. This shows two separate things, firstly that he is communicating with his 9. Simpson knows where he is going to pass the ball before he lifts it. This not only lets the whole team play fast ball, but makes Simpson look even better than he is. It also shows that Jackson is reading the game and dictating what happens. He knows that there is no overlap, but the threat from Halai running hard is there, and that Wade is at the end raring to go. The defence can't be complacent and any mistake is going to open a gap. He glances up, see's there is no gap for him, and passes the ball down the line. The rest is history.

The first try against Toulon shows a similar vision. There was a clear overlap at the far end of the line, Jackson spots it and he throws a huge looping miss-pass as far as he could to get the ball to the threatening players as quickly as possible. This was pretty obvious, but a 10 who likes to run or kick for territory might not have seen it. There are plenty of players who wouldn't have been able to throw a pass that distance with the accuracy of Jackson.

The second try against Toulon, the one scored by Jackson himself is an even better example of the sort of play we need to get our backline firing. The Toulon defence was holding firm, but their full back had drifted out of position. Simpson saw this and called for a chip over from Jackson, he didn't look and check for himself that Simpson was right, he simply executed it, and the ball landed perfectly in Simpson's hand, he offloaded instantly to beat the tackle, and two passes later Jackson, who was running a beautiful support line touched down under the posts.

What does this show? Two things. Firstly that Jackson is not selfish. He's not going to take the ball into contact, or kick for territory if there is a better option. He is happy to create opportunities for others. When he took the kick he had no idea it would come back to him for the score, it didn't matter. And secondly that he trusts Simpson, and acts on his advice without hesitation. The communication between the two of them is good, clear, and effective and doesn't just go in one direction. Simpson listens to him and trusts him, and it shows. But the reverse is also true, Jackson is willing to ignore his intincts if his fellow playmaker makes the call. He did exactly that and between them (not forgetting the amazingly deft hands of James Gaskell linking it all together) they scored one of the most impressive tries of the year so far.

Jackson has shown an ability to read the game at every opportunity, he has shown he is willing to provide glory for other players, he communicates well with his fellow players, and slots beautifully into the attacking line. He is no defensive slouch either. His hit on McFadden against Leinster prevented an almost guaranteed try, and his kicking from the tee is good too. Before the unpredictable winds of Twickenham where everyone missed more than they hit he was 15 from 16 . That's 94%, 20% higher than Jonny Wilkinson's career average.

It's clear that with Gopperth, Jackson, and Lozowski Wasps have an embarrassment of riches at Fly Half, but it would be very easy to pick the wrong one based on their experience, or their supposed solidity in high pressure games. With Jackson injured we needed someone to come in at a high level in case Jackson wasn't able to recover enough to find the form he previously had. But it is clear that he has. He is a former first choice International Fly half from a top tier nation, who had a terrible injury and took almost an entire season to recover. But recover he has, and if anything he is better now than he was before.

With Jackson at the helm Wasps stand every chance of adding to their collection of Silverware. He has shown his ability against the very best in the world, and if that doesn't win him the number ten jersey then nothing will. If we are ambitious, we need a ten who is ambitious. And thankfully we have one in Jackson.

We have several world class players, Jackson may not be there yet, but with enough game time, and enough exposure to top level opponents and teammates there is every possibility he will be soon.

 

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

The Case for Ruaridh Jackson as Wasps' First Choice Fly Half
Discussion started by DrunkenWasps.com , 06/12/2015 18:54
DrunkenWasps.com
06/12/2015 18:54
What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

Heathen
06/12/2015 19:01
Hard to argue against that. We will see where Dai's allegiance lies come Friday.

Vespulavulgaris
06/12/2015 19:14
I'm not convinced Dai really understands the complexity of the 10s role. He has always seemed to prefer the solid, sturdy player over someone who has magic in his hands.

I don't blame him, he's a front row after all. But I hope he listens to Blackett on this and picks the player with the best chance to win us games. Not someone who probably won't lose them if he doesn't get frustrated and do something stupid again.

ukms
06/12/2015 19:16
With the greatest of respect to your opinion.... I feel that statistics of the results from just 8 games is quite a weak method of illustrating a point such as this .,... I don't possess the in depth game analysis knowledge of some but I know enough to say that you can't lay the blame of a couple of results at the feet of one player... Yesterday's result by example wouldn't have mattered whether RJ, loz or JG had started (IMHO)

Chilham
06/12/2015 19:22
Moderators with a personal axe to grind against one player; just what we need.

Vespulavulgaris
06/12/2015 19:22
Did you read the article? Or just decide you disagreed before you skimmed the first few lines? Because it's over 1000 words long, and only the first 50 or so are about the statistics.

It isn't conclusive, but it is clear evidence to add to the mix.

With Gopperth at the helm we are predictable and play like we did last year. With Jackson at the helm we utterly destroy the best teams in the world.

Or have I got that wrong too?

Vespulavulgaris
06/12/2015 19:24
Quote:
Chilham
Moderators with a personal axe to grind against one player; just what we need.

FFS just read the damn article. It is all about why I think Jackson is great. I even say

"Rather than try to explain why Gopperth is not right for Wasps I'd like to explain in detail why it is that Jackson is a diamond in the rough. Why it is that he has all the attributes that Wasps need if they are going to carry on improving and claim the play-off spot they haven't had for so many years."

It's an article about Jackson. Nothing else.

Vespulavulgaris
06/12/2015 19:28
Before anyone else jumps on me for writing a detailed explanation of how Jackson plays and why I think it is best for the club please, if you disagree, write a bloody article.

I have asked time and time again for someone to help keep the site running and no-one has stepped up.

If you dont want articles on my opinion then just write one yourself.

If you disagree with me the explain why. Show me why losing almost every game isnt a bad thing. Show me where missing touch when kicking, running into contact again and again, blatantly fouling the opposition is a good thing.

If you can't be bothered to even do that, then don't bother wasting everyone's time shouting about how wrong I am.

mowen
06/12/2015 19:33
With reference to your comment about the Toulon try, it was actually Jacobs that makes the call for the long pass (you can see him if you watch it back)... This doesn't necessarily show the vision that you're stating Jackson has. What it does do, is support your point that he listens to the other players around him. IMO one of gopperths issues (and I thought the same of Goode) is that when he can't see anything to do, he just takes the contact or throw a pointless hospital pass. What Jackson seems to do is have a better level of communication with the other players around him, and isn't so arrogant (seems harsh but can't think of a better word for it) as to ignore them when they spot something else.

All just my opinion of course, and I'm sure someone will disagree.

Vespulavulgaris
06/12/2015 19:35
Jacobs eh? I'm happy to take that.

I'm sure someone will disagree with you too, just not me. smiling smiley

StevieWasp
06/12/2015 19:39
I can't argue against the strengths of Ruaridh Jackson.
He's a quality fly half that, with the exception of his kicking against London Irish at a blustery Twickenham, hasn't really done anything poor while playing for Wasps.


I do however agree with the others that feel you're doing Jimmy Gopperth a bit of a disservice. Whether he should be first choice or not is a tough call.
The important thing though is that Jackson should be starting at the moment simply because of what he did when he had the chance, and the confidence he must have following those performances.

A lot of players are perform better when their confidence is high, and there can't be many around who feel better than Jackson right now.



Your article does seem suggest that it's Dai Young who is insistent on playing Jimmy Gopperth, and that he is potentially going against Lee Blackett's wishes.
I feel that's personal opinion, rather than necessarily a fact. For all we know, it's Blackett that is basing his attacking plays around Gopperth and ignoring Dai's calls for Jackson or Loz.

Vespulavulgaris
06/12/2015 19:44
You are absolutely right I have no idea what the reason is for him not being picked.

I don't really think it's a difficult question as to who should be first choice. Jackson is by far the on form player. It's a bit like saying we shouldn't play Launch as first choice because Gaskell and Myall are both quality.

You pick the best player you have for the starting line up. It's not rocket science. Based on this season that is Jackson by a country mile.

ricohchezwasp
06/12/2015 20:02
It's quite interesting looking at statistics and based on a start win basis hard to argue that Jackson should start next week, ahead of Gopperth and equally based on that Loz should never start......

Looking at yesterday's statistics except for penalty count I think nearly all as I recall were in favour of wasps, but as the saying goes ... Lies damn lies and statistics.

Jackson was excellent against Toulon, kicked well against Leinster and pretty awful against Irish.... Barn doors and banjo's springs to mind. Either he should have been rested last week or definitely this week. Either way he had to miss one at some time. Having missed a whole year his fitness levels may be an issue.

As for Gopperth I have watched all the pre season games and all other games live except Leicester away and I was impressed pre season with his contribution. As for Jackson I saw him like Gopperth as a new Wasps player after just 20 minutes last year, beard aside I like what I see. We have as you say great options at 10 and many other positions.

Every year for probably the last 5 we have ripped in to the 10's on this board.... The Alex King effect. Nicky Robinson the first to receive this treatment by our very own Favorite poster BB the dw's answer to Saga Noren 😄 Next there was Andy Goode abuse more reminiscent of the Shed 😱😱..... And now Gopperth, obviously he didn't have a great day out at Welford road but had decent performance last week and whilst he didn't set the world alight yesterday most people who I spoke to thought he had a decent game.a sublime pass to put Jacobs through.


It's hard to know who should start next week.... But I still believe we will need all 3 10's to be successful this year .....

Hugely disappointed with yesterday, thought Rob Baxter was excellent with his after match comments, will interesting to See how they cope without Slade, a similar injury could befall us at No 10 any match now.

This time last year we were 3/6 and lost both cup matches so statistically we are in a better place.

Looking forward to The next few weeks no doubt a roller coaster ride of emotions for our supporters.

Not a Doctor and not a troll!!

WiseWasps!
06/12/2015 20:03
With Chilham on this. A lot of things stated as if fact when just pure guess work supported by weak stats.

Vespulavulgaris
06/12/2015 20:13
Quote:
WiseWasps!
With Chilham on this. A lot of things stated as if fact when just pure guess work supported by weak stats.

Such as?

mowen
06/12/2015 20:22
To those stating weak stats, cut the guy some slack... If you really wanted to, you could go into a huge amount of depth, you could look at points scored by the team vs minutes played by each ten, or at possession lost by the team vs minutes played by each ten. But as he's said, he does this to keep the site running in the absence of anyone else stepping up.

To all those stating that statistics tell lies... They don't. From someone who works in engineering, statistics and hard data are far more accurate than emotion and opinion. If you think that statistics don't translate to sport then I suggest you watch the film "Moneyball". Although dramatised, it does tell the true story of how statistics were used to select baseball players that are often ignored because of the emotional opinions of experts. Also, if statistics were so misleading, then why would the top clubs pay a fortune to people to sit behind computers and analyse match data (Leicester often look like they've taken full advantage of Black Friday).

ricohchezwasp
06/12/2015 20:28
Well I suppose what he may be getting at is your win vs start statistic, if you had backed up that stat with others to include number of touches completed passes , yards made kicks to touch kicks out of hands penalties conversions, the list is endless. Your opinion is based on minimal statistics, with selected bits of great play in a couple of matches, whilst you ignore other matches... Clearly you want him to start as do many other but some until the Leinster /Toulon games were calling for Loz to start... Or anybody but not Gopperth.

Not a Doctor and not a troll!!

StevieWasp
06/12/2015 20:29
The most important thing for me in the games that Jackson has started compared to the ones Jimmy has, is that the whole team has performed better with Ruaridh.
That could very easily be coincidence, however it's far more important to have good team performances than it is to have good individual performances.

That's another reason I would be starting with Jackson at the moment.


However, I really did feel that Jimmy was pretty good yesterday. His distribution was good and flat, he put players into gaps, and often gave our back line a chance to break the defensive line - unfortunately, it just didn't work out often enough. He also made some half breaks and looked for offloads, as well as at least 2 chips over the top, neither of which worked out.
For me, he mixed it up well, but it just didn't come off. Another day it will - that's sport.



At the moment, the absolute perfect combination for me is to have Jackson starting, with Gopperth on the bench. Regardless of a lot of comments here, they both offer very good attacking options.
Unfortunately that doesn't work too well for Loz.

ukms
06/12/2015 21:09
Quote:
Vespulavulgaris
Before anyone else jumps on me for writing a detailed explanation of how Jackson plays and why I think it is best for the club please, if you disagree, write a bloody article.
I have asked time and time again for someone to help keep the site running and no-one has stepped up.

If you dont want articles on my opinion then just write one yourself.

If you disagree with me the explain why. Show me why losing almost every game isnt a bad thing. Show me where missing touch when kicking, running into contact again and again, blatantly fouling the opposition is a good thing.

If you can't be bothered to even do that, then don't bother wasting everyone's time shouting about how wrong I am.

Everyone appreciates you writing articles to keep the site up and running .... But when you write something that is based on your own personal opinion don't be shocked, offended and angry when others respond who may not agree with you.

Vespulavulgaris
06/12/2015 21:21
Quote:
ukms
Everyone appreciates you writing articles to keep the site up and running .... But when you write something that is based on your own personal opinion don't be shocked, offended and angry when others respond who may not agree with you.

I am very happy when people disagree with me, if they have the decency to explain why. This is after all a discussion forum. Just saying statsistics prove nothing and the rest is@#$%&isn't a discussion, it isn't helpful, and it adds nothing to the site.

I don't have anything against Gopperth despite people's assumptions to the contrary. I just think Jackson is not only better, but more suited to Wasps.

I don't really understand what else he could possibly do to claim his place, and I also don't understand what it is that Gopperth has done to be first choice.

Someone tell me why I am wrong. Present me with specific examples of when he has personally changed the game in a positive way. Show me some statistics I can write off as being worthless that show him as the better 10.

ukms
06/12/2015 22:07
Quote:
Vespulavulgaris
Quote:
ukms
Everyone appreciates you writing articles to keep the site up and running .... But when you write something that is based on your own personal opinion don't be shocked, offended and angry when others respond who may not agree with you.

I am very happy when people disagree with me, if they have the decency to explain why. This is after all a discussion forum. Just saying statsistics prove nothing and the rest is@#$%&isn't a discussion, it isn't helpful, and it adds nothing to the site.

I don't have anything against Gopperth despite people's assumptions to the contrary. I just think Jackson is not only better, but more suited to Wasps.

I don't really understand what else he could possibly do to claim his place, and I also don't understand what it is that Gopperth has done to be first choice.

Someone tell me why I am wrong. Present me with specific examples of when he has personally changed the game in a positive way. Show me some statistics I can write off as being worthless that show him as the better 10.

As I said in my first response I don't possess the knowledge that others have. But IMHO whether it's statistics or your knowledgable analysis I don't think there is enough water under the bridge to draw conclusions. The reality is you only base your opinion on 80 or less minutes a week ... Dai and the coaches train with the team week in week out .... Your opening lines say the JG is 'clearly' the first choice .... Is he ? What do you base that on ? They have started 4 games each .... I'm sure you will say that RJ wouldn't have started had it not been for the ban ... That would be an assumption not fact.

Choppers
06/12/2015 22:15
Gopperth changed the game against Irish, when he came on showing us his experience and got us the result. Competition for a starting place is good throughout the squad & this season with continuous 1st team matches, it is all about squad rotation.

Gopperth also took us apart a few times up at Kingston Park, game play & his kicking. Experience he has lots of, and I expect Dai will have him at 1st choice.

Personally I was not impressed with his gamesmanship which had him carded, no place for that at Wasps and hopefully he has learnt from that.

I'm sorry, if you were right, I'd agree with you.

Vespulavulgaris
06/12/2015 22:25
Quote:
ukms
As I said in my first response I don't possess the knowledge that others have. But IMHO whether it's statistics or your knowledgable analysis I don't think there is enough water under the bridge to draw conclusions. The reality is you only base your opinion on 80 or less minutes a week ... Dai and the coaches train with the team week in week out .... Your opening lines say the JG is 'clearly' the first choice .... Is he ? What do you base that on ? They have started 4 games each .... I'm sure you will say that RJ wouldn't have started had it not been for the ban ... That would be an assumption not fact.

What you are saying seems a little odd. You seem to suggest that we shouldn't make judgements on the player's abilities based on watching them play. That is a bit like saying we shouldn't judge music on how it sounds...

We can and should judge players based on their pwerformances on the field, especially when their performances are what is directly winning or losing games. Jackson directly created several tries on top of the tries he wasn't involved in. I can't remember a single one Gopperth made happpen.

You also point out that Gopperth being first choice is simply an opinion, and not fact. Technically you are correct, but as Gopperth has started every single game that he was available to start I think it was a pretty safe one.

ukms
06/12/2015 22:58
VV - I'm not saying you shouldn't make judgements on watching them play, I'm simply illustrating that as we all know there is far more to team selection and who is 'first choice' than what you and I see for 80 minutes a week.

If you had written this article simply about how good you think Jackson is then fair enough or if you had written it further into the season where there was a clear sway on the statistics then again fair enough but your argument that JG is 'first choice' is an assumption/opinion. Although you will probably come back in 4 games time and say 'told you so' smiling smiley ... although I do hope it wont be at the cost of a place in Europe or a drop down the prem !!

brandnewtorugby
06/12/2015 23:07
Thanks for the article, I really rate him. My wife calls him the good looking one, but I don't allow that to affect my judgement!

In the summer I was chatting to a guy I used to work with that is a Glasgow Warriors season ticket holder. He had nothing but praise for Jackson as well.

WiseWasps!
06/12/2015 23:08
Sorry not to have elaborated earlier but others have since made my point for me. And JG didn't start against Irish. I prefer Jackson. Just think criticism of JG is unfair. We are blessed with interesting choices at 10. Rotation will only keep them on their toes and get the best out of them. Just thought your article although appreciated like anything that sparks debate was a bit bias and assumptive. Didnt mean no offence just an opinion.

Boooo
07/12/2015 04:16
Why pick between two Skodas when you've got a Lamborghini in the garage?!

uglyscorpion
07/12/2015 07:08
Quote:
Boooo
Why pick between two Skodas when you've got a Lamborghini in the garage?!

Yes, we all know how much you love your Lamborghini. Is it the real thing, or is it a model?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:12:07:07:11:13 by uglyscorpion.

coddy
07/12/2015 07:46
If it wasn't for a couple of poor kicks at Twickers the case for Jackson would be even stronger. Up to then didn't he slot over 15/16?

Jackson for me on what I've seen this season.

Vespulavulgaris
07/12/2015 08:34
Quote:
Boooo
Why pick between two Skodas when you've got a Lamborghini in the garage?!

We've played two games against Toulon in the last year or so. One with Jackson and one with Loz.

I agree Loz has potential, but to suggest that because Loz could be brilliant that therefore means that Jackson and Gopperth are both terrible is ridiculous. Gopperth is perfectly good, and Jackson is better. Where Loz actually fits we don't know.

Bzzzz
07/12/2015 13:25
I get the love affair with RJ from V V as Jackson is potentially a star in the making but I do not get the anti Gopperth rhetoric that comes with every opportunity - is it an anti Irish thing V V? Just asking cos it was mentioned in your previous anti Gopperth rant a few weeks ago.

It does no good trying to blame one player for the whole teams poor performance, a terrible referee and an opposition that out played, out thought and deserved such an emphatic win.

My opinion is that Gopperth is at present, head and shoulders ahead of Jackson. He has the proven ability, the experience and the nouse to play at this level, I worry that Jackson is lacking in experience, which hopefully Gopperth will help him with. A good no. 10 does take the ball into contact and does make the tackles...look at how Johnny Wilkinson played for example... the trick is to get out of there quickly and get back into position, which Gopperth does very effectively, in case you missed that part of his game??

Once again it is time to be ashamed for knocking a player who has done nothing to deserve it.

Silent Bob
07/12/2015 13:46
I don't have a strong preference as to who starts but the vitriol aimed at VW for this article don't particularly give a good impression of this forum. I don't read anything damning in his piece about Gopperth. It's just an opinion based on preference.

I don't think Gopperth needs defending either!

I hope both continue to do what they are good at. It's going to be a tough call for the coaches each week. Luckily they and the players don't read our nonsense otherwise they would of course be playing Loz by now (for some reason calling for him to play more is not anti Jimmy??).

Lighten up all ffs 😀

Bandy
07/12/2015 15:14
Quote:
Chilham
Moderators with a personal axe to grind against one player; just what we need.

Haven't seen a worthwhile contribution from you to discussions on this board since....... well, ever. Only ever snide, niggly comments at others. Even the Bandit manages to actually offer something to discussions. If you eventually decide to stop being an all-round @rse all the time, please by all means continue posting.

I for one appreciate the effort VV has put in here, so thank you, and even if you believe his opinion has been presented as fact, then absolutely disagree with him and we'll all have a jolly good read!

Still Jackson for me. Whilst fairly solid and dependable, I don't feel Gopperth offers the full range that Jackson does, so would like to see RJ as first choice with Gopperth to come on and close out a game, or offer something a bit different if for some reason Jackson's style isn't working.

uglyscorpion
07/12/2015 15:47
Quote:
Bzzzzz
I get the love affair with RJ from V V as Jackson is potentially a star in the making but I do not get the anti Gopperth rhetoric that comes with every opportunity - is it an anti Irish thing V V? Just asking cos it was mentioned in your previous anti Gopperth rant a few weeks ago.
It does no good trying to blame one player for the whole teams poor performance, a terrible referee and an opposition that out played, out thought and deserved such an emphatic win.

My opinion is that Gopperth is at present, head and shoulders ahead of Jackson. He has the proven ability, the experience and the nouse to play at this level, I worry that Jackson is lacking in experience, which hopefully Gopperth will help him with. A good no. 10 does take the ball into contact and does make the tackles...look at how Johnny Wilkinson played for example... the trick is to get out of there quickly and get back into position, which Gopperth does very effectively, in case you missed that part of his game??

Once again it is time to be ashamed for knocking a player who has done nothing to deserve it.

I would agree that it is harsh to point the finger at Gopperth for Sunday's performance, as he played well enough and kicked his goals. Given that he is a Kiwi, with several years at Newcastle before a short stay at Leinster, it is hard to see how any criticism of JG is anti-Irish any more than it is anti-Geordie.

Jackson has 27 caps for Scotland, was their starting 10 in the 2011 World Cup, and played at the top end of the Pro-12 competition for several years with Glasgow. To suggest he is inexperienced is a little strange. It could be argued that he has considerably more experience of playing at a higher level than Jimmy has. We are lucky to have two skodas with such well tuned engines.

Andy1210
07/12/2015 17:42
I think it's a good article and I personally think the stats are valid.

Jackson seems to have more time on the ball than Gopperth which shows good vision and a deft touch. To me, RJ looks like a player pulling strings and creating, whilst JG scampers around waiting for his brain to catch up, by which time he's either run into contact or kicked possession away.

Not vitriol, just the way it looks to me. Good article VV.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:12:07:17:43:27 by Andy1210.

FishingWasp
07/12/2015 18:28
Quote:
Andy1210
I think it's a good article and I personally think the stats are valid.
Jackson seems to have more time on the ball than Gopperth which shows good vision and a deft touch. To me, RJ looks like a player pulling strings and creating, whilst JG scampers around waiting for his brain to catch up, by which time he's either run into contact or kicked possession away.

Not vitriol, just the way it looks to me. Good article VV.

Agreed. JG reminds me of Farrel Junior (but without the petulance or "lurch" when place kicking) - a good club player - reliable but predictable. I had previously commented that he always seemed to kick the ball at every opportunity. Ill take that back as he did keep it in hand often at the weekend - but only to run into traffic!

RJ reminds me more of £5. Inventive, looking for opportunities and keeping the rest of the team awake. Certainly more exciting to watch, and IMHO more risky but a net benefit.

My conclusion - horses for courses Gopperth to start only against the weaker/less attacking teams, otherwise RJ. But Loz should be getting time too!

Beckenham Bandit
07/12/2015 18:51
I have a funny feeling Gopperth is going to prove a lot of people at Wasps and Leinster this season. He was treated appallingly in Dublin and was scapegoated for many of the structural problems and decline at that province.

Gopperth might not be the second coming of Barry John but he is a solid and dependable player who is a proven Premiership fly half. He kept Newcastle in the Premiership on his own for 2 or 3 seasons.

One thing is for sure he is better than Nicky Robinson, Matt Leek, Jeremy Staunton and some of the other lesser lights that have graced the 10 shirt over the year. Those three alone were proven match losers.

Chilham
07/12/2015 19:59
Quote:
Bandy
Haven't seen a worthwhile contribution from you to discussions on this board since....... well, ever. Only ever snide, niggly comments at others...

Ever?! (Sm11) I think there was this one post a couple of years ago ......

Vespulavulgaris
07/12/2015 20:49
Lets get one thing completely clear. I have nothing against Gopperth. He's perfectly decent, and an improvement on a lot of players we've had. But Jackson is better.

And now for some more stats that you can write off as being irrelevant.

With Jimmy Gopperth on the field Wasps have scored 6 tries. 1 Penalty Try, 1 from the backs, 4 from the forwards.

With Ruaridh Jackson on the field Wasps have scored 13 tries. 1 Penalty Try, 2 from the forwards, and 10 from the backs.

With Loz on the field Wasps have scored 1 try from a back.

Make from that whatever you will. In my opinion tries from forwards tend to be from driving mauls, or from close in drives such as Smashley and Cittadini's tries, tries scored by backs are more likely to be orchestrated by a fly half. YMMV.

Either way we have scored more than double the number of tries under Jackson and he has had less game time.

Andy1210
08/12/2015 10:31
More good evidence from VV.

Fans often ask why coaches have a blindspot with certain players and stick with them regardless - Lancaster with Ashton for a long time for example and Dai with Loz seems to be a popular one on this site.

I think the problem is people get too close to players, their personalities and perceived value when what they need to do is to take a step back and view the stats and team performance.

I once coached a football team that had a central midfielder who had been around a while, won trophies, had experience and was 'one of the lads' etc. When he was out injured his replacement was raw and enthusiastic, but did a fantastic job working hard, closing people down and winning the ball back. We started winning games because he was working hard for the team. When the experienced player came back our form dipped, so a step back and look at results meant I dropped the experienced guy and took a lot of flak. We did a lot better but 9 times out of 10 you'd have started with the player of repute.

doog
08/12/2015 20:52
I make no bones about the fact that I like Gopperth not one bit, and I was fairly unimpressed when we announced his signing. He's turned out as I thought, solid but uninspiring, and I've yet to signs of the man that hauled Newcastles' a*%e out of the fire on so many occasions.
As VV so rightly points out, we've seen far, far more from Jackson, some flashes of which take me back to a certain A King in its clarity of reading of the game. Jackson isn't anything like the finished article and neither are Wasps, but I genuinely believe we can grow into something very special with that young man at the helm.
The choice is Dai's. Solid upper mid-table, and maybe quarter final again, or a little risk-taking on a more progressive approach and maybe some silverware. Gopperth or Jackson leading the charge? I know what I want to see, and I reckon most on here would too.

cb@wasps
10/03/2016 16:17
Don't know why but I found myself reading some of this thread again of which the last post was 8th December. Bearing in mind our results since then with 6 big W's out of the last 7 games including Leinster, Saints, Sarries, Bath and Quinns are general opinions still the same.

Only a thought

Gaz
10/03/2016 16:28
I didn't join in with all this madness! 1, it was too early in the season to draw conclusions, still is now, 2, Rugby is the ultimate team game, wins and losses are not down to any individual, and 3. Professional elite rugby is a squad game, we need everyone for the whole season.

So it isn't a case of is one player in our squad better than another player. More, do we have the depth and quality to sustain a high level of performance from start to end irrespective of injuries, fatigue, international call ups and dips in form.

The main reason I didn't join in is because I didn't see the thread the first time around!

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment. We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals. We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards. If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing abuse@sportnetwork.net