Groggy Predictions 2017

Who should be Grogged? This is a question debated between collectors regularly and a question which frequently crosses the brilliant mind of Richard Hughes. There are so many potential candidates for Groggs but of course with limited resources and capacity at the Groggshop they can’t all make the cut. Below I have set out my own personal predictions as to players who could be in line for a Grogg in the future, enjoy the article and if you’d like to share your own predictions or wishlist drop us a message. 

Wales

Last Grogg Released  

Welsh Groggs come thick and fast and the latest one to be released was the new Dan Biggar 9”. Following on from the previous mould of Dan selling out, Richard promptly started work on the new Dan Biggar Grogg,  which was released recently.

Predictions

So, we already know that the next Welsh Grogg to be released will be a Samson Lee 9”, however in terms of predictions for the next in line after that release, you would have to say Ross Moriarty is a strong contender. Following on from a strong six nations with Wales, Ross must be in the mix to be immortalised in clay, other contenders could be Jake Ball and Gareth Davies who have also gone from strength to strength on the international scene.

England

Last Grogg Released

The last England Grogg produced was Richard over 10 years ago, for various reasons there hasn’t been an English Grogg made since and let’s face it England have largely failed on the international scene for the last decade, with new management under Eddie Jones and grand slam in the 6 nations last year and on route for a second grand slam could this be the time we see a new England Grogg?

Predictions

It would have to be a special player for Richard to start work on an English Grogg. 

There is one young star who has burst onto the scene at both club and international level who I feel could be in with a shout and that is Maro Itoje. Despite his young years, Maro  has already won a number of honours at domestic and international level including: European Cup and Aviva Premiership titles with Saracens and the Grand Slam 6 Nations with England in 2016 and the opportunity for a second this weekend. I also happen to know Richard is a big fan of Maro so this could be a real possibility. Another potential candidate could be half centurion Owen Farrell, gone are the days where he was a hot headed and often petulant player, he is now one of the first names on the pitch and has really developed his game under Eddie Jones.

Scotland

Last Grogg  Released

There haven’t been too many Scottish Groggs in recent years but one man who was certainly deserving of a Grogg is Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw. Following on from a fantastic World Cup in 2015 Greig was recently converted into Grogg form and released for sale to us thankful collectors.

Predictions

There is one other Scottish player who has gone from strength to strength with Scotland over the last few years and that is Stuart Hogg. With a place in the British and Irish Lions squad likely and the fact we know he is a big fan of Groggs, Scotland’s Mr Dependable could be in the running.

New Zealand

Last Grogg Released

The last Grogg produced by the shop in an All Blacks shirt was the new Dan Carter 9” made to commemorate the back to back World Cups achieved by New Zealand in 2011 and 2015. We also know that Keiran Read and Julian Savea are well under way with releases likely to happen around the time of the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.

Predictions

There are a number of All Blacks who could be in contention for being Grogged, the prediction I will make however is that Brodie Retallick the 2014 World Player of the Year. Brodie is a consistent performer for the All Blacks and would be a popular choice for being Grogged.

South Africa

Last Grogg Released

The last Springbok to be Grogged was Bryan Habana. There haven’t been too many Springboks Grogged in the last decade but the flying South African was an extremely popular choice.

Predictions

Not too many good things are happening in South African rugby at the moment and as a result there aren’t really any stand out contenders for a new Grogg. However, in terms of collector appeal and popularity one potential choice could be the man mountain Eben Eztebeth. Although quite controversial at times, he is an exceptional Rugby player and extremely popular. The likelihood of getting a new Springbok Grogg any time soon are slim to none I would suggest.

Italy

Last Grogg Released

The only Italian ever to be Grogged was captain Sergio Parisse, on the field and on the Grogg shelf, Sergio is an extremely popular figure, evident by the fact he has been Grogged despite playing for a distinctly average international team.

Predictions

As with South Africa there isn’t a huge amount to celebrate in Italian rugby at the moment. However, there are still some popular players connected with Italy. One player in particular who is a clear fan’s choice would have been Martin Castrogiovanni. A miniature Grogg of Martin was started, but completion of the Grogg never came to fruition, for a number of reasons. From the current Italy squad I can’t see too many contenders worthy of a Grogg, the likeliest outcome is a new Parisse Grogg when the current edition sells out (definitely with less hair – sorry Sergio).

Ireland

Last Grogg Released

Brian O’Driscoll was the last Irish player to be Grogged, following on from his retirement a Grogg was released to commemorate Brian becoming the most capped player in Rugby Union history with 141 caps. We also found out today that a new Ireland Grogg  is on the way and the player being immortalized in clay is veteran Rory Best which is due to be released around April.

Predictions

There are a few potential candidates within the current Ireland set up  with some rising stars bursting onto the international scene and some of the more established players stepping up their game in recent times. Irish Groggs have been popular with the shop over the years whether we will get another this year following Rory best remains to be seen, if we did CJ Stander could be a potential option and a popular one or perhaps one of the more established players like Connor Murray, Simon Zebo or Rob Kearney could be considered.

France

Last  Grogg Released

There haven’t been too many French Groggs released over the last 10 years but collectors rejoiced with the news that juggernaut Mathieu Bastareaud would finally be Grogged. His piece recently went on sale and collectors all over have been extremely happy with the finished article and swooped to have him in their collections.

Predictions

Since the 2015 world cup one player has really stood out for me and that is their captain and hooker Guilhem Guirado. If any player is deserving of a Grogg for sheer determination and work on the field of play it is Guirado. Another potential contender could be Louis Picamoles who has also put in a number of fantastic performances for Les Bleus over the years.

Australia

Last Grogg Released

The last Australian Grogged was David Pocock. Prior to David being produced the last Aussie to receive the honour was the great David Campese, so we know Australian Groggs do not hit the shelves as frequently as some of the other nations.

Predictions

As with some of the other nations there are a few potential candidates within the current Australia set up. One player in particular that stands out as a front runner for me would be Israel Folau, he is an extremely popular both inside and outside of Australia and has also been one of the first names off of the lips of collectors when discussing potential Aussie Groggs. Australia haven’t had a great time recently on the international scene so the chances of a new Aussie Grogg are pretty low.

Best of the rest:

Georgia

Last Grogg Released

No named players have previously been Grogged for Georgia

Predictions

Georgia have really shone on the International stage in recent years, they had a very successful 2015 World Cup with the highlight being a strong performance against the New Zealand All Blacks, despite a loss. Georgia’s rise has even led to calls for them to be included in the 6 nations in the future a move which could lead to a relegation/promotion type scenario. One player in particular who has risen in popularity due to his committed performances is Mamuka Gorgodze, the Toulon player had a fantastic World Cup in 2015 and even managed to win the Man of the Match award against the mighty All Blacks. He is certainly a popular player and if the Groggshop were to expand their international range he could be a good candidate.

Argentina

Last Grogg Released

No named players have previously been Grogged for Argentina in recent years

Predictions

Argentina have surprised a few people recently with their rise in International rugby. They now compete in The Rugby Championship alongside Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, so are mixing with the big boys, something which led to them having a great 2015 World Cup where they finished 4^th in the tournament. There are a couple of players who could be potential candidates for Groggs and they are Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Santi Cordero. It would be fantastic to see a few Pumas Grogged and I’m sure these guys would be popular with collectors.

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