Bedford sign Ovens
The Bedford Blues have bolstered their squad ahead of the new season by signing Laurence Ovens from Newcastle.
Bedford are one of many Championship clubs who have bringing in a high volume of new players in order to make a stronger push towards the Premiership when the season starts in August.
Ovens was not a first team regular at Newcastle and was an ideal candidate to let go. He's said that he's very happy with the move and looks forward to blending in at a well knit club with big ambitions.
There are many positives to Ovens' game that will help him have a big influence at Bedford. However, the team must remember to keep their feet on the ground because there are three or four other Championship clubs who have made their promotion hopes public.
His game
Ovens plays at prop, which means he will often be in the heart of the action in the middle of the pitch. He is a very small but imposing person who can use his big frame to get heavy tackles in at vital moments.
He will also be used to add weight to the packs and scrums. This will be important as Bedford will have to play ugly at some points during the season and drive slowly forward to gain territory and win the ball back.
He has a good deal of experience that he can take with him to Bedford. He has played a lot of games for Newcastle and started his career in a gifted generation of players in the South West with Bath.
Director of Rugby Mike Rayer said: "Laurence has come to us with a glowing reference from Nick Walshe and Chris Goodman who both enjoyed playing with him when they were at Bath. We tried to sign Laurence last year on Nick's recommendation before he moved to Newcastle so I am delighted that he has chosen to join us this season."
Realistic
Bedford have to be realistic about their ambitions for the new season. A number of clubs such as Worcester and Bristol have said they are going to push very hard to get into the Premiership. There are also clubs like Rotherham who have much larger playing squads than Bedford.
If the club come out and say that they will get promotion by the end of the season then it is going to make them a target for clubs who are bigger in every sense and this can have a very negative impact on the team.
Rayer added: "Laurence's signing significantly adds further quality and depth to the squad. Competition for starting places is exactly what we want and from what I've seen so far in training there are going to be some pretty intense battles for their respective jerseys."
Betting advice
Ovens will add to the Bedford side in the middle areas of the team. They are still missing one or two players out wide and at the top of the pitch who could really make the difference when the side have to play bigger and better teams.
They do have an outside shot of going up but at this time it's nothing more than a complete punt. The best option is to wait until the season starts, then you can see how the league shapes up after the first few games and you can take it from there.
However, if you want to bet right now while the odds are long then you are advised to bet on Bedford as they play each match. This means backing them in pre-season games for small odds but you are less likely to waste money.
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