Apologies Saints fans but...!

First topic message reminder :

If that is the way your side play, I have really only seen this game and the lv= match vs the ospreys but saints are probably the dirtiest side in european rugby. How they didn't get severalplayers binned I am amazed. They scrummages illegally all night and the ref was naive, off the ball they were terrible.

There should be citings for Hartley holding Davies by the scruff of the neck for about a minute behind the refs back, for Ashton for picking up Norths leg at an angled that pulled his hamstring, and several other for fighting off the ball.

Young Gareth Davies took more punches and kicks off Saints front five than I have seen in twenty years.

half a nation? Hello Mr Hyerbole

As far as I can see, only one poster has taken serious offence at it. Personally I think it's completely childish and stupid, and makes him look an idiot. But like I said above, nothing dirty about it.

Only thing I didn't like was what Ashton did to North.

Its nothing and was made out to be a lot worse than it was, by someone/people with an axe to grind against English players.
If that gets a citing them i'm in big trouble in everygame then

Hyperbole moi!!

It just made him look rather pathetic.

It doesn't take much does it?

so much artistic license by nearly everyone in this thread its hard to take any of it seriously.

I'm with RD on this one, from what I saw, there was enough niggle from both teams. Saints probably a little more obvious in their approach, but the only thing I thought uncalled for was Ashton pulling North up from a ruck by his leg at said awkward angle.

But then we see that numerous times each weekend across games, largely these incidents result in absolutely nothing. No-one will know bar Ashton what he was thinking when he did it and I always like to believe innocent until proven guilty. Hopefully Norths injury isnt bad and he recovers with no lasting reprecussions (also thought I saw him getting some treatment on it during the first half aswell mind so not sure it was just that incident that caused the injury).

Saints are fast becoming the new ospreys, the team everyone loves to hate - s'all a bit pantomime for me.

it looks like North is out of the game against Australia, BBC link;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/15804025.stm

and there was no citing for Ashton, so he got away with that.

Comfort wrote:so much artistic license by nearly everyone in this thread its hard to take any of it seriously.

I'm with RD on this one, from what I saw, there was enough niggle from both teams. Saints probably a little more obvious in their approach, but the only thing I thought uncalled for was Ashton pulling North up from a ruck by his leg at said awkward angle.

But then we see that numerous times each weekend across games, largely these incidents result in absolutely nothing. No-one will know bar Ashton what he was thinking when he did it and I always like to believe innocent until proven guilty. Hopefully Norths injury isnt bad and he recovers with no lasting reprecussions (also thought I saw him getting some treatment on it during the first half aswell mind so not sure it was just that incident that caused the injury).

Saints are fast becoming the new ospreys, the team everyone loves to hate - s'all a bit pantomime for me.

Comfort when you mean everyone who are you referring to? A few outspoken rugby fans typing on computers? We'll see what Saints will act like this weekend against one of their key rivals.

haha beshocked, perhaps i was also taking some artistic license

a few out-spoken-deeply-sensitive-welsh souls who declare the saints anything but their namesake whilst conveniently missing the scarlets misdemeanours.

and a few out-spoken-pro-england posters who declare that the saints are just that and that they are just targets of the welsh cries of "thugs! thugs! thugs!" down to fear.

personally, im not of the opinion of either of these, as nearly all teams are as bad as eachother, some may just be better at doing the unpalatable stuff unseen!

there are of course those that sit in middle of these posters, but its their posts that have shaped this thread.

shaped this thread into a glass cage of emotion.

This really is not about the nationalities of the players, it is about their candour in big games.

I really disliked the way that Hartley, and his fellow front five of which i think only one other, Lawes, is English, and Ashton. Particularly Ashton for his role in George North leaving the pitch.

I also feel that they let Saints passionate fans down.

Lets see how they behave in their next game.

You cant deny that Lawes is a dirty hooer though. Leading with the knee in the WC and numerous other incedents.

Dont know what Hartely was trying to do pinching yer man as well.

Did he think that would hurt a professional rugby player?

Particularly Ashton for his role in George North leaving the pitch

Sheesh pulling someone out of a ruck is now a citeable offence. Better tell the boys as in that case at least a third of both sides from the game I played in at the weekend are going to get banned.

Maybe the Scarlets should avoid taking people out in the air (which caused the biggest scrap) if they want to make sure there's no niggle.

It was a tense game where Saints threw away any chance of winning and where tempers boiled over for both teams. Big European games will get niggly it is something that happens sometimes. If I was Welsh or a Scarlets fan I'd be more focussed on the positives than being drawn into the niggle, especially as there really wasn't much there.

formerly known as Sam wrote:
As a neutral I've got to say that's an incredibly one sided view if the game. The scarlets 3 was boring in, refusing tiny his bind and standing up throughout. Saint scrumaging style is dodgey but they were owed at least half a dozern penalties they didn't receive.

Scarlets 3? No, just Rhys Thomas. So was Sione. Hartley constantly stood up in the scrums and it was highlighted last year

The Saints front row stand up in almost unison when the feel their momentum stopping. That's well known. Doesn't change the fact the Scarlets tighthead was not binding and driving in and up on Hartley. If you can get away with it then do it but let's not pretend it's legal scrummaging technique.

All about interpretation. Some might call it cheating. Others dark arts.

Saints are essentially like cheeky schoolboys who don't get caught.

Good team though.

beshocked wrote:All about interpretation. Some might call it cheating. Others dark arts.

Saints are essentially like cheeky schoolboys who don't get caught.

Good team though.

fully agreed, some think of them as cheeky schoolboys, others as the school bullys. depends what colour your shirt is i guess!

And I have to say, I thought Rhys Thomas was excellant, for a tighthead with the nickname "Rollerskates" he was an anchor. Also, ironic that a strong scrum (through dark arts) was equalled by a weak scrum (who excelled at those very dark arts on the day).

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Maybe the Scarlets should avoid taking people out in the air (which caused the biggest scrap) if they want to make sure there's no niggle.

so because it caused the 'biggest scrap' it was the worst thing done on the pitch that night?


and people keep saying Ashton 'pulled North out of the ruck'........no he didn't, he didn't even try to pull him out of the ruck because he wasn't in a position to pull him out of the ruck, maybe if you'd watched it you'd actually realise you're talking bull.

So the dirtiest thing scarlets did was take someone out in the air - in front of the referee who penailised it - the fight was an after thought on behalf of sainst. They were soo asleep they almost forgot their handbags.

I thought pulling someone out of a ruck or maul was a penalty?