Aviva Premiership - Round 6

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Table

Team	Played	--Won--	-Drawn-	---BP---	Points
Saracens	5	5	0	2	22
Exeter	5	4	0	3	19
Leicester	5	4	0	0	16
Harlequins	5	3	0	3	15
Wasps	5	3	0	2	14
Northampton	5	2	0	4	12
Sale Sharks	5	2	1	2	12
Bath	5	2	0	2	10
Worcester	5	2	0	2	10
Gloucester	5	2	0	1	9
Newcastle	5	0	1	0	2
London Irish	5	0	0	0	0

Fixtures:


Fri 4th Dec

19:45 Gloucester Rugby  v   Sale Sharks BT Sport
Both sides will not have been happy with their performances last week in games that failed to rise above the awful conditions. Gloucester's experiment of Twelvetrees at 10 and hook at 12 failed rather conspicuously as neither managed to add any control. Gloucester will be hoping for dry conditions in which their quick backs are more likely to thrive. Not for the first time this season, Danny Cipriani was unsuccessful with a "win-the-game" kick. After his break during the Challenge Cup matches he looked rusty, and with the court appearance hanging over him he will need to cast away all extraneous emotions and perform if Sale are to sneak anything from this game. Gloucester should win and overtake their visitors in the table, but it is hard to see either team threatening the top half of the table.


Sat 5th Dec

15:00 Harlequins  v   London Irish
Having secured a TBP at Sandy Park, Quins will be bemoaning their ill-discipline (plus attempts to run the clock down at the end of the first half) that allowed Exeter to sneak the win. Still, if you had offered them 2 points before they started their journey west they would probably have bitten your hand off. London Irish are the only team still pointless in the table, but can keep tyheir hopes up by looking at just how hard their opening fixtures have been. all five of their opponents so far finished in the top half of the table last season, and all bar Bath are their again. The trip to the Stoop continues the trend of playing form teams. Certainly Irish have no being playing as poorly as the table would suggest and, despite Quins being clear favourites, they are capable of getting something from this game.

15:00 Worcester Warriors  v   Leicester Tigers
Along with visitors Bath, Leicester did well to rise above the conditions last week and produce a game full of ambition and running - but perhaps not finishing. With Bell and Youngs both kicking far too long with the wind behind, Bath dominated territory and possession in the first half. However tigers showed real grit to hold them at bay, repeated this when down to 14 men in the second half and pulled away at the end. While the influence of Mauger can be seen in how Tigers are trying to play, the physicality with which tigers hit every tackle, ruck and maul was quintessential Cockers. They will need all that grit and fire for the visit to Sixways to face a Worcester side that are more than the sum of their parts. Wuss will be disappointed and even shocked by the score line last week. They did not play as poorly as a casual look at the score would suggest. DOC needs to avoid winding the ref up though. There were a number of 50/50 calls that went the Sarries way after some rather pointless in the refs face behaviour.


15:15 Bath Rugby  v   Northampton Saints BT Sport
The top two in last years regular season have struggled for form and consistency in the league so far, both with just two wins from five games. It is hard to decide who will be more confident going into this match. Bath played some excellent rugby in absolutely dire conditions at the weekend, but allowed Leicester's physicality to seize the day. Saints in conditions almost as bad featured in perhaps the worst match of the season - but dominated their opponent up front. Bath struggled at the lineout last week, but went toe-to-toe  at scrum time with the Leicester 8, almost gaining parity. they will need to raise their game further though for the visit of Saints beast of a scrum. I fell thi smatch could be decided by the conditions. If dry and still Bath should be able to avoid arm wrestle and seize the win. Wet and heavy and Saints abrasiveness and grunbt should dominate. Both sides will not wish to lose and slide down the table, but both sides will have their eyes on potentially tricky European matches.

17:30 Wasps  v   Exeter Chiefs BT Sport
Two teams that love to run the ball. Also two teams that have shown admirable defence this season at times, Wasps most notably in Europe, Chiefs for Leicester's visit. I am fascinated to see how this match will pan out. On paper Wasps look stronger, but Exeter have continued to make a mockery of such assertions. Battle of the back rows could be seismic.


Sun 6th Dec

15:00 Newcastle Falcons  v   Saracens BT Sport
It will be a shock if Saracens fail to win this game. Falcons should not be written off though. With one eye on Europe the defending champions will continue to rotate their players. Falcons came close to beating Sarries last season in Barnet with an all action attacking game - same again could make things interesting - but they have to be precise. Lose possession when in attack and they will see just how precisely Sarries counter attack.

Ta for the suggestions on who to watch chaps

Oh dear, Wasps look shambolic. I spoke too soon.

Hopefully tigers will included with those teams, we're improving and playing a better style but still a long way to go

Rugby Fan wrote:Commentator says he got a good contact but the wind caught it, and it went nowhere near. 4 minutes left.

I'm just back from the match - the wind was ridiculously strong - the ball travelled forward for about half the distance and then started going backwards! I was hoping a wuss player would get hands on it but it wasn't to be. Wuss looked good but poor discipline cost them dear - o'callahan (sp?) seems to be a bit of a liability unfortunately. Really disappointed wuss got nothing from that.

It equalled tigers best comeback for the last 135 years

nathan wrote:Hopefully tigers will included with those teams, we're improving and playing a better style but still a long way to go

Agree, still a fair bit off from being a joy to watch. Tigers a bit like Saints, are a team that more than often are involved in pretty dour games. As long as you win though, I wouldn't be overly concerned what other fans think.

I'd take any sort of win at the moment ...

There starting to show moments of exciting rugby but still have the traditional forwards game too. Think they need to learn when to use which style though

Tigers not exciting? Conceding 17 points to Worcester in 20 minutes sounds pretty exciting to me

nathan wrote:It equalled tigers best comeback for the last 135 years

From the first moments of the second half tigers looked like they meant business and I felt that they would end up with the win.

Hood83 wrote:So glad Malinger wasn't appointed England coach. Saints can scrum, maul and defend. That's it. Awful to watch.

Sooo, let's say Mallinder was head coach of England, and England won the RWC, you would be unhappy we won because we were ugly?????  
Winning is a beautiful thing (especially when it's my team).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5-iJUuPWis

Last season, the boring Saints averaged 28 points per game in the Premiership.  That is in addition to allowing the fewest points of any team in the Premiership.  And despite fighting injuries the second half of last season.  

I wouldn't consider Mallinder to be one-dimensional.  The smart coach plays to the strength of his players, a lesson many coaches don't ever learn.  Saints were playing without 6 normal starting players in the forwards plus Kahn Fotuali'i and JJ Hanrahan at halfbacks.  Far from Saints' best line-up, and I would not have expected ripping, running Rugby.  I didn't expect a win, so I am as content as a high school lad in the back seat of an old Ford with his best girlfriend.

Wasps / Exeter - what a cracker - even tho I only saw the second half. right thats it. Exeter are my team to follow - not far from where I was born. Watch me jinx them :-)

Haha, yeah I've been impressed with Exeter. They play a great brand of rugby and have slowly been improving year on year

doctor_grey wrote:

Hood83 wrote:So glad Malinger wasn't appointed England coach. Saints can scrum, maul and defend. That's it. Awful to watch.

Sooo, let's say Mallinder was head coach of England, and England won the RWC, you would be unhappy we won because we were ugly?????  
Winning is a beautiful thing (especially when it's my team).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5-iJUuPWis

Last season, the boring Saints averaged 28 points per game in the Premiership.  That is in addition to allowing the fewest points of any team in the Premiership.  And despite fighting injuries the second half of last season.  

I wouldn't consider Mallinder to be one-dimensional.  The smart coach plays to the strength of his players, a lesson many coaches don't ever learn.  Saints were playing without 6 normal starting players in the forwards plus Kahn Fotuali'i and JJ Hanrahan at halfbacks.  Far from Saints' best line-up, and I would not have expected ripping, running Rugby.  I didn't expect a win, so I am as content as a high school lad in the back seat of an old Ford with his best girlfriend.

Of course, but there's not a snowball in hell's chance of that scenario happening under Malinger. You don't beat a team like the All Blacks with a maul. Ok you don't really beat them with anything.

The smart coach recognises the weaknesses in his squad and tries to round them out, IMO. Malinger has had years to develop a squad capable of more and he hasn't seen fit to do so. As for having lots of players injured, sure, fair point, but with those players available you'd have played exactly the same. Fair enough, he's won a lot of games, and if that's what you enjoy watching, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My personal feeling is that he and his coaches don't know how to coach a team any other way.

Nathan, WELL-PAST-IT, TJ, Hood83, Cumbrian, Bedfordwelsh,
Thanks for the comments. That was close to Bath's best team on the pitch - did Saints really match up that well, given that 8 of the starting XV were not usual starters? If so, that is excellent news for the second half of the season when we should have a lot of players coming back.

How about the pack? If I read you right, Saints dominated Bath's pack. 5-1 scrum penalties is not too bad at all. Ethan was able to push Henry Thomas around? That has huge implications for the rest of the season. Did he play the whole match, or did big brother sub him off? And did Gibson and Harrison work well together? Also how about Hanrahan? I suppose he still needs some work?

Sgt_Pooly wrote:

nathan wrote:Hopefully tigers will included with those teams, we're improving and playing a better style but still a long way to go

Agree, still a fair bit off from being a joy to watch. Tigers a bit like Saints, are a team that more than often are involved in pretty dour games. As long as you win though, I wouldn't be overly concerned what other fans think.

Depends on the season. Last season it was less dour and more dire but in seasons before that there's been some great rugby as well as something more suited to the purists. This season it seems less dour but somewhat error strewn as players adapt. I'm interested to see how we approach the Munster double header.

TBP today should give us some added confidence.

Dr Gray - for me saints pack did dominate but both teams were up to all sorts of tricks boring in, walking round, soft hits etc.  I think a couple of scrum pens against saints second half but me I would have sin binned both front rows for cheating
 But apart from the pack and Burrell Saints looked woeful in attack and did really not deserve to win.  The try was a gift from Ford and Ford cost Bath a shedload of field position with woefull passing and should have been pulled early in the second half. He gifted 10 pts so Saints only scored 3 off their own efforts  Bath played all the rugby but Saints defense stood firm / Bath kept on knocking on with the try line beckoning

Hood83 wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

Hood83 wrote:So glad Malinger wasn't appointed England coach. Saints can scrum, maul and defend. That's it. Awful to watch.

Sooo, let's say Mallinder was head coach of England, and England won the RWC, you would be unhappy we won because we were ugly?????  
Winning is a beautiful thing (especially when it's my team).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5-iJUuPWis

Last season, the boring Saints averaged 28 points per game in the Premiership.  That is in addition to allowing the fewest points of any team in the Premiership.  And despite fighting injuries the second half of last season.  

I wouldn't consider Mallinder to be one-dimensional.  The smart coach plays to the strength of his players, a lesson many coaches don't ever learn.  Saints were playing without 6 normal starting players in the forwards plus Kahn Fotuali'i and JJ Hanrahan at halfbacks.  Far from Saints' best line-up, and I would not have expected ripping, running Rugby.  I didn't expect a win, so I am as content as a high school lad in the back seat of an old Ford with his best girlfriend.

Of course, but there's not a snowball in hell's chance of that scenario happening under Malinger. You don't beat a team like the All Blacks with a maul. Ok you don't really beat them with anything.

The smart coach recognises the weaknesses in his squad and tries to round them out, IMO. Malinger has had years to develop a squad capable of more and he hasn't seen fit to do so. As for having lots of players injured, sure, fair point, but with those players available you'd have played exactly the same. Fair enough, he's won a lot of games, and if that's what you enjoy watching, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My personal feeling is that he and his coaches don't know how to coach a team any other way.

Although I have no idea who this Malinger bloke is.

Hood83 wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

Hood83 wrote:So glad Malinger wasn't appointed England coach. Saints can scrum, maul and defend. That's it. Awful to watch.

Sooo, let's say Mallinder was head coach of England, and England won the RWC, you would be unhappy we won because we were ugly?????  
Winning is a beautiful thing (especially when it's my team).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5-iJUuPWis

Last season, the boring Saints averaged 28 points per game in the Premiership.  That is in addition to allowing the fewest points of any team in the Premiership.  And despite fighting injuries the second half of last season.  

I wouldn't consider Mallinder to be one-dimensional.  The smart coach plays to the strength of his players, a lesson many coaches don't ever learn.  Saints were playing without 6 normal starting players in the forwards plus Kahn Fotuali'i and JJ Hanrahan at halfbacks.  Far from Saints' best line-up, and I would not have expected ripping, running Rugby.  I didn't expect a win, so I am as content as a high school lad in the back seat of an old Ford with his best girlfriend.

Of course, but there's not a snowball in hell's chance of that scenario happening under Malinger. You don't beat a team like the All Blacks with a maul. Ok you don't really beat them with anything.

The smart coach recognises the weaknesses in his squad and tries to round them out, IMO. Malinger has had years to develop a squad capable of more and he hasn't seen fit to do so. As for having lots of players injured, sure, fair point, but with those players available you'd have played exactly the same. Fair enough, he's won a lot of games, and if that's what you enjoy watching, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My personal feeling is that he and his coaches don't know how to coach a team any other way.

We obviously disagree - which of course is the beauty of a discussion forum like this.  And that's OK - I get where you are coming from.  But I think Saints get a bad rap about being one dimensional.  Saints do score a lot of points.  The season before last Saints scored the second most points in the Premiership and still gave up the fewest.  So for the last two seasons Saints scored amongst the most points and gave up amongst the least.  That ain't one dimensional.  

Alex King was brought in to beef up the Saints attack, and I think being near top in the points scored the last two seasons is a testament to that.  I can't see any reason or incentive to change Saints attack strategy.  They/we have done very well (points scored) and won a championship.

Bringing in George North and JJ Hanrahan were attempts to vary the attack.  But North turned out very one dimensional when he arrived, though credit to him for working with the coaches diligently to learn more skills.  JJ is still a work in progress.  Tom Stephenson is not quite there, but will be soon.  

Now, to be fair, this season has indeed been all about the defence.  The attack has not gotten into high gear (nor even a medium gear). but just wait for it.    By mid-season, I think the tries will come and the attack will be firing exactly as it has been in the past.

doctor_grey wrote:Nathan, WELL-PAST-IT, TJ, Hood83, Cumbrian, Bedfordwelsh,
Thanks for the comments.  That was close to Bath's best team on the pitch - did Saints really match up that well, given that 8 of the starting XV were not usual starters?  If so, that is excellent news for the second half of the season when we should have a lot of players coming back.  

How about the pack?  If I read you right, Saints dominated Bath's pack.  5-1 scrum penalties is not too bad at all.  Ethan was able to push Henry Thomas around?  That has huge implications for the rest of the season.  Did he play the whole match, or did big brother sub him off?  And did Gibson and Harrison work well together?  Also how about Hanrahan?  I suppose he still needs some work?

Gibson was good and I thought worked well with Harrison, looked very industrious. Given how well hyped Harrison was when he came over it's good he's finally getting some game time. Still looks, like Gibson, too light for me, but both were good. I think the Saints pack may have been helped a little bit by quite a callow second row for Bath, both Ellis and Ewels are young guys. I really couldn't tell what was happening in the scrums, but Saints looked to have a comfortable upper hand in the first half, then it switched round a little second half.

TJ wrote:Dr Gray - for me saints pack did dominate but both teams were up to all sorts of tricks boring in, walking round, soft hits etc.  I think a couple of scrum pens against saints second half but me I would have sin binned both front rows for cheating
 But apart from the pack and Burrell Saints looked woeful in attack and did really not deserve to win.  The try was a gift from Ford and Ford cost Bath a shedload of field position with woefull passing and should have been pulled early in the second half.  He gifted 10 pts so Saints only scored 3 off their own efforts  Bath played all the rugby but Saints defense stood firm / Bath kept on knocking on with the try line beckoning

One of my concerns going into the match was whether Saints pack could get the backs any clean or quick ball. How did that work, and do you think that contributed to the poor back play?

Ford was really poor, eh? Last weekend against Leicester he didn't look good, but wasn't terrible either. He is not a great defender on a good day, but he was that bad? As a Saints supporter I am happy for every gift Ford wants to give.....

doctor_grey wrote:

Hood83 wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

Hood83 wrote:So glad Malinger wasn't appointed England coach. Saints can scrum, maul and defend. That's it. Awful to watch.

Sooo, let's say Mallinder was head coach of England, and England won the RWC, you would be unhappy we won because we were ugly?????  
Winning is a beautiful thing (especially when it's my team).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5-iJUuPWis

Last season, the boring Saints averaged 28 points per game in the Premiership.  That is in addition to allowing the fewest points of any team in the Premiership.  And despite fighting injuries the second half of last season.  

I wouldn't consider Mallinder to be one-dimensional.  The smart coach plays to the strength of his players, a lesson many coaches don't ever learn.  Saints were playing without 6 normal starting players in the forwards plus Kahn Fotuali'i and JJ Hanrahan at halfbacks.  Far from Saints' best line-up, and I would not have expected ripping, running Rugby.  I didn't expect a win, so I am as content as a high school lad in the back seat of an old Ford with his best girlfriend.

Of course, but there's not a snowball in hell's chance of that scenario happening under Malinger. You don't beat a team like the All Blacks with a maul. Ok you don't really beat them with anything.

The smart coach recognises the weaknesses in his squad and tries to round them out, IMO. Malinger has had years to develop a squad capable of more and he hasn't seen fit to do so. As for having lots of players injured, sure, fair point, but with those players available you'd have played exactly the same. Fair enough, he's won a lot of games, and if that's what you enjoy watching, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My personal feeling is that he and his coaches don't know how to coach a team any other way.

We obviously disagree - which of course is the beauty of a discussion forum like this.  And that's OK - I get where you are coming from.  But I think Saints get a bad rap about being one dimensional.  Saints do score a lot of points.  The season before last Saints scored the second most points in the Premiership and still gave up the fewest.  So for the last two seasons Saints scored amongst the most points and gave up amongst the least.  That ain't one dimensional.  

Alex King was brought in to beef up the Saints attack, and I think being near top in the points scored the last two seasons is a testament to that.  I can't see any reason or incentive to change Saints attack strategy.  They/we have done very well (points scored) and won a championship.

Bringing in George North and JJ Hanrahan were attempts to vary the attack.  But North turned out very one dimensional when he arrived, though credit to him for working with the coaches diligently to learn more skills.  JJ is still a work in progress.  Tom Stephenson is not quite there, but will be soon.  

Now, to be fair, this season has indeed been all about the defence.  The attack has not gotten into high gear (nor even a medium gear). but just wait for it.    By mid-season, I think the tries will come and the attack will be firing exactly as it has been in the past.

Absolutely. Yep, can see the argument re points scored. I've been a bit underwhelmed by Alex King but as you say, just my opinion. I'd like to see Saints have more inventiveness of first phase ball but perhaps he's focusing on the basics. For me North has given you something extra, but you also lost something when Ashton went, probably a real poacher and that ability to stick to the shoulder of a player making a break. Obviously Manoa was massive loss as well in a very different sense.

Hood83 wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Nathan, WELL-PAST-IT, TJ, Hood83, Cumbrian, Bedfordwelsh,
Thanks for the comments.  That was close to Bath's best team on the pitch - did Saints really match up that well, given that 8 of the starting XV were not usual starters?  If so, that is excellent news for the second half of the season when we should have a lot of players coming back.  

How about the pack?  If I read you right, Saints dominated Bath's pack.  5-1 scrum penalties is not too bad at all.  Ethan was able to push Henry Thomas around?  That has huge implications for the rest of the season.  Did he play the whole match, or did big brother sub him off?  And did Gibson and Harrison work well together?  Also how about Hanrahan?  I suppose he still needs some work?

Gibson was good and I thought worked well with Harrison, looked very industrious. Given how well hyped Harrison was when he came over it's good he's finally getting some game time. Still looks, like Gibson, too light for me, but both were good. I think the Saints pack may have been helped a little bit by quite a callow second row for Bath, both Ellis and Ewels are young guys.  I really couldn't tell what was happening in the scrums, but Saints looked to have a comfortable upper hand in the first half, then it switched round a little second half.

Thanks for that. Harrison really does look light, doesn't he? I am on the fence about Gibson, sometimes he looks great, sometimes seems to disappear. Saints original plan for the season, barring injuries, was for a rotation of Wood, Clark, Harrison, Gibson, and Craig. Hoping they all come good. Clark was poised for a great season.

doctor_grey wrote:

Hood83 wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Nathan, WELL-PAST-IT, TJ, Hood83, Cumbrian, Bedfordwelsh,
Thanks for the comments.  That was close to Bath's best team on the pitch - did Saints really match up that well, given that 8 of the starting XV were not usual starters?  If so, that is excellent news for the second half of the season when we should have a lot of players coming back.  

How about the pack?  If I read you right, Saints dominated Bath's pack.  5-1 scrum penalties is not too bad at all.  Ethan was able to push Henry Thomas around?  That has huge implications for the rest of the season.  Did he play the whole match, or did big brother sub him off?  And did Gibson and Harrison work well together?  Also how about Hanrahan?  I suppose he still needs some work?

Gibson was good and I thought worked well with Harrison, looked very industrious. Given how well hyped Harrison was when he came over it's good he's finally getting some game time. Still looks, like Gibson, too light for me, but both were good. I think the Saints pack may have been helped a little bit by quite a callow second row for Bath, both Ellis and Ewels are young guys.  I really couldn't tell what was happening in the scrums, but Saints looked to have a comfortable upper hand in the first half, then it switched round a little second half.

Thanks for that.  Harrison really does look light, doesn't he?  I am on the fence about Gibson, sometimes he looks great, sometimes seems to disappear.  Saints original plan for the season, barring injuries, was for a rotation of Wood, Clark, Harrison, Gibson, and Craig.  Hoping they all come good.  Clark was poised for a great season.  

I thought Craig looked excellent a couple of years back, but I think he was injured wasn't he? Or maybe just out of favour. I even thought Nutley looked quite good, has he moved on? Yes, I think Gibson is very good in areas and in patches. I'm not a huge fan of the line out specialist 6, which is why I never took to Wood much, but within the right system I can see how it works. My feeling with Manoa going was that Gibson and Wood would be far too light. You'd think Harrison would have just got huge over the last few years, what's he been doing?! I do rate Clark, maybe a bit of a jack of all trades master of none but I personally prefer him to those others you mention.

I like Jamie Gibson as a player, but feel he is really not of the quality you want in a starter for a Top4 team. I still stand by my description from last season (before we knew he was leaving0 as a Croft-lite. Does all the same things as Tom Croft - but not quite as good at any of them.

Beeb says Slade went off with a knee injury. Hope its a minor one and that he hasn't fallen foul of the England centers curse

And talking of knees - Corbisero

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35018291

lostinwales wrote:Beeb says Slade went off with a knee injury. Hope its a minor one and that he hasn't fallen foul of the England centers curse

Looks to be a broken leg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35017731

lostinwales wrote:Beeb says Slade went off with a knee injury. Hope its a minor one and that he hasn't fallen foul of the England centers curse

Looks to be a broken leg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35017731

nathan wrote:

lostinwales wrote:Beeb says Slade went off with a knee injury. Hope its a minor one and that he hasn't fallen foul of the England centers curse

Looks to be a broken leg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35017731

Ffs

Horrible luck for Slade. He's been playing really well for a while and deserved more of a chance with England.

Rumours are that Mike Williams has broken his arm for Tigers vs Wuss.

I just heard about Corbs from a mate who is a doc.  Just last week things were looking up.  He must have gotten the scan (for final clearance) which showed the damage.  I understand it is minor.  However, considering his injury history the procedure is likely a bit more involved in order to double-check the joint and surrounding tissue.  Could resume playing again by March/April, but I wonder if it is better to shut him down for the season and focus the next 8 months on a proper and pragmatic rehab programme.  If there is not much functional cartilage left in the joint, his career might be on the line and it is prudent to be conservative.  I remember when he was signed from London Irish there were warning signs about his knee.  

The Slade injury sounds bad, but as is typical, no one seems to know anything.  This quote is extremely troubling:  "Obviously until we get him back to Exeter and get the X-rays done, we won't know for sure what the damage is, but we're pretty confident there is something nasty there."

Exe are worried about "something nasty" and he has to wait until he returns to Exeter for a stinking X-Ray?  There better be a damn good explanation for not having the X-Ray immediately if a severe injury is suspected.  Coventry University Hospital is 5 minutes from Ricoh Arena, FFS.  And we say we take good care of our boys.............

Slade did not look in that much pain and was in an orthapedic boot and on crutches before the end of the game - I doubt a serious break because of that.

TJ wrote:Slade did not look in that much pain and was in an orthapedic boot and on crutches before the end of the game - I doubt a serious break because of that.

Thanks for the clarification - sounds much better than a "nasty" injury. Of course, I might have seen that too if BeIN Sports would actually show some Rugby on a consistent basis this season. When I read the article just dedicated to the injury, and it is a likely "nasty" broken leg, it seemed very serious. Not the type of injury that would have someone on crutches in a boot. You are thinking it is an ankle?

Rob Baxter is the source of the quote describing it as a nasty injury and probably a broken leg, so I assume he knows what he's talking about.

My best guess is that they haven't done the scan yet because there is some soft tissue damage as well and they are waiting for that to settle before scanning it. That would suggest a break in the ankle rather than the long bones, but I am speculating.

That was tough to watch yesterday.  Was on a par with the abject performance we put in down at Sandy Park.  I think it's fair to say it's between us, Falcons and them, with us as favourites for the drop based on results so far.  Our hope is that having played all the better sides first whilst we are getting to grips with the new systems the coaches have brought in, that we will be able to grab the wins against the lower sides (Gloucester, Sale, Worcester and Falcons).  Before then though it's Saints on Boxing Day.  If we take it to them like we did to Saracens, then we have a chance.  If we have 20% possession like we did yesterday, then we will get humped.  Worrying times, but I'm keeping the faith that we will be ok.

Ozzy3213 wrote:In 2003/04 Rotherham finished bottom with on 3 points, all LBP's.  The first came on 20th December 2003, which was round 12 of the Premiership, and incidentally was against London Irish, in a 10-15 defeat at Millmoor.

With London Irish not playing in the AP until Boxing Day they have gained an unwanted "record" perhaps. With saint's being the visitors it is feasible they may not get their first point until 2016.

I promise LI fans that I will stop talking them up in these preview threads - that may just be the change of luck you need.


On a more serious note however, what is going wrong. not seen LI play since first round, where truth be told neither team looked anything special but LI did look as if they had a decent pack and would be scrapping it out with other teams if nothing else.

Tough to answer LT.  Despite the amount of points we've conceded our defence has actually been pretty good, with the exception of the Chiefs game.  Our problem recently has been securing possession.  We had 17% possession yesterday.  You are always going to get hammered when you are that under the cosh.

Confidence looks shot, and we are really struggling in the 10 jersey.  Andy Goode retiring has absolutely killed us.  Noakes looks like a man with a noose around his neck and Geraghty has been out injured since the late hit from Devoto which went unpunished.  

Once we pick up a win, I think there is a chance that things could click a bit, and we could put a run of 2 or 3 together, it's just getting that first one over the line which is the problem.

I suspect 17% possession may not be accurate. ESPNScrum are reporting that but showing LI had 0% possession in first half.

any idea how you will be approaching the Embra double headers? go with a full team and try and build some form, or rest players?

LT, having watched the game, I would say 17% possession is probably about right.  As to the Edinburgh games I really don't know.  I would like to see us go full strength, get some continuity and build into targetting the game with Saints on Boxing Day.

I am sure it felt like that and I commiserate. however I still struggle to believe that:

a) LI had Zero possession in first half
b) with 79 rucks (Quins 96), 5 scrums (Quins 6) and 12 lineouts (quins 22) you only had overall 17% possession. Especially when you add in thet quins made 95 tackles (same as LI).

But whether it is 17% or 37% it was still appreciably less, then compunded by discipline - conceding 6 tackles more - and only 77% of tackles completed.



I hope you can turn it round over the next couple of weeks, as it can be a long winter when confidence is low.

Well come on you falcons...lets put these Saracens to the sword

GeordieFalcon wrote:Well come on you falcons...lets put these Saracens to the sword

Certainly hope so Geordie.

So do I..it would be a massive confidence booster and we need points!

LBP would do nicely, a win would be fantastic.

Execution HAS to be better, discipline HAS to improve.

Ha ha EVERYTHING HAS to be better

Haha...you had to go one better! C'mon lads

Here's hoping for something other than an absolute beating... (I'm hiding behind the sofa for this one!)

Christ, he put some welly on that!

Surely that was carried back in, in the phase before the box kick?