Aviva Premiership - Round 9

First topic message reminder :

Table

Team	--P--	--W--	--D--	--BP--	Points
Saracens	8	8	0	4	36
Exeter	8	6	0	6	30
Harlequins	8	5	1	5	27
Leicester	8	6	0	1	25
Northampton	8	4	0	5	21
Gloucester	8	4	1	2	20
Sale Sharks	8	3	1	3	17
Bath	8	3	0	4	16
Wasps	8	3	0	3	15
Worcester	8	2	0	4	12
Newcastle	8	1	1	0	6
London Irish	8	1	0	0	4

Fixtures

Fri 8th Jan 16

19:45 Bath Rugby Bath P - P Sale Sharks
Postponed to allow Bath to travel to Toulon.


Sat 9th Jan 16

15:00 Exeter Chiefs  v   Gloucester Rugby
Both sides have growing injury lists, but at home Chiefs should have too much and maintain their place at second in the table.

15:00 Harlequins  v   Saracens
Common wisdom is that Quins are incapable of beating Saracens. common wisdom is that they will struggle up front and then run into blind alleys. Common wisdom states that Saracens are too clinical, too ruthless and just too awesome for a fragile Harlequins.
Well Love sacks to common wisdom. Quins are tougher up front this year and should conditions be dry have easily enough to run the famed Sarries defence ragged, especially if McCall decides to conhcentrate on next weeks visit from Ulster. Will it be dry though?

15:15 Leicester Tigers  v   Northampton Saints BT Sport
Saints are in the poorest form I have seen since the relegation season - yet win at their old rivals and they will be in the Top 4! Will Mallinder decide to come with his strongest team, or will he be looking ahead to the Glasgow fixture next week? To be honest I am not sure the visitors can afford to worry about next week, they have to win this weekend in front of what will be the biggest ever crowd at Welford Road. Saints will be ruing the injury to Brookes, but will be certain they can get scrummage control - though it is possible that young Paul hill may learn a lesson or two from Marcos Ayerza. Saints will look to replicate the Sarries template from last week, take the scrum penalties, kick to the cornes and maul like crazy. They have shown little creative ability otherwise this season - but may well be looking for a Penalty Try TBP.
This game is free to air, for any interested.

Sun 10th Jan 16

13:00 London Irish  v   Newcastle Falcons BT Sport
Huge game for both clubs, but even more so for the hosts. They cannot afford to lose but can their half backs give them the control they need? Newcastle will look to dominate at scrum time, but have to improve at the lineout if they are to secure a vital away win. In their favour, the lineout is an area that LI have really struggled in. LI will be looking to take advantage of what has been at times a porous defence and certainly have some speedy backs who could prosper.


14:00 Wasps  v   Worcester Warriors
Wasps have looked like Gods in the ECC, but like dogs at times in the AP. Gopperth has had his one good display of the season and shoudl be dispensed with. Simpson needs to regain his earlier form. Most of all though they need hughes and Smith to be fit.
Wuss will fight for everything and never give up. If Wasps are not on top form they could prosper.

Sad to o. Williams off

Quins somehow leading 15-14 at HT. I am freaking out. Massive half of rugby to come!

Think we'll play too loose with burns at 10

nathan wrote:Sad to o. Williams off

Poor chap, rate him a lot

lovely contrast of styles in the Quins-Sarries game, really enjoying it

didn't like that cheap shot by Horwill though, really hope Kruis is OK, took a long time to get him off and he looked out cold...

Tigers slaughtering Saints, but have lost O'Conner and Williams to injury. Shame as Youngs and Williams were really running the show.

What's the story behind the Saints v Leicester match so far?

couple of soft penalties given away by Leicester and all of a sudden Saints have a line-out five metres from the tryline. They duly drive over, and get a lifeline back into the game.

Pfffft, silly by tigers

Rugby Fan wrote:What's the story behind the Saints v Leicester match so far?

Been one way traffic until saints drive over. We've lost Owen williams and o'conner

Saints coming back into it, 21 -10
Harrison with the try, maul from a 5m lineout

Williams was a bad one, head in completely the wrong place, i.e. on Lawes' knee.

Tigers made sure Gibson had a good welcome back, he is off as well

Hmm think Farrell might be a bit fortunate to get away with that, did look like the legs were lifted above horizontal? Don't think there was any intent, but would have thought at least a penalty... Good subsequent turnover from Vunipola though.

Suspected broken jaw for Williams, bloody hell

Surprised with that, technically probably a card. Evans taken a knock :/

And now if Evans comes off we are doomed. Also, an unfair penalty for "offside". Hmmm

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Williams was a bad one, head in completely the wrong place, i.e. on Lawes' knee.

Tigers made sure Gibson had a good welcome back, he is off as well

Gibsons is still on isn't he?

Frak sake, that's pathetic

WE've lost this match now

Are we unable to kick

Poor handling from Youngs, how are Saints in this??

Botica is not premiership class

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Poor handling from Youngs, how are Saints in this??

It was burns who tried to scoop it up, but he did straight into norths hands

It was Youngs who dropped it wasn't it??

Sgt_Pooly wrote:It was Youngs who dropped it wasn't it??

Didn't drop it,was knocked out of his hands

Fantastic turnover from Harrison, he's some prospect.

nathan wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:It was Youngs who dropped it wasn't it??

Didn't drop it,was knocked out of his hands

So he lost it in possesion, poor hands either way as I said.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:

nathan wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:It was Youngs who dropped it wasn't it??

Didn't drop it,was knocked out of his hands

So he lost it in possesion, poor hands either way as I said.

Yeah fine, no need to be a man sausage about it

Hmm again. Think the right decision was made, though you could also argue a tackle without the ball on George (I think), before the obstruction by Wray. BUT, how long should refs come back to when checking that sort of thing?

How I am being a man sausage whatever that is? I said poor hands from Youngs and you picked me up on it?!?

Despite what I said, great play to make the ball dead and then great kick by Botica!

No high tackle for me

Not a high tackle....Outstanding from Hill

Hmm, perhaps from that angle. I don't know

Manu!

Actually, that probably should have been a 22 not scrum up the field. Lucky break for Quins, though given Farrell's luck I don't feel that bad. Sarries lead 18-23

Tremendous game of rugby this.

Not high.

I think that's a bad call from Barnes, it was hardly even a tackle and not that high. Poor Hill, got to feel for him.

Yellow for Du Plessis, probably lucky. Hmmm

EDIT: it was Lowe as well, poor Lowe, he has had serious neck injury before

Red now. Don't like pressuring the ref or overturning cards, Sarries can be rightly miffed at that, though not the decision

Great turnover from Youngs, great technique. He could teach some of our 7's a thing or two

Don't think Sarries can have too many complaints TBH, clear red card for me. Though they could argue that Horwill should have gone in the first half...

This will be a try, we can't defend close lineouts

Spoke too soon on Cole.

I've been impressed with Harrison, Haywood and Hill for Saints.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:Don't think Sarries can have too many complaints TBH, clear red card for me. Though they could argue that Horwill should have gone in the first half...

They will.

Quins leading now 24-23, Saracens a man down, COYQ!!!!

It's raining then...

Never a turnover for Croft, hands firmly on the deck. Lucky for Tigers there.

I don't think I've ever said this, but I don't think this weather is going suit us

What the hell, how was that try allowed?

Great day for Gibson