Aviva Premiership Round 15

I couldn't see a topic this week so I thought I'd make one.

Friday 4th March
Newcastle Falcons v Worcester Warriors  - BT SPORT - KO 19:45

Saturday 5th March
Sale Sharks v Harlequins - KO 2:30 pm
Gloucester V Wasps - KO 3 pm
Bath v London Irish - KO 3:15 pm
Saracens v Northampton Saints - KO 3:15pm BT SPORT

Sunday 6th March
Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs - KO 3pm BT SPORT

Falcons Team for the relegation battle with Worcester on Friday night.

Back to the team that has done so well recently....

1 Rob Vickers
2 Scott Lawson
3 Taione Vea
4 Mark Wilson
5 Sean Robinson
6 Will Welch (C)
7 Nili Latu
8 Ally Hogg

9 Michael Young
10 Andy Goode
11 Marcus Watson
12 Adam Powell
13 Chris Harris
14 Alex Tait
15 Simon Hammersley,
Replacements

16 George McGuigan, 17 Alex Rogers, 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama, 19 Mouritz Botha, 20 Callum Chick, 21 Sonatane Takulua, 22 Craig Willis, 23 Juan Pablo Socino

Callum Chick could make his premiership debut. Captain of the England U20 side, No.8

Worcester Warriors:
Pennell; Heem, Wynand Olivier, Mills, Vuna; Heathcote, Hougaard; Rapava Ruskin, Bregvadze, Schonert, O'Callaghan, Barry, Dowson, Potgieter, van Velze (capt).

Replacements: Annett, Leleimalefaga, Johnston, Sanderson, Betty, Baldwin, Lamb, Symons.


Just 4 EQPs in that starting XV I think.

Huge game Friday night
A Newcastle win should almost see them safe

Also are Leicester playing Exe on Sunday

Forward Pass wrote:Huge game Friday night
A Newcastle win should almost see them safe

Also are Leicester playing Exe on Sunday

Sorry yes they are I will update the original post, it's been a tough morning after the night before.

Tigers Team:

Marcos, wee Harry, Logo, Fitz, Barrow, Croft, Locky, Captain Ed
Kitto, burns, Niki, Manu, Betham, tompstone, Tait

Reps: Leo, Brugnara, baltrain, Kitch, WilliamsM, Harrison, williamsO, TV

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS TEAM TO PLAY SARACENS
Aviva Premiership Round 15
Allianz Park
Saturday, March 5th, 2016
Kick off 3:15pm
15 Ben FODEN
14 Ken PISI
13 George PISI
12 Luther BURRELL
11 Tom COLLINS
10 Stephen MYLER
9 Lee DICKSON (capt)
1 Alex WALLER
2 Mikey HAYWOOD
3 Kieran BROOKES
4 Courtney LAWES
5 Victor MATFIELD
6 Jamie GIBSON
7 Tom WOOD
8 Teimana HARRISON

16 Reece MARSHALL
17 Ethan WALLER
18 Paul HILL
19 James CRAIG
20 Sam DICKINSON
21 Tom KESSELL
22 JJ HANRAHAN
23 Harry MALLINDER

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Matt Jess, 13 Ian Whitten, 12 Sam Hill, 11 James Short, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Dave Lewis; 1 Moray Low, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 3 Tomas Francis, 4 Ollie Atkins, 5 Geoff Parling, 6 Dave Ewers, 7 Julian Salvi, 8 Don Armand.
Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 Lewis Stevenson, 20 Kai Horstmann, 21 Will Chudley, 22 Will Hooley, 23 Max Bodilly

No Thomas The Tank for the Chiefs is a blow for them. Nice to see Kitch and Williams come back in for Tigers. Pearce announces he's off then promptly gets dropped, not unexpected. This could be a tough day at the office for a misfiring Tigers team as Exeter look very competitive.

Exeter themselves have not been in the greatest form since the new year. Must win game for us really - can we do it, who knows.

Sale:
Haley; Addison, James, Leota, Arscott; Ford, Cusiter; Harrison, Lewis-Roberts, Briggs, Mujati, Evans, Ostrikov, Ioane, Seymour (capt), Easter.

Replacements: Taylor, Harrison, Cobilas, Mills, Neild, Stringer, Cipriani, Jennings.



Harlequins:
Chisholm; Yarde, Hopper, Sloan, Visser; Botica, Tebaldi; Lambert, Ward, Sinckler, Merrick, Horwill (capt), Luamanu, Wallace, Easter.

Replacements: Buchanan, Evans, Collier, Matthews, Chisholm, Egerton, Marchant, Walker.

I rate Armond more than Waldrom when it comes to an arm wrestle.

Armond or Ewers will be told to stay opposite Manu the whole time (Like Wallace was), the other will handle the heavy tackles for Salvi to try and pilfer.

Waldrom wouldn't allow that dynamic.

Bath Rugby v London Irish

15. Tom Homer
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
13. Ollie Devoto
12. Kyle Eastmond
11. Matt Banahan
10. Rhys Priestland
9. Chris Cook
1. Max Lahiff
2. Rob Webber
3. Henry Thomas
4. Charlie Ewels
5. Dominic Day
6. Matt Garvey
7. Francois Louw (c)
8. Amanaki Mafi

Replacements
16. Tom Dunn 17. Beno Obano 18. David Wilson 19. Stuart Hooper 20. Leroy Houston 21. Guy Mercer 22. Jonathan Evans  23. Horacio Agulla


London Irish XV

15. Sean Maitland 14. Alex Lewington 13. Ciaran Hearn 12. Johnny Williams 11. Topsy Ojo 10. Theo Brophy Clews 9. Scott Steele

1. Tom Smallbone 2. David Paice 3. Halani Aulika 4. Matt Symons 5 Elliott Stooke. 6. Ian Nagle 7. Luke Narraway (c) 8 Rob McCusker

Replacements
16. Tom Cruse 17. Tom Court 18. Leo Halavatau 19. Jerry Sexton 20. Blair Cowan 21. Darren Allinson 22. Greig Tonks 23. Fergus Mulchrone

Please can Bath have a win. Pretty please

If they don't then they are in trouble good and proper.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35700297.app

Saracens: Goode; Ellery, Taylor, Barritt (capt), Wyles; Mordt, Spencer, Barrington, George, Du Plessis, Smith, Hamilton, Rhodes, Brown, Wray.

Replacements: Saunders, Thompson-Stringer, Figallo, Hargreaves, Burger, De Kock, Bosch, Earle.


Going to be tough with Mordt at 10.



Pretty strong Saints team, missing just 2 players.

Shows Saints strength in depth at TH that they can bench Hill.

Welly wrote: I rate Armond more than Waldrom when it comes to an arm wrestle.

Armond or Ewers will be told to stay opposite Manu the whole time (Like Wallace was), the other will handle the heavy tackles for Salvi to try and pilfer.

Waldrom wouldn't allow that dynamic.

Given the iffy nature of our defence recently I fear Waldrom would be barrelling through gaps far to readily. You're right though Armond is a good abrasive player.

It'll be a tough game. Just hope we can do some damage on build on last week. Our error count still needs work but with that bench we should be strong into the second half.

Going to be a tough game for Quins.

We can win if we play smart and tactically. But if we don't, if we play the headless chicken stuff. Then I expect us to lose.

I hope Botica survives the game!! We have no more 10s to use and are covering 10 using either a centre (Hopper/Marchant) or a scrum half.

Either way not good.

Goode with the trick shot.

Dean Ryan always looks like he's about to cry

Refs bullying him.

Hmmm, was that a dodgy tackle on Goode?

Looked like a elbow was involved

Yea I thought that was a elbow.

Bit annoying to go in losing after controlling most of the half.

So far so good from Warriors but so very close. Worcester usually have a good first 40 so if that was it we're stuffed! Looks a different sort of game tbh.

nathan wrote:Hmmm, was that a dodgy tackle on Goode?

Looked like a elbow was involved

Didn't see an elbow but looked a tad late if we're talking about the same one.

Get Mickey Youngs off the pitch!!!!

And wake up falcons!! We haven't even turned up second half

Really poor 20mins from us, really lacking tempo.

And normal service well and truly resumed.

We have been truly woeful today. But fair do wuss they have took their chances.

It hasn't helped that our pack look half the size of there!

why havent Newcastle gone for the sticks the last two times. They would be level on points

Conditions look awful Nathan, no certainty of making it.

Come on lads!!!!

Pennell has been really disappointing, I think this is the worst I've seen him play.

Hard luck Falcons that was as tight as it gets. Delighted from a Wuss point of view obviously. Very painful to watch. :shock

What a load of utter bo!!ocks. Back to the normal crud at Kingston.

I thought Worcester worked hard for that and deserved the win despite the very tight finish. It's going to make the bottom of the table very interesting indeed over the next few matches with London Irish due to meet both Wuss and Newcastle. I think Irish have got Bath tomorrow haven't they? If Irish win then things get even more interesting.

beshocked wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35700297.app

Saracens: Goode; Ellery, Taylor, Barritt (capt), Wyles; Mordt, Spencer, Barrington, George, Du Plessis, Smith, Hamilton, Rhodes, Brown, Wray.

Replacements: Saunders, Thompson-Stringer, Figallo, Hargreaves, Burger, De Kock, Bosch, Earle.


Going to be tough with Mordt at 10.



Pretty strong Saints team, missing just 2 players.

Shows Saints strength in depth at TH that they can bench Hill.

Saints reverting to the early season line up that just didn't work, Burrell and Pisi at 12 and 13 respectively. Last year it was okay, the year before very good., But Pisi has lost a yard or two and that backline couldn't score un-opposed in early season.

Sarries too showing strength in depth, I would give Saints the edge in the lineout with Matfield, Lawes, Gibson and Wood all excellent options, and possibly the front row although they are a bit smaller than Sarries, especially with Hamilton starting and giving real grunt from lock, also Saints having a very lightweight back row.

stub wrote:I thought Worcester worked hard for that and deserved the win despite the very tight finish. It's going to make the bottom of the table very interesting indeed over the next few matches with London Irish due to meet both Wuss and Newcastle. I think Irish have got Bath tomorrow haven't they? If Irish win then things get even more interesting.

That's a huge IF given our away form ... I think that result could only have been worse for LI if both teams had got try bonus points ...

Looking for positives from a London Irish point of view I guess Falcons losing at home to a team below them and breaking their positive run of home form must be a good thing as it slows their momentum somewhat. Best thing that can happen now though is Irish beating Bath to drag them into the dogfight at the bottom. In fact, with my cynical hat on, if Bath do start to look in danger Wray might try to influence the adoption premiership ring fencing...

If Bath were relegated it would feel like Christmas came early

Cynical by Sarries and unpunished

How can the ref call "Use It" when the maul is advancing at a rate of knots?

cynical again by Sarries but punished

Pulled down again 2 m short

Myler scores from a Goode charge down by Gibson

Lawes off, looks serious.

Saints scrummage not looking the same

9 - 7 to Sarries at FT. Sarries playing with a stiff breeze at their backs.

Saints had the possession and territory, but only a single try. Sarries not really threatening apart from a 10 minute spell. George showing up well for them as Wood is for Saints.

Spencer YC or handing in the ruck 2 m out from his line. Ref bottles a second YC immediately after when Sarries collapse a maul 1-2 m out for the third time this half.

Lawes couldn't walk off and had too be helped, couldn't put any weight on his left foot.

It will be interesting to watch Sarries play their kicking game against this wind.

Irish I will take Symons, Lewington and Williams off you.

In return you can train tickets to Nottingham.

Okay, Okay.

Saints score a second try, converted by Myler.

14 - 10

Awful finish by foden

Foden over, ref looking to TMO.

Dropped over the line

Ref = MVP for Saints.

Should be a penalty if it was a knock on, Burrell didn't touch it