Aviva Premiership - Round 20

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Table



Fixtures

Fri 15th Apr 16
19:45 Gloucester Rugby  v   Exeter Chiefs Kingsholm BT Sport


Sat 16th Apr 16
15:00 Worcester Warriors  v   Wasps Sixways
15:15 Saracens  v   Harlequins Wembley Stadium BT Sport
17:30 Northampton Saints  v  Leicester Tigers Franklin's Gardens BT Sport


Sun 17th Apr 16
14:30 Sale Sharks  v   Bath Rugby AJ Bell Stadium
15:00 Newcastle Falcons  v   London Irish   Kingston Park BT Sport





Previews

The weekend starts with Exeter, fresh from the agonising defeat in Europe travelling to Kingsholm with their hosts in a horrendous run of form. With a misfiring lineout, a scrum that is creaking and most of the star backs injured, Gloucester look certain to extend their losing streak and heap the pressure onto DoR Humphreys as he fights to keep his job. I was going to say something fatuous like "sport always has the capacity for an upset" but you know what, with Exeter needing the win to keep ahead of Wasps, I fully expect us to see a plethora of maul drives and more tries for Waldrom. Exeter with a TBP

Speaking of Wasps, they travel to Sixfields to face a team with nothing to play for. When fired up Worcester can be highly combative and possess real threat in their largely antipodean backline. However when not fully focused they can be torn apart. I expect to see the latter and a big win for Wasps.

Sarries and Quins meet at Wembley knowing that despite winning at the weekend, both were guilty of extremely sloppy play and were a long way from their best. Quins have tended to struggle a little with Sarries style, and with McCall and Sanderson probably having fired several grenades up the Sarries players arses in training there is no reason to expect a break from the trend. Quins need the win to stay in play-off contention, but lack a controlling presence at 10 to combat the feociousness we can expect from Sarries. Win for the champions, but maybe not a TBP.

For once the Est Midlands derby is not the biggest game of the weekend, however as usual still huge amounts riding on this match. Saints simply have to win else there season is as good as over. Tigers know they can afford to lose and still have the play-offs in their own hands (unless Saints get the TBP and Tigers nothing) but will be desperate to do the double over their now second closest rivals. Saints will know that they let themselves down at the weekend, when a strangely lacklustre Sarries were ripe for picking, but their fate may rest in just how many players they can bring back in, and whether Jim Mallinder has the balls to trust his son. Scrums will be interesting as at times both sides struggled at the weekend.

With Sale losing to Montpelier at the weekend, their trip to Bath has been re-arranged a second time and will now be held on 23rd April rater than this Wednesday. Perhaps makes this particular fixture slightly less interesting, but better that there is not a 3 day turnaround. Sale can still make the top 4, but need to win both matches against Bath to stay in the running, while bath need to win both just to putthe pressure on for Top 6. On current form Sale should win this one.

And to the big one. The crunch relegation game with Irish travelling to the North East. Both teams have been seriously misfiring and I doubt anyone would be willing to stake money on how this game will go.

As good a player as corns was he's an awful commentator

Williams looked fine there to me...

Does Waller ever think he's done wrong?

Shut up saints fans, nothing wrong with it!

Are you Frak kidding me!

Does any prop?

There was nothing wrong with that Manu tackle, very weak refereeing.

How is that above the horizontal?

BT footage shouldn't be shown at the ground if this is going to happen.

His backside hits the floor first, it's very weak officiating. The TMO hears the boos and then decides it's illegal and the ref has not got the spine to stick with his original opinion.

Awful tries conceded. Ayerza has managed to finish every scrum horizontal to the scrum with his head to the floor but apparently all legal.

Scottrf wrote:Awful tries conceded. Ayerza has managed to finish every scrum horizontal to the scrum with his head to the floor but apparently all legal.

As the camera has been on Coles side pretty much each time how do you know?

Because I'm at the Gardens...

Scottrf wrote:Because I'm at the Gardens...

That would make sense!

Good to see no ref whinging this week

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Good to see no ref whinging this week

I'm still well behind you and heaf so I'm still trying to catch up! 

Has anyone else noticed, whenever Saints gat a lineout in the Tigers 22, someone in a Tigers shirt always goes to ground to make life awkward for the driving Maul. A good reason to bring back rucking in my opinion.

Yeah that's every maul in every game though. They are a mess.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Has anyone else noticed, whenever Saints gat a lineout in the Tigers 22, someone in a Tigers shirt always goes to ground to make life awkward for the driving Maul. A good reason to bring back rucking in my opinion.

It's legal though if it's before a maul. Any decent team does it! Including saints.

I think the Cole and Waller side has been going down and then Ayerza takes the opportunity to pile straight through Brookes and dump him onto Haywood which is why he's normally face down. Ayerza has been scummaging extra low of late to help out Thacker.

Tigers cut the penalties and I think we can pull away. Saints look lethargic in the backs and so if we cut the territory the penalties are giving their pack and we can do this.

nathan wrote:

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Has anyone else noticed, whenever Saints gat a lineout in the Tigers 22, someone in a Tigers shirt always goes to ground to make life awkward for the driving Maul. A good reason to bring back rucking in my opinion.

It's legal though if it's before a maul. Any decent team does it! Including saints.

Perfectly legal to tackle the jumper round the ankles as he hits the floor. Why should the defending team go high and submit to a maul?

Harrison had a stunning first half.

Scottrf wrote:Harrison had a stunning first half.

He did indeed, hopefully he keeps improving

Saints need to be careful with the ref moaning

This ref is a bit Poopie at communicating for both teams

What the Frak....

Wonder how many use its saints will get this time...

Release? It's a maul! Terrible decision.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Release? It's a maul! Terrible decision.

Tell me about it, should of been a penalty to tigers and that try would never of happened. The ref even should he's through the middle and it was a maul.

Why is that not a penalty?

Clearly wood kicked it forward and a saints player caught it.

Good to see mallinder and burns shake hands straight after

How did Burns escape without at least a censure

I think the call for the scrum was correct. The kick bounces off of Wood's head and then into Pisi.

Mallinder naughty with the knee on Burns. Then Croft has done similar on Kessle. Things bubbling along.

dangerous?

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:How did Burns escape without at least a censure

Because he only had Mallinder by the shirt and Mallinder slid into him with absolutely no need and knee first.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:dangerous?

Both were but if Mallinder didn't walk then carding Croft would have been harsh.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:dangerous?

Just as dangerous as mallinder! glad both players are still on the pitch

nathan wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Good to see no ref whinging this week

I'm still well behind you and heaf so I'm still trying to catch up! 

I very rarely blame the ref. We're usually too poop to even justify ref bashing!

Have we had a completed scrum? Seems e ref doesn't have a clue

With our performance today I can't see us beating racing next week.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:

nathan wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Good to see no ref whinging this week

I'm still well behind you and heaf so I'm still trying to catch up! 

I very rarely blame the ref. We're usually too poop to even justify ref bashing!

In the most Garner has had a good game. He's just made a couple of very odd decisions that are causing debate.

Great kick by jj

Where's our advantage?

nathan wrote:With our performance today I can't see us beating racing next week.

We need BOC and McCaffery in tandem for that.

Another dim pen and Saints are back within touching distance.

technically he took the ban without the ball there

WELL-PAST-IT wrote: technically he took the ban without the ball there

Technically yes but if you're going to run into a defender without the ball and in line with the ball carrier you're going to get hit.

wouldn't have made a difference but how was deliberately tackling the man well off the ball and thus stopping the support not a yellow card

WELL-PAST-IT wrote: technically he took the ban without the ball there

He did and it was a penalty, but was it above the horizontal?


I didn't enjoy that because of how Poopie the ref was for both teams. Awful reffing

formerly known as Sam wrote:

WELL-PAST-IT wrote: technically he took the ban without the ball there

Technically yes but if you're going to run into a defender without the ball and in line with the ball carrier you're going to get hit.

He was standing still !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

WELL-PAST-IT wrote: technically he took the ban without the ball there

Technically yes but if you're going to run into a defender without the ball and in line with the ball carrier you're going to get hit.

He was standing still !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure? I thought he was running at the same speed as the tackled player who actually had the ball

Well done Tigers. Two really awful tries and so many weak and missed tackles cost us. That scrum was a complete mess. How can a scrum fall down before feed if nobody is pushing?