Gallagher Premiership - Round 6

by **LondonTiger** Thu 04 Oct 2018, 11:33 am

First topic message reminder :

Friday 5 October

19:45 Bath v Exeter (BT Sport)

Saturday 6 October

15:00 Northampton v Leicester (Twickenham) (BT Sport)
15:00 Sale v Newcastle
15:00 Wasps v Gloucester
19:30 Harlequins v Saracens (BT Sport)

Sunday 7 October

15:00 Worcester v Bristol (BT Sport)

Having rested key players for the trip to Saracens, Blackadder will hope for something from his bigger names this week. Bath will have to play a lot better than they have done so far this season if they are to beat Exeter. Cannot see it happening.

Two televised games from the Twickenham area on Saturday (will they just move all the kit from the main ground to the Stoop?). The relocated East Midlands derby sees two sides who have shipped a lot of points and been involved in some crazy scorelines this season. Who is fit and who is injured could have a lard part to play in the result.
Quins find themselves in 4th place in the table, heading a group of 6 teams that have won 2 from 5. They failed to back up an impressive win on the opening day of the season, and I doubt Sarries will let them back up last weeks good win on the road with a third victory for the season.

Gloucester will be hurt by last weeks performance, and should be able to scare Wasps. However I keep underestimating the Coventry side and thus feel they will ultimately secure a fairly easy win.

The bottom two sides meet in Salford with both sides desperate for the win. Falcons have had a tough fixture list at the start of the season (losing to the sides who finished 1,2,3 & 5 last season) while Sale have flattered to deceive. Sale were really poor last week and will need a massive improvement if they are not to see the gap widen at the bottom.

Bristol have yet to win on the road this season. Worcester have yet to win at home. Draw anyone?

by Heaf Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:30 pm

Maybe Tigers lucky not to get done for not retreating behind the line there from the quick tap

by nathan Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:33 pm

I think the two players that made the tackle were behind the line, don't think the others were though but they didn't make the tackle.

Certai my interesting maul defence from saints

by Heaf Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:35 pm

I think one was but one didn't quite make it .. but again strong defence from Tigers which has been missing a bit recently ...
JP as usual making strange calls both ways ...

by nathan Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:36 pm

Yeah true.
Certainly better today, plenty to work on though.

They'll get someone in the bin soon if we keep giving away penalties

by Heaf Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:39 pm

Biggar flapping his arms around and calls for the ball only to pass it for the player to get turned over - can't help thinking they would have been better sticking with the pick and drive ...

by Heaf Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:40 pm

Well I suppose that had to come after all that pressure ...

by nathan Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:41 pm

Mapapalangi needs to be subbed, he's been awful in the last 10

by Heaf Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:41 pm

And again Biggar misses the kick - I think not doing his little dance is affecting his kicking Smile

by **RDW** Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:52 pm

Biggar hasn't been good today. Back to his moany best too - this time his own teammates!

I know it's bad weather but this has been pretty awful stuff.

by Cumbrian Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:53 pm

I don't know what to make of Mallinder at fullback. He seems like a decent defensive player (okay positioning and a massive/accurate boot), but he doesn't seem much of an attacking threat.

by nathan Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:55 pm

Thought tigers defence was 100% better, we were never going to get a great game with the weather

by Cumbrian Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:56 pm

Though Saints' biggest problem was Reinach, his delivery was glacial and he really seemed to struggle with organisation. Biggar wasn't great either, all he seemed capable of was up-and-unders.

by nathan Sat 06 Oct 2018, 4:56 pm

Burrell was useless, biggar's kicking was awful, no where near a international level kicking display there

by **LondonTiger** Sat 06 Oct 2018, 5:18 pm

69% possession, 73% territory and Saints one tactic in open play was to try an run through George Ford - who kept knocking them down.

Bakewell needs to sort out our mail. 6 mauls, 6 times possession conceded.

by formerly known as Sam Sat 06 Oct 2018, 5:46 pm

LondonTiger wrote:69% possession, 73% territory and Saints one tactic in open play was to try an run through George Ford - who kept knocking them down.

Bakewell needs to sort out our mail. 6 mauls, 6 times possession conceded.

Bakewell has been working on actually getting the ball at the lineout I presume. Hopefully we'll now start working on using it.

What I couldn't understand was that why we kept opting to drive when it just didn't work. Why not dummy the drive and look to crash it over? Manu made metres whenever he had the ball, let him crash it off of Ford's shoulder that close to the line. When we went through phases in the Saints 22 we pushed them back. Just needed more patience because Saints discipline wasn't great. We kept going to the maul where they were good.

Other that Cole was excellent and when young Heyes comes off the bench and at 19 starts shoving around the Saints loosehead Stanko will be looking smug. On another day another ref would have rewarded our scrum dominance with a lot more penalties.

by Welly Sat 06 Oct 2018, 6:14 pm

Boyd is going to learn the hard way that he needs to invest in a Top Loosehead and a top deputy. (Waller is the typical club man 3rd choice prop).

If he wants to play NZ rugby he will need to invest in the forwards because the general English skill set and the weather doesn't lend itself to loose play, in Super rugby you have the benefit of everyone playing loose here in the prem if one team plays loose the other will generally tighten up.

by Brendan Sat 06 Oct 2018, 9:01 pm

Most surprised by ease of Sale win Newcastle need to get a few wins or they might be in for a long season. With the three biggest teams already played at home they really need to win the next home game.
Also surprised by Glaws seem to be doing well this season.

by formerly known as Sam Sat 06 Oct 2018, 9:05 pm

The Saints scrum was pretty average verging on the poor in the final quarter. For all the talk of Hurricanes style attacking rugby there was very little coming from the backs and Biggar really seemed to have no understanding with either his scrum half or inside centre which is killer for a 10.

Outrageous Joe Marchant try Vs Sarries. Ball caught on the breeze from a penalty looked to be drifting wide and then he arrives at full tilt to go over the line airborne.

by mid_gen Sat 06 Oct 2018, 9:34 pm

Can't be too disappointed with that Quins loss. The best we've played this season and took a bonus point from Sarries.

From an England perspective, very good. Billy was back to his rampaging best. Marchant and Lozowski were excellent. Care getting back into good form too.

by **LondonTiger** Sun 07 Oct 2018, 7:27 am

Fantastic display of tackling from Quins that denied Sarries a TBP for first time this season, helped by:

1) Opponents who chose to keep it tight perhaps due to conditions and ......
2) A ref who allowed them to be permanently offside by a step as well as lying on the ball and slowing play down.

Sadly they kept giving the ball back to Sarries far too quickly and easily.

by TJ Sun 07 Oct 2018, 11:00 am

I watched the Saints / Sarries game - Great piece of sportsmanship from Vunipola telling the ref he knocked it on and didn't score. Really nice to see especially as IMO thats a team known more for gamesmanship than sportsmanship ;-)

by EnglishReign Sun 07 Oct 2018, 11:02 am

Great away win for Glaws who would be right up there but for a needless home loss to Quins

by Geordie Sun 07 Oct 2018, 2:45 pm

We're in big trouble

by **LondonTiger** Sun 07 Oct 2018, 2:50 pm

TJ wrote:I watched the Saints / Sarries game - Great piece of sportsmanship from Vunipola telling the ref he knocked it on and didn't score. Really nice to see especially as IMO thats a team known more for gamesmanship than sportsmanship ;-)

I would be interested to see examples of gamesmanship from McCall's team.

Saracens would be a long, long way down my list of sides that employ gamesmanship.

by Poorfour Sun 07 Oct 2018, 3:17 pm

LondonTiger wrote:

I would be interested to see examples of gamesmanship from McCall's team.

Saracens would be a long, long way down my list of sides that employ gamesmanship.

Well, apart from the whole salary cap thing, obviously. Sarries don’t engage in much on the pitch pettiness, though they do very much push the limit of the law. Their defensive line is probably onside in certain non-Euclidean geometries, for instance. They’re not doing anything that other teams don’t do, but it’s a real tooth gnasher as an opposing fan to see how consistently and with how much discipline they do it, and how often they get away with it.

by Heaf Sun 07 Oct 2018, 4:12 pm

Worcester looking pretty sharp today ... tough to call who's likely to be for the drop this season so far.

by formerly known as Sam Sun 07 Oct 2018, 4:46 pm

Even a man down Worcester look in control. Bristol look rudderless.

by Heaf Sun 07 Oct 2018, 4:49 pm

Yep maybe their early successes were a false dawn ...

by stub Sun 07 Oct 2018, 5:22 pm

Great game there from Worcester, I’m hoping that they will take loads of confidence from that.

by englishborn Mon 08 Oct 2018, 11:11 am

Well I was pleased by Sale's performance. The defence held itself much better than the last 5 games, and with van Rensburg our midfield is able to punch a few holes now. Big loss with Yarde though, we have good wing cover but he has been on fire recently.

I really don't see Newcastle staying bottom for long but top 4 is unlikely now, I suspect they will finish similar to ourselves this year.

by **LondonTiger** Mon 08 Oct 2018, 11:24 am

To be fair, your defence was solid against us too.

As to who will go down, right now you would probably say that anyone below probably Wasps (and maybe Glaws) in the table could be susceptible to a poor run and find themselves in the relegation battle.

by propdavid_london Mon 08 Oct 2018, 1:13 pm

TJ wrote:I watched the Saints / Sarries game - Great piece of sportsmanship from Vunipola telling the ref he knocked it on and didn't score. Really nice to see especially as IMO thats a team known more for gamesmanship than sportsmanship ;-)

2nd that....excellent from Billy.

by propdavid_london Mon 08 Oct 2018, 1:18 pm

Does anyone have updates on the weekends injuries?
Jonny May
Marland Yarde - heard it was serious!
Paul Lasike - missed the first few mins and he was already off and replaced by Alofa Alofa!
Schonert also went off in the Worcester game I think!

by **LondonTiger** Mon 08 Oct 2018, 1:24 pm

England wing Marland Yarde is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after dislocating his kneecap in Sale's win against Newcastle.
Yarde, 26, who sustained the injury while slipping during a tackle, is expected to be out of action for a minimum of six months in a blow to both club and country.

In better news for England head coach Eddie Jones, though, Leicester's director of rugby, Geordan Murphy, revealed after the game that he expects May to be fit for next month's internationals.
"He got a bang directly on the point of his shoulder and it was sore rather than severe," Murphy said. "It is the sort of injury where sometimes you can strap him up and play, or it takes a few weeks. We have to wait."

by No 7&1/2 Mon 08 Oct 2018, 1:35 pm

Good news for may. We need him.firing from.an england perspective given Watson is already out.

by propdavid_london Mon 08 Oct 2018, 1:37 pm

Good news on May then.
Dislocating a Knee - ouch. He was an outside bet for England selection, but fortunately Sale have plenty of wing options on their books (Solomona, Ashton, McGuigan, Odogwu, wont be too surprised to see Sam James play there Smile

)

by **LondonTiger** Mon 08 Oct 2018, 1:39 pm

Solomona currently injured, and Ashton suspended for another week.

by **LondonTiger** Mon 08 Oct 2018, 7:47 pm

Nathan Hughes and Lewis Ludlow cited following the match at the Ricoh on Saturday.

Ludlow accused of stamping on Elliott Daly midway through the second half, Hughes accused of punching Ludlow in the last minute of the game.

by yappysnap Mon 08 Oct 2018, 11:13 pm

So according to Opta, two Quins players hit 30 tackles on the weekend Robshaw (30/30) and Crumpton (30/31), thats the first time two players in a team have hit 30, and it's doubly bloody impressive to only miss one tackle out of 61. Shows that we probably kicked a bit too much though.

by propdavid_london Tue 09 Oct 2018, 8:17 am

Lets hope they can back up that performance yappy.
There has been far too much yoyo'ing of form over the last few seasons.

by TJ Tue 09 Oct 2018, 8:28 am

I have to say I thought Robshaw really impressive in defence in that game. Not just making the tackles but knocking them back as well. He seemed to be in the right place at the right time and reading the game well.

by **LondonTiger** Tue 09 Oct 2018, 8:59 am

yappysnap wrote:So according to Opta, two Quins players hit 30 tackles on the weekend Robshaw (30/30) and Crumpton (30/31), thats the first time two players in a team have hit 30, and it's doubly bloody impressive to only miss one tackle out of 61. Shows that we probably kicked a bit too much though.

There was a strong wind behind Quins in the first half so kicking for territory was not a bad idea - however they did not kick well enough to pin Sarries back in their own half. In the second defending a narrow lead they still continued kicking which just piled the pressure right back on themselves. I guess they were a little scared of conceding turnovers inside their own 22, but defending by ceding possession and only gaining marginal territory will often bite you in the backside.

by yappysnap Tue 09 Oct 2018, 10:00 pm

Yea it's a plan that seems to fail more often then not but teams still employ it frequently.

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