Prem Round 9

Friday
Saints v Chiefs

Sat
Sale v Gloucester
Falcons v Bath
Bristol v Saracens

Newcastle Falcons team v Bath Rugby (Saturday, 3pm, Kingston Park Stadium)

15 Elliott Obatoyinbo,
14 Adam Radwan,
13 George Wacokecoke,
12 Pete Lucock,
11 Ben Stevenson,
10 Brett Connon,
9 Michael Young (captain);

1 Adam Brocklebank,
2 Jamie Blamire,
3 Richard Palframan,
4 Matthew Dalton,
5 Sebastian de Chaves,
6 Freddie Lockwood,
7 Connor Collett,
8 Callum Chick.

Replacements: 16 George McGuigan, 17 Phil Brantingham, 18 Mark Tampin, 19 George Merrick, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Sam Stuart, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Tom Penny.

Not available for selection: Mateo Carreras, Sam Clark, Trevor Davison, Carl Fearns, Gary Graham, Conor Kenny, Matias Moroni, Logovi’i Mulipola, Matias Orlando, Josh Peters, Greg Peterson, Sean Robinson, Oliver Spencer, Philip van der Walt, Will Welch.

Referee: Hamish Smales

Bath Rugby team to play Newcastle Falcons

15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Max Ojomoh, 11 Ruaridh McConnochie, 10 George Worboys, 9 Max Green; 1 Valeriy Morozov, 2 Tom Dunn , 3 D’Arcy Rae, 4 Fergus Lee-Warner, 5 Quinn Roux, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Miles Reid, 8 Richard de Carpentier

16 Niall Annett, 17 Arthur Cordwell, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Tom Ellis, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Jonathan Joseph

So if you counter ruck and end up off your feet how can it be legal to crawl into the space of the other side and then flop on the floor?

Hodge still a wonderful runner then.

Yep nice break

Almost a nice Saints try too

Heaf wrote:So if you counter ruck and end up off your feet how can it be legal to crawl into the space of the other side and then flop on the floor?

I don't think he had a lot of choice with the number of Chiefs piling in behind him. Ioygen really to blame, really weak body positioning making it easy for Yeandle to put him on his backside.

Fin Smith looking pretty comfortable and in control at 10 for Saints already.they must be pretty pleased with that, could be their go to option for more than a decade.

Looked a bit more cynical to me but then maybe I'm just too suspicious ... bit like the Chiefs player 'accidentally' running right into the passing line when the Saints had a clear scoring opportunity ... Yellow for me, just like a deliberate knock-on ...

Also not convinced the Woodburn clear-out in the first half was legal - looked like shoulder to back of neck to me - followed by a failed HIA - so have my doubts

Sloppy by Saints

Smith's place-kicking has been excellent

Saints line-out has been dire

Heaf wrote:Looked a bit more cynical to me but then maybe I'm just too suspicious ... bit like the Chiefs player 'accidentally' running right into the passing line when the Saints had a clear scoring opportunity ... Yellow for me, just like a deliberate knock-on ...

Stone wall yellow card that. Dunne knew what he was doing and if ball had gone to hand it's three on one and a walk in try.

Saints could have won that comfortably if their line-out hadn't been so shocking

Heaf wrote:Smith's place-kicking has been excellent

Gets a lot of bend on it doesn't he. Man of the match for him as well, if he keeps playing like that and Saints have some spare cash to spend with Biggar going the Saints board will be feeling pretty good. If they use that cash to acquire Tom West to sure you the front row that'll be some impressive business.

Yep I thought he'd missed one until it veered in at the last minute ...

Heaf wrote:Yep I thought he'd missed one until it veered in at the last minute ...

Yeah a couple of them started outside the post and then came round. Bit of an odd style, more football free kick than traditional rugby.

Overall a pretty decent performance by Saints. Tommy Freeman showed his class and the difference when Mitchell came on was clear, though I like Tom James as a good club player. Last year I never would have thought Saints would put out a back row of Scott-Young, Hinckley, and Graham. And they would do very well against some seasoned operators.

If Saints can correct the lineouts (quite vomitus at the moment) we could have a battle royale for playoff spots...

I was surprised with Haywood tiring and throwing progressively worse that the coaches didn't opt for Robbie Smith. He played well for Falcons when given the chance last season. I mean it's fortunate they didn't so he could cover the Smith knock but he could have helped wrap the game up before that point with some lineouts that actually went to plan.