Here We Go, Round 12

Teams for the visit of Falcons tomorrow:

15 Rory Hutchinson – 150th Saints appearance
14 Gabriel Hamer-Webb – Saint #2089
13 Burger Odendaal
12 Tom Litchfield
11 Ollie Sleightholme
10 Charlie Savala
9 Tom James

1 Alex Waller
2 Sam Matavesi
3 Trevor Davison
4 Temo Mayanavanua
5 Chunya Munga
6 Courtney Lawes
7 Lewis Ludlam (c)
8 Sam Graham

Replacements:
16 Robbie Smith
17 Tarek Haffar
18 Elliot Millar Mills
19 Alex Moon
20 Juarno Augustus
21 Angus Scott-Young
22 Callum Braley
23 Joel Matavesi

Not available for selection:
George Hendy, Curtis Langdon (suspended), James Ramm and Tom Seabrook. (3 wingers)

International duty:
Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Alex Mitchell, Tom Pearson and Fin Smith (all England).

FALCONS SIDE TO FACE SAINTS:
15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Cameron Hutchison, 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Louie Johnson, 9 Hugh O’Sullivan; 1 Phil Brantingham, 2 Bryan Byrne, 3 Murray McCallum, 4 John Hawkins, 5 Sebastian de Chaves, 6 Sam Cross, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Callum Chick (c).
Replacements: 16 Michael van Vuuren, 17 Adam Brocklebank, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Tim Cardall, 20 Freddie Lockwood, 21 Sam Stuart, 22 Rory Jennings, 23 Mateo Carreras.

Not quite sure what to make of that team, a couple of big centres, I have said previously I wanted to see Litchfield at 12, he has all the attributes to make a success of it. Hutchinson at 15, Jury's out. New boy Gabriel Hamer-Webb getting his first start, he is only on a short term contract, but it will be interesting to watch, he is another one that looks powerful, there is a lot of muscle in that backline.

The pack should be fine, Lawes, Ludlum and Graham with Augustus to come on is about as strong as it gets.

6-2 split on the bench, largely because we have run out of backs, they are all sunning themselves in Italy.

Tigers beat Quins in a rather odd game at the Stoop. Tigers dominated to the extent Quins rarely got out their half and nowhere near the Tigers 22 during the first period but a scuffed Whiteley kick and some errors at costly times made it only 7-10 at the break. Quins came back firing back but Tigers tactic of hitting through the middle then throwing passes straight to the wing (normally OHC) kept causing problems. Jarrod Evans missed conversion at the death left it 19-20 and Tigers very much in the race for the playoffs.

Credit to Tigers fourth choice tighthead Richardson who played the full 80 in just his third appearance in the Tigers first team. Managed to keep his side of the scrum solid, whilst Cronin suffered at the hands of Collier, right up to the last scrum where it all when pear shaped and Quins scored from.

I've got to remember to check the red button. Didn't realise this Northampton Newcastle natch was on TV.

Yep I've been caught out like that before - wish they'd just put them all on the proper channels ...

Think saints are stunned by our Pink shorts....

Well not sure I agree with the tmo there. Surely you can see Lawes propel himself forward with his knee.

Surely thats a double movement

Get in

Nice finish by the team. Radwan basically created it by just creating panic by simply.running with it for the pen.

Yeah. Should be Newcastle ball.

No it shouldn't. Ignore that.

Aww come on whys he yellowed??!!

Rubbish call ref!!!

Because its a penalty try.

3 clear decisions against us so far thwt are wrong....

Think the commentator was wrong about the put-in for the scrum following the maul from the kick-off. From the kick-off you don't retain possession if you're wrapped up immediately from a kick, that's only from a kick in open play isn't it?

And a penalty try results in a yellow if you can clearly identify the perpetrator. And he was just offside,if he'd just managed to rein it in slightly.

Radwan is just electric. Why do we notnpick him for England.

What a tackle.

Surely forward from Sleightholme there...

Didn't that go forwards from the tap tackle?

Wow...that was some scrum

Looking ominous for Falcons ...

Shame - nearly a great response ...

That should be a pen to Northampton. Can't pass off the ground unless it's immediate.

Falcons making some nice moves but turnovers are killing them ...

Heaf wrote:Falcons making some nice moves but turnovers are killing them ...

Standard..or silly errors. But at least we're actually trying to play rugby which makes a change.

Just think we miss a bit of real raw power in the pack...

Yep the Saints forwards are dominating Falcons

Radwan. He's just magic.

Falcons just can't win any of their set pieces - reducing my margin on Superbru is looking like a bad call now ...

Should let them take the tap again - having a scrum is hardly fair given their struggles - I know the laws don't allow for it but it's grossly unfair if they give away a scrum pen now

Falcons making chances but just can't take them

TMO calling in offside pens now - is that allowed?

And punished for missing. Newcastle perhaps could.or should be winning.

Well I can only hope the Saudi neighbours are about to invest in us..we need money...

Far more respect given by Cox than was deserved there.

That looked close to just popping straight up. Fine lines.

Nothing going right for Falcons at the moment

He placed the ball. He's not allowed to then oull it back. Penalty.

I wondered about that

Absolute sh&t I hope Diamond knows what he's coming into

Bath score looks like its been a good game. And then the fabulous Russell.

Wish you hadn't mentioned the red button now

Only been watching since half time and 3 tries already

Make that 4 - this is crazy stuff

And Bristol finally break the end to end cycle ...

OK number 5 - now it's Bristol's turn again or can Bath strike again and start to make Bristol sweat ...

Well yes Bristol sweating.

One of those daft ones where it's worse for Bristol as you couldn't see the ball on the ground for Bath to score

I was really worried about Saints with virtually their entire back line away with Borthwick.  Took a bit of time whilst the forwards did their usual, but then the backs got going.    Odendaal finally had a good game and the arrow is pointing nicely upwards. Great hands by Augustus and Graham.  But what really struck me was how well Hutchinson played coming up from fullback as second receiver.  Such great distribution and vision.  His defense has improved and I can't help but think how deadly that Scotland attack would look with him at 12.