Aviva Premiership- Round 2

First topic message reminder :

League Positions:

Saracens 5
Gloucester 4
Leicester 4
Harlequins 4
Bath 4
Worcester 4
Northampton 1
Exeter 1
Wasps 1
Newcastle 0
London Irish 0
Sale 0



Fixtures:

Fri 23rd Oct 15

19:45 Gloucester v Saracens BT Sport
Both teams won last week and both looked impressive. Saracens will look to welcome the rest of their England contingent back to the fold and will be looking to make a real statement of intent this week. Glaws may also see some returnees, certainly no reason why hook should not play given he was around for much of pre-season and did not start for Wales. Following WC heartbreak though surely Greg Laidlaw will have a week off. Whether Hook or 12T is at 10 for the home team, you can be sure that Saracens will be trying to harry them. Really hoping we can see a head to head between Kvesic and Fraser. Also hoping that May is fit to play opposite Ashton.


20:00 Sale v Worcester
After a reasonable pre-season Sale were absolutely mullered by a highly efficient Sarries at the weekend. Steve Diamond will have read the riot act and this really is a must win game for them. Worcester may have surprised even themselves in beating Saints. That win will give them a little breathing space and also the confidence to believe the can travel up the M5/6 and pinch another win.



Sat 24th Oct 15

13:45 Northampton v Newcastle
Two sides who lost at the weekend, when both will have been expecting to win. With Franklin's Gardens being extended, Saints open their home season at Stadium mk and will be desperate to put a very poor performance at Sixways behind them. There was a real lack of ideas from the men in green who seemed to believe that they would just turn up and overpower Worcester. Add in some wonky throwing (and daft penalties) from former skipper Hartley and Saints were never able to impose themselves. Reports suggest that Falcons struggled a little at scrum time and massively at the breakdown - these will need to be addressed if their taleneted back line is not to find itself over-run.


14:00 Wasps v Bath
Wasps lost at the Stoop last week having resisted the urge to rush back their WC players. Looking decent in attack they struggled at the set piece and in defence. Fluidity improved when the replacements, most notably Robson, came on - but that may well have been due to the drop in intensity from Quins. Bath struggled in pre-season and should really have lost for the third time in a month to Exeter last weekend. Poor composure from the Chiefs plus a little Ford magic helped Bath squeak home. They will have to play better this weekend.


18:00 Exeter v London Irish
London Irish have a desperately difficult start to the season, with their most winnable fixture having been last weekend when Tigers came avisiting. Adding that defeat to 3 in pre-season and a visit to Sandy Lane is not what new coach Coventry would have been wanting, especially with Saracens and Bath up next. Both teams lost scrappy encounters that they feel they should have got more from. Exeter made innumerable visits to the Bath 22 leaving pointless far too often, while London Irish dropped the ball unopposed over the line and were held up on a second occasion. Exeter should be too strong and will probably look to involve England returnees Slade (starting rather than from the bench), Parling and Nowell. Exeter should be far too strong, especially if Paice is as wonky with his throwing for a second week.



Sun 25th Oct 15

14:00 Leicester v Harlequins BT Sport
Both teams won at the weekend, though Quins were probably more convincing. Leicester should be stronger this week as they re-integrate WC returnees and players who missed last week with niggles. Harlequins will however travel up to the East Midland firmly believing they can win and keen to put last seasons woeful performance in Friday night rain behind them. Breakdown will be key. Tigers are looking to play a much quicker game this season but that can be easily stemmed if Quins slow down possession. Meanwhile Tigers have to ensure that Quins do not build any offloading momentum. Probably will not be a classic as both teams will need a while to be at full oomph as new players and styles of play are introduced.

Welly wrote:

nathan wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:

nathan wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:We're going down!!!!

It's early yet!

Nah we're poor!

Have you been watching us?

Were not that bad (Yet)

We have no bite

It more a bedding in process.

Welly wrote: It more a bedding in process.

True, as you said, looking forward to some new players arriving

wondeful touchfinder.

Why the fuk TMO that?

If they do go on to win it then it's down to that fabulous kick from Williams.

Welly wrote: Why the fuk TMO that?

No idea!

How can Balmain come on?

Anyone else notice Croft is getting more into the rucks etc.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:How can Balmain come on?

No other options I think

nathan wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:How can Balmain come on?

No other options I think

There's a LH on the bench isn't there? You have to have a full compliment and Balmain has already been subbed???

Sgt_Pooly wrote:How can Balmain come on?

If a prop comes off due to injury a prop who has played can already come on.

Balmain has played LH before a few times.

Hmmm, dodgy decision there. Quins look to be wheeling it

Paid the price for trying to milk a penalty from the first scrum. Just get it out ffs.

Gonna be game over here.

I've never seen a TH come after being subbed (at LH) when they have a LH on the bench. I take it the sub LH is that poor Cocks would prefer to slog his TH???

Bizarre.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:I've never seen a TH come after being subbed (at LH) when they have a LH on the bench. I take it the sub LH is that poor Cocks would prefer to slog his TH???

Bizarre.

mulipola do it before for us.

Brugnara is very young and it is a tight game.

Balmain came on for England XV V barbarians @ LH a couple seasons ago.

Come on Ben White!

Lol, he looks 12

Haha, he was pooping himself

Bless him but not often Leicester play a 17 year old.

A good but brief experience for him

God awful game I might add.

Next week he'll be telling all his mates during dinner time about how he thrashed Quins at the weekend.

So discounting the cheats, we're top of the  table

Really nice passing style under a lot of pressure for the 17 year old. We're going to be seeing more of him I reckon.

Pearce made a good physical impact off the bench. Hopefully he'll be starting next week.

Please don't put Kennedy on when quins are playing

He's sounding a bit like cockers there

So that's where England get it from! Quins really should have taken the points for the draw, they'd have still had 2 minutes to win the game.

Well played Tigers, I'm still not quite sure how we lost that but a lot of it comes down to that fabulous Williams kick for touch and then are pathological fear of kicking for points at the end of games!

On a serious note harlequins need to look at some of their tactics from this game, not just silly pens but again we were too often caught trying to play in our 22, and then making the wrong choices close to the Tigers line. Not to take away from Leicester though who defended very well and took their opportunity.

Must be frustrating for you Yappy, some of the decision making was off by what was an experienced Quins team. Brown giving what was a moronic penalty for the Williams miracle kick was criminal from an international and leader.

On the upside for Quins that backrow looked mega and you've still got you captain to come back in. Clifford looked more powerful and a real handful.

Gutting to lose that, but well done tigers and LBP at WR not too bad

formerly known as Sam wrote:Must be frustrating for you Yappy, some of the decision making was off by what was an experienced Quins team. Brown giving what was a moronic penalty for the Williams miracle kick was criminal from an international and leader.

On the upside for Quins that backrow looked mega and you've still got you captain to come back in. Clifford looked more powerful and a real handful.

Cheers Sam, yea the decision making was ludicrous at times. I said when Brown gave that pen that we'd see Tigers capitalise on it. Care's choice at the end just summed the day up.

The backrow looks great, we have Robshaw to come back as well as James Chisholm and Natalei Talei too.

Well done on the win, two points each would have been great but a losing bp is enough.

Having just got home, not sure what to say really. All in all that felt like a match between two very average mid-table sides.

Though a marvellous goal kicker, Bell is not a premiership quality 10.
Seremia Bai needs too look who he runs into in future.
Was slightly surprised at how few Quins fans were at the ground. Usually you can dscern a few renditions of "Mighty Quins" but nothing today.
Was also slightly surprised that Quins did not get a YC in the first half after conceding 3 penalties close to the line, all kicked for points.
Was completely bemused that Balmain was allowed to come back on rather than Brugnara.
Was very surprised Quins were not pinged for peeling the maul and creating a new illegal maul.
Was exceptionaly surprised that having allowed this all game ref did not award a PT when Harrison was YCed.



But what left me flabbergasted was just how many throws we did to the back of the lineout and how well executed they were.

Oh, and i do not believe the West Stand will be ready for spectators by next Sunday.

Didn't realise Ben White is now the youngest ever player to play for tigers (17 years and 151 days)

nathan wrote:Didn't realise Ben White is now the youngest ever player to play for tigers (17 years and 151 days)

Youngest ever, or youngest professional. Ben Youngs was a touch older, but they always described him as the youngest to play pro for us. Also could have sworn Georgie was under 17 in his first LV game.



Back to today - is their any team in the league worse at receiving restarts than us?

http://www.punditarena.com/rugby/adrumm/saracens-could-face-investigation-after-george-kruis-was-spotted-wearing-an-ear-piece/

They'll probably get a smacked hand over that

All the water carriers wear them anyway. Anything they say to the players is straight from the management anyway. Just cutting out the middleman. As long as they don't send their players onto the pitches with them.

Clubs will probably be issued with a ruling during the week warning them against it in future.

LondonTiger wrote:

nathan wrote:Didn't realise Ben White is now the youngest ever player to play for tigers (17 years and 151 days)

Youngest ever, or youngest professional. Ben Youngs was a touch older, but they always described him as the youngest to play pro for us. Also could have sworn Georgie was under 17 in his first LV game.



Back to today - is their any team in the league worse at receiving restarts than us?

Youngest Premiership player going by Tigers twitter account. I'm sure Ford was 16 when he played in the LV Cup for you, and had to have written parental consent to play.

Ford was about 16 and 8 months on first LV game. First premiership game was about a year later.

LondonTiger wrote:Having just got home, not sure what to say really. All in all that felt like a match between two very average mid-table sides.

Though a marvellous goal kicker, Bell is not a premiership quality 10.
Seremia Bai needs too look who he runs into in future.
Was slightly surprised at how few Quins fans were at the ground. Usually you can dscern a few renditions of "Mighty Quins" but nothing today.
Was also slightly surprised that Quins did not get a YC in the first half after conceding 3 penalties close to the line, all kicked for points.
Was completely bemused that Balmain was allowed to come back on rather than Brugnara.
Was very surprised Quins were not pinged for peeling the maul and creating a new illegal maul.
Was exceptionaly surprised that having allowed this all game ref did not award a PT when Harrison was YCed.

But what left me flabbergasted was just how many throws we did to the back of the lineout and how well executed they were.

The referee seemed to be weak. I too could not see why Quins did not get a penalty try. I also was bemused when Balmain was allowed back on. I thought a prop who has been injured can only return if there is no unused player on the bench for that position. As it was Brugnara's side were Tigers saying Brugnara was not fit to come on? If so surely they should be deducted points for not having requisite number of front rowers able to play.

LondonTiger wrote:

nathan wrote:Didn't realise Ben White is now the youngest ever player to play for tigers (17 years and 151 days)

Youngest ever, or youngest professional. Ben Youngs was a touch older, but they always described him as the youngest to play pro for us. Also could have sworn Georgie was under 17 in his first LV game.



Back to today - is their any team in the league worse at receiving restarts than us?

We made a pretty compelling argument on Friday to better you on that front!

Always throw us in the ring for anything "worst at"

We have some of the best kick receivers on the Prem. Unfortunately as soon as we have it we like to switch our brains off and give the opposition scrums/pens to make up for it. Which is a special talent in itself.

BamBam wrote:http://www.punditarena.com/rugby/adrumm/saracens-could-face-investigation-after-george-kruis-was-spotted-wearing-an-ear-piece/

Not going to get on my high horse about this, seeing as one of our water boys is Geordan Murphy.

All I will say is that was a dumb and lazy way to pass the information on. If McCall wishes to pass info to a player he shoudl get down on the pitch and sort it rather than messing about with earphones.

Great kick

Seven point kick, the moment of magic in an average game that was the difference.

A very good kick, wouldn't have been possible without Mike Brown though