Premiership Rugby Round 4 - Will the Cream Rise?

I really don't care about cream. That's just exudate from a cow's utter. But the Rugby (need minimum two more teams).....

Fri 3 Nov Sale v Gloucester (7.45pm) Live on TNT Sports

Sat 4 Nov Harlequins v Newcastle (1.30pm)
Sat 4 Nov Northampton v Bath (3pm)
Sat 4 Nov Saracens v Leicester (3.05pm) Live on TNT Sports

Sun 5 Nov Exeter v Bristol (3pm) Live on TNT Sports

Sarries wrote:1 Mako Vunipola
2 Jamie George
3 Marco Riccioni
4 Maro Itoje
5 Nick Isiekwe
6 Andy Christie
7 Ben Earl
8 Billy Vunipola
9 Aled Davies
10 Owen Farrell (c)
11 Elliot Daly
12 Nick Tompkins
13 Alex Lozowski
14 Sean Maitland
15 Alex Goode

Replacements:
16 Theo Dan
17 Eroni Mawi
18 Alec Clarey
19 Callum Hunter-Hill
20 Hugh Tizard
21 Tom Willis
22 Ivan van Zyl
23 Tom Parton

15 Mike Brown [12]
14 Josh Bassett [5]
13 Guy Porter [66]
12 Dan Kelly [62]
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [6]
10 Jamie Shillcock [7]
9 Tom Whiteley [10]
1 James Cronin [17]
2 Charlie Clare [83]
3 Joe Heyes [128]
4 Cameron Henderson [42]
5 Sam Carter [5]
6 Hanro Liebenberg (c) [90]
7 Tommy Reffell [101]
8 Olly Cracknell [28]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Nic Dolly [30]
17 Francois van Wyk [37]
18 Will Hurd [30]
19 Harry Wells [180]
20 Matt Rogerson [5]
21 Joe Powell [6]
22 Charlie Atkinson [22]
23 Solomone Kata*

Sarries going full bore with England returnees. Only leaving out the new Pumas in Gonzalez and Cinti.

Tigers resting the full England contingent. Kata could debut from the bench though. Hatherell still injured.

This should be an absolute hammering. Tigers have been poor.

I'm honestly amazed that Lenny hasn't come back in given that Whiteley has been bad and Powell abject. Young Sam Edwards should be in the 23 given their performance. Seeing showings that bad rewarded with being selected again is rarely good.

It's pretty disappointing that Ilione misses out after impressing off the bench and Tigers lacking breakdown threat.

When Cam Green was released and Sam Carter available I actually suggested him prior to it being announced due to the McKellar connection. I rated Carter in the past. So far I've been concerned that the physicality isn't there anymore with age and he hasn't looked the sort of gun lineout leader who can make up for that. Hopefully he proves me wrong.

Safe to say I'm not optimistic.

Jamie Shillcock is very good at rugby and extremely handsome though. That's my positive takeaway from the season so far.

To be fair Sam Carter has barely played so far and in a week or twos time won't be anywhere near the 23 anyway.

The stagnant attack is a concern as is the porous backline defence. Shillcock showing that he's generally an all round classy operator (and likely favourite of the female fanbase of Tigers) has helped paper over some of those cracks so far.

Saracens going full bore makes this likely a cricket score in their favour.

Shilcock just handed off Farrell like a little boy to score a nice try

Wow what a try by Tyrone Green!!!

We're going down...

Geordie wrote:We're going down...

Is anyone going down this season? I can't think of anyone in the Championship that meets all the requirements to get into the Premiership.

Saints looked good against Bath, still with a number of players missing through England and injuries, but Tom James looks a very able standin for Mitchell. Pearson looks to the manor born, Freeman and Hendy look good, Hendy is very, very quick.

With a back row of Lawes, Ludlam, Augustus, Pearson and Scott Young plus some very good (and big) youngsters in the fold, back row looks sorted for some time to come.

Just a look at the Saints wingers shows that they all play fullback as well with only Sleightholme being an out and out winger

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

Geordie wrote:We're going down...

Is anyone going down this season? I can't think of anyone in the Championship that meets all the requirements to get into the Premiership.

Saints looked good against Bath, still with a number of players missing through England and injuries, but Tom James looks a very able standin for Mitchell. Pearson looks to the manor born, Freeman and Hendy look good, Hendy is very, very quick.

With a back row of Lawes, Ludlam, Augustus, Pearson and Scott Young plus some very good (and big) youngsters in the fold, back row looks sorted for some time to come.

Just a look at the Saints wingers shows that they all play fullback as well with only Sleightholme being an out and out winger

Ealing, if they negotiate successfully with the place London Irish used to play right off the M4 in London.

There could be promotion. There is no relegation until 2024 25.

doctor_grey wrote:

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

Geordie wrote:We're going down...

Is anyone going down this season? I can't think of anyone in the Championship that meets all the requirements to get into the Premiership.

Saints looked good against Bath, still with a number of players missing through England and injuries, but Tom James looks a very able standin for Mitchell. Pearson looks to the manor born, Freeman and Hendy look good, Hendy is very, very quick.

With a back row of Lawes, Ludlam, Augustus, Pearson and Scott Young plus some very good (and big) youngsters in the fold, back row looks sorted for some time to come.

Just a look at the Saints wingers shows that they all play fullback as well with only Sleightholme being an out and out winger

Ealing, if they negotiate successfully with the place London Irish used to play right off the M4 in London.

Rumour was Brentford wanted Irish out so not sure they'd want another rugby club coming in?

Tuima looks in much better shape these days than when he was playing for the u 20s.

And potm.

There's a lot of English talent on display in this game.

Is Fitz Harding not fancied for England honours?

And Baxter has really sang Painters form. He's looking decent in rhe scrum..but he just looks awkward at the breakdown etc let's see how Baxter gets him going.

Geordie wrote:There's a lot of English talent on display in this game.  

Is Fitz Harding not fancied for England honours?

And Baxter has really sang Painters form. He's looking decent in rhe scrum..but he just looks awkward at the breakdown etc  let's see how Baxter gets him going.

Awful lot of competition in that area.

I know they've been fairly dominant, but Exeter get away with an awful lot at the breakdown. They fly in from all angles, seal off and constantly go beyond the ruck.

Yeah back row is incredibly competitive.

Frost stood out for me when he came on at Hooker. He was everywhere, and aggressive. If they're looking for a mobile hooker...then Theo Dan could have some competition...