Prem Round 7

First topic message reminder :

Friday
Saints v Harlequins (19.45)
Sale v Bath (19.45)

Saturday
Gloucester v Leicester (14.30)
Saracens v Bristol (15.00)

Sunday
Newcastle V Exeter (15.00)

Cumbrian wrote:How quick was Hawkins?!

Was excellent last week and started the same again...

Louie Johnson is looking good too, really approve of this policy of using the young lads.

Cumbrian wrote:Louie Johnson is looking good too,  really approve of this policy of using the young lads.

Been calling for it for ages.. play the kids

See the Chiefs are getting away with superman diving into the rucks again...

Newcastle getting some generous reffing in the scrum.

No 7&1/2 wrote:Newcastle getting some generous reffing in the scrum.

Not sure about that, as far as I can see we are battering them in that area.

Nope we're smashing their scrum....Painter having a hard afternoon v Brantingham

Cumbrian wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:Newcastle getting some generous reffing in the scrum.

Not sure about that, as far as I can see we are battering them in that area.

Brantingham seems to be stepping out and angling in on every scrum,which you would do if you get away with it,but it's generous. He also lost and changed his bind on the first one where you gemit a pen.

Geordie wrote:Nope we're smashing their scrum....Painter having a hard afternoon v Brantingham

Yeah but it looks illegal.

Get rhay Roots off the pitch!!!

No 7&1/2 wrote:

Geordie wrote:Nope we're smashing their scrum....Painter having a hard afternoon v Brantingham

Yeah but it looks illegal.

The ref doesn't think so...

Geordie wrote:

No 7&1/2 wrote:

Geordie wrote:Nope we're smashing their scrum....Painter having a hard afternoon v Brantingham

Yeah but it looks illegal.

The ref doesn't think so...

Nope that's why I said it's generous.

Well i dint think its as bad as you are suggesting anyway

Bugger, that is a blow.

Ouch, that is a bad miss.

Cheap shot Exeter...3 blatant foul plays...2 x roots now one by Painter....

It is the uncontrolled way they go into rucks that frustrates me, I don't think they are cheap shots per se, they just seem to get away with flying into rucks off their feet a lot.

Falcons are in front at the half! Not a bad game.....

Hope Pepper's injury isn't too bad, he has been a revelation this season.

You can see why exeter havnt won away since Phil Vickery was a lad.

No 7&1/2 wrote:You can see why exeter havnt won away since Phil Vickery was a lad.

It is curious, they look brilliant at home, but mince away. Almost like the French and their need to win within the sound of their town's church bells.

Great example there, at least three times in that passage of play the Chief's players made absolutely no attempt to keep their feet and the ref was looking right at it.

Wyatt also clearly regathered the ball whilst lying on the floor.

Think Chiefs would have been better to take 3 there to reduce the gap to 3 - still plenty of time

Lineout is killing us.

How on earth have Falcons kept Exeter out of the try zone this half?  Only 20 minutes to go....

Ffs....

After all that great defence it is horrendous to give away a try like that.

Improbably still in the lead!

How was that an Exeter scrum??? It clearly went back from our player!

Quality of the bench showing now....

Cheap shot Exeter win but you cant win a game when your lineout is so bad.

A bit too good for us in the end, didn't really come out of the sheds in the second half. Would have liked to see the ball in the wingers' hands a bit more. I like how the team is developing though, if we can keep the young lads at the club and build cohesion we will start getting some wins.

Lineout is a shambles...

Aye, Ben Kay in commentary was right. It all looked hesitant and unconvincing. Well drilled lineouts are smooth and quick.

Thought Codling was gonna cry in the interview...bet he's regretting leaving the side in France he just got promoted....

Feyi-Waboso getting talked up again. By all accounts he is doing well, it's probably a bit soon to make him an international but I can envision Wales doing it in the 6N anyway.

Ludlam off to Toulon next season, a big loss for both Saints and England. He is a unique player, lots of players can do some of the things he does, but not all of them and to the quality he does them. He is the complete all-rounder who can do everything to the highest level.

Saints will be a bit short on backrows now, Lawes, Pearson, Scott-Young and the injury prone Augustus. After that we have hybrids like Cole and then  Graham who is okay but not spectacular you are then into the boys like Irvine 20, Pollock and Logan, both 18.

Apparently it was England's refusal to conform if he was going to be one of the contracted players that swung the decision, not knowing where he stood, he opted for the financially secure offer.

That is a massive loss for saints and England. He was one of England's best and most consistent players over the last couple of years. Personally think we has treated quite shabbily during the WC.

Small loss for England, massive loss for Saints.

I saw somewhere that it wasn't the better financial offer from Toulon but the length of the contract that was on the table that settled matters. Ludlam wanting the future security (which is understandable). That would be more a Saints thing as hybrid contracts aren't a confirmed thing yet and even if they were I doubt they'd be more than 2 years absolute maximum (more likely rolling 12 months).