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Teams

Bath RFC	InTheFastLane
Exeter Chiefs	Driver - RIP 606
Gloucester	Anonmattyt
Harlequins	Steven_Sharks
Leicester Tigers	LukeLovesLuka
London Irish	stnick88
London Wasps	Arry
Newcastle Falcons	Sgt_Pooly
Northampton Saints	Dammit_Chris
Sale Sharks	SirJohnnyEnglish
Saracens	Ozzy3213
Worcester Warriors	prop_lyd

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Waiting List
1. pullthestrings
2. Bathite

Spoke to a mate who went to the Saints game - said he played well, but was at no6, though said he didnt carry enough.

I dont see the point in having Hodgson, Flood and Farrell in a match day 22 - what does it bring - if we lose Foden then what?

Don't think Andy Farrell is the most attack minded/adventurous of coaches, can't play like that anymore.

Sharples is injured Chris, not sure the options after him???

When did sharples get injured ? Who covers back 3 in that 22 ?

Dead leg apparently

http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2011-12/rugby/story/159861.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Hodgson to Worcester

Cipriani signs for Sale:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/9096517/Danny-Cipriani-signs-three-year-deal-with-Sale-Sharks-in-hope-of-reviving-England-career.html

Reported England side:

1. Corbs
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Botha
5. Parling
6. Croft
7. Robshaw
8. Morgan

9. Dickson
10. Hodgson
11. Ashton
12. Farrell
13. Barritt
14. Strettle
15. Foden

16. Webber
17. Stevens
18. Lawes
19. Dowson
20. Youngs
21. Flood
22. Tuilagi

how can palmer play if he has been released

good signing for sale if they can wrap that up.

He gives us a nice spark to our backs. Still want to see Nick macleod in there though for his control at either 12 or 13.

Him and Peel at there best could rip sides to shreds.

Sale looking good for next season.

Worrying that Irish have all these players leaving, and so far only signed Skivington as a replacement.

Signed Tom Smith today though? Surely he's the marquee signing you were after?

I can see us really struggling next season unless we address some of the areas that we have real issues in, like tighthead prop.

Need to be better prepared for injuries is the main problem this season. I know they've been tough but they happen to everyside at some stage.

Sure signings will come in time though.

1. Corbs
2. Paice
3?
4. Garvey
5. Skivington
6. Gibson
7. Smith
8. Trev
9. ?
10. ?
11. Tagi
12. Hape
13. Joseph
14. Ojo
15. Homer

Couple of places which could be improved upon but a quality TH, 9 and 10 will be expensive for you (providing Bowden does move on)

Isnt Smith more of a 6?
Trev will be our 7.
Hape I dont think will be here next season.

If you put a good tighthead and number 8 in that side, then it is decent set of forwards. 9 and 10 is crucial for us as the backline is good just needs a good 9 and 10 to get them going.

Tighthead is a massive issue, as will depth be. It's all well and good having a strong first choice XV, but how often have we had out first choice XV fit this season?

I am worried. If Bowden goes, unless we sign another 10 we are left with Shingler (not yet ready) and Jarvis (nowhere near good enough).

3 and 10, arguably the two most key specialist positions on the pitch, and we will be fecked in both of them.

Was thinking about this earlier and I would love for us to sign Gareth Steenson. Does the basics well and has a decent pass as well as being a good game manager. I think he would fit well in our backline, and is not an unrealistic signing to want (I could have said Dan Carter!)

Think Steenson has signed a new contract. Saw it mentioned on a thread as he was being discussed as a potential target for Ulster with Humps going so badly

iHumph would also be a great signing for us.

Steenson would be a good signing. Would mean you wouldn't have to play Homer either simply for his kicking but he would play on the merit of his allround game

But with Armitage leaving it means Homer will become full time full back anyway. hopefully we will sign a new fullback and have homer as a versatile sub with a 10 who can kick.

With the way IHump is playing this year I think the Ulster boys would be happy if you took him Pete!

He's been hit and miss for sure, with probably as bit more miss than hit, but when he hits form, he is a great attacking 10.

Yeah fantastic ball in hand on his day but isnt having many of those and his defence is pretty much non existent these days. Would need an awful lot of cover week in week out in the prem

Reds side to begin the defence of there title

1. Ben Daley
2. James Hanson
3. James Slipper
4. Rob Simmons
5. James Horwill (c)
6. Scott Higginbotham
7. Beau Robinson
8. Jake Schatz
9. Will Genia (vc)
10. Mike Harris
11. Digby Ioane
12. Ben Tapuai
13. Anthony Faingaa
14. Dom Shipperley
15. Luke Morahan

16. Albert Anae
17. Greg Holmes
18. Van Humphries
19. Radike Samo
20. Liam Gill
21. Ben Lucas
22. Jono Lance

Who is jake Shcatz. pretty unfortunate name

England team: Foden, Ashton, Tuilagi, Barritt, Strettle; Farrell, Dickson. Corbisiero, Hartley, Cole, Botha, Parling, Croft, Robshaw, Morgan

Am liking that team, lot's more physicality to it with Morgan and Tuilagi starting which we will need. Farrell controlling at 10, Barritt in his best position, think we can cause the Welsh a few problems here.

Game on!

Schatz is a young utility backrower matt. Reminds me a lot of Carl Fearns.

Best backline on paper this weekend is the Chiefs I thinki with the best pack probably the Crusaders (haven't seen the Bulls pack which is usually strong).

Couple of players look to be back in from the cold. Morahan and Donnelly both start for there sides this week and good to see Juandre Kruger starting for the Blue Bulls as well.

yes well done lancaster!

Agree it's a decent side and probably the one I'd pick myself at this point.

Playing devils advocate do we think that Farrell will get the Backs going as well as Hodgson or do Farrell's better goal kicking and defence get him the nod?

I don't think he's there to get the backs moving as such Steve. He's there to manage the game and execute the game plan which gives us the best chance of winnig, namely playing in the right areas and looking to attack off the set piece.

Right call from Lancaster, even if his hand was forced slightly by Hodgson being injured.

Hodgson is out with a finger injury.

Farrell's passing game is very good and can certainly get a backline moving, think we will see our backthree much more involved with Barritt not at 13 anymore.

So I guess Mike Brown is on the bench?

Replacements: 16 Rob Webber (London Wasps), 17 Matt Stevens (Saracens), 18 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), 19 Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints), 20 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), 21 Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), 22 Mike Brown (Harlequins)

That's pretty much the best we can put out I think, like the midfield

It wasn't Barritt hindering the back 3 Chris, it was the lack of threat in the 10/12 combo. I'd also say Barritt has a better passing game than Tuilagi so unsure how Manu brought in at OC would suddenly make us a threat.

I think the fact that Farrell, Barritt and Tuilagi are now all in their best positions will mean that we have an increased threat as they can all play their natural games.

RIGHT DECISIONS finally

Pooly Barritt isn't a threat at 13 as he isnt a 13 at club level, no pace and doesn't have the game winning attributes of Tuilagi.

Manu is a game changer, takes 2 players to stop and that creates space for others, hence why our back three will get more involved.

Barritts been our best back but couldnt suck the players in to unleash the backthree like they should be doing.

Tuilagi is a much better 13 without question, I'm saying it wasn't Barritt who failed to unleash our back 3 alone, it was more the lack of threat from the 10/12 channel as Hodgson & Farrell are quite similar in the fact they tend to just spin it out to the next man.

It's was easy for defences to fix the OC & wing as the ball would not be ran from 10/12.

That lineup has a much better luck to it, still unsure Farrell has what it takes but he's 100% better at Fh than he centre.

Farrell did a lot of carrying in the Italy game, just not a very good carrier...I think Barritt's a great 12, but hasnt got what it takes as a distributing 13 and can't mix his game up in that position - you know that he will always run forward and defences can align themselves, again not helped with the Hodgson and Farrell axis.

Farrell's got the winning mentality, which means he will make it - only player who I've seen who has the same determination was Wilko, and you know Farrell will guarantee 12-15 points a game with his boot.

I hope Cipriani has a good season as could do with another challenger for the no10 shirt - never been a fan of Flood there as a top international, but he's the best we have.

Gloucester signed Huia Edmonds and Irish signed Aulika (Tongan prop)

Peter Stringer joins Newcastle

Driver you feeling more confident about Newcastle's survival?

Reckon Worcester could be dragged into it all quite soon as well - is a big game for us tomorrow night up at Sale, got Launchbury back playing now and that's a huge boost - just dont have any line breakers in the backs.

As of now?? Good signing if so for us, not like the backs ever touch the ball anyway

I will be gutted if Sale lose to Wasps tomorrow night. Absolutely gutted.

He joins when he's loan finishes with Sarries in the next 2 weeks.

I'm getting a bit more confident , but no too excited. I went last Saturday vs Irish and we were dire in the backs just give them a lot of problems up front and got the rub of the green on some decisions.

Just reading the stats from the game and Pilgrim made 24 passes whilst Goppereth made 4 with everyone outside him making a total of 1.

I'm going up next week for the quins game with tickets every where in the ground for £10!

I didn't see the game, only highlights but I heard that the scoreline did flatter Falcosn somewhat. I have to say when watching the highlights it looked to me very much as if Shortland knocked on when gatehring the intercept for the try.

Thems the breaks though, you win some you lose some. Having looked through the remaining fixtures and predicted the results on another thread yesterday, I think it will come down to the final game of the season to see who goes down between Wasps and Falcons.

Wasps will beat us next week Pete, you just know it!!

Im worried as you have Gopperth whose kicking can win you games on its own - Robinson's boot is costing us games we should win - should have beaten Exeter last week by 9 points easy.

Steven - Wasps are playing some good stuff at the moment, its purely our ability not to convert our penalties and fluffing chances - we were more threatening than Sarries the week before and should have won, was the same against Exeter.

Reckon we will get a losing BP and be within 5 points

Scott Lawson joins Irish