2017/18 Aviva Premiership Round Six

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Friday, 6th October

Harlequins vs Sale (19:45)

Saturday, 7th October

Bath vs Worcester (15:00)
Exeter vs Newcastle (15:00)
Gloucester vs Northampton (15:00)
London Irish vs Leicester (15:00)

Sunday, 8th October

Saracens vs Wasps (15:00)

You want to see the team sheets these days, to see who is fit to take the field. Then again, not all the surprises so far are down to injury lists. All these matches probably have favourites but, with the possible exception of Bath against Worcester, the season results so far mean we shouldn't be surprised to see th e other team come out on top.

I mean i know we rested alot but this should have been a easy TBP win for us.

But i know MOC really wants to challenge europe so.

Messing up the line-out sums it up .. opportunity to get at least a point goes begging ...

Ah well at least we got something out of the game. Second half performance was pretty good. Now if only we could actually start playing before half-time...

Welly wrote: I mean i know we rested alot but this should have been a easy TBP win for us.

But i know MOC really wants to challenge europe so.

If we are this careless and error strewn in at Racing we'll get slaughtered. We should get a few big names back but we were so sloppy ball in hand. Have to stop missing out on the bonus points, the top sides amass these and we keep spurning them.

Wow a last minute point - makes that possible forward pass more significant now although I suspect Tigers would still have scored from that position...

Surely Fowlie has to start ahead of Tiks from now on as long as Mulcrone is out ...

Oh you've now moved to it being a forward pass, yet no other angles.
The last pass to for Irish last try looked forward to me so I'm going for a it should of been disallowed

I was talking about the one Austin was questioning in commentary and I did say 'possible' and I also said they probably would have scored anyway - calm down

Heaf2 wrote:I was talking about the one Austin was questioning in commentary and I did say 'possible' and I also said they probably would have scored anyway - calm down

Would have been interesting to see some more angels of that to see if Austin was right. JP is always hit and miss on what he calls, there looked a certain in at the side before the last LI score but generally those calls even out.

Both sides sabotaged about three tries each with costly errors. LI made a mess of two that were pretty much over the Tigers line. Tigers carves open the LI defence for fun in the first half but the support lines and number of players arriving in support weren't good enough.

Yep he was letting in at the side go all through the match ... in fact I don't think he called a single one.

Here's an interesting one law-wise ... if a player has his foot on the line is he in the field of play or out? The context being jumping to knock a ball back into play from a penalty kick. I know you don't need to land in the field of play any more but I you have to jump from within the field of play I believe? So does the player's foot on the line when they jump count as in or out?

All things considered, great win for Quins. Backrow when Robshaw is on England duty is a worry though. Think it'll be Lamb at 6, Ward 7, Luamanu 8 which is not exactly ideal though could be worse. Hopefully baby Chis back soon or we get cover for Wallace and Clifford

Bothma could be back around that time as well I think CJ

Good ol' Glaws, consistently inconsistent. We showed flashes of genius and moments of utter stupidity. We really did our best to lose it at times and the club really should issue a health warning, because these topsy-turvy games are not good for the ticker!

Trinder was back to his mercurial best. Some journos were talking up England chances, but these days will be in the past. He so deserves a spell without injury and I'm keeping everything crossed that he finally achieves this.

In the forwards Ruan Ackermann was a beast and carried exceptionally well. It'll be great if we can finally get a backroom with him Morgan and Moriarty. If only Fearns was here too...

yappysnap wrote:Bothma could be back around that time as well I think CJ

I'll believe any of our new signings are real when I physically see them on the pitch

Entertaining game at the MadStad yesterday.  I'd imagine that both sides will be pleased with what they came away with but also very frustrated at not getting more, as both teams absolutely butchered some really good opportunities to get points on the board.

For us, not scoring when camped on the Tigers line with them down to 13 men with the two lads out of it receiving treatment, and then not scoring when similarly disposed against 14 men after the yellow card was bad enough, but the defending for the try just after half time was just criminal.

I don't think we are a million miles away from being competitively ok, but there is generally no margin for error in the Premiership and we need to really tighten up to stop conceding points.  A big part of that is selection for me, and there are some senior guys who are really not justifying their continued selection in the starting XV. Kendo may need to be brave and start giving some of the younger guys the starting jerseys if we are going to make the improvements that we need to.

HongKongCherry wrote:Good ol' Glaws, consistently inconsistent. .

I think they are very consistent - Good at home, useless away


What do London Irish and Christmas chocolates have in common

'Both have soft centres'

What's happened to Wasps this season? Seem to have gone backwards.

I Frak loved that maul more than I should admit to.

geoff999rugby wrote:

HongKongCherry wrote:Good ol' Glaws, consistently inconsistent. .

I think they are very consistent - Good at home, useless away


What do London Irish and Christmas chocolates have in common

'Both have soft centres'

Cruel but fair ...

Passing from Wasps is agricultural to say the least. Everyone just shovelling the ball along without bothering to fix defenders, so easy for Sarries defence.

Great game to watch at the stoop on a Friday night. Another injury in the back row though - think I heard it was a dislocated shoulder!

mid_gen wrote:Passing from Wasps is agricultural to say the least. Everyone just shovelling the ball along without bothering to fix defenders, so easy for Sarries defence.

Wasps lack the power in the forwards. Still don't understand why they haven't focused on recruitment here.

Of course Wasps are depleted at the moment but where's the big changes going to happen?

Cipriani? Wasps aren't struggling because he's not there.

Thomas Young seemed to be one of Wasps few shining lights.

Willie Le Roux certainly doesn't seem to be making it worth his salary.


Saracens weren't at their best with at least 11 handling errors but got the job done. The way, the intensity dropped after multiple changes made is a bit worrying and it's a long season.

More absentees could test the depth which aside from backrow hasn't really been given a testing yet.

Well from the forwards you could certainly make the case that Taylor Launchbury gaskell Hughes would improve the pack and yes cipriani allowing gopperth at 12 and wade would make a difference in the backs. Don't think that's controversial.

Perhaps might improve them a bit but I still think they'll struggle to make top 4.

Plus those 3 backs all have their frailties.

mid_gen wrote:What's happened to Wasps this season? Seem to have gone backwards.

2 players made their backs tick last year - Cipriani and Beale
One injured one left.

It's a long season, you may find teams like Wasps get better as the season goes on (that's what i'm telling myself about Quins )

geoff999rugby wrote:

mid_gen wrote:What's happened to Wasps this season? Seem to have gone backwards.

2 players made their backs tick last year - Cipriani and Beale
One injured one left.

Hasn't helped that their big summer signing was Juan de Jongh when really they needed to look at strengthening the front row.

The injury crisis has hit them hard but when you look at the team last season they were reliant on individual magic from several big players. They should have learnt their lessons from last season and built depth and cohesion up front. Some big nasty units should have joined so that they had a platform to fall back on. Last season teams who bullied Wasps up front could negate the magic outside to greater or lessor extent.

Agree with that.

Here at Ulster we have often gone for a big name and a couple of average, or injury prone ones (gone have the days of 3 big names - Pienaer, Muller and Afoa in the same team)

Piatau is the big one now, Coetzee injured (probably for good) and Deysel is the poor one.
Going forward our plan is 3 solid NIQ - I suggest that is the way for teams like us and Wasps - don't be too reliant on one or two superstars.
You are a couple of injuries away from struggling

geoff999rugby wrote:Agree with that.

Here at Ulster we have often gone for a big name and a couple of average, or injury prone ones (gone have the days of 3 big names - Pienaer, Muller and Afoa in the same team)

Piatau is the big one now, Coetzee injured (probably for good) and Deysel is the poor one.
Going forward our plan is 3 solid NIQ - I suggest that is the way for teams like us and Wasps - don't be too reliant on one or two superstars.
You are a couple of injuries away from struggling

Funny you say that Geoff as I don't see that much difference between the trio of NIQ signings (Pienaer, Muller, Afoa v Piatau, Coetzee, Deysel), perhaps only with Deysel being the odd the one out.

Coetzee and Piatau were up and coming first choice selctions for their respective country and it was quite a coup getting them. I think the fist trio were perhaps at the latter stages of their Int career and not really regarded as first choice.

All of Wasps best games have come with their big ball carriers wreaking havoc. Hughes, Haskell, Launchbury and Johnson. If they don't have those guys smashing the ball up and breaking the line then their electric but pretty light weight backline can't really create. Especially with half backs who are good on a break, or counter attacking, but not so good at game management.

yappysnap wrote:It's a long season, you may find teams like Wasps get better as the season goes on (that's what i'm telling myself about Quins )

We've been alright. We've looked poor a couple of times, good a couple of times, mixed and lost a close one a couple of times! Certainly think the game plan and player form looks better than this time last season despite results

ChequeredJersey wrote:

yappysnap wrote:It's a long season, you may find teams like Wasps get better as the season goes on (that's what i'm telling myself about Quins )

We've been alright. We've looked poor a couple of times, good a couple of times, mixed and lost a close one a couple of times! Certainly think the game plan and player form looks better than this time last season despite results

Quins still look like they can score or concede on every play. They are struggling with their injuries but are still picking up points. When some of the players return you should be able to climb up the league a bit. Your backs are creating chances so once you get some of the those first choice forwards back things should improve. If you could arrange a drop in form n time for your visit to Welford Rd though that would be much appreciated.

I think you'll win that return leg Sam, I just can't see our forwards competing with yours, not with our injuries and the improvement in your pack. I'd say last season we were both pretty similar, but Tigers are pulling away and your tactics and team are looking better then ours.

Agree with CJ though, there's signs of improvement from us, just consistency is what we're missing, as always. And if anything happens to Smith we are fecked.

Hopefully we get Catralakisisis back. It's pretty bold to say we are screwed without our teenager fly half!

What I would like is a functional back row back

Sgt_Pooly wrote:

geoff999rugby wrote:Agree with that.

Here at Ulster we have often gone for a big name and a couple of average, or injury prone ones (gone have the days of 3 big names - Pienaer, Muller and Afoa in the same team)

Piatau is the big one now, Coetzee injured (probably for good) and Deysel is the poor one.
Going forward our plan is 3 solid NIQ - I suggest that is the way for teams like us and Wasps - don't be too reliant on one or two superstars.
You are a couple of injuries away from struggling

Funny you say that Geoff as I don't see that much difference between the trio of NIQ signings (Pienaer, Muller, Afoa v Piatau, Coetzee, Deysel), perhaps only with Deysel being the odd the one out.

Coetzee and Piatau were up and coming first choice selctions for their respective country and it was quite a coup getting them. I think the fist trio were perhaps at the latter stages of their Int career and not really regarded as first choice.

As I said signings now are either injury - prone (Coetzee) or not good enough (Deysel)
In fact if I was picking the team, against Wasps, Deysel wouldn't be in the 23.

So we got 3 top fit players as opposed to 1.
Afoa and Pienaer will still world class - they chose to leave international rugby.
Just look at their age when they joined us (Afoa 27, Pienaer - 26)
Muller yes to a degree but his leadership qualities made he worth his weight in gold.
He was more valauable to us than Piatau is now

So in reply there is a hell of a lot of difference