Prem Round 3

First topic message reminder :

Friday 1st

Bristol vs. Bath [19:45] [BT Sports]

Saturday 2nd

Northampton Saints vs. London Irish [14:00]
Leicester Tigers vs. Saracens [15:00] [BT Sports]
Newcastle Falcons vs. Wasps [15:00]
Worcester Warriors vs. Gloucester [15:00]

Sunday 3rd

Sale vs.  Exeter [15:00] [BT Sport]

Bristol have gone up a gear...pace and intensity

Kerr is on meaning their actually winning some lineouts in the opposition 22. Bath's forwards have reacted poorly to the pressure and giving a side like Bristol the chance of more space because of the yellow card(s) is going to hurt.

Hooper out.

Too many pre planned subs cost Bath.

Sinckler motm.

For what talking to the Ref?

Yeah I was a bit puzzled by that MOTM.

Bath have quality players all over the park...but don't play as a full aligned team. I can see coaching changes soon.

Max Ojomoh another young centre impressing...and he's a real deal 12. I hope he develops properly....

TightHEAD wrote:Sinckler motm.

For what talking to the Ref?

Kerr MoM for me, a really good impact from the bench. Improved the lineout, scored a try and made some impact on the loose.

Their first try was a knock on, bath scored a cracking try and it was blown up. Dreadful calls and the TMO has to be accountable. Hooper is right why wasn't it looked at?

I think Bath could have a case over a few decisions, but rugby is always like that, there is a million things going on. Players try to get away with as much as they possibly can (it was a knock on mind), it just wasn't Bath's day today, next time it may well be.

TightHEAD wrote:Their first try was a knock on, bath scored a cracking try and it was blown up. Dreadful calls and the TMO has to be accountable. Hooper is right why wasn't it looked at?

Wasn't Dickson the TMO?

GeordieFalcon wrote:Yeah I was a bit puzzled by that MOTM.

Bath have quality players all over the park...but don't play as a full aligned team. I can see coaching changes soon.

Max Ojomoh another young centre impressing...and he's a real deal 12. I hope he develops properly....

What I liked about Ojomoh was that he showed off more than his step and good running lines. Displayed some nice kicking options. Now if he can start distributing to a good standard and keeps his defence solid. Well there could be the future of the England 12 shirt. I'm obviously a fan of our lad Kelly but he does lack a kicking game and that step of Ojomoh (which is pretty special) though Kelly is more robust and maybe a bit more solid defensively. That kicking game with the way England play could really push him more into reckoning above others.

Saumaki running into a bit of a trap to give Sarries 3 points after some uninspiring kick tennis from both sides.

Billy has started well to fair.

Martin has already made a really good hit from kick chase.

Davies pushes ref straight into Tigers ball carrier. Surely you can't be doing that? 

Tigers need to provide greater support to the catcher, Sarries points are coming from turnovers when the catch the kicker. If they don't firm that up there's little hope.

Ridley has been dreadful so far. No consistency and no communication. TMO is Foy who is up there with Dickson in quality terms. Missing a blatant knock on from 10m a particular highlight.

Youngs needs to sort the range out on his box kicks. His kicking has been genuinely dire so far.

That's a brilliant kick and chase from Sarries. Burns all at sea.

Clever cover defence by Youngs gets Tigers a reprieve.

Tigers just don't have any foothold in the game at the moment. We need a score of any sot to get on the board before half time.

Malins has just joined a ruck from the Tigers side and Ridley has still pinged Tigers. 

Tigers kicking game isn't working. Benny is playing well other than his box kicks which have been shocking. Steward has to come on for Burns at half time. Sarries have had to do very little for a 9-0 lead.

Lenny finally hung a good box kick just after I criticised him to be fair. He had one good jink to get of trouble after claiming a high ball and that good bit of cover defence. Other than that I don't think he's done anything other than box kick given Tigers tactics.

I'd get Socino on for van Wyk with Porter moving to the wing and Steward on for Burns at half time. Perhaps Genge as well to really target their scrum.

How is our lineout malfunctioning with 4 jumpers to their 2. Just poor execution of basics.

This feels painfully like watching Tigers of 2019/20.

Our lineout has misfired for three I think but somehow still done better than their's. Two they managed to win in our 22 we forced a knock on almost instantly from Billy V.

I'd agree with those adjustments. I'd get Genge on and start dropping him back alongside the full back. 

A bit of comedy officiating to finish the half. Ridley and his assistant miss the Sarries replacement loosehead tackling the rolling maul as it rumbles forward. Pretty blatant. Same said loosehead then celebrates by pushing Cole unnecessarily, Ridley immediately gives a harsh penalty and Tigers get on the board.

Sarries up 9-3 at half time.

Difficult conditions to play in, think Sarries have adapted better so far. I'm a bit surprised to see Burns at full back, rather than Steward. I'd have thought that this would be the match where you would want an absolute rock at the back (it is raining and lets face it, you're playing Sarries, you KNOW they are going to kick a lot).

Tigers finally showing some life now but we need to convert it into points.

I'm very glad to see Genge, JvP and Steward come on.

Francois van Wyk has been good overall though I think. Seems a strong signing to back up Genge.

Wells has had a really good impact at maul time.

Tigers now have 5 strong jumpers on with Wells replacing Reffell. Very little breakdown presence though!

Cowan-Dickie, Leatigaga, Henderson and Socino still to come. Tigers have emptied their best 4 replacements but Leatigaga should definitely have an impact.

Ridley puts Sarries on a warning. Next visit to the 22 identical penalty to the warning and Sarries get another warning. 

Tigers are applying the pressure but errors are letting Sarries off.

Ridley panics when a charge down takes place against Sarries 5m out and then pings an onside player for being offside.

Tom Penny sent off for blatant eye gouging....i just don't get stupidity like that....

Tigers unforced error count has been catastrophic today.

This has not been fun to watch.

Listening online, commentators are going crackers saying that it was a really poor decision from the referee. Obviously I can't see to judge, but sounds like we've been on the wrong side of the ref in the 2nd half.

king_carlos wrote:Tigers unforced error count has been catastrophic today.

This has not been fun to watch.

Tigers get momentum, Tigers mess up with an error and referee gives Sarries an easy out via odd decision. And repeat, story of the second half.

Marra there's a twitter picture...clear as day...utter idiot!! Deserves a huge ban.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

king_carlos wrote:Tigers unforced error count has been catastrophic today.

This has not been fun to watch.

Tigers get momentum, Tigers mess up with an error and referee gives Sarries an easy out via odd decision. And repeat, story of the second half.

Good teams render the ref redundant.

Tigers have been utter pish.

If Tigers can just keep the ball for a few minutes you get the feeling that penalties and hence a try will come. We just haven't kept the ball though.

Socino has been been lively in his brief appearance so far. He looked really good in preseason.

king_carlos wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

king_carlos wrote:Tigers unforced error count has been catastrophic today.

This has not been fun to watch.

Tigers get momentum, Tigers mess up with an error and referee gives Sarries an easy out via odd decision. And repeat, story of the second half.

Good teams render the ref redundant.

Tigers have been utter pish.

This is true.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Marra there's a twitter picture...clear as day...utter idiot!! Deserves a huge ban.

I'll try to have a look, things could be evened up here though.

Having said that if Ridley had actually applied the warning he gave and sin binned Earl then I think we could have used that momentum. Really annoying that Adam Leal a very good ref is running touch though.

Earl should have been binned after the warnings but Tigers still should have converted those mauls into points. Story of the game, chances with nothing from it.

Sarries haven't even been good is the most frustrating part. Billy has done some things very well and made some errors. Isiekwe has been excellent at the lineout defensively but also lost some on his ball. Earl has had some great touches but also been pinged. Even their better players have been very mixed.

Finally some points though.

Tigers have tried to play Sarries at their own game. I really don't understand why. It's been very disappointing after the first two rounds.

Socino has been very good off the bench you're right KC.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Socino has been very good off the bench you're right KC.

I hope to see him start over the next two away games.

Wow. Tigers get a 5m lineout in strange circumstances. Good spot by Ridley.

Well Ridley swings back the other way dramatically and gives Tigers a very lucky but technically correct penalty. Tigers push over from the resulting rolling maul, Sarries collapse and Ridley goes under the sticks for a penalty try.

Wasps have scored...probably taking it at the death

Wow. One of the worst winning performances I've ever seen from Tigers but I'll take it.

Sarries should have finished us off a lot sooner but were poor themselves.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Well Ridley swings back the other way dramatically and gives Tigers a very lucky but technically correct penalty. Tigers push over from the resulting rolling maul, Sarries collapse and Ridley goes under the sticks for a penalty try.

It's the sort of thing that the Tigers offy would be in meltdown over if it had gone against Tigers in those circumstances!

Kelly will likely get cited for diving into Davies after his hit though. That to me looked worse as it was very close to head contact. Good job Socino showed up well!

Get in falcon's!!! Come on

Sounds like we've scored a good try to win the game, but they are checking it!

Spoke too soon! Thought that was it.

I'm cold and wet...but get in you beauties....

Tigers and Falcons supporters on here tonight giving off the same vibes as Springbok supporters in the last minutes of their match against New Zealand.

Rugby Fan wrote:Tigers and Falcons supporters on here tonight giving off the same vibes as Springbok supporters in the last minutes of their match against New Zealand.

Well we do play in black!

Cumbrian wrote:Sounds like we've scored a good try to win the game, but they are checking it!

Bummer I had Wasps by 4 on Superbru

king_carlos wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Well Ridley swings back the other way dramatically and gives Tigers a very lucky but technically correct penalty. Tigers push over from the resulting rolling maul, Sarries collapse and Ridley goes under the sticks for a penalty try.

It's the sort of thing that the Tigers offy would be in meltdown over if it had gone against Tigers in those circumstances!

Kelly will likely get cited for diving into Davies after his hit though. That to me looked worse as it was very close to head contact. Good job Socino showed up well!

Agree on both points. To be fair our second half performance wasn't that bad, it wasn't that good either but we created chances. Wed got a few mauls going and looked dangerous when we did. One last opportunity from that close we got the job done. Borthwick named the bench he did with an eye on the second half. If that decision had gone against us there would have been uproar I'm certain.

Sarries were oddly flat in the second half. I expected them to try and create a little more. Farrell was increasingly on the periphery before being subbed.

Yeah Kelly's going to be very lucky not to have a couple of weeks off. Socino will come in as he looked good off the bench as you say.

Ollie Chessum is one that might not be handing the shirt back, he had a very good game given his chance.

If players have a duty of care to each other on the pitch, then this is a clear red card.

https://twitter.com/goatteeboy/status/1444306970534678529