Premiership Round 26 - The Finale - This Time It's Personal

First topic message reminder :

I am not nearly as eloquent as others here.  Since I am not working this week and just finished reading a couple or articles about the end of the season, I need something productive to do.  

This week has potentially two games with meaning, Saints-Falcons and Gloucester Saracens.  Saints-Falcons is a classic win-and-you're-in for Saints.  There are more permutations in Gloucester-Saracens, but also likely no impact at all if Sarries win.  So here we go for all the marbles:

Saints-Falcons - Saints have to win.  They MUST win.  They can't possibly find a way to mess this up, can they?  

Gloucester-Saracens - Gloucester keep it close for a while, but slowly, ever so slowly, Saracens will exert more control, then game over (and who said, cheaters never prosper).

Leicester-Wasps - These teams going at it used to be must-watch tv.  The past few years?  Not so much.  But Leicester will go out to win and Wasps will not (or not so much).

Sale-Bristol - Two teams which have managed to fail to meet any expectations.  The game probably will as well.

Exeter-Harlequins - to team with absolutely nothing to play for.  Nothing.  I think the game will look like that.

Worcester-Bath - If we still had relegation then this would be the poster child for poor teams fighting poor teams to stay in the Premiership.  Whether or not this game has any meaning, it sill still be harder to watch than watching paint dry.

stub wrote:Haven’t posted for ages, but have to say that as a long suffering Wuss fan, that was a good end to the season. Am hoping that next season sees us kicking on a bit.

The side looks like it's coming together a bit at Wuss. Some work to do in the tight five but otherwise the side looks like it's improving. Just need to get Lawrence fit.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Cheers, got the weekend pass now. I wanted to get a good look at Jenkins.

Just wondering, do Exeter play with left and right in the back-row? It seems like they do.

Pretty much. The jackler tends to play at 8 the flankers are normally both units, at times it's almost like they have four locks. Works well when they are clobbering away at the opposition try line.

I feel a lot of the top international teams are doing something like this. France, SA and Ireland spring to mind.

On Exeter, there’s a few Welsh players on their books. Been raiding again have they?

mikey_dragon wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Cheers, got the weekend pass now. I wanted to get a good look at Jenkins.

Just wondering, do Exeter play with left and right in the back-row? It seems like they do.

Pretty much. The jackler tends to play at 8 the flankers are normally both units, at times it's almost like they have four locks. Works well when they are clobbering away at the opposition try line.

I feel a lot of the top international teams are doing something like this. France, SA and Ireland spring to mind.

On Exeter, there’s a few Welsh players on their books. Been raiding again have they?

Ireland tend to play 8s at 6 and 8 then Van Der Flier at 7 and he's a natural openside. SA have Kylosi and MVS who are opensides that play 7. France is a good analogy as they tend to have two big flankers and then Aldritt at 8 who competes for everything.

Exeter will find talent wherever, Baxter casts the net wide for potential recruits and always has done. The academy churns out options as well but he does like to sign young talent. Dafydd Jenkins I think came over to go to the University of Exeter, Christ Tshiunza was the same and the Welsh hooker went there because Cardiff didn't want to retain him. I think there's a bit of a Welsh expat community down in Devon as well which might help the recruitment as well.

Leicester Tigers are the first Premiership club to go through a season on top of the table after every round.

Suffering a red wine hangover...I still ask the question (which ive asked for several years now)..what do the falcons actually do in training?

We HAVE some good players...they look like they've never trained together and have no plan at all...

I only pray this has been down to Dean and not to Walder the current head coach taking over the head coach role.

And Easter should give back the salary he's been collecting as Defence Coach...

I had the privilege to be at the Gardens yesterday for the Falcons game. I am still breathless, for 10 minutes after half time, Falcons were playing Saints style rugby, little pods inter passing, looked like training ground stuff, except Saints struggled to stop it.

Someone seriously needs to have a word with Saints management, they are coming out after the break undercooked far too often. Definitely not good for my old and well worn ticker, I genuinely thought that Falcons were going to get back on level terms and maybe pinch it. Saints just couldn't get the ball. If the keep up that style for longer than 10 minutes, they will be a very good side.

However as soon as Mitchell came back on, the tide changed, Furlong may make a very good reserve 10, but he makes a crap 9. That and the sending off resulted in one way traffic especially when Ribbans and Augustus came on, a surging run from the later straight through the defence with his first touch of the ball, then a very nearly try, his foot landing on the touch line just as he was in the act of scoring.

I was very surprised that Biggar did not go off for an HIA after the high tackle, it wasn't just a light touch it was a full on head to head smash, he was still groggy 10 minutes later, you could tell by his kicking it was all over the place.

Tiggers next, with both Ribbans and Augustus fit, the pack is far more robust. Front row is the worry, I know that it was Dickson reffing, but Munipola was milking him every time he was around the other side, you could clearly see his arm drop and pull down. Someone must had a word as he started reffing that side and suddenly the penalties stopped. Genge is a far better prop than Munipola so I hope Hill has recovered. The game could be an absolute classic.

On the subject of referees, how does Dickson keep his premiership credentials?

formerly known as Sam wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

mikey_dragon wrote:Cheers, got the weekend pass now. I wanted to get a good look at Jenkins.

Just wondering, do Exeter play with left and right in the back-row? It seems like they do.

Pretty much. The jackler tends to play at 8 the flankers are normally both units, at times it's almost like they have four locks. Works well when they are clobbering away at the opposition try line.

I feel a lot of the top international teams are doing something like this. France, SA and Ireland spring to mind.

On Exeter, there’s a few Welsh players on their books. Been raiding again have they?

Ireland tend to play 8s at 6 and 8 then Van Der Flier at 7 and he's a natural openside. SA have Kylosi and MVS who are opensides that play 7. France is a good analogy as they tend to have two big flankers and then Aldritt at 8 who competes for everything.

Exeter will find talent wherever, Baxter casts the net wide for potential recruits and always has done. The academy churns out options as well but he does like to sign young talent. Dafydd Jenkins I think came over to go to the University of Exeter, Christ Tshiunza was the same and the Welsh hooker went there because Cardiff didn't want to retain him. I think there's a bit of a Welsh expat community down in Devon as well which might help the recruitment as well.

Maybe SA wasn't the best example, perhaps I thought that as they always used to have big open-side/fetcher players. They definitely made the hybrid lock/back-row thing trend again. Irish teams do so, unless JvDF is available.

Exeter definitely do that. I don't rate all of Exeter's Welsh players but as they have a good track record in development then it will be interesting to see what becomes of it. Jenkins and Tshiunza are very promising.

What ever happened to Joe Jones (TH at Sale)? As an U20 and WP player he was unstoppable, but has struggled to get a pro contract since leaving Wales which seems like some time ago now. He had a brief stint with Perpginan when they were in Div 1.

Joe Jones is still at Sale he's just down the pecking order with the Book and Shonert ahead of him. The young lad Harper looks to be a bit of a prospect when he's fit as well. Maybe next year he'll get some more game time.

BBC:

'Saracens' Ben Earl has been named Premiership player of the season after playing a key role in their title bid.

The flanker, 24, returned to the club last summer, having joined Bristol on a one-year loan deal following Sarries' relegation to the Championship.

He won the most recent of his 13 England caps in March 2021.

Leicester coach Steve Borthwick won director of rugby of the season and London Irish full-back Henry Arundell was named discovery of the season.

Earl beat Harlequins pair Danny Care and Andre Esterhuizen and Leicester's George Ford and Julian Montoya to win the main player award.

He is set to line up for Saracens when they face Harlequins in their Premiership semi-final on Saturday, while Leicester play Northampton in the other tie on the same day.

"We're enormously proud of Ben and how he has developed through our system," Saracens head coach Joe Shaw said.

"His impact coming back this season has been huge and he has become an increasingly-important player in our squad.

"He is a leader, a phenomenal talent and we can't wait to see him keep growing over the coming years."'


Thought Care would pick up the player of the year, the other 2 as I thought it would be.

has he not been capped since march 21? Wow, its crazy how Eddie Jones just drops players. i think Earl is a way better option than Simmonds etc.

No 7&1/2 wrote:BBC:

'Saracens' Ben Earl has been named Premiership player of the season after playing a key role in their title bid.

The flanker, 24, returned to the club last summer, having joined Bristol on a one-year loan deal following Sarries' relegation to the Championship.

He won the most recent of his 13 England caps in March 2021.

Leicester coach Steve Borthwick won director of rugby of the season and London Irish full-back Henry Arundell was named discovery of the season.

Earl beat Harlequins pair Danny Care and Andre Esterhuizen and Leicester's George Ford and Julian Montoya to win the main player award.

He is set to line up for Saracens when they face Harlequins in their Premiership semi-final on Saturday, while Leicester play Northampton in the other tie on the same day.

"We're enormously proud of Ben and how he has developed through our system," Saracens head coach Joe Shaw said.

"His impact coming back this season has been huge and he has become an increasingly-important player in our squad.

"He is a leader, a phenomenal talent and we can't wait to see him keep growing over the coming years."'


Thought Care would pick up the player of the year, the other 2 as I thought it would be.

I'd have gone for Montoya but then we always see more of our own team play. Ben Earl has been very good when I've watched Sarries games, I just don't tend to watch them often because they can be quite dull. Fair play to him it's one way to send a message to Eddie that you're still about.

BT Sport Dream Team 2021-22

15 Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)

14 Max Malins (Saracens)

13 Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby)

12 André Esterhuizen (Harlequins)

11 Cadan Murley (Harlequins)

10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers)

9 Danny Care (Harlequins)

1 Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers)

2 George McGuigan (Newcastle Falcons)

3 Will Collier (Harlequins)

4 Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks)

5 Freddie Clarke (Gloucester Rugby)

6 Hanro Liebenberg (Leicester Tigers)

7 Ben Earl (Saracens)

8 Brad Shields (Wasps)

That guy at number 2 is too small

Surely if you're going to put a Wasps player at 8, it would be Tom Willis. Who was decent and actually played 8 for them.

Margin_Walker wrote:Surely if you're going to put a Wasps player at 8, it would be Tom Willis. Who was decent and actually played 8 for them.

If that was the selected backrow I'd have Liebenburg play 8 as he's the better carrier but they clearly wanted to shoehorn both in there.

Going to be an emotion filled game at Welford Road on Saturday. The club has announced the passing of Tiff Youngs following her long battle with cancer.

Ah no way.....thats sad to hear.

Poor Tom.

So heart breaking. I remember vividly being at WR when Tiff came to her first game after going into remission. It was an incredibly heart warming day to see the outpouring of kindness on show from fans who at the end of the day are almost all strangers.

I have no doubt Tom will show the same heart and fortitude in dealing with this loss as he did his career.

It puts even more context to that speech he gave before the Bristol game as well that Tiffany was at this stage of her battle.

RIP Tiffany.

king_carlos wrote:So heart breaking. I remember vividly being at WR when Tiff came to her first game after going into remission. It was an incredibly heart warming day to see the outpouring of kindness on show from fans who at the end of the day are almost all strangers.

I have no doubt Tom will show the same heart and fortitude in dealing with this loss as he did his career.

It puts even more context to that speech he gave before the Bristol game as well that Tiffany was at this stage of her battle.

RIP Tiffany.

Well said, mate.