Premiership Rugby Round 9

Round 9

Friday 27 December
Bristol v Sale, Ashton Gate, Bristol, Kick-off: 7.45pm

Saturday 28 December
Bath v Saracens. The Rec, Bath, Kick-off: 12.45pm
Northampton v Newcastle, Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton, Kick-off: 3pm
Harlequins v Leicester, Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (Live on ITV), Kick-off: 6pm

Sunday 29 December
Exeter v Gloucester, Sandy Park, Exeter, Kick-off: 3pm

Bristol - Sale Lineups

Bristol Starting XV
15. Rich Lane (46 apps), 14. Jack Bates (46 apps), 13. Kalaveti Ravouvou (16 apps), 12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg (35 apps), 11. Gabriel Ibitoye (53 apps), 10. Sam Worsley (14 apps), 9. Harry Randall (135 apps); 1. Ellis Genge (52 apps), 2. Harry Thacker (123 apps), 3. Max Lahiff (97 apps), 4. James Dun (43 apps), 5. Joe Owen (22 apps), Steven Luatua (139 apps), 7. Fitz Harding (c) (82 apps), 8. Viliame Mata (4 apps).

Replacements: 16. Gabriel Oghre (28 apps), 17. Jake Woolmore (161 apps), 18. George Kloska (51 apps), 19, Jamie Hodgson (2 apps), 20. Ben Grondona (14 apps), 21. Kieran Marmion (36 apps), 22. James Williams (45 apps), 23. Benjamin Elizalde (9 apps).

Sale Sharks Starting XV:  
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Luke James, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Raffi Quirke, 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ernst van Rhyn, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Tom Curry, 7. Ben Curry , 8. Dan du Preez.  

Replacements:   16. Ethan Caine, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. WillGriff John, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. JL du Preez, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Sam Dugdale.

Saints team for Falcons:

15 George Hendy
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Fraser Dingwall (c)
11 Ollie Sleightholme
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell

1 Tom West
2 Henry Walker – Saint #2107
3 Trevor Davison
4 Chunya Munga
5 Alex Coles
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Tom Pearson
8 Henry Pollock

Replacements:
16 Curtis Langdon
17 Tarek Haffar
18 Luke Green
19 Temo Mayanavanua
20 Angus Scott-Young
21 Iakopo Mapu
22 Archie McParland
23 Rory Hutchinson

Pretty strong bench

Always a little nervous when Saracens come to the Rec but this year they are missing quite a few front line players  in Carre, Dan, Willis, Tizard, Christie and Daly, Goode Tompkins & Cinti.
So Bath who remarkably have very few injuries currently, will probably still lose by a couple of points.....

Yeah, it is still a very competitive team from Saracens. I'm interested to see how some of their younger players go.


1 Phil Brantingham
2 Jamie George
3 Fraser Balmain
4 Maro Itoje (c)
5 Nick Isiekwe
6 Theo McFarland
7 Toby Knight
8 Ben Earl

9 Gareth Simpson
10 Fergus Burke

11 Rotimi Segun
12 Olly Hartley
13 Alex Lozowski
14 Tobias Elliott
15 Liam Williams

Replacements:

16 Kapeli Pifeleti
17 Eroni Mawi
18 Alec Clarey
19 Harry Wilson
20 Nathan Michelow
21 Ivan van Zyl
22 Sam Spink
23 Angus Hall

Sale showing exactly how to play Bristol. Home side haven't had a look in. Quirke looked very good, but it seems like he has gone off.

Cumbrian wrote:Sale showing exactly how to play Bristol.  Home side haven't had a look in.  Quirke looked very good, but it seems like he has gone off.

I thought Quirke went to the wing? Perils of a 6:2 bench and an early backs injury. He’s back at SH now, though.

Yes, you're correct he is back playing nine.

I'm a little perplexed by Sale continually kicking for goal. They are already really far out of sight, why wouldn't they kick for the corner and go. for the fourth try?

As I type, they get the fourth, but it really wasn't guaranteed.

Bristol have been completely abject though, and they've chosen to play like that in front of a really big home crowd.

Wow Sale!! That's a statement...

Sale played that game perfectly. Deprived Bristol of any momentum or quick ball. Remove those two things and Randall's game goes to pieces, no MacGinty meant no direction.

George Ford just controlled that game perfectly. That knee injury is a real concern though, he's not kicked for goal for a while now and then hobbled off. Sanderson looked worried for good reason.

15. Nick David (29)
14. Rodrigo Isgro (4)
13. Oscar Beard (64)
12. Luke Northmore (64)
11. Cadan Murley (121)
10. Marcus Smith (168)
9. Danny Care (385)
1. Fin Baxter (59)
2. Jack Walker (73)
3. Titi Lamositele (8)
4. Irne Herbst (56)
5. Dino Lamb (101)
6. James Chisholm (159)
7. Jack Kenningham (60)
8. Alex Dombrandt (144)

IMPACT PLAYERS

16. Sam Riley (58)
17. Wyn Jones (8)
18. Dillon Lewis (25)
19. Joe Lauchbury (28)
20. Chandler Cunningham-South (24)
21. Will Evans (100)
22. Will Porter (32)
23. Jarrod Evans (25)

Unavailable: Stephan Lewies, Tyrone Green, Josh Bellamy

STARTING XV

15 Freddie Steward [97]
14 Mike Brown [30]
13 Dan Kelly [87]
12 Solomone Kata [27]
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [33]
10 Handré Pollard [39]
9 Jack van Poortvliet [82]
1 Nicky Smith [9]
2 Julián Montoya (C) [64]
3 Joe Heyes [150]
4 Cameron Henderson [49]
5 George Martin [71]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [117]
7 Tommy Reffell [123]
8 Olly Cracknell [52]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Charlie Clare [105]
17 James Whitcombe [57]
18 Dan Cole [330]
19 Jed Holloway [3]
20 Emeka Ilione [31]
21 Ben Youngs [323]
22 Jamie Shillcock [38]
23 Joseph Woodward [17]

Tigers struggling for wingers at the wrong time.

formerly known as Sam wrote:15. Nick David (29)
14. Rodrigo Isgro (4)
13. Oscar Beard (64)
12. Luke Northmore (64)
11. Cadan Murley (121)
10. Marcus Smith (168)
9. Danny Care (385)
1. Fin Baxter (59)
2. Jack Walker (73)
3. Titi Lamositele (8)
4. Irne Herbst (56)
5. Dino Lamb (101)
6. James Chisholm (159)
7. Jack Kenningham (60)
8. Alex Dombrandt (144)

IMPACT PLAYERS

16. Sam Riley (58)
17. Wyn Jones (8)
18. Dillon Lewis (25)
19. Joe Lauchbury (28)
20. Chandler Cunningham-South (24)
21. Will Evans (100)
22. Will Porter (32)
23. Jarrod Evans (25)

Unavailable: Stephan Lewies, Tyrone Green, Josh Bellamy

STARTING XV

15 Freddie Steward [97]
14 Mike Brown [30]
13 Dan Kelly [87]
12 Solomone Kata [27]
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [33]
10 Handré Pollard [39]
9 Jack van Poortvliet [82]
1 Nicky Smith [9]
2 Julián Montoya (C) [64]
3 Joe Heyes [150]
4 Cameron Henderson [49]
5 George Martin [71]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [117]
7 Tommy Reffell [123]
8 Olly Cracknell [52]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Charlie Clare [105]
17 James Whitcombe [57]
18 Dan Cole [330]
19 Jed Holloway [3]
20 Emeka Ilione [31]
21 Ben Youngs [323]
22 Jamie Shillcock [38]
23 Joseph Woodward [17]

Tigers struggling for wingers at the wrong time.

Yeah, that back three looks stodgy. Do Leicester not have any academy wingers that are chomping at the bit to get a game? I mean it would seem preferable to a 100 year old Mike Brown running through treacle down the wing. He didn't make the best winger in peak days and his lack of pace could be badly exposed now.

Cumbrian wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:15. Nick David (29)
14. Rodrigo Isgro (4)
13. Oscar Beard (64)
12. Luke Northmore (64)
11. Cadan Murley (121)
10. Marcus Smith (168)
9. Danny Care (385)
1. Fin Baxter (59)
2. Jack Walker (73)
3. Titi Lamositele (8)
4. Irne Herbst (56)
5. Dino Lamb (101)
6. James Chisholm (159)
7. Jack Kenningham (60)
8. Alex Dombrandt (144)

IMPACT PLAYERS

16. Sam Riley (58)
17. Wyn Jones (8)
18. Dillon Lewis (25)
19. Joe Lauchbury (28)
20. Chandler Cunningham-South (24)
21. Will Evans (100)
22. Will Porter (32)
23. Jarrod Evans (25)

Unavailable: Stephan Lewies, Tyrone Green, Josh Bellamy

STARTING XV

15 Freddie Steward [97]
14 Mike Brown [30]
13 Dan Kelly [87]
12 Solomone Kata [27]
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [33]
10 Handré Pollard [39]
9 Jack van Poortvliet [82]
1 Nicky Smith [9]
2 Julián Montoya (C) [64]
3 Joe Heyes [150]
4 Cameron Henderson [49]
5 George Martin [71]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [117]
7 Tommy Reffell [123]
8 Olly Cracknell [52]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Charlie Clare [105]
17 James Whitcombe [57]
18 Dan Cole [330]
19 Jed Holloway [3]
20 Emeka Ilione [31]
21 Ben Youngs [323]
22 Jamie Shillcock [38]
23 Joseph Woodward [17]

Tigers struggling for wingers at the wrong time.

Yeah, that back three looks stodgy.  Do Leicester not have any academy wingers that are chomping at the bit to get a game?  I mean it would seem preferable to a 100 year old Mike Brown running through treacle down the wing.  He didn't make the best winger in peak days and his lack of pace could be badly exposed now.

We've had Harry Simmonds retire from the eye injury he picked up Vs Leinster. Watson and Bassett are injured. We've got some decent academy back three talent in Pearson, Kinder and Satala but they are all in their teens. Satala is 19 with the other two fresh out of school. Putting them on the big Twickers pitch against Quins would be a rough Prem debut. Kinder looks a real talent but was positionally exposed Vs Saints in the PRC. Satala was better positionally but doesn't have much of a kicking game and looks to still be adapting. Pearson would be the best equipped but he's 18 and is probably a stone lighter than Murley currently.

I'd have preferred to move Wand out to the wing. He's got the pace, physicality and only question is his positioning. He's played there a bit before so not a total rookie.

Brown will be well up for this but what's worrying is that if he starts to tire there's not really an option on the bench bar Shillcock to 15 and Steward to the wing which isn't ideal. Steward coming barrelling into the line has been brilliant for the Tigers attack this season, even last weekend which was a $h!t show saw him score one and created two.

Really dumb play from Liam Williams. He must have known that it would be a penalty try, why not just let Cokanasiga try to catch it? He's got poor handling skills, and even if he does catch it, it is a harder kick and no yellow card.

Cumbrian wrote:Really dumb play from Liam Williams.  He must have known that it would be a penalty try, why not just let Cokanasiga try to catch it?  He's got poor handling skills, and even if he does catch it, it is a harder kick and no yellow card.

Agreed, it's pretty much the worst decision he could make.

Toby Knight then picks up a red for a big shot straight to Lawrence's head.

Yeah, Saracens have been their own worst enemies in the first 20 minutes.

Are there any plans to introduce the 20 min red at some point?

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:15. Nick David (29)
14. Rodrigo Isgro (4)
13. Oscar Beard (64)
12. Luke Northmore (64)
11. Cadan Murley (121)
10. Marcus Smith (168)
9. Danny Care (385)
1. Fin Baxter (59)
2. Jack Walker (73)
3. Titi Lamositele (8)
4. Irne Herbst (56)
5. Dino Lamb (101)
6. James Chisholm (159)
7. Jack Kenningham (60)
8. Alex Dombrandt (144)

IMPACT PLAYERS

16. Sam Riley (58)
17. Wyn Jones (8)
18. Dillon Lewis (25)
19. Joe Lauchbury (28)
20. Chandler Cunningham-South (24)
21. Will Evans (100)
22. Will Porter (32)
23. Jarrod Evans (25)

Unavailable: Stephan Lewies, Tyrone Green, Josh Bellamy

STARTING XV

15 Freddie Steward [97]
14 Mike Brown [30]
13 Dan Kelly [87]
12 Solomone Kata [27]
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [33]
10 Handré Pollard [39]
9 Jack van Poortvliet [82]
1 Nicky Smith [9]
2 Julián Montoya (C) [64]
3 Joe Heyes [150]
4 Cameron Henderson [49]
5 George Martin [71]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [117]
7 Tommy Reffell [123]
8 Olly Cracknell [52]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Charlie Clare [105]
17 James Whitcombe [57]
18 Dan Cole [330]
19 Jed Holloway [3]
20 Emeka Ilione [31]
21 Ben Youngs [323]
22 Jamie Shillcock [38]
23 Joseph Woodward [17]

Tigers struggling for wingers at the wrong time.

Yeah, that back three looks stodgy.  Do Leicester not have any academy wingers that are chomping at the bit to get a game?  I mean it would seem preferable to a 100 year old Mike Brown running through treacle down the wing.  He didn't make the best winger in peak days and his lack of pace could be badly exposed now.

We've had Harry Simmonds retire from the eye injury he picked up Vs Leinster. Watson and Bassett are injured. We've got some decent academy back three talent in Pearson, Kinder and Satala but they are all in their teens. Satala is 19 with the other two fresh out of school. Putting them on the big Twickers pitch against Quins would be a rough Prem debut. Kinder looks a real talent but was positionally exposed Vs Saints in the PRC. Satala was better positionally but doesn't have much of a kicking game and looks to still be adapting. Pearson would be the best equipped but he's 18 and is probably a stone lighter than Murley currently.

I'd have preferred to move Wand out to the wing. He's got the pace, physicality and only question is his positioning. He's played there a bit before so not a total rookie.

Brown will be well up for this but what's worrying is that if he starts to tire there's not really an option on the bench bar Shillcock to 15 and Steward to the wing which isn't ideal. Steward coming barrelling into the line has been brilliant for the Tigers attack this season, even last weekend which was a $h!t show saw him score one and created two.

Hasn't Watson been injured since about the time of Queen Victoria?

doctor_grey wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:15. Nick David (29)
14. Rodrigo Isgro (4)
13. Oscar Beard (64)
12. Luke Northmore (64)
11. Cadan Murley (121)
10. Marcus Smith (168)
9. Danny Care (385)
1. Fin Baxter (59)
2. Jack Walker (73)
3. Titi Lamositele (8)
4. Irne Herbst (56)
5. Dino Lamb (101)
6. James Chisholm (159)
7. Jack Kenningham (60)
8. Alex Dombrandt (144)

IMPACT PLAYERS

16. Sam Riley (58)
17. Wyn Jones (8)
18. Dillon Lewis (25)
19. Joe Lauchbury (28)
20. Chandler Cunningham-South (24)
21. Will Evans (100)
22. Will Porter (32)
23. Jarrod Evans (25)

Unavailable: Stephan Lewies, Tyrone Green, Josh Bellamy

STARTING XV

15 Freddie Steward [97]
14 Mike Brown [30]
13 Dan Kelly [87]
12 Solomone Kata [27]
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [33]
10 Handré Pollard [39]
9 Jack van Poortvliet [82]
1 Nicky Smith [9]
2 Julián Montoya (C) [64]
3 Joe Heyes [150]
4 Cameron Henderson [49]
5 George Martin [71]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [117]
7 Tommy Reffell [123]
8 Olly Cracknell [52]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Charlie Clare [105]
17 James Whitcombe [57]
18 Dan Cole [330]
19 Jed Holloway [3]
20 Emeka Ilione [31]
21 Ben Youngs [323]
22 Jamie Shillcock [38]
23 Joseph Woodward [17]

Tigers struggling for wingers at the wrong time.

Yeah, that back three looks stodgy.  Do Leicester not have any academy wingers that are chomping at the bit to get a game?  I mean it would seem preferable to a 100 year old Mike Brown running through treacle down the wing.  He didn't make the best winger in peak days and his lack of pace could be badly exposed now.

We've had Harry Simmonds retire from the eye injury he picked up Vs Leinster. Watson and Bassett are injured. We've got some decent academy back three talent in Pearson, Kinder and Satala but they are all in their teens. Satala is 19 with the other two fresh out of school. Putting them on the big Twickers pitch against Quins would be a rough Prem debut. Kinder looks a real talent but was positionally exposed Vs Saints in the PRC. Satala was better positionally but doesn't have much of a kicking game and looks to still be adapting. Pearson would be the best equipped but he's 18 and is probably a stone lighter than Murley currently.

I'd have preferred to move Wand out to the wing. He's got the pace, physicality and only question is his positioning. He's played there a bit before so not a total rookie.

Brown will be well up for this but what's worrying is that if he starts to tire there's not really an option on the bench bar Shillcock to 15 and Steward to the wing which isn't ideal. Steward coming barrelling into the line has been brilliant for the Tigers attack this season, even last weekend which was a $h!t show saw him score one and created two.

Hasn't Watson been injured since about the time of Queen Victoria?

He's made a couple of appearances this season. Largely forgettable mind. If he gets a new contract I'd expect it to be on heavily reduced terms.

Heaf wrote:Are there any plans to introduce the 20 min red at some point?

I assume it'll come in for next season.

Think Saracens can feel a little hard done by Dickinson in the last few minutes.  That scrum was from a Bath knock-on, then he wrongly overruled his touch judge saying that Bath had moved out of the ten.

Dickson being Dickson

The Premiership is in a strange place right now. A lot of teams looks capable of beating each other. Unfortunately, too many of the games are one-sided affairs, which are not much of a spectacle.

An early red card has hurt Saracens but you don't expect a 33-3 scoreline with only 46 minutes gone.

Rugby Fan wrote:The Premiership is in a strange place right now. A lot of teams looks capable of beating each other. Unfortunately, too many of the games are one-sided affairs, which are not much of a spectacle.

An early red card has hurt Saracens but you don't expect a 33-3 scoreline with only 46 minutes gone.

True, but that doesn't take into account the amount of injuries Sarries suffered throughout the game, they have been brutally hit at key points.

This is a complete capitulation now, very unlike Saracens.

68-10 (snigger)

With that score line I think it’s pretty obvious that Bath are the next Saracens when it comes to breaching the salary cap. Whether they’ll be punished to the extent that Sarries were is the biggest question

Christ, think this is going to be a long game...

Cumbrian wrote:Christ, think this is going to be a long game...

Does feel like a third pasting is on the way.

This is pathetic from Newcastle, the defence is appalling, they barely look like professional players.

I'm hoping to see a competitive game sometime this weekend ...

Right, I'm out. See you at 6:00pm for the next one.

Half time and 40-0, the game was over almost straight away with Saints scoring three tries one after the other inside 10 minutes

Rugby Fan wrote:The Premiership is in a strange place right now. A lot of teams looks capable of beating each other. Unfortunately, too many of the games are one-sided affairs, which are not much of a spectacle.

An early red card has hurt Saracens but you don't expect a 33-3 scoreline with only 46 minutes gone.

I've been banging that drum for a bit now. Since ringfencing, I think we've seen a slide towards high scoring but very low quality games. Defence at times is genuinely comical. It can still be entertaining occasionally seeing Baabaas style rugby and score lines but when it's drifting towards the norm rather than an exception I really struggle. Like trying to live off Mars bars rather than occasionally eating one when I get a craving.

0 - 38
68 - 10
54 - 0 (as we stand...)

It's not been a weekend of score lines that point to high quality rugby. Hopefully the big game at Twickenham lives up to its billing in front of a large crowd.

Several teams have lost leading players over the summer and barely replaced them. Take Tigers, as I support them, we effectively replaced Jasper Wiese internally with Olly Cracknell. Painful.

It's a league in a very poor place in terms of the average quality of games. There are still good ones smattered in there. The majority of even the 'good' ones now are often high scoring and sometimes entertaining but in reality very poor quality games. Whilst such heavily one sided dross such as this weekend is just bad sport. Chiefs are somehow sitting below Falcons, who operate on a barely full time budget. I've felt Tigers have been somewhere between OK and genuinely terrible this year, yet they are somehow 1 place from the playoffs. I'm really struggling to stay engaged when the product is so frequently poor.

Really good from Leicester in the first 20 minutes. Improbably, they look equally as dangerous in the the broken field as Quins.

Freddie Steward creates the second try with a fantastic break. Sells the dummy to Beard and then steps Kenningham. Bit more of that Freddie.

I think since ringfencing and the reduction of teams, the club squads look a whole lot stronger, whilst England are routinely successful at age grade. Some of the English teams seem to be struggling financially, and the salaries have become inflated by the Saracens of old and all the French teams in both divisions. It could do with a bit of a restructure and players being paid their worth. In order to get better, England needs that golden generation (perhaps the one that just won the JWC?) to come through. The clubs will have to rely on good English (and some Welsh) players. That usually does them good.

I think Bath will be the team on the rise whilst Saracens will continue to be good if they keep the coaching team. Bristol are a team with some inflated salaries that is punching above its weight, I didn't see the game against Sale but the score is remarkable. It's probable that Quins and Saints could regress but I hope not as they are good to watch.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Freddie Steward creates the second try with a fantastic break. Sells the dummy to Beard and then steps Kenningham. Bit more of that Freddie.

Seen the best and worst of Steward in this game, because he got absolutely roasted for the Murley try.

Cumbrian wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Freddie Steward creates the second try with a fantastic break. Sells the dummy to Beard and then steps Kenningham. Bit more of that Freddie.

Seen the best and worst of Steward in this game, because he got absolutely roasted for the Murley try.

Any speed merchant winger should be expecting to score that quite frankly. One on one with the fullback, no other cover and he's got the entire width of the pitch to play with.

It's under the high ball that Steward hasn't delivered, which is unusual. The new law change really does allow the attacking players to just throw and arm up and clash into the defender knowing that any sort of vague attempt to challenge makes it legal.

Kata gets sin binned (and is lucky it's only yellow). Quins immediately score. Really stupid and lazy.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Freddie Steward creates the second try with a fantastic break. Sells the dummy to Beard and then steps Kenningham. Bit more of that Freddie.

Seen the best and worst of Steward in this game, because he got absolutely roasted for the Murley try.

Any speed merchant winger should be expecting to score that quite frankly. One on one with the fullback, no other cover and he's got the entire width of the pitch to play with.

It's under the high ball that Steward hasn't delivered, which is unusual. The new law change really does allow the attacking players to just throw and arm up and clash into the defender knowing that any sort of vague attempt to challenge makes it legal.

Kata gets sin binned (and is lucky it's only yellow). Quins immediately score. Really stupid and lazy.

True, I would also expect a good winger to finish it, but Steward didn't even get close to stopping him.  I think a quicker/ more agile full back would have had a better chance.

Edit: I'm being harsh, I'm generally a Steward fan, he is (usually) very good at what he does, and his power can add an extra dimension to attack, but I feel that his speed and agility really can be exposed in the open areas.

Cumbrian wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Freddie Steward creates the second try with a fantastic break. Sells the dummy to Beard and then steps Kenningham. Bit more of that Freddie.

Seen the best and worst of Steward in this game, because he got absolutely roasted for the Murley try.

Any speed merchant winger should be expecting to score that quite frankly. One on one with the fullback, no other cover and he's got the entire width of the pitch to play with.

It's under the high ball that Steward hasn't delivered, which is unusual. The new law change really does allow the attacking players to just throw and arm up and clash into the defender knowing that any sort of vague attempt to challenge makes it legal.

Kata gets sin binned (and is lucky it's only yellow). Quins immediately score. Really stupid and lazy.

True, I would also expect a good winger to finish it, but Steward didn't even get close to stopping him.  I think a quicker/ more agile full back would have had a better chance.

Edit:  I'm being harsh,  I'm generally a Steward fan, he is (usually) very good at what he does, and his power can add an extra dimension to attack, but I feel that his speed and agility really can be exposed in the open areas.

He's about three stone heavier than Murley. Never going to be comparable in speed terms. It is a weakness and one he's unlikely to be able to fix. The other side of it is that not many fullbacks can come up the back and absolutely smash their opposite number forcing a knock on like Steward just did to David (and has done to others this season).

Or like that one from Steward to smash Marcus Smith and kill the counter attack. Just a shame Brown gives a brainless penalty away though.

I'm not saying that he doesn't have his strengths, but you do have to put it on a scale and ask, do they outweigh his weaknesses? I think in the right circumstances he is absolutely an excellent (game changing) player, but I feel that his weakness can also really be targeted.

Cumbrian wrote:I'm not saying that he doesn't have his strengths, but you do have to put it on a scale and ask, do they outweigh his weaknesses?  I think in the right circumstances he is absolutely an excellent (game changing) player, but I feel that his weakness can also really be targeted.

Yeah definitely. He has big strengths but also significant weaknesses.

It is good to watch a game with a bit of jeopardy!

Didn't seem a lot of scrutiny on that last pass! It looked forward to me...

It was a mile forward!

And the TMO has made a complete mess of his job and allowed a try from blatantly forward pass.

The RFU’s club being allowed to score a try from a forward pass at Twickenham? Never!

Least Bill Sweeney will be happier than he was last week when they were nilled.