Premiership Cup 23/24

[TRF_Olyy]

Fixtures live on TNT Sports

Round 1 – Sunday, September 10, 1pm – Ealing Trailfinders v Northampton Saints

Round 2 – Saturday, September 16, 1pm – Bath v Jersey Reds

Round 3 – Friday, September 22, 7.45pm – Gloucester v Harlequins

Round 4 – Sunday, October 1, 2.30pm – Harlequins v Saracens

Round 5 – Sunday, October 8, 2pm – To be picked after the first two rounds

Premiership Rugby Cup info

The 22 teams are split into four seeded pools – two of six teams (Pool A & Pool B), two of five teams (Pool C & Pool D) – with the seedings based on league standings at the end of the 2022-23 season*.

The teams in Pools C and D will play one cross-pool fixture alongside their own pool games.

For the competition format, pools and the full list of fixtures, please visit here:

*The Championship club seeded 11, London Scottish, and seed 12 Cambridge who were promoted from National One were swapped with Nottingham and Caldy, seeded 9 and 10. The higher seeds therefore host a home fixture against a Premiership club.

Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs also swap pools for operational reasons.

https://www.premiershiprugby.com/co...ake-on-ealing-trailfinders-live-on-tnt-sports
Pool A
Saracens
Harlequins
Gloucester Rugby
Coventry
Hartpury University
Nottingham

Pool B
Sale Sharks
Leicester Tigers
Newcastle Falcons
Bedford Blues
Ampthill
Caldy

Pool C
Exeter Chiefs
Bath Rugby
Jersey Reds
Cornish Pirates
London Scottish

Pool D
Northampton Saints
Bristol Bears
Ealing Trailfinders
Doncaster Knights
Cambridge


Really looking forward to it - though it's BS they're only showing one game per round, especially as the prem doesn't start until October

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

They also picked some of the worse games to televise

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

How are
Exeter Chiefs v Cornish Pirates
Caldy v Sale Sharks (Sat 30 Sept, 15:00)
Not on TV????

 

[TRF_Olyy]

World Cup Shmorld Cup, this is the only cup competition anyone should be paying attention to

8 September 2023
19:30 Cornish Pirates v Bath
19:30 Doncaster Knights v Cambridge

9 September 2023
15:00 Gloucester v Nottingham
15:00 Harlequins v Hartpury University
15:00 Leicester Tigers v Caldy
15:00 Ampthill v Newcastle Falcons
15:00 Exeter Chiefs v Bristol Bears
16:00 Coventry v Saracens
17:30 Sale Sharks v Bedford Blues

10 September 2023
13:00 Ealing Trailfinders v Northampton Saints (Live on TNT Sports)
14:00 London Scottish v Jersey Reds

 

[Seeker]

Let's Go Gloucester!

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Hard to even take notice of this while the World Cup is on.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

 

[Booboobang]

View attachment 17570

Will be interesting to see how sam harris gets on after the U20 world cup, and heard Goss is lightning quick. Anyone else in there you suggest keeping an eye on?

 

[Quel Carreleur]

Stewart and Richards were stars at age-group level, Richards went on to get some senior experience, and then a year to process it all on the training pitch - hopefully he gets a chance to shine this year.
Props are young, but getting there, and FLW we all know about.
In the backrow, Jaco Coetzee seemed like a real coup when we signed him, but he's not managed more than about 4 consecutive matches since arriving, so not really shown it. With a run of matches to build some form, he's supposed to have star quality. Tonks we know, Staddon is solid.

In the backs, you picked out the class there; the halfbacks are pretty pedestrian, but also very young (first season as a senior for both of them) Butt is a big boy who's got to learn to use it - and what position he wants to play; whilst Max Wright... is probably only still a Bath player because of the way contracts worked out.
Muir is always fun to watch, and on form probably a first choice starter, Gabe is rapid, and Harris is a future star.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Really like that

 

[Geordie]

Team for the Prem Cup v Amphill

1 Brocklebank
2 Byrne
3 McCallum
4 Cardall
5 De Chaves
6 Van der Walt
7 Bainbridge
8 Lockwood

9 O'Sullivan
10 Connon
11 Stevenson
12 Hutchison
13 Penny (C)
14 Stephens
15 Obatoyinbo

16 Fletcher
17 Brantingham
18 Palframan
19 McDonald
20 Kelly
21 Barton
22 Pepper
23 Thomas

Lots of balance and players in their right positions...pace and power.

 

[Geordie]

View attachment 17582

Really like that

Twin towers at lock!!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Twin towers at lock!!

The coaches have earmarked them as two to breakthrough this season - hope they're right because they're got all the physical stats you want from a top level lock,
Slightly sceptical as they looked a way off last season, but players progress quickly at that age so who knows

 

[Geordie]

The coaches have earmarked them as two to breakthrough this season - hope they're right because they're got all the physical stats you want from a top level lock,
Slightly sceptical as they looked a way off last season, but players progress quickly at that age so who knows

They both came from Bristol didn't they. Bamber was an ex Huddersfield rugby league player, huge bloke 6'9 about 20 stone I think and only 22ish.

Be watching them both with interest this season as there's a host of 6'9/ 6'10 locks coming through and it's a position we need a new international crop.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

https://x.com/leicestertigers/status/1700101679566278676?s=46

 

[Deleted member 53362]

14 all at the Butts! Come on Coventry!

 

[Deleted member 53362]

21-14 come on!

 

[Quel Carreleur]

Now that's what I call a giant slaying - congratulations Coventry!

 

[Deleted member 53362]

Now that's what I call a giant slaying - congratulations Coventry!

Brilliant game! Thought Sarries were going to smash it earlier but the 2nd half was all Cov

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

It's only Hartpury, but Cleaves is just unbelievably good in attack. His second try it genuinely looks like he is in fast forward

 

[Quel Carreleur]

I'd thought these weren't being video.d
https://video.premiershiprugby.com/...es-v-bath-rugby-premiership-rugby-cup-round-1

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'd thought these weren't being video.d
https://video.premiershiprugby.com/...es-v-bath-rugby-premiership-rugby-cup-round-1

They announced a few days ago they're going on PRTV with no commentary the day after - small steps, but definitely steps in the right direction


Good win for Sale yesterday, though sounds like scrum and lineout had some wobbles

 

[Quel Carreleur]

TY - I missed that.


Ealing looking good?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I know (most) Prem sides are putting out very young/inexperienced sides but I wouldn't have expected two scalps in the first round!

 

[RedruthRFC]

I know (most) Prem sides are putting out very young/inexperienced sides but I wouldn't have expected two scalps in the first round!

Given that sides that are relegated from the Premiership usually use the parachute payment to retain most of their Premiership quality and even then, lose a handful of games, it doesn't seem surprising to me that full-strength Championship sides are beating slightly augmented Premiership academy sides.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

Given that sides that are relegated from the Premiership usually use the parachute payment to retain most of their Premiership quality and even then, lose a handful of games, it doesn't seem surprising to me that full-strength Championship sides are beating slightly augmented Premiership academy sides.

How accurate is that?
I've not looked at most of the teams put out, but Cornwall pushed Bath close, and Bath most certainly weren't a slightly augmented academy side.
I didn't get the impression Saracens were either, but dunno.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

How accurate is that?
I've not looked at most of the teams put out, but Cornwall pushed Bath close, and Bath most certainly weren't a slightly augmented academy side.
I didn't get the impression Saracens were either, but dunno.

Only 3 of Saracens’ starting lineup were academy players. The rest all on senior contracts.

 

[RedruthRFC]

How accurate is that?
I've not looked at most of the teams put out, but Cornwall pushed Bath close, and Bath most certainly weren't a slightly augmented academy side.
I didn't get the impression Saracens were either, but dunno.

Cornwall won't be playing until next April / May. Pirates.

Maybe "slightly augmented academy side" was overselling how weak these sides were, but my point stands - these sides are significantly weaker than the sides that the demoted Premiership team would be expected to field in The Championship.

How many players in these sides would be considered first choice for their clubs?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

If I were to predict Sale's first choice 23 for the season then one player was in this week's side (either Veainu or Reed on the bench)
We had a few squad players with a decent amount of prem experience (Luke James starting, Ross Harrison and Josh Beaumont on the bench) but the majority are current academy or recent academy grads

 

[Quel Carreleur]

1. Cornwall won't be playing until next April / May. Pirates.

2. Maybe "slightly augmented academy side" was overselling how weak these sides were, but my point stands - these sides are significantly weaker than the sides that the demoted Premiership team would be expected to field in The Championship.

3. How many players in these sides would be considered first choice for their clubs?

1. Technically correct - the very best kind of correct
2.
3. For Bath? 3 first choice starters, 1 academy kid in the starting 15. Very much a 2nd XV, but not remotely academy - I don't know for other teams, hence asking.

Personally though, I've been calling for this competition since the AWC started, and I'm delighted with how it's gone, and (Exeter aside) has been more-or-less exactly what I was hoping for from it.