[2013/14 Premiership] Round 5

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Round 5 Fixtures

Kingston Park, Sale (Friday, 19:45 GMT)

Madejski Stadium, Reading (Saturday, 15:00 GMT)

Allianz Park, London (Saturday, 15:00 GMT)

Sixways, Worcester (Saturday, 15:00 GMT)

Welford Road, Leicester (Sunday, 15:15 GMT)

Kingsholm, Gloucester (Sunday, 14:00 GMT)
​

 

[Getofmeland]

The match of the weekend is on Friday night... Bath to dominate Sale, however we do have 4 likely doubts for the game... Atwood, Day, Banahan and Watson... plus another 4 away on internationals...

But hey ho its only Sale... and no one cares about them ;-)

 

[ratsapprentice]

Bath, Quins, Sarries, Wuss, Saints, Glos

I got 6/6 last week, it's a bit more difficult this week.
I can easily see 5 of those being wrong... Sarries are the only nailed on winners IMO.

I do worry slightly about Bath's lineout now Attwood is out, it's gone to pot when he's gone off so far.
And Webber has supposedly broken a bone in his arm.
Devoto isn't a very good defender at FB and he's probably going to be in for Watson.
Could be a tight one.

 

[Getofmeland]

Watson is potentially out with a Hamstring problem, Banahan is a doubt with an Ankle injury, Day looks like an ankle injury as well, and Atwood is down to a Rib Injury

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Bath lose a load of players, while we get Tuitupou, Leota and Ostrikov back....this pleases me.

 

[Getofmeland]

Bath Team to take on Sale Sharks...

15. Ollie Devoto
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
13. Jonathan Joseph
12. Kyle Eastmond
11. Tom Biggs
10. George Ford
9. Peter Stringer
1. Paul James
2. Ross Batty
3. David Wilson
4. Stuart Hooper ( c )
5. Will Spencer
6. Matt Garvey
7. Guy Mercer
8. Leroy Houston

Replacements

16. Tom Dunn
17. Anthony Perenise
18. Kane Palma-Newport
19. Carl Fearns
20. Alafoti Fa'osiliva
21. Martin Roberts
22. Ben Williams
23. Gavin Henson

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Sale side:

Rob Miller, Phil McKenzie, Andy Forsyth, Jonny Leota, Mark Cueto, Danny Cipriani, Dwayne Peel, Eifion Lewis Roberts, Tommy Taylor, Vadim Cobilas, Jonathan Mills, Michael Paterson, Dan Braid (Captain), David Seymour, Mark Easter

Replacements Marc Jones, Ross Harrison, Henry Thomas, Kirill Kulemin, Andrei Ostrikov, Will Cliff, Joe Ford, Sammy Tuitupou


I like it! Would've started both Russians in the donkey row, with Paterson at 6 or 8, but that's a lot of firepower coming on late in the game - Tuitupou, Ostrikov and Kulemin will be an unwelcome sight for any tired defenders!

Good to see Fearns back for Bath, though I (of course) hope we ruin him to show him he never should have left :lol:


It's also Our Lord and Saviour Dave Seymour's 100th game for Sale!

 

[Peat]

Is Gaskell injured? I was coming round to the idea of him as an 8 a lot at the end of last season...

 

[Getofmeland]

Sale side:

Rob Miller, Phil McKenzie, Andy Forsyth, Jonny Leota, Mark Cueto, Danny Cipriani, Dwayne Peel, Eifion Lewis Roberts, Tommy Taylor, Vadim Cobilas, Jonathan Mills, Michael Paterson, Dan Braid (Captain), David Seymour, Mark Easter

Replacements Marc Jones, Ross Harrison, Henry Thomas, Kirill Kulemin, Andrei Ostrikov, Will Cliff, Joe Ford, Sammy Tuitupou


I like it! Would've started both Russians in the donkey row, with Paterson at 6 or 8, but that's a lot of firepower coming on late in the game - Tuitupou, Ostrikov and Kulemin will be an unwelcome sight for any tired defenders!

Good to see Fearns back for Bath, though I (of course) hope we ruin him to show him he never should have left :lol:


It's also Our Lord and Saviour Dave Seymour's 100th game for Sale!

How Sale announce their team sheet

[video=youtube_share;lTgCO3m9Tag]http://youtu.be/lTgCO3m9Tag[/video]

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Is Gaskell injured? I was coming round to the idea of him as an 8 a lot at the end of last season...

Broke his foot warming up vs Wasps, out for a couple of months unfortunately.
He played 8 growing up, before going to Lock/6. Think 8 looks his best position, especially as he's started to (naturally) bulk out a bit now.

 

[ratsapprentice]

he's started to (naturally) bulk out a bit now.

lol

 

[Packman]

Round 5 predictions. (as usual not to be taken that seriously)

Sale v Bath - I'm struggling to get a handle on Sale this season they won last week, didn't they? I'm going with yes. I'm sure Steve Hanley will score a try. Is Steve still playing? I'm going with yes. Bath look good at home but were pants at saracens so I'm going with Sale.

London Irish Vs Quins - Quins will win. I wonder if they'll be bigged up again, like they were when they beat Worcester? I like Quins but I think the old soft underbelly is back. They may wanna keep half an eye out for an enforcer of sorts.

Sarries vs wasps - Sarries are gay.

Worcester vs Newcastle - this is a game I'd have liked to see on TV. shame about it clashing with the punch up at Welford Road. I'm going with Newcastle because I really didn't see much of any note when Worcester played Quins in round 3. It will be a cool match to watch though if you have tickets.

Tigs vs Saints - FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! Northampton will win because Leicester are never worth backing this early in the season. We'll see what happens come April / May time though, eh. This is a nice game to have before travelling to Ravenhill to face Ulster a week later though! Well.... it will be, so long as we don't have three of four players banned during the week!

Glaws Vs Chicks.... Chicks? who are chicks!?! Wait a minute I can't read my own hand writing. No wait, it is Chicks. Its a stand in team made up of Female TV presenters, there'll be Holly Willoughby, Kelly Brook, Tess Daly, Big nostrils, Claudia Wrinkleman - just to annoy people and loads of others. and they are all waaaay tougher than the gloucester team so it's going to be a thrashing. Tut, who'd wanna be a shedhead...

 

[ratsapprentice]

Saracens:
Ben Ransom
Chris Ashton
Joel Tomkins
Chris Wyles
Michael Tagicakibau
Alex Goode
Neil de Kock
Rhys Gill
Jamie George
James Johnston
Alastair Hargreaves
George Kruis
Jackson Wray
Will Fraser
Ernst Joubert (Capt.).

Replacements: Schalk Brits, Mako Vunipola, Petrus Du Plessis, Mouritz Botha, Kelly Brown, Richard Wigglesworth, Owen Farrell, David Strettle.

Goode playing at 10, the much better Ransom playing at 15.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Where's Charlie? Is he crocked? Don't think I've seen him turn out for Sarries this season.

Goode at 10 will be top lel. Wiggleswoth or Mordt would've been better options.

 

[Patchey]

Goode at ten?

Goode at ten??

Goode at ten???


Stuart, don't get any ideas...

 

[j'nuh]

I really, really dislike the Saracens.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Cipriani, Cueto and Forsyth for England

Michael Paterson is English qualified as well, for that matter....
Outstanding player, can play 5, 6 and 8 - workrate is through the roof, great carrying, great at the lineout and a solid defender.

 

[j'nuh]

If Braid were English, I'd be vouching for him as England captain.

What a player.

And Cipriani is having a stormer. Will need many more games to get back in England contention, but it's nice to see him running like he used to.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

"Cipriani's defence, for me, has been really really impressive" - not often you hear that, let alone from a(n ex-)forward!

 

[ratsapprentice]

Well that was frustrating.

Sale were good again, stronger than the sum of their parts this season - the exact opposite of last.
They dominated the breakdown and contact area.

Ross Batty was awful - his body position was way too high in contact, every time.
The Bath lineout has completely failed to function without Attwood - their maul has struggled too.

Attwood, Webber, Houston and Watson were clearly missed.
Francois Louw and the Argie contingent need to get back ASAP.

The backs were industrious despite the terrible quality ball they were getting for large parts of the match.
One big positive was having Fearns back, he put in a good shift and was reasonably effective.