PREM 25/26 - Round 16

[TRF_Olyy]

 

[TRF_Olyy]

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I can’t remember the last time we beat Bristol, I know it’s at home but with how we’ve been playing and Bristol seeming to match our game.

Very nervous.

 

[Scotty]

I can’t remember the last time we beat Bristol, I know it’s at home but with how we’ve been playing and Bristol seeming to match our game.

Very nervous.

Saints need full strength team for this one...please. Bristol losing helps us a lot

We should beat Quins but we beat Bath yet lost to Gloucester sooo who knows. Still very happy with this season and what Baxter has done with this Chiefs team this season is impressive.

 

[Geordie]

I wonder if Bath will put out their U16s tomorrow?

 

[Quel Carreleur]

I'm hoping for a very-much 2nd XV, maybe with a very strong bench.
But then, I was hoping for more rotation last week, and the guys just looked like they were still on a downer after the UBB result. Halfbacks especially have played too much rugby this season.

I'd go something like
FvW, Frost, Griffen
Maloney, Richards
Hill, Green, Reid

TCS, Carreras/Donoghue
Butt, Harris
Winters, Donoghue/Carreras, Offiah

Obano, Dunn, TdT, Bayliss, Barbeary, Mears, Ojomoh

 

[Geordie]

So Bath put their superstars out...ha ha ha ha it'll be 100+. Records will tumble

 

[Quel Carreleur]

Yeah, JvG disagrees with me - presumably seeing more value in finding some confidence for the first XV


Bath Rugby: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Ted Hill, 5 Charlie Ewels (200), 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Miles Reid, 9 Ben Spencer (c), 10 Finn Russell, 11 Henry Arundell, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Chris Harris, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Santi Carreras


Replacements: 16 Dan Frost, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Vilikesa Sela, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Max Ojomoh, 23 Alfie Barbeary

 

[Geordie]

Clearly want to put pressure on Saints by getting 5 points and a HUGE + in the for column

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Couple of returnees but won't be enough, especially in the front row

Bell comes back from long term injury to go into the bench meaning AOF can shift across to 1 to cover for the now injured Onasanya - it's just musical chairs atm

Starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Luke James, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Raffi Quirke; 1. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2. Alfie Longstaff, 3. James Harper, 4. Ernst van Rhyn ©, 5. Ben Bamber, 6. Jacques Vermeulen, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Tom Curry.

Replacements:
16. Wills Austin, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. Patreece Bell, 19. Hyron Andrews, 20. Seb Kelly, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Ollie Davies, 23. Arron Reed.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

Clearly want to put pressure on Saints by getting 5 points and a HUGE + in the for column

I don't think we care what Saints do - it's Leicester we're keeping an eye on.
There's absolutely no benefit to finishing 1st versus 2nd; there's a huge benefit to finishing 2nd versus 3rd.

Saints are 4 points and 1 W ahead of us - they're outside of our control
Tigers are 1 point, and 0 W behind us, and 10 PD ahead of us - we also face them on the last day of the normal season, they're in better form than us, and are probably the only pack in the Prem that we feel can go toe to toe with us even if we get our mentality right.

Beyond that, it's a home match, and JvG always goes strong at home - I just think that's a mistake in this specific instance as the players from Bordeaux haven't got their heads on straight yet - so IMO, it's a trade-off between getting a good win and some confidence, versus giving those players a week on the beach, and hoping that squad confidence rubs off on them.

 

[Scotty]

Gutted I can't watch this one tonight as im with family but should be a great one with a hell of a lot riding on it

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Genge’s interview was brilliant. He was shaking his head and rolling his eyes at the ladies questions (which is fair as they were rubbish).

Entertained me.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Tom Jordan's defence this week/last week has been honking - has he always been this bad? I've never noticed before but his decision making/positioning making has been awful

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Definitely no try and definitely a try from two different angles.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ridiculous try haha

Looked like completely the wrong option to go for the long pass and then somehow it ends up over the line

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Suspect Saints might score a TBP this game

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Call me old fashion but I enjoy seeing some tackles

 

[TRF_Olyy]

More knock ons than tackles

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That's bullshit, how do you call that an intentional knock on when he's got both hands up and the ball bounces off them

He doesn't slap it down or away or anything

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Call me old fashion but I enjoy seeing some tackles

Some of those passes and running lines are unstoppable and no tackles could be made. Just fantastic rugby at times, just wish we had more control for the rest of the game.

Watch us fall apart in the second half

 

[TRF_Olyy]

This is like watching Sale play Saracens

 

[Jimbo]

This games bonkers

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Looks bad in slowmo but that's a soft yellow in real time

 

[TommiG88]

Soft yellow, in real time

No wrap, touch late. Think it was quite cynical

 

[Jimbo]

I’m loving this zero back chat, stfu or you’ll get a yellow too.

 

[Geordie]

Jesus have I just seen that score correctly at half time?

 

[Geordie]

Great pass by Pollock for Hendys try shame it was a mile forward

 

[TRF_Olyy]

BJVR comfortably gassed by Chick, there

 

[TRF_Olyy]

BJVR comfortably gassed by Chick, there

Maybe Chick is just lightning, he just brought down LRZ at near enough full gallop