Premiership Rugby 19/20 - Rd 14

[Every Time Ref]

It's so surreal to be sat in a 33 degree heatwave looking forward to the rugby at the weekend.

The more I think about it the more I'm convinced final quarters are going to be carnage. I might just tune in for the last 20 of every game

 

[TRF_Olyy]

You're all screwed, practically winter for our lads

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Prem have said inability to field a side is a 20 - 0 (4 try) win to the opposition,
If the game is called off (i.e. due to localised lockdown etc.) then it's a draw

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Sam James in self isolation cause of The Rona - I'm guessing Manu/Hill in the centres now (though I'd pick Luke James)

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I really hope Hill's able to kick on at Sale. He's always looked promising but has been so badly plagued by injuries. Unfortunately at 27 years old he's hardly a young prospect anymore.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Prem have said inability to field a side is a 20 - 0 (4 try) win to the opposition

So a massive incentive to hide suspected COVID symptoms. That's a staggeringly dumb policy

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

So a massive incentive to hide suspected COVID symptoms. That's a staggeringly dumb policy

Maybe, but I imagine the punishment for hiding symptoms would be far more severe (probably in legal terms as well as in a rugby context). Given that there's no threat of relegation and the remainder of this season is realistically nothing more than an attempt to get some cash from TV rights, I doubt any team cares enough about the points to risk it.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

So a massive incentive to hide suspected COVID symptoms. That's a staggeringly dumb policy

Dimes was on Will Greenwood's podcast yesterday and explained how often they get tested - believe he said it's every monday as standard (entire staff of the club not just players), then on game week they get tested Wednesday and on game day as well so I think it would be quite hard to hide a sick player as the Wednesday test should bin them off for the game, and if they caught it after the Wednesday test then it's unlikely they'll be symptomatic by Friday/Saturday.

I'm also not sure any side would risk it - even if they didn't care about the health/legal implications of doing so, one sick player playing a game could easily put half their squad out by the time the next test roles round, and then they've gotta forfeit every game for two weeks minimum.


That said: After seeing what's happened with Hull FC (I believe super league are following the same testing procedures as the premiership as they're laid down by PHE rather than league's making their own rules up) it does all feel like a ticking timebomb.


On Sam James: Turns out he's not sick, but he travelled back to the UK from Spain so has to quarantine for two weeks. Wayne Barnes is in the same boat.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Interesting chart I found. Seems kinda accurate apart from Sale have the red and green bars mixed up.

 

[Al Bangor]

Me waiting on the first collision

I've got one word for you my friend - Moderation.

 

[Which Tyler]

View attachment 8345

Interesting chart I found. Seems kinda accurate apart from Sale have the red and green bars mixed up.

What's the source?
Also, can you remember from that horrible public mission statement what our target was in terms of squad balance?


ETA, that thing was more recent than i thought, so caught in the current Bath thread. 50% "home grown" was an announced target, with a further proportion of English assumed rather than stated. you also have to wonder what "home grown" counts as.
Is Henry Thomas home grown? Hes's a Bath boy, but left before hitting the senior academy. Are Zach Mercer &/ Anthony Watson home grown? both were pfficially signed to the academy, Watson "graduating" during preseason, Zach getting good game-time in that 1 year.
How about Ross Batty or Semesa Rokoduguni? Both arrived as seniors, both plucked from obscurity 10 and 8 years ago.

Unquestionably home-grown:
Doughty, Dunn, Catt, Vaughan, Ewells, Spencer, Bayliss, Ellis, Reid.
De Glanville, Clarke, Hamer-Webb, Atkins.

Signed to academy:
Obano, Mercer
Fox, Green, Wright, Watson*

Plucked from "obscurity":
Batty, Judge*, Walker*
McConnochie, Rokoduguni

"Local" boy, not our academy:
Stuart, Thomas
Matevesi

From a squad of 40
13 are unquestionable
14 more could be claimed with varying amounts of spin

 

[TRF_Olyy]

What's the source?

Guy on reddit took the numbers from wikipedia's lists of senior players - he said he didn't count players without wikipedia pages because he counts them as academy (even when they aren't), which is weird - like for Sale that excludes Postlethwaite, Reed, Warr and Wilkinson from the numbers despite them being senior players now (Postlethwaite has 30 senior caps already)

 

[EdBirch]

Guy on reddit took the numbers from wikipedia's lists of senior players - he said he didn't count players without wikipedia pages because he counts them as academy (even when they aren't), which is weird - like for Sale that excludes Postlethwaite, Reed, Warr and Wilkinson from the numbers despite them being senior players now (Postlethwaite has 30 senior caps already)

That excludes a lot of Worcs England contingent as a lot of them are recent academy products. I thought a lot of clubs had a larger EQP group than the graph suggests

 

[BPM]

Correct. It doesn't differentiate between 'English' and EQ. As far as I know, the official measures (and RFU cash) is based upon EQ not just English.

I'm not saying that's right, but I do think it would change those tables quite a bit.

 

[Which Tyler]

Yeah, picking between English and EQP is a right PITA, and beyond expectations for any casual fan. Quite a lot of dedicated club fans won't be entirely sure - especially with the constant confusion as to whether U20s tied in players for that nation at that time, and then against which opponents...
I've tried putting that info together for all clubs before, consulting each club's fan page. It's never been cut and dried, uncontroversial. I ended up compromising with "place of birth unless/until capped" which always upset some people.
I don't blame anyone for not bothering with that bit. Besides, to most fans and in most cases, it doesn't matter when it comes to bragging rights of "my team's more English than yours"

No idea why s/he would leave out players without a wiki page though - that's just odd.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Lood fit after all

and Ashton starts for Quins

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Du Preez, Hill, Manu
v
Smith, Lang, Marchant

the most Polar opposites of players?
Bug chance for Marchant though.


Honestly on paper Sale should walk this.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Du Preez, Hill, Manu
v
Smith, Lang, Marchant

Gonna be some sore bodies on Saturday

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Gonna be some sore bodies on Saturday

Either that or Hill and Manu crash into each other and both get injured for the season.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Either that or Hill and Manu crash into each other and both get injured for the season.

I didn't say who was going to be in pain