Premiership Rugby 23/24 - Rd 3

[TRF_Olyy]

​

 

[West Country Wail]

Nice little touch having past form on the fixture list now. Nice.

First game of the season for me so I'm hoping to see another hungry performance from the young Chiefs side and hopefully sneak a win against Sale but, really, I just want them to keep playing like they are and see it stick sometimes. The whole fan base seems refreshed by Baxter ball.

 

[Which Tyler]

Touch early for this, what with the internationals away, and... mismatches during the PRC; but...
The Prem teams have all now played 4 matches against other Prem teams (2 in PRC, and 2 in Prem). So the current form table looks like this.
Match PD
17 +36 Bath
15 +14 Gloucester
14 118 Exeter
14 -57 Bristol
10 +39 Leicester
10 -11 Northampton
09 +05 Sale
08 -54 Newcastle
06 -10 Harlequins
02 -81 Saracens

Board won't let me post a pic I'm afraid

 

[Which Tyler]

Let's try this

PTS   PD
 17   36   Bath
 15   14   Gloucester
 14  118   Exeter
 14  -57   Bristol
 10   39   Leicester
 10  -11   Northampton
  9    5   Sale
  8  -54   Newcastle
  6  -10   Harlequins
  2  -81   Saracens

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Board won't let me post a pic I'm afraid

That's weird - what does it say when you try?
I can't see anything that would be blocking it in the settings

 

[Arcturus]

With three Premiership clubs gone, there was an opportunity to push the start of the season back further to avoid a clash with the RWC. I say that not just as a Sarries fan who has to bite their tongue whilst over half our first team is still in France and we take a weekly pasting (I expect the same again at Gloucester), but also the poor attendances across the league so far. None of the remaining Premiership clubs can afford to be missing out on revenue particularly when many fans are querying the value of season tickets (£/match)

To cap it off the Gloucester Saracens game starts 15mins before England play Argentina on Friday. The leadership across the board is staggeringly defective.

If another club goes pop, then I wonder whether the whole league will dissolve, or there will have to be an emergency merger with the URC.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

or there will have to be an emergency merger with the URC

How would that even happen? Just cram 9 clubs into 2 groups mid-season?
URC don't want the prem there, the prem don't wanna be there, the fans don't want it, tnt don't have the tv rights
It's a quadruple threat of nope

 

[Which Tyler]

With three Premiership clubs gone, there was an opportunity to push the start of the season back further to avoid a clash with the RWC. I say that not just as a Sarries fan who has to bite their tongue whilst over half our first team is still in France and we take a weekly pasting (I expect the same again at Gloucester), but also the poor attendances across the league so far. None of the remaining Premiership clubs can afford to be missing out on revenue particularly when many fans are querying the value of season tickets (£/match)

Erm... they did, and there's already complaints that there will be (1) Prem match clashing with the 6N training weekends.
The clubs wanted this, the clubs got this, and yet somehow, the clubs are the victims of this.

That's weird - what does it say when you try?
I can't see anything that would be blocking it in the settings

I get:
"A server error occurred.
Please try again later."
But coding it seems to work, and presumably is less resource intensive for the board, so I'll keep doing that.

 

[Arcturus]

How would that even happen? Just cram 9 clubs into 2 groups mid-season?
URC don't want the prem there, the prem don't wanna be there, the fans don't want it, tnt don't have the tv rights
It's a quadruple threat of nope

Midseason would be impractical, but for the 2024-25 season? Each remaining Premiership side has lost the revenue of three home matches for this season, compounding the problem that too many of these clubs were already making disproportionate losses.

If the league loses another club, what are the likes of TNT, sponsors, season ticket holders and other stakeholders going to say? Are these owners going to be able or willing to go deeper into the red?

Oddly enough, having posted this, I just saw an article about the RFU in talks over a British & Irish league which frankly I think is the only way to save the domestic game and avoid all the clubs imploding. CVC, the PE firm that own stakes in both the URC and Prem undoubtedly see the synergies.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/rugbyleague/rfu-confirms-talks-over-british-and-irish-league/ar-AA1iMFbH

Erm... they did, and there's already complaints that there will be (1) Prem match clashing with the 6N training weekends.
The clubs wanted this, the clubs got this, and yet somehow, the clubs are the victims of this.

It beggars belief that the clubs would knowingly commit to a product that cannibalises their own product and forces them to lose matchday revenue, let alone restrict scope from sponsorship and TV revenue.

 

[The Seeker]

Touch early for this, what with the internationals away, and... mismatches during the PRC; but...
The Prem teams have all now played 4 matches against other Prem teams (2 in PRC, and 2 in Prem). So the current form table looks like this.
Match PD
17 +36 Bath
15 +14 Gloucester
14 118 Exeter
14 -57 Bristol
10 +39 Leicester
10 -11 Northampton
09 +05 Sale
08 -54 Newcastle
06 -10 Harlequins
02 -81 Saracens

Board won't let me post a pic I'm afraid

I've been having problems posting pictures too. Thank you for typing it for us.

Go Gloucester!

 

[Which Tyler]

Saturday, 3.05
Ref: Jack Makepeace
TJs: George Selwood & Paul Dix
TMO: Rowan Kitt

Bath:
1 Beno Obano
2 Tom Dunn
3 Thomas du Toit
4 Josh McNally
5 Charlie Ewels
6 Fergus Lee-Warner
7 Miles Reid
8 Alfie Barbeary

09 Ben Spencer ©
10 Finn Russell
11 Will Muir
12 Cameron Redpath
13 Max Ojomoh
14 Joe Cokanasiga
15 Matt Gallagher

16 Niall Annett, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Ewan Richards, 20 Jaco Coetzee, 23 Chris Cloete
21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Orlando Bailey

Leicester:
1 James Cronin
2 Charlie Clare
3 Joe Heyes
4 Cameron Henderson
5 Harry Wells
6 Hanro Liebenbeger (c)
7 Tommy Reffell
8 Matt Rogerson

09 Tom Whiteley
10 Jamie Shillcock
11 Olle Hassell-Collins
12 Dan Kelly
13 Guy Porter
14 Josh Bassett
15 Mike Brown

16 Nick Dolly, 17 Francois Van Wyk, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Sam Carter, 20 Emeka Ilione
21 Joe Powell, 22 Charlie Atkinson, 23 Phil Cokanasiga


I really hate 6:2 splits

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Sale Sharks Starting XV:
15. Tom O'Flaherty, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Sam James, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez ©, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Ross Harrison, 2. Nathan Langdon, 3. Nick Schonert, 4. Cobus Wiese, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Rouban Birch, 7. Ernst van Rhyn, 8. Dan du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Harry Thompson, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Ben Bamber, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Tom Ellis.

Harrison starting is a bit of a concern as he's not looked good, but understand not wanting to run SiMac into the ground
TT injured so Nathan Langdon drafted in from Sale FC - looked good in the prem cup tbf - no Caine as well so an untested teenager on the bench
6:2 bench because we've no fit backs,
Raffi had surgery on a broken jaw this week so Nye Thomas on the bench,
Tom Ellis prem debut (for Sale) I think?

Bit of a mishmash!

 

[Geordie]

Newcastle Falcons team v Northampton Saints (Sunday, 3pm, Kingston Park, live on TNT Sports)

15 Elliott Obatoyinbo,
14 Adam Radwan,
13 Tom Penny,
12 Rory Jennings,
11 Iwan Stephens,
10 Brett Connon,
9 Sam Stuart;

1 Adam Brocklebank,
2 Jamie Blamire,
3 Mark Tampin,
4 Philip van der Walt,
5 Sebastian de Chaves,
6 Sam Cross,
7 Guy Pepper,
8 Callum Chick (captain).

Replacements: 16 Bryan Byrne, 17 Phil Brantingham, 18 Murray McCallum, 19 John Hawkins, 20 Kiran McDonald, 21 Hugh O'Sullivan, 22 Freddie Lockwood, 23 Matias Orlando.

Not available for selection: Josh Barton, Eduardo Bello, Mateo Carreras, Nathan Greenwood, Ollie Leatherbarrow, Charlie Maddison, Matias Moroni, Richard Palframan, Pedro Rubiolo, Adam Scott.


NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

15 George Furbank (c)
14 Tom Seabrook
13 Fraser Dingwall
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 George Hendy
10 Fin Smith
9 Tom James

1 Ethan Waller
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Trevor Davison
4 Chunya Munga
5 Alex Coles
6 Angus Scott-Young
7 Tom Pearson
8 Sam Graham

Replacements:
16 Tom Cruse
17 Alex Waller
18 Elliot Millar Mills
19 Tom Lockett
20 Alex Moon
21 Archie McParland
22 James Grayson
23 Tom Litchfield

 

[BPM]

Sale Sharks Starting XV:
15. Tom O'Flaherty, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Sam James, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez ©, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Ross Harrison, 2. Nathan Langdon, 3. Nick Schonert, 4. Cobus Wiese, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Rouban Birch, 7. Ernst van Rhyn, 8. Dan du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Harry Thompson, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Ben Bamber, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Tom Ellis.

Harrison starting is a bit of a concern as he's not looked good, but understand not wanting to run SiMac into the ground
TT injured so Nathan Langdon drafted in from Sale FC - looked good in the prem cup tbf - no Caine as well so an untested teenager on the bench
6:2 bench because we've no fit backs,
Raffi had surgery on a broken jaw this week so Nye Thomas on the bench,
Tom Ellis prem debut (for Sale) I think?

Bit of a mishmash!

Jeez … Quirke has no luck with injuries. At least this one isn't a muscle injury.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Jeez … Quirke has no luck with injuries. At least this one isn't a muscle injury.

Yeah it's genuinely crazy, the kid is cursed

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Tom Willis with 2 tries tonight

 

[TRF_Olyy]

What's changed from the last two weeks to this? That's a big turnaround especially on the road

 

[West Country Wail]

Not seen the game to gauge the game dynamics but I imagine Sarries will kick on now. Just glad we got give them a boot while they were all over the shop.

 

[Which Tyler]

What's changed from the last two weeks to this? That's a big turnaround especially on the road

Not seen the match, but it wasn't a bad Sarries side getting beaten (is there such a thing as a bad Sarries side these days?) So I'd imagine it psychological, determination to put right what had gone wrong.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'm no fan of Finn Russel but you've got to admit that having a Tesco meal deal sandwich wrapper on his bench/next to his kit is very funny

Everyone else knocking back electrolytes and energy gels and he's tucking into a chicken triple