General rugby thread

[iwantagta]

Had some great games already this season!
Wasps Quins may be the best so far.

[DocJock]

Marler, what a wind up merchant.

[Kermit power]

DocJock said:

Marler, what a wind up merchant.

It amused me when Dai Young was talking about him pulling off Haskell's "hat" after the match, as though Haskell had rocked up for the game in a sombrero.

[prand]

DocJock said:

There is a concern that there are players whose musculature is too great for their skeletons, hence joint injuries.

That's what I feel about Tuilagi, his engine's got too much power for his chassis. Shame really, despite Eddie Jones building a very effective back line, I think even the All Blacks would worry if he was in the England team.

[Inverness]

33-man England training squad for a camp in Oxford

England training squad for Oxford camp

Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens)

Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Piers Francis (Northampton Saints), Alex Lozowski (Saracens), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

I would be pissed if I was an Exeter player, current Premiership Champs, and top of the table now, but only 3 players in the squad. Even Worcester get a player in the squad!

[prand]

Jinx said:

Had a great day watching the exiles at Twickenham last Saturday (warm-up match wasn't too bad either if you are a sarries fan) .

A great start for London Irish, but sadly short lived. After the last two outings from London Irish (losing by 30 points v Exeter and Sale) I've gone back to trepidation for the rest of the season now. It may well come down to who wins the home and away fixtures with Worcester to decide relegation, which is not a great way to have to follow a team.

Irish have Northampton Saints at home tomorrow, they've had the opposite start to the season, beating Leicester and Bath well after a hammering by Sarries on the first day

[Kermit power]

Inverness said:

33-man England training squad for a camp in Oxford

England training squad for Oxford camp

Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens)

Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Piers Francis (Northampton Saints), Alex Lozowski (Saracens), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

I would be pissed if I was an Exeter player, current Premiership Champs, and top of the table now, but only 3 players in the squad. Even Worcester get a player in the squad!

Except part of the reason Exeter are Premiership champions is that they've built a team without the Superstars. They lose very few players in the international windows, so they play more cohesively as a team, they're frequently less knackered, and they win as a result.

In some ways, Scotland are like this at an international level... The Lions tour highlighted that they had next to no truly international-level players, yet they'd beaten Ireland and Wales in the Six Nations. It's surely no coincidence that something like 12 of their usual starting 15 play together at Glasgow Warriors every week!

Getting back on topic though, well done to Marcus Smith! Let's hope he doesn't get too much heaped on his very young shoulders too quickly though.

[prand]

Kermit power said:

Except part of the reason Exeter are Premiership champions is that they've built a team without the Superstars. They lose very few players in the international windows, so they play more cohesively as a team, they're frequently less knackered, and they win as a result.

In some ways, Scotland are like this at an international level... The Lions tour highlighted that they had next to no truly international-level players, yet they'd beaten Ireland and Wales in the Six Nations. It's surely no coincidence that something like 12 of their usual starting 15 play together at Glasgow Warriors every week!

Getting back on topic though, well done to Marcus Smith! Let's hope he doesn't get too much heaped on his very young shoulders too quickly though.

Agreed - I'd be delighted as head coach and supporter to see this, as it means less disruption for the team.

[Kermit power]

prand said:

Kermit power said:

Except part of the reason Exeter are Premiership champions is that they've built a team without the Superstars. They lose very few players in the international windows, so they play more cohesively as a team, they're frequently less knackered, and they win as a result.

In some ways, Scotland are like this at an international level... The Lions tour highlighted that they had next to no truly international-level players, yet they'd beaten Ireland and Wales in the Six Nations. It's surely no coincidence that something like 12 of their usual starting 15 play together at Glasgow Warriors every week!

Getting back on topic though, well done to Marcus Smith! Let's hope he doesn't get too much heaped on his very young shoulders too quickly though.

Agreed - I'd be delighted as head coach and supporter to see this, as it means less disruption for the team.

Also, if you take a look at the Exeter players who are actually eligible for England and in with a shout...

- I assume that Cowan-Dickie is injured, as he's not yet played for them this season.

- Thomas the Tank I think is also injured, although with Billy V and Hughes ahead of him, number 8 is a fairly congested slot at the best of times.

- Jack Maunder came off the bench against Gloucester, but hasn't played since.

- Ollie Devoto hasn't played yet this season.

I'm not sure who else in the Exeter squad you think might've been overlooked?

[Jinx]

prand said:

Jinx said:

Had a great day watching the exiles at Twickenham last Saturday (warm-up match wasn't too bad either if you are a sarries fan) .

A great start for London Irish, but sadly short lived. After the last two outings from London Irish (losing by 30 points v Exeter and Sale) I've gone back to trepidation for the rest of the season now. It may well come down to who wins the home and away fixtures with Worcester to decide relegation, which is not a great way to have to follow a team.

Irish have Northampton Saints at home tomorrow, they've had the opposite start to the season, beating Leicester and Bath well after a hammering by Sarries on the first day

Long way to go yet - we had the advantage in the opening game due to quins poor discipline - need to wind the teams up a bit more. Hopefully though some home form will kick in and we can get the points we need.

[prand]

Jinx said:

Long way to go yet - we had the advantage in the opening game due to quins poor discipline - need to wind the teams up a bit more. Hopefully though some home form will kick in and we can get the points we need.

Yes, its still early days, and like the discussion above about Exeter players, LI will need to make hay during international weekends when traditionally (as they would have fewer international players) this would be the time when they could beat the big teams against the odds.

[The Mad Monk]

Jinx said:

Long way to go yet - we had the advantage in the opening game due to quins poor discipline - need to wind the teams up a bit more. Hopefully though some home form will kick in and we can get the points we need.

I think Worcester will let London Irish off the hook.

[Kermit power]

Bloody hell!

Can anyone honestly say they thought at half time that Gloucester vs Worcester was going to be a nail-biter???

[iwantagta]

Nope!
Another great game though - really promising start to the season. Ben Teo looked a cut above for Worcester last night.

I'm off to Bath Newcastle later. Good times!

[Kermit power]

iwantagta said:

I'm off to Bath Newcastle later. Good times!

Quins vs Leicester with my 9yr old for me! His season ticket is dirt cheap, and resulted in my wife positively encouraging me to go and watch more rugby!

[JonChalk]

Kermit power said:

Quins vs Leicester with my 9yr old for me! His season ticket is dirt cheap, and resulted in my wife positively encouraging me to go and watch more rugby!

That's looking like game of the week - plenty going on.

[Kermit power]

JonChalk said:

Kermit power said:

Quins vs Leicester with my 9yr old for me! His season ticket is dirt cheap, and resulted in my wife positively encouraging me to go and watch more rugby!

That's looking like game of the week - plenty going on.

I've not seen the actual game at Bath, but on scores alone, that looks like it made a good case for game of the season!

[tight5]

Kermit power said:

I've not seen the actual game at Bath, but on scores alone, that looks like it made a good case for game of the season!

Great result !

[iwantagta]

tight5 said:

Kermit power said:

I've not seen the actual game at Bath, but on scores alone, that looks like it made a good case for game of the season!

Great result !

I disagree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IroningMan]

iwantagta said:

tight5 said:

Kermit power said:

I've not seen the actual game at Bath, but on scores alone, that looks like it made a good case for game of the season!

Great result !

I disagree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bath didn't emerge from the dressing room until ten minutes before half time - at which stage they were 19-0 down.

They 'won' the second half to make it 32-19, but their defence was awful - it took three Bath tacklers to stop each Newcastle ball carrier - so not quite two scores ahead turned out to be not quite enough.

Nice tries from Rokodoguni and Joseph, though. And a lovely afternoon.