The Official English Rugby Thread

[Kawazaki]

Take away the latch, Exeters pick and drive is toothless

What I don't understand is that pre-latching was always against the Laws anyway. Not sure why they've had to introduce a directive to make sure it doesn't happen. Mind you, easy to spot things like the Hookers having both feet fully on the pitch when throwing in is ignored nowadays.

[sockwithaticket]

Hill's handling has been dreadful. How many knock ons in the carry?

He is never international standard

And now he cedes a pen...

Certainly nowhere near the form that earned a call up.

[Niegs]

I know he’s only 19 but Wasps’ call-in hooker looks like a child!

[ASMO]

Gopperth got atomised there

[sockwithaticket]

That's really disappointing given how well we did to hold them out earlier.

I think we might lose this, especially with Robson off.

[Niegs]

Ewers’ back reminds me of…

[sockwithaticket]

Shit, another hooker down.

[Kawazaki]

Tony Rowe looks like his head is melting.

[Kawazaki]

The 50/20 rule is literally there to encourage teams to kick more. I think it's firmly in the 'unintended consequences' file at the moment.

[ASMO]

Tony Rowe looks like his head is melting.

You say that like its a bad thing.

[Torquemada 1420]

That's really disappointing given how well we did to hold them out earlier.

I think we might lose this, especially with Robson off.

[sockwithaticket]

Robson instead of Hougaard and I think we get something from that field position he blew with the decision to snipe. Losing Frost cost us at the set piece too.

[ASMO]

I think Wasps lack of depth currently was what undid them.

[Raggs]

Too many injuries to scrape through there. Any number of returning players could have made a difference there. Still, I thought an LBP and a decent performance would be a good result, and we got that, plenty of positives.

[ASMO]

To be fair before that start i though Wasps would get reamed, happy to be proven wrong, if they had a few of their missing top players back they would have won that comfortably.

[Kawazaki]

What about Bristol?

4pts from 5 games played.

Their next four matches are Irish away, Worcester at home, Saints at home and Gloucester away. No real top sides there. If they don't get at least two wins from those four matches then I think Lam must be in danger.

[Raggs]

Just rewatching Sale Quins, because I do want to see who it was that threw that wild pass running away from the tackle (I think Murley, but could be wrong), when I find it, I'll post the time stamp. However, I've just seen something that if it happened to my team, I'd be a bit annoyed, but given it's an England player, I'm chuffed.

Watch Curry and Care in the scrum at 25.05 on the match clock. Care is stood where he's supposed to be, at the side onside, and Curry is doing his utmost to trip him up, actually succeeds in the end!

[Tichtheid]

Just rewatching Sale Quins, because I do want to see who it was that threw that wild pass running away from the tackle (I think Murley, but could be wrong), when I find it, I'll post the time stamp. However, I've just seen something that if it happened to my team, I'd be a bit annoyed, but given it's an England player, I'm chuffed.

Watch Curry and Care in the scrum at 25.05 on the match clock. Care is stood where he's supposed to be, at the side onside, and Curry is doing his utmost to trip him up, actually succeeds in the end!

Curry gets away with murder on reputation, imo.

You don't blame the player, top class 7s especially live on the very sharpest of edges and that is what makes them top class 7s.

[JM2K6]

Watch Manu when Murley is being held up in a tackle - he takes a run up, jumps off his feet, and swings a huge right arm. Misses Murley's head by a inch.

The winning try featured the tackler lying on the floor, Tuilagi sprinting in, and smashing him straight in the head, well after the try was scored.

He is a very lucky boy.

[mos_eisely_]

I just noticed Nowell has a Redbull scrumcap. Would that be individual branding? Can’t say I’ve seen that sort of thing before.

He's had it for at least the last 12 month's

[sockwithaticket]

Saw something where it was pointed out that Worcester are doing Italy type numbers, they've 2 wins in their last 26 games.

Because I was at a loose end and couldn't remember when Worcester weren't shite i looked up their finishes over the last decade.

10th, 11th, 12th, relegated, 10th, 11th, 11th, 10th, 9th*, 12th

*Would've been 10th but for Sarries points deductions.

The only other teams with comparable records in that time are London Irish with five bottom three finishes plus 2 seasons of being relegated and Newcastle with six bottom three finishes and 2 seasons of being relegated. Before the most recent relegation, though, Falcons made the play offs. Worcester can't even dream of that.

Get rid of them and put the league back to 12 I say.

[ASMO]

Saw something where it was pointed out that Worcester are doing Italy type numbers, they've 2 wins in their last 26 games.

Because I was at a loose end and couldn't remember when Worcester weren't shite i looked up their finishes over the last decade.

10th, 11th, 12th, relegated, 10th, 11th, 11th, 10th, 9th*, 12th

*Would've been 10th but for Sarries points deductions.

The only other teams with comparable records in that time are London Irish with five bottom three finishes plus 2 seasons of being relegated and Newcastle with six bottom three finishes and 2 seasons of being relegated. Before the most recent relegation, though, Falcons made the play offs. Worcester can't even dream of that.

Get rid of them and put the league back to 12 I say.

Its not through lack of funding, they have had some decent players, the coaching setup really needs to be looked at though.

[Kawazaki]

Saw something where it was pointed out that Worcester are doing Italy type numbers, they've 2 wins in their last 26 games.

Because I was at a loose end and couldn't remember when Worcester weren't shite i looked up their finishes over the last decade.

10th, 11th, 12th, relegated, 10th, 11th, 11th, 10th, 9th*, 12th

*Would've been 10th but for Sarries points deductions.

The only other teams with comparable records in that time are London Irish with five bottom three finishes plus 2 seasons of being relegated and Newcastle with six bottom three finishes and 2 seasons of being relegated. Before the most recent relegation, though, Falcons made the play offs. Worcester can't even dream of that.

Get rid of them and put the league back to 12 I say.

They have a good stadium, good training facility and their academy has produced some good players too. From a league and England perspective, a club like Bath offers far less than Worcester do if we're being objective.

[sockwithaticket]

Saw something where it was pointed out that Worcester are doing Italy type numbers, they've 2 wins in their last 26 games.

Because I was at a loose end and couldn't remember when Worcester weren't shite i looked up their finishes over the last decade.

10th, 11th, 12th, relegated, 10th, 11th, 11th, 10th, 9th*, 12th

*Would've been 10th but for Sarries points deductions.

The only other teams with comparable records in that time are London Irish with five bottom three finishes plus 2 seasons of being relegated and Newcastle with six bottom three finishes and 2 seasons of being relegated. Before the most recent relegation, though, Falcons made the play offs. Worcester can't even dream of that.

Get rid of them and put the league back to 12 I say.

They have a good stadium, good training facility and their academy has produced some good players too. From a league and England perspective, a club like Bath offers far less than Worcester do if we're being objective.

I'm eager to hear how that works.

Bath might be chronically less than the sum of their parts, but they are much better for the league at least. If nothing else teams have to put more effort into beating them than Worcester. They're also producing some quality from their academy with the likes of Ojomoh, de Glanville and Reid while also providing unorthodox routes to the top flight for the military guys like McNally and Rokduguni or the 7s guys like Muir (who is fantastic) and McConnochie.

[Kawazaki]

Bath have a much more (deserved) reputation for cherry-picking the academies of other clubs. You have to look at them over the course of 10-20 years, not pick out a few recent exceptions.

And the Bath pitch is unforgivable.

[sockwithaticket]

Well yes, the nickname of London Irish West isn't undeserved,.

The pitch is horrid. I remember a European game against Toulouse with standing puddles all over the place that ended 6-3 as being a particular low point.

And yet, I still think they do and have done more for English rugby than Worcester.

[Kawazaki]

No question that Worcester have underperformed. How far is Worcester from Birmingham? I know Birmingham has a fairly dreadful history as a rugby area but it's still the second or third largest city in England. Do they actively recruit from the Birmingham area?

[Niegs]

No question that Worcester have underperformed. How far is Worcester from Birmingham? I know Birmingham has a fairly dreadful history as a rugby area but it's still the second or third largest city in England. Do they actively recruit from the Birmingham area?

I had a tour of their setup in 2015 and I seem to recall mention that Wasps have cut into their territory, re: fanbase and outreach to local clubs and schools. Got the impression Wasps were splashing more cash so Wuss were going to have to step up the quality.

But are they still drawing boundaries for academy catchment and, if so, are Wasps still their old territory or their new one?

[Margin__Walker]

I'm eager to hear how that works.

Bath might be chronically less than the sum of their parts, but they are much better for the league at least. If nothing else teams have to put more effort into beating them than Worcester. They're also producing some quality from their academy with the likes of Ojomoh, de Glanville and Reid while also providing unorthodox routes to the top flight for the military guys like McNally and Rokduguni or the 7s guys like Muir (who is fantastic) and McConnochie.

Nope. That was LI

[sockwithaticket]

I'm eager to hear how that works.

Bath might be chronically less than the sum of their parts, but they are much better for the league at least. If nothing else teams have to put more effort into beating them than Worcester. They're also producing some quality from their academy with the likes of Ojomoh, de Glanville and Reid while also providing unorthodox routes to the top flight for the military guys like McNally and Rokduguni or the 7s guys like Muir (who is fantastic) and McConnochie.

Nope. That was LI

My bad. Nothing like the traditional East to West poaching.

[ASMO]

Itoje scores in 6 mins

[sockwithaticket]

Itoje scores in 6 mins

Cipriani absolutely had the ability to fill that gap or get to him, but he hasn't looked like he wants to make any kind of defensive contact so far.

[sockwithaticket]

That's four pens inside the 22 in very quick succession against Sarries.

Lucky for them Bath have greased up their hands.

[ASMO]

Sarries clinical, Malins gets the second

[Raggs]

Lovely 50/22 from Billy V.

[sockwithaticket]

Bath aren't struggling to make ground, but way too many handling errors and none of Sarries clinical edge so far.

[ASMO]

Ben Earl HAS to be in the discussion for an England back row spot, he is ridiculously good.

[Raggs]

Ben Earl HAS to be in the discussion for an England back row spot, he is ridiculously good.

He's in the discussion already, he's had a few caps right? Even when most the first choice have been available.

Earl, Curry, Underhill, J Willis is a hell of a fun selection of young backrow

[ASMO]

This is getting very ugly for Bath.

[sockwithaticket]

Thats turned out to be a costly call from the ref.