The Official English Rugby Thread

[sockwithaticket]

He might be back on his feet, but what the fuck is the point in leaving Watson out there when you're 50 points down this deep into the game?

[Torquemada 1420]

You know you are bad if Farrell can dummy through and break the line.

[Kawazaki]

The only point of interest now is whether Sarries can keep pace with the clock.

Surely Bath's coaching staff can't survive this on top of their general underwhelming performances the last couple of seasons?

Bath also have good players, it's not like they have a squad full of kids and journeymen.

[ASMO]

64 up now, zero defence on the wing

[Kawazaki]

Fucking hell, Bath can't even get numbers in defence from a 5m tap.

[sockwithaticket]

The only point of interest now is whether Sarries can keep pace with the clock.

Surely Bath's coaching staff can't survive this on top of their general underwhelming performances the last couple of seasons?

Bath also have good players, it's not like they have a squad full of kids and journeymen.

Well exactly, they should, looking at their squad, be around the playoff conversation each season. That they aren't is the responsibility of management.

[ASMO]

How slow is Maitland? He was run down from behind the the Bath 8.

[sockwithaticket]

Bath might as well forfeit at this point. Whatever togetherness they might have had at the beginning of the half has long since dissolved.

[ASMO]

71-7 jebus

[sockwithaticket]

71-7 jebus

It's the exact scoreline Wasps achieved against that abject London Welsh team in the final game at Adams Park.

[Kawazaki]

No leadership on the pitch for Bath. Zero off of it too.

[ASMO]

Bath going for the 4 try bonus point which would be miraculous

[sockwithaticket]

I've said it before, Muir should be in the England conversation. He's a born finisher.

[ASMO]

Well the score has a nice symmetry 17 - 71

[Kawazaki]

I've said it before, Muir should be in the England conversation. He's a born finisher.

I don't think anyone in this Bath team is any better than any option from other clubs tbh.

[sockwithaticket]

I've said it before, Muir should be in the England conversation. He's a born finisher.

I don't think anyone in this Bath team is any better than any option from other clubs tbh.

He certainyl deserved to be involved with England ahead of, say, Cokanasiga in the Summer. With all options available, no he's probably not in the squad. However his strike rate, particularly given the team he's operating in, is notable and worthy of putting him in the conversation.

[Kawazaki]

I can see this Bath team really hurting players like Underhill's career. The coaching is terrible. Eddie Jones level bad.

[ASMO]

I can see this Bath team really hurting players like Underhill's career. The coaching is terrible. Eddie Jones level bad.

My money is that Hooper will be history before month end.

[Lobby]

Bath’s performance today certainly puts Bristol’s narrow victory there (and still their only victory so far this season) in perspective.

[Torquemada 1420]

London Irish 14 - 6 up against Gloucester at HT. Have been absolutely murdering Gloucester everywhere apart from the scoreboard. With 5 minutes left in the half LI had beaten 18 defenders to Gloucester's 0 and Gloucester had only had 15 carries.

Somehow only 8 points in it after we conceded a couple of soft kickable pens. If we end up losing this one, I'm going to have to take a break.

Well, you didn't lose..........

[Kawazaki]

Bath’s performance today certainly puts Bristol’s narrow victory there (and still their only victory so far this season) in perspective.

Yes, I'd forgotten about that. If memory serves, Bristol were quite lucky to get that win late on as well weren't they?

[Margin__Walker]

London Irish 14 - 6 up against Gloucester at HT. Have been absolutely murdering Gloucester everywhere apart from the scoreboard. With 5 minutes left in the half LI had beaten 18 defenders to Gloucester's 0 and Gloucester had only had 15 carries.

Somehow only 8 points in it after we conceded a couple of soft kickable pens. If we end up losing this one, I'm going to have to take a break.

Well, you didn't lose..........

I know. FML.

When we thought that intercept to LRZ ten metres from their line the laptop almost got launched.

[Lobby]

Bath’s performance today certainly puts Bristol’s narrow victory there (and still their only victory so far this season) in perspective.

Yes, I'd forgotten about that. If memory serves, Bristol were quite lucky to get that win late on as well weren't they?

Bristol only scored the try that gave them the lead after Bath had been reduced to 13 as a result of two sin bins. They then managed to just hold on in the last 10 minutes as Bath put them under pressure.

[dpedin]

The only point of interest now is whether Sarries can keep pace with the clock.

Surely Bath's coaching staff can't survive this on top of their general underwhelming performances the last couple of seasons?

Bath also have good players, it's not like they have a squad full of kids and journeymen.

Well exactly, they should, looking at their squad, be around the playoff conversation each season. That they aren't is the responsibility of management.

Bath have been hopeless for some time with this coaching team in place. Organisation is awful, motivation looks low and they look unfit. Their defence was possibly the worse I have seen in pro rugby for some time, and that includes the Italian teams. I couldn't believe they had Cipriani playing at 10 today, he was so far off the pace of the game it was a difficult watch. Obviously a last throw of the dice from the coaches - can't see them being there much longer.

[Dragster]

that’s a cracking squad there at Bath- galvanising it with cipriani was a shit signing mind.

Hooper being close mates with Craig is a disaster for them- if he was any sort of friend he’d have fallen on his sword ages ago. Absolute shambles.

[Hal Jordan]

I might have to reconsider my father's offer of watching the Bath match at The Rec when we visit during half term...

[SaintK]

that’s a cracking squad there at Bath- galvanising it with cipriani was a shit signing mind.

Hooper being close mates with Craig is a disaster for them- if he was any sort of friend he’d have fallen on his sword ages ago. Absolute shambles.

If Craig is the hard nosed business man he is supposed to be then Hooper should be shown the door immediately

[inactionman]

that’s a cracking squad there at Bath- galvanising it with cipriani was a shit signing mind.

Hooper being close mates with Craig is a disaster for them- if he was any sort of friend he’d have fallen on his sword ages ago. Absolute shambles.

If Craig is the hard nosed business man he is supposed to be then Hooper should be shown the door immediately

I've just ruined my Sunday evening by recording the match and watching over dinner - we've been weak-willed and soft before, but that was just agonising to watch. I'm sure I'm not alone in being unable to detect a longer-term plan that's going to put this right, at least with Ford we had a direction and were entertaining, under Blackadder you could see where he was going although we seemed to be a bit too much around territory which seemed to waste our attacking threat and we didn't have the tight defence and discipline required for that sort of approach (my layman's take, it could just be it was Ford was so brazen everything else looks quite conservative by comparison). Under Hooper I'm just not sure what we're looking to do, or what is being addressed to fix the underperformances. As others have noted, there's the guts of a very tidy team in there. The big problem is we just look soft, and we're just repeating the same errors game after game, and it looks like we've mentally conceded. Is the environment all a bit to complacent? No idea, but something doesn't look right.

It's so frustrating in that much of the lead-up play is actually promising, just silly errors that Sarries absolutely nailed us on - and it's not like they needed the help. A lot of that build up play came through Watson, who is just outstanding, so of course his reward is to get injured. Rotten luck for him and club - and England.

Still disappointed by the Muir decision, he was doing exactly what every other bugger is doing and it never gets called, and it wasn't even one of the more flagrant blocking lines I've seen. It's more grating that we had Watson sent off against Sarries (must be 5 or 6 years ago, granted) when Ashton bumped him when he was jumping for a high ball, and it was more blatant than this. Ashton being a dick and giving Watson the hairy armpits after was the additional slap in chops. I mention this not as it had huge bearing on result, but is an example of every time we try to build anything we seem to shoot ourselves in foot/not get rub of green and we're back to square one.

[SaintK]

that’s a cracking squad there at Bath- galvanising it with cipriani was a shit signing mind.

Hooper being close mates with Craig is a disaster for them- if he was any sort of friend he’d have fallen on his sword ages ago. Absolute shambles.

If Craig is the hard nosed business man he is supposed to be then Hooper should be shown the door immediately

I've just ruined my Sunday evening by recording the match and watching over dinner - we've been weak-willed and soft before, but that was just agonising to watch. I'm sure I'm not alone in being unable to detect a longer-term plan that's going to put this right, at least with Ford we had a direction and were entertaining, under Blackadder you could see where he was going although we seemed to be a bit too much around territory which seemed to waste our attacking threat and we didn't have the tight defence and discipline required for that sort of approach (my layman's take, it could just be it was Ford was so brazen everything else looks quite conservative by comparison). Under Hooper I'm just not sure what we're looking to do, or what is being addressed to fix the underperformances. As others have noted, there's the guts of a very tidy team in there. The big problem is we just look soft, and we're just repeating the same errors game after game, and it looks like we've mentally conceded. Is the environment all a bit to complacent? No idea, but something doesn't look right.

It's so frustrating in that much of the lead-up play is actually promising, just silly errors that Sarries absolutely nailed us on - and it's not like they needed the help. A lot of that build up play came through Watson, who is just outstanding, so of course his reward is to get injured. Rotten luck for him and club - and England.

Still disappointed by the Muir decision, he was doing exactly what every other bugger is doing and it never gets called, and it wasn't even one of the more flagrant blocking lines I've seen. It's more grating that we had Watson sent off against Sarries (must be 5 or 6 years ago, granted) when Ashton bumped him when he was jumping for a high ball, and it was more blatant than this. Ashton being a dick and giving Watson the hairy armpits after was the additional slap in chops. I mention this not as it had huge bearing on result, but is an example of every time we try to build anything we seem to shoot ourselves in foot/not get rub of green and we're back to square one.

Is Steve Diamond back on the DoR market again yet?
Stuart Lancaster might have had enough of commuting from Yorkshire to Dublin every week?

[sockwithaticket]

I think the Bath players might need a bit more of Diamond's attitude than Bomber's.

I don't agree with much that he says, but JB on Eggchasers has often made the point that he thinks Bath players have it a bit too easy. They've never really performed badly enough to be in relegation contention because they've always had enough money to build squad good enough to keep that possibility at bay. As a result they've never faced the prospect of fans not turning up to watch or turn on them. Equally Bath's a lovely place to live and the rugby facilities are top notch. It's all just a bit soft.

Funnily enough, the Cov Telegraph did an interview with Stooke last week where he talked of the new Wasps training facility in glowing fashion and reminisced fondly over the quality of Farley House back in Bath. He outright stated that if Wasps were still using their old training ground and gym he probably wouldn't have signed with the club. It could be nothing, but it certainly plays into the idea that maybe the Bath players need a bit of hardship introduced into their lives to make them appreciate what they have at the club and fight harder for it.

Ditching Hooper and his platitude riddled management speak is a priority, but the rot of underachievement runs deeper than him.

[Torquemada 1420]

I think the Bath players might need a bit more of Diamond's attitude than Bomber's.

I don't agree with much that he says, but JB on Eggchasers has often made the point that he thinks Bath players have it a bit too easy. They've never really performed badly enough to be in relegation contention because they've always had enough money to build squad good enough to keep that possibility at bay. As a result they've never faced the prospect of fans not turning up to watch or turn on them. Equally Bath's a lovely place to live and the rugby facilities are top notch. It's all just a bit soft.

Funnily enough, the Cov Telegraph did an interview with Stooke last week where he talked of the new Wasps training facility in glowing fashion and reminisced fondly over the quality of Farley House back in Bath. He outright stated that if Wasps were still using their old training ground and gym he probably wouldn't have signed with the club. It could be nothing, but it certainly plays into the idea that maybe the Bath players need a bit of hardship introduced into their lives to make them appreciate what they have at the club and fight harder for it.

Ditching Hooper and his platitude riddled management speak is a priority, but the rot of underachievement runs deeper than him.

Agree entirely. Have said for very many years that there is an attitude problem at Bath and like institutionalised problems in other places (e.g. The Met) , it's very hard to turn around. Toulouse went down this path towards the latter stages of Noves' tenure when a combo of too much money and old boys' cabal sent them into mediocrity. It actually took a sudden shortage in funds and a wholesale clear-out (partly down to retirements) plus some tough decisions by Mola to reverse the trend.

One difference I suspect is Toulouse fans would not put up with failure for long whereas most Bath fans have known little different. Feels like it's more a social jolly for them than hard core devotee-ism.

[JM2K6]

Didn't watch the game but have read about it. Good to see that Malins continues to impress from the wing, I am genuinely much happier with him there than fullback as his failings tend to be magnified at 15, and he has a great knack for scoring tries from the wing. I can see Eddie considering him on the wing for basically the same reasons he put Daly there in the first place.

Hooper is the biggest spoofer in the league and has been from the moment he was made Bath captain.

[Paddington Bear]

I think the Bath players might need a bit more of Diamond's attitude than Bomber's.

I don't agree with much that he says, but JB on Eggchasers has often made the point that he thinks Bath players have it a bit too easy. They've never really performed badly enough to be in relegation contention because they've always had enough money to build squad good enough to keep that possibility at bay. As a result they've never faced the prospect of fans not turning up to watch or turn on them. Equally Bath's a lovely place to live and the rugby facilities are top notch. It's all just a bit soft.

Funnily enough, the Cov Telegraph did an interview with Stooke last week where he talked of the new Wasps training facility in glowing fashion and reminisced fondly over the quality of Farley House back in Bath. He outright stated that if Wasps were still using their old training ground and gym he probably wouldn't have signed with the club. It could be nothing, but it certainly plays into the idea that maybe the Bath players need a bit of hardship introduced into their lives to make them appreciate what they have at the club and fight harder for it.

Ditching Hooper and his platitude riddled management speak is a priority, but the rot of underachievement runs deeper than him.

Sarries (I know, boo hiss) got the balance right by and large on this. Players treated very well, handled with respect, good facilities and lifestyle and obviously paid through the nose. But this was/is combined with a seriously demanding environment that required hard work and high standards in a way that hasn't ever seemed the same at Bath.

[Raggs]

With 50/22 I'm more than happy to take steward and malins. Gives us someone with attacking vision at the back as well as a very solid aerial option.

[SaintK]

Tom Youngs on indefinite leave from Tigers to care for his wife who is ill again

Leicester and ex-England hooker Tom Youngs is taking indefinite leave from the club to look after his ill wife.
The 34-year-old has not played this season and has been replaced as club captain by Ellis Genge.
"Tigers are offering support in all forms to Tom and the Youngs family during this period," the club said.
Tiffany Youngs was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and Tom pulled out of England's tour of New Zealand that year to care for her.

[JM2K6]

Yeah. Watched the game and Malins is a real livewire on the wing, but you don't want him to have to make too many tackles like the one he missed on Muir.

Anyway, squad's up:



So the missing players stay missing. Dan Robson binned. Ollie Lawrence binned. Some strange selections (Furbank is all over the place at the moment; Callum Chick is not impressive. Nic Dolly? Trevor Davison?)

[tc27]

Tom Youngs on indefinite leave from Tigers to care for his wife who is ill again

Leicester and ex-England hooker Tom Youngs is taking indefinite leave from the club to look after his ill wife.
The 34-year-old has not played this season and has been replaced as club captain by Ellis Genge.
"Tigers are offering support in all forms to Tom and the Youngs family during this period," the club said.
Tiffany Youngs was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and Tom pulled out of England's tour of New Zealand that year to care for her.

That's shit news..poor family having to go through that again.

[tc27]

Yeah. Watched the game and Malins is a real livewire on the wing, but you don't want him to have to make too many tackles like the one he missed on Muir.

Anyway, squad's up:



So the missing players stay missing. Dan Robson binned. Ollie Lawrence binned. Some strange selections (Furbank is all over the place at the moment; Callum Chick is not impressive. Nic Dolly? Trevor Davison?)

Felt England have missed Underhill but that latest bath result not exactly an advert for him.

[SaintK]

Yeah. Watched the game and Malins is a real livewire on the wing, but you don't want him to have to make too many tackles like the one he missed on Muir.

Anyway, squad's up:



So the missing players stay missing. Dan Robson binned. Ollie Lawrence binned. Some strange selections (Furbank is all over the place at the moment; Callum Chick is not impressive. Nic Dolly? Trevor Davison?)

Really don't understand the lack of Robson, not sure what Lawrence has done to blot his copybook? tThe back-up hookers to LCD who hobbled off injured Saturday have a combined total o9f 2 caps!!!

[inactionman]

Yeah. Watched the game and Malins is a real livewire on the wing, but you don't want him to have to make too many tackles like the one he missed on Muir.

Anyway, squad's up:



So the missing players stay missing. Dan Robson binned. Ollie Lawrence binned. Some strange selections (Furbank is all over the place at the moment; Callum Chick is not impressive. Nic Dolly? Trevor Davison?)

Can't see Watson being there, if eyeball diagnosis from Sunday is worth anything.

Give Lynagh a chance?