The Official English Rugby Thread

[sockwithaticket]

Smith really is a little fucking wizard. Even with those on the receiving end continuing to fuck up he just kept conjouring more opportunities.

I think I've had about four heart attacks.

They do it on purpose, I swear. Easy wins hold no interest for them.

[SaintK]

Smith really is a little fucking wizard. Even with those on the receiving end continuing to fuck up he just kept conjouring more opportunities.

I think I've had about four heart attacks.

Only four?

[Hal Jordan]

Green owes Smith a prop's monthly intake of pints.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

Green owes Smith a prop's monthly intake of pints.

He owes the same to Esterhuizen.

[Kawazaki]

Bonus point win for Saints, finished 44-8. Newcastle were pretty awful. Lewis Ludlam is twice the player now than when he was first picked for England, which in Eddie's world means he has no chance of making the side. England should also have a look at Fraser Dingwall before Scotland do.

Jones is ignoring Lozowski and Dingwall is a fair bit behind him as the best English 12.

So Dingwall has a decent chance of getting picked by Jones.

[Oxbow]

Bonus point win for Saints, finished 44-8. Newcastle were pretty awful. Lewis Ludlam is twice the player now than when he was first picked for England, which in Eddie's world means he has no chance of making the side. England should also have a look at Fraser Dingwall before Scotland do.

Jones is ignoring Lozowski and Dingwall is a fair bit behind him as the best English 12.

So Dingwall has a decent chance of getting picked by Jones.

Dingwall has mostly been playing at 13. Eddie will probably pick him on the wing.

[SaintK]

Just seen Sarries Glaws result
Played Glaws

[Kawazaki]

The bookies have Bath odds-on to beat Worcester today.

Bath 5/6
Worcester 12/11

[sockwithaticket]

Amended team for Wasps


West and Fifita drop out through illness (didn't state covid, so presumably not that), which means Hislop and Cardall move up from the bench with Nearchou and Gaskell taking their spots.

Definitely weakens the pack overall.

Gaskell and Mills continue the trickle of players making their way back from injury. Mills has been out so long he's basically a new signing at this point.

[Kawazaki]

Bath are at home playing Worcester who have had a man sent off after 6 minutes.

If they can't win this game then I think we can officially call them the worst Premiership team of all time.

[sockwithaticket]

Wasps basically haven't had any ball and have gifted Tigers plenty of penalty opportunities, but we're still slightly in the lead.

[Oxbow]

Hand to face, that could have been a red I reckon.

[sockwithaticket]

Hand to face, that could have been a red I reckon.

I cannot fathom how it's not. Strike to the face around the eye area followed by a hair pull.

[Lobby]

Hand to face, that could have been a red I reckon.

I cannot fathom how it's not. Strike to the face around the eye area followed by a hair pull.

Looked like a red to me too.

[dpedin]

Hand to face, that could have been a red I reckon.

I cannot fathom how it's not. Strike to the face around the eye area followed by a hair pull.

Looked like a red to me too.

Red for me too!

This game is awful, making me want to scratch my eyes out.

[Raggs]

Can't see how it's not a red, strike, eye area, hair pull.

[Kawazaki]

Bath are at home playing Worcester who have had a man sent off after 6 minutes.

If they can't win this game then I think we can officially call them the worst Premiership team of all time.

Worcester in front 14-19, just need one more for a try bonus.

[Kawazaki]

Can't see how it's not a red, strike, eye area, hair pull.

Chris Ashton would have got a red card and a 12 week ban for less than what Genge did.

[Monk]

Can't see how it's not a red, strike, eye area, hair pull.

Ref has been pussyfooting around Genge all game long

[dpedin]

CaN no one catch a ball?

[petej]

Can't see how it's not a red, strike, eye area, hair pull.

Not enough force as Genge pulls the blow. Genge is lucky he doesn't accidentally contact eyes. We've all seen with Farrell how much you certain players can get away with.

[JM2K6]

Montoya just twatted Barbeary in the head with his shoulder. No idea what the TMO was looking at, it's pretty clear on replay.

[dpedin]

Wasps have decided to start playing rugby and they look a completely different team, bit more pace and front foot ball. Thank feck for that, better game now, worth watching.

[sockwithaticket]

Bringing Porter on at 9 has really pepped us up. Wolstenholme was just gumming up the works by leaving the ball in rucks for waaaaay too long.

Montoya just twatted Barbeary in the head with his shoulder. No idea what the TMO was looking at, it's pretty clear on replay.

I'm doing my best not to sound like a bitter Wasp, but it feels like one side's getting more from the officials than the other.

[Raggs]

Bringing Porter on at 9 has really pepped us up. Wolstenholme was just gumming up the works by leaving the ball in rucks for waaaaay too long.

Montoya just twatted Barbeary in the head with his shoulder. No idea what the TMO was looking at, it's pretty clear on replay.

I'm doing my best not to sound like a bitter Wasp, but it feels like one side's getting more from the officials than the other.

Yeah, but Porter doesn't shout "Bouncy" anywhere near as loudly as Wusty...

[sockwithaticket]

Bringing Porter on at 9 has really pepped us up. Wolstenholme was just gumming up the works by leaving the ball in rucks for waaaaay too long.

Montoya just twatted Barbeary in the head with his shoulder. No idea what the TMO was looking at, it's pretty clear on replay.

I'm doing my best not to sound like a bitter Wasp, but it feels like one side's getting more from the officials than the other.

Yeah, but Porter doesn't shout "Bouncy" anywhere near as loudly as Wusty...

I understood Porter being benched for the couple of weeks after the Munster game when he pulled out in the warm up, but he's clearly fit now and better than Wusty.

[petej]

Tigers lack of back row carriers is a real issue for them.

[sockwithaticket]

Massive turnover that from Barbs.

Not convinced there shouldn't have been a penalty to Tigers at the scrum beforehand, but I'll take it.

[JM2K6]

Huge win, well done wasps. Cracking contest.

[notfatcat]

Well done Wasps. Nearchou is the least fit player I've ever seen at pro level.

[sockwithaticket]

Huge win for us. Porter coming on really changed the game.

[Punter15]

Well done Wasps. Nearchou is the least fit player I've ever seen at pro level.

He’s not pro level though is he. Coming through he was very quick and mobile, but switched to the front row and is now just overweight and fucked after 2 minutes. He was always quite soft though.

[petej]

Massive turnover that from Barbs.

Not convinced there shouldn't have been a penalty to Tigers at the scrum beforehand, but I'll take it.

At least they stayed contestable. Tigers need to play with a bit more variation/ambition and some backrow players back from whatever (covid/injuries/bans).

[sockwithaticket]

Well done Wasps. Nearchou is the least fit player I've ever seen at pro level.

Coming through he was very quick and mobile, but switched to the front row and is now just overweight and fucked after 2 minutes. He was always quite soft though.

Where was he before the switch? This season is the first I've seen of him and he looks like he couldn't play anywhere other than front row.

[Raggs]

When I saw him at age grade (rarely), he was the same shape, but looked like an excitable puppy, he was everywhere (relatively for a front row).

[Punter15]

Well done Wasps. Nearchou is the least fit player I've ever seen at pro level.

Coming through he was very quick and mobile, but switched to the front row and is now just overweight and fucked after 2 minutes. He was always quite soft though.

Where was he before the switch? This season is the first I've seen of him and he looks like he couldn't play anywhere other than front row.

Back row, then switched in his late teens because there was less competition and just seemed to try and pack on blubber.

[sockwithaticket]

Coming through he was very quick and mobile, but switched to the front row and is now just overweight and fucked after 2 minutes. He was always quite soft though.

Where was he before the switch? This season is the first I've seen of him and he looks like he couldn't play anywhere other than front row.

Back row, then switched in his late teens because there was less competition and just seemed to try and pack on blubber.

Ta.

[Ovals]

Cracking result that - with players returning for the 2nd half of the season, post the 2nd round of Euro games, we should now be in a good position to get a top 8 spot and ensure a Champions Cup spot for next season.

I missed the game though - was watching one of my Grandaughters playing against Newbury RFC (<16) - she had a good game, involved in all 4 of her sides' tries - but went off with an injury in the last 'third'. Another girl had to go off for a nasty head knock and another was stretchered off after a very heavy tackle - that one brought the game to an early end with about 10 mins left. We lost 30-20.

[Niegs]

A friend asked earlier: "Are Wasps going to do a London Welsh with a debt that big?" Adding that it seems like Fekitoa, Vaea, and even Gopperth are on the way out.

Can't say I know a thing about finance and how much debt someone/a club can carry, it did seem like they have a lot. I did, however, read that Coventry City are only just back or coming back for a 10 year deal. Should bring some money in?

[sockwithaticket]

A friend asked earlier: "Are Wasps going to do a London Welsh with a debt that big?" Adding that it seems like Fekitoa, Vaea, and even Gopperth are on the way out.

Can't say I know a thing about finance and how much debt someone/a club can carry, it did seem like they have a lot. I did, however, read that Coventry City are only just back or coming back for a 10 year deal. Should bring some money in?

Tbf , Gopperth's going to be 39 shortly after this season finishes. His situation isn't like the other two. He could probably keep going by current on field evidence, but I'm pretty sure he'd been intending to have phased our more by now and probably would have had we not had our injury crisis (particularly if Ryan Mills had been more available).

I'm also too ignorant to know whether our financial situation is awful, bad or ok for a rugby club, but I have to think that if we're bringing in the likes of Koch then the other two leaving owes more to overall management of a reduced salary cap than our situation meaning we can't have big money signings any more.