The Official English Rugby Thread

[Oxbow]

At least it's not Ellis Genge this time.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/60617271

[sockwithaticket]

Nice breaks from Murley and Allan for an early Quins try.

It probably won't have much material impact, but should Dickson be able to ref his former club? Doesn't seem right.

Mike Brown looking for a new club again..Newcastle didn't renew.

Thought he'd be looking to retire tbh. He'll be 37 by the time next season kicks off. Obviously Wigglesworth and Gopperth have shown that's not necessarily a career ender, but it is unusual to still be going at that age and back three players are generally fairly easily replaced with younger, cheaper options without too much issue.

I'd imagine he'll have to look at Japan or America. Don't see anyone in the Prem or across the Channel having a burning need for an aging fullback unless he agrees to a bargain bin deal.

[Oxbow]

...should Dickson be able to ref

You could have just left it at that really.

[sockwithaticket]

...should Dickson be able to ref

You could have just left it at that really.

Well, yes. However if, for the sake of argument, we accept that he is of sufficient quality for the RFU to be paying him to ref in the Prem (while JP Doyle is in America ), you'd have thought reffing his former employers might constitute some form of interest conflict.

[Kawazaki]

Christophe Ridley should never be allowed to referee Leicester, especially at Welford Road. Gifted Leicester the win over Saracens.

[sockwithaticket]

Newcastle couldn't even score when Quins were down to 13 for almost 10 minutes

[geordie_6]

Newcastle couldn't even score when Quins were down to 13 for almost 10 minutes

Aye, that was not surprising but still somewhat embarrassing...

[Paddington Bear]

Thought Penney was the least effective captain I’ve seen for a long time last night. Newcastle’s attack very powderpuff for all their efforts. McGuigan surely is in the frame for higher honours

[Ovals]

...should Dickson be able to ref

You could have just left it at that really.

Well, yes. However if, for the sake of argument, we accept that he is of sufficient quality for the RFU to be paying him to ref in the Prem (while JP Doyle is in America ), you'd have thought reffing his former employers might constitute some form of interest conflict.

Leaving aside his competence as a ref, if he cannot be trusted to ref such games, impartially, then he shouldn't be reffing at all. You have to accept that Premiership refs are employed on the basis that they are impartial, regardless of their previous employment.

[Kawazaki]

You could have just left it at that really.

Well, yes. However if, for the sake of argument, we accept that he is of sufficient quality for the RFU to be paying him to ref in the Prem (while JP Doyle is in America ), you'd have thought reffing his former employers might constitute some form of interest conflict.

Leaving aside his competence as a ref, if he cannot be trusted to ref such games, impartially, then he shouldn't be reffing at all. You have to accept that Premiership refs are employed on the basis that they are impartial, regardless of their previous employment.

Well yes, but test referees never have any skin in the game for a reason. It's not difficult to make sure the question never needs to be asked.

Ex-Leicester player Ridley had a massive grin on his face as he awarded Leicester a penalty try in injury time at Welford Road to beat Saracens. It wasn't a good look.

[notfatcat]

You could have just left it at that really.

Well, yes. However if, for the sake of argument, we accept that he is of sufficient quality for the RFU to be paying him to ref in the Prem (while JP Doyle is in America ), you'd have thought reffing his former employers might constitute some form of interest conflict.

Leaving aside his competence as a ref, if he cannot be trusted to ref such games, impartially, then he shouldn't be reffing at all. You have to accept that Premiership refs are employed on the basis that they are impartial, regardless of their previous employment.

He pinged the shit out of Quins in the first half. Doesn't mean he was wrong and who knows if there was an element of not wanting to appear biased for his former club. I agree that we have to accept that refs are unbiased in terms of club loyalty.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

Thought Penney was the least effective captain I’ve seen for a long time last night. Newcastle’s attack very powderpuff for all their efforts. McGuigan surely is in the frame for higher honours

McGuigan looked very Jamie George mk2.

In a good way.

[Happyhooker]

Well, yes. However if, for the sake of argument, we accept that he is of sufficient quality for the RFU to be paying him to ref in the Prem (while JP Doyle is in America ), you'd have thought reffing his former employers might constitute some form of interest conflict.

Leaving aside his competence as a ref, if he cannot be trusted to ref such games, impartially, then he shouldn't be reffing at all. You have to accept that Premiership refs are employed on the basis that they are impartial, regardless of their previous employment.

Well yes, but test referees never have any skin in the game for a reason. It's not difficult to make sure the question never needs to be asked.

Ex-Leicester player Ridley had a massive grin on his face as he awarded Leicester a penalty try in injury time at Welford Road to beat Saracens. It wasn't a good look.

Oh, I disagree

[sockwithaticket]

Newcastle couldn't even score when Quins were down to 13 for almost 10 minutes

Aye, that was not surprising but still somewhat embarrassing...

Do you reckon it might be time to get someone new in? Deano's been there a while and that lone random charge to the playoffs (followed swiftly by relegation...) aside, the needle hasn't really moved for Falcons in a while.

Thought Penney was the least effective captain I’ve seen for a long time last night. Newcastle’s attack very powderpuff for all their efforts. McGuigan surely is in the frame for higher honours

He probably should have been brought into the squad a while back rather than trying out the likes of Dunn, but he'll be 29 later this month. While not a retirement age, it's also possibly a bit late for a coach to think about introducing him to international rugby and Eddie's already been capping the guy's club back up. While a few older heads have made it into Eddie's squads, they're rarely capped.

[Torquemada 1420]

Bath

[Paddington Bear]

Bloody lucky he hasn’t hit him in the face but that sort of stuff is a red card, or should be

[Paddington Bear]

Big kick from Loz. Cuntery punished

[Lobby]

Big kick from Loz. Cuntery punished

Wish more refs would punish incidents like that in the same way. So for the sake of going in for some afters, Leicester have given up 10 points and are down a man for 10 minutes.

[ASMO]

Good game this

[sockwithaticket]

Glaws - Saints is a pretty decent contest.

[Paddington Bear]

Murimurivalu attempting to break the ribs of a defenceless player may well prove to be the difference, huge 10 points in those 10 minutes. Proper game of rugby

[ASMO]

Naulango (sp) second red card for a high tackle, coild be looking at a long ban

[Paddington Bear]

Didn’t see a bp coming after 42 minutes!

[Paddington Bear]

Davies has been silly here, has to be a red

[OomStruisbaai]

Two Springboks getting into the act.

[Lobby]

Surprised the ref refused to review that neck roll, which probably deserved a card.

[ASMO]

How was that not a yellow, Maxwell Keys you are a disgrace

[Paddington Bear]

Can’t believe he didn’t even want to look at it. Not far off losing control of this game

[Paddington Bear]

Big finish coming up

[Oxbow]

I hate watching Saints these days.

[Paddington Bear]

Serious, serious win. Discipline not ideal but have to be pleased with that. Could well be the final at the end of the season.

[sockwithaticket]

Just looked at the Bath Bristol score because at one point it was 27 - 0 and it's finished much, much closer.

Bris with yellow on '31, red on '34 and another yellow on '43

Feels like we've been seeing quite a few instances of teams going down to 13 for a spell recently.

I hate watching Saints these days.

As ever with them there was a lot of good, but too much bad to actually close out the game.

[Oxbow]

I hate watching Saints these days.

As ever with them there was a lot of good, but too much bad to actually close out the game.

It's just so utterly predictable, some sublime rugby including one of the tries of the season, then as ever fall apart and come away with yet another loss from a game they could have won. If rugby was played for 30 minutes Saints would be world beaters.

[Kawazaki]

As an aside, really good to see Mark McCall back on the sidelines at the match today.

Just watching the match again on catch-up, how on earth did Green not get a card for that neck roll?

[SaintK]

As an aside, really good to see Mark McCall back on the sidelines at the match today.

Just watching the match again on catch-up, how on earth did Green not get a card for that neck roll?

Hopefully he’ll be cited. It was filthy and dangerous

[ASMO]

Exeter looking very useful at the moment.

[sockwithaticket]

The elevation of Sam Maunder is helping them, he seems to be a much snappier scrum half than his older brother.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

Sale's set piece is stinking the place out. Going to be a tough day if they can't fix that.

[ASMO]

Exeter doing everything except score

[ASMO]

Sharks scrum getting bummed