The Official English Rugby Thread

[Raggs]

Feck, I hope that doesn't mean they'll be putting out the first team for the game against Wasps.

Brophy-Clews is a name I haven't seen in a hot minute.

We need to be able to beat their first team either way, whilst I won't be upset if Bristol lose tonight, we need to be able to take Exeter if we want to take the league.

[sockwithaticket]

Feck, I hope that doesn't mean they'll be putting out the first team for the game against Wasps.

Brophy-Clews is a name I haven't seen in a hot minute.

We need to be able to beat their first team either way, whilst I won't be upset if Bristol lose tonight, we need to be able to take Exeter if we want to take the league.

I don't view taking the league as realistic for us at the moment. Making the playoffs would be a nice way to cap off the progress under Blackett's stewardship, though.

[sockwithaticket]

Feck, I hope that doesn't mean they'll be putting out the first team for the game against Wasps.

Brophy-Clews is a name I haven't seen in a hot minute.

Just a horror show on the injury front. One after another. Least robust rugby player since JSD.

Fingers crossed this time

I'll have accolades no one wants for 100.

Poor kid, at least he's got time on his side to still have a career if it was some kind of freak collection of injuries rather than an early indicator of how things would be going forward.

[SaintK]

Chiefs putting out the B team then, they should still win at a canter.

Ha, we'll see. Chiefs 7 point favourites with the bookies.

Mostly second string pack from LI with plenty of forwards still out, which isn't ideal against any Exeter team.

Ive gone Exeter +16 on Superbru!

[Margin__Walker]

Chiefs putting out the B team then, they should still win at a canter.

Ha, we'll see. Chiefs 7 point favourites with the bookies.

Mostly second string pack from LI with plenty of forwards still out, which isn't ideal against any Exeter team.

Ive gone Exeter +16 on Superbru!

Good luck!

Of tonight's games, I put a few quid on Leicester to beat the handicap (21.5).

[SaintK]

Ha, we'll see. Chiefs 7 point favourites with the bookies.

Mostly second string pack from LI with plenty of forwards still out, which isn't ideal against any Exeter team.

Ive gone Exeter +16 on Superbru!

Good luck!

Of tonight's games, I put a few quid on Leicester to beat the handicap (21.5).

Hmmm not sure you'll be collecting looking the two squads!!!
Bristol Bears: 15 Ioan Lloyd, 14 Niyi Adeolokun, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 Sam Bedlow, 11 Alapati Leiua, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Andy Uren, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Dan Thomas, 6 Steven Luatua (c), 5 Joe Joyce, 4 Dave Attwood, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Bryan Byrne, 1 Yann Thomas

Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Max Lahiff, 18 Jake Woolmore, 19 Ed Holmes, 20 Jake Heenan, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Harry Ascherl, 23 Semi Radradra

Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Dan Kelly, 12 George Worth, 11 Harry Simmons, 10 Zack Henry, 9 Ben White, 8 Thom Smith (c), 7 Luke Wallace, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 Blake Enever, 4 Cameron Henderson, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jake Kerr, 1 Facundo Gigena

Replacements: 16 Shalva Mamukashvili, 17 Ryan Bower, 18 Nephi Leatigaga, 19 Sam Lewis, 20 Jordan Coghlan, 21 Jack Van Poortvliet, 22 Johnny McPhillips, 23 David Williams

[Margin__Walker]

I'm an eternal optimist.

Counting on Tigers odds and sods not to let me down

[JM2K6]

None of these on TV?

[Raggs]

None of these on TV?

They all are I think? Anyway, Leicester still haven't conceded after 15 minutes!

[Ali Cadoo]

Irish with their noses ahead against Exeter going into the 2nd half...

Edit: jinxed that right up, didn’t I? Exeter score a length-of-field intercept try the minute I posted... 19-15 to the appalling racist cultural misappropriationists.

Even editer: LI scrum absolutely monstering the chiefs now... looks like a chief - Hinckley - has just blown out his knee....

Editer III: the editing: Creevy is flexing like a madman on the chiefs scrum! Stop it! They’re dead already! what a great signing the Argie has been.

Editer IV: citizens on the edit: as if to prove my point, Creevy bundles over for a score to get LI ahead... what drama!

[Margin__Walker]

Bit close for comfort in the end, but got the job done. Should have been much more comfortable as we had plenty of ball (dropped most of it) and PJ left plenty of points out there from the tee.

Very good over the ball though and the maul defence was decent. When Exeter swapped their front row, their scrum completely fell to pieces and got rinsed at every opportunity.

Creevy has been a cracking signing. Definitely got another decent year in him.

[Margin__Walker]

I'm an eternal optimist.

Counting on Tigers odds and sods not to let me down

Misplaced optimism as it happens.

[SaintK]

I'm an eternal optimist.

Counting on Tigers odds and sods not to let me down

Misplaced optimism as it happens.

Quite :

[Raggs]

So there's actually quite a few big fixtures now!

Wuss can still make top 8, and so will desperately want to beat Sale, who want to secure top 4. Irish have just had a confidence boost and may take it to Bristol, who also need a win to get top 4. Wasps will be desperate to beat Exeter (who won't want to lose either obviously). Glaws need to win really, to be sure of top 8. Saracens will want to go out with a bang, and Bath obviously want top 4.

So by my reckoning, 5 of the 6 games actually have something riding on them. Not bad.

[Margin__Walker]

Yeah, there's plenty more to play for at the weekend. Good to have a decent amount of interest at this point. It's especially tight for the playoff spots.

[Madness]

Hitting that time of year when Eddie picks his favourites, ignores some form players and selects a complete wildcard or four. As there's almost no chance of picking the same as Eddie who would you pick for your squad for the autumn internationals/Six Nations/8 Nations/Baabaas.

Need 2 squads, the proper squad (lets say 36 man squad) and a 23 to play the BaaBaas which cannot include the 2 teams in the final of the Premiership but can join main squad next week, so guess them and give the 2 squads.

For me (guessing Wasps and Exeter)

BaaBaas
Obano
Thacker
Schonert
Ewels
Isiekwe
Hill
Curry
Dombrandt
Youngs
Smith
Cokanasinga
Lawrence
Marchant
Thorley
James L

Walker, Harrison, Hill, McNally, Mercer, Mitchell, Vunipola, Devoto



Proper squad
Mako, Genge, Marler
George, LCD, Dunn
Sinks, Stuart, Williams
Itoje, Launch, Hill, Lawes
Billy, Curry, Underhill, Earl, Willis, Hill, Wilson
Spencer, Robson, Randall
Farrell, Ford, Simmonds
Manu, Slade, Joseph,
Watson, May, Daly, Nowell, Cokanasiga, McConnochie, James L

[JM2K6]

I am super excited to see what Willis can do in the England pack alongside someone like Curry.

[Margin__Walker]

Some interesting comparisons of pre and post lockdown performance from Russ Petty (https://twitter.com/rpetty80) on Twitter.

Teams like Wasps and Bath showing some decent improvements in the metrics measured.

[sockwithaticket]

Interesting reading. Worth remembering that Wasps pre-lockdown stats will be boosted by the first 3 games of the Blackett era where we really came out swinging, just the stats from when Dai was at the helm probably don't look good.

[Raggs]

Interesting reading. Worth remembering that Wasps pre-lockdown stats will be boosted by the first 3 games of the Blackett era where we really came out swinging, just the stats from when Dai was at the helm probably don't look good.

Wasps numbers to me look like a bit more attention was paid to defence, and attack started to stick. Not a massive improvement in most metrics.

[Kawazaki]

Leicester look the most consistent team...

[sockwithaticket]

Interesting reading. Worth remembering that Wasps pre-lockdown stats will be boosted by the first 3 games of the Blackett era where we really came out swinging, just the stats from when Dai was at the helm probably don't look good.

Wasps numbers to me look like a bit more attention was paid to defence, and attack started to stick. Not a massive improvement in most metrics.

Overall, no, but I'm just wondering how much those 3 stellar games before the break are adding a boost. It's just one stat , but those 3 games account for 18 tries whereas the others combine for just 23 if I've tallied up correctly. Tries alone aren't the only metric for how well you're playing, but I suspect they're a symptom of doing things like making line breaks, beating defenders etc. and that those 3 games are nudging the pre-break average up not insignficantly.

[JM2K6]

I'm not entirely sold on the concept of comparing regular season with... whatever the fuck it is we've just been having.

[Glaston]

Who knew ?

Coventry 2021 City of Culture


Considering it gets brickbats as a place to live.






Anyhow lots of things popping off at the Ricoh come 2022
Commonwealth games convention centre.

Judo, Wrestling and the Rugby 7's at those Games.
I am certainly going to try to get 7's tickets.


£5 million in Govt/local govt funding

[Margin__Walker]

Team sheet announcements delayed until tomorrow for the last round of the GP regular season.

Mail journo on Twitter saying Sale have returned a significant number of positive Covid tests



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... ID-19.html

[Oxbow]

Cheers Sale, having just smashed an already depleted and demoralised Saints side, they've probably given them Covid too.

[SaintK]

Team sheet announcements delayed until tomorrow for the last round of the GP regular season.

Mail journo on Twitter saying Sale have returned a significant number of positive Covid tests



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... ID-19.html

Bloody hell!! Sounds worse than the outbreak at Racing

[Margin__Walker]

Contact tracers will have a field day, as Oxbow points out. Guess there will be knock on impacts and obviously a big issue for the battle for the play offs. Don't see how they will be able to play the game any time soon if true.

[Margin__Walker]

Plot thickens. Seems like a right mess

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/ ... ugby-union

The Premiership’s grandstand finish to the season has been plunged into chaos after 16 Sale players tested positive for Covid‑19, dealing their play-off hopes a hammer blow if they have to forfeit their crucial match against Worcester on Sunday.

Complicating matters, however, it is understood that the Sharks may argue they are not at fault and were given incorrect test results last week which could have led to the outbreak.

After testing was carried out on Thursday, Sale were informed of the positive cases and all relevant personnel, as well as their close contacts, have been told to self-isolate.

If the Sharks are unable to field a team on Sunday, according to Premiership regulations, Worcester would be awarded a 20-0 win, which would boost the Warriors’ hopes of Champions Cup qualification.

The Guardian understands, however, that Sale may make the case that they were initially told they had no cases last week but were subsequently informed they did, in fact, have positive tests.

In the intervening period it is believed the squad took part in contact training.

[Raggs]

Saints seemingly struggling too. Glaws Saints maybe delayed, but that doesn' thave a knockon effect on the playoffs.

Exeter resting a lot by the looks of it, Wasps can't take anything for granted though.

[Oxbow]

Sale v Wuss has been postponed until Wednesday. Nothing on the Glaws v Saints game yet.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/54391167

[Margin__Walker]

Saints seemingly struggling too. Glaws Saints maybe delayed, but that doesn' thave a knockon effect on the playoffs.

Exeter resting a lot by the looks of it, Wasps can't take anything for granted though.

Nah, you'll be fine. That's an even weaker Exeter team than we played midweek with Devoto, Woodburn and Hinkley (injured) taken out of the firing line. Bench front row will be especially vulnerable.

Baxter may crack open his man management box of tricks, but I can't see them troubling Wasps too much.

[Margin__Walker]

LI v Bristol teams for tomorrow

[Margin__Walker]

Saints have been forced to forfeit their game with Gloucester as players are required to self isolate following the Sale game.

Refused permission to bring in loan front rowers to complete the fixture.

Bit of a crap end to the season.

[Oxbow]

But Sale are allowed to postpone their game until Wednesday. That all seems entirely fair.

[duke]

Can’t see how Sale’s game is postponed yet Saints aren’t allowed to register loan players, some flawed thinking among the PRL management there.

[Raggs]

Insane that Saints/Glaws can't be delayed, even though neither have anything coming up, and Saints may not even have infections. But Sale Wuss can go ahead.

Especially as the 5 points to Glaws, mean Wuss have nothing to play for now.

There again, I'd not be surprised if the Wuss players were out for blood after being denied the chance due to Sale.

[Margin__Walker]

Does feel a bit like the PRL are making this up as they go along. Will be interesting to see what the full story is sometime down the line.

Would be a big miffed as a Saints fan. Or Worcester who did have a slim chance at 8th and champions cup rugby.

Edit - Beat me to it Raggs

[sockwithaticket]

I suppose the thinking is only the fixture relevant to the playoffs matters at this point.

[Un Pilier]

I'm not entirely sold on the concept of comparing regular season with... whatever the fuck it is we've just been having.

I agree. There have been some barely imagined 23s on show this past few weeks. I understand why, of course, and it’s good to finish the season (assuming we do so). But there have been too many fairly meaningless mis-matches to justify general conclusions.