The Official English Rugby Thread

[Paddington Bear]

Cracker of a start at Ashton Gate

[sockwithaticket]

Even if he's no longer wearing black and gold, I really want to see Wade make an attack on the Prem try record. Making a good start with 2 tries already.

[SaintK]

Enjoyable so far
Let’s see if Glaws can maintain the momentum and not fold

[petej]

That was very funny. Try for Wade

[Paddington Bear]

One great try after another. We really ought to be able to get this league to a wider audience. Plenty of time for Bristol to nick this

[Paddington Bear]

… feels like Bristol’s to lose from here

[petej]

Rugby refs are so much better than football ones. They use the video so well. The refs work as a unit.

[Paddington Bear]

Rugby refs are so much better than football ones. They use the video so well. The refs work as a unit.

Yep. Right calls made in the end. Superb game

[Lobby]

Well, that was fun.

[JM2K6]

Thought Wade's yellow was very harsh given he bent double and his opponent crouched at the last second.

Extremely funny game, about a million talking points. Fasogbon was extremely impressive even in the scrums Glaws lost, he has immense strength and staying power.

Mercer was comically bad. Big reason why Glaws nearly lost that.

Wade has somehow packed 25% more muscle onto an already hench frame. Very impressive S&C work. Must be some incredible grilled chicken breasts.

[SaintK]

Well, that was fun.

Very much so
I had Bristol by 15 on Superbru

[SaintK]

Watched Sarries v Sale this morning.
Sarries in the second half were excellent and will be the team to beat this season injuries and international call ups notwithstanding. Still have two excellent Argentinians to come back.
Worrying injuries to Ford, Itoje and the other Curry who like his brother in the match last week went off after an HIA.
Pat Sanderson sounds like he has the injury of the week so far. Cracked two ribs in a collision with Tom Roebuck in Training on Thursday!!!

[Lobby]

Leicester's new signing Perese gets his second yellow card in his second game, and was probably lucky not to get a red for his late shoulder into Cokanisaga's head.

He already looks like a card waiting to happen. He could at least give rise to a new Paddy power betting game: How soon in each match will Perese get carded and how many times will Cheika shake his head after each decision in disbelief at NH referees penalising players for blatant head shots.

[JM2K6]

Steward was extraordinarily lucky to avoid getting binned when he got done by the bounce and flapped the ball out of the way of someone who was likely to catch it for a score. Some very odd reffing in this game.

Lawrence deservedly POTM

[SaintK]

Our Scottish readers should be aware that Russell’s kicking out of hand an off the tee was abysmal
Some of his passing was superb though
Like the look of Pepper and Butt for Bath

[OomStruisbaai]

Steward was extraordinarily lucky to avoid getting binned when he got done by the bounce and flapped the ball out of the way of someone who was likely to catch it for a score. Some very odd reffing in this game.

Lawrence deservedly POTM

Vok know your ref bashing is everywhere. Check the rugby, not the ref.

[Lobby]

Steward was extraordinarily lucky to avoid getting binned when he got done by the bounce and flapped the ball out of the way of someone who was likely to catch it for a score. Some very odd reffing in this game.

Lawrence deservedly POTM

I suspect the Ref didn't want to send Steward to the bin and award a penalty try to Bath so close to the end of the match, which he would have had to do if he had (correctly) penalised him for the deliberate knock on. As Bath were going to get a penalty either way because of the offside, he took the easy way out (and also avoided a barracking from Leicester's famously fair and even-handed fans).

[SaintK]

Steward was extraordinarily lucky to avoid getting binned when he got done by the bounce and flapped the ball out of the way of someone who was likely to catch it for a score. Some very odd reffing in this game.

Lawrence deservedly POTM

Vok know your ref bashing is everywhere. Check the rugby, not the ref.

Says a Saffer
Did you actually watch the match

[JM2K6]

Steward was extraordinarily lucky to avoid getting binned when he got done by the bounce and flapped the ball out of the way of someone who was likely to catch it for a score. Some very odd reffing in this game.

Lawrence deservedly POTM

Vok know your ref bashing is everywhere. Check the rugby, not the ref.

Bore off, dickhead.

[inactionman]

Our Scottish readers should be aware that Russell’s kicking out of hand an off the tee was abysmal
Some of his passing was superb though
Like the look of Pepper and Butt for Bath

His little through-kicks were actually pretty good, but he missed a couple of penalty touches and clearance kicks that were basic - he does seem to suffer from the kicking yips, mostly when he's time to set and think about it. The rest of his game was on-song though.

Not sure what's happened to Butt over the summer, seems to have added a more direct running threat - helps having Russell one side and Lawrence the other, but he's really picking good lines. Interesting where Redpath will slot back in - maybe Butt might be called to fill in at wing seeing as we lost both first choice wingers in the same match

Agree with the reffing to some extent, I thought some of the Leicester scrum penalties were not exactly cut and dried - but I can say that about every game.

Leicester's new signing Perese gets his second yellow card in his second game, and was probably lucky not to get a red for his late shoulder into Cokanisaga's head.

He already looks like a card waiting to happen. He could at least give rise to a new Paddy power betting game: How soon in each match will Perese get carded and how many times will Cheika shake his head after each decision in disbelief at NH referees penalising players for blatant head shots.

Yep. Cokanasiga's going to miss a few games with concussion protocols, it was a very lazy attempt at a charge-down, to put it kindly. He seemed to want to put a bit of the shoulder in a bit to much, and I recall him pulling Lawrence around in a ruck via an arm around the throat. Needs to calm it.

I reckon Hassell- Collins will spend most of Monday hiding away from Chieka in the bathroom.



eta: also, a thought about some of the early plays - Leicester held the ball up over the line and 'won' (is that correct phrase?) goal line drop-outs on more than one occasion, but in one case Stuart's knees were on the ground inside the field of play and he was pulled and rolled over the line. Is this legal? I thought that would be a case of not releasing as he was already on the ground? To be fair, very good defence by Leicester even if Bath didn't do as well as they might

[JM2K6]

Yes, that one was a clear penalty against Tigers. Stuart was tackled before the line, the tackler never released and while sitting down continued to get involved to hold him up, eventually when he was over the line.

Actually there were a few cases of tackled players being dragged metres on the ground, was weird

[OomStruisbaai]

Steward was extraordinarily lucky to avoid getting binned when he got done by the bounce and flapped the ball out of the way of someone who was likely to catch it for a score. Some very odd reffing in this game.

Lawrence deservedly POTM

Vok know your ref bashing is everywhere. Check the rugby, not the ref.

Says a Saffer
Did you actually watch the match

Lurking on the Poms.

[inactionman]

Yes, that one was a clear penalty against Tigers. Stuart was tackled before the line, the tackler never released and while sitting down continued to get involved to hold him up, eventually when he was over the line.

Actually there were a few cases of tackled players being dragged metres on the ground, was weird

I can't remember who the tackler was, but even without watching it again I fecking bet it was Tommy Reffell.

He's found McCaw's cloak of invisibility and shenanigans-shield, gets away with all sorts.

[JM2K6]

Yes, that one was a clear penalty against Tigers. Stuart was tackled before the line, the tackler never released and while sitting down continued to get involved to hold him up, eventually when he was over the line.

Actually there were a few cases of tackled players being dragged metres on the ground, was weird

I can't remember who the tackler was, but even without watching it again I fecking bet it was Tommy Reffell.

He's found McCaw's cloak of invisibility and shenanigans-shield, gets away with all sorts.

It was Heyes who made the tackle before the line and didn't release.

It's weird but not unexpected that we are allowing all kinds of nonsense on the try line again...

[SaintK]

That didn't take long then!!!!

New Leicester head coach Michael Cheika will attend a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday night after he was charged with prejudicial conduct following Tigers’ Gallagher Premiership win at Exeter on September 21. The Sandy Park fixture was the Australian’s first competitive game in charge of Leicester, a match they won 17-14 with a last-gasp converted try from Tommy Reffell.
An RFU statement read: “Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika is due to appear before an independent disciplinary panel for an alleged breach of RFU rule 5.12 – conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game and/or union – in circumstances where he is alleged to have disrespected the independent match day doctor following the Exeter Chiefs vs Leicester Tigers match on Saturday, September 21. The hearing will take place on Tuesday, October 1.”

[Raggs]

Have I missed a news statement or something? I can't see any full match replays on the PRTV site, last one is the final from last season.

[SaintK]

Watched Sarries v Sale this morning.
Sarries in the second half were excellent and will be the team to beat this season injuries and international call ups notwithstanding. Still have two excellent Argentinians to come back.
Worrying injuries to Ford, Itoje and the other Curry who like his brother in the match last week went off after an HIA.
Pat Sanderson sounds like he has the injury of the week so far. Cracked two ribs in a collision with Tom Roebuck in Training on Thursday!!!

So Ford has a quad tear and will be out for an unspecified length of time
Rodd pulled a hamstring. Wondered why he went off early.
Both Curry's going through retun to play protocol after concussion
No news on Itoje yet
Looks like there mat well be some changes to the initial England squad.

[JM2K6]

It's disturbing that Curry was allowed back on after clearly getting sparked out against Quins

[Lobby]

It's disturbing that Curry was allowed back on after clearly getting sparked out against Quins

Apparently there was a technical problem that meant the medics didn't have access to a video replay when he was first assessed, so they didn't know he'd been knocked out before coming off. They were able to watch a replay at half-time and realised immediately that, as he'd been knocked out, the HIA was unnecessary and he shouldn't be allowed to play on. That was what was meant by his HIA was re-assessed and also why he was pulled at half-time.

Obviously this shouldn't have happened, and they should have been able to view the video before assessing him for an HIA, but it does seem that they followed the protocols as well as they were able, given the technical problem when he came off.

[JM2K6]

It's disturbing that Curry was allowed back on after clearly getting sparked out against Quins

Apparently there was a technical problem that meant the medics didn't have access to a video replay when he was first assessed, so they didn't know he'd been knocked out before coming off. They were able to watch a replay at half-time and realised immediately that, as he'd been knocked out, the HIA was unnecessary and he shouldn't be allowed to play on. That was what was meant by his HIA was re-assessed and also why he was pulled at half-time.

Obviously this shouldn't have happened, and they should have been able to view the video before assessing him for an HIA, but it does seem that they followed the protocols as well as they were able, given the technical problem when he came off.

Well, the coaches would've seen the TV feed, so I'm not sure that's enough. But fair enough from the medics at least.

[inactionman]

Very, very sad indeed.

A former rugby player smiled and told a nurse 'see you in a bit' as he left a mental health hospital just hours before taking his own life, an inquest has heard.

https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2024-10 ... quest-told

I remember him from his season at Bath before heading over to Bristol, but I missed his tragic passing last year.

[Sandstorm]

Tragic.

[SaintK]

Watched Sarries v Sale this morning.
Sarries in the second half were excellent and will be the team to beat this season injuries and international call ups notwithstanding. Still have two excellent Argentinians to come back.
Worrying injuries to Ford, Itoje and the other Curry who like his brother in the match last week went off after an HIA.
Pat Sanderson sounds like he has the injury of the week so far. Cracked two ribs in a collision with Tom Roebuck in Training on Thursday!!!

So Ford has a quad tear and will be out for an unspecified length of time
Rodd pulled a hamstring. Wondered why he went off early.
Both Curry's going through retun to play protocol after concussion
No news on Itoje yet
Looks like there mat well be some changes to the initial England squad.

Itoje has a soft tissue injury to his knee and will Sarries match this weekend. Should be fine for the week after.

[JM2K6]

Quins with some unfortunate injuries and on their 3rd game in 12 days will struggle to beat Saints. We've picked Smith at fullback and Joseph fresh back from injury at 13.

Saints attack is the best in the league, think this could be a very difficult day even given the obvious improvement in or defence. Can't keep having to chop and change in key positions and expect the world.

Starting XV:
1. Fin Baxter (53)
2. Jack Walker (65)
3. Titi Lamositele (2)
4. Irne Herbst (49)
5. Stephan Lewies (72 – Captain)
6. Jack Kenningham (51)
7. Will Evans (92)
8. Chandler Cunningham-South (18)
9. Danny Care (378)
10. Jarrod Evans (19)
11. Oscar Beard (57)
12. Lennox Anyanwu (24)
13. Will Joseph (13)
14. Nick David (51)
15. Marcus Smith (162)

Impact Players:
16. Nathan Jibulu (15)
17. Jordan Els (35)
18. Simon Kerrod (105)
19. Dino Lamb (95)
20. James Chisholm (150)
21. Will Porter (24)
22. Bryn Bradley (9)
23. Cameron Anderson (7)

Not available for selection (injury/ new player arrival): Alex Dombrandt, Cadan Murley, Tyrone Green, Joe Marler, Cassius Cleaves, Luke Northmore, Leigh Halfpenny, George Head, Rodrigo Isgro

Cleaves tore it up against Falcons, gutted to see him miss out. Not having him, Green, and Murley means our likely first choice back 3 this season is out. Dombrandt is out for a few more weeks but that gives CCS a chance to prove me wrong with a starting spot at 8. Beard is in what I think is his best position at the moment on the wing, but he's looked very good so far this season so I'm excited to see what he can do. He'll play 13 at some point during the game, I'm sure.

Lamositele has been pretty bad at scrum time so far. Weird that we're not seeing Lewis or Wyn Jones at all

[SaintK]

Here we go.
Not sure what the actual fuck Langdon has got to do to get in the squad. LC-D hasn't p[layed ffor months and George hasn't been tearing it up for a while.

England Rugby head coach Steve Borthwick has named a 36-player squad for a three-day training camp ahead of the forthcoming 2024 Autumn Nations Series.

The squad will assemble on Monday 7 October, with training taking place at England’s Honda Performance Centre, Pennyhill Park and at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

"After watching a competitive and high scoring start to the Premiership season, I am once again looking forward to gathering the players together," said Borthwick

"This training camp is an important part of our preparations for the Autumn Nations Series as we continue to build on the cohesion we've developed over the past two campaigns.

"The squad reflects the depth and quality we have in English rugby, and we are looking forward to working with the players ahead of what will be a highly competitive series."

England welcome New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday 2 November (kick-off 3.10pm) for their first match of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, before taking on Australia, South Africa and Japan.


Forwards
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Pearson (Northampton Saints)
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
Tom Willis (Saracens)

Backs
Oscar Beard (Harlequins)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
Alex Lozowski (Saracens)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers)

Rehabilitation: Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Luke Northmore (Harlequins).

Not considered for selection: Joe Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Will Muir (Bath Rugby), Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby), Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks).

[Paddington Bear]

Going to the wire, great try from Quins to give us a big finish

[Oxbow]

A proverbial game of two halves, Saints not in it in the first half and getting mullered at the breakdown, much, much better in the second.

[JM2K6]

Slightly annoyed that a big finish was torpedoed by the ref deciding that a scrum that collapses before the ball goes in is legal, but there you go.

Great game, two sides really showing up well. Epic stuff by Kenningham and Will Evans, top work in attack by Marcus, some serious grunt by Baxter and Herbst too. Langdon was hilariously spiteful from the start, excellent stuff (not sure why Austin thought it was just the second half). Saints outside backs have incredible ball skills at pace, great stuff to watch and so hard to defend.

A few important names on both sides really didn't have great games. CCS, Lamositele, Lewies for Quins, Fin Smith and Pearson for Saints.

Excellent cameo by Pollock at the end. As much as I love what I think Pearson can be, I can see Pollock taking over very quickly at 7.

Well done Saints. Fun stuff.

Hope we get some players back soon!

[Paddington Bear]

Yet another very good game so far. Bristol looking sharp in attack

[sockwithaticket]

Newcastle already off to a worryingly, yet not unexpectedly, poor start.

Didn't quite manage to catch all of Bath - Bristol, but what I did see looked fun.