The Official English Rugby Thread

[Oxbow]

The way the pundits and commentators were talking yesterday Saints are out but looking at the table they have a mathematical chance. Am I missing something?

It's a very faint mathematical chance, possible yet highly improbable. They've put the B team out for today's game, so I doubt they'll be picking up the much needed points.

Generous, more like a C/D team. It'll be fun watching how some of the youngsters go but I doubt there'll be much cohesion there.

[topofthemoon]

Amazingly, Saracens have ended up in fourth after this round of matches and must now be favourites to finish in that fourth position.

Fifth on points difference!

First tiebreaker is wins (currently Sale 10, Saracens 9) which is a big advantage for Sale if they match Sarries' results in the last 2 rounds.

[Kawazaki]

Amazingly, Saracens have ended up in fourth after this round of matches and must now be favourites to finish in that fourth position.

Fifth on points difference!

I think Saracens are on 49pts and Sale are in 48pts.

[sockwithaticket]

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

Both on 49

[Kawazaki]

Amazingly, Saracens have ended up in fourth after this round of matches and must now be favourites to finish in that fourth position.

Fifth on points difference!

I think Saracens are on 49pts and Sale are in 48pts.

Just seen that they're both on 49. I was using Flashscore which must be run by a Sarries fan!

[SaintK]

Amazingly, Saracens have ended up in fourth after this round of matches and must now be favourites to finish in that fourth position.

Fifth on points difference!

First tiebreaker is wins (currently Sale 10, Saracens 9) which is a big advantage for Sale if they match Sarries' results in the last 2 rounds.

Thanks. Didn't realise that.
I was going by what I saw in The Rugby Paper today.

[Kawazaki]

Saracens losing away at Newcastle is really coming back to bite Saracens in the arse. Add in the points lost from the inconceivable home loss to Quins and Saracens would now have enough points to be favourites for a home semi.

Only have themselves to blame.

[Oxbow]

The fact that we ended up with a 9 that can play wing but was playing fullback today at 10 about sums that game up. Exeter were pretty poor, a few tries at the end against a tired, depleted side puts a bit of gloss on it for them. Garside always looks good when I've seen him despite only being 4' 9".

[duke]

The fact that we ended up with a 9 that can play wing but was playing fullback today at 10 about sums that game up. Exeter were pretty poor, a few tries at the end against a tired, depleted side puts a bit of gloss on it for them. Garside always looks good when I've seen him despite only being 4' 9".

I thought the game provided more positives for Saints than Exeter despite the score line- get some youngsters to experience first team rugby and they didn’t disgrace themselves

[SaintK]

The fact that we ended up with a 9 that can play wing but was playing fullback today at 10 about sums that game up. Exeter were pretty poor, a few tries at the end against a tired, depleted side puts a bit of gloss on it for them. Garside always looks good when I've seen him despite only being 4' 9".

I thought the game provided more positives for Saints than Exeter despite the score line- get some youngsters to experience first team rugby and they didn’t disgrace themselves

Spot on. Think that will be encouraging for Saints.

[SaintK]

The fact that we ended up with a 9 that can play wing but was playing fullback today at 10 about sums that game up. Exeter were pretty poor, a few tries at the end against a tired, depleted side puts a bit of gloss on it for them. Garside always looks good when I've seen him despite only being 4' 9".

[Paddington Bear]

Saracens losing away at Newcastle is really coming back to bite Saracens in the arse. Add in the points lost from the inconceivable home loss to Quins and Saracens would now have enough points to be favourites for a home semi.

Only have themselves to blame.

Worth remembering that Newcastle completely dominated the game as well, we were lucky to be within a score. Very odd night.

Sale play Bristol next week and we play Northampton’s second string (I assume), so there’s a very good chance of leapfrogging one of them going into the final day.

[duke]

According to TNT, Geoff Parling is going to be Leicester Tigers coach next season. I'd lost track of him - last I had heard he was out in Oz.

[SaintK]

According to TNT, Geoff Parling is going to be Leicester Tigers coach next season. I'd lost track of him - last I had heard he was out in Oz.

Been at the REbels and and part of the Australia coahing set up for a while Well thought of.
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/geoff- ... d-coach/

[sockwithaticket]

The only coach journos didn't link Tigers to.

Be interesting to see how he gets on.

[SaintK]

uge clear out at Glaws.
17 players on their way out. The most notable names are Ruan Akkerman. Chris Harris and surprisingly Freddie Clarke

[sockwithaticket]

uge clear out at Glaws.
17 players on their way out. The most notable names are Ruan Akkerman. Chris Harris and surprisingly Freddie Clarke

Carreras, Anscombe and Mercer are fairly significant too

[SaintK]

uge clear out at Glaws.
17 players on their way out. The most notable names are Ruan Akkerman. Chris Harris and surprisingly Freddie Clarke

Carreras, Anscombe and Mercer are fairly significant too

Yes agree
Though their departures had already been announced

[SaintK]

Danny Care has just announced his retirement at the end of the season
Terrific player at his peak
Think we will see a lot more of him as TV pundit

[Oxbow]

Hopefully taking Austin Healy's job as the chippy ex-scrummie commentator.

[SaintK]

Fingers crossed that Saints come through unscathed against Saracens. Apart from Augustus who will be fit for the final next week, this is likely to be their starting team against Bordeaux
15 James Ramm
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Fraser Dingwall (c)
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Tom Litchfield
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell

1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Trevor Davison – 50th Saints appearance
4 Temo Mayanavanua
5 Tom Lockett
6 Alex Coles
7 Josh Kemeny
8 Henry Pollock

Replacements:
16 Craig Wright
17 Tarek Haffar
18 Elliot Millar Mills
19 Ed Prowse
20 Angus Scott-Young
21 Jonny Weimann
22 Jake Garside
23 Tom Seabrook

[Oxbow]

You could make a decent side out of the players Saints have got injured at the moment. I really hope Augustus is back next week, that would be a huge blow.

[SaintK]

Yep. He's got a bizarre fan club though who think he can do no wrong. They consider him a miracle worker who operates on a pittance, develops loads of young West Country lads into top players and is fantastic at recruiting hidden gems.

He isn't.

He should have gone either after Exeter's run finished when we beat them in 2020-2021, or if not then the season after when they didn't even make the playoffs.

Rob Hunter gone “by mutual agreement”
So they found enough dosh to pay him off

Hepher gone now
Yet the man at the top is still there!!!!

[Kawazaki]

So much for Sarries getting an easy 5pts playing the Saints bin juice.

[Paddington Bear]

Fingers crossed that Saints come through unscathed against Saracens. Apart from Augustus who will be fit for the final next week, this is likely to be their starting team against Bordeaux
15 James Ramm
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Fraser Dingwall (c)
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Tom Litchfield
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell

1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Trevor Davison – 50th Saints appearance
4 Temo Mayanavanua
5 Tom Lockett
6 Alex Coles
7 Josh Kemeny
8 Henry Pollock

Replacements:
16 Craig Wright
17 Tarek Haffar
18 Elliot Millar Mills
19 Ed Prowse
20 Angus Scott-Young
21 Jonny Weimann
22 Jake Garside
23 Tom Seabrook

My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

Such a tough balance - playing a full noise Sarries is likely very good prep for next week, equally you can see it ending with 2/3 injuries which probably kills off the cup challenge. Wonder if there’ll be some pre-planned subs regardless of game situation.

In other news, the Red Bull Newcastle rumours are really gathering steam and it increasingly seems like a runner. Great news for the Geordies and very good news for English rugby. As I have said ad nauseum I think they’re an absolute bargain and have real potential for growth, with a £130m euromillions jackpot tonight maybe I’ll put in a bid after I win…

[sockwithaticket]

He should have gone either after Exeter's run finished when we beat them in 2020-2021, or if not then the season after when they didn't even make the playoffs.

Rob Hunter gone “by mutual agreement”
So they found enough dosh to pay him off

Hepher gone now
Yet the man at the top is still there!!!!

Things do seem to go better when Baxter's directly doing the coaching, but you have to question is capability as DoR given that they've had to get rid of both his head coach appointments, one after mere weeks in the job.

[ASMO]

Bristol are truly shit, absolute penalty machines, no hope of play offs

[Brazil]

Great win. Shame we let them in at the end, but one cant have everything

[Paddington Bear]

Lot of rugby still to run so can’t totally pre-judge, but Bristol haven’t looked like a playoff team for months now

[Kawazaki]

Lot of rugby still to run so can’t totally pre-judge, but Bristol haven’t looked like a playoff team for months now

Obvious statement but Sarries really need to beat Saints with a bonus point. That pushes Bristol out.

[topofthemoon]

Lot of rugby still to run so can’t totally pre-judge, but Bristol haven’t looked like a playoff team for months now

Obvious statement but Sarries really need to beat Saints with a bonus point. That pushes Bristol out.

A non-BP win still puts Saracens ahead of Bristol on tiebreakers.

[Kawazaki]

Absolute daylight robbery.

TMO shit himself and could not say what was plainly obvious.

This is scandalous.

[Lady P]

[Lady P]

Absolute daylight robbery.

TMO shit himself and could not say what was plainly obvious.

This is scandalous.

It was totally forward but evens up the many forward passes in Saracens’ last try.

[Kawazaki]

Absolute daylight robbery.

TMO shit himself and could not say what was plainly obvious.

This is scandalous.

It was totally forward but evens up the many forward passes in Saracens’ last try.

Jesus wept.

[Lady P]

Absolute daylight robbery.

TMO shit himself and could not say what was plainly obvious.

This is scandalous.

It was totally forward but evens up the many forward passes in Saracens’ last try.

Jesus wept.

The truth is hard to handle

[SaintK]

Absolute daylight robbery.

TMO shit himself and could not say what was plainly obvious.

This is scandalous.

Haven’t watched it yet
Was Carley reffing

[duke]

Absolute daylight robbery.

TMO shit himself and could not say what was plainly obvious.

This is scandalous.

Haven’t watched it yet
Was Carley reffing

Luke Pearce - the decision was mind boggling to be fair

[Brazil]

Absolute daylight robbery.

TMO shit himself and could not say what was plainly obvious.

This is scandalous.

Haven’t watched it yet
Was Carley reffing

Luke Pearce - the decision was mind boggling to be fair

Pearce had a poor day. The knock on non try and the. Tackle in the air were poor, as was some of his behaviour when Sarries were fucking about terribly in the ruck. As it was it all balanced out for once. Sarries have nothing to complain about. He's a good ref generally so I'm guessing he had an off day, not helped by his TMO.

[duke]

Haven’t watched it yet
Was Carley reffing

Luke Pearce - the decision was mind boggling to be fair

Pearce had a poor day. The knock on non try and the. Tackle in the air were poor, as was some of his behaviour when Sarries were fucking about terribly in the ruck. As it was it all balanced out for once. Sarries have nothing to complain about. He's a good ref generally so I'm guessing he had an off day, not helped by his TMO.

You do wonder what instructions the refs are given. Antony Woodthorpe in the Bath Tigers game had some novel interpretations of interference in the ruck