NPR

Ellis Genge is out of the summer tour with an injury sustained in the match against Quins.

Will Collier's parting gift to Fin Baxter!

Jack Willis was immense in the Champions Cup final yesterday. Something like 27 tackles?

29 or 41 depending on which stats you want to believe. Didn't win many turnovers but was a pain in the hole for Leinster all game. Huge engine.

Toulouse targeted the breakdown from the start and Leinster failed to adjust

geordie_6 wrote: ↑Sun May 26, 2024 7:56 am Jack Willis was immense in the Champions Cup final yesterday. Something like 27 tackles?

Did he outplay Neil Back?

Hal Jordan wrote: ↑Sun May 26, 2024 12:33 pm

geordie_6 wrote: ↑Sun May 26, 2024 7:56 am Jack Willis was immense in the Champions Cup final yesterday. Something like 27 tackles?

Did he outplay Neil Back?

Don't be silly, the hand of Back shall smite thee!

geordie_6 wrote: ↑Sun May 26, 2024 7:56 am Jack Willis was immense in the Champions Cup final yesterday. Something like 27 tackles?

Most articles mentioned 30, he was very lucky not to be caught on this one.

https://x.com/LOvaliste/status/1794651676944867499

Some pics of him in the locker room after the game.

Marylandolorian wrote: ↑Sun May 26, 2024 3:50 pm

geordie_6 wrote: ↑Sun May 26, 2024 7:56 am Jack Willis was immense in the Champions Cup final yesterday. Something like 27 tackles?

Most articles mentioned 30, he was very lucky not to be caught on this one.

https://x.com/LOvaliste/status/1794651676944867499

Some pics of him in the locker room after the game.

Yes he's lucky to get away without that being looked at!

Shamelessly stolen from elsewhere!
Think this will be a tight one. Odd seeing a Sarries 23 for an important knock out match without Goode.
Could be an emotional farewell match for a number of players on either side.
Saints by 8.......................................just!!
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs SARACENS
Gallagher Premiership, Semi-Final
Friday 31 May, 2024
cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens
Kick-off: 7.45pm

15 George Furbank
14 Tommy Freeman
13 Burger Odendaal
12 Fraser Dingwall
11 Ollie Sleightholme
10 Fin Smith
9 Alex Mitchell

1 Alex Waller
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Trevor Davison
4 Alex Moon
5 Alex Coles
6 Courtney Lawes (c)
7 Tom Pearson
8 Juarno Augustus

Replacements:
16 Sam Matavesi
17 Emmanuel Iyogun
18 Elliot Millar Mills
19 Temo Mayanavanua
20 Sam Graham
21 Lewis Ludlam
22 Tom James
23 George Hendy

Saracens Men team to play Northampton Saints:

1 Mako Vunipola
2 Jamie George
3 Marco Riccioni
4 Maro Itoje
5 Nick Isiekwe
6 Juan Martin Gonzalez
7 Ben Earl
8 Billy Vunipola

9 Ivan van Zyl
10 Owen Farrell (c)
11 Tom Parton
12 Nick Tompkins
13 Lucio Cinti
14 Alex Lewington
15 Elliot Daly

Replacements:

16 Theo Dan
17 Eroni Mawi
18 Ollie Hoskins
19 Hugh Tizard
20 Theo McFarland
21 Tom Willis
22 Aled Davies
23 Alex Lozowski

Officials:

Referee: Christophe Ridley
Assistant Referees: Anthony Woodthorpe and Andrew Jackson
No.4: Dan Jones
TMO: Ian Tempest

Huge game. Saints have a better side but we all know Sarries can pull something off (albeit have struggled to this season). I feel Faz has a big send off in him. Whether that’s one final shoulder and an early bath or him at his absolute best, we’ll find out

This is a hell of an atmosphere

England vs Japan will be streamed on rugypass, because apparently streaming services are the best way to get The Young attracted to the product.

Both sides start with tonnes of intensity, wonder if they can keep this up for 80 minutes

Cracking try that.

Langdon's having a very good game. England call up? We're not rich at hooker these days.

Cracking game that Northampton have taken control of in the last 10 minutes

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:33 pm Cracking game that Northampton have taken control of in the last 10 minutes

Yep
Less penalties please Saints

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:24 pm Langdon's having a very good game. England call up? We're not rich at hooker these days.

He's the best hooker in the country at the moment.

Oxbow wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:38 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:24 pm Langdon's having a very good game. England call up? We're not rich at hooker these days.

He's the best hooker in the country at the moment.

Yep
Theo Dan not far behind
Both better than George on current form

Superb from Farrell throughout, keeping us alive in this contest

And that's the game.

Steel and maturity from Saints. They've come quite a way from even a couple of seasons ago.

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 8:28 pm Steel and maturity from Saints. They've come quite a way from even a couple of seasons ago.

Very good performance without being rip-roaring, the defence was very good and when Saints got the chance to attack they looked very dangerous

Great game of rugby.

Ultimately you win fuck all without a scrum, there’s an extent to which it’s remarkable how well we’ve done this season without one.

Saints are the best team in the country and I wish them all the best next week.

Faz, Vunipola(s), thanks for all the memories. No one could have asked for more.

Oh, verbatim message from my next door neighbour:

‘Assume you’re watching the rugby? Jealous! If you wouldn’t mind toning down the language, kids can hear you and I’m trying to get them to sleep. Cheers mate’

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 8:32 pm
Ultimately you win fuck all without a scrum,

Unless you are Toulouse against Leinster........

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 8:28 pm Steel and maturity from Saints. They've come quite a way from even a couple of seasons ago.

Almost unrecognisable!
REally chuffed for them.

Another great game, right result though, Sale just too one dimensional.

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:24 pm Langdon's having a very good game. England call up? We're not rich at hooker these days.

Curtis Langdon sounds like a running back who was the shining star in an otherwise terrible 70s NFL expansion team.

ASMO wrote: ↑Sat Jun 01, 2024 4:18 pm Another great game, right result though, Sale just too one dimensional.

Yep glad Bath got through, should be a good final

The try of the match was scored by Sale, lads...

We weren't disciplined enough, and bath were absolute filth at the breakdown which we didn't deal with. Our game management at the end was terrible, but then again it basically came down to a bounce of the ball for their position for the winning try. Coulda shoulda woulda, but I'd have taken this finish in march, and there's lots to build on for next year when hopefully we won't be as plagued by injury. Fourteen academy players in our squad today which is a good achievement, a few of whom will be in for England slots, particularly carpenter.

Should be a good final. Hope Tampon absolutely fuck bath, mind, to make those dual astronomical cunts Craig and Dyson all sad.

Anyone got any info on the Jonny Hill altercation?

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sun Jun 02, 2024 7:00 pm Anyone got any info on the Jonny Hill altercation?

Not outside of the Times article where the bloke has a whine about his broken glasses and that he 'was only giving him (Hill) some banter'

Will be interesting to see what actually happened. Ultimately Hill will likely be in some bother. On one hand you can't go Cantona/Brennan on the punters so he'll have to take his punishment, on the other though there's a certain amount of fuck around and find out energy for the Bath fan.

https://x.com/TimesSport/status/1797272 ... xvy6A&s=19

SaintK wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:42 pm

Oxbow wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:38 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:24 pm Langdon's having a very good game. England call up? We're not rich at hooker these days.

He's the best hooker in the country at the moment.

Yep
Theo Dan not far behind
Both better than George on current form

Langdon not selected for the England summer tour training squad
Ohgre evidently better than him

SaintK wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2024 5:14 pm

SaintK wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:42 pm

Oxbow wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:38 pm

He's the best hooker in the country at the moment.

Yep
Theo Dan not far behind
Both better than George on current form

Langdon not selected for the England summer tour training squad
Ohgre evidently better than him

They haven't included anyone from Saints or Bath.

geordie_6 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2024 5:24 pm

SaintK wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2024 5:14 pm

SaintK wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:42 pm
Yep
Theo Dan not far behind
Both better than George on current form

Langdon not selected for the England summer tour training squad
Ohgre evidently better than him

They haven't included anyone from Saints or Bath.

Ahh of course
Bloody stupid of me not to notice

Bath looked a bit off the boil against Sale, amongst other things we're coughing it up far too much no crash-ball. It might just be trying to force it a bit too much, JC2 dropped a few but it was others as well. I'm not sure replacing Barbeary with Bayliss and asking him to crash it up was such a good idea either, it's really not his game and the Sale forwards aren't powderpuffs.

Looking forward to the final, but we'll need to keep hold of the ball better, particularly in contact - Northampton don't exactly need any help when running it back.

inactionman wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 8:41 am Bath looked a bit off the boil against Sale, amongst other things we're coughing it up far too much no crash-ball. It might just be trying to force it a bit too much, JC2 dropped a few but it was others as well. I'm not sure replacing Barbeary with Bayliss and asking him to crash it up was such a good idea either, it's really not his game and the Sale forwards aren't powderpuffs.

Looking forward to the final, but we'll need to keep hold of the ball better, particularly in contact - Northampton don't exactly need any help when running it back.

I think we'll struggle to cope with Furbank if we give him as much space as we gave Carpenter.

Back row battle promises to be epic, I'm hoping Ted Hill continues to display his value to us with his pace, carrying and destructive tackling.