The Official English Rugby Thread

[sockwithaticket]

He also does a a fair bit of breakdown work. He and Ewers are tied for turnovers.

Turnover chart looks strange at the moment, Will Evans is miles ahead with 25, next nearest person has 11 and then there's loads of players on the same single figure numbers, 5 - 8

[Margin__Walker]

You can see how Exeter are comfortable playing with a smaller, dynamic 8.

Their flankers are absolute mutants.

To the extent that I thought Vermeulen was normal sized as I only ever saw him in comparison to the locks, Ewers, and Kirsten... he's fucking 6'5 1/2" and 117kg! It's mad.

Tis interesting how badly they can suffer at the breakdown because of it, but I think it's fair to say that despite the size disparity, Simmonds holds up well in comparison when it comes to power in contact.

For sure, Simmonds is all power and would actually be harder to stop from close in.

Certainly helps having the heavy artillery knocking down the door before hand though.

Run in will be interesting though. Definitely feels like Exeter are venerable this season.

[Margin__Walker]

He also does a a fair bit of breakdown work. He and Ewers are tied for turnovers.

Turnover chart looks strange at the moment, Will Evans is miles ahead with 25, next nearest person has 11 and then there's loads of players on the same single figure numbers, 5 - 8

Turnover rankings are always strange at the moment tbf. Evans has just replaced Willis who was in a similar position last season.

[sockwithaticket]

He also does a a fair bit of breakdown work. He and Ewers are tied for turnovers.

Turnover chart looks strange at the moment, Will Evans is miles ahead with 25, next nearest person has 11 and then there's loads of players on the same single figure numbers, 5 - 8

Turnover rankings are always strange at the moment tbf. Evans has just replaced Willis who was in a similar position last season.

it's a massive shame we don't have those two competing for the top spot this season. Would've been a hell of a battle.

[sockwithaticket]

Try apiece early on for Irish and Saints, has the makings of a decent game.

[Oxbow]

It's been a fairly frantic start.

[Oxbow]

Unstoppable my arse, that was just piss-poor defence.

[ASMO]

Ollie Sleightholme bears more than a passing resemblance to the banjo kid from Deliverance

[sockwithaticket]

Jesus, who was it that flew over Mitchell when attempting to tackle him? Looked like a missile.

Edit - Cowan.

Well scored from Mitchell. Parton didn't deal with that massive pass in the build up well, would've been better to tackle the man if he collected it.

[Enzedder]

This is all light hearted and fun to watch.

[Raggs]

Really fun game to watch. Mitchell has to travel in the summer.

[Oxbow]

Mitchell looking back to his pre-injury form. Happy we keep playing Ben Youngs though

[Saint]

Sleighthome's acceleration is something else

[sockwithaticket]

OHC didn't need to cannon that from the floor. It turned the ball over and lost all the ground gained.

[Raggs]

Lovely pass from the irish 6? there.

Did amuse me to hear that Saints don't have many heavy collision carriers, when they've got the likes of Harrison and Ludlam, and are playing Isiekwe at 6. They're not exactly small in the pack.

They are playing nicely though (both sides are).

[sockwithaticket]

Nicely done.

[JM2K6]

Barnes has turned into a French ref when it comes to the breakdown.

[JM2K6]

I know Jackson gets a lot of plaudits but he does seem to dither and make poor decisions fairly often.

Big fan of Hassell-Collins though. Gosh there's some good young back three talent around.

Edit: Matavesi steals another one while on his knees. Barnes

[JM2K6]

Oof,OH-C was a bit ponderous there turning and chasing. Got smoked by Sleightholme.

[Raggs]

Oof,OH-C was a bit ponderous there turning and chasing. Got smoked by Sleightholme.

Nah I think it's a case of him having to turn, and having to get onto the ball, rather than having the freedom of kicking it. Take nothing away from Sleightholme though, that was impressive. Another one to potentially travel in the summer?

[Enzedder]

That was simple but great to watch from LIR.

[JM2K6]

Oof,OH-C was a bit ponderous there turning and chasing. Got smoked by Sleightholme.

Nah I think it's a case of him having to turn, and having to get onto the ball, rather than having the freedom of kicking it. Take nothing away from Sleightholme though, that was impressive. Another one to potentially travel in the summer?

I was actually just watching him rather than Sleightholme and he did take a long time to accelerate. Not sure how quick he is off the mark.

Realistically you could make a case for both wingers plus Freeman to tour with England.

[sockwithaticket]

Uh oh. Mitchell with Motm, Eddie will start to lose interest.

Also, have BT fully dropped that star of the match bollocks? Only just clocked that it's been a while since I can remember hearing it.

[JM2K6]

Irish break off the scrum and Matavesi tackles the guy and gets his hands on the ball with no clear release. Barnes says he was fine but goes back to an earlier pen...

[JM2K6]

Well played Saints. Hard lines Irish. Thoroughly enjoyable rugby to watch. Saints look ominous from a Quins-trying-to-stay-top-4 perspective.

[sockwithaticket]

Saints in full flight really are fun to watch.

Good game to watch as a neutral.

[Margin__Walker]

TBP about the best we could have hoped for there. Always behind the game and far too many needless pens for the second week running.

Could do with a few reinforcements being available up front for the run in

Well played Saints

[Oxbow]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56761124

Spot the mistake. You have to wonder if the people the BBC pay to write about rugby have ever even seen a game.

[notfatcat]

I can't spot it. Did Dingwall return from a shin injury and not a calf injury?

[SaintK]

I can't spot it. Did Dingwall return from a shin injury and not a calf injury?

I've read it twice and haven't a clue!

[Oxbow]

It's in the caption to the photo.

[notfatcat]

Got it, he played centre!

[Oxbow]

They've conflated two players, George Furbank is a full back who returned from a calf injury, Fraser Dingwall is a centre who scored the try. It's fairly basic rugby knowledge.

[SaintK]

They've conflated two players, George Furbank is a full back who returned from a calf injury, Fraser Dingwall is a centre who scored the try. It's fairly basic rugby knowledge.

I didn't read the photo caption!!!

[notfatcat]

They've conflated two players, George Furbank is a full back who returned from a calf injury, Fraser Dingwall is a centre who scored the try. It's fairly basic rugby knowledge.

I suppose it probably should be for a rugby reporter.

[Kawazaki]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56761124

Spot the mistake. You have to wonder if the people the BBC pay to write about rugby have ever even seen a game.

I've got it. Third sentence. The journo is referring to a Piers Francis try and doesn't add on the letter 's' after the apostrophe. Any fool knows that the possessive of a singular noun is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s, regardless of whether the singular noun ends in the letter 's' or not. There is only one Piers Francis therefore it isn't a plural noun so it is not formed by adding only an apostrophe after the 's' in Francis. This is Key Stage 1 level english.

He should be sacked for that.

[sockwithaticket]

Chiefs just got away with full on NFL style blocking of a cover tackler on an intercept breakway.

According to the ref Cordero was trying to position himself to take an inside pass. TMO didn't sound convinced.

[ASMO]

Not convinced, Cordero is entitled to run any line he likes, there was no contact that blocked the tackler that i could see, it was very smart rugby.

[sockwithaticket]

Not convinced, Cordero is entitled to run any line he likes, there was no contact that blocked the tackler that i could, it was very smart rugby.

He swerved into Miller, that stops it being running a line and turns it into obstruction. He also ends up ahead of the ball carrier, which is an interesting position from which to be expecting a pass per Foley's explanation...

[sockwithaticket]

Can't argue that one, bad tackling and then defence on the back foot. Given the run of play Exeter shouldn't be two tries up, but here we are.