NPR

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:33 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:28 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:26 pm

B+

At this point in the rebuild Bortwick's clearly decided, probably not unjustly, that beating Sarrries might be a bit beyond his charges, so why bother with the full side? It might not be whast we want to see as fans, but it is the pragmatic use of resources a DoR gets paid for.

Tigers are top of the league - we aren't talking Worcs here. And Steward is missing out on a big chance to show what he can do.

Do league positions count for anything after two rounds?

Who would Steward be showing and for what purpose? He's clearly in Eddie's thoughts for the national team and we know he doesn't really give a shit about what people are doing for their clubs once he's settled on them.

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:34 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:32 pm

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:31 pm Youngs and Ford the halfbacks is considered a Leicester B team?

No, but eight players have been swapped out.

If that's the criteria then Saracens have made 6 changes and are missing at least 6 more!

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:37 pm Leicester’s woes thus far stem from shite kicking from their England players rather than anything else

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:37 pm

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:34 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:32 pm

No, but eight players have been swapped out.

If that's the criteria then Saracens have made 6 changes and are missing at least 6 more!

Have they deliberately dropped 6 first choice players? Or are you counting Lions players coming back in?

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:38 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:37 pm Leicester’s woes thus far stem from shite kicking from their England players rather than anything else

Well their back three being bollocks has counted for a lot, too.

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:36 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:33 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:28 pm

Tigers are top of the league - we aren't talking Worcs here. And Steward is missing out on a big chance to show what he can do.

Do league positions count for anything after two rounds?

Who would Steward be showing and for what purpose? He's clearly in Eddie's thoughts for the national team and we know he doesn't really give a shit about what people are doing for their clubs once he's settled on them.

Showing Jones what he can do. Learning more. Playing against a direct competitor for his shirt, in conditions where he'd be one of the most important players on the pitch, against one of the best teams around for providing a kicking threat.

And the point about their position is that tigers are playing well and certainly had no need to throw a match with the selection. And this Saracens side isn't the title winning one.

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:44 pm

JM2K6 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:36 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:33 pm

Do league positions count for anything after two rounds?

Who would Steward be showing and for what purpose? He's clearly in Eddie's thoughts for the national team and we know he doesn't really give a shit about what people are doing for their clubs once he's settled on them.

Showing Jones what he can do. Learning more. Playing against a direct competitor for his shirt, in conditions where he'd be one of the most important players on the pitch, against one of the best teams around for providing a kicking threat.

And the point about their position is that tigers are playing well and certainly had no need to throw a match with the selection. And this Saracens side isn't the title winning one.

I get the sense Eddie's already basically annointed Steward as his 15 going forward, I don't think playing in this game or not is going to sway Eddie on him. It is a fair point that playing against this kicking onslaught from a team who are good at it in the rain would be beneficial for him. Clearly ol' scab-nose has decided otherwise.

Perhaps Borthwick wants to see how his back ups measure up and he feels two wins on the trot this early gives him the leeway to run that experiment? We're all just speculating.

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:50 pm
We don't know if Eddiot asked Borthwick not to pick Steward either given he's going to b̶e̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶o̶n̶i̶c̶ ̶1̶9̶8̶0̶s̶ ̶W̶e̶l̶s̶h̶ ̶v̶a̶l̶l̶e̶y̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶a̶c̶h̶ expose him to high quality coaching for the next three days.

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:54 pm

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:50 pm
We don't know if Eddiot asked Borthwick not to pick Steward either given he's going to b̶e̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶o̶n̶i̶c̶ ̶1̶9̶8̶0̶s̶ ̶W̶e̶l̶s̶h̶ ̶v̶a̶l̶l̶e̶y̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶a̶c̶h̶ expose him to high quality coaching for the next three days.

That's also a fair point.

Dragster wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 2:57 pm Tigers have definitely fielded a weakened side regardless of Steward. Perhaps they think that’s enough to deal with Sarries?

Dragster wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:01 pm
Worst I’ve seen youngs kick I reckon.

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:05 pm

Dragster wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:01 pm
Worst I’ve seen youngs kick I reckon.

New to rugby I presume?

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:07 pm

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:05 pm

Dragster wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:01 pm
Worst I’ve seen youngs kick I reckon.

New to rugby I presume?

No he’s been noticeably awful

Outraged Welford Rd crowd is fun to watch

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:21 pm Surely a card coming soon?

Edit - re-issued the warning. Fair enough.

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:22 pm

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:21 pm Surely a card coming soon?

Edit - re-issued the warning. Fair enough.

Yeah has to be soon

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:30 pm There's a big gap in the market for somebody to make a rugby ball specifically for wet conditions.

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:34 pm

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:30 pm There's a big gap in the market for somebody to make a rugby ball specifically for wet conditions.

Or, and bear with me here, professional rugby players should learn to handle the wet ball

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:37 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:34 pm

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:30 pm There's a big gap in the market for somebody to make a rugby ball specifically for wet conditions.

Or, and bear with me here, professional rugby players should learn to handle the wet ball

I don't think they're any worse now than they've always been. Likely much better in all honesty.

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:40 pm

Kawazaki wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:37 pm

Paddington Bear wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:34 pm

Or, and bear with me here, professional rugby players should learn to handle the wet ball

I don't think they're any worse now than they've always been. Likely much better in all honesty.

NH rugby prioritises bosh over handling. Watch a kiwi side play on a shite day and they don’t have the same issue

sockwithaticket wrote: ↑Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:41 pm I might be biased, but Wasps managed to play a lot of decent rugby in the washed out 19/20 league final.

Most of the time I think it's mindset rather than ability that holds teams back in the rain.