Aviva Premiership - Round 16

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Table



Fixtures

Fri 11th Mar 16
19:45 Harlequins v  Bath Rugby Twickenham Stoop BT Sport
Both teams are misfiring. Both teams need to win. Both teams struggling at 10. Both teams have been looking as if they do not care. Home advantage should be crucial.


Sat 12th Mar 16
13:45 Wasps  v  Leicester Tigers Ricoh Arena BT Sport
Massive crowd expected as 2nd meet 3rd. Wasps are a real enigma, when they are good they are excellent (see large wins over Toulon, Leinster and Saracens) yet when they are not good they are woeful. Get on top of Wasps up front and their backs can struggle to function. allow the backs space to move and they can dazzle. Not sure Leicester have enough to repeat last seasons win at the Ricoh. especially with the current front row problems.

14:00 Northampton Saints  v  Sale Sharks Franklin's Gardens
Jury still out on whether Saints are starting to discover last seasons league form. Win over leaders Sarries will fill them with confidence, but with key players missing they will need to play at least as well this week. Diamond is getting exasperated by Cipriani's kicking woes - but to win this game they need the spark he provides.

14:00 Worcester Warriors  v   Gloucester Rugby Sixways
The tractor boy derby. Both sides won last week. Both sides inconsistent. Only Mystic Meg can call this.

15:00 Exeter Chiefs  v   Newcastle Falcons Sandy Park
Falcons looked tired and underpowered against Worcester. Unless they improve significantly they could be blown away.

20:00 London Irish  v   Saracens Red Bull Arena BT Sport
Both sides short of form, and neither needs this journey to New York. Whichever team has been able to prepare the best shoudl win.

Bath showing some heart

Quins knackered or or showed a bit too much confidence in thinking the game was already won?

Key turnover

nathan wrote:Quins knackered or or showed a bit too much confidence in thinking the game was already won?

1 try inevitable after the yellow where it was, second was because 2 Quins players down injured, 3rd one was sloppy

refs listening to Barnsie too much

End score Quins 35 - 28 Bath

Give the ref bashing a rest will you, saints aren't even playing and yet you are still moaning!

Ref favoured Bath for the last 15, some silly decisions

Not ref bashing, giving what I consider an unbiased view. Thought he was poor.

nathan wrote:Bath are a bit crap really

tell me about it!

The ref played well, think the last card was a bit harsh but allowed the game to flow

Bathite wrote:

nathan wrote:Bath are a bit crap really

tell me about it!

I think they are pretty close, they are good in attack when they straighten up a bit. Defence wise they are not the best.

Homer looked like he was finally fulfilling his potential. Devoto showed why Bath do not pick him at 10 or 12. Banahan looked like a quality 13, good hands and defence.

Ward looks a 7 in a 2 shirt, pity he isn't a good scrummager. Wallace a quality 7. Easter still the best 8 in the country if you give him 50 minutes. Impressed by Chisolm and Walker.

Nathan, where is the moan? I didn't agree with the card, neither did others. I thought the ref favoured Bath in the last quarter. What is your problem I am not pushing a Saints viewpoint.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Ref favoured Bath for the last 15, some silly decisions

Ref gave a real homer performance in my opinion. All game Quins were getting away with things that Bath were pinged for.

nathan wrote:The ref played well, think the last card was a bit harsh but allowed the game to flow

It was the fourth time at least that horwill had put himself on the wrong side and slowed the ball down. He shouyld have been carded in first half on the Quins line for the same offence.

Bath have periods in games this season where they look very ponderous. They miss Hooper who constantly rallies the team. Thought the Quins fullback was offside when he tackled the Bath no.8 to deny Bath a try as he was apparently just short of the line. Fine margins.

I still can't believe we nearly contrived to lose that at yhe end. Good heart from Bath though

doctor_grey wrote:If any of you watch the LI-Saracens match, please keep an eye out for my club, Morris Rugby.  Our usual colours are either red, black or red and black, depending on which piece of kit a person chooses to wear.  

Rumour has it BT Sport might be doing a short piece on local clubs in the NY-NJ area.  Not 100% sure.  So please keep an eye out for good old Morris Rugby! I won't see it because I will be at the match.

Sadly events at the Ricoh going as expected. Still disappointing to see Tigers getting forced back phase after phase with ball in hand. 2 seasons with very limited use of Manu so you'd think there'd be a more effective plan B without him. Gopperth teaching Burns a lesson on kicking at some points, I'd be tempted to bring Williams on now.

Saints losing 7 - 11 at the moment, try each and 2 penalties for Sale

So far so good!!

Don't let Exeter blast us next half.

Would love Sale and Saints to draw, please

Get in....COme on you Falcons!!!!!!

17 - 17

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Saints losing 7 - 11 at the moment, try each and 2 penalties for Sale

I predict Saints will win 26-11, scoring 4 tries.

Ah dammit. Try Exeter, that's probably it now.

doctor_grey wrote:

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Saints losing 7 - 11 at the moment, try each and 2 penalties for Sale

I predict Saints will win 26-11, scoring 4 tries.  

Got to look at the timing of that one Doc

Disappointing looking crowd for Li v S.

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:Saints losing 7 - 11 at the moment, try each and 2 penalties for Sale

I predict Saints will win 26-11, scoring 4 tries.  

Got to look at the timing of that one Doc

What? Was I slightly late with that? Perish the thought............

Sadly, I look at the LI-Sarries match today as a failure.  It was a decent Premiership match, but the crowd was poor and the point was to grow Rugby.  At the game I met the people who sponsored the match.  I was surprised how incredibly naive and poorly advised they were:
* Initial ticket pricing was very high - Rugby will not be a viable alternative if charging NY prices
* Almost no advertising, neither with the expensive New York outlets nor the less expensive New Jersey radio or newspapers.
* Virtually no relationship with New York area sports radio stations (ESPN New York was giving out t-shirts which didn't mention the Rugby)
* Almost no integration with the local clubs or community groups, although we provided some support to LI.
* They targeted the minimal adverts towards the Irish diaspora - failing to understand the Irish-Americans support Ireland Rugby and by extension the Pro12, not the Premiership.  London Irish has more resonance with the English Rugby crowd.
* A lot of towns have their St. Patrick's day parades today, and many people, especially with kids, were already committed - this was the wrong weekend for an American match
* No connection with the NY pro sports clubs, despite LI training at the NY Jets facility.  
(Two members of the NY Giants asked about the match this morning - so I bought tickets for them and met them at the game - they really loved it and would have wanted to watch training and now may come over with me when I visit dad next month back in UK - could you imagine the impact of having a couple of high profile Giants doing the adverts?)

Consequently the crowd was limited to mostly Rugby folk, and could - no should - have been much larger.  An opportunity wasted.  

Frankly, we had the wrong teams.  Wasps and Leicester would have been great.  Wasps and almost anyone would have been fun.  Wasps and Quins, perhaps?   Not the limited last placed team and the territorial focused Saracens.  

By the way, I thought Alex Goode was excellent today.

It was disappointing just how sparse the crowd was Doc.

Yep a marketing failure.

So it's a pretty sure thing that London Irish are getting relegated?

Yep

Bath shopping list is getting bigger.

Reckon Irish could lose
Franks
Cowan
Maitland
Williams (Could see him going to a welsh club)
Symons
Lewington
At least potentially.

Bath will be very happy with that, those players will fit in well at their new club and will get to enjoy the heady heights of 9th in the league

Williams is a Reading boy born and bred so I wouldn't be surprised if he chose to stay at his home town club a bit longer. His dad is from North Wales so it's unlikely he'd be supporting a particular Welsh region which might have swayed his son's decision. He's played age grade for England previously and would have played under 20s if not for his LI first team commitments.

Symons and Franks would very much be on the Bath radar. Cowan will have offers as will Lewington. Be a shame to see LI asset stripped if they go down. Hope they can keep a few and try to come back up.

Welly wrote: Yep

Bath shopping list is getting bigger.

Reckon Irish could lose
Franks
Cowan
Maitland
Williams (Could see him going to a welsh club)
Symons
Lewington
At least potentially.

Williams will stay, and I reckon Franks will stay too. Symons possibly, the rest I suspect will be off.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Williams is a Reading boy born and bred so I wouldn't be surprised if he chose to stay at his home town club a bit longer. His dad is from North Wales so it's unlikely he'd be supporting a particular Welsh region which might have swayed his son's decision. He's played age grade for England previously and would have played under 20s if not for his LI first team commitments.

Symons and Franks would very much be on the Bath radar. Cowan will have offers as will Lewington. Be a shame to see LI asset stripped if they go down. Hope they can keep a few and try to come back up.

He played age grade first though for Wales at under 16. It wouldn't surprise me with the lower budgets and the NWQ restrictions placed upon the regions if the blues went for him as they are struggling with centres and any player with a hint of being qualified for Wales will be hunted down.

I have no doubt the Welsh regions will be interested Raven. Quite frankly they should be, at 19 he looks a very capable inside centre. Would be an astute acquisition for a Welsh region as he is both qualified and likely to keep improving. His dad is from North Wales though so it's not like they'll be an affiliation with a Welsh province like there would be if the family was from say Cardiff.

As he's from Reading and he is only 19 I can see him looking to stay in the first team even if they go down as long as they're only down a season. I wouldn't be surprised to see England try and cap him this summer with the Saxons.

Also worth noting he had one cap (I think that's what I read) for Wales under 16s before playing for England under 16s and 18s. Doesn't sound focused on playing for Wales.

I'd love Lewington back at Tigers if LI lose him.

He's turned into a fantastic Prem winger who could get even better.

With Thompstone, Betham, Veainu, JPP and Brady already signed up for next year it would probably be overkill even if Benjamin leaves as well as Camacho and Niki. That said I'd still take him in a heartbeat, it would mean Brady likely struggling for game time though.

Lewington played 15 in our academy. Would like to see him work on his kicking game and provide an option there as well
I too would take him back, I was annoyed when we put him in the position where he had to leave. If I was him I wouldn't come back.

He played 15 for us occasionally. Mainly in his first season.

He's a much better winger though and would be wasted anywhere else imo. He would be the one that I'd be most disappointed to lose if we went down (albeit he'd be the one of the most likely).