LOL!!! Re Flawyt Towres, my absolute favourite episode is with David Kelly playing O'Reilly, the building contractor, who mistakenly blocks off the door to the dining room. Total paddywhackery, no question, but with an element of truth to it too!!!
Okay Folks, first game is about to start - predictions for Saints vs R92?
My prediction is that Finn Russell will do something so brilliant it will take our breath away and will do something so stupid it will take our breath away
Dave Cahill wrote: ↑December 10th, 2021, 7:33 pm
Okay Folks, first game is about to start - predictions for Saints vs R92?
My prediction is that Finn Russell will do something so brilliant it will take our breath away and will do something so stupid it will take our breath away
You forgot to mention that the good thing will be held up as evidence that the Lions would have won if he’d played more, and the bad thing will be ignored.
Saints getting their usual European Reaming.
Commentators keep mentioning that Racing have been playing poorly upto tonight, but have now found their mojo.
Nothing to do with the opposition and the league they play in?
#jokeofaleague
You know I'm going to lose,
And gambling's for fools,
But that's the way I like it baby, I don't want to live FOREVER!
Dave Cahill wrote: ↑December 10th, 2021, 7:33 pm
Okay Folks, first game is about to start - predictions for Saints vs R92?
My prediction is that Finn Russell will do something so brilliant it will take our breath away and will do something so stupid it will take our breath away
Matavesi stole his thunder
Ruddock's tackle stats consistently too low for me to be taken seriously as a Six Nations blindside..... Ruddock's defensive stats don't stack up. - All Blacks Nil, Jan 15th, 2014
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014 Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles
There Russell’s something brilliant. Shocking defense from Saints though.
Ruddock's tackle stats consistently too low for me to be taken seriously as a Six Nations blindside..... Ruddock's defensive stats don't stack up. - All Blacks Nil, Jan 15th, 2014
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014 Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles
Dave Cahill wrote: ↑December 10th, 2021, 7:33 pm
Okay Folks, first game is about to start - predictions for Saints vs R92?
My prediction is that Finn Russell will do something so brilliant it will take our breath away and will do something so stupid it will take our breath away
Saints have been quite poor in defense and then they get a turnover and make a balls of the clearance or lose the kick tennis. 50 burger on the cards here.
Ruddock's tackle stats consistently too low for me to be taken seriously as a Six Nations blindside..... Ruddock's defensive stats don't stack up. - All Blacks Nil, Jan 15th, 2014
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014 Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles
blockhead wrote: ↑December 10th, 2021, 8:50 pm
Saints getting their usual European Reaming.
Commentators keep mentioning that Racing have been playing poorly upto tonight, but have now found their mojo.
Nothing to do with the opposition and the league they play in?
#jokeofaleague
And they are having to adapt to a different referee....unlike Racing like.
Are racing really good or are Saints waving them true?
Ruddock's tackle stats consistently too low for me to be taken seriously as a Six Nations blindside..... Ruddock's defensive stats don't stack up. - All Blacks Nil, Jan 15th, 2014
England A 8 - 14 Ireland A, 25th Jan 2014 Ruddock(c) 19/2 Tackles
blockhead wrote: ↑December 10th, 2021, 8:50 pm
Saints getting their usual European Reaming.
Commentators keep mentioning that Racing have been playing poorly upto tonight, but have now found their mojo.
Nothing to do with the opposition and the league they play in?
#jokeofaleague
cormac wrote: ↑December 10th, 2021, 9:28 pm
Northampton are 3rd in the Prem. They are abysmal.
Wow, I was wondering where they stood. They're shocking.. in this game anyway.
And the only thing worse than the Saint's performance was the BT commentary / explanation!
All Season I have considered the Premiership a #jokeofaleague and it is. Their refereeing of the breakdown , which effectively prevents any turnovers certainly came back to haunt Saints who must have conceded about 15 clean 'steals' at the tackle. Chris Boyd was a decent Coach when he arrived from NZ. His team now looks unrecognisable and a number of Saints players appear to have only a passing knowledge of the Laws. Gloucester were little better against a poor Lyon team, admittedly in torrential rain.
2-0 for the Top 14. But on the basis of the standards seen tonight, I wouldn't be surprised at wins for Ulster & Connacht (alongside Leinster) come Sunday evening. Certainly very little to get excited about this evening except Russell's distribution and Fichou's carrying
No relegation, more games, the way the breakdown is reffed, lowering of the salary cap. None of those things will make the premiership more competitive.
I watched the first half and Northampton looked stunned and outclassed. The salary cap will be there for another 2 or 3 seasons.
To be fair I’m expecting a win for Exeter (definitely), Sale, Leicester and Harlequins(probably). Wasps-Munster a tough call. I always felt the pattern over the last few years was for prl teams to get thumped early and then perform a bit better. Will see.
Purely based on their respective performances and not the quality of opponents, my Irish Provinces team of the week would be:
15. Lowry
14. Wooton
13. Hume
12. McCluskey
11. Lowe
10. Carty
9. Cooney
1. Porter
2. Kelleher
3. Furlong
4. Treadwell
5. Beirne
6. O'Mahony
7. JVdF
8. Vermullion
A great start for all four teams and another weekend to look forward to when others can put their hands up and deepen the Irish Depth Chart further.
In the two European Competitions of the games actually played, the respective Leagues had:
* 5 URC victories - 4 Irish and 2nd placed Edinburgh
* 6 Top14 victories - Toulouse, La Rochelle, Racing 92, Biarritz, Lyon and Perpignon
* 5 Premiership victories - Leicester, Harlequins, Sale, Exeter, Newcastle & London Irish
The Irish are the most successful nation with four contenders in the Champions Cup three with a maximum of 5 points and Ulster with an away 4-point victory in France.
Exeter, Newcastle & London Irish each accumulated 5 points in their wins.
The leading French Clubs are Toulouse, Racing 92 and Biarritz in the Challenge Cup each with the maximum 5 points.
So, all in all, a very impressive weekend performance from the Irish and probably the most impressive ever in the history of these competitions
** Brive & Benetton have yet to play and Bristol were awarded a 5-point 28-0 victory over Scarlets.
Many, if not most, of the teams in the competition aren’t serious about it. Bath and Wasps had no interest. Saints we’re terrible (Racing we’re excellent in fairness). For all of the cr@p from the munster cheerleaders in the media, the reality is that Munster’s XV today had 464 International caps compared to 9 for Wasps…
The French teams rested a number of key players; Stade F seemed disinterested, Montpellier played the seconds, Bordeaux and Castres (who beat Racing and Toulouse last week) we’re beaten at home having made wholesale changes…
It’s worth a reality check, yes all of the Irish sides won but are they the only ones who actually care?
Last edited by Blue Man on December 12th, 2021, 10:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yeah the whole narrative around the Munster game was ridiculous. They are always going to win that game at a canter. The team Munster put out would have beaten Wasps at full strength, a lot of coverage failed to mention that Wasps were missing 18 players from their own squad.
Ulster’s win for me was the most impressive. I don’t think it’s a vintage Clermont team, but getting a win at the Marcel-Michelin is always a rare thing. They’re shaping up to seriously challenge on both fronts this season.
Blue Man wrote: ↑December 12th, 2021, 8:45 pm
Many, if not most, of the teams in the competition aren’t serious about it. Bath and Wasps had no interest.
Montpellier played the seconds, Bordeaux and Castres (who beat Racing and Castres last week) we’re beaten at home having made wholesale changes…
It’s worth a reality check, yes all of the Irish sides won but are they the only ones who actually care?
Did you see the comically inept, slapstick, keystone cops defending for Hogg's try? That is as bad as I have ever seen in professional rugby. Bit like a couple of ours last night where our players were waved through. I've sympathy for wasps with 18 out and then dive of the squad pull out at short notice. Cardiff were in a similar situation but Toulouse couldn't properly put them away.
I'm sure they won't do that next week but the format change has to have a fair bit to so with it. Throw any hard away game, won your home, and see how much effort it's worth after that.
