The Official English Rugby Thread

[SaintK]

To be honest, part of that is probably Bath's propensity to let England internationals leave so there's always the next one in - off top of head I can think of Ford, Attwood, Devoto, Eastmond, Burns, Banahan (granted, his was for a retirement gig at Gloucester), although not sure all are on Jones' watch (Barkley, Catt, and Tindall were a long time before). I mention as most of these were still internationals at or around time of departure. Seems to happen at Bath more than other places, although maybe I'm just more attuned to it.


Team for tonight:
Leicester: Burns; Porter, Scott, Kelly, Nadolo; Ford (capt), van Poortvliet; van Wyk, Dolly, Cole, Wells, Green, Chessum, Reffell, Brink.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Leatigaga, Heyes, Snyman, Wigglesworth, Hegarty, Murimurivalu.

Bath: Bailey; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Clark, Muir; Cipriani, Fox; Schoeman, Dunn, Rae, McNally (capt), Richards, Ellis, de Carpentier, Reid.

Replacements: Du Toit, Cordwell, Verden, Merigan, Cowan, Green, Ojomoh, McConnochie.

Thankfully I'm going out for beer with my brother so won't be watching Freddie Burns' inevitable hat trick. Orlando Bailey at fullback is a new one on me, and Mike Williams made sure to avoid the ignominy of losing to his old club by sconing a wasp and getting a 4 week ban. Tactics.

That'll be brother of Luke presumably?

I've definitely seen Bailey at fullback for the U20s, dunno if he's played a Prem game there yet.

Yep, been on loan from Pirates for a few weeks

[Dragster]

The bath lineout is horrendous.

[Paddington Bear]

Healy commentating on Leicester is so so dull

[Kawazaki]

The bath lineout is horrendous.

That Bath hooker has been capped by Jones.

[sockwithaticket]

Cips still looks like having no interest in taking contact. At his best he'd wear a shot i the ribs to put someone away.

[Kawazaki]

Cips still looks like having no interest in taking contact. At his best he'd wear a shot i the ribs to put someone away.

He's eligible for Vets rugby in 6 months.

[Tichtheid]

The ref is decisive at least

[Tichtheid]

Why do refs ask for “control”?

There is nothing in the laws about control, only “downward pressure” on the ball

[sockwithaticket]

Cips still looks like having no interest in taking contact. At his best he'd wear a shot i the ribs to put someone away.

He's eligible for Vets rugby in 6 months.

Going by his Bath showings so far he should probably take it up.

[Kawazaki]

Leicester do not look impressive playing a Bath team that the other top teams have manshamed. Not sure if that is a positive reflection on Bath or a negative one on Leicester. Probably a bit of both but I do think that Leicester's league position flatters them to be honest.

[Raggs]

Can you imagine playing against Cips in a touch game? He'd be unplayable.

[Dragster]

The bath lineout is horrendous.

That Bath hooker has been capped by Jones.

Think Eddie cut his hair as well. Looks like a
Shit extra from Mad Max.

[Tichtheid]

Can you imagine playing against Cips in a touch game? He'd be unplayable.

Depends on how you choose to “touch” him, a “hard shoulder and drive the bastard into the dirt” can still be a touch

[SaintK]

The bath lineout is horrendous.

That Bath hooker has been capped by Jones.

Think Eddie cut his hair as well. Looks like a
Shit extra from Mad Max.

Growing it like that to raise money for the Doddie Weir charity
But you’re right

[Tichtheid]

With Scottish goggles on, D’Arcy Rae has looked better for Bath in the scrum than he did for Glasgow

[Tichtheid]

I think Farrell is a terrific player, and Smith is the (very near) future, but I don’t get why Ford is not in the England squad

Coz Eddie I suppose

[sockwithaticket]

Fair fucks to Bath, they are dogging it out.

[Ymx]

Why do refs ask for “control”?

There is nothing in the laws about control, only “downward pressure” on the ball

There are 2 cases.

The player already holding the ball, needs to touch the ground remaining in possession.

A player not holding the ball can get a try by pressing down on the ball.

I’m guessing they are talking about the first case to see if it’s been knocked on or not. Ie ball out of possession before it hits the ground.

I could be wrong as i did not see it.

[Ymx]

1. The ball can be grounded in in-goal:

By holding it and touching the ground with it; or

By pressing down on it with a hand or hands, arm or arms, or the front of the player’s body from waist to neck.

[Tichtheid]

Why do refs ask for “control”?

There is nothing in the laws about control, only “downward pressure” on the ball

There are 2 cases.

The player already holding the ball, needs to touch the ground remaining in possession.

A player not holding the ball can get a try by pressing down on the ball.

I’m guessing they are talking about the first case to see if it’s been knocked on or not. Ie ball out of possession before it hits the ground.

I could be wrong as i did not see it.

Yeah, they’ve taken the “downward pressure” out of the wording now that I look it up.

The new wording means you can be touching the side of the ball and be “remaining in possession” as it hits the turf

[sockwithaticket]

Bath need to get themselves upfield, they deserve a LBP out of this.

[Kawazaki]

Why do refs ask for “control”?

There is nothing in the laws about control, only “downward pressure” on the ball

There are 2 cases.

The player already holding the ball, needs to touch the ground remaining in possession.

A player not holding the ball can get a try by pressing down on the ball.

I’m guessing they are talking about the first case to see if it’s been knocked on or not. Ie ball out of possession before it hits the ground.

I could be wrong as i did not see it.

Yep. If you carry the ball over the tryline then you have to touch it down whilst still in control of the ball. If you don't carry the ball over then just a part of your body from the waist up (apart from the head) can score a try by touching the ball while it's in contact with the in-goal area ground.

I think that's correct?

[sockwithaticket]

Cipriani had to dive on that ball, not allow it to bobble off his foot. His heart's really not in playing at the moment.

[Tichtheid]

Howler from Cowan-Dickie there

[Ymx]

Why do refs ask for “control”?

There is nothing in the laws about control, only “downward pressure” on the ball

There are 2 cases.

The player already holding the ball, needs to touch the ground remaining in possession.

A player not holding the ball can get a try by pressing down on the ball.

I’m guessing they are talking about the first case to see if it’s been knocked on or not. Ie ball out of possession before it hits the ground.

I could be wrong as i did not see it.

Yeah, they’ve taken the “downward pressure” out of the wording now that I look it up.

The new wording means you can be touching the side of the ball and be “remaining in possession” as it hits the turf

If you’re not in possession you still need to “press down.”

But in possession, yes just needs to touch the ground with you still touching the ball.

[Tichtheid]

Good game, I enjoyed that

I envy the crowds Leicester get, their support is terrific

[Enzedder]

That was a good watch. Well done Leicester

[sockwithaticket]

Healy's Tigers hat is firmly on during that Bath rant. He's loving the opportunity to lay into them.

[Tichtheid]

Healy's Tigers hat is firmly on during that Bath rant. He's loving the opportunity to lay into them.

He’s occasionally funny, sometimes insightful but he never hides his allegiance, or can’t hide it.

[sockwithaticket]

Healy's Tigers hat is firmly on during that Bath rant. He's loving the opportunity to lay into them.

He’s occasionally funny, sometimes insightful but he never hides his allegiance, or can’t hide it.

My money's on can't.

Sometimes he can pass off his partisanship humourously.

[Paddington Bear]

Yep, can’t is the right word

[geordie_6]

Farrell replaced by Furbank, Atkinson to the bench, Lawes to captain.

[Lobby]

Farrell replaced by Furbank, Atkinson to the bench, Lawes to captain.

Suggests that Smith isn’t fully fit, in which case he shouldn’t really be on the bench either.

[Oxbow]

Furbank hasn't pulled up any trees at 10 for Saints, and great honour though it is, Lawes isn't really a captain, physically huge but vocally fairly quiet on the pitch. Still, it's only Tonga, so good luck to them both. Presumably Farrell will also be missing next week, which posses different problems.

[JM2K6]

Quite funny that two of the big "statement" decisions by Eddie - dropping Ford, clearly one of the best 2 flyhalves in the country, and dropping George, clearly one of the best 2 hookers in the country - have both come back to make him look like a fucking idiot in record time

[Slick]

Quite funny that two of the big "statement" decisions by Eddie - dropping Ford, clearly one of the best 2 flyhalves in the country, and dropping George, clearly one of the best 2 hookers in the country - have both come back to make him look like a fucking idiot in record time

How on Earth have a team like England managed to get in a situation where they are picking a guy at 10 who has played in that position 4 times and never at this level. It’s absolutely staggering

[Oxbow]

Quite funny that two of the big "statement" decisions by Eddie - dropping Ford, clearly one of the best 2 flyhalves in the country, and dropping George, clearly one of the best 2 hookers in the country - have both come back to make him look like a fucking idiot in record time

How on Earth have a team like England managed to get in a situation where they are picking a guy at 10 who has played in that position 4 times and never at this level. It’s absolutely staggering

Eddie Jones.

[Slick]

Quite funny that two of the big "statement" decisions by Eddie - dropping Ford, clearly one of the best 2 flyhalves in the country, and dropping George, clearly one of the best 2 hookers in the country - have both come back to make him look like a fucking idiot in record time

How on Earth have a team like England managed to get in a situation where they are picking a guy at 10 who has played in that position 4 times and never at this level. It’s absolutely staggering

Eddie Jones.

It just feels such a basic failure in planning that should never be happening to England

[Hal Jordan]

Lawes in as captain? Jesus wept.

[Oxbow]

How on Earth have a team like England managed to get in a situation where they are picking a guy at 10 who has played in that position 4 times and never at this level. It’s absolutely staggering

Eddie Jones.

It just feels such a basic failure in planning that should never be happening to England

He appears to have a massive hard on for Furbank at 10 despite absolutely nobody else feeling the same. And Eddie is stubborn.