NPR

Paddington Bear wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 8:48 pm Delighted for Newcastle, must admit I didn’t see it coming

Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 8:26 pm

FalconJock wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 8:21 pm

Margin__Walker wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 8:17 pm Newcastle in serious danger of winning a game here...

Don't invoke the ire of the mocker Gods

Apologies!

I will though. It's in the bag.

edit - sort of

Paddington Bear wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 8:48 pm Delighted for Newcastle, must admit I didn’t see it coming

SaintK wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 8:06 am

Paddington Bear wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 8:48 pm Delighted for Newcastle, must admit I didn’t see it coming

You have to ask what the hell's going on at Exeter.
They can't continue the "we're a team in transition" excuse for much longer.

Oxbow wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 7:17 pm Saints doing Saints stuff. Freeman looking good at 13, can't wait to see Slade there for England.

ASMO wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:30 pm Pretty dumb by Quins keeping the ball in the scrum in an attempt to get the penalty, get it in and out, at least they have posession and its all on Bath to stop them.. scrums were a bit 50/50 in that game.

ASMO wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:30 pm Pretty dumb by Quins keeping the ball in the scrum in an attempt to get the penalty, get it in and out, at least they have posession and its all on Bath to stop them.. scrums were a bit 50/50 in that game.

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 2:20 pm

ASMO wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:30 pm Pretty dumb by Quins keeping the ball in the scrum in an attempt to get the penalty, get it in and out, at least they have posession and its all on Bath to stop them.. scrums were a bit 50/50 in that game.

I don't think it was deliberately held in, we'd been struggling to get the ball out quickly all game. Thought the penalty was extremely harsh - Bath tighthead folds in and hits the deck - but with no replays it's hard to be certain and it's not like Bath hadn't been on top four most of the match. Sadly our tighthead options are poor right now.

Frustrating match to lose given Quins outplayed Bath for large parts of it, but them's the breaks, and if the scrum is a problem and you can't take high balls cleanly, that will lose you matches.

Nice to see Marcus win the head to head with Russell again, mind

ASMO wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 2:53 pm

JM2K6 wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 2:20 pm

ASMO wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:30 pm Pretty dumb by Quins keeping the ball in the scrum in an attempt to get the penalty, get it in and out, at least they have posession and its all on Bath to stop them.. scrums were a bit 50/50 in that game.

I don't think it was deliberately held in, we'd been struggling to get the ball out quickly all game. Thought the penalty was extremely harsh - Bath tighthead folds in and hits the deck - but with no replays it's hard to be certain and it's not like Bath hadn't been on top four most of the match. Sadly our tighthead options are poor right now.

Frustrating match to lose given Quins outplayed Bath for large parts of it, but them's the breaks, and if the scrum is a problem and you can't take high balls cleanly, that will lose you matches.

Nice to see Marcus win the head to head with Russell again, mind

It wasnt even close, comprehensively outplayed him,he is undoubtedly the premier 10 in Europe.

The Rugby Football Union has been warned it is facing an existential crisis and has been urged to make radical changes in schools rugby to avoid becoming a “declining ­minority sport” that could weaken Steve Borthwick’s England side amid a damaging decline in participation.

According to an independently chaired review commissioned by the RFU, “rugby is not winning” in the schools marketplace because of “changing attitudes and values ­coupled with greater risk aversion in the part of society”. The review, entitled Changing the Game: the Future of Schools Rugby in England, also highlights fears over head injuries and an image problem of a sport for “posh white boys” as reasons behind the decline in participation numbers.

In response the RFU has ­commit­ted to the rollout over the next four years of a non-contact form of the sport called T1 Rugby, while the review also recommends ­introducing a third “reduced contact” variant of the game alongside the traditional model to ease parents’ fears over injuries and break down perceived barriers to entry into the sport.

Rhubarb & Custard wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2024 9:46 am We should have been pushing touch rugby or far less contact rugby, and indeed handball, from quite some years back. But better to start now than continue to ignore the obvious

Oxbow wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2024 10:26 am Most of Saints' first choice backline missing tonight for the game at Bristol. Interesting that they've gone with Makepeace-Cubitt at 10, they obviously see something in him.

Oxbow wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2024 10:26 am Most of Saints' first choice backline missing tonight for the game at Bristol. Interesting that they've gone with Makepeace-Cubitt at 10, they obviously see something in him.

sockwithaticket wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2024 10:18 am I really can't get my head around the focus on rushing Slade back for the ABs. It often backfires with players who are worth taking the chance and I really don't believe he's in that category.

Oxbow wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2024 10:45 am Yup. Saints also missing Mitchell and Dingwall through injury, though both of those would probably have been called up as well.

JM2K6 wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2024 10:48 am

Oxbow wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2024 10:26 am Most of Saints' first choice backline missing tonight for the game at Bristol. Interesting that they've gone with Makepeace-Cubitt at 10, they obviously see something in him.

He sounds like a budget 3D printer

JM2K6 wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2024 10:49 am

sockwithaticket wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2024 10:18 am I really can't get my head around the focus on rushing Slade back for the ABs. It often backfires with players who are worth taking the chance and I really don't believe he's in that category.

Right, especially when you have options all of a sudden

ASMO wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:12 pm Quins put a game but overwhelmingly shit Exeter to the sword, wonder how long before Baxter falls on his. BT presenters wanking over Slade who was totally outplayed by the Quins midfield, yet somehow they think he should start for England next week....a joke really

ASMO wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:12 pm Quins put a game but overwhelmingly shit Exeter to the sword, wonder how long before Baxter falls on his. BT presenters wanking over Slade who was totally outplayed by the Quins midfield, yet somehow they think he should start for England next week....a joke really