Saracens v Quins

[Epaminondas Pules]

Farrell doesn’t half live rent free in a lot of people’s heads!

[Banquo]

farrell has always been a very good club 10

Fair enough. I think most would agree, and the bar is not all that high. He has certainly done the job asked of him at Saracens, a successful, hard-nosed and pragmatic club that has started to play with some style only in the past couple of seasons, compared with their earlier grind-it-out approach. But that's a long way from getting unwarranted rave reviews from the adulating media for pretty ordinary, and often poor, performances at the international level for over a decade.

agreed. At best, an average intl 10, and a handbrake at 12, despite the roaring success of the midfield when Ford was inside and JJ outside and a decent pack (funny that)

[Banquo]

Farrell doesn’t half live rent free in a lot of people’s heads!

not surprising he occupies thoughts though really, given his ubiquity in the team. His biggest influence has been his ability to imprint his values and style, for better and/or worse.

[Oakboy]

Farrell's performance was close to irrelevant, so thorough was the Saracens' forward dominance. Had Goode been at 10 the outcome would have been the same.

Where do such contrasting performances come from? Was Quins' preparation vastly inferior? Saracens were so hyped up right from the KO. This was not a top v bottom, one-sided clash on paper. Yet, the dominance of one set of XV over the other was total.

[p/d]

How good? He missed 6 tackles for heaven's sake.

Good as in better than average. I’m no fan of his and have a pop at poor play when the opportunity arises. But he is the ‘general’ of a side that blasted Quins off the park, so credit has to be given at some point.
He is no Carter but a better 10 than Billy V is a 9, though one pass looked uncannily similar

Anyhoo, as I said Dan was class

[FKAS]

Yesterday displayed the perfect game for Farrell to flourish. His pack were on top and he was able to dictate the game from an armchair ride. He lacks the skillset to make a difference at international level but at club level he's more than capable of pulling the strings given the chance whilst making few mistakes.

Somewhat bemused by how Quins just didn't turn up. On paper there wasn't much between the teams.

[Puja]

61,214 attendance from a 62,850 capacity. Very impressive off-pitch work by Saracens.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Marketing team are probs scared of getting told off by Farrell.

[twitchy]

That was a really bad time for quins not to show in front of many so potential fans. It was a great spectacle though. A little glimpse of what could be if the sport actually took off.

[p/d]

Never good to hear the ref ask a captain to tell his team to stop screaming at him.
Though Marler counting for him made me smile

[Oakboy]

It hardly gets mentioned that Saracens were without their best player, Itoje.

[Oakboy]

Never good to hear the ref ask a captain to tell his team to stop screaming at him.
Though Marler counting for him made me smile

I have never seen a SH penalised for exceeding 5 seconds. Has anybody?

[Margin_Walker]

Never good to hear the ref ask a captain to tell his team to stop screaming at him.
Though Marler counting for him made me smile

I have never seen a SH penalised for exceeding 5 seconds. Has anybody?

Yep, can't remember the game though.

It's exceptionally rare though. Clearly actually enforcing it is a likely next directive. You'd clear up the really silly caterpillars overnight. Especially those that continue to be set up with a couple more players after the ref has already called use it.

[Which Tyler]

I have never seen a SH penalised for exceeding 5 seconds. Has anybody?

Yes, a few times. I can't give examples because my brain doesn't work that way. Probably about once every couple of years across all rugby that I watch.

Anyway, WTAF?

Can't look at a (2nd) yellow card offence, because Healey mentioned it in commentary?

[FKAS]

Never good to hear the ref ask a captain to tell his team to stop screaming at him.
Though Marler counting for him made me smile

I have never seen a SH penalised for exceeding 5 seconds. Has anybody?

Yep, can't remember the game though.

It's exceptionally rare though. Clearly actually enforcing it is a likely next directive. You'd clear up the really silly caterpillars overnight. Especially those that continue to be set up with a couple more players after the ref has already called use it.

Happened a few times after the directive came out. Then in the first game of one season a ref decided to ping one and give free kicks for not forming the lineouts quickly. Commentators loved it and it sped the game up. Was a one and done though. Few years back now.

[16th man]

I have never seen a SH penalised for exceeding 5 seconds. Has anybody?

Yes, a few times. I can't give examples because my brain doesn't work that way. Probably about once every couple of years across all rugby that I watch.

Anyway, WTAF?

Can't look at a (2nd) yellow card offence, because Healey mentioned it in commentary?

Classic example of the officials making an already hard job even more difficult for themselves.

[FKAS]

TMO is going to have a very awkward review next week. I don't think fans really care where things are picked up just as long as it's a) consistent and b) correct. The incident in question is a cheap shot after the ball is gone, it's a min penalty and possible yellow card. TMO just needs to do his job.

[Mikey Brown]

Well I’m not too upset I missed this one. Sounds horrific. I’ve no idea how much our preparation after several weeks off, or returning England players fatigue etc may have played in to that, but Sarries have all the same excuses.

Still being a side that will occasionally roll over and get pummelled like that is concerning. I have no idea what is going on with our defence with Flannery leaving, or whether that it where Saracens got on top?

I’d really started to like Earl and I’m not sure if I should watch this game or not to be honest.

What did Tizard actually do?

[R3dders]

Never good to hear the ref ask a captain to tell his team to stop screaming at him.
Though Marler counting for him made me smile

Meh. He sounded a bit wet 'they just keep shouting at me'. Next maul sarries players are screaming 'how is that legal!!' and nothing is said

[p/d]

What did Tizard actually do?

He was being a bit wet and Farrell told him to man up.

[TheDasher]

I didn't watch the game (just highlights) but are some people just bashing Farrell because they dislike him? Everyone seems to love the idea of Roy Keane shouting at his own players, telling them to buck up their ideas, or a Martin Johnson or a Julian White being tough on youngsters coming through at Leicester etc but when Farrell does it he's a shite. I'm glad he's not starting for England anymore and have been as frustrated as many with him (not as much as some on here), but I don't think it's his fault that he's constantly praised by the media when he doesn't deserve it I also think he does cop some flak when he doesn't deserve it too. Any whilst someone said they'd like Tizard to give him a whack, to be fair to Farrell, I doubt he's a bully - I suspect he'd be up for a scrap with someone twice his size, lose or not, for all the things said about him, I suspect he's a fairly brave chap to be fair...

[Puja]

I didn't watch the game (just highlights) but are some people just bashing Farrell because they dislike him?

Yes.

However, anyone who shouts abuse at a teammate after they've made a mistake is a grade A dick. People will screw up - that's life - but almost no-one improves from being told that a genuine mistake is "fucking stupid" mid-match. That's not motivation or "being tough" - that's just making yourself feel better and somebody else feel worse.

Puja

[Banquo]

I didn't watch the game (just highlights) but are some people just bashing Farrell because they dislike him?

Yes.

However, anyone who shouts abuse at a teammate after they've made a mistake is a grade A dick. People will screw up - that's life - but almost no-one improves from being told that a genuine mistake is "fucking stupid" mid-match. That's not motivation or "being tough" - that's just making yourself feel better and somebody else feel worse.

Puja

I both dislike him as an invidual- but based on seeing him as a young lad when he was absolutely foul on the pitch, so unfair- but don't think he's a top class international as said many times; I respect his achievements, and his commitments and his achievements as a club player. Just think he's pretty over rated by pundits; however the chances of me being wrong are high, as every coach, and almost every player he has come into contact with have pretty much nothing but praise; I get that with coaches really, because he is the kind of work hard, do what you are told with the game plan, communicate what we want to players kind of guy.

[TheDasher]

I didn't watch the game (just highlights) but are some people just bashing Farrell because they dislike him?

Yes.

However, anyone who shouts abuse at a teammate after they've made a mistake is a grade A dick. People will screw up - that's life - but almost no-one improves from being told that a genuine mistake is "fucking stupid" mid-match. That's not motivation or "being tough" - that's just making yourself feel better and somebody else feel worse.

Puja

I know where you're coming from Puja, I wouldn't do it and you're championing being a decent person essentially, but in top level sport I think it happens and it's not the end of the world. I suspect Farrell isn't the first or last to do it this season but just the highest profile.

[Oakboy]

I didn't watch the game (just highlights) but are some people just bashing Farrell because they dislike him?

Yes.

However, anyone who shouts abuse at a teammate after they've made a mistake is a grade A dick. People will screw up - that's life - but almost no-one improves from being told that a genuine mistake is "fucking stupid" mid-match. That's not motivation or "being tough" - that's just making yourself feel better and somebody else feel worse.

Puja

I both dislike him as an invidual- but based on seeing him as a young lad when he was absolutely foul on the pitch, so unfair- but don't think he's a top class international as said many times; I respect his achievements, and his commitments and his achievements as a club player. Just think he's pretty over rated by pundits; however the chances of me being wrong are high, as every coach, and almost every player he has come into contact with have pretty much nothing but praise; I get that with coaches really, because he is the kind of work hard, do what you are told with the game plan, communicate what we want to players kind of guy.

I don't think Farrell improved much, if at all, from 26 - 30. That may or may not be coincidental with England stagnating over that period.