PRC - Round 1

[Banquo]

magic wand. Cambridge finishing school

[FKAS]

magic wand. Cambridge finishing school

Created by Threlfall on at 10. I like Shillcock but there's a definite difference between a good all round footballer like him and a natural flyhalf. That little bit of extra vision and instinct close to the line.

As expected the more experienced Saints side made less mistakes and finished clinically.

[Banquo]

magic wand. Cambridge finishing school

Created by Threlfall on at 10. I like Shillcock but there's a definite difference between a good all round footballer like him and a natural flyhalf. That little bit of extra vision and instinct close to the line.

As expected the more experienced Saints side made less mistakes and finished clinically.

wand had a lot to do. Saints have some good lads coming through- Baker played for us two weeks ago, alongside Vanes

[Banquo]

Crazy to think Griffin might start for Wales when he’s seemingly 4th choice at Bath behind du Toit, Stuart and Sela.

Anyway, not our problem.

In other news, Quins team vs. Scottish:

1. Wyn Jones (2)
2. Sam Riley (54)
3. Will Hobson (11)
4. George Hammond (66)
5. Jonny Green (4)
6. Archie White (69)
7. Tom Lawday (C) (82)
8. Lucas Schmid (*)
9. Lucas Friday (*)
10. Jamie Benson (8)
11. Hayden Hyde (10)
12. Bryn Bradley (10)
13. Will Joseph (14)
14. Roma Zheng (2)
15. Cameron Anderson (8)

16. Jimmy Staples (*)
17. Tom Osborne (7)
18. Simon Kerrod (106)
19. Harry Browne (2)
20. Zach Carr (5)
21. Lewis Gjaltema (33)
22. Connor Slevin (8)
23. Sean Kerr (1)

Good to see Friday and Schmid getting their first starts. Staples from the bench is highly rated too.

I’m also interested to see if a few good cup starts pushes Hobson in to the first team mix.

nice to see Benson start, Hobson too. Good lads.

[Puja]

There's some damned good young players at Northampton right now and they got to show off. Fair play to them - they took us apart and looked good doing it.

The Leicester side were mostly poor - Hatherall, Rogerson were no great shakes, Kata was no better than fine, Joussain does not look like he can make the step up (the slowness with which he got off the ground and back into the line was shocking), the rated Hoyt and Ilione once again failed to live up to reputation, and I was highly amused at Austin Healey appearing to genuinely hype up Whiteley as a potential future England player at the start of a game where he played like a drain.

Wand was good, Kinder showed a lot of heart, great to see LChessum back, Threlfall's cameo was nice, but other than that, not sure there was too much to cheer there.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Very disappointed with Ilione. He doesnt seem to have moved on at all. Thought Wand was good. He's got something about him.
Saints all round too good.

In other games, Exeter predictably blew Pirates away and Doncaster ran Sale close.

[FKAS]

Wand was good, Kinder showed a lot of heart, great to see LChessum back, Threlfall's cameo was nice, but other than that, not sure there was too much to cheer there.

Puja

Kinder made errors for two of the tries in the first half. He looked a bit out of his depth but rallied to make a couple of good tackles in the second. Pearson and Satala both looked more up to this level. Satala popping up all over the place in attack and composed under the high ball. Pearson just looked assured at 15. The back three are all 19 so three years younger than Hendy Saints youngest back three player. Saints went with a young half back pairing and then a relatively experienced backline Tigers somewhat the reverse.

I was disappointed we took Ilione off, he offered a lot more than Rogerson even if he did fade a bit as the game wore on. He and Williams would have given us work rate instead as Saints opened up the game Rogerson and Hatherall just lumbered around the middle.

Wand does look a great bit of business, as Banquo rightly says that try took some finishing. He's powerful and quick, just need to give him a metre or a soft shoulder and he's away.

[Oakboy]

I thought Saints' 8,9,10 unit was special, a proper combination of skill and effort (apparently unfettered by pre-start instructions? - allowed to play their own games, anyway).

[Banquo]

I thought Saints' 8,9,10 unit was special, a proper combination of skill and effort (apparently unfettered by pre-start instructions? - allowed to play their own games, anyway).

I think they played exactly the way they were selected and asked to play, in line with how the 'senior' side aspires to; unfortunately at the moment, the Saints pack isn't delivering in the Prem to enable this.

[FKAS]

I thought Saints' 8,9,10 unit was special, a proper combination of skill and effort (apparently unfettered by pre-start instructions? - allowed to play their own games, anyway).

I think they played exactly the way they were selected and asked to play, in line with how the 'senior' side aspires to; unfortunately at the moment, the Saints pack isn't delivering in the Prem to enable this.

Saints don't have the advantage of playing packs that are lighter on experience than their own most weeks. Injuries to the first team forwards hasn't helped either, particularly at lock and 8. The emergence of Pollock and Munga finally showing signs of fulfilling his potential are certainly helping though.

[Oakboy]

I thought Saints' 8,9,10 unit was special, a proper combination of skill and effort (apparently unfettered by pre-start instructions? - allowed to play their own games, anyway).

I think they played exactly the way they were selected and asked to play, in line with how the 'senior' side aspires to; unfortunately at the moment, the Saints pack isn't delivering in the Prem to enable this.

Ah, you are probably right but even that is refreshing to my eyes - in terms of ambition. They demonstrated freedom to try things; to risk a pass on the edge, to step in a risky position, to run through half a gap etc. Add on the obvious graft and associated team-support ethic and you have pleasurable watching. Simply that!

[FKAS]

I thought Saints' 8,9,10 unit was special, a proper combination of skill and effort (apparently unfettered by pre-start instructions? - allowed to play their own games, anyway).

I think they played exactly the way they were selected and asked to play, in line with how the 'senior' side aspires to; unfortunately at the moment, the Saints pack isn't delivering in the Prem to enable this.

Ah, you are probably right but even that is refreshing to my eyes - in terms of ambition. They demonstrated freedom to try things; to risk a pass on the edge, to step in a risky position, to run through half a gap etc. Add on the obvious graft and associated team-support ethic and you have pleasurable watching. Simply that!

I can't remember who it was from Saints who said it, might have been Lawes, but a lot of the things that look off the cuff etc are nothing like it. Saints plays in their system and do so rigidly. The difference is that Vesty has put together such a brilliant attacking structure that just provides so many options to the players in possession it often looks Baabaas esque. Saints wisely keep giving Vesty early contract extensions. His tenure as attack and then head coach has been a masterstroke of bit of business.

[Mellsblue]

I thought Saints' 8,9,10 unit was special, a proper combination of skill and effort (apparently unfettered by pre-start instructions? - allowed to play their own games, anyway).

I think they played exactly the way they were selected and asked to play, in line with how the 'senior' side aspires to; unfortunately at the moment, the Saints pack isn't delivering in the Prem to enable this.

Ah, you are probably right but even that is refreshing to my eyes - in terms of ambition. They demonstrated freedom to try things; to risk a pass on the edge, to step in a risky position, to run through half a gap etc. Add on the obvious graft and associated team-support ethic and you have pleasurable watching. Simply that!

Keep playing like that as a club and they’ll win the Prem.

[Banquo]

I thought Saints' 8,9,10 unit was special, a proper combination of skill and effort (apparently unfettered by pre-start instructions? - allowed to play their own games, anyway).

I think they played exactly the way they were selected and asked to play, in line with how the 'senior' side aspires to; unfortunately at the moment, the Saints pack isn't delivering in the Prem to enable this.

Saints don't have the advantage of playing packs that are lighter on experience than their own most weeks. Injuries to the first team forwards hasn't helped either, particularly at lock and 8. The emergence of Pollock and Munga finally showing signs of fulfilling his potential are certainly helping though.

yes, they were always going to miss Lawes, Ludlam, Moon, even Wallers, plus Ribbans from the season before.

[Banquo]

I thought Saints' 8,9,10 unit was special, a proper combination of skill and effort (apparently unfettered by pre-start instructions? - allowed to play their own games, anyway).

I think they played exactly the way they were selected and asked to play, in line with how the 'senior' side aspires to; unfortunately at the moment, the Saints pack isn't delivering in the Prem to enable this.

Ah, you are probably right but even that is refreshing to my eyes - in terms of ambition. They demonstrated freedom to try things; to risk a pass on the edge, to step in a risky position, to run through half a gap etc. Add on the obvious graft and associated team-support ethic and you have pleasurable watching. Simply that!

They have a framework to play in like every other side- the freedom comes from a lot of other things working correctly. They have a defined 'way' in attack, and that's clearly being cascaded down.

[Epaminondas Pules]

For Tigers I liked van der Flier and Williams off the bench; Threlfall too when he came on. Kinder and Pearson did well considering. Beyond that and bits of Satala it was pretty poor. Most stinging for me was what a blunt instrument we were versus whoever had the ball for Saints!

[Epaminondas Pules]

In other news Tuipolotu has a first half hattrick in debut for Bath.

[Banquo]

In other news Tuipolotu has a first half hattrick in debut for Bath.

They were playing Ampthill 2’s, their 1st team was losing to Ealing.

[Which Tyler]

Why were they and Ealing playing two matches on one day?
A week after playing each other anyway?

[Banquo]

Why were they and Ealing playing two matches on one day?
A week after playing each other anyway?

Sorry, it’s a joke. Ealing beat Sarries, but Sarries had a lot of the players they loan to Ampthill playing.

[Which Tyler]

Ah, okay.
Would have needed much more knowledge of Ampthill than I have, to spot that

[Banquo]

Ah, okay.
Would have needed it Ch more knowledge of Ampthill than I have, to spot that

True.