Gloucester vs Tigers

[FKAS]

Ross Byrne again in being absolutely shit shocker. What was he doing for that try?

Hathaway has to be taking control there. Coming forward on to the ball, can't hold back and let the man coming back attempt to take it on the bounce.

Unless you're talking about the Whiteley try and then that was awful defending, trying to be clever and ends up making it an easy read for Steward.

[FKAS]

Yeah, not sure I’m that worried tbh. It’s been discussed but I feel like Fasogbon is suffering from a bit of 2nd season syndrome - not that he’s playing poorly but as far as I’m aware he’s not had anymore ‘waving Genge off the pitch’ moments, and he struggled against NZ A in the scrum and wasn’t dominant against Spain either in the A fixtures.

Still obviously a massive future ahead of him but don’t think he’s going to be tearing Haffar a new one this evening (or at least I hope not).

Fasogbon is turning the scrum round a bit for Glaws. Painting a picture the ref likes even if he is under pressure.

[FKAS]

Searle with a solo try from about 30m out. Very nice.

Orlando Bailey gets chance to stake a claim at 10 now.

[FKAS]

Glaws with a chance to get some points on the board now with Tigers down to 14 for the remainder. Charlie Clare 'celebrating' his new contract with a red card, can't really complain as he's got a tucked arm which is suicide in rugby these days.

[fivepointer]

Glos and Atkinson badly done to with the penalty try. That looked like a good piece of play to me and should have been rewarded rather than punished.
But some of their defending was lazy and disorganised gifting easy scores.
Thought Fasogbon did well. Held up in the scrums and put in a decent shift in the loose.

[FKAS]

Yeah Fasogbon was really good when he came on. Good at the scrum time and active in the loose. He and Heyes were having a laugh post game as well which is good as Heyes gave an interview the other week saying how well he and Will Stuart get on. The England tightheads club coming together.

Charlie Atkinson a bright spot for Glaws and unlucky with the penalty try. He looks a lot better at fullback, though some of us have been saying that for a while, free to counter attack and launch attacks with a bit more time on the ball. Created a try with a cracking offload. Seb Atkinson was ok at 12 all seemed to be falling apart around him in the midfield so not the most enjoyable night of his career. Glaws pack was actually ok, they just made too many errors and couldn't rely on the backs who made even more. It's the type of game where you need your marquee international backs to stand up but Tomos Williams had an off night and Ross Byrne just isn't that player, a flyhalf who's made his career on the back of helping others look good and being a solid all rounder he doesn't look comfortable under the microscope that comes with earning £500k a year in a team that needs leadership and spark.

Searle on the other hand looked entirely assured, bit untidy in the first half but went up a gear in the second. Seems a bargain of a signing, if he was 23 instead of 28 he'd get a lot more attention. There could still be an A cap for him yet. Bailey looked good in his cameo, lovely passing game and slotted the conversion comfortably. Can't remember the last time or indeed ever being in the position where Tigers have three flyhalfs I'd happily see start, maybe when we had Flood, Ford and Twelvetrees but that's a bit of a reach. Chessum and JvP both back and looking alright off the bench will no doubt make the England coaches feel a bit happier with the 6N on the horizon. As will Steward finding some form, though he should have had an extra assist, passing where he wanted OHC to be instead of where he was.

[Puja]

I’m right in thinking the stuff from the commentator about OHC qualifying for Wales soon is bollocks aren’t I?

He played for England A against Ireland in January so that would secure him until January 2028?

That's my understanding too. Although with the way these things have been, no doubt we'll find out that that game didn't really count as an A game, because World Rugby's paperwork says that "Irrland A" is the nominated second team and we only played "Ireland A"! Mind, Ireland are usually fairly straightforward when it comes to these things and don't generally fuck about.

I thought the commentary team in general was utterly gash last night - they're usually a pretty good combo, but they were actively factually wrong at least thrice - the OHC eligibility, Ashton musing on SAtkinson having fallen out if favour with Gloucester selection this season and apparently unaware of his injuries, and the Ben Kay being confidently wrong about the penalty try because he was looking at the wrong player and was convinced that it was Knight who was being penalised.

Glos and Atkinson badly done to with the penalty try. That looked like a good piece of play to me and should have been rewarded rather than punished.

I don't see what's controversial - if you're on the ground, you can't make a tackle. CAtkinson chose to slide on the floor to try and get under the ball, not expecting OHC to stumble with the tap tackle - unlucky, but he committed to his decision and therefore put himself out of the game. He can't then grab OHC and stop him regaining his feet. Clear penalty, clear penalty try.

Puja

[twitchy]

Glos are a very frustrating side.

[FKAS]

With the OHC thing it did seem like the commentators had read a regurgitated Ruck article and not fact checked it.

[Oakboy]

Glos and Atkinson badly done to with the penalty try. That looked like a good piece of play to me and should have been rewarded rather than punished.

I thought it was so marginal that it was hard to justify the decision. By inches the ball was/was not over the line at the moment of contact. Surely, the 7 point penalty try + automatic yellow card was intended to penalise blatant foul play which this WAS NOT. If the ref and his crew tried to justify it because they have to apply the letter of the law, the law needs changing - at least to allow the ref some discretion.

[charlesdeboeuf]

Will happily row back on my Fasogbon comments, not that I was slating him! Thought he was great when he came on - in both the scrums and the loose. And yes, the one scrum he had up against Haffar he had him on skates.

[Puja]

Glos and Atkinson badly done to with the penalty try. That looked like a good piece of play to me and should have been rewarded rather than punished.

I thought it was so marginal that it was hard to justify the decision. By inches the ball was/was not over the line at the moment of contact. Surely, the 7 point penalty try + automatic yellow card was intended to penalise blatant foul play which this WAS NOT. If the ref and his crew tried to justify it because they have to apply the letter of the law, the law needs changing - at least to allow the ref some discretion.

I think you've made the same mistake as the commentary team and looked at the wrong player - this is CAtkinson's contact with OHC:

Screenshot_20251220_205649_YouTube.jpg

The ball's a good metre or two before the line at the point that he grabs OHC.

Puja