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Salford City Stadium
Kingsholm
Madejski Stadium
Adams Park - Live on SKY
Sandy Park - Live on ESPN
Sunday 24th March
Allianz Park - Live on ESPN
Bath Rugby side to face Sale Sharks:
15. Nick Abendanon
14. Horacio Agulla
13. Matt Banahan
12. Kyle Eastmond
11. Tom Biggs
10. Tom Heathcote
9. Peter Stringer
For a big fat man with low visibility due to a massive afro, Johnson was really good. He was impossible to move in those rucks. Didn't know his name at the time, but the sub hooker was carrying really strongly. Elliot's try was class. Wasps were unlucky, but The Saints' drives were huge.F*****g P*ssing s*itting ********. **** you David Rose you massive tw*t.
Literally cost us this game with repeatedly poor decisions, greatly assisted by partner in crime TJ. How can we have such poor officiating at this level? I hear Fox had another calamity with Farmers vs Welsh today.
Back to my anger...3 Wasps players sinbinned, the first one accompanied by a penalty try, and this was literally 3 minutes in - card and a penalty try THAT EARLY ON!? No, not both. Credit should go to Saints for the clear strength of their set-piece, but againm even when we did a good job slowing down the driving maul they weren't at any point told 'That's once, thats twice etc', including when a driving lineout was static for a full five seconds. That penalty at the end for offside that led to the final winning try was utter ********. Wade played Vunipola onside with his chase, or so says law 11.2 (c).
Anyway, that's our domestic season over really - with Saracens next week I think playoff chances are now very slim. Saints? Meh, this is sour grapes but I reckon Mite would be the first to admit that Saints will need a more rounded game to beat the very best. They can bully teams with smaller packs, but it won't always be enough, I doubt it's going to win them ***les.
Another rant: sublime defensive performance from Wade today just elimates any remaining areas of doubt in his game. Same goes for Varndell. Defensively as solid as any EPS outside back with the exception of Foden, who himself got skinned today by Elliott for that superb try.
Ashley Johnson was immense today again don't blame him one bit for the sin-binning. Tom Lindsay had an absolutely storming game from the bench - Saxons anyone? He's surely the strongest English hooker in the loose, if he can increase his lineout percentage.
Anyway, ********!
With regards to Vunipola's offside - Wade may have played him on, but I don't think Billy was retreating backwards. Standing still and/or moving forwards before being played back onside is a no-no.
Exactly right. Vunipola was clearly called offside and made no effort to retreat. He was only played onside seconds before he joined Wade in making a tackle. Correct call.
Equally, it shouldn't matter how far into a match it is - if you collapse a moving maul 2 yards from your own line it is always going to be a professional foul. Palmer was unlucky to be binned for the same offense later in the game, but this was balanced out by Vunipola being let off for his outburst and no-arms hit. If that had been Lawes or Hartley I'm sure there would have been absolute uproar.
Saints were very dull today but that is par for the course this season. We knew what out strengths were and stuck to them. Qualifying for the Heineken and preparing for next season with our new signings is about the realistic extent of our ambition. We did get some decisions our way, but Wasps got far more of the calls at the breakdown and it could be argued that Daly's superb finish could have been called back for a toe in touch.
Manoa is ****ing excellent at steering mauls. He is by far and away the highest quality player to come from the USA. Would be a starting lock for England if he was eligible, fantastic player.
About the breakdown, the moments you are referrng to are those when Ash and co won penalties for Saints holding on. Everyone in the ground could see that they were coming because Johnson was just never dislodged. I don't think there was any controversy at all about such decisions.
That is a long way from being true.
who is better?
who is better?
Seconds Sarries try shouldn't have been given - Joubert (I think it was?) was dragged fully in to touch before offloading - both feet on the blue (so it's easy to see him out) and he lobbed it back in and the scored a couple of phases after.
I disagree with every player you have mentioned with the exception of Lyle and Clever.