Aviva Premiership - Round 2

[goodNumber10]

This.

You have to admire them for how well they execute it. But at the same time it is against the law. At least they're being picked up on it a bit this week...

If that's cynical what's collapsing a maul?

 

[Patchey]

Well we don't do it every time there's a line out drive!!

He can't ref then on the basis of what they did last week.

To the same degree why haven't quoins for a strategy in place for that?

Because we consistently disregard the breakdown as part of the game. It's infuriating.



Jack Clifford in the centres, what a man, what a player. Watch and learn.

 

[g6mcg]

Is Clifford in the centre due to injuries? Thought Walker came on earlier.

 

[Patchey]

Yeah Walker injured after coming on...

More cynical play, deserved yellow.

 

[goodNumber10]

Quinn's are done here...

Hargreaves can feel hard done by there.

Is Clifford in the centre due to injuries? Thought Walker came on earlier.

Walker went off injured.

Yeah Walker injured after coming on...

More cynical play, deserved yellow.

Reef said ok. Then they came around. He said two different things.

 

[Patchey]

Quinn's are done here...

Hargreaves can feel hard done by there.



Walker went off injured.




Reef said ok. Then they came around. He said two different things.

I thought he was saying it was okay to contest still, not that the ball was out. I think Care was looking for a penalty and he told him to get on with it, Sarries took that as a cue that the ball was out, which it wasn't.

Messy yeah but IMO the Sarries forwards should have known it wasn't out. I'll have to rewatch it to be sure mind.

Regardless, Quins are being absolute gash in the face of some very good defense from Sarracens. .

 

[Patchey]

That's exactly what Barnes has just said, caught it on the ref mic.

(On my phone, can't edit previous post. Apologies )

 

[TheSaffycen]

Thta's why we all love Ashton, good of him not to do the splash

 

[goodNumber10]

Ashton.

Skinned Yarde there

 

[g6mcg]

Yeah Walker injured after coming on...

My bad, took my eye off the ball there. Insert your own joke about Quins...

Yarde made to look pretty stupid by Ashton there.

 

[Patchey]

Well I'm off to the pub...enough of this!

 

[goodNumber10]

Well I'm off to the pub...enough of this!

Have a good one mate.

 

[TheSaffycen]

0-39........

 

[Tony Manx]

Sorry I turned over............0 -16....game over!

Yuuuup!

 

[Tmartin995]

Quins' lack of forward carriers and a reliable goal kicker evident tonight. Nick Evans is some way off the player he was even 2 years ago.

Robshaw and Brown were pretty much the only Quins players who played even close to their abilities tonight.

 

[TheSaffycen]

I said before that quins should have signed- Adam Jones, Wyn Jones and a big centre like Molenaar. They didn't sign anyone and they've gone backwards, this was dreadful but they will still come around the top 6. Top 4 however is another question...

 

[ratsapprentice]

He can't ref then on the basis of what they did last week.

Yes he can, and should - they do it every game.

Refs do research in order to prepare themselves for their games - part of that should involve looking at the areas that teams frequently infringe.
If a team systematically defends offside then it's the ref's responsibility to ensure that doesn't happen - his main tool for doing that is cards.
That goes for whatever offense any given team commits.

I agree that Quins should have known about it and put measures in place to deal with it - but the issue is that there isn't much you can do about it.
It's similar to "squeeze ball"... that was partly outlawed due to it being dangerous - but also because it gives such a massive advantage to the person doing it that it ruins the game.
The amount of energy a team needs to expend to ensure quick ball when a team uses the body positions that Sarries domeans that it's a no-win situation... either they put more energy into the clearout and get quick ball which results in them getting really ****ing tired. Or they don't and only have slow ball.

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How was Taylor supporting his body weight there????
— Carl fearns (@Carl_Fearns) September 12, 2014​

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Skinned Yarde there

Think Yarde was just being lazy... which is probably even worse TBH.

Quins lacking power in the centre and pack... where have we heard that before?

Quins very, very lackluster.
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[Patchey]

We should have signed a monster of a lock and a 12 who can catch and place kick.

Have a good one mate.

Cheers!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wasn't expecting that result!

Quins still have't replaced Kohn, and they should've f**ed Turner-Hall off and kept Molenaar.

 

[Patchey]

Now thats sunk in, a few points.

Nicked this from Nev's Left Boot on Twitter but if that charge down doesn't happen and Marler doesn't go so line out happy with the penalties early on, its 9-9. That is a massive difference mentally going into half time. Marler will learn, hopefully someone will take him aside during the week for a chat, but he's clearly allowing that forwards mentality of trying to stamp authority on the game physically to dominate when making tactical choices. Note how Sarries, who have a much more reliable line out drive than Quins, took points over touch. They were patient and confident enough as a team to take the points and wait for chances later on. Quins aren't confident enough in their ability to consistently make chances IMO, and felt the need to try and rush things and go for the push over.

The scrum should have been a platform for Quins when they were dominating but wasn't. Not sure why. The rucking technique was terrible. I know Sarries were all over the floor at times but when they weren't it wasn't unusual to see one guy holding off three or fours Quins forwards, who were trying to shift him off a Quins player on the deck. Madness. Wallace is supposed to be a breakdown specialist but isn't living up to his billing so far this season and even if he was, he can't do it all alone against a team as physical as Saracens.

As Olly said, we're still missing Kohn (Olly Kohn, ha). The rationale behind not buying another lump of a lock (or replacing Mo) was that we have lots of potential in the academy and fringe first team players in terms of big locks and back rows. Matthews, Clifford, Trayfoot, Merrick and the like are all being backed to step up. That is great but it will take a while and be painful at times as the young players make mistakes. As it is, Robson and Matthews don't work in the row and it would be much better for the team and for the development of the younger players if there was a big, experience lump to pair Matthews or Merrick with. The young guys have buckets of talent and will develop in time, but if they're constantly being asked to do too much work on their own that will slow their development and effect the team's performance.*

Finally, Sarries were bloody good. Annoying rucking aside they were clinical, patient and physical. Apart from those last two tries they didn't really do anythign exciting, certainly their performance was one for the purists, but they looked much more ominous than last week. Thought Barritt had a good game.





*I know sometimes a young forward can come in to an off balance pack and develop strongly, see Elliott Stooke, but its really rare and doesn't seem to be happening here.