Gloucester Vs Saracens

[munross]

Another Barkley penalty in 68th min makes it 22 - 16 to Gloucester

 

[Sir Speedy]

And that's full time.
Only two points off in my prediction and only one point off for you Ross. >_>

 

[munross]

I know I know!Aren't I just good :bleh!: LOL

But you kicked my :moon5zx: in the Northampton v Bristol and London Irish v Newcastle Falcons games

 

[Prestwick]

Can't believe Sarries lost that. Two silly infringements by Cato and Saul ruined what was a good day. Typical one eye'ed rubbish from the Tractor boys, wailing and cursing at Cato and then urging restraint from the ref when Strokosh weighs in with his fists.

 

[munross]

http://www.rugbyweek.com/news/article.asp?id=17487

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Saracens coach Eddie Jones was furious at being forced to do without England captain Steve Borthwick during his team's 22-16 Premiership loss away to Gloucester on Saturday.

The former Australia coach, who acted as consultant to World Cup winners South Africa last year, also voiced his frustration with rugby union's experimental law variations (ELVs).

Gloucester and England centre Olly Barkley outscored Sarries' Kiwi goalkicker Glen Jackson by five penalties to three in a match where home full-back Olly Morgan and visiting wing Richard Haughton scored a try apiece.

Jones was angry at having to leave out second-row Borthwick after England manager Martin Johnson ordered all his internationals be rested from this round of Premiership matches.

"I think it is ridiculous that you don't have your best English players playing in the Premiership," said Jones, coach of the Australia side that lost the 2003 World Cup final in Sydney to an England team captained by Johnson.

"It's almost a contradiction. You should have your best players playing.

"His (Borthwick's) presence in the line-out would have made a difference."

Turning to the ELVs, Jones added: "There is something wrong with the rules. The game is very difficult to referee.

"It is too difficult to referee and there is so much contest at the breakdown that other things are being missed.

"The best side won today but there was no rugby played and everyone wants to see rugby," said Jones after a defeat which left Saracens seventh in the 12-team table.

"We have to have officials out there who want to referee but the IRB (International Rugby Board) have made the laws so difficult for referees to referee and the game is immeasurably worse than it was 12 months ago.

"The referees have not got worse and neither have the players. So what's the one missing? The ELVs (experimental law variations).

"They (the ELVs) have stuffed the game up and it is very hard to play rugby," said Jones, who branded the current set-up as "Rafferty's Rules" - an Australian expression for no rules at all.

London Irish thrashed struuglers Newcastle 48-8 to regain top spot from Bath, who play Leicester on Sunday.

The Exiles scored seven tries through Topsy Ojo, Steffon Armitage, Declan Danaher, Peter Hewat, Alex Corbisiero, Mike Catt and Seilala Mapusua.

London Irish coach Toby Booth, whose side were beaten 16-13 by Saracens last time out, said: "I am absolutely delighted with the response of the players from last Saturday."

Newcastle were left in 11th place with only basement club Bristol, whom they play next, keeping them out of the lone relegation place.

"It was a bit embarrassing," admitted Newcastle coach Steve Bates.

Bristol were beaten 30-8 away to Northampton and the west country club's coach Richard Hill said his side faced a difficult 2009.

"On that performance we are going to struggle," said the former England scrum-half.

Defeat was made worse for Bristol by Mark Regan pulling a calf muscle -an injury which could sideline the former England hooker for six weeks.

Sapa-AFP - EnglishPremiershipRugby.com[/b]

Seems like Jones and Martin Johnson are not good friends at the moment...

 

[getofmeland]

I would have to agree with Jones on the ELV's making the life of a referee's impossible, they just don't seem to work...

As for being forced to rest players, this weekend Bath are without Stevens and Mears against one of their rival ***le contenders... whereas Leicester only miss Toby Flood from their lineup...

In the other game tomorrow (Wasps vs Harlequins) - It seems both teams are able to pick their elite players, with Sackey, Fluety, and co all playing, this just seems a bit f***ed up... am I missing something, does the agreement only seem to matter to certain teams?

 

[Sir Speedy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (getofmeland @ Jan 4 2009, 12:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I would have to agree with Jones on the ELV's making the life of a referee's impossible, they just don't seem to work...

As for being forced to rest players, this weekend Bath are without Stevens and Mears against one of their rival ***le contenders... whereas Leicester only miss Toby Flood from their lineup...

In the other game tomorrow (Wasps vs Harlequins) - It seems both teams are able to pick their elite players, with Sackey, Fluety, and co all playing, this just seems a bit f***ed up... am I missing something, does the agreement only seem to matter to certain teams?[/b]

Wasps rested their players in the slaughter last week.

 

[Prestwick]

Yeah, basically the biggest gripe is that they're forced to rest them for certain games. Saracens for example would have liked to have rested Steve Borthwick in next weekends ECC clash.

As steady Eddie puts it quite eloquently:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

So Borthwick's got to sit on the sidelines and twiddle his thumbs. He could twiddle his thumbs against Mont de Marsan, probably have a nice coffee and croissant and watch the boys win by 30 points. Why leave him out of the game against Gloucester where you pit him against Alex Brown and see how good he is?[/b]

 

[Vambo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

"I think it is ridiculous that you don't have your best English players playing in the Premiership,"[/b]

Indeed.

 

[getofmeland]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir. Speedy @ Jan 4 2009, 12:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (getofmeland @ Jan 4 2009, 12:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would have to agree with Jones on the ELV's making the life of a referee's impossible, they just don't seem to work...

As for being forced to rest players, this weekend Bath are without Stevens and Mears against one of their rival ***le contenders... whereas Leicester only miss Toby Flood from their lineup...

In the other game tomorrow (Wasps vs Harlequins) - It seems both teams are able to pick their elite players, with Sackey, Fluety, and co all playing, this just seems a bit f***ed up... am I missing something, does the agreement only seem to matter to certain teams?[/b]

Wasps rested their players in the slaughter last week.
[/b][/quote]

But it should of been everyone do it on the same weekend.. From my understanding Wasps picked when they wanted to rest their players and for what game, Bath, Saracens, Sale, Leicester etc have not been able to pick... We want the best players to play, this is the kind of crap that gets the RFU hated. Borthwick would of made a big difference to Saracens and it has potentially cost Saracens the game, it has also affected other teams in the league...

 

[munross]

Can't understand anyway why they wana rest their players?Is it for them to recover after the beating they got form the Springboks and All Blacks or do they think the whole B&I Lions are gonna consist out of English players and are starting to rest them now...?

 

[Bullitt]

The RFU have this belief that all England players should not play domestic rugby as it may get them injured. It's where the huge club v country debate began.

But I've been on that subject so many times...

 

[getofmeland]

Its part of the Club vs Country debate we continually have in this country... but just the RFU flexing their muscles to Premier Rugby...

Not forgetting the Billions of pounds they invested in a Player Burnout study, which could of been used to improve the standard of British Rugby in the lower divisions...

 

[Bullitt]

What? And look to develop the club game? What a ker-azy idea!

 

[getofmeland]

Of course it is... You never know the International Game may get better, but I guess that would be using the Clive Woodward plan which they are just not allowed to do...

 

[Bullitt]

Careful, the RFU57Mafia will be baying your blood if you keep this up.

Always remember when the establechment are involved; Clubs = evil.

 

[getofmeland]

They won't read this because their heads are up their own arses at this moment in time...