Premiership 24/25 - Round 6

[TRF_Olyy]

​

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Could be an interesting round with no England players available


If we don't get a few back from injury we're pretty screwed - at hooker we've got LCD with England, Taylor yet to play this season with a back issue and Caine dropping out in the Saints warmup, so we've got an u20s hooker with <20mins prem experience as starter and.....? Don't think we've got another on the books so would need to be junior academy or someone drafted in on loan - even if Caine is back I'm not sure I'd trust him as a starter, so hopefully Taylor is fit again miraculously
On the wing we're without Roebuck, Reed was injured last week and O'Flaherty dropped out in the warmup for Saints so u20 Wills (who had a stinker vs Saints) on one wing and Addison (who hasn't played wing for 7 years) on the other

 

[BPM]

After losing to Bath, this is going to be a big round for Quins. Not the ideal time to be playing away from home missing SIX of our best players.

Smith and Baxter will be the biggest losses and it's frustrating to lose Dombrandt and CCS when I think the former only has an outside chance of featuring in the AIs. I'd also question the logic behind Marler's call up when other, younger players are in form and should be getting a shot (Obano being the obvious one). In theory, Wyn Jones should be great cover, but he hasn't looked anything like he was as a Lions tourist so far. On the plus side, Beard has started the season really well Northmore is more easily covered for. Arguably, he was more deserving of a call-up than Luke.

The backs should be fine. Porter, Evans, Murley, Anyanwu, Beard, Isgro, Green is still a very handy back line with good options in Joseph, David and Halfpenny. My concern is whether they will get any kind of platform. Our scrum has been under the pump with Lamositele not impressing so far so losing Baxter and Marler is not helpful. Neither is losing Dombrandt's control at the base.

I think we can pull off a win, but Exeter have to come good sometime and I feel like they have the power game to make life difficult for us up front.

 

[Which Tyler]

Bath coming up against a Sale team, desperate to see a backlash after their last game.
Olly's covered Sale's absences, and the problems being cause.
Bath will lose
Will Stuart, but we'll keep hold of Du Toit for another week yet
Charlie Ewels, but we can make up for that, by not having Charlie Ewels in the team (I jest, he's been good for us since returning from South Africa) - with Du Plessis having left mid-season, we're low on locks; but with Ted Hill and Ewan Richards around, I'm not too worried.
Sam Underhill, who can be replaced well by Pepper
Ben Spencer is utterly irreplaceable for us, whilst his international future is essentially over already, without having ever properly begun.
Ollie Lawrence, we can cope without, Butt & Redpath should be fine (obviously, would prefer Mojo, but, c'est la vie), even if one of them will be out of position in the 13 shirt - assuming we can afford Butt to play centres without losing out wider out.
On which, it's injuries rather than call-ups that are screwing us out wide, with 3 of our 4 wingers fit, along with 2 of our 3 full backs. That said, Ciaran Donoghue is supposed to have graduated from the academy for this season, though there's been no sign of him yet - I'm not sure if I'd rather see Hennesey in the midfield, or Donoghue at FB if we lose another back-5 player.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

We've just signed a hooker (Tadgh McElroy) with immediate effect so I guess that solves that issue

 

[West Country Wail]

After losing to Bath, this is going to be a big round for Quins. Not the ideal time to be playing away from home missing SIX of our best players.

Smith and Baxter will be the biggest losses and it's frustrating to lose Dombrandt and CCS when I think the former only has an outside chance of featuring in the AIs. I'd also question the logic behind Marler's call up when other, younger players are in form and should be getting a shot (Obano being the obvious one). In theory, Wyn Jones should be great cover, but he hasn't looked anything like he was as a Lions tourist so far. On the plus side, Beard has started the season really well Northmore is more easily covered for. Arguably, he was more deserving of a call-up than Luke.

The backs should be fine. Porter, Evans, Murley, Anyanwu, Beard, Isgro, Green is still a very handy back line with good options in Joseph, David and Halfpenny. My concern is whether they will get any kind of platform. Our scrum has been under the pump with Lamositele not impressing so far so losing Baxter and Marler is not helpful. Neither is losing Dombrandt's control at the base.

I think we can pull off a win, but Exeter have to come good sometime and I feel like they have the power game to make life difficult for us up front.

You find us at our lowest ebb without some of our influential players too and the young heads might not be able to take the pressure of delivering at home with so much riding on it. That said, Vermeulen will be back and if we use Cairns at 9 from the start, we might see something different. If our pack can't match your second string (is that fair?) then the plan has not worked and it would not be out of this world to hear disgruntled noises from the fans come the end.

I also think they can do it and they bloody well should be too.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Saints sob story is that we'll have these injured or missing through England camp:

4 Lockett
5 Coles
6 Graham
7
8 Augustus
9 Mitchell
10 F Smith
11 sleightholme
12 Dingwall
13 Burger O
14 Freeman
15 Furbank


That's basically 11 or our starting 23 out and really only Graham and Lockett are potential bench players meaning 9 of our starting 15 are missing.

Just ridiculous.

 

[West Country Wail]

Yeah I think that's the winner

 

[BPM]

Saints sob story is that we'll have these injured or missing through England camp:

4 Lockett
5 Coles
6 Graham
7
8 Augustus
9 Mitchell
10 F Smith
11 sleightholme
12 Dingwall
13 Burger O
14 Freeman
15 Furbank


That's basically 11 or our starting 23 out and really only Graham and Lockett are potential bench players meaning 9 of our starting 15 are missing.

Just ridiculous.

Yes. Particularly considering Bristol are only losing a couple to England.

Randall is pretty essential to them but Marmion is a good back up.

 

[BPM]

You find us at our lowest ebb without some of our influential players too and the young heads might not be able to take the pressure of delivering at home with so much riding on it. That said, Vermeulen will be back and if we use Cairns at 9 from the start, we might see something different. If our pack can't match your second string (is that fair?) then the plan has not worked and it would not be out of this world to hear disgruntled noises from the fans come the end.

I also think they can do it and they bloody well should be too.

That's possibly a little kind to us … in the forward we'll be missing our 1st and 2nd choice looseheads and our 8. The issue isn't the number we're losing, more the quality + the fact that it's two in one key position with a big step down to our back ups.

There is some talk that Marler may be allowed to play given how little rugby he's played recently. No idea how accurate that is.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I forgot Davison as well, so that's 10 out of our first 15 missing.

I do think any team that wins the premiership (apart from when sarries cheated) is as much luck and skill with injuries.

 

[Scotty]

After losing to Bath, this is going to be a big round for Quins. Not the ideal time to be playing away from home missing SIX of our best players.

Smith and Baxter will be the biggest losses and it's frustrating to lose Dombrandt and CCS when I think the former only has an outside chance of featuring in the AIs. I'd also question the logic behind Marler's call up when other, younger players are in form and should be getting a shot (Obano being the obvious one). In theory, Wyn Jones should be great cover, but he hasn't looked anything like he was as a Lions tourist so far. On the plus side, Beard has started the season really well Northmore is more easily covered for. Arguably, he was more deserving of a call-up than Luke.

The backs should be fine. Porter, Evans, Murley, Anyanwu, Beard, Isgro, Green is still a very handy back line with good options in Joseph, David and Halfpenny. My concern is whether they will get any kind of platform. Our scrum has been under the pump with Lamositele not impressing so far so losing Baxter and Marler is not helpful. Neither is losing Dombrandt's control at the base.

I think we can pull off a win, but Exeter have to come good sometime and I feel like they have the power game to make life difficult for us up front.

I just hope we can pull it together, I'm still bitter about last weekend. We need to front up and put in a big performance, if we lose 6 on the bounce it will be devastating to say how we started last season.

How the hell is Slade with England? If he is fit then get some gametime in with us, if he isn't then it's a huge risk putting him in camp.

 

[stus768]

What's the point of a 10 team league if players are still missing games for England camps?

Also how can RFU chat about any sustainability if they're flying players out for a few days warm weather training.

 

[Which Tyler]

"Fewer clashes" =/= "no clashes", whilst "no clashes" was never proposed by anyone other than fans who couldn't do the maths.
Losing 3 teams saves 6 weekends. There used to be what? 8 clashes? 9?

8 or 9 is still more than 6

Oh, and the "point" was never to avoid clashes with internationals, the "point" was 3 clubs going bust, 13 always being a stupid number for a league, and to give us a more competitive league.

But given the number of times this has had to be spelled out, I suspect you already knows all of that, but just prefer logical fallacies to express unhappiness.


Your second point has some validity. However, it's not the RFU relying on the largesse of wealthy owners to service its debt. (Worth noting, again, that the clibs can afford to do the same, and can be sustainable on their income - they actively choose not to be - then get screwed when their owner changes their mind, or simply stops whilst they're already committed)

 

[stus768]

"Fewer clashes" =/= "no clashes", whilst "no clashes" was never proposed by anyone other than fans who couldn't do the maths.
Losing 3 teams saves 6 weekends. There used to be what? 8 clashes? 9?

8 or 9 is still more than 6

Oh, and the "point" was never to avoid clashes with internationals, the "point" was 3 clubs going bust, 13 always being a stupid number for a league, and to give us a more competitive league.

But given the number of times this has had to be spelled out, I suspect you already knows all of that, but just prefer logical fallacies to express unhappiness.


Your second point has some validity. However, it's not the RFU relying on the largesse of wealthy owners to service its debt. (Worth noting, again, that the clibs can afford to do the same, and can be sustainable on their income - they actively choose not to be - then get screwed when their owner changes their mind, or simply stops whilst they're already committed)

Calm down mate. No need to get so worked up.

My second point was more about environmental sustainability, shouldn't really be flying people around unnecessarily imo.

 

[Which Tyler]

It's just annoying to see the same logical fallacy repeated and refuted so many times. Sometimes I just lose patience with the bullshit.

Absolutely fair on the second point, I'm right with you there. My apologies - I'd thought you meant financial sustainability.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I get that there's a point to it in terms of environment and being able to train consistently etc. but does seem pretty funny we're doing warm weather training in preparation for what is likely to be 4 tests of driving rain/wind/mud

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

I just hope we can pull it together, I'm still bitter about last weekend. We need to front up and put in a big performance, if we lose 6 on the bounce it will be devastating to say how we started last season.

How the hell is Slade with England? If he is fit then get some gametime in with us, if he isn't then it's a huge risk putting him in camp.

I've said before that I've had concerns about the longevity and 'same voices' in Exeter's coaching staff, but am really wondering if this is the start of the end of the Baxter era.

A couple of results could change all that, but there's been a lot of player churn and this is a different era, what worked then may not work now. Dunno, just feels different this time.