Premiership Rugby 24/25 - Round 1

[Geordie]

Good to see, especially after the last year or so. Definitely gritty. Loving Arnold putting it about. Your season will definitely be different to the previous.

I have family who travelled to the game but I couldn't make it up so watching on Discovery+. Any inside info from the ground?

Arnold and Doherty will be a huge plus for us this season. What a centre pairing. Not much info..more ea case of just getting games now and building on what we've worked on in training.

We won't be the whipping boys of last season..

 

[Which Tyler]

Thank gods for that last angle.

Looked likely but unproven before that

 

[TRF_Olyy]

What a hit on AJ,
Hopefully that's not his annual long term injury checked off already

 

[Which Tyler]

Early contender for silliest penalty of the year there

And a second - not the original penalty, but swearing at the ref

 

[Which Tyler]

Touch unnecessary from White23 there

And that one from Du Plessis on Ramm will surely get a good viewing by the citing commissioner.

His original was fine, but that looked excessive, albeit during handbags all around

 

[Geordie]

Well big score in the end.

Bristols a good team though...wait till we play Gloucester and Leicester etc

 

[Which Tyler]

It's only one game.
Against the reigning champions
Who beat us last time out
In the final
By 3 clear scores (4 if that final try had been allowed - didn't see anything clear and obvious on the replay)
In what looked like a full Rec

I'll take that

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

It's only one game.
Against the reigning champions
Who beat us last time out
In the final
By 3 clear scores (4 if that final try had been allowed - didn't see anything clear and obvious on the replay)
In what looked like a full Rec

I'll take that

Last night went how I thought it would. We haven't won our first game of the season for years and in our pre season we didn't even have the team play together (not sure if that's injuries or a choice).

Bath will be the team to beat this year but at home will be a very different story (hopefully we get some players back).

Thought pepper looked good when he came on (better than Reid). Didn't rate Quin Roux that much but maybe that's match fitness.

For us Pearson looked a little lost at times but good going forward. Starting to worry after last season if he's not got the brains for rugby and is just a smash them type of player. Only having 1 lock on the pitch (our 4th choice lock) showed in our go forward play, need to rebalance that (when people are fit).

 

[Which Tyler]

TBH, the first couple of games are always more about knocking off the rust and building some consistency. I never try to read too much in the first 2-3 matches unless a team looks like complete strangers, or manages to really hit the ground running.
These days pre-season is more about everyone getting some minutes on the pitch, and reminding their bodies what contact feels like.

As for the match itself - it was always going to be more "important" to Bath than to Saints - home match, against the team who beat us in the final. Both teams did some good stuff, both did some stuff they'd rather forget about, and both sets of coaches are going to be busy in the Monday debrief.

IMO the biggest lesson for Saints to take away from last night is one that Bath have struggled with for the last few years - "Don't **** off the ref!"

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Just seen that the EPS quota (average of 15 per game) is now a fine rather than a bonus - if you don't hit that average you got a £250k fine
First checkpoint is Rd.9, with a fine (presumably £125k?) doled out at that point

Think, with London Irish no longer around, all the teams are good?
We've got 17 tomorrow (presuming Addison is registered as EQP again, I doubt he's holding out hope for an Ireland recall)

Makes Reed/Warr turning Scottish over the summer even more frustrating though - and the WRU/SRU sniffing around in general even more annoying

 

[Which Tyler]

Hadn't realised that.
Quick check from last night, Bath were 13+2 (+1 EQP)
With Redpath and Du Toit to return, we might have to be careful (though I suspect Bruce would just pay up)
Always felt this was a risk when we signed a Saffer coach - never been close to an issue for us before (not saying he's made bad signings btw).

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Really do like DuPont's law

 

[BMatt]

I've only just turned on the Exeter vs Leicester match. How is it still 0-0 at 40 mins?

 

[Scotty]

I've only just turned on the Exeter vs Leicester match. How is it still 0-0 at 40 mins?

Not through lack of trying there has been alot of attacks and getting close but fair play tigers kept us out and got a drop goal. Can't wait for the second half,

On a different note soooo glad my vpn is working(I'm happy but my wife isn't haha)

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Also any specific reason why the fans are booing Leicester so much at each lineout? I missed the first 15 minutes or so but did something happen or is that just sandy park? Never noticed it before like that.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Nothing I remember, but that is pretty loud

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Both sides gonna struggle to raise a side next week, game has been very attritional

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Omg how did we win that


Would've lost that last season

 

[Reiser99]

Wow, didn't get a chance to watch, but winning away with a YC and a RC and scoring with 14 men is definitely a positive sign. I imgaine Exeter will be ruing missed opportunities, but great start for Tigers.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Anscombe having a shocker