Sam Burgess named on Bath bench Vs Harlequins tomorrow night

[TommiG88]

Is David Flatman turning into a teeny tiny bit of a media whore nowadays though ... ? After writing an occassionally-vaguely-funny column in the free Sport magazine on the tubes for a couple of years, this season I'm suddenly seeing his face and opinions everywhere. He may have an inside line to the Bath dressing room, but I dunno, I suspect very prominent media types quickly lose the trust of their old mates and don't have the same access they claim.

Anyway, **** it, it's Burgess time!!!!! Despite myself, and I know it's wrong, I'm catching Burgess fever. I know he's not a rugby union player yet and I know we shouldn't expect too much but goddammit it's a Friday and I'm getting swept away in the hype. I'm building a shrine to Our Lord Burgess in my living room as we speak. The time for reasoned analysis is over, I just want to see the 20 ft tall demi-god ascended from heaven* bring down his righteous wrath upon those West London sinners.

*Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

If only I could give rep on the app.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Flatman needs some lessons of Healey on being a media personality.

 

[ratsapprentice]

What hype?

 

[Patchey]

Prediction as I settle down to watch the game.

Burgess comes on at around 60minutes, just as Quins have takes Casson off (because he can't play 80mins) for JTH. Burgess stands in the 12 channel, Ford takes it to the line and gives a perfectly times pass to Slammin' Sam. Burgess goes straight through JTH's terrible tackling and sores. Stuart Barnes writes a column tomorrow calling for Burgess to play 12 during the Six Nations. We all face palm.

 

[TommiG88]

I liked healey's comment about the England centres.

 

[Big Ewis]

(ok ok ewis, you can pull it out now, now's a good time, go on go on !!)

mmm ah so what's that I hear mm ah what.....*Mass Purchase* is going to play his first bit of Rugby Union ?.....
(ok that barely makes any sense, but it's alright, it's alright..)

 

[Every Time Ref]

Burgess is so good he's got three players binned without even stepping on the pitch

 

[goodNumber10]

Lol!

 

[Every Time Ref]

So good he offloaded to a man in a different temporal plane. Not his fault it landed in this one

 

[TRF_Olyy]

So good he offloaded to a man in a different temporal plane. Not his fault it landed in this one

In fairness he offloaded to Wayne Barnes - Barnes has notoriously poor hands, though, and couldn't take the pass. For shame.

 

[Kapa O Pango]

I heard Burgess made two strong carries and one massive ruck clearance that's it.

 

[ratsapprentice]

That's about it.

Game was done and dusted by the time he came on. One of the most one-sided scrummaging performances you will ever see, last 15 minutes the ball was barely in play.

Ruck clearance was good. Made my balls retract a little.

 

[Every Time Ref]

It was slightly from the side though

 

[j'nuh]

It was slightly from the side though

I thought it was too. Was waiting for the whistle to be blown tbh. Good show of power, but he'll want to be more careful next time.

I heard Burgess made two strong carries and one massive ruck clearance that's it.

Mostly because it was dreary weather and whatever amount of the game wasn't spent in some kind of set piece, was spent with the forwards and kickers.

 

[TommiG88]

Eastmond didn't have a bad game and I saw a few kicks that came off. Thought the guy couldn't kick?

 

[gaston le gaff]

We had it over here on Beinsport was a little surprised by the Quins scrum non existant 14 pens i think they gave away in the scrum + another 6/7 elsewhere, how can you survive without a scrum, and Bath very disappointing when only 12 on the park, they struggled obviously missing Ford, unfortunately for us they will have all their Internationals back for the next 2 weeks when they play us home then away the next two coming Friday evenings.not sure what the teams will be like as both teams have little or no chance of qualifying, could be a battle of the youngsters + Burgess he needs game time, looks a strong lad but can he adapte to the new game coming from league some do others?? will be at both matches.....

 

[Rich Taff]

Burgess took Chuck Norris's place on the bench?

 

[ratsapprentice]

We had it over here on Beinsport was a little surprised by the Quins scrum non existant 14 pens i think they gave away in the scrum + another 6/7 elsewhere, how can you survive without a scrum,

Their scrum has been very hit and miss this season, partly down to not having a proper scrummaging lock and Sinckler (TH) only being 21.
When they've had Marler they've looked a lot better, they were absolutely torn a new one yesterday.

It was dissapointing that we couldn't convert their yellows into tries.

 

[Every Time Ref]

I thought it was too. Was waiting for the whistle to be blown tbh. Good show of power, but he'll want to be more careful next time.

He got away with it, I guess, that's all you can ask for - did he get lucky, or did he play the ref like a genius ... !? The first one, obviously. But still, I've seen much more experienced back rowers get blown up for stupid unnecessary stuff like that before.

Their scrum has been very hit and miss this season, partly down to not having a proper scrummaging lock and Sinckler (TH) only being 21.
When they've had Marler they've looked a lot better, they were absolutely torn a new one yesterday.

Sinckler is just rubbish as a scrummager, I can't believe he was talked about as an England prospect! Great in the loose, but you can't pick a prop who can't scrummage because you get what you had yesterday.

 

[Patchey]

Sinckler is, in fact, not rubbish in the scrum at all. He had a poor night but it was Lambert who got rinsed the most. Then Sinckler went to the bin after a team yellow and Collier came on and got turned inside out. At least thats the order I think it happened in.

Sinckler's issues come more from general scrummaging issues in the pack IMO. It s interesting that when Quins have simply tried to lock out scrums this season he's looked an absolute rock. However when he has to aggressively scrummage, without a bit lock behind him and often against a prop who has a better set of locks in support, he can struggle. He's learning. IMO he will play for England and will do very well. But like the rest of Quin's young guys, he is being put in a very difficult position at the moment.

Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, Burgess Burgess Burgess. Answer to England's 10 problems no double.