Transcript
Jarrod Dyke: Hey everybody, welcome back. It is the Fantasy Rugby Yanks. My name is Jared Dyke.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm Ben Glauser.
Jarrod Dyke: I hope you guys missed us. It's been a little more than a month since we've done this. So yeah, we missed you guys, that's for sure.
Grumpy Old Prop: This is our first part of the year of 2026.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I know. it's It's just, you know, I was sick and then Ben had his issues and it just seemed to be we almost took turns at a certain point. So yeah. But I'm getting healthier and yeah Ben might be a different story, but you know, we'll get there.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: ah I'm entering the... it It's like we're coming out of... Well, we're not coming out of winter because this fucking snow that's out there, but we're allegedly, calendar-wise, on the upswing ah out of winter, but I'm entering the dark long dark of the spring rugby season.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah, they the early parts of the spring rugby season, especially like, and I'm fortunate I don't have to do that because we don't start until March.
Grumpy Old Prop: That's... Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: But yeah, like i i remember back when we were playing for Boston, like February, those practices were hard.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, they were legitimately hard to get to, you know, and then not not, like, getting there wise, like, per se, but, like, just getting, just being able to move your legs one in front of the other to get your bag together and go to and get in the car and go.
Grumpy Old Prop: The worst. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And, man, those were tough days.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: i Don't miss that, that's for sure.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Like, the fall season's a sprint. And so it's that's that's kind of fun. like We start in September. We're done by the end of October.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that's wild.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like...
Jarrod Dyke: That's wild.
Grumpy Old Prop: I think we we may have had a November game. I can't remember, but like... I know. I think we had a, we would have had a November game, but that was our bi-week. We had the week six or whatever week seven bi-week, which was great.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, okay. That process then.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, um, absolutely just to sprint through it and then we're done.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, unless we make playoffs, which we will do next year. Um, but then the spring season there's, we start technically was supposed to be Monday.
Jarrod Dyke: I believe it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Today's Wednesday. Um, but we got, as it's the aforementioned snow I was talking about. so
Jarrod Dyke: say If you're listening and you're not from U.S.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: s or the Northeast, we got 20 plus inches here in Boston and Massachusetts general.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: But yeah, like in.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, I i think we I got like 18 or something. It was ridiculous. um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, no.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, yeah. um Which I think that translates to half a meter for those outside the U.S. I got half a meter. Jared got a little bit more. So that much just white shit on the ground that you gotta to shovel. Anyway, um but that's why we're not practicing. Also, we had there's I'm glad that they put in like cold um weather stuff. So it's like if it's under 21 degrees...
Grumpy Old Prop: We have to warm up inside and it's a feels like, so it's like if the words wind chill besides that, whatever, um, you warm up inside hats, gloves, scarves, um, and one hour maximum and everybody, you got to basically keep moving the whole time.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yeah. That's that's that's fair, honestly.
Grumpy Old Prop: And I'm like, so we can't practice rugby. Like it excuse how are you going to wear gloves? when you Like you that you're literally not allowed to take off.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yeah, that's true.
Grumpy Old Prop: So it's like, no, we're just done. Um,
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, okay, yeah, no, that's not happening.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, so I like that, but it also, but either way, point being, we go from now until, um I think Beast is in April or May.
Jarrod Dyke: April.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fuck's sake. So, um yeah, we're going for like four months.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah it's ah Yeah, this is definitely the long trot of the, and and even back in like when I was playing in college, like same thing.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Like just, yeah, those those indoor practices and the and the chilly outdoor practices, man, they were they were hard to cobble together.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: They really were.
Jarrod Dyke: So anyway, um, I'm abstaining Ben's abstaining.
Grumpy Old Prop: But yes, long.
Jarrod Dyke: So don't worry about that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Uh, make sure that you find us on your favorite podcast app, download rate, review, share feedback. Always welcome per per usual. Uh, Find our good friend George, on the Fantasy Rugby Geek, on Buy Me a Coffee and make sure you buy him a coffee slash beer, whatever you want to call it.
Grumpy Old Prop: e
Jarrod Dyke: Busy busy times ahead forever. And if you haven't heard it or you don't know it yet, he and Paul are are doing a podcast once again for our Six Nations and Fantasy Six Nations. So go ahead and give those guys a listen.
Jarrod Dyke: They'll they'll do you good. couple of good fellas on top of it. um And there's that. There is no discrimination here on this podcast nor should there be any sports or in life.
Jarrod Dyke: I mean, the fucking world's, the country's falling apart. Like, I don't know what else to do. i'm i don't I feel bad for people that, like, reached the point I'm at years ago. You know, because there's definitely people that have reached that point before me.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. I... Fuck. um Yeah, we're in we're in true, like, we need heads on spikes territory here.
Grumpy Old Prop: um And I don't think... So it's funny. I don't know. i haven't we i don't think we've even talked about the metrics in a while. But our most downloaded show for a long time...
Grumpy Old Prop: was
Jarrod Dyke: oh
Grumpy Old Prop: was January 6th, 2021, when we basically kind of talked about the interaction.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah it was the the tail end of the insurrection was still happening when ben and i started to record that night
Grumpy Old Prop: Like,
Grumpy Old Prop: right. So we just talked about that a lot. A lot.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah we talked about that for like 20 minutes i think exactly so my point yeah my point exactly
Grumpy Old Prop: I think it was a lot longer than that. But either way.
Grumpy Old Prop: Either way.
Grumpy Old Prop: Part of my my theme of what I talked about was was failing governments and um like what happens in failing governments.
Grumpy Old Prop: This is the kind of shit that happens. And and the fact that they didn't punish anybody important.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: for it is is is also something that happens in failing governments. um We're at a real inflection point here beyond just the you know the the Greenland bullshit. um But we're seeing um federal agents attacking people who are just out there like watching them, making sure they're they're legal observers.
Grumpy Old Prop: who are trying to make sure that they don't do anything illegal. Why are the people doing that? Because the state and local and, um you know, city authorities aren't doing anything.
Grumpy Old Prop: um To the point now where there's been two murders, that like flat out murders in the streets, whereas there's there's been others too. um
Jarrod Dyke: i mean, they've killed total of nine people, not just the two that we have been put in the news so lately.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And but that's not even the people, that's not even the people in camps who are dying. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Truth. Truth. Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: And we so it's like the where they're taking you know they're taking them someplace evil. And you know they're not they don't care if they're citizens or not.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's not about that. They're rounding people up. And the governor is doing jack shit about it. And the mayor is doing jack shit about it. And they're sending um cops out there to basically to protect ICE.
Grumpy Old Prop: And... Ultimately, the the the the concern here is when it's no longer if we passed that point a long time ago.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah, we're we're we're beyond.
Grumpy Old Prop: We're we're in the it's so funny because like people talk about V for Vendetta, but like you can see that it's that whole endpoint where they ask the captain, like, what happens now? He's like, I see like i see everything.
Grumpy Old Prop: And like, it starts with somebody doing something stupid. And boom, that's what we saw on January 7th of this year. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: And
Grumpy Old Prop: what's going to happen is someone's going to say, you know what? Fuck it. We're done getting shot at and shot. We're going to shoot back. And the thing is, if that's, and we don't have, it doesn't have to reach that point.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Oh, totally.
Grumpy Old Prop: We're we're at a, the sign is flashing bright. You could have prevented this.
Jarrod Dyke: toy
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's still there, but this is coming. The time when somebody decides my government on no level is going to protect me, I am going to do this myself. i'm going to take matters into my own hands, which this country was fucking founded upon.
Grumpy Old Prop: Our founders were like, hey, if this doesn't work, fucking shoot them. That's what we would do.
Jarrod Dyke: Right, right, right. Nope.
Grumpy Old Prop: And so it's like... The problem is that now that map makes your state government illegitimate. Because the federal government already pretty much is. They're they're killing Americans for no fucking reason. They're killing people for no reason. But um
Grumpy Old Prop: they're specifically like targeting, you know, killing Americans. and And they're not doing anything about it. So it becomes time at some point where Minnesota, where where Governor Walz, um Minneapolis Mayor Frey need to put themselves and their people, like their government, their our civil servants on the line to say, no, we're going to protect our people from this lawless crew.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: And if you don't do that, they will. And if they do before you act in any way, just look, reading a history book, when it comes time to put fascists up against a wall, historically,
Grumpy Old Prop: There's always been room for collaborators and the people who fail to step up and protect.
Jarrod Dyke: oh yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: there's always There's always more room at against that wall. And I'm saying that but not because that's what they deserve, because fuck, nobody really deserves that. oh okay, some people fucking deserve that.
Grumpy Old Prop: but
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm, there's a there's a list of people that don't deserve it, but.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right, but... The problem is once the red mist is going and you, we those of you, if you, you, you know, when rugby happens, you, you know what I'm talking about.
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: um People aren't very selective as to who they end up um again, putting up against that wall.
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: So it's like, if you are seen as someone who you, you were in position to stop this and you didn't, what's the difference between you and the person who's actually doing it?
Jarrod Dyke: no
Grumpy Old Prop: And i I leave that with um a Spider-Man quote, because Spider-Man is the best superhero of all time. I will not hear questions on this. um
Jarrod Dyke: a
Grumpy Old Prop: But his line and in in um Civil War about how when you can when you have the powers that I have and bad things happen and you do nothing and then bad they even badder things happen, they happen because of you.
Grumpy Old Prop: And so it's like you, Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, like, and they're not alone.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fucking our shit ass governor, Maura Healy, loves ICE as well. She's fucking useless. Democrat, that's what they are. um like if if Like, if you don't step up, people will step up in their place. And you need to you need to exert your authority and and assert your legitimacy. Otherwise,
Grumpy Old Prop: Again, the things the places we as a country are going, there's guidebooks through history.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So let's not do that. But we don't seem to be able to get that from from the quote unquote opposition party here.
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it's... And it's... and yeah i I take Ben's point big time with when it comes to the people that should be doing something about this besides you know civil servants that should be protecting us, but like, and, you know,
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: you know law enforcement that's not this Gestapo, for lack of a better term at this point.
Grumpy Old Prop: h
Jarrod Dyke: it yeah We've seen too much inaction over the years with few exceptions, and the few exceptions are thought to be radical people. It's like, well, one number one, we're fighting radicalism on the other side. So, yeah, it kind of takes that to fight it.
Jarrod Dyke: And at the same time, like, they're not that radical they're just fucking being rational and caring about people in the end like i don't know why that's radical like i'm i'm always baffled as to that like that this is the the idea to protect people from you know shit bags anonymous as it were
Grumpy Old Prop: Right, right. right
Jarrod Dyke: ah having it be a radical idea just what what world are we living in what universe are we living in where that that becomes a you know a crazy idea. It's like, this is not, that should not be a crazy idea.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, that's terrifying in so many ways, but that's considered ah ah wild idea. And, you know, I say it all the time, and there are many people that have said it better than I can, but like, I can't make you understand that you should give a shit about people.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah,
Jarrod Dyke: if I have to do that as an adult, you're gone. Like you're already gone. I, I, I, you know, you know, and, and really in, it sounds kind of, you know, holier than thou, but it's one of the reasons that I like coaching and i like coaching the level I do.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah there's.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: I coach young, I took, I coach high school kids where they're very impressionable. And, you know, if I can get one kid to fricking turn that switch from the bullshit that we see in the norm and for them to be like, oh Maybe I should care about other people besides myself first. And then I can care about the shit that affects me the most. Like we can do that.
Jarrod Dyke: Then we're doing good. But yeah, so it's, you know, it sounds silly and, you know, self-righteous whatever you want to call it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Also,
Jarrod Dyke: But, you know, it's my ideas at least.
Grumpy Old Prop: also last bit on that is, is I remember I grew up, you know, I came of age, I guess in the nineties. And I remember people talking about like Ruby Ridge and, um,
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, oh, you need your guns because the government's going to come bang down your door and and shoot you in the street. And it's like, hey, you Second Amendment folk, um what you said you wanted to prevent from happening is happening.
Grumpy Old Prop: Step up. Because here's the other thing about legitimacy.
Grumpy Old Prop: Once decent people get power and your whole argument is... Guns are a right and we need them because blah, blah, blah, that you did. You proved that you were unwilling to step up and do You don't have much of an argument.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: and And when it comes time to ban guns and people just just decide to fucking do it because they've had enough of your shit. You will just be sitting there with your dick in your hand because. You had the opportunity to show, yes, this is why I needed a gun.
Grumpy Old Prop: And you chose to, well, vote for more of it. So no, go fuck yourselves. I will have no sympathy on the the the Second Amendment enthusiasts who are proving that their entire...
Grumpy Old Prop: um There you go.
Jarrod Dyke: Argument is bullshit. It's
Jarrod Dyke: so like, your argument was definitely self-serving.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like at some point, yeah, step up or step the fuck on.
Jarrod Dyke: and That's all it was. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Agreed.
Jarrod Dyke: Fucking hell. We're in trouble, folks. That's all I know.
Grumpy Old Prop: We need an adult.
Jarrod Dyke: Been in trouble for a while.
Grumpy Old Prop: We need an adult.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: We do. We just need an adult. One.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Please.
Jarrod Dyke: Please.
Jarrod Dyke: ah Anyway, um make sure that you grab our Patreon. we appreciate everyone that's been our been patron for last few years. We are gonna we will have Six Nations stuff coming up. I'm almost done with that.
Grumpy Old Prop: I did put out free content for those of you who are are not patrons or that the the normal fantasy analytics I put out last Friday.
Jarrod Dyke: So those are that's true, actually, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So you can still check them out. I know there's no prem going on, but you can at least get a ah feel for a sense for you know what you can get there too.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. We'll, we'll, we'll get back to Prem in March. Don't worry.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. It'll come back.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Um, but anyway, grab that. Uh, okay. Um, let's, so Ben, I were talking before we got on, got on the, on this thing and hit the record button.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, rather than talk about the games from this past weekend, cause three out of five of them were pretty poor and even more than one of them wasn't that good.
Jarrod Dyke: So, um,
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Mm
Jarrod Dyke: we're going to, well, we're at a mostly natural halfway point at this point with a break where we're one game into the second half of the season. So appropriate spot. We we wanted to kind of just take a look back at the prem that's happened so far by team by team. And, you know, we can talk about where we thought they would be and where they are.
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: And there's a couple of teams that are definitely on that list that are a little bit on the extreme. um And then we'll just work out and work our way through that, and we'll send you guys on your way, and you don't have to listen to us talk about superlatives or anything like that.
Jarrod Dyke: we don't even have pick them. So it's lucky you guys.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's nothing to pick except my nose.
Jarrod Dyke: Don't have to. No.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, my butt.
Jarrod Dyke: Let's see. I got a few more offers.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay. there's There's two things for me to pick.
Jarrod Dyke: don't know about you.
Grumpy Old Prop: of ah um I'll be okay. Okay.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay. um So, yeah, let's, um and we'll, and we'll do it kind of democratically. We'll do, we'll go alphabetically. That way we're not pinging into, yeah, yeah, there you go.
Grumpy Old Prop: ha
Jarrod Dyke: Word of the day. um so And let's talk about just Bath overall right now. They currently sit second in the Prem. They're four points in front of Bristol and two points off Northampton for top spot.
Jarrod Dyke: Cruising to a... it Not cruising, but looking good for a home semifinal end of the season here.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: So... Really, if for me, it's... Everything's fine for Bath. There's nothing to lose your shit about. the you know if that If I'm them, I'm just praying that everyone comes to the Six Nations as healthy as possible because the team they have is good enough to repeat unquestionably.
Grumpy Old Prop: right
Grumpy Old Prop: It's more than good enough. I mean, they, yeah, they've added to, right.
Jarrod Dyke: and they could And on top of that, they could do damage in Europe too, so
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, good squad. I, I am not sure where I am with you on Ben grand. Um, this team does not need to do that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, six, two, they've got so many playmakers. Like you gotta to get, I think they need, and they're, they're, they have loose forwards who can go 80. eighty That's not a problem.
Jarrod Dyke: o
Grumpy Old Prop: um so I don't understand why they need ah you know multiple loose forwards. they've They've got such depth there, too. It's like you don't you can play one guy 80 and then rest him for two weeks and play him again if you're really that worried about load there.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, and they're they're not afraid to rotate them either, but they've shown that too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. They do that anyway. it's just...
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: it's just Puzzling to me to go with that and and his his focus on on physicality, I think is unnecessary, given their talent in the loose, I think ultimately where I am with with them is they're a fucking great team that could be that if they had a more expansive minded coach.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um they'd be running away with this thing. Although that would mean just two fewer losses. So it's not really that big a deal, but they would be like, you know, instead of contending for it, they'd be the odds on favorite.
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: And I don't have them as that just yet.
Jarrod Dyke: No. Yeah. And while they may be a slight favorite, they're not odds on by any means whatsoever.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: They're not, they're not going run, they're not going to run it out the water.
Grumpy Old Prop: They're just a good team.
Jarrod Dyke: And to your point,
Grumpy Old Prop: That's going to be, that's a tough out. That's what they are.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Oh, always. um To your point, like they have. So Ted Hill has shown prevalence to play lock.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And if you are so desperate to have two loose forwards on the bench, I say have him be your 19 and pick one of your other amazing back rowers that you have as your 20. And that's that. And that's that.
Jarrod Dyke: And you know you don't need 23 where that's a forward. You can make your 23 a back.
Grumpy Old Prop: right
Jarrod Dyke: They have done it sometimes. It's not totally that way all the time. I think it wasn't last week. It was a few weeks ago. they were well they had three ah They had three forwards. They had three backs on the bench and I thought it served them well.
Jarrod Dyke: And I was just like, okay. Might have been against Exeter actually. Now think about it. think they had three backs on the bench.
Grumpy Old Prop: And that's a good that's a good strategy versus Exeter. I love it.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, run on them.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, yeah i mean as we talked about before. um Yeah, there's there's... Other than that, there's not a lot to dislike about this team. There really isn't, like...
Grumpy Old Prop: No, there isn't. There's so much to like about them. um Just all the way through. and And also, let's not let's bear in mind that this is a team that is they've got some some injuries on the backs, too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Now, like, um yeah, like the Glanville got hurt the other week.
Jarrod Dyke: It's terrifying.
Grumpy Old Prop: it was oh So the Glanville gets hurt.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, yeah. We'll just put Santi Carreras in there. Fuck you.
Jarrod Dyke: Carreras back there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fuck you.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, it's just not fair. mean, you know, like they still have but Lawrence has been hurt. So it's like, you know, a Jomo and Harris oh or Redpath or but but is is not playing like but this this year he's he's playing well.
Jarrod Dyke: They've had Jummo or Redpath or Butt. Right. if
Grumpy Old Prop: And then you still have, hair you know, Arendelle, even though, you know, coconut signal, I guess, was hurtless or maybe he was just getting a arrest. And you still have your Will Muir's and apparently this Louis Hennessy guy looks pretty good too.
Grumpy Old Prop: So.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he looks good too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fuck.
Jarrod Dyke: So, yeah, they've talked about him for a little bit.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fuck you.
Jarrod Dyke: And yeah, and they have... And one of the my favorite things about the development for Beth is Ajamo's ability to play 10.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, we saw it...
Jarrod Dyke: not, not long ago, but in ah in a really kind of a throwaway game. And then this year, obviously Russell was arrested because of lions duty.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: So he, yeah, he stepped in and started the year off quite well for them.
Grumpy Old Prop: he did.
Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, they didn't, they, they're, they have, yeah, like to your point, they have two blips. One of them was an outstanding performance about Northampton, which we'll obviously, we're obviously to talk about later.
Jarrod Dyke: i couldn't believe that performance from them and, uh,
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: at the rec, I was just like, whoa. And everybody was. their room's Most of the league was floored by that. were like, what the fuck happened?
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Grumpy Old Prop: What did you do?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, and then they they had a, quite frankly, they had piss-poor performance at Welford Road back in October. And everyone, there so many teams have piss-poor performances at Welford Road.
Jarrod Dyke: It's not a new thing. So, you know, there's nothing to be...
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Harlequins did this past weekend.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah No, that was at the stoop, sadly.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, exactly.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I know.
Jarrod Dyke: i wish I wish I had better news for you on that one.
Grumpy Old Prop: i havem pretty I'm pretty sure, based on the way that game went, that was a
Jarrod Dyke: You would have thought that too, and no, I'm pretty sure that one was at the stoop, but that's that's so sad.
Grumpy Old Prop: I, I, I, George, I think, I think George caught my sarcasm. I said that in our group chat too, because I was like, man, if this was at the stoop, it'd be so embarrassing for, for Quinn's, but, um but damn, going into Welford Road, that that's, yeah, it's tough for anybody.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, I think he either reacted or sent something bad.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Mm hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, so not not much to be concerned about for the sake of Bath in good shape and with depth to be had. they're go They'll lose depth as it sounds like they're going to continue to lose some guys. Guys are going to start to leave and drop. you know i think the the bigger, for me, the the biggest signing for them in the offseason wasn't Carreras, it was Frost.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And he was huge this past weekend.
Jarrod Dyke: because that gave them a very dynamic... And 2-2-2 coming through is has obviously helped as well, but that gave them a very dynamic hooker to call upon.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Dunn is just an old warhorse. He's always been there. He knows how to do things.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: He's never going to be pretty by any means whatsoever, and Frost is so much more dynamic.
Grumpy Old Prop: No.
Jarrod Dyke: Gives them a nice 1-2 punch as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: It so does. It so does because that that's going to be big when you get to the knockouts and Dunn's your starter.
Jarrod Dyke: and
Grumpy Old Prop: and then But he's like, Tommy, give me a hard 50 minutes. Just hard as fuck.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: And then we're going to bring in the runner.
Jarrod Dyke: you know and And then that's not a shit on Niall and Net by any means whatsoever.
Grumpy Old Prop: No.
Jarrod Dyke: the dude The dude did so much by his own right, but yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: He did, but he was more of a Tom done type, especially once he once he arrived.
Jarrod Dyke: um Wasn't just, yeah, i agree.
Grumpy Old Prop: So this it's it's a good like, you know, now you've got two different style of hookers that both are great at what they do.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yes, sir. right, let's go to their their neighbors. The noisy neighbors, as some people get that reference. um Yeah, Bath have shown...
Jarrod Dyke: So here's the wonderful thing about Bath this season thus far, is we know they'll chuck the ball around the paddock, and it'll be so much fun to watch more often than not.
Grumpy Old Prop: mean.
Jarrod Dyke: Not yeah not everything's perfect.
Grumpy Old Prop: you're talking about You're talking about Bristol now, right?
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah. Sorry, Bristol. Sorry. does it I said bath, didn't I?
Grumpy Old Prop: That's okay. Yes, you did.
Jarrod Dyke: I'm still sick.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: I'm still sick. I'm definitely copying that to that. Bristol. Bears. Apologies, Bears fans. What i love about Bristol so far is they'll, as I said, chuck it about um sometimes to a fault. um there Live by the sword, die by the sword.
Jarrod Dyke: They're now figuring out ways to do it ugly too. They did it twice against Exeter where it wasn't pretty, but they got the job done. And and one of those games was in dog shit weather, which was the one this past weekend.
Jarrod Dyke: All those people that were loving Sandy Park and how great those conditions were in the in the fall during the World Cup. I could have told you this was coming.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: um so we've Ben and I have seen this movie plenty of times. I think you all have too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: um But they found ways to do it ugly. they did it And they did it against Sale, too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, Sale turned that into a rock fight. And Bristol not only were able to survive, they actually were able to do it in the end kind of handily. Not overwhelmingly, but kind of.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: You know, it was, I'm not sure there was ever really a threat to them in the end.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I mean, the scoreboard I didn't think was... Yeah, exactly. um
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: you know the one For me, their one blip is the loss at Saracens where they had so many injuries hit them at once. And I was like, sorry, guys.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. What are you going to do
Jarrod Dyke: like And and for whatever reason, Saracens weren't shit that day. So they they they got they got ran over and that happens.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: But um yeah, solid again, solid squad. they They had all those injuries at first. And to come out of that, you you lose. Okay, so game one, I believe it was, you lose your you lose your you fly half, you lose your scrum half, and you lose and you lose your winger.
Jarrod Dyke: AJ. Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: That's right. Randall got hurt too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Iretoya got hurt too.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yep. He's not back yet either.
Grumpy Old Prop: um No, he came back this week.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, was he?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I'm pretty sure.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. He was so, he was so absent at that game. I couldn't, couldn't told you anyway.
Grumpy Old Prop: Hold on, let me make let me confirm. But i'm pretty sure he I'm pretty sure he played this weekend. um Yep, he was 23. He played seven minutes.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Probably all can handle in that bullshit.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. um Yeah, I'm sure if it was nicer weather, he'd come on a little bit earlier. But ah you lose three of them in in like game one. And here it is, you know, you're at the halfway point and you have two losses on the season.
Grumpy Old Prop: And you're, you know, number three in the standings.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fuck that. I mean, that goes to show like they've they've had some some quality replacements. Tom Jordan has been excellent. And and we we on the pot have been talking about AJ is not being what AJ used to be.
Jarrod Dyke: Very good. Yep. Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: So there had to be a transition plan. and and you know, that luckily, Bristol did it right. Maybe maybe a year late. They probably should have done it last year. um Found someone.
Grumpy Old Prop: But. um they did for this year and and boy did that help out and then Kieran Marmion has been otherworldly
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, man, he was so good in Randall's absence. that You can't... um That can't be overstated, by the way, how good Marmion was about this team.
Grumpy Old Prop: right yeah right mm-hmm
Jarrod Dyke: Because while Tom Jordan was doing so well, he had his own injuries that he had to deal with. So Marmion had to be the calm, steady hand for Worsley, who did well in many, many games.
Jarrod Dyke: He had some young moments and screwed up here and there, no no doubt, no cluster about it.
Grumpy Old Prop: But how good is that going to be down the road?
Jarrod Dyke: But there were... the Oh, they're good. Those those moments are going be so invaluable to him going down the road and they're still third.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And they're still dangerous.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: They're still going to be like, you know, Saints and Beth would feel like confident going toe to toe with them. But at the same time, knowing that, oh, no, these guys could jump up and kick our ass.
Grumpy Old Prop: And pretty much everybody else in the league is like, I don't want to play them right now or ever.
Jarrod Dyke: Well, one of Northampton's losses is to Bristol.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. ah two they're They're one loss.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, that is that one last year, right? Sorry. we We haven't got to them yet. that's why That's why I don't have that in my head.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. um
Jarrod Dyke: how will you Excuse me.
Grumpy Old Prop: But yeah, it ah this is a solid team and they're doing Pat Lamb proud. And that's a what was it? That that match against um Bordeaux.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: First off, their last two, I should say their last two Champions Cup matches too were were just some excellent rugby. And a team that, you know they they get to get you know, they get their shit together. They're going to be a tough out in the Champions Cup too. They they could go, you know, what, quarterfinals?
Grumpy Old Prop: ah that's um It seems like England teams don't really get past there very often.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked.
Grumpy Old Prop: so
Jarrod Dyke: No, I know.
Grumpy Old Prop: im But they're a team that could. And then the game against the Bulls was ridiculous to go on the road and just stomp them like that.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: To go down there and and do what they did and the way they did it, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Yeah, dangerous team that's going I love watching them. They're my side piece for a reason.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, they're they're a lot of fun to watch and certainly... on the short list of, you know, I have a choice of teams to turn on right now and show people what, what the good stuff looks like there.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's that. krista
Jarrod Dyke: They're, they're on the list and that's not very long.
Grumpy Old Prop: They are.
Jarrod Dyke: You know, certainly not when it comes to English teams, you don't need to spend too much time on the next team because they're not on my list.
Grumpy Old Prop: No. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: ah
Jarrod Dyke: I, and people will say, Oh, you're biased. Maybe their league position is a falsehood. they're where they are and i can appreciate that and respect that they're only a point off of top four i feel like they've gotten so a little lucky here and there exeter
Grumpy Old Prop: we, oh, that's right. Yeah, I know. I was going down the because you went Bath and Bristol. I was, I'm looking at the table. And so I was like, oh, oh we're going Leicester next.
Jarrod Dyke: nope nope no skip two skip two on that one um
Grumpy Old Prop: No, no. Oh. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, i i can't I can't back them. I will say this. I'm glad Fisilow got picked for en England. I don't know if he's been sent home yet because we know that's something that Borthwick would do.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: But if there's going to be a team, loose forward that's picked from this team, I can appreciate Fisalow. I've been a ah you know a quiet fan of his for a little while now.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: So I can say ah happily that I'm good with him getting picked.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: And I think he's but between him and Faye Woboso. Those are the damage makers. That is it. for this team everyone else and you know another podcast that i've listened to more recently is just blowing up their stuff and saying how good are they're not playing good rugby they're leaning on two or three guys to make plays and that's it they're not and i'm not talking about play makers i'm talking about special individual efforts that are required for guys to for guys to come through like
Grumpy Old Prop: Hey.
Jarrod Dyke: You know, I don't, I will say this. I think Tom Hooper is a better second rower than he is a loose forward at both club and country level. So the fact that they're deploying him as a six so often, i don't think speaks to how good he is as loose forward.
Jarrod Dyke: i think it speaks more to the strategy of the team. And I don't say that, and I say that would say by meaning that's not a good thing, in my opinion.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: It's the same old Exeter. There's nothing new about them.
Jarrod Dyke: Shane to bed.
Grumpy Old Prop: there's i think i don't like i think for for like a couple of weeks there, we were saying they really haven't played anybody. But I mean, they like that's that victory against Saracens was entirely Saracens just shitting every single bed.
Jarrod Dyke: chain to bed
Grumpy Old Prop: And there's nothing about Exeter that I'm like, wow, that's impressive. Fizzle outside. um I really feel like Faiwa Boso is overrated at this point. Like he had a couple of good runs, but man, he's been a fucking ghost so much of the season. i didn't know he's been hurt too, but like, i feel like people treat treat him like he's like Louis BLBRA.
Grumpy Old Prop: Cause it's like, Oh, he's a playmaker.
Jarrod Dyke: He's definitely not that.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's a bolter.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's like, no, he's a guy who, what Exeter does is they get you like they, they try to like, i mean, they just go one, one hits one ups. Like they don't really play much off of second receiver.
Grumpy Old Prop: They just will run at you. And then, yeah, every so often then they're like, okay, now we're going to spin it wide. And yet if you give Fayouaboso, you know, 20 meters of space, he's going to make people miss. going to make it it look silly and and that this and that. But like, if you play a team that's disciplined in defense and just keeps themselves spread, he is fucking ghost.
Grumpy Old Prop: And so it's like, yeah, as you said, like they rely on the other team making mistakes and they pass it wide and they let Fay Waboso, they let Hodge, Brown Bampo run.
Grumpy Old Prop: But these aren't guys who can make their own space. And so
Jarrod Dyke: I just development has been so stagnantly.
Grumpy Old Prop: It has. he if anything, it's gone backwards. But also, another guy who keeps getting hurt.
Jarrod Dyke: He's he's got he's on his way out the door anyway.
Jarrod Dyke: He's on the way out the door anyway.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. So... um Yeah, not... Like... i don't I don't think there's any way they make the... um Like, really, everybody... And honestly, everybody below Exeter is shitting the bed. Except for Newcastle, who are just terrible.
Grumpy Old Prop: Every single team that's below Exeter are not playing anywhere near their potential and Exeter are playing kind of above their potential.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, the punishment of other weight, I think that's fair to say. think that's fair to say.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, yeah, they are where they are. But if, if if you know, Saracens in sale and fuck Quinns. Gloucester looked good this past weekend, but fuck, what does that mean? That was just ah because it was a derby. Like, it was if it was, like, you start, right, you start making that the way you play, now we're talking.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that was there that was their final right there.
Grumpy Old Prop: But, no. But, like, yeah, between Quinns and Sale and Saracens, all three of them should be ahead of Exeter by the end of the year. I don't think they will, but they should.
Jarrod Dyke: Right. Yes, sir unfortunately, two teams that are probably a little too far low at this point, um barring some sort of wild hot run.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, like really all four of them. It's going to be, know, Sale could catch fire.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: They're one that could leapfrog them at some point or another, but it's going to require it as our team.
Grumpy Old Prop: Kunz are too far gone. um Saris still could too, but but should they?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yeah it's definitely it's definitely been it's definitely been separated into top six. Yeah, and we didn't even talk about McCall. We'll talk about him. We may talk about him when we get to Saracen, so don't worry about that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, we'll get there.
Jarrod Dyke: um ah Gloucester, we just talked about them briefly.
Jarrod Dyke: I'm here's the thing. And maybe this is how it goes from here forward. They started playing Charlie at 10, Charlie Atkinson at 10, which was probably the best move they could do. And again, if they're missing fullbacks, George Barton has shown he's prevalent enough to play a fullback at fullback for them.
Jarrod Dyke: In the past, why they didn't make this move before, I understand in a little a small part because you got to follow the money. And they signed Ross Byrne for some decent coin. I assume, i I'm guessing he's their flagship guy, which is yikes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sad. Bad decision there.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, terrifying.
Grumpy Old Prop: Very bad decision.
Jarrod Dyke: that's ah That itself is a bad decision.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like at that point, just keep fucking Santi Carreras. Make him your your your guy.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, pay him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Why? Why? Why let him out the door and for whatever?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, so there's that. They, yeah, they find, it's the the sad thing is they find ways to lose.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah They do. they They, you know, I'd say the bottom three teams are very good at doing that right now.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, right now they are.
Jarrod Dyke: Finding ways to lose. They really are. And it's just, it's hard to eat.
Grumpy Old Prop: And that's unfortunately been ah an issue with Skivington, is that his teams do that.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I mean. Well, yeah, we just talked about McCall. He's probably the next one on the way out if it's not Sanderson.
Jarrod Dyke: that's That's my two cents on that one.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, and I think Skives...
Grumpy Old Prop: But Skivs deserves it more than Sanderson or McCall right now. Because we know Skivs has been on the hot seat.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: And yeah, they had a good year last year relative. um
Jarrod Dyke: But you got back it up.
Grumpy Old Prop: But man, like you're right.
Jarrod Dyke: You got back it up one after the other.
Grumpy Old Prop: Because look at look again, go back to Bristol. Like was it two years ago? Pat Lamb was on the the hottest of seats.
Jarrod Dyke: He was a very hot seat at that point. Yep. Agreed.
Grumpy Old Prop: And now it's like none it's like, yeah, I know we had a we're having we're we're going in the wrong direction, but let me turn it around. Some of that is move the the ability to move on from AJ into some younger talent and and actually and continue playing.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: But man, where is it and in in Gloucester? they have a good They've had a solid squad. You couldn't even get Zach Mercer to look good.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I mean, he when he got fucked by England, I think he gave up.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: So that's not entirely their fault.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I think that's true, too. It's not. But like, there's got to be some sort of let's let's let's fuck them up.
Jarrod Dyke: But, I mean, on the subject of back row, like, they haven't done themselves any favor in that spot. Like, i Jack Clement is the only one that I'm terrified of.
Grumpy Old Prop: No.
Jarrod Dyke: But that makes it easy to defend because there's nobody else that's a threat there.
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, supposedly Trenholm's going to come good. Supposedly Zipman is going to come good at some point.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, most.
Jarrod Dyke: But it's got to happen soon.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, those those two could. But like. then Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Or they're fucked.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: i don't I don't see it.
Grumpy Old Prop: And I'm not sure. Like, I feel like guys who are bolters who are real, just like difference makers generally do it right away.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's one of those, oh, i I like, like Ben Earl, he came onto the scene. It was like, oh, oh, okay. Okay. You know, we've seen that with, with, with, with Pollock.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he you put his hand up real fast.
Grumpy Old Prop: We see that with guys like even, you know, ah Chandler Cunningham himself, we'll get to next.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, and Dom Brown on that scene. Like there's guys who just like, when they show up you like, oh, hello. Like, I see you now. Like, that's good. Like there's guys like Fitz Harding who, who develop over time.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um um And then even some guys stagnate like a a Barbary who has who was like, oh, my God, he could be great.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: And and that's like, no, he's just really good and likes being jubby. OK, like that's what we're working with.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Agreed.
Grumpy Old Prop: But these guys like they little they should be showing good by now, and and maybe that's just this they're not being put in the right spots by the coach.
Jarrod Dyke: total It's a total possibility. So in that case, while I'm not, it's eaten, we see it in other sports all the time.
Jarrod Dyke: it's It's easy to say, sack the guy that's in charge and everything will get better.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Not always the case, number one.
Grumpy Old Prop: No.
Jarrod Dyke: And, you know, unfortunately, more or less, what happens what what firing someone one brings is the players have their attention turned up a little bit and go, oh, this happened while we were playing for this guy.
Grumpy Old Prop: a
Jarrod Dyke: And assuming that most of the players like this guy, you know, and sometimes you the locker room comes out and says, yeah, this guy was a dickhead, fuck him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Not always the case. assuming the cases that these guys all like skibs in this case, oh, shit, I just got ah really, ah you know, a decent coach and a good person sacked because ah I wasn't performing, and nobody on nobody in this nobody in the dressing was performing.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: So it's sad that that's what it takes sometimes, but... there's gotta to be a point in, if you're in that cluster boardroom and say, that says we gotta do it. And you do it in a classy way and you say, thanks George for everything you've done for us.
Jarrod Dyke: You know, you, but you to say he put in, he didn't put it in hard work would be totally wrong. i think we can all agree on that.
Grumpy Old Prop: right
Jarrod Dyke: And that's usually the case as well for anybody, but you just say, thanks for all the hard work and everything. But you know, this is where we gotta say, we gotta try something new.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: We got try something different and you're part of that equation.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Meaning we got to let you go. That's how it is. You know, it's not a, it's never at this point, it's not a knock on the person. It's not a knock on whether not you like the guy, but if you do it in a classy way, you can maybe salvage relationship down the road, you know?
Jarrod Dyke: So. Just got to do it, guys. I think it's just, it's you're there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: You're there. At that point, you just got to do it and be be done with it. Rip that Band-Aid off.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: You know? Another team that kind of got, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Speaking of which.
Jarrod Dyke: Well, they got they got fucked a little bit. So, I'm not totally going to send them to the show. It definitely screwed them up. having coaches leave, you know, right at the beginning and Wilson, Wilson didn't do them any favors, but you know, with his timing and sometimes you can't help it, but at the same time, like, Oh boy, like this has not helped.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that's yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, but like, here's my here's my thing with with with this Harlequins team.
Grumpy Old Prop: You still got the players who can get it done, and maybe, and and it's this is a, this is literally a plug-and-play situation.
Jarrod Dyke: You do. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's, here's the guys who want to, I fuck, take your pick, right? They've got such talent everywhere, at at at every position. And it's like, you know who can play. You know how they like to play.
Grumpy Old Prop: Just get them playing loose, freewheeling, old school Harlequins rugby.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Because your 10 fucking loves that shit. Your 15 loves that shit. You've got ridiculous wings who can burn you and don't you know they can create their own space.
Grumpy Old Prop: And And especially with that 10 and 15, especially with with Marcus and Tyrone Green. like You've got ballers out there. And I know Green's been hurt, but like man, since he's come back, they had been a different attack until this past weekend.
Grumpy Old Prop: What the fuck was that?
Jarrod Dyke: This past weekend.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: i'm I'm somewhat convinced that if the pass sticks to... I'm trying to offload to Bradley. The game changes. don't know if you saw that, but it's all that moment, but it was it was Merley.
Grumpy Old Prop: I don't think I did.
Jarrod Dyke: It was ah Merley started it, I believe, and it got to Northmore, Northmore, tried to give it to ah he was Bradley, the kid Bradley.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, yes.
Jarrod Dyke: And i was just like, if if that past stuck, I think at that point the game was still in question.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So things change at that point. Knocked it on. like Oh, man.
Grumpy Old Prop: But, like, I get that, and that happens.
Jarrod Dyke: So.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's just that they don't... They're too restrained. They're too buttoned down. I feel like whoever came... this Whoever is is really leading that rig over there is like, let's just...
Grumpy Old Prop: get back to basics and it's like no dude like this team doesn't do that you've you've put them in a bad and and like you're putting them in in bad spots with this and it's it's too buttoned down it's too paint by numbers and that's not quinn's and i have i have a a very strong feeling that when teams have, or clubs, I should say, have a thing, like,
Grumpy Old Prop: um You Quinn's being kind of freewheeling bears similar. The the the Gloucester women being the circus. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: You're the certain like, that's what you do. Like, you know, even coming to like the the um you know football where the Steelers are, you know, we're going to play pounded out tough you know football. And the Packers are like, we're going to be.
Grumpy Old Prop: um like cutting edge type. We're going to lead the charge into new types of of football. Like when those teams play with those personalities is when they're the best.
Grumpy Old Prop: it's like when, once your your club has developed a personality and what they do best, do it. That's how you win. It's like, okay, that's the way you want. That's that's your footprint. Then then be that.
Grumpy Old Prop: And the Quinns have that and they're just, they're they're they're they' I think it's killing their spirit. to to not be doing that. and And it is, I think, through not not so much a lack effort from the players' parts, but I think they're being restrained from doing what's what's effective.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, and it it is a different situation than what's happening in Gloucester, where I just don't think Gloucester quite have the quality that they need in a lot of spots, a lot of key spots.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: We talked about back row being one of them. Here, there is bags of quality all over the place. Front row probably being the one place that they're lacking a little bit, but they've more than made up for it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: You still have Finn Baxter. you still have You still have two internationals in Finn.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he's hurt.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, and George Turner. But like...
Jarrod Dyke: and Jack Walker, as much as I don't love...
Grumpy Old Prop: And Jack Walker.
Jarrod Dyke: I like Turner, rather than Walker, personally, that's just me.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, they're they're not missing quality by any means whatsoever.
Grumpy Old Prop: And TT Lamosateli. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: say... i'd say They need to, so first and foremost, they probably need to settle on a team because they do do a lot of chop and change.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: And I get that they were doing it somewhat for Champions Cup, but it's still like, you Jared Evans should not be playing 12 ever, ever.
Grumpy Old Prop: No, no.
Jarrod Dyke: Like that'll save you some headache. Will Evans has been banged up. That doesn't, he's been, he's definitely one of those guys that can make them go um let a fire under him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I think it is players just not being allowed to beat themselves in a way. And,
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Maybe it's because of how they feel about the way things have gone in general. Maybe it's coaching. Who knows? But some way or another, there yeah they're definitely in a straight jacket pretty much at this point.
Jarrod Dyke: you know They're being locked up and told, don't don't do these things that usually make you good. it's like or or Or aren't doing the things that make them good for one reason or another.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And it is, you know, it's got to be gone. ah The one bright spot is Lucas Friday.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's been very good.
Jarrod Dyke: He's been good. He's been very good.
Grumpy Old Prop: Especially because Porter was so bad.
Jarrod Dyke: He's kind of fallen off and talk about another team that needs to make that type of change quickly here. um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, been bad. Lots of, lots of things that can happen still, but probably a little too late and they may just do what Saints did last year and chuck all the eggs into the Champions Cup and try and get something out of that.
Grumpy Old Prop: h
Jarrod Dyke: TBD. Let's go Tigers. Again, we talk about that game. um Billy Searle. ah Anybody have that on their bingo board?
Jarrod Dyke: Anybody?
Jarrod Dyke: Not me.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, I'm not going to raise my hand on that. um Obviously, I thought it was going to be Bailey.
Jarrod Dyke: Definitely not me.
Grumpy Old Prop: But ah again, he's he's a little on the young side and and needs some seasoning first. um But, I mean, Searle was a good player for for Worcester.
Grumpy Old Prop: Maybe not at 10. But... um
Jarrod Dyke: He was mad.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. But to me, okay. So to me, Leicester are... Just a very consistent, not like, or I should say consistently good team.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like they have just been, they're they're theyre they're solid, they're disciplined, they they work well as a team.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that that's true. That is definitely true.
Grumpy Old Prop: and And even if they're not the most expansive team, although having Hassel Collins and Radwin, out there um really change that dynamic. Cause like you have that, like what that does is it's, and it's a different from the Exeter experience in that they still work the ball to space. That was, that's the intent for Lester. They just, they don't have outside of that hassle, Collins and Radman. They don't have that, that talent to do it exactly.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like their back row is not, um,
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: It's not not nothing to write home about, although Moreau has been excellent, and Ileone is also quite good, and I think they should work to get the two of them on the field together more often.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah agreed agreed yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: um It's like that those two and Liebenberg have been um just incredibly solid, and Rafel's good, but like...
Jarrod Dyke: that is the wildest thing to me, that back row. Like, they are so, like, gung-ho about Cracknell being the guy, and I don't see him being even a top four loose forward on that team.
Grumpy Old Prop: No.
Jarrod Dyke: Rafael, Ileone, Liebenberg, Mauro. i'm more I know Mauro's the new guy, but
Grumpy Old Prop: Fuck, I like him, though.
Jarrod Dyke: I don't see anything wrong with him at all, honestly.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's been amazing.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, you know, okay, you can't start him every week because, you know, he's still kind of new and you you're still trying to get ah get the feel out of him. Awesome, pull him off the bench. Great. And they're bringing in, are they bringing in Wayne right next year?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yup. Why?
Grumpy Old Prop: Why?
Jarrod Dyke: i I see him as a slight, slight, slight upgrade to Kraken. That's it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I do too.
Jarrod Dyke: I don't see him as more than that. And maybe he makes this, maybe he cracks the top four of this team, depending on who's still here next year. But yeah, I don't, yeah, I think I see Wayne Wright is super overrated as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: So that's thats that's the thing about these clubs that cry poor a lot.
Jarrod Dyke: So
Grumpy Old Prop: I don't have that much um
Grumpy Old Prop: sympathy, I think, for them. Like, oh, it's so hard to blah, blah, blah. What are you doing bringing in Wainwright to this team? Like, seriously, you look at this team.
Jarrod Dyke: no need.
Grumpy Old Prop: they've got They've got some young talent between Moreau. Even Sam Williams looked looks pretty okay this past weekend.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, i you've got these young guys, and you've got a mixture. You've already got the rough-and-tumble experience guys, like your Rafales and your Lievenbergs, who will do the fucking job.
Grumpy Old Prop: So it's like, why you spending money on that when you could then spend it in a different location? Like, they still... I'm still not in love with theres the centers. Parise's not withstanding. Woodward's been okay. Juan's been actually was pretty damn good this year.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I think that that's a guy that they need to let, they can let him walk, honestly, ah and maybe they will.
Grumpy Old Prop: Kata is just a... That's another guy. Like, he's a walking card.
Jarrod Dyke: um ah Yeah, oh, by the I think Rad went out for a little bit too. i think He broke his leg.
Grumpy Old Prop: farts. Yeah, didn't I think you pulled it he he pulled...
Jarrod Dyke: He broke his ankle.
Grumpy Old Prop: a here Yeah, just did a hammy, I think. Scoring a try or something.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay, yeah, because he posted a photo of him coming out surgery.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, fuck.
Jarrod Dyke: so um And then Van Portfully came off about 11 minutes from full-time with something.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Not sure it's going to risk his England spot or not, but...
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: um So hopefully that's not that bad. Yeah, and, you know, I'm... One thing... I was pretty happy to hear Parling getting a shot at coaching a team. He had done okay with Rugby Australia and and Rebels. I think he had at least cut his teeth to the point where he needed to get a look, and I think this was a great place for him to do it.
Jarrod Dyke: And I think he's getting a lot of it right. He's not getting it perfect. think that's fair to say.
Grumpy Old Prop: No.
Jarrod Dyke: I think he's getting a lot of it right. I think you yeah i don't know if Kata's hurt or if he's just decided that this guy is extra, but...
Grumpy Old Prop: i but I choose to believe the latter, but he's like, I can't do this guy.
Jarrod Dyke: I do too.
Jarrod Dyke: No. think So hopefully he's over him. um I think they made the right move. as Yeah. Nicky Smith's a decent guy, but just his penalty count and scrum time is not good.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm. No.
Jarrod Dyke: I think they made the right move of letting him walk. They have some young guys at Lucid. I think they're still exploring the idea of bringing someone in as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh.
Jarrod Dyke: So,
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, they have Turek Hafar who needs more planning time.
Jarrod Dyke: he He needs more game time. I agree. i agree. So there's there's a lot to like. There's a lot to like, both present and future coming in, Wainwright withstanding. I just hope you continue they continue to do the right things and that'll only turn into good things because as much as I'm annoyed by it,
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: If the Prem's going to be good and um entertaining and enthralling, Lester has to be good. there's There's no way around it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. They're a foundational, they're found like you don't need bath to be good.
Jarrod Dyke: Lester has to be good.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's fun when they are.
Jarrod Dyke: And they've had they've had their years where they were, quite frankly, piss poor. So...
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. um But also the same thing is like, It's the variety that you can get within the Prem between the the teams like the Saints and and Gloucester and Quinns and Bristol, who are the freewheeling types. And then you have Bath and Lester, who are the we're going to play good.
Grumpy Old Prop: Discipline team rugby and and just work you. um Saracens who used to do shit like that. um And then you have your like your exiters and sales who I think they want to be that. They just don't know how.
Grumpy Old Prop: And that's kind of sad because it's like your your aspirations like your aspirations are not to be the best team.
Jarrod Dyke: start to start at the top there
Grumpy Old Prop: It's to be the, oh, we're gonna be more physical. We're going to be like this or that. And it's like, dude, play good rugby. Anyway, Leicester played good rugby.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: They've always played solid. when they're good they play rugby that yeah i'll sit there and watch because it's it's it's entertaining it's not like you know the the dangling key shiny bright shiny object but it is the damn that's just some solid rugby
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: We've covered all four current top four teams.
Grumpy Old Prop: yep yes
Jarrod Dyke: Smart money's on all four of these teams making top four this year. Whatever it is, that I'm not trying to fuck around with, but think this will be all of them.
Grumpy Old Prop: i I would not be surprised if it just turned out to be this order.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, wouldn't be either. Okay, so Newcastle, the money's come in. They're starting to spend the money.
Grumpy Old Prop: They are. They are.
Jarrod Dyke: So, you know, they're they're bringing in some names, some guys are going to get you, get some buns in seats at Kingston, and then hopefully start to do some things on the field as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: But they're also not.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And you look how they're spending their money and it's it's in ways that are seriously going to help them.
Grumpy Old Prop: And so this isn't like, oh, we're just going to spend a bunch of cash and bring in a Wainwright. They're bringing in, hold on, who have they signed? I
Jarrod Dyke: So 2-2, they are bringing in Miller Mills. They're bringing in...
Grumpy Old Prop: like that.
Jarrod Dyke: um They're, uh, Tuima, they're ringing as well. Josh Hodge, they're ringing Um, yeah, they've been throwing some cash for around big time. Um, Finianofo is coming up there from the Hurricanes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay, here's the here's the list.
Jarrod Dyke: They're out there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Rafi Kork's coming. That's huge. Sam sam Graham.
Jarrod Dyke: That's right. That's a big one.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Also a big one. I think that's underrated. I think that's underrated.
Grumpy Old Prop: The Sova is going to be good. Like, yeah, this is a... frank on Okay. Yeah, that's a... They're getting good guys. Like, Hodge and Tuima are are losses for the Chiefs. I don't think the Chiefs really understand it that much. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: They don't see it that way, I would i would wager.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. that's That's just a good... like They're going to be solid.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah, Moffy's a one-year rental, so we won't see him after this year. um
Grumpy Old Prop: But that mean to bring in Satutu in his place, like aside from...
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, if they can keep most... Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: you know i think what the 20-minute red card is going to be Satutu's best friend. But um if he can kind of sort himself out in the prem, he's going to be... Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: and stop And knock that shit off, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Um... One guy... So there's probably two guys I would be pretty excited about if I was a Newcastle fan currently as it stands right now.
Jarrod Dyke: Um... Scrum Half, um... Boudini's Cruz. Um... Yeah, he had of a camera knucklehead moment this week, but overall... The last couple weeks, but overall still good.
Jarrod Dyke: Um... when't yeah wouldn't be mad about having him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And as always, as always Brett Conant is not the problem. And I actually think with the players that they're bringing in, you're gonna i think we're going to see Conant have you know a good twilight of his career.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it'll be it'll be interesting to see how they lean between him and and ah Chamberlain because they people rate rate Chamberlain pretty highly and i I don't think there's a lot of difference between the two of them, so we'll see.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I haven't seen much from Chamberlain to be that impressed.
Jarrod Dyke: No, I haven't either.
Grumpy Old Prop: But again, like, and then the only reason I am impressed by Connan is because if you look around him, and it's like, wow, there is nothing there, but he still gets the ball wide. The players just suck out there. And the problem is I've seen Chamberlain be the guy out there sucking it. So it's like,
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that can hurt. um Fairly young forward and might be too late for him to turn into too much, but Leatherborough has played pretty well for this team.
Grumpy Old Prop: you
Jarrod Dyke: I have to say, like ah that when he started getting getting some some picks in the 15, I started to notice him pretty significantly and pretty often, so...
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, yeah, he's got an awesome name.
Jarrod Dyke: I mean, besides that. and
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah,
Jarrod Dyke: But he's he's looked good. So, you know, I like a lot of him. I i think he's, I would, but I choose to believe he's in their best one. And that means Tom Gordon probably gets kicked out of the back row for them in their best team.
Grumpy Old Prop: Tom...
Jarrod Dyke: So, and I think that's actually, you know, a positive for them.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah tom tom
Jarrod Dyke: If they can afford to get him, he's probably not going to go further than the bench, unfortunately.
Grumpy Old Prop: Tom Gordon was ah was a ah Steve Diamond player.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's not...
Jarrod Dyke: Yep, and you can see it sometimes too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, not that fast. Extremely physical. Toes the line of of, is it clean or not?
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm. So that'll be, I think if they let him, if they hang on to him and let him develop, then there's good things to be had there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Uh... Moving on top of the table. I guess we hadn't talked all about all four them, but we had hit St. at least three or four times. um Northampton.
Jarrod Dyke: I mean, really their one blip of recent was Bordeaux. Like that's, that's it. Like they've, they've performed well.
Grumpy Old Prop: o
Jarrod Dyke: And Finn's been, Finn Smith's been banged up and, know,
Grumpy Old Prop: Below has been amazing.
Jarrod Dyke: has been that That is such an underrated signing, and it was not talked about enough. And I remember seeing it and being like, is this the Claremont guy? And yep, sure enough, i was like, okay, that's solid 10 cover right there.
Jarrod Dyke: That is solid 10 cover, especially where they knew Furbank was not going to start the year healthy.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, he's,
Jarrod Dyke: Like, that really did them so many favors to have a guy of his quality.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And it to just drop him into this team, too, by the way, is like,
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: like I gotta believe he saw that and said, holy shit, this is gonna be fun.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes, right. i mean, and and we mentioned it before with with when we were talking about Bath, but Below was the 10 against Bath.
Jarrod Dyke: Yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: So it's like, it doesn't even need to be Finn for them to to route some fucking quality side on the road.
Jarrod Dyke: Yes.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So we look at it.
Grumpy Old Prop: So yeah, I mean, this is a... And then, you know, Todaro's been um amazing as well. at What an ad he he's been.
Jarrod Dyke: Pulling him up from lower ranks. Yeah, big time.
Grumpy Old Prop: And, like, not that they needed another back three player, but...
Jarrod Dyke: He's got to start for Italy. Right, he's got start for Italy.
Grumpy Old Prop: And then even Furbank being out, and you you put Hendy in there, and he's just been a tri-scoring machine, too.
Jarrod Dyke: Hendy's been great. Yeah, Hendy's been very good. Like, so almost almost took it up another level from where he was, even.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like... So this is what I'm saying. So, like, you you look at the way Saints... structure their, like, you just look at the the structure of their team, right?
Grumpy Old Prop: who and And who they're paying money to.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And like, they're doing it right in that, yeah, they're paying Kemeny a lot, I'm sure. um Probably paying Callum Chick a little too much, but he's also ah very much a glue player and can help.
Jarrod Dyke: Decent coin probably.
Grumpy Old Prop: But man, you look at like the rest of the team, like Alex Mitchell, but i mean, he's homegrown.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: um you Finn Smith, not quite homegrown, but like they got him, like they handled that so well that, you know, transitioning from, um, Bigger at to Finn.
Jarrod Dyke: Defense path. Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: And, you know, they still have Hutchinson and Dingwall as some fantastic centers, and they do need to develop some more depth there. But, you know, Sleitholm, Hendy, Freeman, Furbank. like home Again, homegrown guys. Like, Furbank took a little bit to to to catch on, but, man, he's been amazing.
Grumpy Old Prop: And then same thing in the forwards. Like, you know, i mentioned Kevin E. Pearson was – no, he was with the London Irish. um
Jarrod Dyke: Pearson was, yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Pollock's homegrown. Cole's homegrown. They developed with from within and they they rely on their young talent.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: They're not just being like, okay, well, you can't play yet because you're too young. No. like They're going to play Pollock.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: If anything, Pearson's like, what the hell did I do to to get fucked over by this? Because I don't think he's getting enough playing time either. Although that's been significantly higher lately.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like they're, but they're, they're putting these guys in position to play and just letting him make plays. mean, they're even getting JJ Vander mesh like runs in the loose. Like he's, he's so much fun to watch like in the, loop although, you know, when you have the option to, to give the ball to to, Pollock or to JJ in, in wide open space in the future, I would recommend giving it to Pollock.
Jarrod Dyke: to Pollock.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he'll outrun JJ a lot more.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um,
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. So I think they should start looking at that a little bit more than that. Like lately, I feel like they've been throwing it to JJ in space in the middle of the field, which is. Could be a lot of fun, but he just doesn't have the speed to hit the gap that he needs to hit there.
Jarrod Dyke: No. No, no, no, no. Not at all. Not at all. Yeah, they have... This is... This is a really good team. Like, no way around it.
Jarrod Dyke: This is a really good team.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: And...
Grumpy Old Prop: And Tom James has been hurt and hasn't played that much. Like McParlin's been the one coming in and and he's been like, yeah, there's a dip, but man, he's, he's keeping up.
Jarrod Dyke: Nope. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like he's, he's not doing anything too super special, but he's getting the ball to the players it needs to get to.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-mm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And then, all right, I'm moving on to the next breakdown.
Jarrod Dyke: Right. Yeah. Doing his job.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's better than Ivan Benzel can say.
Jarrod Dyke: Ridiculous.
Jarrod Dyke: And i've i've I've said it before, and and I think it needs to be reiterated.
Jarrod Dyke: I don't know why people are... People are talking about Van Grand with good reason for many reasons. Why aren't they talking about Phil Dowson to the level that they...
Grumpy Old Prop: I have no idea.
Jarrod Dyke: that that That's a level like... Look what he did last year. kept him to it The last English team to get to a championship final was the exit of the year of COVID.
Jarrod Dyke: And then they started refereeing the fucking, you know, latch on players a little bit better. in that And that kind of crashed their their hopes out and and then he's had he's got out a title win.
Jarrod Dyke: And now he's in position to have you know a top seed in the Prem right now. And he'll they're they're more than likely going to have a home semifinal, either way you cut it. So... and And all this with... we talked about We just talked about all the chopping and changing they've had to do because guys guys are getting hurt as part of the sport, but they're still dealing with it well.
Jarrod Dyke: And...
Grumpy Old Prop: We have the depth to do it.
Jarrod Dyke: Dowson's the reason, though.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: like So, who... So before, i it just has to be said, Curtis Langdon was a huge loss to this team.
Jarrod Dyke: And he's not going to be ready until maybe the end of the season. Maybe. And that's if he that's if he's ready at all. He may he may call it good. um and yeah And while they haven't had a lot of performances that are notable off that two-shirt, they haven't had any to say, fuck, we need someone new.
Grumpy Old Prop: No, it's not ah it's not a problem area for them. I mean, Robbie's done ah ah a fine job.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, Smith and Wright have done quite well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, right too.
Jarrod Dyke: And I'm not a huge fan of either of them, but they haven't done any... They've stayed within themselves and contributed in the ways that they know they can, but haven't had to do a lot beyond that because there's so much more that to that can help them out.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. you're a sport you're You're a support player. like just when you get to get When it's your turn to touch the ball, run, take a good tackle, recycle the ball.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Don't fuck it. Don't fuck it up. oops
Grumpy Old Prop: Don't fuck it up. just Just do do that. And then once you're trying to make a tackle, make a tackle. And that's that's it.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: don't You don't need to contribute too much. Yeah, if you can make it to the back of them all and fall over, cool. That's excellent too. We need that. But that's not that difficult to do. It's it's really the just do the little things right in the loose.
Jarrod Dyke: No. Yep. Agreed. Agreed. So, yeah. Wouldn't be shocked if they're playing twig at the end of the season there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Nope.
Jarrod Dyke: Sale, sale, sale.
Jarrod Dyke: I've said it before I'll say it again. I don't have a ton of sympathy for a team who has an injury list as long as sales is when your play style is based on being a bully and an asshole and that is all you have.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: And you've also picked mostly bullies and assholes, especially in your pack.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, that's all there really is. And so i you know, you're losing your...
Grumpy Old Prop: Who do they have that's not that and the and in the pack?
Jarrod Dyke: Gibaloo.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that's about it.
Jarrod Dyke: But he's he's not great he hasn't been playing there long enough to have their bullshit yet.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah,
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, even Bevanrod, even for for a prop, and Opoku for Jorah, like, they're
Jarrod Dyke: if I like him.
Grumpy Old Prop: They're not shitty players. As far as like, theyre they don't play with shittiness.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: um But that's like, kind of it.
Jarrod Dyke: And there's... And so, and as far as our backline goes, there's one guy that... has really turned a corner for me in the last season to two probably two seasons and a half or two and a seasons, two seasons.
Jarrod Dyke: It's Bobby Dupria and playing in that 13 shirt. Like good things happen when he's out there and he has the ball in hand.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And he's, if you look at the things, the good things that happen for sale, it's because he's touching the ball, not Ford, not even Quirk, who I love. it's because he's touching the ball.
Jarrod Dyke: And that is a humongous loss for them next year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And I love Joe Marchant. I think I'm glad to see him back in the prem, but Marchant does not have the playmaker ability that Dupree is does. And he has learned and figured out how to apply what he does in a 10 shirt in that 13 shirt.
Jarrod Dyke: And it makes them good. The problem is the way they play doesn't get him the ball in those areas enough.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And that's exactly it. It's that that's entirely their style of play that, you know, as you said, it gets guys hurt and it it doesn't take advantage of there the the skills that they have.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's kind of a shit because like, you know, as you're saying, Bobby Dupes, but Masi White has been excellent.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he needs stay healthy too.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's another guy. Yeah. um But that's this thing, though. They're using him as that two-week style battering ram when it's like, man, you get him into space and now he's a big fucking huge ass load that has a head of steam and angles to run rather than just Main Street where, you know,
Jarrod Dyke: he's He's better than that.
Jarrod Dyke: Right. Easy to find that answer.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, because every time i see him like in like every time I see him crash, nothing great is happening. And every time I see him you know get get to space, amazing things happen.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's like, get him to space then. And you like it like you said, you've got two centers who who you can operate it with, you know like Dupes spinning it, Mossy White, maybe...
Grumpy Old Prop: um Like, you know take getting an offload, being there for a support pass. Well, you know, as it's coming back the other way, like you can use that. And especially with, you know, Aaron Reed, who's been hurt but and and Carpenter and Robo, like you've got these guys who were back.
Grumpy Old Prop: and Even Luke James was looking halfway decent. Wills is looking okay.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, O'Flaherty turned back the clock a little bit, too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, but how long is that going to last?
Jarrod Dyke: Well, it won't last long.
Grumpy Old Prop: And so it's, it's, but again, you're, you're kind of stuck because you're 10 is one in love with his own boot and two is not a distributor.
Grumpy Old Prop: I don't know any other way to say it. He's not, ah he doesn't get the, like, as you said, like when your, your centers aren't, aren't getting the ball in this, in the positions to make plays, it's because your 10 isn't doing it right.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's not getting the ball wide enough. It's all like a kick pass to, to cut out players or when things go right, he's just not involved, which that's not good.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: It can't be like when your off offense actually, your your attack operates better when your 10 doesn't get involved.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So you're doing like, and that's not a, you know, that's a either a you've got the wrong 10 or B you're playing the wrong style.
Jarrod Dyke: It's a
Grumpy Old Prop: And I think it's a little bit of both here, especially because this, the style of play for doesn't fit it.
Jarrod Dyke: little bit both. It's little bit both. Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's 95 pounds soaking wet. He's not your big physical guy. So of course he's going to back out because your whole philosophy is just to to crash it right into the other team. That's not his game.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, another guy. this So this is why, for me, this is why Sanderson's more on the hot seat than Skivs. Because we just talked about the, the but especially in the back line, the ass of talent that they have. Their forwards less so.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: um But the just mountain of talent that they have in the back line. And they're third from bottom?
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Fourth from bottom, excuse me. But they're 12 points off the next place. They're... um They're 16 points off of... So they're three they're four games back, minimum.
Jarrod Dyke: They're four games back. That's a lot right now.
Grumpy Old Prop: With eight to go.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. So you've got to find a way to claw that back in half the time. Like, that's that's a lot. And it just...
Grumpy Old Prop: It's a lot to ask.
Jarrod Dyke: ah So that's why Sanderson's on the hot seat more for me than... any And again, it brings back the whole idea of like, why is it defense coaches are the ones that are sought after for the for the head coaching jobs?
Grumpy Old Prop: don't get it.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah they're not they're there's nothing There's nothing super special going on in a defense that works.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's not yeah like.
Jarrod Dyke: you yes some guys are masters of it we talked about we've seen sean edwards we've seen steve tandy i i get it uh guzzy back in the day like i get it those those were really obviously really good coaches they had it down to a science there's a lot of them that have that down to a science though to be fair you know some of them are a plus some of them are just a some of them are b plus all of those still do good things on on a team um
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: But really, you what you need to look for is the guys that can understand how to ah coach an attack, which is why I think Andy Farrell is still a pretty good judge. I know people are shitting on him right now, but he got that island attack to play a lot better than anybody had before that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes, you did.
Jarrod Dyke: So, you know, and I know they're kind of, they're they're going through a really weird transition here, which is fine. This is the time to do it. Everyone bitches about how island peaks early all the time.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Maybe they won't this time and they'll finally peak in the fucking World Cup.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: you know, TBD. But point being is... The good ones are... we talked fricking Remember when Warren Gatlin had Warren Ball and how horrible that was to watch?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Like...
Grumpy Old Prop: But even he adapted. Like when he was when he was with the Chiefs, they were very expansive.
Jarrod Dyke: To a point, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: And and in other other teams he's coached, like they've been expansive. It's just for some reason, again, it's that, i think think it goes back to that again, the team personality, the club or country personality gets in the way.
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm...
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, yeah, like England, now apparently are a drop goal three points loving team because hey it won them a world cup i can totally understand it if your team hit a drop goal to win a world cup you might think that drop goals are the best fucking thing ever it's like right it's it's like i got laid to this song okay cool but it still sticks put it away
Jarrod Dyke: 23 years ago guys we need to get over that I think
Jarrod Dyke: better been the best better been the best lay of your life otherwise oh that's definitely not the best one I don't know about y'all but the first was definitely not the best
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah well right what was It was the first. Okay, that's great. But like, come on, man. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: No, no, no. No, no, no. Oh, gross.
Grumpy Old Prop: But like, yes, but it's so it's like you kind of have it can lead you down the wrong path. And um look, sale back to it.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, for sure.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sale could be the um a strong physical team that plays solid. Like they could be, ah like I said, a Lester. They could be a bath. although they're more closer to Leicester in the way their team is made up um in terms of kind of plotting forwards um who who aren't much of a threat and attack.
Grumpy Old Prop: And then ah just a back line that's disgusting. But that's not the way that they play. So there they are, 7th place, unlikely to raise up. They could get caught by Quinns if they don't watch their ass.
Jarrod Dyke: That's probably true. Yeah, and I know, and Sanderson's had more successful season than Skiv's by far, so so I understand that's kind of like a hot take for me to say he's more on the hot seat, but we just talked about a really good backline that is somehow four games away from being into the top four, which is not a place you would expect to be.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: But he's also now picked the groceries at this point. There's no question about that, so...
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes, that's the other thing is, yeah, he did what he he did very well with with Diamond's team um by just giving them a little bit better coaching. And now it's now it's his team, but the quality of players has gone down too.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, and he's he's picked Gus War over Rafi Quirk in terms of um terms of which guy he's keeping.
Grumpy Old Prop: i mean
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, get the fuck out of here.
Jarrod Dyke: i understand Quirk may have demanded a little bit more coin. I'd have paid him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: and Especially since he's in England 9, you should get a you get a little help from RFU. i don't know what the math on that looks like, but I'd still prefer that over. Yeah, anyway. um um Excuse me.
Jarrod Dyke: Last but kind of least in a way.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: hum
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Saracens. So you we haven't, and we're going to wrap up shortly here and and everyone's pain. um I have so much respect for McCall and everything he did for Saracens and,
Jarrod Dyke: you know The fun times were the fun times. They were. And shit, you know you and I were messaging earlier this year about the the last team that won the Champions Cup against Leinster, and man, what a team that was.
Jarrod Dyke: like
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Holy shit. there was It was so much there was so much fun to to be a part of that. but And there comes a point where the same, if not similar messages...
Jarrod Dyke: to a lot of the same players at this point. the The key players are very much the same for Saracens going from here, and least for the next few years. And it doesn't have the jab you need it to into their head where it's like, we need more of XYZ or you guys need to do ABC.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah you know, it's a lot of the same guys and, you know, Jinxie's leaving and whatnot, but it a lot of these guys aren't the ones that are the ones that were part of those teams, but have been hearing the same messages for the last, you know, 10 years.
Jarrod Dyke: So it's, it's kind of old news in a way.
Grumpy Old Prop: it is but there's deeper problems too and and it's i mean if we look player for player up and down the lineup
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, I agree.
Grumpy Old Prop: is this team much worse than, than, than they were when they were like talent for talent? Are they, are they that much worse than when they were winning
Jarrod Dyke: Nope.
Grumpy Old Prop: um title prem titles and champions cups? No, they're not that much different. They're, they're not as good. I will a hundred percent say because, and it's because of the team make it's because of the the selections that, um,
Grumpy Old Prop: that McCall's making and the the general form, like if Max Malin's was who he should be and who he has been the past, like every year of his career. um
Jarrod Dyke: Barring the injury from last year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. It would be, they'd be, he'd be ridiculous. And it's like, you, you would be seeing the, like ah um a, a Shagan calorie Malin's,
Grumpy Old Prop: And that's a fucking that could be a deadly combination for for for the next couple of years. I can't wait to to see it. But it's not happening. And Daly at 15, he's cocking it too much. The selections are... and Even this past weekend, you're you're playing Tomo and Laws against Newcastle. You should be playing puppies. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: your you your puppies And Faz's play, like, it's just, what you, what do you do? Like, that's the only, that's the only problem with the, you know, what's, who's the better team?
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: Because it, in many cases, it's the same fucking players. They're just older and not as good.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: And like, Daly is a, is a, he's a Timu version of a Timu, Alex Goode.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, he's like the knockoff of the knockoff right now. And, and, you need the OG. um But I mean, and I know Alex Bude's not walking through that door, but like, didn't figure out do something different.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: and But the style of play has regressed. I remember back then, Saris would like just kick the shit out of Exeter. like That would be just a dogfight.
Grumpy Old Prop: Or they would decide, you know what, we're just going to run around you and outclass you. And either way, they decided they would win. And now they're playing way too much without the ball. It's way too much like trying to be Tess rugby style, which is why i was you know I asked when we were talking about this in the group chat. It was like, is McCall going to be the next coach of England after...
Grumpy Old Prop: after this world cup because it seems like he's auditioning like i want to be i want to play i want to play the same way bortho does and it's like please don't because this is club rugby it's a different style it's you you gotta like just attack look at look at the top teams the top three teams
Jarrod Dyke: Please don't. Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: ah Fuck, top four teams, right? Top three teams can just run on you if they want to. And they want the ball. Like Northampton will play out of their own end. They they do not give a fuck. Leicester will play solid rugby, and they but they play ball in hand. If they kick it high, it's because they want Stewart to get up there and go get it for them.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like when you do that with Kalori, yes, that makes sense. But just take the aimless kicking battles that you get into with no plan and and all you're doing is is, you know, the other team is getting themselves ready and you're just trying to figure out when, I don't even know what the fuck you're trying to do, to be perfectly blunt. And then it's why it doesn't work out for you because there's no real plan to it.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's just, we don't want to play with the ball. if you don't want to play with the ball, just go the fuck home because that's the point.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: That was the point, right?
Grumpy Old Prop: Like that's, you know, the very basics of rugby. when You know, the first thing you're taught when you do a a coaching clinic is, you know, the the um f rugby is about possession and territory.
Grumpy Old Prop: And Saris don't want possession and they just aimlessly kick.
Jarrod Dyke: We haven't had either a lot.
Grumpy Old Prop: So they don't really care about territory. So what the fuck are we doing here?
Jarrod Dyke: No get territory. Yeah. No shit. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So could be a great team. It's amazingly underperforming, but because of the selection, like Louie Johnson should be playing at all somewhere.
Jarrod Dyke: Somewhere.
Grumpy Old Prop: Faz should be a rotational player. Tomo laws laws should be, uh, um, like remember Brad Barrett's last year when he was like, he'd occasionally show up and be like, you're going to go on the tour of like, Hey, it's my last game here, guys.
Grumpy Old Prop: Hi, nice to see you.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: And that's about it. Like you're more of an ambassador. That's really what laws is at this point.
Jarrod Dyke: Right. Yeah. if So...
Grumpy Old Prop: Especially when you have like Hartley and and and guys like that who can.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he needs more...
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: but he He could be good with some playing time. I want to see him develop.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm
Jarrod Dyke: i So... I think from here forward, we need to look at... um Giving... Branding him more time.
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Theoden needs to continue to start as much as possible.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Um... I like Marcus Street. We need to get Tuimaga out there a little bit more, though.
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: So there's that. So, yeah, i would have I would love to see Brandingham being in the team, no matter what, and carry and Maui rotating. um And then same for, you know, yeah, it could be Hadfield. It could be Richie. it could And then, but i have to sorry, could be Street, could be Richie, and then getting the other the the other guy who we just signed not that long ago.
Jarrod Dyke: Some rotation because he wants to be here. Sadiqa needs to play more. and And then we need to, you know our back row is solid.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: I'd like to see Michelot get a run and actually play. He hasn't played much.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And what little he's played, it's been kind of meh. So I'd like to see him get some consistency in terms of game times.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And then we can find out what do we have. If it's nothing, then fine. and You find out you have nothing, you let him walk. okay If it's something, then you're going to be very thankful that you gave him a run. um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: van sale need I know he's he's actually still got like another year on his contract after this, which is fucking ridiculous.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Let's let him walk. Maybe the coaching change but fucking pulls his head out his ass. Who knows? Bracken needs to start, though. Plain and simple. um Rotate Vince Allen, Gareth Simpson back and forth.
Jarrod Dyke: As you said, Farrell doesn't need to be in every 23, and I know he wants to be, and I know he commands that, but I don't give a shit. I'm so over that, I don't give a fuck. Burke needs to be 10, Louis Johnson needs to play almost every game.
Jarrod Dyke: um Shagan and Kalori should be our wings with, you know, once Elliot and Hall kind of come out come out of their injuries, I know they've they've both been very very banged up. Jack Bracken as well. Yep. Well, we need to see more of them. Hall apparently can play 13, which I would love to see.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: i was like, all right, let's sign up for that. And then, yeah, Hartley being your most days player.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: 12 with a cameo from Tomo, and then Sinti needs to be 13 as often as possible as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: So...
Grumpy Old Prop: But where's Sam Spinkman?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, he's kind of the forgotten man, unfortunately, and that sucks. Because when we signed him, I was excited.
Grumpy Old Prop: That's another, like, if you signed him, why are you playing Laz then?
Jarrod Dyke: bit
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, if you don if you wanted to give your...
Jarrod Dyke: he'll be on the, he I think Daly and Laws can be, can go out the door. And I love Laws way more than I love Daly. So that pains me to say about Laws.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Daly could not give a fuck about, um, Lazowski has been great since we had him. Um, definitely one was one of my favorite players in while he was on his up.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, thought he should have got more time with England, but now he's, he's had his time and I'm happy to just say, buddy, we need you every once in a while, but that's it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And when your contract's up at the end of the season, you're free to go. Sign where you want. We appreciate you. We love you. But it just doesn't make any sense right now. So that's that.
Jarrod Dyke: And it Barty and I were actually talking about this. like what you so I think what we signed Owen Farrell for and what Owen Farrell thinks we signed him for are two different things.
Grumpy Old Prop: right
Jarrod Dyke: And I would, if we were playing better rugby and we were actually in contention, well, we still are technically, which is wild to think about because we shouldn't be. If we played better rugby and we were contention for more silverware, I would live with Faz at 12 if we put Cynthia at 13 and Fergus at 10 and Bracken at nine.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes.
Jarrod Dyke: You know, there those are solid players, every one of them. Farrell can do his thing from 12, be a la the Brad Barrett with slightly more skill and less metal in his face, um and you know be that be that backline leader that we need without without problem.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: But we're not that good. We haven't played that well. Maybe we pull our heads out our asses once the break's over and see what happens. But yeah, Like, i yeah, I think in a contending team with Sarah, with this squad, the best team includes Farrell at 12, but we're not there anymore.
Jarrod Dyke: I don't know if we're going to be there the rest of the season.
Grumpy Old Prop: right
Jarrod Dyke: And should that be the case? Let's just, let's just make him a rotation guy and find guys playing time that need it.
Jarrod Dyke: So that's that.
Jarrod Dyke: ah Okay. We're here. We're back. It was a big one. We appreciate you guys for hanging out with us.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, But we'll be back. So we'll we'll do Six Nations stuff sometime soon. assuming but We're not totally fucked. But in any case, ah definitely look forward towards like Six Nations sheets, so and so forth.
Jarrod Dyke: But we appreciate you guys hanging around for us and being patient with us while we recovered from whatever the fuck was going on with us.
Grumpy Old Prop: the
Jarrod Dyke: But hopefully we'll be back next week. And I won't jinx us on that one too much. But thanks a lot for hanging out, everyone. and Enjoy your weekend, everyone.
Grumpy Old Prop: Later. later
Jarrod Dyke: Cheers.
