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Episode 12; Premiership Round 11
27 Plays7 years ago
The first "official" episode of the new year brings much to talk about. We talk about the possibility of rugby having too many subs (00:25), what's wrong with Wasps and if they can bounce back (4:04), commentators that bug us just a little (8:50) and the dream team (11:48). Also, all the action (and ugly incidents) from the weekend. Fast forward to your team's match if you want; NORvEXE (13:03) SARvWOR (19:00) GLOvSAL (28:34) HARvWAS (38:21) BATvLEI (47:09) BRIvNEW (55:09). We also bring up some players you may want to add to your team that haven't missed a game yet, yeah sorry might've just cursed them (1:09:49). Finally don't miss our picks for this weekends games (1:14:36). Don't forget to rate and comment on us, we want to hear from you.
Twitter jdyke8man & admrablsnackbar
Email questions at fantasyrugbypodcast@gmail.com
Music by Royalty Free Music provided by http://www.soundotcom.com
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Transcript
Festivus Special Intro
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey guys, this is Jared from the Fantasy Rugby Yanks. This is the rest of the episode that we recorded along with the Festivus Special. We join it mid-episode. Hope everybody enjoys.
Substitution Debate: Too Many?
00:00:24
Speaker
One more couple more things that we I want to touch on non game related and then we'll get into them. So a couple weeks ago, a certain retired fly off from England made a point about having to there being too many subs in rugby. Okay. And I don't necessarily agree with it. And I get his point, but I don't agree with
Evolution of Rugby: Prop Play
00:00:49
Speaker
it. Saying that, you know, players are are no longer
00:00:54
Speaker
fit in the ways they should be Where they and they and they just they only play for they only Train to be fit for 50 minutes and you're talking about mostly obviously your forwards Mm-hmm, you know, there's a reason that the the subs bench usually is split by three forwards give or take right one one way or the other
00:01:15
Speaker
And that's fine if you think that but I have to say The recent matches that I've watched where props are going 75 80 minutes. These are the good ones I understand and you know, you don't have a guy like census Johnson If you don't know who census Johnson is look him up guy was gigantic
00:01:31
Speaker
Um, you don't have guys like that walking around anymore and I get it What like in guys like that and guys that are just fat slobs. Yeah, and we know a couple of us You still have some you still have some in this game where they definitely don't belong out there longer than 50 minutes of the winter dying but I
00:01:48
Speaker
I don't agree with it. And it's like, oh, because now it's an explosive game. Yes, guys, guys are bigger, stronger, faster. That's not going to change because you take away subs. Right. That's not, you know, all of a sudden just disappear from the game. Sorry.
Safety Improvements in Rugby
00:02:00
Speaker
So I understand the safety issue, though. I mean, you know, you can't have guys play so much rugby. And it used to be it used to be you had 15 and that was it. So those days are over. Yeah. I'm sure there's a there's a happy medium in there somewhere where I don't think
00:02:14
Speaker
I don't think we're too far the other way. So I think this is fine. Yeah. No, this is the appropriate number of subs. If you want to take all the subs away, maybe. Yeah. I mean, because that was the eighth sub was a recent addition. And that's only if you need another front rower. Yeah. That's only that. That's really all it is. That's only for safety on the scrum. I mean, God, think about how far the safety on the scrum has come. Yeah. You know, it used to be. Oh, my God.
00:02:37
Speaker
eight guys get together and smash right and then eight guys get together and wait for the referee to say okay and then and now we've gone into this full setting up of the scrum and you know you used to be could be so far away yeah and now you come to the point where they don't even want to give you that they give you ear to ear right very very very close it's close but that's also helpful because it it
00:02:55
Speaker
Actually makes you need to be technically good at scrummaging. That's It used to be if you used to be you win that first hit and then that's it. Yeah, you're screwed That's it. So I you know, those changes are good changes that that that make the game better and by make the game better I mean, you know make it better to watch because you don't see the Okay, we're gonna do this scrum for 10 minutes because until these these two groups of
00:03:23
Speaker
Fat fuckers can stop smashing each other and one of them falls which one of them falls over one of them loses their balance Oh, we got to start it up again because it didn't really work out. Well, okay. We'll get them closer get that that That pop, you know that that impact that that was a killer, you know, it kills knees it kills shoulders and necks No, so it's just not safe. It ultimately and and let's get the ball in and out of the scrum Let's you know, let's use it to restart the match, but let's actually start the match Yeah, so as usual that this weekend
00:03:53
Speaker
Right. So anyway, that's that that I understand
Wasps: Can They Make Top Four?
00:03:58
Speaker
the point. I don't agree with it. Yeah. Sticking with the same big fella, his article on his website or the website he works for.
00:04:08
Speaker
about Woss making top four. And there's yeses and noes. Again, yeses and noes, I agree with him. He's not wrong. He's not necessarily 100% right. Yes. Point being that they can still make top four. And I don't think they can't. I think they're going to struggle. But the point being is that you do have LaunchBarry out.
00:04:29
Speaker
Hues out Robson out you have all these guys that miss time. There's more in their goppard There's obviously not gonna be back until maybe April at best because it was me. Yeah
00:04:40
Speaker
That and then so totally agree with that. That is right on. Yep. Nope. No, no, no, no argument out of me. Sure. You know, there's a couple other injuries with their hookers and that's, you know, Ashley Johnson has been forced into that role and that's less than ideal for them. And I, and so I don't disagree with that is, that could be the thing that turns them around, getting some of those guys back and getting them into form notice, no disagreement with that. But.
00:05:06
Speaker
The other thing that he talks about, and we've talked about him already, is Sulbawaga, and how he's going to come good, but you can't blame him for this. Well, I can, and I'm going to, because he's like, oh, well, you have so many guys that have played inside and outside of him, and I'm like,
00:05:23
Speaker
But he's he's on that price tag. He wants to be here for us to be paid that
Sopoaga's Fit with Wasps
00:05:28
Speaker
money. Yeah, I'm sorry. That has now become your problem. Yeah. So and I will say I thought about this. I was just watching the champions a couple of weeks ago, too. Searle's better fly half right now for that for that. He's informed. Yeah, he's informed. He's been he has been hot. He's been the hand to ride.
00:05:47
Speaker
And they unfortunately didn't ride him this weekend. Nope. And we see the result. So I, you know, I, I agree with that. Um, I agree fully that, that maybe the soap waga signing might've been a mistake and to force him into the lineup when he's not fitting in whatever they're doing.
00:06:05
Speaker
Doesn't seem to be a good fit for so because so blog is good. Yeah, she's good. There's there's no question about it I ideally he is a guy that you sign and you'd be like, sorry Billy you can still in the pine 10 minutes most yeah, but that's not working out. So obviously
00:06:23
Speaker
That that make it may come around it may not who know we'll see the thing is that it's a different style of play coming from the Zealand to super rugby right as certain people say no, no, no defense rugby at the same time, you know, he's he's not it's no defense, but where's his offense been? Mm-hmm. So it's like if he's an offensive threat or
00:06:49
Speaker
How are you only scoring 13 against harlequins? Yeah, so so let's uh, you know, I I don't think wasps are you know, if they if they make their way in the top six They'll they'll be lucky based on the the people that seems ahead of them. I
00:07:04
Speaker
Yeah, and some of the teams behind them They're fighting their teams have been catching fire right? I tell you Bristol Bristol might sneak up and that'd be amazing. I'd have to laugh a little bit. I guess definitely But but Bristol have looked and we'll get to them later too, but Bristol Bristol look pretty good No, no, no argument here
00:07:26
Speaker
Yeah, so I don't
Commentator Bias: Is It Annoying?
00:07:27
Speaker
think and there are ways behind them, but it could happen I'm just not sure you got half the season still right to go here and then if you know you have to factor into the players really feel like they have something to play for And again, we're still definitely will mention if they think that that's on the line
00:07:41
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, they'll nut up wasps. I don't know that they had the team culture to to really Make it through these hard times. Well, we'll find out in the next couple of weeks. I suppose Yeah, just you know the whole oh The guys outside of them haven't been good and or healthy. He's got the boys who's played very well. You have daily hello I will take Elliott daily all day long Yes, I will take him
00:08:06
Speaker
And then yes, I know goproth isn't outside him and that's a veteran that's no longer there to kind of guide him But so belong is not a frickin rookie either. No, you know and and I get and I get the halfback situation where he's had Four thrown to him. Yeah, that's a pain in the butt it is but to say that he hasn't had quality outside him is an absolute boldface lie Yeah, absolutely. So don't don't give me that one the inside I get the outside now He's had he's had quality outside even if daily's not hundred percent in form. He's probably one of the better centers in the world
00:08:34
Speaker
Ultimately, though, I think your your your tubby friend is looking for a lot of hot takes. Yeah, we don't really need that Nope. Nope. We have enough of that in American media Sports media saying shit just to get a rise out of people but come on then. Yeah, go away. Yeah
00:08:50
Speaker
And then last thing just It's a very minor issue and but just thinking of like guys like Lawrence Delalio who used to play for wasp and Ugo Monya who used to play for Quinn's and also nearly used to pay for play for Lester them calling games and
00:09:07
Speaker
It does it annoy you when they call their own teams games as much as it annoys me and I know who goes like Famously bad bias towards his team his old team The other two may not might not be so obvious, but at the same time I can smell it Right when it's on the broadcast and it annoys me, especially if it's a team that I'm
00:09:26
Speaker
Obviously when they're playing the Saracens, it's obviously gonna come out. Yeah, but you know at the same time like if it's a team I I like the Saints I really do so, you know and I like Chris Boyd he used to coach the Hurricanes who's one of my favorite teams for super rugby, you know, so I have that issue but I I want to hear the commentators talking about what's happening in the match not what they want to happen and
00:09:51
Speaker
Yeah, and so if like you're criticizing the official because oh I didn't want him to call that penalty because it was against my team. He was famous for that Yeah, like just dude shut the fuck up. Yeah, like let me do that. I can do that on my couch You know, I think the the officials a jerk and he's biased against us and all yada yada yada
00:10:10
Speaker
But, dude, you're being paid to talk about what's going on. Now, again, if you leave the team rooting aside and just tell us what's going on. Even as you said, I'm not biased watching, say, a Bristol vs. Sale match or something like that. But if the announcer is pulling 100% for sale because he used to play for them and makes no bones about it, I'm going to be like,
00:10:39
Speaker
I'm just going to fucking mute you. It's not like we're getting much done. Yeah. Yeah. To be fair, well, Diwaliel is probably the least bias of the of the three. It's definitely Hugo and Healy. Yeah. Law is a different a distant third for that.
00:10:54
Speaker
Yeah, I thought that when uh, was it uh hamilton? Uh, didn't he do the the the saris game a couple weeks ago? Did he? I don't I don't remember that I feel like I think it was No, he did it was different He did a Glasgow game not so long ago. I know that um, but he's an ed. He's ed and burton he dies. So yeah But uh, also saris, but yeah exactly but he didn't i'm just yeah, my point was he didn't at least appear to be Terribly, I i'm sure and maybe i'm talking to my ass. I don't know I've had half the time over here. So
00:11:24
Speaker
All right.
Weekend Rugby Matches Overview
00:11:25
Speaker
You want to talk about rugby a little bit? Oh, you mean the matches. Yeah. Yeah, that. Yeah, there was some matches. We actually played this weekend, believe it or not. I'm aware. But it was a little bit of a travel weekend for me. Yeah, I'll bet that happens sometimes.
00:11:43
Speaker
So now we're working out of my wheelhouse here. Right. Okay. So let's go. Let's just go. I'll run through the dream team for this past weekend real quick. Dan Cole from Lester with 35, the prop. Yakovasagi from Gloucester with 36, their hooker. Millis Novich from Worcester with 34.
00:12:00
Speaker
Uh, they're they're props and skinner from exit. It was 47 alks dom brandt the dominator with with uh 43 from holocaust wins They shoved him into the second row because he's eligible there dan thomas from bistel christie mooey from bristol jordan crane from vistel I wonder if bristol won. Yeah, we still did pretty damn well this weekend. Um
00:12:17
Speaker
49, 39, 36 for all of them. That's what the back row of the Dream Team was contingent of. Cobus Reinach, again, just, he's making me eat my words. 52 for Northampton along with Dan Bigger, his halfback partner with 47. So they did very well. Johnny May with 42 from Lester. Charles Pyotow.
00:12:39
Speaker
another luster another bristol guy brother excuse me um with 57 he had a he had a nice day uh owen owen farrell with 39 uh luke morham with 40 owen farrell won me a dollar by the way um jimmy roberts with 35 i don't know how the hell jimmy roberts is eligible for full back he hasn't played full back since he was young but that's okay um so there's that uh so let's go let's jump right into north hanton exiter
00:13:04
Speaker
Big big games for both really in terms of what came out of it points wise in the standings But obviously this is a gigantic one for Northampton to win. Yes, definitely They needed they needed some help in the well, they need to help themselves a little bit in the table Yep, sneak themselves into a you know playoff positioning and
00:13:28
Speaker
You know, to go against the top of the table, you know, it's kind of a measure of where you are as a club because it's one thing for some of these teams who are, um, playing against, uh, you know, in the champions cup. And they're, they're going against those top tier teams and neat. And that that's kind of helped a little bit. I think I would say, yeah, cause I'm playing against those teams this year. Right.
00:13:47
Speaker
So it's like, and then you get Northampton, who's not that stepping up to the table and really going at one of those, those top tier teams and, and coming out the victors and they, they held on the, you know, Exeter, it could have easily toppled them. Right.
00:14:03
Speaker
Yeah, it looked like they had the option to control the match and it's not as though they gave that up. It's not as though they pissed it away. Northampton just said, no, no, no. We're going to win this. We're going to nut this one out. In that last 15 minutes, their defense really, really stepped up and said, nope, we just are going to deny you everything and everything and anything. Obviously, the dagger was Kobus Reinach reading.
00:14:26
Speaker
Reading the the past like a book and taking it and depositing it in the other in the other try zone Very good stuff for him They were ill this extra was ill-disciplined in the loose. They were crushing the scrum, which was the only thing that was keeping the minute really I feel like there were a couple penalties that kind of went against Saints only because Exeter's Exeter in the scrum, but that's that is what it is. You've earned your reputation. Sometimes that happens
00:14:51
Speaker
Dan bigger definitely nutted out a This game because he definitely pulled something on one of these kicks and it was all he was not not happy and you know He finished it so give bigger all the credit for finishing this thing, right? pure Francis did not finish this match though after setting up or scoring a Big one after the off the kickoff there on that counter That Collins set up. So that was unfortunate for them. That's in England I gotta be paying attention to that too because he's
00:15:21
Speaker
one of their center slash fly half cover guys that's kind of one of those one of those dual roles so they want him to be healthy but the big thing was the bonus point that Exeter decided no we're not going for the kick and one bonus point we are gonna shove it right over and get two and it's huge for them because it keeps them in first
00:15:43
Speaker
Right. They really they really needed that one for them. So, I mean, give them give them that credit for just finally being like, oh, right. We're Exeter. We can do this. Yeah. And they shoved it over. And it was a good day for me as far as I decided to say for those who who are listening, I've been pretty excited about Armand for a couple of weeks now. And this week was the week where I said, you know what? I'm sitting there. I'm just not seeing it.
00:16:12
Speaker
I'm gonna it's one of these I'd rather rather You know miss out on a good week from him then continue to start him when he's shitting the bed. Yep So yeah, I was that was a good good switch out for me Sam scanner was the big one from this game for me 47 me too I didn't have any I actually don't have any Saints in my team right now So maybe maybe I'll fix that this week
00:16:35
Speaker
Um, but yeah, so the, the big, the big players, the big scores Haskell obviously did not play currently laws with 35. He continues to quietly be good and fancy. Uh, you have a very expensive paperweight. Yes, I do. I absolutely do. Nairovoro with a zero and I'm not sure more to any games, not like that. No, I don't know how I somehow managed 500 points this week with Nairovoro pulling a fucking goose egg on me. So yeah, for those that didn't, for those that don't know, and probably don't know, because they're not looking at it.
00:17:04
Speaker
Uh, Ben scored the top 30 in the game points week. So he's carrying the torch for the two of us. Hopefully he doesn't score that much this week because we got chill in the line. Um, but so, um, anyway, Bruce. Oh, with 13 getting to be an expensive paperweight as well. Tomata Harrison continues to be pretty damn good in his, in turning out 20, 25, 20, 20 plus point weeks, 27 for him, bigger with a try and a bunch of, and a bunch of kicks 47.
00:17:31
Speaker
Rhinac obviously was in the team of the week as well 52 and Frazier Dingwall who was the sub for Pierce Francis with 36 He had he ran a nice line to get himself over under the sticks for Saints for one of their tries I mentioned you mentioned laws. Yeah
00:17:46
Speaker
On the other side of the coin Exeter in their double points point loss No, no play obviously Slade returned which was good. I think he actually returned last week, but me and get it we weren't here So whatever he had eight Cordero slightly disappointing with 21 Armin you made the good call on him with 11 Cow and Dickey got himself a yellow card. So he ended up with minus three. I
00:18:08
Speaker
Sam Skinner was the was the big winner on the Exeter side with 47 continuing to be just a beast For many reasons not even just fancy reasons just to be a solid solid player Scotland are lucky to have him I think Um, and then Matt Kovesa quit 32 because he's the Exeter eight man and the Exeter eight man usually does fairly well, right? That's pretty much all it needs to be
00:18:31
Speaker
And that's not, apparently not going to be Armand ever. So that's why I said it. It's always going to be, I mean, obviously it'd be Simmons healthy, but then Lawday and QSIC I think will be the ones that rotate through that position. Yeah. Maybe one day they both hurt in which case it is Armand, but that's not a great thing. No. Yeah. We don't want to wish that. So yeah. Northampton win 31-28. They are currently sixth, I believe.
00:18:53
Speaker
Yep, six six on the table. Exeter stay on top with 47. They barely are in front of the Saracens after their win, which we'll talk about right now.
Saracens vs Worcester Analysis
00:19:03
Speaker
Saracens Worcester. Oh man, my blood pressure jumped a couple beats in the first half of this one. Holy crap. I was traveling for this match, so I didn't watch it live, but I had Jared giving me a look. Not spoilers, but definitely telling me that this was not starting well. He prepared to be angry. Yeah. Was I?
00:19:20
Speaker
This was one of those matches where I was glad to be watching it on the replay, having known the outcome. Yeah, maybe it was. First try for Worcester. Right, Cole? Yeah.
00:19:33
Speaker
You think so? Yes. Okay. I was less than happy with that. I wasn't happy with it. But that was one of those I give it to him because I thought I didn't think it would matter in the end. But we got lucky. Yeah, but I thought I didn't think the ball was out. You know, I'm not necessarily for
00:19:54
Speaker
That ball was out. Organization for organization's sake, but I also want a little bit of control. And I'm not sure Dixon was executing that early, but he obviously that's probably the only blunder I'd say he had. So that's the kind of thing. So that that's where I was talking about the fringe referees saying, let the players decide if the referee says, you know what, that ball is out. You know, I get it. It's kind of the I don't know who it was at the back of that rock.
00:20:19
Speaker
Um, but it clearly, it clearly squirted out just past his left side. Um, he, he moved his foot and all that, but it was still, that was out. Now the thing is most referees will give that to the player. They'll say, you know what? No, no, no. He had it. That was, yeah. And that's the, I think that's the big problem. That's the big problem. That's where, that's where I liked those French referees that say, you know what?
00:20:40
Speaker
The ball is out to go play. So it's like, yeah, you know, we we the officials do a lot of things to help players at some time or just to what they feel has helped the flow of the game. Yeah. But I like that. I liked that that he let that go. And I mean, not let it go. He said it was out and then he went with it. So I am I'm fully on board with that.
00:21:07
Speaker
I think he could have called it earlier. He could have been a little bit better. I wish he had just said it a little more vocally, like that balls out. It's like, well, the only one that knew that thing was out was who guard, whoever it was. I think it was who guard. Who guard picked it up and we're finished. But that's, I thought that was the right call.
00:21:26
Speaker
Fair enough. Yeah, as long as as long as they're more consistent with it It could have been done better and they could do it more consistently That's the problem is if players weren't expecting him to rule that as being out so that that's the problem It's your player expectations, but same time fucking pay attention, you know, like figure out where the ball is under you You know, that's that's the important was at the back where I probably should just picked it up and right It was kind of swirling around a little bit
00:21:49
Speaker
Yeah, and he had there was there were some supporting players around so if he had just picked and gone Yeah, although he was a tough bugger first come out where it came out of nowhere He came like all the way around. Yeah, he wasn't that was the problem. Yeah, it was a big issue like But the balls out the balls out you squirt it out so I thought skeleton had a really nice game. He needs to I
00:22:10
Speaker
Needs to improve his endurance. He's not a it's not the Lack of speed and the lack of fitness per se. It's just like I wanted to finish 75 minutes of a match without having to come off but because again from where he was I mean, he was a player last year. So a long way since he's been a long way So the chunker that he was when he walked into this team last year. I
00:22:30
Speaker
So he's he's in yeah, I would like him to be better But at the same time i'm not gonna i'm certainly not gonna call him out on it because he's put in a lot of hard work Yeah, he did. No, it's no no doubt about that. I'm not taking away anything away from the guy. He's absolutely not He's done a great job of getting himself. He really has. Yep He's been he's been a lot of fun to watch. He's been what this is what I wanted to see from him. Yeah for sure
00:22:50
Speaker
Um spencer was productive without the tea. Remember a few weeks ago. We talked about him Playing alongside the game with ferrell. Yeah, and he was still productive without the tea So he was starting to figure it out, which is good. And I sat him. I that was my that was my biggest conundrum this week was uh Oh, you played heinz. I played heinz dope and it didn't work out. But nope, sometimes it would he just didn't you know
00:23:14
Speaker
Uh, yeah, uh, spencer had a real good game, especially with the boot, you know, he gets a lot of a lot of his points come from Those uh, his his kicking too because he gets getting over just kicking it downfield. Yeah, right. He does that a lot So he doesn't he doesn't do the same up and unders that um wiggles work can right? Um, he can do that, but it's not the same quality It's no he's more the over the top and poke it right get that ball away from here. Yeah Um, so yeah, but he's done. He's done a good job. Yes, uh, what he's been having to rest. Um
00:23:44
Speaker
Teo has not lost a whole lot in his in his rest days. Like he played this is what his first permission match, I think. Second permission match or something to that effect. Yeah. Didn't look like you missed a frickin beat. That too was a problem all day. I mean, he's got to be a problem for a lot of defenses. But bad news for Worcester is he's probably not going to stay at Worcester even if they stay up.
00:24:05
Speaker
Yeah, because he's like I want to go win a lot a lot more games, right? Yeah, so I don't blame him for that. Nope. And then he had a match. Yeah, he did. And then straddle with after being injured and finally getting back onto the pitch. Great line to finish the finish the game off and just kill the game off. Yeah. Cut cut just off Faz's hip cuts inside and finds the finds that tiny gap that a guy like him only needs. Yeah. And finishes the job.
00:24:34
Speaker
And I, you know, I, I like what I'm seeing from Lewington at times. He improved. He's improved. He improved this game after the last one. The last one was an awful game. Yeah. He had, he had a couple of times this match where I was just like, so there's what I've noticed from watching Saracens for a few years now is.
00:24:54
Speaker
Um That they they need their wings to do certain things now They have to be finishers obviously because they rely on they that's where they score a lot of the tries But they need to do little things like catch the high ball. Yeah, it's a big one I mean most wings in international level need to right and that's what these there's an expression expect It's international wing play and that was one of the biggest problems that saris had against exeter. Yep was
00:25:18
Speaker
Their offense could never get, their attacker could never get going because Lewington was knocking it on every time it went to him. So that's why they just couldn't get anything going. And, and I feel like the game against Worcester changed when they put Straddle on because he was actually doing the things that Saracens in their, their structure need their wing to do. And he's used to it. This is riding a bike for Dave Straddle.
00:25:46
Speaker
Exactly. So yeah, Lewington, keep it up. But we need to see a little bit more of those other things, the little things that a lot of wings can't do. But when you play for a team like Sarries, they need you to do that. Yes.
00:26:00
Speaker
Oh, I was wrong. I do have a Saints player. I love them. I'm an absolute moron. He didn't have a good week. Maybe that's why I didn't know. Yeah, he just let's forget about that. Yeah, maybe forget that. Well, that's maybe that's why he's on my head. So yeah, the Saracens win 25-17. They are still in second only because they did not get the last point. If they'd gotten the last point, they'd be in first by virtue of having more wins than Exeter. But that's OK. They're still in top two home semifinals, the important part. First second doesn't necessarily make that big of a difference. No.
00:26:25
Speaker
It does but it doesn't depend this year is not one that I think does Scores for the week big players big big scores Farrell with 39 Natosje and Billy even a polo neither one of them played hopefully come back Now that we've turned the new year Mako with 27, you know for as expensive as he is He still figures out ways to put out 25 plus playing we get over the line. Yeah, you did get over the line that obviously helps Good with only 20, which is a low mark for him Jamie George was only 16. He had a rough match
00:26:55
Speaker
Liam Williams and Brad Barrett, neither one of them played as well. Lozowski with 25, Cruz with 12, Big Willy with 40, nice gay. Callum Clark gets over the line, he gets 36 after having a nice day, winning a couple of pens.
00:27:10
Speaker
Ben Spencer with 33, Dave Strudel off the bench with 25 for the Saracens. Very good stuff. Definitely some names in there that you need to probably start considering to insert in your team. Yeah. Especially rounding out the, you know, some of your subs that could play either, you know, could play one week or ride the bench the next. Yeah. Yeah. There's a bunch of Saris who are available for that. Yep.
00:27:32
Speaker
Uh, wister for wister the big names and uh, big scores who grab at 34 chris pinel with only eight Um, but brycene with 39 you put him into your team this week. That was a good he was my transfer this week Yep, uh, duncan weir with 37. I probably should have stuck with him. I ended up going with trender and
00:27:48
Speaker
I paid for that. Melissa Novich with 34. He was in the team of the week. G.J. van Belze does what he does. He got 25. Pierce Phillips with 25. And Perry Humphries with 25 after scoring a first phase try off the, I think it was a scrum or a ruck or a line out, whatever it was. It was first phase and he torched the boys for a score. Actually, no, I don't think he scored. You know what? He torched them, but tape finished it. That's where it was.
00:28:16
Speaker
I knew that. So Worcester, floundering at the bottom, tied on points with Newcastle for the bottom, only ahead of them by I think point differential. And Saracens go to second, like I said, they stay there.
00:28:32
Speaker
Your side piece. My side piece. Gloucester. What the fuck happened? And I ask that because I didn't see the match. What the fuck happened? All I know is, all I know is... You need to start taking Gloucester out to nicer dinners or something. Seriously. Well, you know, I'll get to what I think may have happened in a second. But all I know about the match is that I was looking at the match statistics
00:28:59
Speaker
Just because I like to see certain things just to see a breakdown, especially for a match like this, where it looks like Gloucester at home against, again, if we're talking about teams that have, you know, injury problems.
00:29:15
Speaker
You know, look at sale. Yeah. Right. And, you know, they aforementioned AJ McGinty not there. And among others, I'm sure the Dupree's is helped done well. Well, you see, they extended their stay. Yeah. So they obviously like what's going on there. Good for sale there. Yeah. Hopefully not bad. Hopefully that's not bad news for AJ. But I look at just and there's some of the key stats that are shown on a lot of breakdown sites, but possession and territory. I mean, that tells that should tell a little bit of the tale.
00:29:43
Speaker
Not here nope with gloster having 66 of the possession and 64 of territory So most of the time it's not even in their own, you know So much of the time it's not in their own end and they get doubled up 30 you have a lot of dumb Penalties with the ua they're very ill-disciplined at their breakdowns and not cleaning out and or cleaning out sloppily It's just an obvious and five two clerks were painting the ass. We know this and he was and you know getting the yellow card for um
00:30:14
Speaker
Yeah, well while you're figuring out what he got the yellow card for it You know Thor Lee got a break this this week he didn't play maybe he shouldn't and I can see give him a rest and especially against a team like sale that that would make sense
00:30:29
Speaker
Um, but he's been their spark and, and as, as, as great as Sharples has been, don't get me wrong to have both of those options out there really stretches the deep stretches out the defense. And as I've said, a couple of, you know, like the past couple of weeks, Thorley shows up in places where you need him. It's not as though he's always active. It's not as though you have to be watching out for where he is. It's just whenever all of a sudden he's involved, it's good things are happening. Yes, absolutely. And, and without that spark, I could totally see.
00:30:58
Speaker
Gloucester kind of kind of just Fumbling and not quite getting having consistent, you know because that he's bailed them out of having inconsistent attacks all of a sudden, you know They're there there's puttering around and all of a sudden they give to thoroughly and he's he finds a little gap and he's gone. Yep, and and without that I think I think that that might that's my take having not seen the mesh. No no steps big problems That's two matches without steps they have one either one
00:31:25
Speaker
I'm sure it's a problem. Yeah. Cause, cause you know, even if he's bad sips, he'll still do something where. Try and unlock them somehow, unlock the defense somehow. Just try something, which is what makes him, you know, that, that either great sips or bad sips right there. And he's been good sips for a while. Most of the, most of the area. Right. So that, that too is a problem.
00:31:46
Speaker
And you and they even lost the match that oh, no, they won they won last week But I won't say they lost two matches, but they but they won The match or they lost the match from which he left as well. So maybe that's what I was thinking of. Yes Yeah, but I mean last week. There was a bit of a nail biter. They almost didn't beat Newcastle, right? That's awesome. Not Newcastle probably deserved it. Yeah Yeah, I I'm sure that's a part of it. Um
00:32:12
Speaker
When's he coming back? I honestly I it was like I think it was like a six-week thing eight-week thing I can't remember exactly cut my head Hopefully they can actually they might have been closer three months. Okay, hopefully they can travel. That's a little rough. Yep That's a long time. Yeah, the clerk got a yellow card both teams ill-disciplined on their own goal line. I
00:32:33
Speaker
Yeah, um the clerk got a yellow card for intentional knocking and being offsides While lost or were on attack going forward all the momentum in the world probably should have scored a try Should have been a penalty try in my opinion. Okay, I think you should have at least looked at um
00:32:49
Speaker
Uh, Kristoff Ridley is kind of new in this thing. He didn't do a bad job. This got a little bit chippy and handbaggy. Um, but then and then, um, Ludlow for, um, for Gloucester cynical foul on his own goal line gave, gave himself the yellow cards and that killed that. And I think, I think actually.
00:33:11
Speaker
I think in that in in the time that ludlow was in the bin Despite the fact that it was 14 on 14. I think sail scored 10 points Either 10 something to that neighborhood. Yeah. Well, ludlow is one of their their better player stronger players It's still out there at that point. So so having it because also Woodward was hurt. He couldn't play he's a big mess So that's you're missing three of your your back line that have been
00:33:35
Speaker
Fucking amazing. Yep this year. So yeah, that's good. That's gonna hurt So it's not just you know, I real I don't I don't know what the story is on thoroughly It doesn't show that he's injured and now and I don't think it's hard to be tired picked up a knock at most Yeah, that's it. Which is something that usually keeps you out for a week, right? And we don't really get a lot of that news over here So we don't see decades for websites that have it right anyway Yeah, so I mean just my notes say Gloucester dominated first 20 and they did but they got very little to show for it
Steve Diamond's Professionalism
00:34:05
Speaker
The two tries that Sale had, two of them were just quick breaks. McGuigan and James both had a break. Ashton finished one, that was an end-to-ender. And then another one, de Klerk finished after balling it about 5-10 times. Finally concentrates and gets over the line and falls on the line.
00:34:27
Speaker
So I'm only got one on a Most Gloucester fans will say questionable call declared. Yes very question. Yeah. No, he didn't get that the clerk Declared tackled 12 trees a little high and they kind of had a head clash
00:34:43
Speaker
and 12 trees knocked the ball on and sales scooped it up and swung it wide and someone went over on the edge. That was in their own end. They probably should have just fucking booed it to beat it with, but you know, that's happens. There's one other point we'll talk about, but we'll do it after the points. But this is kind of the micro cut. This is the telltale right here for Gloucester, their points and fantasy. It's not always the post telling, but here's kind of a blatant one. This definitely tells the story. There's two players I have on this sheet.
00:35:09
Speaker
of note. And that's only either because of price or because of their score. They had two guys out. Woodward and Cipriani, those are high price guys. Morgan with 20 and Visaki with 36. Everybody else had less than 25. There's some guys with 24, but still. That tells you how you know. There's a long list of players on Sunday that came from another team that have probably a little less quality than them. And they still figured it out.
00:35:38
Speaker
Sale big numbers and big players Chris Ashton with 24 O'Connor with 19 not but not a good day for him to Clark He's gonna be above that 300 pound threshold soon. Yeah 34 Solano 28 and Rob Weber with 26 after scoring a good one Steve Diamond Oh Jackass Fucking jackass
00:36:03
Speaker
Step outside. Let's step outside. Come on. That's not where we are. We're not in the bar, man. Come on. Calm down. The journos are going to do what they do. The writers are going to do what they do. They're paid to ask you pain in the butt questions. And I don't like it sometimes because it's my guys, but
00:36:21
Speaker
You know, if you're up there, you know, you're going to get some pain in the butt questions that a lot of people have questioned. Then this journalist particular questions sale a lot and doesn't like what's going on there. And I don't blame him one single bit. Yeah, they are doing all right. They're not. They're no longer quite at the relegation battle that they're in. It's only half with those seasons. A lot of rugby to be played.
00:36:42
Speaker
Yeah. And they're also not, they're not, you know, they're, they're right in the middle of the pack. So, you know, they're not, they're not in playoff in the, you know, the playoff position. Nope. So, okay. Well, you know, I mean, two bad weeks puts you, puts you back in that, in that relegation fight. So exactly. So how about you just, you know, you win with some fucking class and shut the fuck up. First off, don't make it fucking physical. Don't, don't get all up in a, in a, a journalist's face. I mean, that's,
00:37:11
Speaker
This is the same guy that said, let's have a witch head moment or something like that. Right. He would. Yeah. He didn't like it. So you're going to have an old school practice, dude. These are professionals. They don't respond to that crap. No, they're, they're grown people. They don't respond to it. Nope. So that's just Steve Diamond to me is one of the kind of coaches that we got to get out of the game. And, and this is just more proof. Why? Yep. Well, maybe after this year, it's a bad week, but you know, we still think that there's something in the water.
00:37:37
Speaker
Cause this week was just a bad week for discipline. We'll get to that in this next game. Yeah. Um, so just to summarize sale, have 30 cluster of 15 cluster still kind of separated themselves a little bit from the rest of the teams. Granted, they're only four points up on Quinn's, but the, the, the separation between Quinn's in fourth and Worcester or excuse me, Bristol intent is all the five points. Yeah.
00:38:02
Speaker
They have four points on just Quinn, so they're looking a little bit better. If they can turn it on again, I think they'll be good to go for the playoffs. Yeah, they just need a couple. Leaving that fourth playoff place really up for grabs. So yeah, so Gloucester still sit third and Salem have jumped themselves up into the middle of the table at seventh.
00:38:20
Speaker
Big Game 11 at Twickenham. Pretty sure it was 11. If I ever got the number wrong, my bad.
Quins vs Wasps: Controversy Unfolded
00:38:25
Speaker
Anyway, at Twickenham, I watched this match. I was really excited to watch it. Started with a burner. Don Brandt to Ward on a give and go on cheeky line out move at the front of the line out. Gets Don Brandt over. Nice. That was a really slick move. It was a give and go. He took it, gave it to Ward. Ward got almost tackled into touch. And Don Brandt said, oh, thanks. And Don Brandt, somebody has to stop if he's
00:38:49
Speaker
five years out. So, I mean, Quinn's, you know, they did, Quinn's won it in a somewhat Quinn's way where they were getting under wasp skin, a lot, almost felt like the French way in a way, but I love Gustard, I do. And this is a Quinn's team that I'm, as a Saracens fan, you're bred to hate, or at least dislike.
00:39:11
Speaker
but you know when you have a guy that used to be a part of your coaching staff on the team you have to kind of like him and He's trying to bring the same type of mentality to Quinn's where The defense is the thing that can get you over the line even when your offense is not doing a damn thing, right? You could still I mean we saw it from Saracen's in I think it was there
00:39:33
Speaker
It was their champion's cup match They used their defensive pressure With the banner would end up being a Ben Earl intercept, right? Who's also been a very good player for the Saracen since we've had a lot of injuries with guys like Billy Bonapola Jackson Ray and Rhodes went down there earlier this week earlier last week, so
00:39:52
Speaker
different point, digress. These got this is just something that it's like this was a very under the skin French performance almost from the cleanse. And it with that. Let's talk about Dave Ward. What the holy hell, man. Now, if you didn't see it, Dave Ward spat on Thomas Young, allegedly, definitely spat.
00:40:22
Speaker
And then stepped on Thomas Jones' ankle, deliberately. This is not a question of whether or not he meant to step. Nick Mullins, who is the commentator for BT Sport, says, said something on Twitter. Well, oh, you know, only he knows if he spat on him on purpose.
00:40:38
Speaker
Number one, my 100% swear to God belief is that Dave Ward definitely meant to spit on him. It wasn't like a large exhale where something else came out. It was a good luke that he was trying to hang on Thomas United. So two.
00:40:54
Speaker
He still freaking stomped on the dude's ankle, which is the worst thing about that. I think Dave Ward was lucky to finish this, to play any more of this match. He went to the bin for yellow. I should have been a red. There was a non-roby act. There's no reason that that needs to be in the game. Get the hell out. We've taken the boots out of the game, and that's a very good thing. And for him to come and just do that,
00:41:20
Speaker
There was nothing going on. No, it was just it was just him decided and that was after a neck roll, too So we had the neck roll. Yeah, the neck roll the spit. He's lucky to still that's three. That's three infractions right there fields Yeah, Craig Maxwell's keys is not has not done a big match quite to this effect. So that's It's yeah, so that out too, which is unfortunate, which is an unfortunate thing to put that down to but you know, he uh, it was Man, I saw it and I was like what?
00:41:47
Speaker
I said some words I shouldn't have said. I was watching in my mother's place and she was like, oh, what the hell happened? Yeah, that was one. I remember we stopped. We were on, again, like I said, it was a travel day for me coming back from Western Pennsylvania. And so all I could see was what was going on on Twitter. So I found a replay of it when we stopped at a rest stop and damn.
00:42:11
Speaker
Yeah, so I didn't see it live. I still haven't seen it within the context of the match, but you don't there's nothing nothing to it I don't need to see it anything else because that that's that's the kind of shit that's got to get out of the game And he tried to defend himself when the referee was giving him the card, too I was like what kind of dirtbag are you where you think that has any place in the game? I don't care what Thomas Young may or may not have done to you in a previous ruck
00:42:32
Speaker
What you just did does not belong in the game. If Thomas Young's doing the little cheeky things in the ruck that some of us like to do, it's up to you to control yourself. Control yourself to not do something really, really asshole-ish like that. And that's where it comes back to me about the spit, too, is these are professional athletes. They know what they're doing with their bodies. They should. So even if it wasn't an intentional, even if he's trying to play the innocent angel,
00:42:54
Speaker
No, dude. Dave Ward's kind of a douche to begin with, so that's not gonna happen. You spat on him, get the fuck over it, take your ban, hopefully it's significant. Yeah, somebody, oh, because then the Quinn's took action. Oh, yeah, we've banned Dave Ward for a week. My ass, dude. He's getting more tacked onto that. If he's not Premier Ship Rugby, you are messing up. Yeah. You are really messing up. RF, you need to put him on the bench for a while. So between that and between the, um,
00:43:22
Speaker
What was it, the Steve Diamond? And you know, one of the things that you don't see very often in rugby is the old, at least not in the professional level, or the international level, is getting walked back 10 meters for jumping. It happens not again. It happens now and again. It's now happened twice in a row, two weeks in a row for Saracens. They got marched backwards for yapping at the official, which doesn't happen for them either. No.
00:43:48
Speaker
And then between that, you know, so Then let's go back to the fourth match that we talked about the first one we talked about. Yeah with Exeter and And Baxter talking about how they a little bit of a piss up
00:44:01
Speaker
I'm glad he said that at least. I give him credit. That's refreshing as hell. It's honest and it's good because good. You beat Sarri's on the road. Boys had a little bit too much of a drink up. And it's Christmas. Yeah. Okay. That's a little too festive. That's perfectly fair. So that's the one bit of ill discipline that I'm actually for is because it actually builds culture. It does. You know, your guys are celebrating a big win over a big opponent and it's Christmas and all that. There's a lot of things to. Probably need to reconsider that your match is on Friday night next time though.
00:44:31
Speaker
So what happened with Lester then? If we're talking about El Disciplined. Wait, were they actually disciplined this one? We'll finish talking about this one, because I know Lester have a tendency to be a little silly, and that match did get a little handbaggy too. But yeah, so I will just watch this match. Woss did counter most good things with bad things. Every time it looked like they were getting something going, they screwed up somehow.
00:44:58
Speaker
And it would be a dumb move. And it's like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of silly pens, a lot of silly mistakes. Daily passes to Soba Wagah in the middle of the field. And Soba Wagah's got freaking five coins on top of them. It's right in the middle of their post. Soba Wagah gives away the pen, easy pen for Marcus Smith to hit. And that's three points that they just conceded. Daily misses. Daily had a rough game, apparently. Daily throw had a cross kick at him. He missed it.
00:45:25
Speaker
And after he missed it, the ball bounces back to him and he chucked it away. Another referee called him for a pen. I was like, oh, that's not smart. It was just a really, it was an ill discipline play from the Was. This is a guy we've talked about though, before though, and I've, I'm believing it more and more. Joe Marchant definitely is one of the best players on this team for the Quins. He is the most consistent player I'd say on that team. Hasn't missed, if he's missed a match, he's been one.
00:45:54
Speaker
I love watching him play and he's he scored got a nice try for this one Danny care saw the space behind the wasp Defensive line grubsters it through Marchant has to go around the post and does a nice job of avoiding the post without crushing his face and do it and finds himself a lot of open try zone to fall onto the ball, so Joe Marchant is definitely one of the best players on this team and
00:46:16
Speaker
I think the Quinns near the end were lucky to get away with no yellow card, no pen try. They kept giving away pens at their own five at the scrums. Joe Marlowe was getting a little lippy with the referee. Surprise, surprise. Mr. Windup himself. But yeah, and then they eventually won a pen of their own, which got him out of trouble.
00:46:37
Speaker
I was a little less than less than thrilled with the referee for not giving at least a warning out to even give a warning. So that's my one grievance on that. But in the end, Quinn's 20 was 13. Quinn's are actually in a playoff spot. Yeah, I don't believe that. Was fall all the way to eight. But again, we talked about this already. There's five points representing fourth to 10th. So there's a lot of movement that's going to happen.
00:47:07
Speaker
Absolutely. All right.
Bath vs Leicester Highlights
00:47:10
Speaker
Bath and Lester. Bath there. I'm feeling good about Bath. I really am. Yeah. I like third. I mean, I like most of the players that they have. I don't have a problem with any of the players that are on their team. I like Todd Blacketer. I think he's doing a lot with a tough situation where he's been already told that he's not going to coach this team in a couple of years. So he's doing a great job.
00:47:33
Speaker
Rory McConaughey made me look really smart 28 points on the uh, yeah on that. Oh shit, you know, let's go back real quick. Sorry rewind Um quinn's wasp real quick. Um, the big players the big scores marler with 11 brown with 21. Not bad Danny care with 24 really weird because they had a good they had a nice game Rob Shaw again didn't play your buddy sinkler still not living up to his expectations 12 James Horwell still hurt um did not play
00:47:58
Speaker
Don't the dominator Dom brandt with 43. He's been a good one. He's been a he's a cheapo. And yeah, he's a good Yeah, he's not on your team. You're doing something wrong And Simmons with 34 for the loss Willie LaRue with 19 rough day daily with 24 again Not a great day. He used in play still nursing that hip self Walker with 20 again, so if Walker having issues and that news yeah, Joe Lunsbury should be back now that we've turned over the new year sometime soon and
00:48:24
Speaker
Um, and Brad chills was 21 21. That's a good week for him from what he's been doing shield feels like yeah Yeah, but that's the thing is he's one of the more expensive players on the team. Yeah So, all right fast forward back to bath luster These guys are I mean bath 23 luster 16 and bath look pretty darn good playing this game I'm I enjoyed watching it
00:48:51
Speaker
They gave up an easy one to Johnny May with McConaughey not rotating back after James Wilson came up from fullback to make a tackle and get involved in a ruck. McConaughey, or one of them needs to make communication like, I need to get back there. Didn't happen. Ford spotted Johnny May. He's got an easy walkover once he gathers the ball off the chip. That's a guy you want to just give an easy walkthrough to. Yeah, right.
00:49:14
Speaker
But bath responded well They caught one of the commentators called the commentator called will chili the wind-up mouse He was he he provided the team a lot of energy He was buzzing about really trying to cause as many problems for Lester as he could both on offense and on defense I liked it so the one Freddie burns played well didn't bring his kicking boots But he had other things to the to the game that he does which is why I like Freddie burns He's not just a kicker. He is versatile. He's a lot of
00:49:44
Speaker
He does a lot of things. He had spotted space, cheesed down his own kick, counter-rocked, eventually they won the pen. So that's the type of stuff that Freddie Burns brings, which is why I like him. Again, I see he's very underrated. Bath lost most, lost.
00:50:00
Speaker
Garvey cat and under hill potentially to long-term injuries Garvey looks like it's probably going to be long-term Cat not so much under hill a little bit I bet she doesn't play this Okay, we need under hill healthy. Yeah, he's he's fun to watch up the the international so hopefully he's not too banged up
00:50:17
Speaker
So two try moments that probably could be questioned. Francois Lowe, quote unquote, jumped over Genj. Didn't look like much of a tackle to jump over. It was kind of a stepper hurdle more than it was a jump. So I was and J.P. Doyle was J.P. Doyle knows the law book. Yeah. You know, it's not a question like that. Yeah. I thought Lowe should have had to try. Genj didn't look like he was going to make much of an effort towards the tackle, even though he was going low and going in. It was kind of a halfhearted attempt.
00:50:47
Speaker
Yeah, but personally, I'd like seeing that called that there are a leaps. Yeah, that's fine. Because there's more a step than anything. Okay, I didn't see that. It was a large step, basically. Again, I didn't see this particular incident. Yeah, it was basically a large step. But yes, he had to kind of leave his feet a little bit. But it wasn't, it wasn't anything where he was like trying to do the high jump over or else again, I think that gets like a little, little too often, though. But the bet the trigons balance out. Roberts runs his trademark inside line.
00:51:15
Speaker
Goes down probably held gets up puts the ball on the line counts. So try God to find ways to balance things out out there So he was uh, and Roberts was running hard for this match. I was glad to see it Lesser just didn't have the ball
00:51:31
Speaker
They played defense great. Yeah, they really did They played a lot of really good defense judging by the fact, you know evidence by the fact that they only lost by seven, right? They could have lost this game by frickin 20 and their defense played very well So whatever defensive coach they called in it's getting better. Yeah, they didn't concede any first-phase tries Rory McConaughey's try was a dance down the sideline just little ballet dance down the sideline stayed and stayed in bounds and then finished it and
00:51:57
Speaker
Unless your lefts are, you know, as much as I they were my, uh, um, I have a bone to pick with them. One of my grievances, my first grievance, but they, I will say that aside from all that other bullshit that they do, their response to adversity this season has been amazingly impressive. Yeah. They keep fighting.
00:52:19
Speaker
And you know, there's a lot of teams that would just say, you know what? This isn't our year. Fuck it. We're quitting. But they fight every and maybe that has to do with steroids, but they fight every fucking match. So they don't quit. No, they don't quit. They're going to they're going to keep coming at you until until that final whistle blows. So I'll again. Another maybe a late feat of strength. Well done to Lester for for for muscling through on a
00:52:44
Speaker
Yeah, they they keep fighting The scores for this game Toby felt how again didn't play this, you know token again We talked about him being a waste of money on your bench Don't don't if you have them get rid of them another one that I think is kind of a waste of space That's cost a lot of money. Samisa rucka naguni. Yeah, he's got a lot more I would yeah 10 points right and I guess that that's about what he gets every week. Yes
00:53:08
Speaker
Junior Roberts with 35. Francois Lowe had 26. I thought he was the man in the match. I wrote that down early too. Freddie Burns with 31 again. Didn't bring his kicking boots, but he still did a lot. Will Chudley with 41. Very good. Elliot Stuke, who finally showed up in her bath shirt again. 35. Tom Dunn with 27. Murray McConaughey with 28. Tom Ellis with 26. They had some
00:53:32
Speaker
They had a nice day. Overall, they had a nice day. The lineup was cooking. It was sad to see Matt Garvey go down. Did you have some ready-made replacements with guys like Charlie Eels? If ever Charters comes back to health, it would be good for them.
00:53:47
Speaker
Lester, they had a lot of big names, but not a lot of big scores. Cole with 35, Ford with 40, Ben Young's 13, Johnny May with 42, Mario Tuolangi with 14, he's done better in the past, so he's probably someone you can stay pat with.
00:54:06
Speaker
Uh, so this is viano and tom young's both didn't play lscans six A little props are hitting this like that. Yeah. Yeah, they are they are and colt but the the colt 35 It's one of those best ones in many weeks. So Maybe maybe don't spend that kind of money because like you said before that's kind of bait. Yeah, you know, that's definitely bait guys like him and um marler is definitely one of those guys that's a little bit of bait, right
00:54:32
Speaker
It's like they do great things on the rugby pitch But fantasy wise it doesn't and which is sad because there's a lot of ways to translate that on in this format So let's do bad. Yeah Yeah, so bath 23 Lester 16 bath are in Top five so they are their number five. They still sit in a spot for Europe, which is something that will be to their liking Lester now our ninth but like I said, there's a lot there's a lot of wiggle room between
00:55:00
Speaker
the top four and fighting for a relegation, so be careful. Be very careful.
Bristol vs Newcastle: Who Shined?
00:55:09
Speaker
Bristol and Newcastle, this was a very entertaining match. This was a very entertaining match. Thank God. Newcastle, they're obviously fighting relegation, and they're struggling against it, and boy are they fighting. That's one thing I'll give them credit for. I mean, they have to, they have no other choice.
00:55:31
Speaker
but they're stepping up their play. They're playing at an incredibly high level. And unfortunately, for them, I mean, that this is one of these Bristol have been again, just like Gloucester a couple of weeks ago, Bristol have been kind of eyeing them up a little bit. And they're coming on strong, from my mind, as far as their level of play. And they, they had every opportunity to say,
00:56:01
Speaker
This team wants it as far as new castle, like we're going up against this team. They really want this game. And instead of Mark Wilson, instead of just giving it to them, some, some lower table teams can do it occasionally. And even some upper table teams do some every so often, uh, they stepped up and said, no, we're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna give them a match right back. And they did a fantastic job of gotten that one out. Yep. That was a very good.
00:56:29
Speaker
Very, very good match for Bristol. I like Newcastle, I really do. Mark Wilson's definitely become one of my new favorite players after his stint with England this fall. I do like Sonny Takalua, Jonova, Sanati, Sanati is, as you said, so nice, they named him twice.
00:56:53
Speaker
I like I do like them, but they are just not fit. They're not finding it one question I have Jordan Gray is he carrying an injury or a piano? great the eight for Wasn't even a crane crane. Sorry Yeah, he oh man. He had some line breaks. He's a beast. He's a beat, but he had some line breaks were
00:57:19
Speaker
Oh, he's probably, I mean, he's not healthy. He's not 100% healthy. Right. Okay. So he's carrying an injury. Yeah. That's my question. He's an injury or piano because he's not, he was not moving very fast. They're kind of alternating him play, don't play, play, don't play. So, um, he, I mean, he still did pretty well. He's, you know, he is a house. Yeah. So, uh, you know, he is, and he just, I, I was, I was, I would think that an eight at that level when they make, you know, he had like two or three line breaks where just, he would beat the defender, but then he couldn't.
00:57:47
Speaker
He doesn't have to guess. He never got up to speed, otherwise I was like, there must be something wrong with him. So that's good to know that there is. Although it's unfortunate for him, because he made some plays where I was just like, oh, this is going to be good. And then I just, no. OK, you gained about 10 meters, 20 meters right there. But now we're just going to continue playing in open field, in open play. Nobody's going to finish that one.
00:58:12
Speaker
So Harry, I mean, Harry Randall got this thing going fast. Yeah. Good scrum half support line as a good scrum half should do. Yes. You look at him. You look at him. He's a freaking kid. He's a baby. Yeah, he is. He's a baby. He is. It's only five seconds and he gets over the line though. So good for him. Uh, new guests were very careless with the ball in this match. I felt like, um, some loose passes, not taking care of the ball at the bottom of the ruck and not taking care of their passes in terms of, um,
00:58:41
Speaker
Not not taking care of the support when they had line breaks gone if I had a couple of line breaks And they just kind of he got isolated without anybody to help him whatsoever. So that's That's the issue with that Luke Moran with a great game for for them He had the try assist on the Randall on the Randall break and then got one and got one over for himself in the end as well it was it was 10 20 or 20 to 10 anyway for a Newcastle and
00:59:06
Speaker
At half. Yeah. So that was one of those where it was like, like I said, they gave that that's one of those moments where at that point. Oh, Bristol, Bristol could be like, you know, it's not our day. Yeah. They could easily fold in. So they came back up and try to try next week. Twenty five points in the second half. So home crowd helps.
00:59:24
Speaker
Yeah, it does it does but uh, just um, and so does a healthy pia tau. Yes, man He he had to was which pia tau? Yeah. Well, no, but was he the one who had the he he got uh, the blood sub the first half the other pia tau is his brother. Oh, is his brother? Okay, because all of a sudden this guy appears with a scrumptia bomb. Yeah. How's that? Oh, that's pia tau because he has the other pia tau. Okay blood injury, right? That makes sense So it kind of helped to have him back too
00:59:55
Speaker
Yep. The, uh, the Pietao brothers certainly were causing problems for the, the Newcastle tokens.
01:00:02
Speaker
and starting to earn some of that that million-pound contract. In the games he's fired since he's come back, he's earned it. He's done very well. He's certainly doing well. I thought Gary Graham was very good in this match. I don't know why he didn't start. He looked like he probably should have. He was very much everywhere with carries and tackles. Bristol didn't miss too many tackles. See how stat that popped up when they hit like 90% of their tackles? They were not missing. The fact that Newcastle got 28 points is actually a pretty good threat to them.
01:00:32
Speaker
Um, Mickey young or Sony talk a little, which one do you like? Uh, it's just like I test looking at them young. Hmm. All right. So we're gonna, we're gonna differ on that. Cause I thought tackle, I think talk a little is the better player. I think Mickey young is a little on the overrated side. Oh.
01:00:59
Speaker
And I'm still calling him Mickey. Michael, go fuck yourself, dude. Yeah, I don't know. I'm kind of a...
01:01:10
Speaker
I just watched Mickey Young almost. He looked a little lost. He really did. And it was a little head scratching sometimes and made some silly errors and, you know, not really get ordering, you know, not really getting that ball out when he needs to. Sonny Taco is trying to move that ball quick.
01:01:34
Speaker
And he is not a defensive liability in their defensive line. If somebody breaks and he's in the way, he does not miss. Right. And that's something that you can't underestimate at all. No. It's hard for me to make that declaration anyway.
01:01:54
Speaker
Just I would go with young for now. Fair enough. I think I think that was just a you know Yeah, you had a little bit of a miss connection a couple times. I feel like with with flood and What was it that lat? Which was that try? Well, who was the scrum half for the try where flood just chipped it through? Might have been young
01:02:18
Speaker
because i thought that that you know that just it set up that that whole play yeah where it gave um you know it gave flood that that opportunity to not only to really gave him options as far as am i going to pass this out throw that little bit of a dummy delay and then just chip it behind them
01:02:36
Speaker
If you're able to you know, and maybe he's not consistent But if you're in my good issue, I'm gonna talk a little is fairly consistent Yeah, and but I think that that young can make those high-end plays to a time, you know when that falls when you know, they're they're having that
01:02:52
Speaker
Cause that was off of, if I recall correctly, just a bunch of like, uh, very fast ball for multiple phases. Yeah. So sometimes that can get, you know, it's easy to get your scrum half missing the pass on that. Cause it's hard to, it's hard to gauge depth. It's hard to gauge, you know, where your player is. So, you know, that, that can hurt.
01:03:10
Speaker
You know That'll kill it intact. Yeah, and yet He still held it together for at least for that right amazing play. So if you can make those high-end plays I'll I'll I'll favor you a little bit. It depends on you know, it depends on my mood if I'm feeling feeling conservative and I just want somebody who goes out to To just play a solid game
01:03:33
Speaker
Then, then yeah, I'll go with Takalua. Yeah. Um, I think, I think Young can make those high end plays and you maybe lose a little, little consistency, but at the same time.
01:03:45
Speaker
You make those high-end play. It's like Cipriani. I'll take I'll take Cipriani. Yeah, you know you have to deal with bad sips but It's usually amazing. Yep. Yep, and especially in rug because it's so free-flowing and so yes Sometimes you just make a mistake because you know you just you have two players who aren't on the same page But if you can make those there's high-end plays then Yeah, I'll go for you
01:04:09
Speaker
Absolutely. You got room on my team. All right. Um, and then, um, I mean, my last note on here is I talked them up just now tackle. It kicks the ball away when it's their, their ball, they're down seven. Yes, they're in their own end. It's last play.
01:04:26
Speaker
Yeah, I that that Uncontestable kick too. It was not it was always a high ball. It's not like they were getting way downfield Oh, hi i'll just put this into touch and end the game I was like, um, did you know what time was left because if you didn't okay, but still it's kind of shit. Yeah. Yeah, that's
01:04:45
Speaker
That's something you expect at a lower level. Yeah, or I mean you don't expect it still even if they'll add a lower level But you have to deal with it a lower level. Yeah, not not at the at this level and not for a team That's battling relegation. You can't make that mistake because that that's that's points right there. Yeah, you can't just give away big big bonehead move so the big the big points obviously we went through the the dream team and that was
01:05:12
Speaker
a lot of Bristol Bears players. Yeah. Big price players and the big and the big scores this week. Pieta with 57. I think he and Reinach were right there for the highest the two highest. Yep, it was him and then Reinach.
01:05:31
Speaker
Uh, so John and then John F. O with 15, uh, Steven Louis to a 19, uh, Dan Thomas, the plant in the flanker for Bristol with 49, uh, Harry Randall with 45, Luke Morahan with 40 Morahan had a nice day. Chris Vue. I'm sure he's very much enjoying the fact that he's no longer injured. 39 Jordan crane. Decent day. 36. Yeah. Harry Thacker. 34. Not enough. Not enough.
01:05:57
Speaker
Allie maldownie with 31 tomping is with 29. He got his first try for the youngster. Yeah, that was a good try Yeah was and at homes goes for a run and a romp and gets 26 out of it and ends up Creating a big one. Yeah homes. There's homes setting up pinkest fire. Yeah, that's right, too Homes with the break good job pinkest with the try and love seeing a rock go for a gal walk go for a gal up there Yeah
01:06:22
Speaker
But yeah, you have your whole back row in the in the uh, the dream team and facker was right there Yeah, even as actually and the best part is facker. Um, the versatility of facker I was able to play them at flank. There you go. And captain him so I had ended up with with two of the higher scoring Uh hookers with mcguigan and and facker so that's that's an excellent option if you can squeeze that into your team um, those those I think are maybe the two if they're not
01:06:51
Speaker
The two top scoring hookers there are two of the top three they're out there. Yeah I can tell you in a second, but I have something else to look at sure, but i'll tell you But hey, um, so we'll go through new castle real quick. Sure um Gonavo 21 he always finds a way to get 20 plus. Yes, not always a great thing, but you know, uh flood 29 he's actually one of the more consistent players in the league calum chick returns with 32, uh, micky young with 29 and george mcgreegan your boy with 25. Yep
01:07:20
Speaker
Where's my dollar? I didn't bring it. I forgot. Come on. Hey, I was busy today. Come on. But yeah, so Jared and I have decided to make a bet each week, this week.
01:07:36
Speaker
It's kind of developed organically. Um, we were, we're sorting out our captains and our lineups and he had, uh, Farrell, Owen Farrell is his kicker and captain. And I had him as just my kicker. I named Thacker, my captain. Um, I don't
Captaincy Bet: Farrell vs Thacker?
01:07:51
Speaker
get me wrong. I love Faz. I love what he does. And, and he does consistently perform. Absolutely. And I just thought then, but Thacker's been amazing at times. I think he got me over a hundred points one week, uh, two weeks ago. So maybe I'm riding that a little bit.
01:08:06
Speaker
But we decided who would be the better start and so we bet the usual amount The trading places amount with the dukes Randolph and Mortimer. Yeah with their dollar bet and So we've decided to make that a thing. So so this week it was Farrell versus Thacker, which would be the better captain and I I came out just a little short. Yeah, I
01:08:33
Speaker
So just a bit so this is for the record. I owe jared one dollar um All right, so, you know bristol get uh, get the win 35 28 big bonus point for them, uh, that puts them Right in the thick of it. They are Getting away from the bottom of the table and now Starting to think about maybe climbing into europe. We'll see a lot of rugby to be played. Yep. Um
01:08:57
Speaker
but with uh 20 they have 23 and they're in 10th and then of course new castle are in deep trouble they are right at the bottom not quite cemented but man at this point it looks like it's a two-team race and it's going to be a matter of which one sucks just a little less yes it's it's quickly becoming a little bit of squeaky bomb time although again as you mentioned several times so far there's a lot of rugby left to be played but that's a big but these two teams are are are dark
01:09:27
Speaker
kind of separating themselves the wrong way, Worcester and Newcastle. Yeah, they need to work against that.
Player Analysis: Who's Leading?
01:09:34
Speaker
And maybe I owe you a dollar, but I am still in first place in the pick. Yeah, I know. So am I. We're tied. Yes, we're tied.
01:09:47
Speaker
So here's a here's a fun thing that I was looking I've been looking at because I have a sheet that I update every week With all the numbers on it and all the stats and stuff I've talked about way beyond way before when I started this thing at the beginning of the year Players that have played 11 games is not a long list, but it's not a short list either It's about 40 guys, but you're talking about you know
01:10:08
Speaker
Well, some of them are they you know I'm sure are going to be going to be pretty names to see but right you know You're still talking about for almost 500 players on the in this pool of players that have played at least a minute or two of the year So yeah, you know, there's some low numbers on there. There's some high numbers, but the best ones I can sort out which are scoring 20 points at a clip is about
01:10:32
Speaker
19, 20 of them. That's not bad. Nope. So I will rattle them off as fast as I can. This is in reverse order. So this is starting at 19 and going upwards. Luke Morahan from Bristol. Cione Calimafoni from Leicester. Toby Flood from Newcastle. Rob Weber from sale. Steven Luitua from Bristol. Nathan Earl from Quins. Freddie Burns, our boy, from Bath. Joe Marchant. Talked about him a little bit already from Quins.
01:11:01
Speaker
Ben Morgan from Gloucester. Bryn Evans from Sail. George McGuigan, your boy from Newcastle. Yes, sir. Josh Beaumont from Sail. Alex Good from Saracens. Hopefully that honestly doesn't stay because he needs to be in an England shirt, but that's a different point for a different day. Will Rowlands from Wasp. I've had him in my team for a long time. I have too. John Ross from Sail. I've had him. Tamana Harrison, who I definitely need to find a way to get into my team because I love him as a player. From Northampton. Ed Slater from Gloucester.
01:11:30
Speaker
Cowan Green from Newcastle, and at the top of that list is Cobus Reinach from Northampton. Wow. Wow. As players that are averaging the most points that have played all 11 games, Cobus Reinach leads the way. Now, he's not the top point scorer. Right. It's George Ford. Right.
01:11:46
Speaker
But you still that if you want a consistent score Those are those are the kind of guys you probably want on your team. Although I've I have lua tua and i've been sitting him recently because again He's he's not really getting those points. He's he's a little hot control, right? So he'll he'll do well a week in week out but not uh, not someone you want to rely on as a starter as I used to do before I started scoring a shit ton of points
01:12:12
Speaker
He was one of those guys where I was like, oh, he kind of, he plays every week. So I'll, I'll just keep him in the lineup. And then I'm like, Hey, he plays every week, but he gets me five to 15 points or so. So it's not exactly. Is it worth it? Not quite helpful. No. Um, looking at, do, do, do hooker. Here we go. Our top hookers scoring this year so far. Well, one's not going to surprise you. Hold on. Shoot. I did the wrong thing. Hold on.
01:12:43
Speaker
Let me try that one more time because you have to sort this thing twice. Yeah. Once to the, to the hooker and then once to the, into the position. Right. Let's try this one more time. And the winner is whoa, whoa, whoa. Get back here. I, I scroll so fast. Um,
01:13:09
Speaker
The winner is Harry Thacker. Yes. He's been amazing. Yep. If you don't have him on your squad, fix that. Yeah. Find a way. So your biggest ones that are scoring good chunk of points per week, one's not available. So we'll go again in inverse order. Dylan Hartley, not available at the moment, but he's in there. Tom Dunn from Beth. Jack Yandell, who was obviously hurt.
01:13:37
Speaker
And has been sick a little bit recently, but he'll when he comes back start considering him Rob Weber from sale Jinx Jamie George from the Saracens George McGuigan from Newcastle and Harry Thacker as the top and that is a huge thing in terms of Thacker because you can play him as flanker. Yep, so he's You know, I don't know what price you can put on the whole versatility thing because sometimes it's worth it Sometimes it's not
01:14:02
Speaker
But, you know, still it's incredibly helpful. I would I would honestly recommend it because those line out points are that you can they add up fast. If your line was clicking, yeah, they really do. Absolutely. And so to have a couple of decent jumpers, you're good
Upcoming Matches Predictions
01:14:17
Speaker
to go. Right. And so for to be able to put, you know, a guy like Thacker out at at at flank can really help settle some some questions you might have for over who you'd be starting at that position and your hooker.
01:14:31
Speaker
Yep, all right Let's do some pick them. Yep So for also to be clear After this week, we're going back to Europe. Yes So if you beat me this week, then you have first first choice on which pool because so we're gonna go by pool When it comes to Europe next week because we know there's some games that are somewhat relevant but not really and
01:14:55
Speaker
And you know, we don't want to really It'll be too easy. Yeah, so let's just go by pool because that way we can figure out all right Some of these are gonna matter somebody's gonna are not joined to the pool That's got Munster and is gonna be probably top choice because it's got it's so wide open Yeah, but after that, it'll be kind of a shit show. All right. So yeah, but let's just go pick them now But yeah, and to be clear, that's not the pick whoever wins pick them. That's whoever wins most points on the the the fancy points and
01:15:25
Speaker
All right each before beauty our boys Playing Friday night match up at each a bell. They don't do well there usually they don't But and and sale we've talked about them power and through some some injuries But I think that's just gonna be a little too much for them. I think It really comes down to how how saris treat their last they're gonna treat their last couple of weeks in the Champions Cup and
01:15:51
Speaker
I think they go for it as far as they still also need to be paying attention to Exeter. So I think they take this one. I think they go with everything they got still in the tank with all their injuries. I still think they play their full squad that they have remaining and I think they take it.
01:16:09
Speaker
Yeah, I I agree. Saracen Saracen's are the pick. I think they'll learn their lesson from the last time Exeter sat guys With Europe coming up right and they're playing Leon as well the first one so they can kind of Yeah, not a lot but a little bit yeah, it is that it is in France even if they just come away with a win No bonus point and at Leon the following week. They're good to go. Yeah, so I think they'll be okay Worcester bath
01:16:37
Speaker
I'm going to go with the home squad here. Worcester. Worcester. Okay. I, um, I'm still not, I like bath. I'm still not completely sold on them. And, uh, I, I, I'd like to think that Worcester are a little bit desperate and I think they can, I think this is a match that they can, they can take. Especially if Taylor plays. Right. Which I'm banking on, which is why I am also going to take the warriors. All right. Newcastle Quinn's. Um,
01:17:05
Speaker
Quince continue to play terrible away from home. I'm gonna give the the Falcons the nod here. I'm gonna go for the harlequins I think they have a lot to play for I think you're right, but and and I think that Yeah, they're They may struggle on the road. It's a long trip up to the up to the time side. It's a long trip up the time side
01:17:25
Speaker
It is. I, I just, um, I gotta, I have a little bit of a feeling about the, the quins and Newcastle, as much as I said, they've, they've been playing hard, but they haven't been able to finish. So I think that, uh, ultimately, um, you know, they're, yes, they're battling against relegation, but I don't think that's as that creates as desperate or I'm sorry. I don't think that's going to raise their level of play. They were going to be desperate.
01:17:52
Speaker
But if Quins can stake out a little bit of a lead, it's gonna get in their heads. And I think they can do that, so I'm gonna go with the Quins. Okay. Your side piece against your mortal enemy. You gotta go side piece here, Gloucester. In the Battle of the Stirs, I got Gloucester. Yep. I am keen to pick them as well.
01:18:20
Speaker
Um, Exeter in Bristol Exeter is at home. Yeah, that's that's really And Yeah, i'm with that as well Wasps and the wasps at home against the saints I'm going with the saints really. Yeah. I am. I I feel like wasps are you know
01:18:47
Speaker
I don't know what I honestly, I don't know what to make of them. Yeah. And I feel like Northampton are kind of figuring their shit out a little bit. So I'm going with the team that has their shit together at least a little bit even if they're on the road. Yeah. Northampton have struggled on the road.
01:19:04
Speaker
I don't like them, but I think they get a reaction.
Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook
01:19:07
Speaker
Floss. All right. I don't like Dangang, they don't like the loss that much, but I think they get a reaction after last week, after a really disappointing two weeks, really, between losing at home last time at the biggest crowd that they had and, you know, in this last performance where they laid an egg.
01:19:25
Speaker
At the very least we have now two matches that that yeah, we'll decide this or we'll tie again Yeah, it seems to be the way it's gone. We've had two different picks every time and somehow some way we end up still tied because we get one wrong. Yeah oops Yeah, well, we haven't been quite the kiss of death, but no we were two and four the week before and three and three last week Yeah, we will improve this is a new thing. We'll figure we'll figure this out
01:19:50
Speaker
Oh man, alright, that's all we got for today. Appreciate everybody that stuck through with this. This will probably end up getting split up into two episodes because we'll do the Festivus in one and then we'll do the actual Rugby in the other. But thank you so much for listening. I'm so glad that everybody's back with us. It's a new year, it's new things coming, and it's the countdown on to Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan where hopefully the US can finally make a damn impact on somehow some way.
01:20:18
Speaker
and they've actually got a quality coach this time around so I've got some hope and you and I obviously hope that there's a certain person that makes the trip on the plane so I hope if he does then we'll certainly be shouting him out on here until then we'll just keep counting down the days right but yeah so
01:20:36
Speaker
Eric, I hear you out there, buddy. We'll get you on here during the Six Nations. You and I had a conversation. We'll talk soon. Other than that, thank you so much for listening, everybody, and have yourself a good day. Happy New Year. Thanks, everyone. Happy New Year. Cheers, guys.