Transcript
jarrod_dyke: Hey everybody, welcome back. It is the Fancy Rugby Yanks podcast. My name is Jared Dyke.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm Ben Glauser.
jarrod_dyke: Awesome. And with us, ah the the one and only the legendary, we know her as Rugby Julia on the Twitters. Julia Singer has decided to grace us with her presence and we appreciate her coming along and spinning a little bit of a yarn on women's WXVEPWR and all things women's rugby.
jarrod_dyke: So Julia, thank you very much for coming on with us.
Julia: Thank you guys so much for having me. I am so happy we finally made this work. um Always happy to talk, talk to some Americans about rugby.
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I'm very, very excited to have you on.
jarrod_dyke: Yes, yeah, it's it's it seems to be a rarity sometimes But I know you're not partaking yet, but When's that when's that season over by the way?
Julia: It is.
Grumpy Old Prop: I am actually this weekend.
jarrod_dyke: Oh, did you find something?
Grumpy Old Prop: We have, we have you main.
jarrod_dyke: Oh So here you like screw it Yeah, never mind make sure that you find our good friend George and
Grumpy Old Prop: So that'll be fun.
jarrod_dyke: buy Buy him a coffee or beer on his on his website because if you know him, he you know he's busy and he's probably worth every penny.
Grumpy Old Prop: Indeed.
jarrod_dyke: Especially since automation is coming up as well and he's probably going to be busy with that too.
jarrod_dyke: Because he writes he writes for that, he writes for that site now so that's pretty cool.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right, he does, yeah.
jarrod_dyke: So yeah, give him a little extra because he deserves it.
jarrod_dyke: There is no discrimination here on this podcast or nor should there be in sports or in life. ah Ben and I were just like, pick one. Ben's got one though. It's a sad fact of things.
Grumpy Old Prop: So i've got I've got an odd one. um And so it's just a a weird story out of North Carolina that that kind of got to me. and it's like um So like I saw that, and I'm not sure if it was Chimney Rock or one of the other villages of towns that was destroyed in the recent hurricanes.
jarrod_dyke: Mm hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um But I saw sex workers put out a, ah ah no pun intended, um ah like a fundraiser. I'm assuming through Onlyfans and basically delivered like tens of thousands of dollars worth of like generators and equipment and and things in like survival equipment that that people will need until, you know, the federal government decides to get off its ass and actually, you know, help people.
jarrod_dyke: Wow.
Grumpy Old Prop: um And so.
Julia: Again, if you need it if you need a job done well, you get the women to do it.
jarrod_dyke: You and your expectation.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right And good good so good for them and and good for the obviously for for their supporters, I guess ah For helping out there, but um you know, it's something like when these people have been kind of I'm sure they're used to being overlooked um Hence that their inclusion on no discrimination um but they obviously deserve our help and
jarrod_dyke: No argument out of me.
Julia: Absolutely.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's kind of annoying that, you know, this happened in like New York City. I seem to remember it happening in or around New York City and like the it was like the world came to an end. um And this is like so much worse and nobody's helping them out except for. um Yeah, the only fans, ladies, so well done, ladies.
jarrod_dyke: yes Yes, take that budget crazies. Make sure that you grab our Patreon. I know we're still on the works for our actual good stuff, but we've had to we've had boom bust.
jarrod_dyke: I will. I'm still waiting on stats on the frickin PWR standings, which is really annoying. So I'm honestly going to try and cut out the middleman because it's.
Grumpy Old Prop: have Have I submitted all the people who, who only report to me?
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay, cool.
jarrod_dyke: Yes. Yes. All done. Got that. But I'm waiting.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yay.
jarrod_dyke: I'm just waiting on stats, really. That's all it is.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay, cool.
jarrod_dyke: I can give the preliminary stuff without the extended stats. So maybe I'll do that tomorrow because that's all I have at the moment. But um yeah, we had we got the extended stats and then even only got a couple of bears to fall off.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: I was like, no, we're missing some very important people here.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: So I'm hoping to either one, just like get a more direct line or just, you know, I'm going to continue to be a nuisance to this guy from PWR and make his life honestly, probably really annoying, but.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm -hmm Yeah
Julia: We all hope you do. We desperately need these. I'm having this problem across the board with other places where I talk about women's rugby, especially with how much we actually care about QWR.
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Julia: You'd think they'd care half as much, but here we are.
jarrod_dyke: Right. Here we are. Here we are. Unfortunately, unfortunately slow study steps. Well, might as well see right into that PWR and As much as i I don't want to go into like the round itself so much but you know, we've been trying to do we were trying to orchestrate this since the beginning of the season and Somebody was slow on the uptake this guy um but um we finally got there I think the one thing I want to get your opinion on Julia is
jarrod_dyke: Is it moving fast enough in your opinion in terms of the support and the, um, God, the support and just the the overall, um,
jarrod_dyke: viewership, I guess is what they put at it in that maybe that's the way to go with it.
Julia: Sure.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Julia: Yeah, no, I totally understand. And and my answer to that would be, ah I think, so it's it's hard to quantify this at all because it's the first one that's gotten this far.
Julia: um That's kind of the number one comment I'd say. um In terms of is it Is it doing well enough for me? um I mean, well enough for me would really be that no clubs crash out.
Julia: um No, I mean, relegation is one thing.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Julia: um You can discuss that in another conversation, but in terms of just clubs staying alive. PWR is doing a few different things that I think is going to change the shape of their premiership, and and it's on it's own purpose.
Julia: It's what they want. um But you know we you guys are Americans, we're Americans. um We know that we have a lot of American players and a lot of foreign players in the PWR and they want to gear it more towards developing in England for English players. I'm not sure that that's going to stay forever. I think they're going to realize that they're not quite ready to be all on their own and cast everybody out.
Julia: but um I bring that up only because I do wonder how it's going to shape the next few seasons. um We're already seeing, we know here in the US, we're about to officially found the WER, which is going to be our own professional league.
Julia: um Yeah, it's it's awesome.
jarrod_dyke: Let's go.
Julia: we're We're hoping for more information, it looks like there. They're moving along. um we I think within the community, we were hoping that it would be up and running, I think, earlier than it probably will be in 2025, especially considering it's a World Cup year.
Julia: But that said, um I do think that it was in that it was in anticipation of something like this.
jarrod_dyke: Right.
Julia: We're hoping to get players back here. um I think that that will change the landscape of the PWR at least a little bit. There are also lots of Canadians who I'm sure would love to play closer to home.
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
Julia: Um, so yeah, I, you know, to the PWR, I say, I, I say the same thing that I say to the red roses, like enjoy it now. I think you are in a Renaissance. Um, hope hopefully I'm, I'm hoping it lasts. I'm not hoping for the downfall. It's a place where a lot of people apply their trade, but, um, I, I would not count on it looking like this that much longer. I think is what I would say.
jarrod_dyke: I mean, I would say good and bad. they're They're the only game in town. They're not a bad game by any means whatsoever.
Julia: Right.
jarrod_dyke: You know, it's it's not one of those things where it's like, you know, this is my only damn choice. So fine, I'll deal with it. it's It's actually it's not that bad.
Julia: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: So it's not like we say something like that. But they are the only game in town at the moment, really, apart from, you know, super ahby rugby, rugby, a Pookie and Parafalma, Parafalma Cup down in New Zealand.
Julia: hu
jarrod_dyke: And then, you know, the French league, which is, you know, that's got its own problems as well.
Julia: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: So really, that's it.
Julia: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: And then obviously over here, but we know WPL was quite frankly shit. And that's just how it is.
Julia: yep yep
jarrod_dyke: So, yeah, it's, it's good and bad.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm
jarrod_dyke: It's a great league. It's the only one.
Julia: it is It is the only one.
Grumpy Old Prop: -hm.
Julia: um i think I think if you if you ah drill down into it for places like Super Rugby or Picky, if you look at Super Rugby W, um also even Elite One in France, they are improving.
Julia: um I think that they are all having the same concerns that all of us are um with regards to how much and how far you can play as a foreign player in England.
Julia: um you know and And it's exactly what you said. like It is for better or for worse, regardless of how it goes from here. like they they They are the drivers anyway. However they go, the rest of the world is going to have to go.
Julia: It's not like any of us will have anything to say. It doesn't even matter if you know the best American and Canadian and Australian and Italian and Spanish players all left the PWR.
Julia: I don't think that would crash it. I think it would look different, but they're just so far ahead.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I guess that. That's kind of my question, though, was around how do you feel the quality has been um these weeks without the international players?
Julia: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, yeah.
Julia: I mean every sport has this um and. Folks ask the same things. Some sports just shut down, like women's basketball just, or basketball in general just shuts down for international windows.
jarrod_dyke: Mm -hmm.
Julia: um But soccer doesn't, for example. And I i am very glad you you want depth within clubs. And I know you guys are series fans. You want to see what's coming up.
Julia: And for clubs like series, for clubs like my club the Bears, you know that there are a lot of developmental players. um I'm very happy because I think that for both series Bears, a lot of the other teams as well.
Julia: We're seeing a lot of names that I do worry we won't see as much when people get back. We know, we know, absolutely.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Julia: I mean, we we're excited about some of the American players who are coming back and they're definitely going to knock some of the younger or less experienced players out that we're seeing right now.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: Mhm.
Julia: um I think the quality has still been good. It's the same thing every time for the international window. I think the results were a little bit lopsided, um but but it gives you a gives you a window into what they're doing and what might be coming down the pipe, which is what you want.
Grumpy Old Prop: What?
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Which is is great. I guess my point was more towards that. If you really make it England for for England, kind of, you know, kind of league, a lot of the players, like you said, there's, there's several Americans on Bristol, um, a few Canadians on Saris, like this, this matters.
Julia: Oh, absolutely. Yep. Mm -hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: This will be a little bit, you know.
Julia: Absolutely it does. and i And I do hope in my heart that the PWR team see that. And I know that the the actual clubs within themselves who know that they rely on that international talent, they definitely care.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Julia: um But the problem is the RFU that runs it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Julia: like they have they They have a different agenda um and they have a different plan for, yeah, and they have a different plan for getting it.
Grumpy Old Prop: but
Julia: And we know because of some other statements they've been saying lately that honestly what they want us to know specifically as America and Canada is go fuck yourself.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Julia: so
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Julia: um Well, I'm sorry, but it's it's absolutely what they are telling us specifically. um I mean, you know France and Australia and New Zealand to a lesser extent, but they have something to fall back on.
Julia: They know we don't. And frankly, I think they're scared of Canada. That's a different road to go down.
jarrod_dyke: yeah i mean
Julia: But but i do think I do think that being so scared by some of the teams, they're just like, oh, OK, well, I mean, if you're not that far behind, then we're not going to like give you our little pity hands up.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, right. We're, we're, we're catching straits from Canada, which is like from Canada success.
Julia: We we are. which is
Grumpy Old Prop: Like what the fuck?
Julia: I mean, they look, we are and I know that all three of us are fans of several sports, different sports leagues within America and internationally. And it isn't often in sports that um Canada I would say he is completely dominant over America right now.
Julia: ah the men's The men's teams, I actually don't know who's dominant.
jarrod_dyke: Mm hmm.
Julia: I think they're both terrible, but the women the women's though, ah incredibly competitive and we we had ah we had a leg up on them early in in international rugby for our continent, but it's been a while.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that's about right.
jarrod_dyke: they fat Well, and I mean, nothing was more apparent for me than when I went to the U20s, was it last year, year before, that was here in Quincy, and just a complete throttling.
Julia: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: I was just like, the the one team looked well coached, the Canadian team looked well coached, great athletes.
Julia: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: There were some athletes on the on the Eagle side, but man, I was just like,
Julia: ye
jarrod_dyke: There's, the game plan was not, and was, I don't, and apparently they had played like three or four games somewhere down in South America before that. And I was just like, you guys played together already? Really?
jarrod_dyke: Are you sure about this?
Julia: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and and that's, that's testament to rugby America's North.
jarrod_dyke: ah
Julia: Honestly, um, I think, and this is all very much forecasting and I'm guessing, and I could be completely wrong, but you know, if we do have to end up having to fall back on our, on our own regional competition, because we are left out of stuff like the six nations, then we will.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Julia: Okay.
jarrod_dyke: yeah
Julia: Other teams in South America are absolutely coming. I don't think, I don't think that it will be this exact hegemony forever, which is nice.
jarrod_dyke: No, no.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, you got to figure it like, like Chile, the men are, are well, well ahead of us.
Julia: Yeah. Yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: I can only imagine the women are, are, are being brought along as well.
jarrod_dyke: Not that far behind. Yeah.
Julia: Exactly. I mean, I mean, Colombia made the World Cup last time.
Grumpy Old Prop: Can't be too far behind. Like, yeah.
Julia: um Brazil is in the World Cup this time.
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Julia: Absolutely.
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Julia: It's coming.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Julia: For sure.
jarrod_dyke: Brazilian women are, are better than than people will realize.
Grumpy Old Prop: any
Julia: Exactly. Yes, which I'm super excited about.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Julia: I know it's very few, but for the very few people that did follow PR7s when it existed.
jarrod_dyke: Yes, it does.
Julia: Oh, okay. It still exists. Sorry if anybody's listening.
Grumpy Old Prop: It does.
Julia: It still exists.
jarrod_dyke: It does, but still.
Julia: It still exists, kinda, kinda.
Grumpy Old Prop: Technically.
Julia: But for anybody who did follow it, we had a bunch of Brazilians and they were outstanding. They've been in the Olympics since 2016. I don't think they're going anywhere. I'm excited.
jarrod_dyke: No, they won't. I would really be surprised if they did and they don't. They always turn up and make life hard on you, even if the scoreboard doesn't reflect on it.
Julia: Exactly.
jarrod_dyke: So it's like, yeah, it's one of those teams that's just going to nag in your side.
Julia: Exactly. and
jarrod_dyke: And if, if there's one day that a team takes them way too late, they're going to, they're going to jump them and that's going to be really, really annoying for them.
Julia: but Yep. We saw it at HPC sevens already. That's what I think.
jarrod_dyke: Right. That's, that's, that's exactly it. Yeah. No shit. Oh yes. Yeah. Um, I'm, I'm, I'm, I want, I'm,
jarrod_dyke: And Ben and I have talked about this and I'm sure you have the same ideas with it. When it comes to WER here, um we know the biggest hurdle is the travel and the gap you're gonna have to fill for that. And it's just, it feels like such a daunting task for that alone. Everything else I could get behind, I see the answers very easily. That I'm just like, oh, the sounds, that sounds gross. Just trying to get over the travel from,
jarrod_dyke: west to east coast and people that don't haven't been to America don't understand. It is a long fucking flight from Boston to the west coast or and vice versa.
Julia: No!
Julia: and And a very a very apropos conversation to be having right now, especially as we just got the long form release of all of the locations for RWC 25.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Julia: And you know it it makes me laugh. And I'm sure you guys feel the same way when you see it, but there's always squabbling, especially by the home nations and and not even for France because France understands, but it's definitely squabbling by like Wales, Ireland, Scotland.
Julia: England, mostly England, oh my god, mostly England, about how terrible the travel is and oh my god, they have to get in the car for three hours. i i And I've had this conversation on other podcasts and I'm on all of which are UK folks, but oh my god.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Julia: and And especially because I love them, I will bring it up with the Welsh. I understand that it takes a little bit of a long time because it's old timey and you guys don't have that great roads. That's fine.
jarrod_dyke: Right.
Julia: In America, okay, you guys are in Boston. I have driven from DC where I am in to Boston a thousand times. It's fine. It's nine hours. Who cares?
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Julia: um That's no problem. we and And definitely rugby players in America. If you've played at the university level and if you play at the club level, you've schlepped. You schlepped so much.
Julia: It's no problem. It's really that cost.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Julia: And there are other hidden costs to playing in America that you don't have overseas. Um, which is, and Ben and I can go off on a tangent for sure about this, but the, the quality of life for any professionals in America.
Julia: Um, and then the things that are required to play in America that aren't required. Well, the girls have talked about it, the ones who've played ah at PWR about the few times, you know, they've had really bad injuries that they're just like, I mean, they just took me like it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yeah.
Julia: we We don't have that so because right so because of that so for example because of that can we have international players in we are that's something they've probably thought of but right now they're just trying to figure out like how to have professionals under the USA our umbrella um we we have we have kind of a guide with USA sevens but it's not going to be the same because it's not a national level um
Grumpy Old Prop: Don't have that at all. It's bad.
Julia: I'm hopeful. I really want this to go well. um i I don't think that it's going to be the answer of the first year or the second year. um Probably not even the fifth.
jarrod_dyke: Probably not even the vessel.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, Emma, like let's.
Julia: No, it's how we do it in American sports. we We get there and we usually end up with a great product. Look at the NWSL. We get there, but there's a lot of sweating and suffering before then.
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: Oh, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, MLR is going through that has gone through that and.
Julia: Yes, exactly. and And that's, yeah, I wish I knew more about that, but that I think is is a real look into what we might be looking at.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And it so it's, it it saw expansion. It's all teams leave, fold, all that stuff.
Julia: Mm -hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's going to, it's going to continue to see it.
jarrod_dyke: Mm -hmm.
Julia: Absolutely.
Grumpy Old Prop: We just saw it again this year.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, Vitalis going down.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, Dallas is yeah.
Julia: Yeah. ah A shocker, too.
Grumpy Old Prop: And.
Julia: And that's going to be another thing. And do you have that expectation built into the structure? I don't know.
Grumpy Old Prop: Which it has to, it has to like, you can't start a professional league and say, okay, these are our first six teams and they're going to be our, they're always going to be in this competition.
Julia: I don't.
Julia: Exactly.
jarrod_dyke: There ain't no NHL original 6 on this thing.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's, you have to be right.
jarrod_dyke: No way.
Julia: No, well, well therere well what we are what we are to understand is that it is the six that our current WPL, I mean, they are all WPL teams or markets that I guess have either held on the longest, which I don't understand because why isn't Beantown there?
jarrod_dyke: I hope there is, but there probably won't be.
Grumpy Old Prop: right
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: ah
Julia: We don't have to talk about that, but it's weird that they aren't.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's well, yeah.
Julia: But oh, well, it might be not.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'll keep your mind.
Julia: I was going to say it might not be weird.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Julia: um But.
jarrod_dyke: Ben's got thoughts and opinions only because.
Julia: Oh, my God, we have to do we have to do Julian Ben drinking after dark and we'll just we'll just do we're going to do socialism and we're going to do Boston.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And cattiness towards ah yeah other other club clubs that we we know.
Julia: um
Julia: Exactly, exactly. Inter club cattiness. We're gonna get, we're gonna get, as I have kept threatening across multiple podcasts, I'm just gonna get canceled on Rugby Twitter.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Julia: um And I'm taking everybody I love with me.
jarrod_dyke: Special patreon episode with ben and julia just getting shitfaced but Oh shit, yes, damn it.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Julia: Special page, you have to pay a lot extra because we have to pay for potential fines.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Julia: So like, I don't even know, I didn't even know Rugby podcasts had standards. They're like, yeah, they had to, they had to start.
jarrod_dyke: Look at us coming up with ideas over here.
Julia: Oh my god, well someone needs to.
jarrod_dyke: Um Yeah trying over here, um I I had a thought just kind of rolling off here
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, seriously.
jarrod_dyke: While i don't I don't believe in the idea of like necessarily marrying clubs with ah current MLR teams that are that are in the market, I wonder if something could be done with maybe a partnership with like an NWSL team, which would understand the pains, certainly a lot more than maybe an MLR club would.
Julia: Right.
jarrod_dyke: And just just throwing that out there as an idea, I don't know what works.
Julia: So, so I think, I think that's a good idea. I think that every, ah any, any common rugby fan from any other major rugby nation would recoil at that. I think that's a good idea specifically for American sports. um Only because our sport culture is such that um the, the ideal audiences, the audiences you know you're going to capture, do span across several sports.
Julia: And we have case studies already where this has worked. I look at New York. They have unified colors across all of their women's pro sports.
jarrod_dyke: Mm hmm.
Julia: All of them support each other. um It boosts their viewership across all of the sports, and it allows for things like the PWHL team to arise and end up pretty successful, you have a built -in audience.
Julia: I understand, I understand the instinct to recoil, um, because, you know, we all remember being young, playing rugby and you make fun of soccer and you make fun of other sports and it's not rugby.
Grumpy Old Prop: Did
Julia: But here's the thing, and especially for women's sports in America, and this just happens to be for rugby, but the, I really can't stress enough that the audiences overlap and they aren't necessarily the ones you think of when you think of men's sports.
Grumpy Old Prop: you?
Julia: Um, that's for a lot of different reasons, but you, but absolutely of the people who love their NWSL team are ready and willing and want to learn about rugby the same way they learned about hockey when PWHL launched.
jarrod_dyke: Mm hmm. Right.
Julia: I assure people, like if you give it a try, a lot of that audience is the same and it's for several demographic reasons, but, um, it's, it's born out all the way across.
jarrod_dyke: Somebody called them a homes is we need a team in Kansas City.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm.
Julia: Yeah, that would be great. Well, actually, yeah, there there is a lot of talk between those of us who are we're being nitpicky about the WER already, but the the middle of the country is certainly as as as always.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
jarrod_dyke: not represented at all, I would say.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Julia: Yeah, no, I mean, there's Chicago, um but really but really, I mean, and that's another tangent we could go off, but that's kind of all USAR has ever done for the middle of the country.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm.
Julia: um I guess being located in Colorado, but I don't think that counts.
jarrod_dyke: Well, so and this is something that Ben and I have discussed at length. The I think that one of the biggest problems for the sake of USA Rugby in terms of their supporter of support of their national team,
jarrod_dyke: is the location of their headquarters and where their main home pitches during qualifying campaigns.
Julia: i i am i am and I am an ultra hater about this, so I am happy to go in on it.
jarrod_dyke: All right, we found the winner.
Julia: I think it's foolish. I think it's absolutely foolish where USAR is. I i don't know what it was back then. I don't know if maybe they had Air Force people that like really wanted to be in Boulder.
Julia: I don't know.
jarrod_dyke: Likely.
Julia: I i don't know why it's not a rugby capital. um
jarrod_dyke: Nope.
Julia: i have
Grumpy Old Prop: Never was never he was close to it.
Julia: It never was. i I'm really not surprised. like
Grumpy Old Prop: Like I've I've I've
Julia: I could understand if it was Chicago, because we're trying to like, yeah, Chicago would be great.
jarrod_dyke: Please, please.
Julia: um Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, Chicago was like, that's where the Maccabee would try out like because it's because specifically it doesn't help. It didn't hurt that the people who were on the program are in Chicago, but they're like, it's in the middle of everywhere.
Julia: Right. Yes, it is.
Grumpy Old Prop: So it's like the flight from California is equal to the flight from, from the East coast.
jarrod_dyke: A major hub of United States airlines like.
Julia: Exactly.
Grumpy Old Prop: So it's like, right.
Julia: Exactly. I was thinking that or the other obvious one, just because of the sheer number of people just participating in rugby is somewhere in Texas. Obviously not ideal for a lot of reasons, mostly social, but cheap, cheap, cheap.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm -hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, plus heat and, and yeah.
Julia: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: I don't want to die today.
Julia: Yeah. I mean, not all of Texas is like that, but yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Julia: Yeah, for sure.
jarrod_dyke: I know. we've We've been to parts. We've been to parts.
Julia: and And, and also, oh my God, could you imagine like the babies from New Orleans if you had them play in Chicago in the fall?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: so
Julia: Anyway, Doesn't matter. I do completely agree. i think I think there is a huge detriment to being in Colorado. I don't think they care at this point.
Julia: I don't see what would make them fit.
jarrod_dyke: Only to their own only to their freaking detriment as you said like biggest compliment I ever got in my life
Julia: Yes, absolutely. i But that's my thing, though, is that I feel like just like us and like anybody with like a few rugby brain cells would see that.
Julia: There are at least a few rugby rainbows.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah,
Julia: But but it's it's obvious.
Grumpy Old Prop: a few.
Julia: I feel like it's so obvious that if they cared, they would have realized it. It's not like anybody was just like, hey, so just letting you know, this was really not convenient. Everybody who has to pick up and move to Colorado.
Julia: Everyone's like, this sucks. um
jarrod_dyke: Nope.
Julia: Nope.
jarrod_dyke: Nope.
Julia: Nope.
jarrod_dyke: Nope salad for me, dog.
Julia: Nope.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm -hmm. Yeah, I'm not not interested Oh
jarrod_dyke: um As much as gonna it's going to, it's going to pain you. um Let's go another direction and break off from this PWR game of the week. I know it's going to bother the hell out of you, but it wasn't a PWR game of the week. We wouldn't talk about it. Otherwise the Bristol and the Saries.
Julia: Yeah, yep. No, it was. um Yeah, no. As I said earlier, I'm a Bears fan. I know you guys are series.
Grumpy Old Prop: But to be fair, Bristol, yes, yeah.
Julia: I think
jarrod_dyke: Millie David annoys the hell out of me.
Julia: Good, I was just gonna say.
jarrod_dyke: yeah
Julia: I was just gonna say a few people had really good games. I'm still i'm still happy with the...
jarrod_dyke: Oh, totally.
Julia: Oh yeah, but...
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, and and Bristol are one of those teams that I, but and both men and and women, I love to love. So it's like, if they're not playing Saris, I am on their side.
Julia: I mean, I...
Grumpy Old Prop: um It's hard not to be, they're so much fun.
Julia: i Exactly. they and And it's how they got me originally. It just so happens that ah actually, we had said earlier that there there are actually no Americans on Bristol.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm -hmm.
Julia: Unfortunately, other a lot of them are at sale, so sale is kind of my second team.
Grumpy Old Prop: Uh, yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Julia: Yeah. but um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, there's sale too, but.
Julia: Yeah, i have I have a lot of Welsh favorites who play for bears and ah they play a really exciting rugby. um i think I think what I will say about this past weekend is that we really saw um the benefits and the really sharp downsides of the special Bristol brand of playing. When you play against somebody like the series, I think sometimes you you have to put you You have to put your want to play your fancy special little rugby aside and just like play good rugby. Well, I mean, even the announcers were saying it at the time, you can't play a no kicking game. You can't um you can't rely on just breaking through lines. You absolutely can against most teams, just not this one. And I think maybe the results actually speak to what you guys were asking earlier.
Julia: um that perhaps it really was just a lack of experience and maturity on the field. There were a lot of young players for both, and we definitely saw discipline problems on both ends.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Julia: But man, it's always fun when they play, though. And I agree that it was the game of the week, and I know we lost. I am still confident that with everybody back for both, I am sure Bristol will take them next time.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's I mean, it's a it's such a.
jarrod_dyke: I mean, listen, we owed you after last year, like after getting knocked out in the playoffs.
Julia: Exactly, and yeah, I didn't even, and I didn't want it because I didn't want it to sound like a cheap thing, but absolutely.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, but there's that.
jarrod_dyke: So it did not work.
Julia: No, absolutely the last time you had the shot, it didn't, yeah. If I were the series, I would have played the exact same way, which is a really good, exactly, which is a really good sign though, which is a really good sign.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, they were a little angry. I think that's fair to say.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah Yeah, there's a little bit of a little bit of rage there.
Julia: It really does speak to that strength and depth. So you really saw what you wanted. So game of the week, agreed.
jarrod_dyke: totally Yeah, it was, and, you know, I love, it seems like Bristol just put a back free player out there and say go and all three of them do it.
Julia: Yup.
jarrod_dyke: Doesn't matter what the name on the back is.
Julia: Yup.
jarrod_dyke: It's like, yeah, just go do the job and watch things happen.
Julia: Yup. Love a bond. Yup.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. Millie David, like just making life hard.
Julia: Millie David, Rika Bonner.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Julia: Absolutely.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm -hmm.
Julia: um and and
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, honor. I saw I still have flashbacks to the that um knockout match unnecessary
Julia: I was going to say, I assume it had to be it was so good that I have the image of her running that try -in with her tongue out and her finger up.
jarrod_dyke: It's going to be final from last year. Yeah.
Julia: um it it was It was a lock screen.
jarrod_dyke: yeah
Julia: I know, it was really cruel. um but But I did just want to say also, um shout out, and I know probably a huge fan of the pod, shout out Emma Orr. um She's serving her band right now for being too badass.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Julia: ah Um, but when she gets back, I think I am just, ah she's going to come back.
jarrod_dyke: That'll be fine.
Julia: Meryl Smith is going to come back. I'm stoked. Um, and like I could go down a similar list for the series, but I have you guys for that.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, we, so when I will say when I was watching this, I was actually watching it at work and my co -coaches were getting really annoyed at me because I was getting into it. I'm watching it and I see fucking Kirib Evan and Skeleton coming.
jarrod_dyke: I'm like, fucking hell.
Julia: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah no
Julia: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: And everyone turns at me like, what's your problem?
Julia: Yep, that was my moment.
jarrod_dyke: I was like, nevermind, another year, another year.
Julia: That was my moment. ah She had such a good game. Oh my Kira, I just, I'm so happy. i'm I'm really curious to see now that we have like this big Scottish contingent, I'm curious to see how that goes.
jarrod_dyke: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: And I was I was actually extremely pleased with how Sarri's contain you can't stop her but you can contain her Ronita Marston Mulhern.
Julia: but
Julia: Exactly, no.
jarrod_dyke: yeah
Julia: Yes, absolutely.
Grumpy Old Prop: um How she is ah I love watching her play.
Julia: she's I was going to say, she's she sometimes she is my favorite bear, but otherwise she's always among my top three um consummate club women.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Julia: I'm so thrilled she got to perform that way. It was her wife's 100th match, Ellie Marston -Muller and the prop.
jarrod_dyke: Oh, right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, right.
Julia: um yeah Yeah, I'm so glad.
jarrod_dyke: Right, right.
Julia: It's super cute. I will say, just in case anybody isn't isn't familiar, ah Bears is the only PWR team that has two married couples on it.
Julia: ah Oh my gosh, I know.
jarrod_dyke: Well, we got, we got to see jazz in there first and then we'll, sit then we can talk about it.
Julia: i I know that it's coming because there was various Instagram reels today of Jazz making trouble at Bears. So I'm looking forward to it.
jarrod_dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.
jarrod_dyke: I mean, you had to figure they were all going to take a, some of them were going to take a backseat after, you know, jet lag and getting their ass kicked in WXV and all that shit.
Julia: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay.
Julia: Yeah, yeah, and yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm -hmm.
jarrod_dyke: So you had to figure some of them were taking a backseat and you know, there, there are players like God rest them. Cherry Collins would always just be like, He'd turn up after anything and be like, let's go boys.
Grumpy Old Prop: who Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: And it's just like, dude, you have a broken leg. No, let's go.
Julia: You can't you can't do it.
jarrod_dyke: ah
Julia: Oh my gosh. I know I I was I'm I was watching back ah a random 2014 World Cup video for another piece of content and Oh my God, you guys, back when we used to play, they just let you do anything.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, shit.
Julia: i There is a reason that all of us have major brain damage.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Julia: I just, I, and so now I think about, you know, they know, we know so much more about our bodies and how to recover.
jarrod_dyke: Thank God.
Julia: And, and the first thing you see is, is not what we did, which was every week for like three months. We were like, yep, we're doing it. No, no weeks off. Let's go.
Julia: Let's go.
jarrod_dyke: Definitely.
Julia: We absolutely no, no head trauma protocols.
jarrod_dyke: thank you Oh God, Jesus.
Julia: Everything, everything, everything makes so much sense.
Grumpy Old Prop: None.
jarrod_dyke: but All the parents are.
Julia: And all of that, all of that is to say, i'm I'm glad they're taking their breaks.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, no, i I coach a high school team.
Julia: That's all I'll say.
jarrod_dyke: So it's like, they're all like, the parents are all shitting themselves when their daughters sign up.
Julia: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: And I'm just like, the boys less so because you know, that's just how how the stereotypes go.
Julia: No. Yeah, of course.
jarrod_dyke: but they're all just like, uh, what happens when this, and I've gotten inundated with emails like, do you know how many concussions over the last year? Actually I don't because it's not my job, but I can tell you who does. And thank God there's at least, you know, some data where we can show like, all right, this person got concussed.
jarrod_dyke: They missed two weeks and we didn't play them a single day. Like at least there's that.
Julia: God, that is way better than we had. It's way better than we had. that i've I've been thinking back about it and you know I should do that more often when I'm getting in my in my doom holes about how bad some thing is for one of my teams or one of my countries.
Julia: and Oh, we are doing so much better.
jarrod_dyke: Right.
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
Julia: That's what I will.
Grumpy Old Prop: But I am, I am, I am super happy, at least for so like I coach it be you.
Julia: That's why I will end my take on.
Grumpy Old Prop: And they have a tease there, who will like, they're serious about it.
Julia: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So if somebody's out, they're out. And like, I don't get a say in it at all. um They have to be clear, they have to go through the whole protocol, whether you know, whatever
Julia: good
jarrod_dyke: Right. Right. Of course.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, whatever they hurt, whether they like, um, you know, pull ah a hamstring or, or get a concussion.
Julia: That's fantastic. like
Grumpy Old Prop: There's, there <unk>s it's out of my hands. I don't get to say when they get to come back to play. And I am just, I'm in love with it as a coach. It's not like, you know, when I was coaching Boston men and it was, yeah, I was like, Jared, you all right there?
Julia: Exactly, exactly.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm okay.
jarrod_dyke: ah
Grumpy Old Prop: I can still play. All right. Then I guess you could still play. Go ahead.
jarrod_dyke: Drag my ass out there again.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah,
jarrod_dyke: I got, I got one leg.
Julia: all
jarrod_dyke: Is that good enough?
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah that's good enough. Go ahead.
Julia: It's fine if it'll keep the scrum stable, get in.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah yeah you can scrum on one leg i've seen you do it like yeah absolutely
jarrod_dyke: <unk>
Julia: I was gonna say, is it your outside leg?
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Julia: All right, get in.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. Let's try the thing. It was like left, right.
Julia: It's a really nice wide gap to hook the ball back.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. Okay.
jarrod_dyke: yeah Absolutely. Oh shit. All right. Julia, we will let you go. We appreciate your time and for coming in and making us laugh and classing off the joint just a wee bit. Um, we're really, we, we gotta to do this again sometime soon. Be ready for our Patreon. We're betting Julia gets shit based and just babble into nothing.
Julia: Absolutely, I'm really I'm really glad I threw that out.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm looking forward to that. I am looking forward to that.
jarrod_dyke: and
Julia: I was like this could go one of two ways I really hope that they received me where I'm at and And now I think that we have I think now that we have something we need to pencil into it
jarrod_dyke: Always.
Grumpy Old Prop: no yeah Julia, you know you know me.
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm always down for some um little he yeah little little yeah little back and forth, how do you do kind of thing?
jarrod_dyke: Oh, totally. Totally, totally. All right.
jarrod_dyke: Uh, Julia, take care of yourself. We'll talk soon.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: We'll see you. Bye.
jarrod_dyke: Oh, legend dairy.
Grumpy Old Prop: Awesome.
jarrod_dyke: All I got to say, all I got to say.
Grumpy Old Prop: I this.
jarrod_dyke: Fucking brilliant. Oh yes. All right. That was long overdue and we're glad we finally got that in.
Grumpy Old Prop: Indeed.
jarrod_dyke: All right. Well, we're going to try and run through the premiership as fast as possible because there was a lot of good rugby, but we are getting a pinch on time. Um, well cover
Grumpy Old Prop: Fortunately, we started early, so we're all right.
jarrod_dyke: yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: But for us, I mean.
jarrod_dyke: Um, yeah, no shit. Um, <unk>ll We'll cover the easy one first, Northampton sale.
Grumpy Old Prop: I saw Northampton a lot.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, I saw the orange uniforms that were supposed to be sale, but other than that, yeah, I'm sure.
Grumpy Old Prop: I know they played a game of rugby.
Grumpy Old Prop: That was ugly. 40 to 40 to 10 at half. I mean, it was an only two tries. after Come on.
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, i'm I'm just I once again, Alex Sanderson is is um you Alex, you're a massive disappointment to your parents.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mark McCollan, his wife, I'm not sure who.
jarrod_dyke: Disappointment to your yeah, right It was
Grumpy Old Prop: but Yeah. like ah What the fuck? This is not no, you're you're better than this. What the fuck?
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, I mean it was Yeah, I mean anybody that sat that watch this game and told me Ben Tom curry belong in an international field still I Whatever you have that you're taking right now Ben wants some please share.
Grumpy Old Prop: Speaking of better than this though. Oh no, we'll get to that.
jarrod_dyke: Okay
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, no, I mean, I, we were just talking about the head injury thing and not, no, I don't need any more of that. I'm good.
jarrod_dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, but no, they're just, they're not there. Are they good in defense? Yeah. What, again, they're good at tackling when they, they tackle correctly and don't knock themselves out. Um, speaking of head injuries again.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, true.
Grumpy Old Prop: But like, yeah, they you need something you need to bring something in attack. And again, sale have too few players who do that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Nicely will actually like tried.
jarrod_dyke: He doesn't have help around him.
Grumpy Old Prop: um No help whatsoever.
jarrod_dyke: Bedlone here, too, too similar of ah ah a pair and grand, one of them had to bow out after a little while and they that changed things around a little bit, but I didn't do much.
Grumpy Old Prop: It was Mm hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. But I mean, yeah, just not great.
jarrod_dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it doesn't help when you look across that, that back line and you see the 125 horsemen of the apocalypse, you know, or six, you get Tom James, Finn Smith, Freeman, Hendy, for banks, light home, like,
jarrod_dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: That's even I mean, the Hutchinson's there, too. No, no disrespect, Rory.
jarrod_dyke: Mm -hmm
Grumpy Old Prop: um But Rory was was a ghost in this game, not of his own, not because he was playing poorly, but because everyone else was just like he was the dummy line runner and then everybody like, thanks, you're opening it up for us.
jarrod_dyke: Yep, no joke.
Grumpy Old Prop: We're going to go.
jarrod_dyke: No joke. So yeah, I'm yeah, I mean passes to nowhere from the curries and one of them went to the house like yikes Yikes yikes yikes yikes
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Oh, that one. Yeah. That was hilarious.
jarrod_dyke: To the tune! Let's go, Newcastle! Come on!
Grumpy Old Prop: and And speaking of you're better than this, you know what?
jarrod_dyke: but
Grumpy Old Prop: I actually don't know if Exeter are better than this.
jarrod_dyke: I don't either. like okay you're We're five games in and they have five losing bonus points. You're really telling me that there's that much more to go, even if Henry Slade decides to turn up and not be broken.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: like
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, what's he brand? Like, again, what does he bring to the table? You look at the the. Show me the back three that exit are putting out there and with Woodburn there, you're going to tell me that that, you know, Woodburn at 13, you know, at that point, would you put slate at 12?
Grumpy Old Prop: Because like you and that may be ah an idea, but.
jarrod_dyke: Uh -huh. I've seen nothing from Hawkins, so it doesn't tell me shit.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Um, but if you want, you know, slate it as a potential distributor, but you're not going to, you know, obviously he's not running anywhere. Um, and he can still run the defense. Quote unquote.
jarrod_dyke: Quote quote.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, yeah, I, there's just not much to this team to be perfectly blunt. I mean, roots and Vincent, Vincent, I don't get because he's fast.
jarrod_dyke: No. Nope.
jarrod_dyke: Should be at seven at least.
Grumpy Old Prop: But the only time, the only time I've ever seen him play fast is when he has no, literally nobody in front of him.
jarrod_dyke: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Other than that, he doesn't play very fast. It's not like, like even capstick can get around the park a lot. Like you see him a lot of places. Vincent, yes he is more physical. So he needs a plotter, but he's too, he's got to use his speed.
Grumpy Old Prop: And again, that goes to coaching.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like how are they, why aren't they using him to his strengths?
jarrod_dyke: Why aren't they starting fissile on often?
Grumpy Old Prop: Um,
Grumpy Old Prop: That too, I, you know, actually I would like if, you know, fizzled Vincent six capstick fizzle out, like that's, that's quality. I don't know what it's not bad.
jarrod_dyke: And ah I ah kind of like this Molina and Tawima engine room pairing. that's a that's That's an annoying pair of locks right there that can do more in space than there than people know about, probably because of the way eggs are playing these days.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: um yeah To me, it's still down to the nines and the tens. You got a whole lot of nothing between Maunder and...
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm. Cairns.
jarrod_dyke: Karen's probably has a little bit of zip, so I might try him a little bit more.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I think this was his his his rest day because um who someone got hurt. Or like first match of the season, because I had him in scrum half. um
jarrod_dyke: The Armstrong guy?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, I think so.
jarrod_dyke: Okay, there you go.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Yeah, and I think he's like, maybe done done for the year.
jarrod_dyke: Caput, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So that kind of fucks up their rotation. But Karen's is still there.
jarrod_dyke: Probably their best nine, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: You know, right. Oh, he only hasn't started yet this year. That doesn't I don't get that.
jarrod_dyke: He's got, he's definitely got the most zip to get around the the park and and make things maybe happen. But then what do you do at 10?
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: Like you haven't bothered to develop well -hated, but he's now what, 24, 25 now?
Grumpy Old Prop: and Probably somewhere around there like but yeah, why are you putting in because Hayden would can eat again?
jarrod_dyke: Good luck.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's Rob Baxter So it's not like he's putting he doesn't put his players in good enough position.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, and totally.
Grumpy Old Prop: Anyway, so I mean, how do we know that Skinner's honestly?
jarrod_dyke: He's 23.
Grumpy Old Prop: Who is wood would he should be play how old is Skinner?
jarrod_dyke: Mulhayden would he's 23. There's still time for him. So um Probably a little older Yeah case in point so what he's got is what he has is what you see Like that's what that's what you what you see is what he's got.
Grumpy Old Prop: I He's 26. He's not that old. Still not that old, but still. Yeah. but Actually, here's the question.
Grumpy Old Prop: Is that true, though? Because again, we're talking to Rob Baxter. Like, is it possible that what Rob does is holding Skinner back?
jarrod_dyke: I
Grumpy Old Prop: Anyway, I think we're talking about this way too long. Fuck this game.
jarrod_dyke: Yep. Yep. So, I mean, listen.
Grumpy Old Prop: and I'm pulling that. I'm pulling this report on that.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. Pull the, pull the shoot on that one. Listen, Newcastle deserved. I hope there's much more to come from this club, but you know, it's, um, it sounds like they're trying to go about it the right way.
jarrod_dyke: And that's the really annoying and painful way, but it's the right way for them to not turn into a a London Irish or a, or, or a Worcester.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Um,
Grumpy Old Prop: But they've got some players. I mean, Ethan Grayson's been playing pretty damn well.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: You know, we still have um Hawkins.
jarrod_dyke: Some young talent.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Not too bad. um And then Ben Redshaw coming up, like they've got guys who can do it a little bit.
jarrod_dyke: Mm hmm. Mm hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: So.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, no, I i agree.
Grumpy Old Prop: Just keep it going.
jarrod_dyke: There's gonna be there's gonna be some good things going on with that. I can feel it.
jarrod_dyke: I like the the the Davis kid as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: I was thinking, sorry, I was thinking Tom Gordon, not John Hawkins, Tom Gordon's actually.
jarrod_dyke: No, no, no. Yeah, you want the seven. Yeah, that's what you Yeah, no, no, no.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: um Yeah, I like the Davis kid.
Grumpy Old Prop: I was just reading the wrong number.
jarrod_dyke: He looks great.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: Um, provides a little bit of snappiness in, in, in the tack. And even, you know, I've been waiting for them to kind of just let Mickey young die, not literally die, but just go away and let Sam Stewart kind of play a little bit more.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: So hopefully this helps him as well. Um, Ruby yellow was still a monster. Like we saw him in the rugby championship and yeah, he's a, he's a complete pest.
jarrod_dyke: So good things can still happen. I believe it. I believe it.
jarrod_dyke: All right, let's go to Saturday. ah Just everything, everything, everything.
Grumpy Old Prop: Are you not entertained? like
jarrod_dyke: I was i I got my kid to cry at least three times because I was yelling at the TV he during this game, like, no less than, and it was worth every frickin' bit.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
jarrod_dyke: Thank God AJ didn't bring us chicken poach, that's all I'm saying.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: We would have definitely been in trouble otherwise.
Grumpy Old Prop: ah ah Yeah, did did you guys not watch him at his performance in? What was it the in the was it the lead up to the World Cup or something? I can't remember when he was just missing fucking everything um He has not been good off the tee lately It's that's He's hurt they don't have an option Yeah
jarrod_dyke: Mm, yeah.
jarrod_dyke: No. Well, what Williams would have been their option, but he's hurt. So they are so well the wise on that one. I just. Everything about this game, but you know, ah number one, I'm sitting there pissing myself like we are so, so fucked when we when they went up to what was it, 30 yard up, I was like, yeah, up 15 with, you know,
jarrod_dyke: Well, whatever it was with like half that half to have to go, I was like, this is not going to go well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: And I was like, shit, we are in so much trouble right now. um But, but, but I hope we talked about Rob Baxter, take notes.
jarrod_dyke: McCall said, all right, we have some things that are that have kind of gone not our way in terms of injuries and, you know, things not working well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mhmm.
jarrod_dyke: And we'll talk about one of the injuries in a second here. um So, you know, Josh Hallett and Jackson, Brandon Jackson and Phil Browningham come on down. Like, yes, they're young and branding. I'm always got a ton of experience with Newcastle, but they stepped up and played a hell of a game. All of them, Toby Knight, um same thing. You know, we've we've been trying to develop him right along. And I think he's still kind of borderline just a guy, but you know,
jarrod_dyke: He's showing at least promise, which is good.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: and know and He was everywhere in terms of defense, which is always helpful. um Certainly not an international quality type of thing, but you know you but when you have a guy like that, you got a you get a...
Grumpy Old Prop: No, but he he's 22.
jarrod_dyke: Okay, so he still got a little bit of time.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, he's got he's got loads of time now do i I don't think he's going to be like, he's not the next Ben Earl.
jarrod_dyke: No, by no means.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, but I mean, he doesn't have to be, he just needs to be a guy who can play. Um, when they need ah ah someone to fill in, you know, they have a couple injuries and that's what they need from him right now.
jarrod_dyke: no
Grumpy Old Prop: Maybe in the, you know, in two or three years, they'll expect him to be a a highly contributing starter.
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: But for now, it's like, if he gets in, he's he'll fill that, he'll fill that Jersey.
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: He'll do what and he needs to do. um And he he scored a try in this game. So, but, you know, no complaints whatsoever.
jarrod_dyke: Yes, you did. Michelo, that was the other one I was thinking about, but I know there's one more name I'm missing. That's the one. Yeah, the one that came in for Willis while he was getting banged up. um We'll talk about Bristol in a sec because it's not like they play like shit.
jarrod_dyke: They played they played fucking brilliantly I thought we were losing this game for sure um But this is the bet that we saw the benefit of the technology that's coming through which was Ben Earl said and said on his interview like Too many what they call it mg's going through the mouth guard Okay, so anyway
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: geez, too many geez, too much acceleration in the mouth guard, so.
jarrod_dyke: But yeah, so just ah a cumulative, and not ah not ah not ah not a one impact, but a cumulative.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm -hmm.
jarrod_dyke: So it just kind of triggered an alert like this guy needs to rest. And that is the good thing about technology like this, and which is something I'm really happy that we have.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: And I hope it eventually becomes a more affordable option for our teams you know all the way down.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: Right now, it's obviously going to be a professional level only, but it's still pretty awesome.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm kind of surprised that they don't have that information through the GPS's on their backs.
jarrod_dyke: It's not the same.
Grumpy Old Prop: like that's the Yeah, I guess that's true, because that's yeah right as a headshot.
jarrod_dyke: It's not the same. yeah It's it's measuring it measuring in meters, not little little tiny, you know, milli milli milli milli meters.
Grumpy Old Prop: right I'm just saying you can you could put an accelerometer. seem you know So you could put the same technology in there.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, I think with it being in the in the mouth guard is more helpful though.
Grumpy Old Prop: um But it probably is. The location matters.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, back to back as opposed to face.
Grumpy Old Prop: Anywho, cool stuff. Yeah. ah
jarrod_dyke: um Fucking fits hard and God damn it.
jarrod_dyke: Ugh.
Grumpy Old Prop: That guy, look, Sarri's defense does not, ah that they don't they don't allow many, first off, they don't allow too many tries to be scored through the forwards as it is.
jarrod_dyke: With love, I mean, fuck that guy. With love.
Grumpy Old Prop: They they lock that shit down. um So one is is an accomplishment. Three, the hat trick is, I believe the word is obscene.
jarrod_dyke: who
Grumpy Old Prop: And so as Jared said, fuck you, Fitzhardy. But well done. Impressive.
jarrod_dyke: Toby. Toby Fricker. I thought we were friends.
Grumpy Old Prop: dude he was good he was annoying as fuck all game and then he's been he has the gall to score why Toby why can't you be more like a Betoya and get two yellows
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. Yeah, he was. He was the best.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
jarrod_dyke: No complaints here. um Anyway, yeah, I mean, you know,
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
jarrod_dyke: Bristol should have won this game. I think we'll say we'll say, I'll say that right now. They should have won this game. There's no reason that Saracen should have been able to get get and get back into this game and even have a have a prayer.
jarrod_dyke: um
jarrod_dyke: Brandon Jackson did a great job down that wing, by the way, making sure that he gave that pass to daily.
Grumpy Old Prop: he that That was fantastic.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, that's that's that's good, Ruby IQ right there. um But with that,
jarrod_dyke: Anything that comes before, but you don't mean yes, I do. um Shut up, Stark. This to me is a positive sign for the Saracens in general, and it is it again speaks to the culture. It doesn't speak to. I was talking with a friend of Ben and I's the other day, like. The culture is everything at this point, and anybody that says it's not as full of shit and you can go fuck yourself.
jarrod_dyke: um
Grumpy Old Prop: How do you really feel about that?
jarrod_dyke: And, you know, and and yes, McCall has its moments where I want to fricking, you know, call for his head and and send them packing. But at the same time, like he's clearly, he and Joe Shaw clearly have something going on here where it's not a problem to have, you know, your usual 10 hours. It's not a habit. It's not as big of a problem as it could have been to have a legend like Owen Farrell lead the club and no longer have a, you know, be filling a shirt.
jarrod_dyke: It speaks so much to what's going on behind the scenes and behind, and in the dressing room for Saracens and, you know, obviously making a a proper captain pick for, to replace Pharaoh with Mauro is also very helpful. Just, it speaks so much to it and it gives me so much hope. It really does. so
Grumpy Old Prop: Of course, the the big thing that I took away it from McCall this weekend was when um laws was going, we were pointing to the corner for like, was it?
jarrod_dyke: Yes. I know where you're going.
jarrod_dyke: It was right half.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, it was late late, right at half 38 minutes. And He's like, what the fuck are we doing? He was he was clearly upset about the the decision there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, why the fuck are we doing this?
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Put more pressure on him. Go, you know, go for post or not go for but go the corner.
jarrod_dyke: Go for the line.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, just keep putting pressure on them.
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: And that to me, you know, obviously, Jared and I have been um like saying that ourselves. We've been doing that a lot of that this year and and in previous years.
Grumpy Old Prop: And this so it's it's really nice to see coach say, you know what, enough is enough. We are playing running rugby. Fuck this like threes bullshit.
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: we We're winning this with with with tries.
jarrod_dyke: Yep. Getting over the line and putting it down in.
Grumpy Old Prop: Because when Saris are on that, nobody can stop. that's what we that To me, that's what we saw in this match, was when Saris are on, it's hard to stop. And so the question is, why would you play any other way?
jarrod_dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: So I'm glad that there that hopefully club leadership is, and, you know, again, credit to Bristol when they're on, I mean, obviously when they're on, they're hard to beat. This was not easy.
Grumpy Old Prop: And and you don't just, you know, even if it's a, you know, you have them at home, Sarah's are not an easy out.
jarrod_dyke: No.
jarrod_dyke: No, that's a top 14.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it's right.
jarrod_dyke: That's a top 14 there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, i'm I'm super impressed with I'm not, you know, I would take nothing away from Bristol in this one. They played their asses off and um got two bonus points. Again, if you're looking at the Bristol Bears from the beginning of the season, if you told them they were going to get two bonus points against Saracens at home, they'd be like, yeah, I'll take that.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Maybe not the right, maybe not the way that it happened, but still.
jarrod_dyke: Because we've it's been a happy hunting ground for us otherwise. so
jarrod_dyke: No. Agreed. um
jarrod_dyke: Three points in the second half for Quinn's down at the stoop.
Grumpy Old Prop: Not yeah, I'm not impressed Yeah um Here's here's the
jarrod_dyke: Very un -Quinn's -like. Very un -Quinn's -like. Did it, did they take, did it take, away like, and and does it doesn't actually make sense, but did they take away something in their attack to replace, and replace it with a defense?
jarrod_dyke: Because they've got a great defense now. It's much better. No, but no, no doubt. But like, was that worth the trade off? I know they beat Saracens last week and night and then I get it, but still.
Grumpy Old Prop: let's Let's bear in mind, and and I'm going to give the the coaches a little bit of leeway on this for now. I don't think they're making a trade. I think what they're doing is really focusing on defense at this point of the season.
Grumpy Old Prop: because it's very easy to loosen up the attack and really open it up later. They they they will. We know they will. They can. And I think they're playing. They're focusing more on the defensive side of it.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, that lot of good it did when they're when you allow to prop tries late in the game, but.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
jarrod_dyke: I mean, the detour was, was a peach. ah Mostly because of the run that started out, but still.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Yeah. Um, but then so was the van Victor. I mean, he was just like, Hey, there's nobody here. I'm just going to throw myself over.
jarrod_dyke: Or there's only Marcus Smith who got we love you Marcus don't doubt that but a bit any prop against you with a meter to go I'm picking the prop Shit I think I could mostly you honestly my old ass No, no not a strong suit I think we know that
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. As I said, Hey, there's no one here.
Grumpy Old Prop: right yeah Like, Marcus, yeah you do not exist. In this equation, Marcus does not exist, even though he was there. um so But I think they're focusing on that because they can add the the the um the attack later.
Grumpy Old Prop: It takes a little bit to focus on the defense and get that right.
jarrod_dyke: Uh -huh.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it kind of stagnates the attack in a little bit because of you know you have mentally, have if you're really doing something new, it takes a lot of focus on that um in a in you know these high pressure situations.
Grumpy Old Prop: So I think The trade -off is really we'll we'll lose some games early. um And then later in the season when we really turn it on, we can we can work our way into the top four if we're not there still.
jarrod_dyke: Yep. um
Grumpy Old Prop: That's I think that that the ah tactic and let's see if it works because we've seen, you know, last year Bristol just and even even Quinn's though, you know, but Bristol started out slow and couldn't force their way back in.
jarrod_dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Fortunately for Quinn's it's still not that far away so.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: No, no, it's not. um While the I approved the strategy, Quinn's picking on
Grumpy Old Prop: that
jarrod_dyke: Emmons wing for a little bit.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: They did. I think Emmons kind of adjusted okay, but then they, then Beth said, we're taking this out of your hands, kid. Sorry. And they pushed to Glanville over there and put a line of ale back at fullback.
jarrod_dyke: and They're like, let's, let's, let's just try and mitigate this a little bit with someone that actually knows what's going on on those things. Cause it did work out twice for them.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: So, you know, just an idea.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: I mean, and flat said it, not enough teams do shit like that. Like, you know, someone's like weak on something or, you know, it's a fresh kid out of the gate in a little, little wet nose pup.
Grumpy Old Prop: They're new or. Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Go after him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Test him.
jarrod_dyke: Like pick on him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Make him, make him, make him earn the damn thing.
Grumpy Old Prop: What do you got?
jarrod_dyke: All right. You want to wear that Jersey again? You're going to have to earn the crap out of it. Good luck.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: You do it. You're going to be, you're going to have, you know, my, my, my, you know, my respect and I'm going to tip my cap to you, but if you can't, then I'm just going to be happy that I did what I did.
Grumpy Old Prop: I think was it um was it Ludo in that one game against Nyack one year? um And it wasn't totally Ludo's fault, so don't don't.
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: I mean, he got hung to try the way we were playing defense too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, he got he absolutely hung out to drive, but the you know, they realized about five minutes in, they said, oh, this wing, we have an over we have a mismatch here.
jarrod_dyke: Yep. um remember I That was a very wet and cold game and good God that I was so glad we had a shower because I was wet and cold.
Grumpy Old Prop: And it was it was oh that was that was rough. Up in Amesbury, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, anywho.
jarrod_dyke: rule
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, not not great.
jarrod_dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: um But that's, again, that' that's life. That's rugby. So um good on Quinn's for giving it a shot.
jarrod_dyke: Yep. And yeah, and full and and full care at the bath for
Grumpy Old Prop: It just wasn't well wasn't enough. Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: doing it and just and getting the job done. you know They didn't probably feel that they responded well after getting there yeah know getting their pants pulled down by Bristol.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: They put up a really nice number against Gloucester in the second half and then that went to the stoop and did something that's really hard to do. So give them credit.
jarrod_dyke: Speaking of things that are really hard to do, um Tigers and Gloucester. um First of all, Y 'all that are like sending onions this way, can you knock it off, please?
jarrod_dyke: My eyes cannot take it.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's it's hard.
jarrod_dyke: Cannot take it.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's it's hard um Because yeah, Ed Slater is It's just a giant.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, Ed Slater's kids carrying a cup across the...
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, he said it was just a little is a giant of a man even even today um And it's good to see his club his old clubs honoring him because um He yeah, he deserves it
jarrod_dyke: so. Yeah, but to the game, um, you know, I, I would have said this game is glossars to win the way it started to open up, but you know, I'm, um I'm impressed with the way Lester responded in that and said, yeah, we can do a little bit of this.
jarrod_dyke: We can do a little bit of this. It's not, it's not their, it's not their game, but we can do a little bit of it. So, you know,
Grumpy Old Prop: Not yet. I mean, but again, new new coach. um I think this approach is going to work out a lot better for them.
jarrod_dyke: Mm -hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um I don't think this club could have done this last year.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Even, even with Jasper, um, it's, it's bigger than that. It's, you know, and we've seen, um, hustle Collins and and Bassett kind of, man, I mean, we saw hustle Collins literally shit the bed and in the, in the angle area two weeks ago or so.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, so it's, you know, good to see him holding it and putting it down and Bassett Bassett's try was pretty sweet too.
jarrod_dyke: Well, I give, you know, I give, um,
Grumpy Old Prop: Like they, they, they can do this now. And yeah.
jarrod_dyke: I give have checks a lot, a lot of credit. There are coaches and I don't necessarily think Michaela would have been one of them, but
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: There are a lot of coaches that would have seen that and just like popped him on the bench the next week. And he's continued to show some faith to in him and say, yeah, go get it done because let's be honest, he is their best winger.
Grumpy Old Prop: isn
jarrod_dyke: I don't think there's a question about that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: Watson doesn't stay healthy enough and that's it's solid, but he's not the guy.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: ah we've We've seen Ollie Hassell Collins just blossom when attack is going his way. So. He went back, he kept faith and kept him in it. So I give him a ton of credit. A lot of coaches might have just pined him. So good on him. For the Gloucester's sake, you know, this attack's working really well.
Grumpy Old Prop: A lot better than did last year.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, I think that's fair. Llewelyn is clearly coming in his own.
Grumpy Old Prop: They're just a dangerous team. They're not like, yeah. Oh, he totally is.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, for like he was a ghost last year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um,
jarrod_dyke: Let's be honest. like Did anybody really think that this was within him after last season?
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, it's I, I didn't really take any serious evaluation of any Gloucester players after last season. That was not.
jarrod_dyke: That might be fair to say.
Grumpy Old Prop: ah Yeah, um but then how they're like it used to be kind of you know Newcastle coming to you same as Gloucester like Delta They have some tricks up their sleeve, but man they they don't put up a fight this year.
Grumpy Old Prop: They're putting up a fight They're not you know, they're the winds aren't coming yet. um I think they've had a little bit of hard luck with their opponents but I mean they did be Bristol at home, which was Bristol away, which is exactly
jarrod_dyke: um Got more wins than Exeter does.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Grumpy Old Prop: And yeah, I think they'll don't be all right in the end. it's just it's it's hard Look, it's hard to win at Wilford Road. And um even you know it doesn't matter how good Lester are, they'll defend that fortress. And Gloucester went in there and gave them what for. They're not ready yet.
jarrod_dyke: Nope, but they're they're they're solid love um I'm glad to see Charlie Atkinson loving life Things just didn't work out with him at Leicester, but also he was probably playing for the wrong coach of for honest I think most people would admit that as well um Wish obviously I wish he just had been able to just blossom at wasp, but that's not how that worked out um
Grumpy Old Prop: right They're still trending in the right direction, even if the the winds aren't coming yet.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm. Right. Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: Well, yeah, a lot. He's kind of finding time and getting in there between, you know, between him and Barton. I'm i'm really not it's doing here.
Grumpy Old Prop: Pretty much I can't I can't. Yeah, I can argue that.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. Yep. So here we go. um Anyway, let's go to the fun stuff. Um,
jarrod_dyke: Oh, but by the way, we'll and get called into the whale squad.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, no good for him New Castle It's there was a home match I I don't
jarrod_dyke: Good for him. Um, let's do the, the rankings. Power rankings. Number 10.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: I think in a neutral environment, Exeter win, um but it's like nine and 10 just set.
jarrod_dyke: Mm.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah for sure No,
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, I don't think that there's a, it's gonna take a little bit more for Exeter to drop to 10. And even with my, um I do have a little bit of anti -Exeter bias, just a little bit at times.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm still not gonna put him 10 yet.
jarrod_dyke: um eight Yeah, even after the last couple weeks because it's not it's not that they haven't done anything It's that there's other teams that have done more
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm sad to say it's still Gloucester. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: I think that's the way to put it.
Grumpy Old Prop: And the winds have to come really to get into a power ranking.
jarrod_dyke: Yes.
Grumpy Old Prop: You have to like, they're, they're dangerous, but dangerous is not enough.
jarrod_dyke: Only go so far.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Only go so far. ah Seven.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sail.
jarrod_dyke: Sail. Yeah. Yep. Yep.
jarrod_dyke: Six. Quince.
Grumpy Old Prop: Lester.
jarrod_dyke: Luster. Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm still not.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm not ready to to raise them up too much higher than that. I still think the top of the next five um in the long run and Quinn's I still think there' there's more to them than we're seeing. That's why they're higher. Lester, I think this is like. I think this is good as you're going to get this year, which isn't bad.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: but I think they're at their ceiling and I think Quinn's are kinda, they're not at the floor, they're kinda at the the coffee table.
jarrod_dyke: Fair. So five.
Grumpy Old Prop: quince
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Quinn's.
jarrod_dyke: Okay. Fair.
jarrod_dyke: Now we're into the four. Saint.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yup.
jarrod_dyke: Okay.
jarrod_dyke: And then and three bears.
Grumpy Old Prop: Da Bears.
jarrod_dyke: They will definitely end up up somewhere in that and two to one to three range anyway, I think, this year.
Grumpy Old Prop: Likely.
jarrod_dyke: ah Two.
Grumpy Old Prop: Saris.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Only because again, and and especially after last week, um still a little sore over um how many entries into the 22 and didn't didn't score.
jarrod_dyke: Still still had to leave it to the death. Bless you, Alex Lozowski, you beautiful man, you.
jarrod_dyke: And just totally balled it.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Yeah, I got it.
jarrod_dyke: Yep. No, you're not wrong.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Not wrong. Okay. Um, even out into themselves for this week.
Grumpy Old Prop: a bunch, I have a bunch on this list.
jarrod_dyke: I do too. I got, I got five.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay, I have five also.
jarrod_dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: um and And they're just in groups.
jarrod_dyke: Let's see.
Grumpy Old Prop: So my my first group is the Saints back three plus plus Freeman.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. Well, I had NDSL. Yep. That works.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Anybody else?
Grumpy Old Prop: That fucking fits hard.
jarrod_dyke: Dick, yes, that's a good one. I had i didn't have him on there, but that's a good one. um i I put Chick on there, and I know we're not huge Callum Chick fans, but he he led from the front and for a team that desperately needed something positive to happen and give them something to hold on to.
Grumpy Old Prop: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
jarrod_dyke: So you know yes, is he a plotter and just run straight forward? Yep, but at least he fucking did his job as asked and did it well. So give him a little bit of credit.
Grumpy Old Prop: three for me are the bath props, ah Thomas de toy and, and ah Frankie van Vic cuts, like, prop tries are the best no matter what but clutch prop tries are just
jarrod_dyke: and okay Okay. Yep. yep
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: Yep. Um, I put East grow on debut, hit a double. Yes. Did they play into a skill set? Yes. But he executed and he did it in, you know, he's going to make himself a legend real fast.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah nope.
jarrod_dyke: If he keeps doing that down at the stoop, I can tell you that much.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um And i think ah we've talked about him and we will continue to talk about him this pod. Max Llewellyn.
jarrod_dyke: Yep, I had him in my brain, but I also wanted to, on the same note, throw Charlie Atkinson, I had to mention him earlier.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, fair.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, big one for me. And then, Sydney Gregson, you beautiful woman, you, yes, saving our bacon in that game.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, that's a good one. I mean, that's.
jarrod_dyke: that was That game could have gone so much the wrong way if she hadn't scored that second try, like, whoo.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
jarrod_dyke: If she hadn't kind of taken the wind out of the sails with that, we would be talking about a different thing with Julia earlier, so, whoo -hoo -hoo.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: But that's also what Sydney Gregson does, like for fun.
jarrod_dyke: stepped up huge. Yep agreed.
Grumpy Old Prop: um ah my My last one was a. M .L .R. champion, Toby Fricker.
jarrod_dyke: Toby Fricker. Yeah, good one. Good one. Good one shot the bed.
Grumpy Old Prop: Exeter.
jarrod_dyke: Same.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sale.
jarrod_dyke: I said either curry.
Grumpy Old Prop: Ha ha.
jarrod_dyke: So same idea. Yeah, just the
Grumpy Old Prop: And and one guy who, you know, we we have he has been so ghostly that we haven't even talked about him in weeks, I don't think. And and except in passing, maybe.
jarrod_dyke: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Zack Mercer.
jarrod_dyke: I know. I know.
Grumpy Old Prop: Where the fuck was he this game?
jarrod_dyke: Would the real Zach Mercer stand up?
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm sorry, it's a. it was It's a three -point game and and honestly Zach Mercer is is a at least three point worth at least three points every game and I don't think he earned those points this game and If he yeah, I don't know what what's going on with him, but I don't like it and it makes me sad Try the week
jarrod_dyke: No, it was really weird. Um, try the week good one yep I was like well this is not awesome but also that was beautiful I can't be mad at this I want to be but I can't be
Grumpy Old Prop: was the hat -trick try by Freeman. by I'm sorry, for by Fizz Hardy. I mean, that was just champagne rugby. And what a finish. um Drama all around. Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's not the first time I've cried while doing that. um But wait.
jarrod_dyke: ah
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
jarrod_dyke: ah I, um, I picked the Tom James try from the saints game. Cause you know, ah I kind of have some men.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, that's a good one too.
jarrod_dyke: It's about Tom James this year, but that, yep. That made me stand up and go, all right, this, this might be the guy, especially while Mitchell's dead, um, coach, ref, and young player.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, my coach is Pat Lamb because they're, the players are showing up for him.
jarrod_dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, obviously, you know, as I, as I said earlier, I have a lot of respect for Bristol on, on, you know, in every way. Um, I like to watch them play and. Oh, they're so close.
Grumpy Old Prop: And I think this, I think Pat Lamb is definitely justifying. Like, I don't think his seat is not nearly as hot as it used to be. Um,
jarrod_dyke: I think two seasons ago we'd we talked about something different.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And. But that's because of the team is playing so much, but he's got them on fire now. This is what they missed out last year, and this is why they're I think they're going to be a top 14.
Grumpy Old Prop: They really like you don't. It doesn't matter where you're playing salaries, you don't just rock up like five tries on them.
jarrod_dyke: Mm -hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: It doesn't happen.
jarrod_dyke: No, no, it's alright, it's alright.
Grumpy Old Prop: And when they're playing well, it's not like they're playing poorly.
jarrod_dyke: It's 8 o 'clock.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's not like you were looking at Sarah's and be like, man, you guys suck. It was no the bears were just like, okay, there's a small gap here. We're going to just run right through it. And it's like, you're not supposed to, um,
jarrod_dyke: Don't do that!
Grumpy Old Prop: um that, um, and there's, cause there's, you know, no matter what you, we talked about the wolf pack and there's always a gap. The key usually is sorry, is really putting enough pressure that the teams don't act. They don't have access to the gap.
jarrod_dyke: Right, right,
Grumpy Old Prop: And the bears are like, Oh no, we're just going to find it anyway. So fuck you. We'll spread that ball wide before you can, and can, can really rush up on us. And then we're just going to have some fun. And Hey, every, yeah, attacking rugby is fun. Rugby.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, i went I went with Steve Diamond and only because of the big one that they finally got.
Grumpy Old Prop: I, that's a good one too.
jarrod_dyke: yeah and that's that's There's a lot for me to to have to put that name down there, just saying.
Grumpy Old Prop: No, no problem there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm -hmm.
jarrod_dyke: ah um Official.
Grumpy Old Prop: Nobody fucking although I did like I did like the the like I wanted to go who was the ref for for Saris?
jarrod_dyke: Fuck them all With Thorpe, I think he was a special good but that's just me All the no arms, yes It was on laws, yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: And The only thing I liked was the the way he managed that um um That high tackle review on um Yeah, the no arms on was it was a lot was a ski And it's like no, there's attempt to rap. It's just the other guy's shoulder knocked his arm back like and there was as low as he's you know he's bent in the waist he's doing all the things right so and but the TMO was being a total twizzle about it and uh really glad that that he held his ground and said so that's really it but he so fucking sucked the rest of the match so what do you want from me
jarrod_dyke: Thank God.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, I think it was.
jarrod_dyke: He did. He did. Um, so yeah, I kind of, I, I like camish smells a lot better than I like, um, what Thorpe as a mother more up and coming once he did the, um, Lester glosser game on Sunday.
jarrod_dyke: So I give it to him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm -hmm. That's fair. ah I don't mind Hamish so much. Plus, it's a fun name.
jarrod_dyke: No, young player.
Grumpy Old Prop: Two of them, ah Max Llewellyn and Ethan Grayson.
jarrod_dyke: Oh, nice. Good picks. So young talent must be clearly in abundance because I picked Henry Pollock from saints.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that's perfectly fine too.
jarrod_dyke: I mean, alone, like he made a huge mistake on that war break, but he also made up for it and did not quit. And he was able to get ah his um his arm wrapped around him and held him hold him up.
jarrod_dyke: So that is, that's an engine that you don't teach.
Grumpy Old Prop: yep
jarrod_dyke: Player of the week.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Yep Player of the week I didn't do a player of the week. Well, I'm still sticking.
jarrod_dyke: I did.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm still still sticking with Fitz Harding Yeah, I mean well he just dominated that game it's but he had no opposition and
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, that's fair. I went with the with the other guy that got a lot of tries this week, Tommy Freeman.
jarrod_dyke: yeah he Yeah. Some people have no opposition and don't know what to do with it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that's true.
jarrod_dyke: So let's be honest.
Grumpy Old Prop: um So bust out your dick of the week.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: to
jarrod_dyke: Um, i'm so i'm I'm going with the RFU and their standards for the Premier Shepherd, maybe it's the Premier Shepherd, but it doesn't matter. Whoever's making these decisions and saying that, you know, your grounds aren't meeting the standards because you're not X, you know, they're you're not X attendance.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
jarrod_dyke: It's like, all right, cool. Well, that's going to cost us more money than it's probably worth. So fuck you.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: It's like, didn't we just have this conversation about like, team's not being healthy financially and you're trying to make them unhealthy financially.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
jarrod_dyke: Like I'm missing something here. Please explain. So screw you guys.
Grumpy Old Prop: I cannot.
jarrod_dyke: Screw you guys and get him.
Grumpy Old Prop: um My dick of the week is Gabriella Betoya.
jarrod_dyke: ah
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm saying, I had a lot of bears going on this week, but, um, for good and bad, but, um, yeah, in between, like the first yellow was stupid and the second yellow was stupid.
jarrod_dyke: Oh, very stupid. Very stupid.
Grumpy Old Prop: And yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. Yeah. Like couple, in you know, to Duncan's point, He has too many hair brain moments like that that. Keep him out of the england team. Like if he could cut those out, he would absolutely be a nailed on, you know, force player in that team, maybe a starter, if not at least off the bench twice.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Like.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Like, why, why are you shoving someone off the ball when you're offside? And yeah. And then you threw them into your own player. Like, yes yeah.
jarrod_dyke: You idiot. You idiot. Anyway, pick them Bristol, Northampton.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, um, hosts.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. I think that's the only thing that nudges it for me. And North End was going to be missing players too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Although, yeah.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah. No, probably no England players this week, folks. Just keep that in mind.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, good call.
jarrod_dyke: Keep that in mind. Gloucester, Newcastle.
Grumpy Old Prop: host
jarrod_dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Hosts.
jarrod_dyke: Bath sale.
Grumpy Old Prop: Hosts.
jarrod_dyke: Yep.
jarrod_dyke: Saris Lester.
Grumpy Old Prop: Hosts, although I would pick saris either way, but right now they're the hosting so.
jarrod_dyke: Yeah, yep ah dickheads and quins Yep, yeah, I think it's gonna be ugly but I think they'll get it done No Marcus, so Yeah, these guys don't know what the fuck to do with it
Grumpy Old Prop: Visitors, the twins.
Grumpy Old Prop: I think so too. i I think this is where they're going to maybe, you know, if I'm, if I'm Harley Quinn's, I say, okay, let's practice our, our run and rugby on this one. No.
jarrod_dyke: Cool. All right. So, um that's that. Again, thank you very much. She's not, and hopefully she's listening to this. ah Julia for coming on in class, not the joint with us.
Grumpy Old Prop: Thank you, Julia.
jarrod_dyke: Ben and I are going to head over to the fancy corner where you will see all you ah lovely people over there that are going to join us. If not, enjoy the weekend, weekend of rugby, and we'll talk to you all soon. Have a good one, everyone.
Grumpy Old Prop: Later.
jarrod_dyke: Cheers.
