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Season 6- Episode 9- What We Now Know About TRN (Premiership Round 5)
79 Plays2 years ago
We are back to regularly scheduled programming! On this episode, we clear things up with what exactly has been happening with The Rugby Network after someone was willing to speak with one of us on the phone. We'll give you a hint, stuff happened real fast and not all of it was their fault. Happily though, we did get to watch a bit of the ruggers this weekend so we dive into everything that happened, from The Rec to Franklin's Gardens and everything in between. We hope you'll kick back with something cold to drink and join us!
Check out the TFRY Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyRugbyYanks
Ask us questions via Twitter: Jarrod- jdyke8man & Ben- admrablsnackbar, and #AskTFRY.
Send us your thoughts for the show and questions for upcoming shows via e-mail fantasyrugbypodcast@gmail.com. Of course, we welcome feedback via e-mail, twitter or by rating/reviewing the pod on Apple Podcast.
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Transcript
Introduction and Welcome
00:00:03
Speaker
It is. The fantasy Europeans. My name is Jared Dyke. I wanted to say it's stupid and let's move on but then you kept going. I'm Ben Glauser. I don't like any way anybody handled that. Collusion. Collusion.
Fantasy Rugby Yanks and Positive Vibes
00:00:28
Speaker
Hey everybody. Welcome back. It is the fancy rugby yanks. My name is Jared Dyke. I'm Ben Glauser. We're in. Let's go. Woo hoo. Lots of fun. Yeah, let's pop them up. We got them. Laser kitten. Yeah. We're actually going to talk about good things today. Including this hereson's win. Laser kitten is the name of my beer, by the way. I'm excited about it. That's a username. That's what that is. It's from Medusa Brewing. It's not bad.
00:01:00
Speaker
Oh, it's Medusa. Nice. Yeah. I like their stuff. I don't not like this. Yeah.
Engagement and Content Updates
00:01:09
Speaker
Make sure that you find us on your favorite podcast app, share, download, rate, review, all that good stuff. And also don't forget, buy our good friend, George, the fans here where we geek a coffee or beer. Um,
00:01:24
Speaker
I still need to make my donation considering that I'm sitting on top of CYL for a few weeks now. I could definitely need to go make my donation. But anyway, while my lazy ass drags it, don't be me. Go help him out and make sure that you pay your penance. Because if you are on top of your league like I am for the most part, yeah, you probably owe that man a drink or two. So go ahead and help him out.
00:01:51
Speaker
There's no discrimination here on this podcast or the show that be in sports or on life. Um, yeah, we're just, don't be dicks guys. Like we're, we're trying to not get too worked up on the, on this episode today. Cause we got a lot more other things we're going to do it. Right. And then we got really worked up last time too. So we did guys, they got popped, they got popped a blood vessel. I swear. Yeah. So just,
00:02:17
Speaker
For this week, no being assholes. We'll get into other stuff next week because we have a holiday coming up here. Preferably we don't get into it next week because people stop being assholes. Well, yes, but there's a holiday we need to reference anyway. There is, there is. So we'll get there. But anyway, don't be an asshole. Please don't. Make sure you grab our Patreon. We've got the goods up, yes.
00:02:39
Speaker
I make up this time. Yes. No, no, they were up this past week. We all have them up. Probably not by the time this episode airs because I'm adding some extra spiciness. Yes. So it may be until till Thursday. But yes, it'll be there in time to be there. Yes, you'll have more than enough time to make your your team changes. Absolutely. And yeah, boom, us will be up tomorrow.
00:03:10
Speaker
Hoping to get it done very early in the morning, because I have something I have to do middle of the day.
Rugby Network Woes and Discussion
00:03:17
Speaker
Okay, so let's get into it, because we got very passionate last episode. And rightfully so. And there's two sides to the passion. You can have the side that's absolutely 100% enthusiastic and all about it, and the other side of it is what we did last week.
00:03:37
Speaker
Well, again, if you know me by now, Jared can absolutely attest to it.
00:03:49
Speaker
Almost all of my criticism comes from of things comes from a place of I want this to be good Because if you know what if I if it's something that's shit, I just will be like get whatever Like yeah, um, you know like I okay if that's crap and I don't really give a fuck or like it doesn't you know It's like yeah, I want it to be right, but I'm not gonna bother criticizing it because it's designed to be crap like whatever but
00:04:15
Speaker
In this case, this all makes sense as to what's going on with the rugby network. And we want it to succeed. We want it very much to succeed. And I made that incredibly clear. And I thought we made that pretty clear on the episode last week. And we have been making it clear that we want it to work. And it's annoying that it doesn't.
00:04:44
Speaker
And but they want it to work just as much as we do that where our frustrations literally are their frustrations. This is that they understand what's going on. OK, like and so let's get into this. This is not me having been like they haven't bought me off or anything. I. Kind of really not right now. Confirm I grilled Adam Lajun cop politely on a Friday morning. And so put it this way, he's he he he's in Seattle.
00:05:17
Speaker
You woke up butt-ass early to talk to you. Yes, he did. He talked to me. It was 11 o'clock my time, so 8 a.m. his time. What happened was I emailed the premiership because I was like, you know what? I need to talk to somebody. Obviously, I am passionate about this. I will go to these lengths.
00:05:36
Speaker
For some reason, if you mentioned that you have a podcast, people would pop too. And I'm like, we have like 30 people that download us, but okay, fine. I'm like, whatever. If you've never heard of us, yeah, okay. But at the same time, they also want to make sure that people aren't talking shit about them on any podcast. So they want to protect themselves. But it's like, either way, I thought it was hilarious that I got to pretend to be a journalist for a moment there. But seriously, it kind of was. So here's what happens.
00:06:05
Speaker
rugby pass, and the rugby network split. And it was like a very, very quick, and abrupt, and it had kind of been coming. But it was it happened on September 20. Right? Let's let's put that in perspective. A lot of us in a certain checkup that we have knew that too, but right still doesn't change the abruptness. Right.
00:06:31
Speaker
We had we had there were inklings of it, but still when it happened it was like all at once There was no like hey where this is gonna happen in two weeks thing. It's like not this is fucking done now, so right That was September 20th October 13th Do you know what that what date that would be or what significant so that would be? That was the first week of the pram now exactly perfect Hang on
00:06:57
Speaker
That's 23 days. And so the thing is when rugby pass, and so look, I'm also, for my profession, I help set up manufacturing lines. I know what it takes to go from, hey, here's a design to here's our product. And 23 days, I know it's not the same kind of environment, but 23 days is a very short turnaround time to get shit up and running.
00:07:21
Speaker
and make sure it's done right. So that's why there are features that don't work because they didn't just change their relationship with Rugby Pass. Now they have to get their own broadcast system. And so the difference, what happens is for Apple products, you don't set the timeline.
00:07:46
Speaker
for these kind of changes. No, they do. They do. It's like 60 or 90 days, something along those lines. And I'm guessing that's 90 days, given the timeline. And this is everything that Adam mentioned. So I'm going by his timeline and overlaying it with information that, yes, I know to be true. And yeah, that's 23 days is a quick turn. And so, yes, they keep saying to try the
00:08:11
Speaker
What's the Boomer system? That's not Apple, Android, that shit. Android, yeah. But I talked to him, like, I'm not old enough to own an Android device if you laugh. But he's like, yeah, but they're quick on it. You can kind of work with them, and they'll change their timeline, whereas Apple will simply not. So he's like, I am counting down the days to,
00:08:39
Speaker
like mid-December whenever, I can't remember exactly the exact date, like the 17th or something. He's like, that can't come soon enough because that's when it's guaranteed to be. It could be up anytime. He's like, this could all end at any fucking second now. He didn't use the fucking word. I just used that. That's me, not him. This could end any minute now, but that's the definite date when it will end.
00:09:02
Speaker
and then we'll be able to cast to, they'll be able to update the Roku, so they'll be able to update everything, essentially. So it'll kind of happen overnight then, no matter what. The payment issue, he's like completely flummoxed by, because I'm like, if I just go to order a pizza, it takes the zip code, like, how do you have a payment system that doesn't have that, and it is apparently the zero, that's the foible here, and it's like, how does that even happen?
00:09:30
Speaker
But he doesn't control that either. That's just part and parcel of this new system. And apparently they... I don't know how it was supposed to work or how it would work, but I'm just kind of shocked that he's like, this is something that's somewhat out of our control, but we can kind of control it. So this is another one that could be fixed at any minute. They could be like, finally, we've got the solution. You can now pay and access our site.
00:09:55
Speaker
He's been clear about that. He's like, I keep hoping every day. I think that was his last email to us, was that he's really trying to get things fixed as quickly as he can and hoping that each day he can give us some good news. But it'll happen when it happens. So our complaints have been heard and they're understood and they're working towards a resolution.
00:10:22
Speaker
which is good to know. So I'm not happy about it, but neither is Adam. And so I'm content with that because I know he's gonna get it done. So there's my, I get to be a journalist. That was fun. I think all that is acceptable.
00:10:47
Speaker
the biggest problem for I think you from you and I standpoint was just the total radio silence where it's like we're working on it and nothing were the two things we were getting from pretty much everybody. Exactly and I did mention that to him and he took that he did note that because I was like when I go on your website there's no one to call
00:11:09
Speaker
I was like, this was the only way I knew of to get, I was like, I needed, I just needed to talk to someone. And this was the one way I knew that, or I thought anyway, it was like a gamble that somebody would like take me seriously just because I said I had a podcast. And not only did they said that, that Prem called MLR because MLR owns TRNs, like what the fuck? And MLR called him because he's their guy for it.
00:11:32
Speaker
He's like, oh, fuck. I'm like, yes. I threw the grenade. But I was like, I wouldn't have done it if there was just someone I could talk to. And there's no way for me to talk to anybody. And he's like, that's a fair point. And so he did kind of see where there were gaps in this. Because he's like, that was one of the first scenes. He's like, I do like talking to people. And I was like, so do I. And if I could talk to somebody, I would have called them.
00:11:58
Speaker
totally. So yeah, there's there's definitely definitely things that that they're working for to improve and it is a very fledgling operation. So there's a lot that's like this. You know, I told him that these probably got a lot of blue tape and I don't think he quite got it. But it's like, you know, that's one of these things when a project you see a problem. Okay, that's a blue tape. We'll get to you know, we'll come back to it and sort them out. But let's just for now blue tape here, blue tape here, blue tape here. Yeah, you get a lot of blue tape in a
00:12:28
Speaker
um, in the development project. Yeah. So, and that is, yeah, 23 days to the, to this, to prem season open. And they got a couple of, of, uh, what's from a call, they got a couple of, um, uh, what do you call it? Um, a couple of free weeks, um, as best they could. And yeah, it'll improve. It will improve. Like we will look back on this and be like, man, that sucked, but it was worth it in the end.
00:12:55
Speaker
I hope. And we can only hope, you know. I have every reason to believe that we will. And if that's the case, then whatever I've said in this period, I will eat it and I will, you know, I'll pay my hands for it. I don't think well, maybe I should go back and listen to it, but I don't think we were over the top. I thought we were justified.
00:13:16
Speaker
They were justified, no doubt. We didn't have anything. That's what happens with silence. People get to make up their own shit, man. You're better off controlling the narrative.
00:13:37
Speaker
That's the narrative I will go with for now because it made sense. And like I said, it added up from a timeline in a 23 day timeline that did not know about that. That's that's that right there as a motherfucker, man. No way. Yeah. So I totally get why they're pooping themselves because.
00:13:53
Speaker
It's like we nobody wants it to be this way. So that's I imagine not I can definitely imagine not no doubt. Yeah as I said to him, it sounds like your their headaches are as big as ours so or in our headaches or their headaches, so they're sharing in the misery in which case I can I Can be very kind and go for go for it with it. I just
00:14:21
Speaker
Like I said, I was talking to my wife about this before too and it was
00:14:26
Speaker
I want someone to let me know what the actual fuck is going on and whether you do that through a phone number, a contact number, a chat, or just by simply putting something out on your social media. Like we are aware of said problem and we also are working on said problem. And here are the solutions we have currently, which none of which will probably be super awesome. But I'd say you'd probably cut down about 70% of the bullshit. Yeah.
00:14:56
Speaker
You still have the people that are just like, blah, blah, blah, blah. I hope that it came across to Adam that that's not us. We're not just going to complain about everything. When we support it, we'll support it all the way. Now all of our constructors, all of our
00:15:11
Speaker
Criticisms are done constructively. It's that when it's like, wait, we wanna support you and you're fucking, we feel like you're fucking us. Yeah, anytime you involve money, it's always gonna be a little dicey too. Right, but that was the only problem. It's like, I want to pay you. I'm trying to give you money for your content and you won't take it. So you won't give me, very frustrating on that end. That is just silly in all honesty. I think most people would agree with that. Right.
00:15:40
Speaker
So we'll, uh, we'll get there. We're getting there slowly. We'll be a big boy country with, with access to professional rugby again soon. Yeah. But the special people eat special people's games. I don't, I don't like going to those shady sites and.
00:16:00
Speaker
Hey, we found a couple of we found a couple of good ones. Thanks to right. I see your admirer. Thanks to whoever's to whoever you are. But in the meantime, so since we were able to watch some rugby, we can talk about some rugby.
Rugby Match Analyses
00:16:16
Speaker
Let's go to Friday night, Gloucester and Bath. And the return of Ollie Lawrence and
00:16:25
Speaker
Ollie Lawrence finally being able to show what the fuck he can do because he couldn't do it for a goddamn bit while he was wearing a white shirt, that's for sure. Well, you know, this team actually gives the ball to their centers.
00:16:36
Speaker
In space. In space, yes. It's not just to hear smash. His first try. It was Barney and Barton, but still he just made the both of them look really, really stupid. Yeah, that's a poster right there. That's a poster.
00:16:56
Speaker
Yeah, sorry, guys. Just a little bit of cartoonish stuff just like together and then around you both. I was like, Oh, man. Sorry, guys. You just got embarrassed. But the guy's good. It's like, don't he's don't don't mistake it. Yeah. Well, the team's pretty good, too. Yeah. I mean, Dick Lanville, unfortunately, he had to he had to he dropped. I didn't see what happened to him, though.
00:17:22
Speaker
Yeah, he didn't look great coming off. Gallagher came on for him and did a serviceable job for him. Yep. And yeah, OK, so. Gloucester are just obviously, they're not the same. Without Mercer, I mean, they weren't without McWiggin either, and I'm. Here's my problem, if you need that player.
00:17:51
Speaker
to be like a competent team, you have problems. And I just feel like this Gloucester team is not really any different than it was last year, except for Mercer. And that's like, that's not enough because you're going to have to like, you have to win games where he's not going to be available because of anything like
00:18:16
Speaker
He'll be in the national squad. I mean, he fucking better be as good as he is. He sure as hell better be, yeah. And if you can't play without him, that's so much of the season you're just giving up. And this team just doesn't look like they just seem like pretenders. And maybe that's because of, fuck, what was his name? This tweet.
00:18:41
Speaker
Carl Ferns tweet. Carl Ferns. But yeah, they just seem like they're fraudulent. I'm getting that feeling from Gloucester and I'm getting that feeling from another team we'll get to in a hot minute. Same. To me, Bathurst for real. I mean, they just- Yeah. I mean, Finn shushing the shed.
00:19:07
Speaker
Oh my God. Oh, Finn Russell never change. Never change. No, never. Not for a moment. Not at all. Will Murr also. You have Lawrence and Finn doing amazing things. Ben Spencer ran that attack so well.
00:19:28
Speaker
Um, Underhill was smashing everyone. And yet you have Will Muir who's like, they need, if he does, if that, that's the, again, again, for talking about, you know, criticizing and wanting to do well, kind of thing. Will Muir has been kind of one of our like, what the fuck is he guys for a little bit?
00:19:50
Speaker
He was hurt most of last year too, which did not help him at all. It doesn't, but then obviously coming back from it, he wasn't all that great either, but he's healthy. Watch out. Yeah. He looked a hundred percent on Friday. I got excited about him a couple of years ago and obviously that was his burst out, but still waiting to see what else he could do once everybody else figured him out.
00:20:16
Speaker
I think he's freaking it out and it helps that he has, you know, the likes of fin Russell on the inside to help him out, but still, he just, he, he does a lot for a guy out there. He beasted a couple of guys. I don't remember who he beasted, who, who the fuck he, I think it was Barney. He ran over for his try or for a second try, whatever it was. Um,
00:20:36
Speaker
And so, granted, it's a scrum half. But still, he's not afraid to use his body. But also, he knows that he can outrun and outjump some people, too. So he has quite a bit to offer. So if he continues to show that and is willing to use all those tools, then, yeah, he's going to be a son of a bitch to stop. That's for sure. And remember how awesome it was when Johnny May ran the ball on the kick return and ran it all the way across the field and then got tackled and gave up the ball? That was hilarious. Yeah.
00:21:05
Speaker
Why is that guy like even? And then they take off. Picked up by some some team for France for his name. So anytime now they take off for Lee. For recent. And I even know how he's like, what the fuck are you taking me off for? Like, do you see the other dude out there like you suck? Yeah. Yeah, he does. He does. We know Ali. We know. You know, you agree. What the fuck? Yeah, you got totally got taken off. He had nine meters less than made it made with old game. Yeah.
00:21:36
Speaker
How many of those main meters were sideways though? I mean, if we count those, you probably had a thousand, but different story for a different day. And the funny thing is they count some of those as like defenders beaten. And it's like, he didn't beat any defenders. Sometimes they do, which I'm just like, I know, no, that doesn't count. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. We need to, we need to reevaluate that just a little bit.
00:21:59
Speaker
Anyhow, but good on bath. Van Grant. We thought something was cooking last year at the end with Van Grant and it seems like it's come to fruition this year as well. Love it. Yep. Very much. Let's go to the gate. Let's, so I want to talk a little bit about sale first and then let's get into Bristol. Cause we, you and I were discussing something yesterday that, or Sunday, it doesn't matter which one, um, that I think is
00:22:27
Speaker
Top of mind for at least a few people, but let's talk about sale first. Number one, they're looking like they have it all again. And we saw, I hate the fact that Sam James is back there, but he actually didn't play that badly. But Joe Carpenter is much better back there. I will say that. Even Luke James will be better when he's healthy.
00:22:53
Speaker
No flats. So, you know, Reed has possibly turned the corner as well. So that's extremely helpful for their back line without a doubt. Yeah. If you're Alex Anderson, do you believe that Bristol, that you need to bring your A game to Bristol at this point? No, probably not. So then, yeah, that's why, I think that's why he did a little bit of a, you know, a little bit of a change lineup in that respect.
00:23:18
Speaker
Um, and Bedlow was kind of used at Bristol, but I think Sanderson is going to have a pretty good idea how to use him a little better than Bristol knew. And that's going to be only to the advantage of the sharks. So, um, if they, as long as they don't, which we know they're going to eventually throw two in there after he's back from his broken hand, but
00:23:36
Speaker
Um, but I, I think as bed low gets more time, I think you guys see him grow into quite a good player. He's got, you know, Bobby dupes on one side and Ford on the other side. I think that's going to be extremely helpful for him to have two guys that really just see the field pretty well. Certainly at this level for sure. Um, I think they need to find someone not named Cobas visa to play because he's kind of a dumb ass.
00:23:58
Speaker
Knocked up some fucking player. Yeah. He's, he's pretty much a meathead, huh? He's definitely a hammerhead. Like he had the one assist, but I was like, yeah, you owe your team that because you've done like five things wrong today. So the one assist doesn't really make it all up for it yet. No, no, no. Um, and then you have their, their hooker stable seem to be pretty good so far with, you know, they can rotate guys. Let's put it that way between Taylor. Um,
00:24:27
Speaker
LCD for whatever you take him. I don't know if he's going to be back on the national team squad, but still guy that's been around the block a time or two and then guys creepy who is a legend.
00:24:37
Speaker
So with that, and then, you know, you have, I like Nick Schoenert personally as well. So that's, um, that's a personal guy, guy for me. So I'm, I'm enjoying the fact that he's playing a huge part. There's there's, and then the back rows got just so much to offer with how the, the guys, they can rotate it out of there between Doug Dale, the curries, depreciation, especially when jail's healthy and, um, the new guy, Ben Ryan, like, yeah.
00:25:04
Speaker
There's a lot to love in there. There's nobody in there that's going to be a walking card right now, which is good. Yeah. Although Visa sometimes straddles that line. Yeah, but he's in the second row. That's true. You can throw in jail in there and presto. Done. Right. Right. Exactly. Visa is probably like fourth lock anyway. Yeah, no. Again. They have to try to heal the shit house. They don't need help. Yeah, exactly.
00:25:31
Speaker
They don't need help, but anyway, yeah. So there's, there's a lot to love. The defense for them was just stifling like, yeah, in your face and left Bristol without any clue as to what to do really. So I, you got to give them a lot of credit for just, and they just pinned him in that end too. Like did not let them out of there apart from the first score. Like did not really let them out of there for very often.
00:25:59
Speaker
Certainly not until like about the last 10 minutes. But then I'm really as you alluded to earlier.
00:26:12
Speaker
I'm looking at Bristol like not. This isn't even I got to see it anymore. This is this just all seems very fraudulent. Hmm. Like you guys are just a bunch of frauds. You can't get shit done like you can't like for. As much as Pat Lamb wants to do with the team. His players don't do what he wants them to do, and he doesn't coach them to be good at what they're good at.
00:26:41
Speaker
Yeah, essentially. So it's like you there's a mismatch. And at some point, the coaches job is to coach to the team to their talents. Yep. And I that he doesn't do that. No. And that's
00:27:00
Speaker
Like that's I have probably you have been hard Janssen. You've got Vakatawa. Like he's had a rough start to life, but not. Yeah, they're not. They're they're not getting used right. Like I think it was even that before that, like a Gloucester when we're against Gloucester. When I was like, yeah, they still haven't figured out how to use Ben Hart at all.
00:27:25
Speaker
And it's like what I still don't, I don't understand why you would as a coach, watch another player, like who doesn't play for your team play and watch them succeed and then say, cool, I'm going to grab that player and only have him do different stuff. Not that.
00:27:44
Speaker
He'll be great at the thing I wanted to do. See, Eddie Jones. And it's like, no, no, no, no, no. He does that stuff. Have him do that. You'll get a... That's when you get a great player. Like, Bernard Yance, his ability to insert anywhere and bring power in space is what makes him great. Don't make him just another hands down the line guy, because
00:28:11
Speaker
He'll throw, was it him that, did he throw the jukes or was that? Yeah, that was him that threw that. That's not easy. His game is not to catch it flat and keep passing really. His game is to like, drag the line and then pass it past the line. That's how you use him.
00:28:32
Speaker
You know, Vacatow was almost the same like that, you know, that when we were like, oh, that's how, yeah, that's how you use them. That's what they did. They were like, okay, you just run hard and just like, we'll, we'll fake you into space, get you behind the line and have Vacatow run off of you. That's like work to that. And they're just not doing it. And I'm at some point it's, it's gotta be on the coach to, to get it right. And Pat Lam's not getting it right enough for me.
00:28:58
Speaker
And just watching it, the number one, like you look at the town across the one through 23 of Bristol and even though Max Melins dropped, like still littered with bags of town, just, I.
00:29:15
Speaker
And they were so unimaginative, like, number one, when you have a blitz defense, like the way you sail, we're doing it, your best weapon is going to be just a wee chip in behind. And they were just like allergic to it. And if not, you need to, you need to take the risk of really pulling that ball back and then spinning it wide over the top, because those are your two ways around the damn thing. And they didn't do one and the other one, they couldn't execute. So it's like, all right, you guys are out of ideas.
00:29:44
Speaker
like even back to what could have potentially been a try to give him a losing bonus point. They had advantage and all they're trying to do is bang down the door. Like, guys, number one, this is not a team I'm trying to bang down the door against. No, you're playing right to what they want to do. Not with that pack, no thank you. Yeah. Okay. So yes, get a couple of them on the floor. Sorry. Get a couple of them on the floor and then move. Move, you have so much talent out there. Right. Move the goddamn thing.
00:30:14
Speaker
Holy shit, Ibitoya in space is fun. Ibitoya trying to frickin' run through 10 bodies is not fun. And all those guys, it's the same thing.
00:30:25
Speaker
And I think there's still players we haven't seen the best of. We have not seen anything that's even close to Noah Heard from his Worcester
Bristol's Struggles and Potential Coaching Changes
00:30:35
Speaker
days. We have not seen the best of Richard Lane. I think Richard Lane has a lot to offer as we've seen. And we've seen a lot, but it's definitely not as fast. I still think he's got a ton more in the bag. And yeah, so watching Karen Marmee and he hasn't impressed me yet. So I'm wondering if they made a mistake switching him out for your end.
00:30:54
Speaker
is where it is. Yeah. I mean, you're, I mean, sorry, Randall, the other way, Randall's been playing all right. But he's, you know, when you're the nine, you can only, you know, there is no, there's no AJ right now, which may help. I mean, we have been talking for a while now about cheating, just not being it. And maybe that's affecting it. I just still, still, they'd be better than with a backup, like,
00:31:26
Speaker
be a little dangerous. I would, I would ride James Williams a little bit and see what he has. Yeah. One, but two, I think we have to look at it and say the hottest seat in the prime right now is probably Pat lambs. Well, it's one of, yeah, it's, it's maybe me. I give it to lamb only cause he's been there a little longer. Yeah. And like, you can't tell me, and as much as an amazing player has been or was like,
00:31:54
Speaker
Though their biggest success was when Ben Earl was part of the team. Like, really? Did he make that much of a difference? I love the guy and I am so happy he's a Sarri and will be around for a while and think he's a special player. But if that's it, like we were talking about with Gloucester and Mercer, then you've already fucked up. And I don't think it was because, as I recall, when before the Sarri's
00:32:21
Speaker
It happened. Bristol were already a hot, attacking team. Like they were already like hard as fuck to beat and play against because they were going to test your defense no matter what. They were already that team. And then, as you said, Earl and Maylands came along and it was like the two of us were just like, that's just not fair. And they played like it. But it's like almost like everybody regressed after that. They left.
00:32:50
Speaker
And I don't think it's that's why I don't think it's them. Because like the everybody on that Bristol team just like took a shit afterwards. Thacker's been Thacker because he's that fucking good. And don't give a shit. But everyone else has just been like.
00:33:07
Speaker
a mediocre version of themselves. Right. Back row is a little depleted. I'll give them that, because back row plays seven. Right. But even still, before this game, it's not been any different. No, no. These are these are not this game now. I'm talking just systemic issues. Anyway. Agreed. Agreed. Agreed. So yeah, I think I don't think it's time to make a change yet, but we're not you can't be you cannot be that far away.
00:33:36
Speaker
No, I think I think it needs to be considered strongly. I really do. And that's, that's sad to say, really is. But and it could be a simple fact of he's lost a locker room, which is not an original thing to happen. No, especially as you you underperform, because underperformance after a while,
00:33:59
Speaker
You start to, you start to realize, you know, that's, that's, that's when you lose the locker room, when you underperform, if you're, if you're like, you know what, we're losing, but, but, but I can see it. It's a different story. Like we'll get there. This is a team that should have been there by now. And I think they're just like, what if it's not going to, like, this is only getting worse. They're, they're, they're, you know, when you, when you're on that side of the slope.
00:34:24
Speaker
Yeah, it's hard to it's hard to stay invested. Yeah, I agree. I agree. Yeah, it's not. Yeah. I said unoriginal. It's not an original idea to lose luck. No, he wouldn't be the first. But no, I mean, it's it's it's inevitable. Like not not every coach, but if you you know, it's very few coaches are immune to it. No. And let me look at Belichick there. Yeah, there there are apparently indications that he may be
00:34:54
Speaker
in trouble. I mean, so, but so it's like, yeah, it happens. But he, and he held onto it for so long. So it's like, all right, whatever. Just chuck it away and go, all right. Yeah. So be it. Right. Anyway, back to rugby. Any, um, let's go to Wofford Road.
Team Performances and Key Players
00:35:14
Speaker
Quinn's have certainly planted the flag of title contender right now. Um, impressive. This, nobody goes into,
00:35:26
Speaker
Wilford Road and comes off with a win without like raising some eyebrows and going, Hmm, we might have something here. Pretty sure we do. Pretty sure we do. I mean, like there. So when we talk about guys who, um,
00:35:47
Speaker
you know, you're waiting to come good and or you're just suddenly that you maybe they get a little taste of international experience and suddenly they're
00:35:58
Speaker
They get it. It's something you start clicking. Of course, I'm talking about the dinosaur lamb. Do you know? Do you know? He's amazing how much he's come on just the past literally weeks. But no, but he's been coming good as he's built towards the World Cup. His work rate was really good on Saturday. It was amazing.
00:36:27
Speaker
You know, he was quite, he was quite a few places at once, it seemed like. So, you know, guy gave it to a big fellow that usually plays- Lock. Lock. He's playing six, yeah. He's playing six. So, good on him. Good performance. And getting over in smart flanker lock type ways. Oh, well, he knew who he was picking on for one of them. He's like, oh, I can do this. Shove. It's like, dude, I could do that too. Just fricking straight on the guy and then put it down with the other hand. That's easy.
00:36:56
Speaker
That's the fun. Those are the fun ones and then you're like really dude. It's like hmm. Sorry It was there Why'd you steal that cuz it was there yeah Exactly, but anyway Yeah And it was always close but at the same time I was always wondering
00:37:21
Speaker
Where is the second gear, the next gear? Maybe they were in second gear, but where's the next gear from Western? It would be there for like 0.5 seconds and they would go away. Almost like, man, come on guys, waiting on it. And they waited too long. Wait, wait, wait, say that again. They waited too long. Wait, who's the scrum half? Oh, I know.
00:37:50
Speaker
Because I know that's that's his specialty is is Oh, you know he gets it out really quick Yeah He gets it out really quick when he really wants to box kick or something and just wants to go like do something real quick But when it's on and it's not like gonna be the Ben Young show if he's not gonna do something cool He's just gonna pass it out. He'll flap his arms for a few seconds before he goes for that ball and that that's gonna kill you like this team is not gonna be good until
00:38:18
Speaker
JVP is healthy. Yeah. He's definitely a difference maker at this point because it's hard to say otherwise, you know, we're seeing these guys who, who have retired from the international game and really they need just need to just need to, to retire. Cause some of them should. Yep. Like, you know, we talked about Jenny main Ben Young's is just not, it's not happening anymore.
00:38:41
Speaker
I never, I mean, it hasn't been a bit, I shouldn't say it never did. It did, but it hasn't a bit and it's, he slows their game down and even a team like Quinn's you give him that extra split second and it doesn't just hurt you for one phase. That's the, that's the worst part is it, you, it takes so many phases to build up to quick ball and then you just stop.
00:39:04
Speaker
And it's like, you've, you've killed it. Like all that work to get to what you want in attack and you kill it. And, and that to me is, is the story of, of Lester in this match. Cause Cam Henderson and Chasm did an excellent job. I thought they were both very good on the weekend. Yeah. Visa didn't get the average because that's what he lives on. You get that quick ball, like you get a Chasm or a Henderson smashing through and then you have followed that up with a visa.
00:39:30
Speaker
right off of it to guys who are retreating and, and, and, and look at him with that. Like, yeah, you ain't tackling that man. Like that, but you're not going to get that with youngs. He doesn't do that anymore. No. And so Michaela is obviously new in here. Hopefully he does not jump for Australia for everyone's sake. Um, I wonder,
00:39:57
Speaker
if having a fresh set of eyes will help him realize, not that he needs to throw youngs by the wayside, I think that would be a disservice to him despite the fact that I don't like him, but I just hope it opens his eyes like, hmm, maybe I don't have what I think I have with him, you know? And right now, they have to go with him because quite frankly, their half backs are fucked by the lies. Wightly is not, Wightly I'm disappointed in.
00:40:24
Speaker
Wightly, you should have been Will Porter, kid. You had every opportunity to become Will Porter, and... You didn't. And you didn't. And I get that for some people it's an occupation, but, like, man, you could have more fun. Yeah, definitely. Definitely, definitely. Because if he came on, like, if he was something and could come on, like, 50 minutes, this is a different game.
00:40:48
Speaker
there aren't many people that kids have Danny care waiting on the touchline and then do something to make him put his top back on. I was like, wow, that's a hell of a last act. Nope. Keep them on. All right. Right. There's like, all right. Nope. That wasn't the last act. Give me, give me, give me five more minutes of will Porter, please. Yeah. I mean, it's like, all right, kid, do it again. Um,
00:41:15
Speaker
So as poor and nonetheless for the for the Tigers as poorly as the midfield has started for them and let's be quite honest Kelly and Porter have not hit the gears at all.
00:41:26
Speaker
I think throwing Solomonicata into that mix might be just the dynamite they need because you look really good on Saturday. He did. And he was the guy who started a lot of those runs too, especially the ones in space that just never got followed up on. Yeah. One clean break, 50 meters, four defenders beaten. Pretty good. On eight carries. Right. And a lot of those defenders beaten were serious defenders beaten. He beat his guy, made the other guy tackle him five or six yards down the pitch.
00:41:56
Speaker
and then get someone else to hang on to on top of it. Right. And then they never used they like the opportunities were there and that was a lot of it. You know, yeah, the in tight with as I was saying, with with Chasm and Leimberg. Yeah. But and I'm sorry, in Henderson. But man, when you've got someone who did what Kata did, like you will see that I thought Anyan who played pretty well and Esther Hazen, I don't think got enough of the opportunities in there. No, he didn't.
00:42:22
Speaker
But when Andre is back in there, which this weekend is going to be a fucking cracker. I cannot. Well, big weekend coming up here with any derby matches. And then, yeah, I was less than thrilled with this. I mean, with with Lester's performance, this match. Yeah. I don't have to say I don't hate Freddie Stewart, if not for the fact that you have
00:42:50
Speaker
some very talented wings otherwise on the wing. So, and I get, yeah, I get it. You have Brownie, but like at what point do you just say, all right, Brownie, you're coming off the bench and Lee Stewart in his natural position. And yes, it's nice to see him branch out and we know he can play a wing a little bit hell of a target on the wing when, when you need someone on a kick pass, but
00:43:16
Speaker
I mean, he scored a try with one leg, basically. Yeah. He was cramping like hell. Holy shit. Poor guy. Smashing over somebody anyway. Still did it anyway. I was like, oh, good God. I mean, that tells you what kind of brick house he is. Yeah. And then, so the last thing I would, neither you or I are huge fans of Matt Rogerson. So,
00:43:39
Speaker
Tommy Rafal coming back will be huge, number one. Number two, Ilioni coming in and he's a young spry Academy kid.
00:43:49
Speaker
I hope they play him much more. I hope they keep giving him time. He can unseat pretty much most of that back row with the exception of probably Jasper, maybe Hanro. Yeah. Thank you for reminding me. I didn't take that note though. What's that? About, about Rafael, like that him dropping last minute first off is enjoying because he's speaking a habit of it now. But second, that that's this game because
00:44:14
Speaker
Quinn's live off fast ball and Raphael is really the only, that only flanker who's going to slow them down. He gets in there sometimes, but either by legally flowing it down or not, but, but, or just stealing the ball. Like he'll, he'll do a lot that, that none of, none of the other, um,
00:44:36
Speaker
Lester flankers do right now, not these guys. Anyway, I look at Leonie. I want to see more of, um, because like you said, energetic, um, and, and youthful and exuberant, which is great. Rogers is more of that slow plotting. Yeah. Like you almost like punishing yourself to play rugby. Um,
00:45:03
Speaker
And then last guy we got to talk about and then we can move on to Sunday. The tea was off, but everything else was on for Marcus. Marcus just evolving in front of her eyes as the days go on and that only is a positive sign for a player of his caliber.
00:45:23
Speaker
Yeah. Love it. Love everything about it. Yep. And Nick David needs to, that was, that was Worcester, Nick David right there. I've got to see more Harlequins, Nick David, a little bit, a little bit. You got punished for it. He got pulled. Yeah. Needed it. It's being a getting pulled. Yeah. Listen, you listen near you.
00:45:46
Speaker
Um, yeah, so let's go. Let's go. Let's go to the
Game Highlights and Humorous Moments
00:45:50
Speaker
tune. That's where you go to get pulled. Yeah. Well, so my initial thought was going up there. I was like, Oh man, this is going to be a bitch of a match. Ain't it? It's always a slog up there. Well, it didn't, it didn't help that, that Sebastian Deschamps got over four minutes in and you're like, Oh, this it's one of those games, huh? Like already, I'm like, Oh, I see where this is going. Um, although it got better.
00:46:17
Speaker
It did. It got a lot better, a lot faster. I said it when the team was dropped to you and semi-true, you know, the Bin Juice went up to play this team, but if that's the Bin Juice, it ain't so bad. It's really not.
00:46:36
Speaker
Like, I mean, still, you got Vansale, which is always good to see. They played so much better under him as they as they always do. Gareth Simpson. I. This is your scrum, I mean, like this is a little bit of been juicery, as you said, but. The fact that it's these these are you, this should be your scrum half operation the rest of the way. Tom Willis should be your eight the rest of the way.
00:47:02
Speaker
But then you get beyond that and you're like, well, Christie played a hell of a match. You had a great game. Yeah. The debutant won Gonzalo. He was ridiculous. He got over and he deserved every second of it. Hustle, hustle, try. Yes, exactly. Well, you know, that's that's a good that's a good saris debut right there.
00:47:24
Speaker
Yup. Scoring a trial. You will win me a... You will do nothing but favors for me. Right. For yourself, for me, to be doing that shit. And you can't tell me that, since he played more than what he played, he played 30 minutes. If he played more than that, he would have gotten over, too. He was having some... Getting impact, too, yeah. Some mighty impact. Especially, I think in the lead-up, too, that was that...
00:47:51
Speaker
Tom Willis try I think at the end towards the end of the second one. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Speak. Speaking of a Tom Willis. Tom West. That's right. You did. You got hockey. He's trying to get the ball out.
00:48:18
Speaker
You can't do anything but laugh at that. Like, come on. He's like, dude, I'm trying to get this ball away and it's stuck in my shirt. I mean, hey, listen, everybody likes a little bit of the chest hair. It's okay. Yeah.
00:48:39
Speaker
Look you go to rugby and there's there's a chance someone's getting naked. Yeah Naked for sure, right? You don't see that that more off you don't see boobs that much but but bum no it's far more off but it's also hilarious so Thank you for that
00:48:58
Speaker
It's like like I think he did a good job of just distracting all the Falcons to look at him and let Tom Willis Bowl his way over here. Yeah, oh Man, but anyway, yeah really good stuff from the boys Yeah back to yours come half point I would like to see a guy that played really well at the u20s this pet this past this past year Charlie Bracken he's a series boy and I Really like to see a little Davey's just go. Bye. Bye. I'm like
00:49:29
Speaker
You know, he could probably make some money in Japan or France. Just go, go make some cash, dude. Cause you're killing me right now. Just slowly, but surely you're killing me. So, and then just get back in some time. I think he's on loan somewhere in the championship at the moment, which is helpful, but.
00:49:46
Speaker
Well, I mean, they could, couldn't they just like kind of give them to Lester and improve both teams scrum half position at the same time? Maybe. Certainly. Certainly. Look, we'll pay you. Just go play for them. Yeah. Something like that. Something like that. And then, so we, we said when we were picking this game, uh, over the, we gotta go over to the gardens. We said when we were picking this game,
00:50:16
Speaker
Like, this will be a marker for Saints if they can lay this down and get this done.
Saints vs Exeter and Player Critiques
00:50:20
Speaker
And they did. I think they did both of those things. They definitely did. And it only goes to further my question about our exit or just a home team. There might be some home cooking types, you know? Home bodies. Yeah. House cats. So it does. I mean, it means when you go to Devon, you've got to fucking bring your A game because we know they can attack down there.
00:50:45
Speaker
They talked a little bit when they went to Quinn's, but here, meh. Meh. Big old bottle of meh. Really? Meh. Wow. Shocking. You know, it's... Wait, you're saying they only had 238 meters. Yep. Yep, that's it.
00:51:10
Speaker
And most of it, and a good chunk of it was plotting. Right. Quite honestly. That's, that's ridiculous. And so to the point though, like they moved the ball mostly because saints were dumb and gave away stupid penalties. The penalties were 11 to 12.
00:51:34
Speaker
Mm-hmm. This could have been way worse and I'm sure Dowson will you know kick his boys in the ass saying like hey if we could stay disciplined this we would have just I mean they basically had it for the by the last 20 minutes anyway, but Because I think what I think exited always could once up until the last 20
00:51:53
Speaker
And the Saints had all their tries and they were ready to pack it in and go home. But still, they could have easily just made this worse on Exeter if they had had half the discipline, if they had even three or four less penalties. They probably, I don't think, like sure gets 19 by any means whatsoever. They're probably looking at 12 at most. But look at this shit. So three meters per minute is how much they moved.
00:52:18
Speaker
Right? If I math's right. Three times eight, 240. Yep. That math checks out. One clean break in 80 minutes. 12 defenders beaten. Just 12. You beat one defender every six minutes, seven minutes. Fuck. Fuck. Five off. It's 72 passes. You'd even throw a pass a minute. If you throw one pass, that means on average, your next pass won't happen for another minute of gameplay.
00:52:50
Speaker
Yeah. Less than good. Less than good. Yeah, no. I don't get it. I don't understand what Exeter are doing from week to week.
00:53:04
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, the attack we've seen down at Devon and this were two totally different things, like. Because Saints defense is better. Don't get me wrong. It is. It is. And that was the other point I was going to make. Let's make sure we look at that because their tackle percentage is fucking good. Yeah, but they weren't. Everyone's tackle percentage has been good recently against Exeter, except now for some reason, 2023 Exeter at home
00:53:31
Speaker
We're not talking about them. They're a different beast. I don't know what team to call them, but this isn't them. This is like 2021, 2022, and then this year's away Exeter Chiefs. Don't challenge defenses. They just run into them. So, yeah, your tackle percentage is going to be extremely high. You're not going to miss anything because you're not going to really get bowled over and have someone run away from you. You're just going to tackle them and bring them down when they crash at you. Yeah.
00:54:00
Speaker
and but um i mean so but let's look at the saints because they were brilliant for the most part certainly george hendi's uh it's all glass of tomato juice and he's spicy at that yeah it's like yeah it's like a uh nice tall bloody mary that's a good way to put it yeah no i've seen my people have been right like i've heard his name for like
00:54:28
Speaker
At least two years now. Yeah. And I've been waiting to hear, waiting to see him in significant quantities. And this, this was enough. I've seen him a little bit before and I've seen that he, you know, like, okay, I get that he's good. No, no, he's good. He's good. He's good. He's good. So now you have, so now in this, in this back line, especially in the back three, they have fur bank. They have who, who's her right now, slate home, who's also banged up.
00:54:57
Speaker
And just came back. Yep. Ram. Yep. Who dropped from this match. I believe Seabrook can play either 13 or wing. Yeah. Freeman, who can also play 13 or any of the back three. Yep. Hendy. Yep. Who are we missing? There's somebody else we're missing, I swear, but I could be wrong. That's good. It's good. Just the same. I know. Exactly. I'm not. Yeah. It's amazing. Yep. There's some.
00:55:23
Speaker
There's some firepower back there and then, you know, the, the midfield is probably with a little light. So that's why they're having, um, that's why they're having Freeman and, and, um, Seabrick play a little bit in the midfield. Um, they want to bring this Litchfield guy along a little bit. So I'm sure we'll see more and more of him as the weeks go. The Ozzy left, right? Um, yeah. Proctor left. Proctor left. So it's really hutch and dings and they got to sort that out. So yeah.
00:55:55
Speaker
Yeah, he's Kiwi by the way. He did go to an Australian team though. Oh Really? I thought he was okay. I thought he thought he was Aussie. He's built. That's Billy Proctor's brother. Oh, that's right of Kiwi. Sorry Yeah Yeah, so I Listen I thought
00:56:18
Speaker
I actually would figure out how to attack the Saints defense, but to credit Saints defense, at least a little bit, they didn't fold to that. They played better. Played really well. But also like, yeah, it seemed like Exeter were already out of ideas before the thing even started. Also doesn't help when you have a buck and scrum half get her red.
00:56:39
Speaker
No, that was dumb, Nile Armstrong. That's just really, really dumb. And it's, and let's clear it up. This is just like, that's me trying to catch a high ball. That's what that is. That's what I look like when I'm trying to catch a high ball. Like that's, that's clumsy and foolish. That's just stupid. That's all it is. It's not the kung fu kick we've seen from like Tabitha Lee or Palawa Dogwood once upon a yesteryear. Yeah. But it's still dumb and still a red chart. Right.
00:57:06
Speaker
Foot to face is a red. End of story. Right. And you could just keep your knee up. Yeah. Knee's fine. Knee's fine. Like there's so many ways to protect yourself. Yeah. And if they hit you, they're going to feel it. Yeah. It's going to be your knee on their face. Fucking kick it, dude. What the fuck are you doing? Yeah. Don't kick your foot out. Like, come on, man. Be balanced. But that is why it's a red. Because there's no
00:57:32
Speaker
There's no natural way to, it's not like that naturally happens because you're off balance when you, when you stick, you throw your leg out. So you're going, you're, you're forcing yourself to fall backwards. So it's like, you're only doing it to, to kick someone, kick at someone and to maybe give yourself a little bit more space. And no, just use your knee and fall down and go to deck. They can't smack you. Yeah. Easy. Another favor. But so if we got that at the beginning of the game, really, really dumb penalty, right? But
00:58:02
Speaker
He and Curry did one too, like, dude, leave him alone. It's an easy one. Obviously, clearly, the adrenaline is just going through your brain because you forgot that I can't touch this guy in the air. Just calm down, bring it down a notch, and you'll be fine, but damn, that was dumb. My god damn. All right, so anyway, back to the fun.
00:58:31
Speaker
upstandings.
Premiership Standings and Future Prospects
00:58:33
Speaker
Quinn's a top sales second. Bath and Northampton make the top four. Are we really doing top eight this year? So stupid. Two teams. Two teams will miss out. Right.
00:58:50
Speaker
Newcastle and whoever decides to shit the bed hardest. It's amazing to me that Leicester are in ninth as bad as Bristol and Gloucester have played. Yeah, I feel like that's not going to stay that way. Dan McKellar is a good coach. He'll figure it out. He is. He is still figuring it out. You know, he had the pre-season but still like.
00:59:12
Speaker
he's now getting all his players back slowly, but surely like, there's a lot to figure out as a brand new coach of what you have, what's the best recipe and all that good stuff. So he will figure it out whether or not they make top four and say it's probably gone down quite significantly, but he is not, they're not going to finish that. I mean, I would, no, but even if they finished, honestly, even if they did finish ninth, I wouldn't,
00:59:37
Speaker
consider that a failure or anything because there's a lot there's a lot changing still still changing over at Lester. They still have to redefine who they are both with a new coach, but also with newly I mean, you know, I know it's been a while since Ford's gone. It's been over a year, but
00:59:57
Speaker
a lot of their guys who have been leadership have also either moved on or are now international like, you know, Visa kind of became a bit of a leader on that squad and he's been away. And so it's going to take guys like and then, yeah, it'll take him a little bit to sort it out. Yep. Yeah, it's really down to whether Bristol and Gloucester sort themselves out because everyone else
01:00:19
Speaker
It's pretty all right. Although Exeter is going to have to play more away matches. So we'll see. Yeah. I mean, yeah, the, the, the all 15 points came at home. Right. So just, just a thought, just a thought.
01:00:34
Speaker
All right, cool. Hey, we did a rugby pod this week. All right. Good for us. Good for you for getting to listen to it. I'm proud of you. Yeah, we are. Excuse me. Good Lord. Something wrong with me over here. We're going to head over to the fancy corner in just a second here. If you're not coming over there, we are going to
01:00:59
Speaker
Thank you very much right now for listening to us and hanging out with us. If you are, we're going to see you over there. Um, enjoy the Derby weekend. Everyone. We love you all for listening. Have a good one. All later.
01:01:16
Speaker
this has been the fantasy rugby yanks podcast if you'd like to ask a question or leave us general feedback email us at fantasy rugby podcast at gmail.com you fart you die by the way yeah the ticky tackiness kind of absolutely pisses me off
01:01:39
Speaker
Be sure you check out our patreon at patreon.com slash the fantasy reviews. Yeah