Domestic and European Rugby 2016 - 2017

[DaveD]

Saracens giving mighty Toulon a hiding in their own backyard. Three tries before half-time.

[paul_e]

Toulon right back in it now though.

[DaveD]

Toulon right back in it now though.

Yes, some game !

[paul_e]

Really good win for Sarries in the end, can't help but think that trinh-duc kicking a pen to the 22 instead of the 5 when they were totally on top was the difference, you need a world class 10 to compete at the top level and he is nowhere near that class.

[paul_e]

Massive win for saints to snatch it at the end like that, could be really important for the season for them.

[cheltenhamlion]

Johnny May is back.

[DaveD]

What a try by Nick Tompkins!

[Dante Lavelli]

Some cracking games this weekend.  Wasps and Saracens look to be head and shoulders above the English clubs at the moment.
Leicester and Saints are just too inconsistent. 

I'd speculate that there is something not right at the Saints at the moment, despite bringing through Harrison, Malinder and Wilson (?) last season, plus adding Picamoles, they have gone backwards.  I read that they are replacing their attacking coach so they're at least trying to address the situation.

[paul_e]

Saints are in a mess and, If I'm honest, I blame Mallinder senior for it.  Wilson has been around for ages though.

The problem is, and always has been, that the 9, 10, 12 channel just doesn't work and the consistent is that Myler is always the 10 he goes to under pressure.  It means that everything is relying on the pack moving forward.  As soon as a ref goes against them or a team stifles that dominance they don't have any other plan.  The worst thing is that I think the saints squad is far far better than the results are showing.  If you look through the squad they have a superb pack with great strength in depth and a phenomenal set of outside backs but they just can't seem to link the 2.  I reckon a change of coach could make all the difference.  I've said a few times that I don't expect Mallinder to last to the start of next season so the next coach will be a really interesting choice.

On topic I agree on wasps and sarries, the former in particular have built a fantastic squad fair;ly quietly over a couple of years, I'm just not sure they have the front 5 depth to challenge at the very top unless they get very lucky with injuries. If you look from 6 and up they've got the best options in europe by quite a way in my opinion, when you add DeLuca, Halai, Beale and LeRoux to the options they had yesterday that's pretty frightening, and in the back row they've got Jones and Haskell to add to the 4 from yesterday as well.  That said I'm a huge fan of Tommy Taylor at Hooker, I think he'll be a top player in a couple of years, so they are looking at the front 5 options as well.

[Dante Lavelli]

Ashton off to Toulon at the end of the season.  He's one of those players that are hard to like.  Leaves Saints once he's learnt how to play union and then deserts Saracens having been suspended/injured for large chunks of the season.

[paul_e]

Ashton off to Toulon at the end of the season.  He's one of those players that are hard to like.  Leaves Saints once he's learnt how to play union and then deserts Saracens having been suspended/injured for large chunks of the season.

The saints > sarries thing was money, they offered a lot more than saints were able to, he pretty much doubled his money.  This one will be the same, but with added 'fuck you' to the rfu for not picking him.

On the liking him thing, I always thought he was arrogant but harmless but his time at sarries has added a nasty streak.  The frustrating thing is that he should be the sort of winger that you want in your squad when you start playing more expansive because he tracks play so well meaning he was always able to pick a line through a gap, a natural talent that he seems to have abandoned in the last couple of seasons in favour of smashing people and proving how manly he is.

[Jon Crofts]

Here endeth Chris Ashton's England career.

[UK Redsox]

London Welsh facing another winding-up petition from HMRC

[Dante Lavelli]

Can a game be both dull and compelling?  Saints v Gloucester tried it's best.  I guess it became compelling because neither team had the attacking quality to dominate the game.

What was noticeable was how much better May looked than the other backs, even North.

[paul_e]

Can a game be both dull and compelling?  Saints v Gloucester tried it's best.  I guess it became compelling because neither team had the attacking quality to dominate the game.

What was noticeable was how much better May looked than the other backs, even North.

Awful game, Saints are a mess right now and Gloucs just don't know how to see a game out.  The decision to let Mallinder try to run the injury off was the low point for me, he could barely stand and was clearly not able to play a part in the defensive line.