Domestic & European Rugby 2015-16

[Dante Lavelli]

Saints v Bath was a good game, saints winning 15-14 having been 14-0 down at HT. 

By their usual standards the Saints have had a pretty average season, however they've blooded a load of youngsters, Harrison (MOTM again), Malinder and Jamie Elliot all look the business.  That talent should allow them to spend some cash on some big hitters like Picamoles (already signed) and hopefully a decent fly half.

[paul_e]

Harrison will rightly be the player of the season for saints, i think he's got a good shout for the overall league award as well, was superb again today.  I'll be very upset if he doesn't tour and get at least a 1 game at 7.

Mallinder is a top prospect but he really needs to nail down a position, he's been too much of a utility player so far and it shows.

Barnes was his usual self in a saints game, 3-4 ropey decisions, failing to give Auterac a clear yellow was top of the list.

[DaveD]

Nowell ripping Quins to shreds today. Three tries and God knows how many line breaks. Some performance.

[paul_e]

He's a fantastic winger who will just get better.  I still believe that Nowell on the right, May on the Left and Watson at 15 is the best back 3 for England but their insistence on letting Brown and seemingly Goode have yet another go at 15 means we've not had a chance to see it.  Wade and Yarde should be with the tour as well.

[DaveD]

He's a fantastic winger who will just get better.  I still believe that Nowell on the right, May on the Left and Watson at 15 is the best back 3 for England but their insistence on letting Brown and seemingly Goode have yet another go at 15 means we've not had a chance to see it.  Wade and Yarde should be with the tour as well.

Wasn't at all impressed with Yarde today, particularly when turning and defending, and while I never rated Goode before, he has been absolutely outstanding for Saracens all season, but otherwise I agree.

[paul_e]

He's a fantastic winger who will just get better.  I still believe that Nowell on the right, May on the Left and Watson at 15 is the best back 3 for England but their insistence on letting Brown and seemingly Goode have yet another go at 15 means we've not had a chance to see it.  Wade and Yarde should be with the tour as well.

Wasn't at all impressed with Yarde today, particularly when turning and defending, and while I never rated Goode before, he has been absolutely outstanding for Saracens all season, but otherwise I agree.

I agree on Yarde today, but he is still very young and he can be devestating, I'd like to keep him around the group.  Goode is a difficult one, he's 28 and has had 19 games and he's done nothing in them to justify his selection ahead of the likes of Foden.  My concern is that this will be just another tour (and subsequent autumn) where he does nothing of note and we lose more games where a long term option could be getting settled.

[Dante Lavelli]

Harrison will rightly be the player of the season for saints, i think he's got a good shout for the overall league award as well, was superb again today.  I'll be very upset if he doesn't tour and get at least a 1 game at 7.

Mallinder is a top prospect but he really needs to nail down a position, he's been too much of a utility player so far and it shows.

Barnes was his usual self in a saints game, 3-4 ropey decisions, failing to give Auterac a clear yellow was top of the list.

Malinder was both sublime and ridiculous for Saints yesterday.  Not convinced full-back is his position.  Devastating runner though and seems to play with his head-up, even in contact.

[Dante Lavelli]

As voted by the players, the nominations for player of the year (club rugby):

Andy Goode – Newcastle Falcons
Nathan Hughes – Wasps Rugby
Charles Piutau – Wasps Rugby
George Smith – Wasps Rugby
Thomas Waldrom – Exeter Chiefs

Not one Saracens player and notably Andy Goode who played something like 300 minutes all season.  What's that all about? 
BBC radio talked about it yesterday before the matches and the experts all said it was odd (i.e. the players had colluded) but offered no explanation beyond 'people don't like saracens'/jealousy. 

The obvious elephant in the room is the salary cap but no expert offered that as their conspiracy theory.

[paul_e]

Nathan Hughes for me from the list but I'd have had Kruis, Itoje and Chudley in the vote ahead Goode, Piutau and Waldrom.

Hughes becomes eligible for England this summer so next season we could have an England backrow of 6. Vunipola, 7. Harrison, 8. Hughes and Clifford on the bench, that's a frightening prospect, they're all massive, all fast, all have good hands, Add in Itoje, Launchbury, Mako V, George, Hill and Brookes and that's some frightening mobility we can bring into play, with the rest of the pack options providing the solid base for the line out and scrum.

[Jon Crofts]

Saracens were immense today. Itoji, Barrit, Kruis, Wrigglesworth all absolutely immense.

[paul_e]

Saracens were immense today. Itoji, Barrit, Kruis, Wrigglesworth all absolutely immense.

They did but it was a terrible game for a final, the conditions were the main problem though because they played entirely into the sarries default plan of kicking long and being super aggressive in defence high up the pitch.  If Carter had been fit it might have been a different story though.

[Jon Crofts]

It wasn't the spectacle for the neutral, these finals rarely are.
Racing had their chances second half, 95% possession for a 10 minute spell resulted in just 3 points.

[lovejoy]

What a terrible advert for the game of rugby, dire. Mike Philips is now toast.
I was called a Saracen c*** by an aggressive Queens fan on Friday. I hVe never been so insulted in all my life .......Saracens (!)

[paul_e]

It wasn't the spectacle for the neutral, these finals rarely are.
Racing had their chances second half, 95% possession for a 10 minute spell resulted in just 3 points.

They're normally cagey but they're rarely so error-strewn, the weather was terrible and (along with the injury Carter was carrying into it) that meant the chance of it not being a typical sarries grind was very slim, losing their 9 early in the first half was the last thing Racing needed.

Fair play to Sarries, they're effective and they have a handful of fantastic players but for me they're just a rugby version of Chelsea so I'll never be a fan, and watching them do it in such a dull way won't help.

[DaveD]

Boring boring Sarries