Domestic and European Rugby Union

[UK Redsox]

Great to see Saracens lose their first game in the Championship.

I really hope that they fail to get promoted

[paul_e]

Quins vs Saints has been brilliant, 4 tries after 16 minutes and both teams just going for it with ball in hand, not one for a fan of solid defence.

[dcdavecollett]

There's a brilliant report on the Sarries game against Pirates by Kitson on the Graun website.

[nordenvillain]

Just read it DCDC. And the RFU stopped them from live streaming the game after slashing funding for Championship clubs by 75%. The ground would have been chukka full if crowds fad been allowed - bit like how VP would have been this season if we'd been allowed in.

[paul_e]

2nd half from Northampton today was some of the best rugby I've seen for years, ran Worcester into the ground with pace and precision, England really need rto be looking at this team because the backbone is a bunch of young English players with the pace and skills to easily adapt to internationals. Mitchell was top class at 9 and Sleightholme is too good a finisher to not get a look in soon.

[dcdavecollett]

Looks like I watched the wrong game!

Wasps, who had a two-man advantage at one stage, managed to throw away the game against Sale right at the end.

They look horribly short of confidence atm.

[nordenvillain]

Looks like I watched the wrong game!

Wasps, who had a two-man advantage at one stage, managed to throw away the game against Sale right at the end.

They look horribly short of confidence atm.

Never mind Wasps  played against 13 at one stage - Sale had 4 players yellow carded in the 2nd half and played 2 separate periods with 13. Wasps were clueless in how to play with a 2 man advantage. And don't anyone tell me Robson should be starting for England. When Robson should have been  putting box kicks in behind the Sale backs he insisted on passing and then when he should have passed, he kicked. Even Austin Healey noticed ! Sale won without Faf De Klerk being in the squad.

[paul_e]

Robson wasn't the problem, their issues are back row and 10, Gopperth in particular was terrible yesterday. In the back row they have no leaders without Willis.

For England my choice at 9 would be to pick Randall and Mitchell and give them a couple of years to fight for the starting shirt.

[paul_e]

Not sure where else to put this but tonight was the first contact (for 20 minutes) rugby training in over a year and the first training of any sort since about July (for me). The club decided on sink or swim so about 2-3 miles of running in the legs, 20 minutes solid of hitting tackle bags and a half hour game of touch and I'm going to feel every single bit of it tomorrow. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed it though, best day I've had for months.

[cheadlevilla]

Not sure where else to put this but tonight was the first contact (for 20 minutes) rugby training in over a year and the first training of any sort since about July (for me). The club decided on sink or swim so about 2-3 miles of running in the legs, 20 minutes solid of hitting tackle bags and a half hour game of touch and I'm going to feel every single bit of it tomorrow. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed it though, best day I've had for months.

You have my sympathy,my admiration and I’m jealous as hell having retired at 51 ,4 years ago.... I still miss it like mad

[dcdavecollett]

How old are you, Paul-e?

[paul_e]

How old are you, Paul-e?

41, that's why it hurts so much to be honest.

[dcdavecollett]

I hope your recovery is going well.

I heard a rumour somewhere that if you could up your pace a bit, you might be in to replace Big Billy...

[paul_e]

Been some good games today, Exeter/Leinster earlier and Saints/Ulster now have been superb.

This one is a great display of contrasting styles, Ulster are all about the set piece whilst Saints are just cutting them up in the loose.

Earlier it was just 2 top class sides smashing the shit out of each other, with Leinster just edging it.

[Dante Lavelli]

Been some good games today, Exeter/Leinster earlier and Saints/Ulster now have been superb.

This one is a great display of contrasting styles, Ulster are all about the set piece whilst Saints are just cutting them up in the loose.

Earlier it was just 2 top class sides smashing the shit out of each other, with Leinster just edging it.

Great games but wasn’t’t the refereeing of the saints v ulster game a bit random/shit across the board?