Team for Exeter

[RagingBull]

The major stumbling block for me was stupid pointless penalties.
What 3/4 times we gave away promising positions because of discipline, and gave them 2/3 promising positions because of it.

[northerntiger]

Surprised no one has really commented, but the line out looked perfect yesterday. 100% and Exeter never looked liked nicking it

[MCC1964]

Surprised no one has really commented, but the line out looked perfect yesterday. 100% and Exeter never looked liked nicking it

Well I did actually, but I won't hold it against you!

What I do take great offence to is posters coming on here and effectively trashing the careers of certain young players. After one game. After five months out. After never having played in the side in come cases. After the (understandable) penalty fest and paucity of quality rugby we have generally seen so far across the board.

I just can't get my head around it. How are they to get experience if they don't get a run in the side under the new regime?

Nope. Just don't get it.

[fentiger]

Surprised no one has really commented, but the line out looked perfect yesterday. 100% and Exeter never looked liked nicking it

Well I did actually, but I won't hold it against you!

What I do take great offence to is posters coming on here and effectively trashing the careers of certain young players. After one game. After five months out. After never having played in the side in come cases. After the (understandable) penalty fest and paucity of quality rugby we have generally seen so far across the board.

I just can't get my head around it. How are they to get experience if they don't get a run in the side under the new regime?

Nope. Just don't get it.

Yeah, if we don't treat this as an extended pre-season and get the youngsters properly involved we will surely regret it? In the past the youngsters have been in a side on the end of some real drubbings, based on yesterdays performance I would think they can get opportunities in a side on the up!

[Jimmy Skitz]

Surprised no one has really commented, but the line out looked perfect yesterday. 100% and Exeter never looked liked nicking it

Well I did actually, but I won't hold it against you!

What I do take great offence to is posters coming on here and effectively trashing the careers of certain young players. After one game. After five months out. After never having played in the side in come cases. After the (understandable) penalty fest and paucity of quality rugby we have generally seen so far across the board.

I just can't get my head around it. How are they to get experience if they don't get a run in the side under the new regime?

Nope. Just don't get it.

no one has trashed Worth several of us don't think he is suited to full back, some are also saying Olowofella needs to bulk up, none of those comments are "trashing" a young player

[northerntiger]

Apologies MCC, must have missed your post.
I have the impression there were a few posters on here with fingers poised from the start of the game, itching to trash the team

[No6_Flanker]

6. Wells 7/10 - ... however I do feel like we should have gone with more grunt in the back row

JP, can you elaborate on this? Wells is arguably one of the biggest options we could play at 6.

[Jimmy Skitz]

6. Wells 7/10 - ... however I do feel like we should have gone with more grunt in the back row

JP, can you elaborate on this? Wells is arguably one of the biggest options we could play at 6.

he's not really a ball carry option though is he, looking at the team and looking for line breaks there weren't too many that stood out

[sam16111986]

6. Wells 7/10 - ... however I do feel like we should have gone with more grunt in the back row

JP, can you elaborate on this? Wells is arguably one of the biggest options we could play at 6.

he's not really a ball carry option though is he, looking at the team and looking for line breaks there weren't too many that stood out

Wells wasn't picked for his ball carrying skills. He was picked for his abilities at disrupting the maul and was the one designated with trying to get his hands on the ball. Mixed results though the ref seemed happy to ping him even when he was always bound in and coming through the middle.

Makes sense that Borthwick wanted to add some weight to our rolling maul in attack and add a disruptive influence in defence.

On Heyes not having a great day at the scrum I don't think that was helped by Lavanini coming off. The Chiefs named a pretty massive pack and a Wells/Green lock pairing doesn't have the pushing power of Lavanini/Green. I thought both Chiefs looseheads got away with angling in a bit.

[Jimmy Skitz]

JP, can you elaborate on this? Wells is arguably one of the biggest options we could play at 6.

he's not really a ball carry option though is he, looking at the team and looking for line breaks there weren't too many that stood out

Wells wasn't picked for his ball carrying skills. He was picked for his abilities at disrupting the maul and was the one designated with trying to get his hands on the ball. Mixed results though the ref seemed happy to ping him even when he was always bound in and coming through the middle.

Makes sense that Borthwick wanted to add some weight to our rolling maul in attack and add a disruptive influence in defence.

On Heyes not having a great day at the scrum I don't think that was helped by Lavanini coming off. The Chiefs named a pretty massive pack and a Wells/Green lock pairing doesn't have the pushing power of Lavanini/Green. I thought both Chiefs looseheads got away with angling in a bit.

yes and I was answering as to why someone said we lacked bulk in the back row with Wells there, it was a tactical choice for sure, nothing wrong with that on its own, provided we have line break options elsewhere, unfortunately they were lacking

[BFG]

Wells played well.
Others are much more static amongst the general lack of forward momentum.

[Leicestertinytiger]

Wells played well.
Others are much more static amongst the general lack of forward momentum.

Don’t forget we’re missing Brink and Weise, two of our now best ball carriers from the backrow. Thought Reffell was very good at the breakdown. Wallace was also a nuisance at the ruck but does seem to have a bit more physicality at the moment and all round game.

[Tiglon]

Context first - Exeter are the best team in the country and were at almost full strength. Their team and coaching is settled and consistent and we were playing at their place. We are still waiting for many of our signings to arrive and our coaching and playing teams are as unsettled as any in the league.

Taute was a disappointment for me, he has the pedigree but he just doesn't look good enough to me. But that's ok, because Moroni is coming in - we've already got a solution.

Worth is not a Premiership 15, not if we want to get anywhere near the playoffs. Centre, maybe, but only as back up. But that's ok, because we have Murimurivalu joining - we've already got a solution. Surely Steward is worth some minutes in the meantime.

I thought Olowofela looked less physically vulnerable than when I've seen him previously, but I still have my doubts. But that's ok, because we have Van Wyk arriving - we've already got a solution.

Williams did ok for me and a useful player until reinforcements arrive. Scott was good, exactly what we need at 12. Ford was his usual excellent self. Refell looks at home in the Premiership. Wells was strong. Lavanini a bit underwhelming. T Youngs had a good game. Genge a bit quiet perhaps. Cole decent. I'm yet to be convinced by Heyes, but he's still very young for a prop. Thom didn't look out of his depth at all when he came on. Kerr decent. So many individual positives in my eyes.

My one big expectation was that Borthwick has fixed the lineout. It was flawless, so that's a huge success IMO - how many times has it been our achilles heel recently? Brilliant, keep it up.

The attitude looked good, we didn't capitulate under pressure, the defence was pretty solid other than Taute's error.

We know it will take time to make significant improvement, we know the back line is makeshift and that reinforcements are coming. Crucially I now know that improvement has already begun.

Lots more work to do, but I see that match as a good start to the Borthwick era.

[MCC1964]

Surprised no one has really commented, but the line out looked perfect yesterday. 100% and Exeter never looked liked nicking it

Well I did actually, but I won't hold it against you!

What I do take great offence to is posters coming on here and effectively trashing the careers of certain young players. After one game. After five months out. After never having played in the side in come cases. After the (understandable) penalty fest and paucity of quality rugby we have generally seen so far across the board.

I just can't get my head around it. How are they to get experience if they don't get a run in the side under the new regime?

Nope. Just don't get it.

no one has trashed Worth several of us don't think he is suited to full back, some are also saying Olowofella needs to bulk up, none of those comments are "trashing" a young player

“... no confidence under the high ball, kicking poor and has no pace.”

“... The back three have been dreadful..”

“... we must play Steward in the next game at Full Back, watching Worth is painful...”

“... The back three have been outclassed...”

“... Worth has always seemed a little shaky...”

“... Back three really were awful..”

“...Terrible kicking from hand too which only invited pressure back on..”

“... Totally agree about the back three totally and utterly out of their depth...”

“... The back three, and full back, need a great deal of attention. This was the major stumbling block yesterday...”

I certainly agree he and they were not above criticism and indeed I would like to see him more at centre, but I’d certainly be interested in your definition of trashing.

[Jimmy Skitz]

people commented on poor play and on things that players have had tome to improve on but haven't yet, age is only aslight excuse they are playing senior Rugby if they are not physically up to it they will be found out fast lack of pace will be found out also, none of those comments are trashing players, are they harsh? maybe a little but also are based on their play on the field