Team for Boxing Day

[The Boy Dave]

I agree JG but refs are clearly allowing the contest to continue and get on with the game as long as the bind is kept and the movement before the put in appears to be from both ways.
It's a process that has become more and more year on year since the law change until we are where we are at present.
Talented footballer Thacker absolutely no doubt about it but it will drain the legs of others.
Personally I don't like too much inconsistency in height and I didn't much like the body position in helping any drive but I felt the obvious differences in the set up were the cause of angled driving by opponents and not cheating, obviously the ref felt the same.
Ayerza is a rock and a one size fits all prop IMO, such obvious natural technical ability at the scrum, depowering it on top of him being missing makes things very difficult.
What the answer is I don't know, get on with it for now I suppose, but as mentioned when OTY and Cole go off with England or if anything happens to Ayerza then it's an issue.
Still won though against Falcons!
Sarries scrum looked very strong against Wasps, be a great contest next week.

[brooksey845]

My brothers were at the game and report that it was a satisfactory result with intermittent spells of excellence mixed in with some not so good bits. As a relatively new side with some players not in the side on a regular basis only to be expected. Need a lot more cohesion for next week or we will suffer the consequences. What is pleasing is the fact that we are creating chances, something that wasn't always happening in the recent past. With the sinners due in town in the New Year, the important thing was we are undefeated at home in both the league and Europe in 2015.

^ +1 exactly how i feel after attending my first game of the season due to work constraints!

[Cagey Tiger]

Oh dear most of them played like they were still half cut from Christmas day.
Not worth commenting on
Good grief - professional backs can't ground a simple try when over the try line and not even being tackled??
Nothing simple about Veainu's, a fumble undetectable except on slow-mo and given by the TJ and the ref. Tait's would've been given 99.9%, it was a TMO call that the ref had given
Scrum was poor - does not bode well during the 6N or if DC/MA get crocked even though Wigglesworth couldn't ref a scrum to save his life anyway.
Scrum was unbalanced, more so when Aguero came on. Newcastle LH was driving under and across unchecked
What's happened to Croft? Very poor and the replacement 8 who came on was a waste of time and space.
Croft and the team were forcing the tempo against a team very competently slowing the game unchecked by the ref. The team played well when Fonua came on and Pearce went to 7, Fonua has been out for weeks, has lost about 4 stone, was very agile at the breakdown, looked like he could be very useful when match-tuned - what do you want?

Wished we'd have kept Thacker on - line out went to pieces when TY came on.
First miss was the lifters going early. Second down to TY OR a miscall.

Seem to have gone downhill again after the away win against Munster and at the moment I can't see us beating Saffas.
The home win against Munster was downhill? Were you there? Munster played far better than at Thomond.

Typical doom-monger.

That's it have a snooze - I know you oldies need it in the afternoon.

Typical doom mongers reply. Nothing to back up their original assertions (lost the argument?), just a petty personal insult.

[teds]

The most critical thing from my perspective is that sir needs to keep an eye on the Sarries offside. Both regarding being in front of the kicker and just how far the centres are allowed to encroach in mid field. !

I didn't get to look at the slow mo yesterday but it seemed to me about 5 or 6 Sarries players were in front of the kicker, spread across the pitch, at most restarts. I can only assume the officials couldn't be bothered.

[DickyP]

Just watched the game after getting home from Christmas away - I have only one question - how did we not get 50 or 60 points?

[Big Dai]

The most critical thing from my perspective is that sir needs to keep an eye on the Sarries offside. Both regarding being in front of the kicker and just how far the centres are allowed to encroach in mid field. !

I didn't get to look at the slow mo yesterday but it seemed to me about 5 or 6 Sarries players were in front of the kicker, spread across the pitch, at most restarts. I can only assume the officials couldn't be bothered.

The officials need to watch defensive kicks as well, chasers in front etc.

[G.K]

Oh dear most of them played like they were still half cut from Christmas day.
Not worth commenting on
Good grief - professional backs can't ground a simple try when over the try line and not even being tackled??
Nothing simple about Veainu's, a fumble undetectable except on slow-mo and given by the TJ and the ref. Tait's would've been given 99.9%, it was a TMO call that the ref had given
Scrum was poor - does not bode well during the 6N or if DC/MA get crocked even though Wigglesworth couldn't ref a scrum to save his life anyway.
Scrum was unbalanced, more so when Aguero came on. Newcastle LH was driving under and across unchecked
What's happened to Croft? Very poor and the replacement 8 who came on was a waste of time and space.
Croft and the team were forcing the tempo against a team very competently slowing the game unchecked by the ref. The team played well when Fonua came on and Pearce went to 7, Fonua has been out for weeks, has lost about 4 stone, was very agile at the breakdown, looked like he could be very useful when match-tuned - what do you want?

Wished we'd have kept Thacker on - line out went to pieces when TY came on.
First miss was the lifters going early. Second down to TY OR a miscall.

Seem to have gone downhill again after the away win against Munster and at the moment I can't see us beating Saffas.
The home win against Munster was downhill? Were you there? Munster played far better than at Thomond.

Typical doom-monger.

That's it have a snooze - I know you oldies need it in the afternoon.

Typical doom mongers reply. Nothing to back up their original assertions (lost the argument?), just a petty personal insult.

Not lost any arguments, I made my point and couldn't be bothered to respond in detail.

You lot always stereotype anyone that posts any comments that are in any way critical of the team as Doom Mongers, it's about time you grew out of it.

[jgriffin]

I was not in any way upset about a bit of banter. Didn't manage the snooze though.

[Cagey Tiger]

Typical doom mongers reply. Nothing to back up their original assertions (lost the argument?), just a petty personal insult.

Not lost any arguments, I made my point and couldn't be bothered to respond in detail.

You lot always stereotype anyone that posts any comments that are in any way critical of the team as Doom Mongers, it's about time you grew out of it.

Couldn't be bothered to post any answer other than a personal insult. That's why I said it was a doom mongers reply, not because of your original post.

I don't have a problem with criticism of the teams performance, although some people only seem able to come up with a list of negatives regardless of there being assorted positives. A more balanced appraisal might lead to a more balanced response.

[fortysix]

Have said all along, years in fact, Ayerza is our most important player by a street mile

Heaven help us if he gets injured because Cole is a shadow of his former self. Logi is not nearly up to par and the others are just average journeymen

Respectfully suggest our next 3 big purchases should be Nos 1 and 3 grizzly back ups....

Ah, ummmmm, a No 2 ---Harry is far far too lightweight...

[G.K]

Typical doom mongers reply. Nothing to back up their original assertions (lost the argument?), just a petty personal insult.

Not lost any arguments, I made my point and couldn't be bothered to respond in detail.

You lot always stereotype anyone that posts any comments that are in any way critical of the team as Doom Mongers, it's about time you grew out of it.

Couldn't be bothered to post any answer other than a personal insult. That's why I said it was a doom mongers reply, not because of your original post.

I don't have a problem with criticism of the teams performance, although some people only seem able to come up with a list of negatives regardless of there being assorted positives. A more balanced appraisal might lead to a more balanced response.

So you believe I posted an insult but JG regards it as banter and took it as such?

Ergo you then categorised me as a doom monger - as only doom mongers post insults, right?

You sure are an incisive and well balanced indivudual.

[Tigerbeat]

Please refrain from the arguing / insults....please keep the discussion on topic.

Thanks

[G.K]

Please refrain from the arguing / insults....please keep the discussion on topic.

Thanks

Sorry - we're just sparring - and that's on topic as the subject is about about Boxing Day.