Newcastle V Wasps Fri 7.45

[twitchy]

22-13 with loads of drama.

[twitchy]

Better than the score suggests.

[Timbo]

Jonny Williams would be very close to my England squad.

[Timbo]

That’s a great try. If Wasps could defend they’d be as good as anything in the league/Europe.

But if anything their defence looks even more iffy than last season.

[Timbo]

Nathan Hughes has made a big difference.

Edit: then his discipline nearly completely throws it away. If I was his coach i’d tell him to never, ever try and steal the ball at the tackle area. Genuinely wonder if he knows the rules.

[Peej]

Nathan Hughes has made a big difference.

Edit: then his discipline nearly completely throws it away. If I was his coach i’d tell him to never, ever try and steal the ball at the tackle area. Genuinely wonder if he knows the rules.

I'd do the same. Just hit big runners and carry but don't ever try and turn the ball over on the deck.

To be fair, he's been playing the game less than a decade and sometimes that lack ofexperience shows

[twitchy]

What a weird game.

[Puja]

Anyone else think Le Bourgois dropped that out of his right hand and caught it in his left?

It touches a Newcastle knee between the hands, so it is a knock-on. Don't think the TMO or the commentators saw that, but right decision even if for the wrong reasons.

Newcastle will be wondering how they lost that. Massive opportunity wasted.

Puja

[Beasties]

Nathan Hughes has made a big difference.

Edit: then his discipline nearly completely throws it away. If I was his coach i’d tell him to never, ever try and steal the ball at the tackle area. Genuinely wonder if he knows the rules.

I'd do the same. Just hit big runners and carry but don't ever try and turn the ball over on the deck.

To be fair, he's been playing the game less than a decade and sometimes that lack ofexperience shows

Didn't he have the highest credited turnovers in the league the first season he played for Wasps? He seems to have gone completely deaf in the last year or so mind. He did about three things when he came on and that was about it though. Being on Eng duty just completely feks him up. Daly was similarly affected. Robson not so much.

Sinoti is just scary. Williams is putting together a proper body of work this season, really surprised no one else came in for him, he was easily Ncl's best player last week and none too shabby tonight. Brocklebank is looking pretty handy. Rowlands deserved MOM but Wasps were gash for spells of that, understandable though considering the players we"re missing. Oh for a fit Jack Willis.

[Which Tyler]

Score?

Welcome back Maz

[fivepointer]

Very entertaining game i thought. Newcastle the better side for long periods but failed to make the most of their opportunities.
Several very good performances.
Williams is looking a top player. His defence was outstanding and he's got a nice physical edge. Graham was the pick of the back rowers on view and McGuigan was excellent. His l/o throwing is top drawer.
Stuart is developing very nicely and Rowlands has matured into a good Premiership lock.

[Raggs]

Oh for a fit Jack Willis.

A thousand times this.

[Oakboy]

I really like both DoRs. Their players respond and the game gains.

Fascinated by Beasties' comment that England training messed with the players' minds. Have we reached the point (again) where the national XV performs despite the coaching rather than because of it?

The contrast with the response to these DoRs, Baxter and McCall is marked. The RFU need to do some self-analysis in a hurry, IMO.

[Raggs]

Why? These DORs have the players for the vast majority of the year, interacting on a near daily basis. International DORs have very different levels of interactions. It's not the same job, and whilst many skills are probably interchangeable, it's certainly not the case that all of them are.

[Mellsblue]

Interesting interview with Mark Wilson in the times yesterday. He said that the intensity of the Eng camps are a big step up from Prem training, but that is mainly driven by the players such is their desire to be selected. I think Jones should be applauded for creating such a culture.

[Oakboy]

I'm not so sure about Jones's culture. If he's challenging players to the extent that they are injuring each other, I don't see the benefit, especially as the on-field results don't reflect the gain.

At this stage, so close to the RWC, an established pecking order and a collective composure are more desirable. I'd prefer all the training to be skill-based. After all, with time in camp so limited, how can significant progress on physical fitness be achieved?

[Scrumhead]

Nathan Hughes has made a big difference.

Edit: then his discipline nearly completely throws it away. If I was his coach i’d tell him to never, ever try and steal the ball at the tackle area. Genuinely wonder if he knows the rules.

I'd do the same. Just hit big runners and carry but don't ever try and turn the ball over on the deck.

To be fair, he's been playing the game less than a decade and sometimes that lack ofexperience shows

Didn't he have the highest credited turnovers in the league the first season he played for Wasps? He seems to have gone completely deaf in the last year or so mind. He did about three things when he came on and that was about it though. Being on Eng duty just completely feks him up. Daly was similarly affected. Robson not so much.

Sinoti is just scary. Williams is putting together a proper body of work this season, really surprised no one else came in for him, he was easily Ncl's best player last week and none too shabby tonight. Brocklebank is looking pretty handy. Rowlands deserved MOM but Wasps were gash for spells of that, understandable though considering the players we"re missing. Oh for a fit Jack Willis.

I was really excited about Williams when he first broke through with Irish and it’s great to see him back in form.

The World Cup is too soon, but I’d far rather see us invest in him than the likes of Francis. Wales are short on centres so it’s imperative we move on him quickly.

100% agree on Willis. He is the player I’ve been most excited about in a long while and I really hope he comes back without any long term affects from his injury.

[Beasties]

100% agree on Willis. He is the player I’ve been most excited about in a long while and I really hope he comes back without any long term affects from his injury.

This is my worry. I hope it's not gonna turn into Tom Rees all over again. Coincidentally that was the last time I was as excited about an Eng backrow forward.

[Scrumhead]

Exactly. Last I heard he was due back ahead of schedule. That’s great on the one hand, but I’d rather he makes sure he heals fully and resists the temptation to rush back.

[Stom]

Exactly. Last I heard he was due back ahead of schedule. That’s great on the one hand, but I’d rather he makes sure he heals fully and resists the temptation to rush back.

If he gets fit, we've really got a huge amount of depth coming through in the backrow. There's already Billy, with Hughes backing up, and add in the likes of Curry and Curry, Underhill and Mercer, Chisholm and (if he ever gets fit again) Clifford, Willis, Simmonds and a resurgent Kvesic, and that backrow looks really, really well stocked.

Add to that the locks, with Itoje, Kruis, Launch and Lawes backed up by Isiekwe and Ewels, and we're starting to build something.

I'm really looking forward to the next cycle for England. I think it's going to be our most exciting yet.

[Scrumhead]

I agree - funnily enough, while you were posting this, I was posting a new thread on future England options.

I think we can already add Ludlow to that list with Ludlam finally getting some game time and Ted Hill making an impact.

[Amazon]

Score?

Welcome back Maz

Cheers WT! All well with you?

Im so out of touch these days! Hoping to catch a few Wasps games now i live in the west country and Bristol are up. Introduce my boys to Wasps before Ospreys get them lol

[Which Tyler]

Score?

Welcome back Maz

Cheers WT! All well with you?

Im so out of touch these days! Hoping to catch a few Wasps games now i live in the west country and Bristol are up. Introduce my boys to Wasps before Ospreys get them lol

Yup, all good here thanks, certainly doing better than Bath currently.

And yup, gotta get those kids feeling English, supporting an English club - even ifnthey are a bunch of nomads

[Amazon]

Welcome back Maz

Cheers WT! All well with you?

Im so out of touch these days! Hoping to catch a few Wasps games now i live in the west country and Bristol are up. Introduce my boys to Wasps before Ospreys get them lol

Yup, all good here thanks, certainly doing better than Bath currently.

And yup, gotta get those kids feeling English, supporting an English club - even ifnthey are a bunch of nomads

Too late for one of them

[Which Tyler]

Never say never, re-education is always possible... Ironing accidents happen all the time...