Newcastle v Sale 5h30 Saturday 23rd March

[francoisfou]

I understand this must-win match for Falcons will take place at St James' Park.
There was a crowd of 30,000+ for last season's Northampton game so let's hope for a similar gate on Saturday.
Falcons are currently three points below Wuss, who travel to Bristol earlier in the afternoon.
What are the odds that Wuss will be bottom on Saturday evening? Rather short, I would say!

[Scrumhead]

Newcastle have definitely found a bit of form. I’m just hoping for their sakes that the break last weekend hasn’t killed their momentum.

I can definitely see them winning, but Bristol vs. Worcester could go either way. Bristol will be favourites at Ashton Gate, but Worcester have it in them to cause an update.

[Puja]

Newcastle: Hammersley; Goneva, Harris, Matavesi, Sinoti; Flood, Takulua; Lockwood, McGuigan, Mulipola, Green, Davidson, Wilson (capt), Hardie, Nagusa

Replacements: Cooper, Brocklebank, Wilson, Olmstead, Graham, Stuart, Connon, Williams

Sale: James; Solomona, O'Connor, van Rensburg, McGuigan; James, de Klerk; Harrison, Webber, John, Beaumont, Phillips, T Curry, B Curry, Ross (capt)

Replacements: Langdon, Bristow, Jones, Evans, Neild, Warr, Redpath, Reed

[Puja]

Good Newcastle side that. They seem to be getting all their name players back fit and firing for this one.

Puja

[Banquo]

Interesting to see a brace of Currys starting. A headline raitha's dream

[Galfon]

They could become the dahlings of the board.
A couple of Curry's is a Banquet shewerly..any relation ?

[twitchy]

Should be a good game I reckon.

[twitchy]

Terrible from newcastle.

[twitchy]

Pretty spicy so far, biting etc.

[Galfon]

Just a tikka'ing off...

[twitchy]

There is a really funny guy near one of the bt mics.

[twitchy]

[twitchy]

Funny end to the game. Well done newcastle.


It's great when they play at st james park.

[fivepointer]

a win was absolutely essential after Wuss won earlier, so Falcons did what was necessary. Fair play to them for coming back in 2nd half to do just enough to take the 4 pts.

[twitchy]

Green banned for the rest of the season.


e- Just been cited.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Green banned for the rest of the season.

Has he been?

[Mikey Brown]

I can’t imagine wanting to bite somebody, but if you feel like your head is about to get snapped off, well... you might.

Couldn’t really see what was going on in much detail though.

[Epaminondas Pules]

I can’t imagine wanting to bite somebody, but if you feel like your head is about to get snapped off, well... you might.

Couldn’t really see what was going on in much detail though.

I’ve got sympathy for Green. Webber had him in a very nasty headlock across his jaw. I can tell you from experience it bloody hurts as the forearm is driven into the bone or your jaw and mouth area. I deplore biting but would say it is very heavily mitigated by Webber’s actions. He’s got both hands clasped to make the ‘vice’ and is apply considerable pressure.

F355FB0E-887D-467A-B920-A931791AF071.jpeg

[twitchy]

Green banned for the rest of the season.

Has he been?

Sorry you are right I skim read a headline. It says "could be".

[Puja]

I can’t imagine wanting to bite somebody, but if you feel like your head is about to get snapped off, well... you might.

Couldn’t really see what was going on in much detail though.

I’ve got sympathy for Green. Webber had him in a very nasty headlock across his jaw. I can tell you from experience it bloody hurts as the forearm is driven into the bone or your jaw and mouth area. I deplore biting but would say it is very heavily mitigated by Webber’s actions. He’s got both hands clasped to make the ‘vice’ and is apply considerable pressure.

F355FB0E-887D-467A-B920-A931791AF071.jpeg

Me too. It's all very well whining to the ref that someone's bitten you, but if you've got your arm locked around their head, your forearm is across their mouth and you're squeezing like you want to pop their skull, there is a very real chance you're going to end up with toothmarks. It's not like Green has actively sought out his arm to bite.

Puja

[twitchy]

I sort of agree the line of acceptable physicality is fuzzy. Biting is pretty always over that though. I actually thought liam williams could have got worse as well with his forearm to the head of danny care. Fine lines.

[Which Tyler]

Me too. It's all very well whining to the ref that someone's bitten you, but if you've got your arm locked around their head, your forearm is across their mouth and you're squeezing like you want to pop their skull, there is a very real chance you're going to end up with toothmarks. It's not like Green has actively sought out his arm to bite.

Reminds me of Grewcock biting a kiwi who "just so happened" to have his fingers in Danny's mouth in order to move Danny's head.

If you deliberately put your finger / hand / arm in my mouth on the rugby pitch - expect tooth marks

[fivepointer]

Case dismissed - https://www.englandrugby.com/news/newca ... or-biting/

"The panel accepted that Rob Webber genuinely and honestly believed that he had been bitten. However, he did not see it due to the respective player’s body positions nor was there any other eye witness to it. While the video evidence undoubtedly showed that Calum Green’s mouth area was either in contact with or close proximity to Rob Webber’s forearm, it was accepted by all that the footage did not show an actual bite take place.

"The independent expert witness requested by the panel was of the unequivocal view that an injury seen on Mr Webber’s forearm was positively not a bite mark. Furthermore, the expert was of the view that there was no evidence of any mark which would be consistent with a bite mark.

"In those circumstances the panel was duty bound to accept that there was insufficient evidence to uphold the citing.

[Puja]

I had been wondering how a bite on the forearm that drew blood could happen when a player was wearing a gumshield.

Puja

[twitchy]

So he got the mark from crushing his forearm against his closed mouth?