Bath vs Saints

[Which Tyler]

Recreation Ground, 3pm
Ref: Ian Tempest.
ARs: Hamish Smales & Wayne Falla.
TMO: Trevor Fisher.

Got the teams wrong - found a thread titled "Team's Up" which was a team prediction!

[Adam_P]

Dont know where you got that Saints team, but it's wrong. This is the team:

15 George Furbank
14 Tom Collins
13 Fraser Dingwall
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Taqele Naiyaravoro
10 James Grayson
9 Henry Taylor
1 Ben Franks
2 Mike Haywood
3 Ehren Painter
4 David Ribbans
5 Alex Moon
6 Tom Wood
7 Jamie Gibson
8 Teimana Harrison (c)
Replacements:
16 James Fish
17 Toby Trinder
18 Paul Hill
19 Api Ratuniyarawa
20 Alex Coles
21 James Mitchell
22 Fraser Strachan

[Banquo]

Dont know where you got that Saints team, but it's wrong. This is the team:

15 George Furbank
14 Tom Collins
13 Fraser Dingwall
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Taqele Naiyaravoro
10 James Grayson
9 Henry Taylor
1 Ben Franks
2 Mike Haywood
3 Ehren Painter
4 David Ribbans
5 Alex Moon
6 Tom Wood
7 Jamie Gibson
8 Teimana Harrison (c)
Replacements:
16 James Fish
17 Toby Trinder
18 Paul Hill
19 Api Ratuniyarawa
20 Alex Coles
21 James Mitchell
22 Fraser Strachan

6/2 bench? Good to see Rory and Fraser paired. Youth doing pretty well at Saints, esp in the backs.

[Which Tyler]

Dont know where you got that Saints team, but it's wrong.

Yup - wrong team for both of us - apparently, I'd found a predicted team, with a thread title of "team's up"

15. Freddie Burns
14. Semesa Rokoduguni
13. Max Wright
12. Jamie Roberts
11. Aled Brew
10. Rhys Priestland
9. Will Chudley

1. Beno Obano
2. Tom Dunn
3. Will Stuart
4. Josh McNally
5. Charlie Ewels (C)
6. Tom Ellis
7. Josh Bayliss
8. Zach Mercer

16. Jack Walker, 17. Lewis Boyce, 18. Christian Judge, 19. Elliott Stooke, 20. Mike Williams
21. Chris Cook, 22. Jackson Willison, 23. Gabriel Hamer-Webb

6/2 bench? Good to see Rory and Fraser paired. Youth doing pretty well at Saints, esp in the backs.

5/3 - he missed 23. Ahsee Tuala

[Epaminondas Pules]

Dont know where you got that Saints team, but it's wrong. This is the team:

15 George Furbank
14 Tom Collins
13 Fraser Dingwall
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Taqele Naiyaravoro
10 James Grayson
9 Henry Taylor
1 Ben Franks
2 Mike Haywood
3 Ehren Painter
4 David Ribbans
5 Alex Moon
6 Tom Wood
7 Jamie Gibson
8 Teimana Harrison (c)
Replacements:
16 James Fish
17 Toby Trinder
18 Paul Hill
19 Api Ratuniyarawa
20 Alex Coles
21 James Mitchell
22 Fraser Strachan

6/2 bench? Good to see Rory and Fraser paired. Youth doing pretty well at Saints, esp in the backs.

And with t’other Fraser on the bench. Top work!

[Adam_P]

Yep I couldn't get the team right either and clipped us down to a 22 man squad.

Hutch and Dingwall pair very nicely together in the centres, with Dingwall being very solid defensively (despite his size) and Hutchinson running the show in attack. Now Proctor has arrived in Northampton and with Francis back from Japan itll be interesting to see what happens.

[Mellsblue]

Six Saints players who have graced the fields of Bedford Blues and/or Bedford School. Saints by 100.

[Mikey Brown]

Yep I couldn't get the team right either and clipped us down to a 22 man squad.

Hutch and Dingwall pair very nicely together in the centres, with Dingwall being very solid defensively (despite his size) and Hutchinson running the show in attack. Now Proctor has arrived in Northampton and with Francis back from Japan itll be interesting to see what happens.

Was just going to ask what you predicted, and particularly if Hutchinson at 12 is just a stopgap, but I guess it’s up in the air. Really want to see Hutchinson kick on from last season and nail down the Scotland shirt.

I’ve seen Strahan mentioned on the Scottish board. Anything you can say about him?

[Adam_P]

Personally I'd have Hutchinson as my number 1 Saints centre at the moment, and he has the gift of being equally competent at 12 or 13. We'll see what Proctor offers when he comes in, but again he is a defensively solid centre so should work well with Hutch.

Strachan has always looked decent for the Wandies, but certainly behind Dingwall. More physical in stature and more a 12 than 13, will be interesting to see how he goes in the AP. Cant see him getting much first team time ahead of Hutch, Dingwall, Proctor and Symons. Then we've got Mallinder to come back from injury and Bird-Tulloch in the senior academy to compete.

[Mellsblue]

Iirc, Strachan was in the same school team, which he captained, and England u18 team as Dingwall but didn’t make the Eng u20 for the World Cup. I think that was on talent rather than due to injury. From what I heard, a lot of his success whilst a school boy was based on size and the force of his personality. Again, from what I heard, he was/is a very impressive person and had a bit of an aura about him perhaps, dare I say it, a school boy version of Farrell. He’s been on loan at Bedford on and off - a handful appearances last season and one this - which would suggest he is very much on the periphery of the Saints squad. That said, Hutchinson was also at Bedford for approx half a season before making the leap to 1st XV fixture last season and Furbank didn’t play Eng u20 and is now a 1st XV fixture. Long story, short, I think Strachan is probably lower Prem quality at best but I said the same about Hutchinson whilst watching him for Bedford......
I wouldn’t hold out much hope of him saving Scotland even if he would add to a fairly long line of Bedford players graduating to Scotland colours.

[Mikey Brown]

Personally I'd have Hutchinson as my number 1 Saints centre at the moment, and he has the gift of being equally competent at 12 or 13. We'll see what Proctor offers when he comes in, but again he is a defensively solid centre so should work well with Hutch.

Strachan has always looked decent for the Wandies, but certainly behind Dingwall. More physical in stature and more a 12 than 13, will be interesting to see how he goes in the AP. Cant see him getting much first team time ahead of Hutch, Dingwall, Proctor and Symons. Then we've got Mallinder to come back from injury and Bird-Tulloch in the senior academy to compete.

Thanks for that.

Interesting you didn’t mention Francis there. Keen to see how Hutchinson goes at 12, I guess the implication from all that is he isn’t as strong defensively if he needs pairing with a top defender. Always seems very brave to me but no idea how often he gets in the wrong position or gets overpowered.

[Banquo]

Personally I'd have Hutchinson as my number 1 Saints centre at the moment, and he has the gift of being equally competent at 12 or 13. We'll see what Proctor offers when he comes in, but again he is a defensively solid centre so should work well with Hutch.

Strachan has always looked decent for the Wandies, but certainly behind Dingwall. More physical in stature and more a 12 than 13, will be interesting to see how he goes in the AP. Cant see him getting much first team time ahead of Hutch, Dingwall, Proctor and Symons. Then we've got Mallinder to come back from injury and Bird-Tulloch in the senior academy to compete.

Thanks for that.

Interesting you didn’t mention Francis there. Keen to see how Hutchinson goes at 12, I guess the implication from all that is he isn’t as strong defensively if he needs pairing with a top defender. Always seems very brave to me but no idea how often he gets in the wrong position or gets overpowered.

Dingwall is a better defender than Hutchinson, whose defence is a concern, according to 'sources'.

[switchskier]

Iirc, Strachan was in the same school team, which he captained, and England u18 team as Dingwall but didn’t make the Eng u20 for the World Cup. I think that was on talent rather than due to injury. From what I heard, a lot of his success whilst a school boy was based on size and the force of his personality. Again, from what I heard, he was/is a very impressive person and had a bit of an aura about him perhaps, dare I say it, a school boy version of Farrell. He’s been on loan at Bedford on and off - a handful appearances last season and one this - which would suggest he is very much on the periphery of the Saints squad. That said, Hutchinson was also at Bedford for approx half a season before making the leap to 1st XV fixture last season and Furbank didn’t play Eng u20 and is now a 1st XV fixture. Long story, short, I think Strachan is probably lower Prem quality at best but I said the same about Hutchinson whilst watching him for Bedford......
I wouldn’t hold out much hope of him saving Scotland even if he would add to a fairly long line of Bedford players graduating to Scotland colours.

He went to the U20 RWC with Scotland. Whether this was because he didn't make the English team I don't know.

[Adam_P]

Personally I'd have Hutchinson as my number 1 Saints centre at the moment, and he has the gift of being equally competent at 12 or 13. We'll see what Proctor offers when he comes in, but again he is a defensively solid centre so should work well with Hutch.

Strachan has always looked decent for the Wandies, but certainly behind Dingwall. More physical in stature and more a 12 than 13, will be interesting to see how he goes in the AP. Cant see him getting much first team time ahead of Hutch, Dingwall, Proctor and Symons. Then we've got Mallinder to come back from injury and Bird-Tulloch in the senior academy to compete.

Thanks for that.

Interesting you didn’t mention Francis there. Keen to see how Hutchinson goes at 12, I guess the implication from all that is he isn’t as strong defensively if he needs pairing with a top defender. Always seems very brave to me but no idea how often he gets in the wrong position or gets overpowered.

Ah yes, Francis too - completely forgot! Last season Francis and Hutch went very well together. I really like Francis in the centre actually, not flash but creates spaces for players like Hutchinson to exploit. I certainly wouldn't say Hutchinson is a poor defender, just that his strength definitely lies in attack.

[Adam_P]

The pitch at the Rec is an absolute state isn't it

[Banquo]

Personally I'd have Hutchinson as my number 1 Saints centre at the moment, and he has the gift of being equally competent at 12 or 13. We'll see what Proctor offers when he comes in, but again he is a defensively solid centre so should work well with Hutch.

Strachan has always looked decent for the Wandies, but certainly behind Dingwall. More physical in stature and more a 12 than 13, will be interesting to see how he goes in the AP. Cant see him getting much first team time ahead of Hutch, Dingwall, Proctor and Symons. Then we've got Mallinder to come back from injury and Bird-Tulloch in the senior academy to compete.

Thanks for that.

Interesting you didn’t mention Francis there. Keen to see how Hutchinson goes at 12, I guess the implication from all that is he isn’t as strong defensively if he needs pairing with a top defender. Always seems very brave to me but no idea how often he gets in the wrong position or gets overpowered.

Ah yes, Francis too - completely forgot! Last season Francis and Hutch went very well together. I really like Francis in the centre actually, not flash but creates spaces for players like Hutchinson to exploit. I certainly wouldn't say Hutchinson is a poor defender, just that his strength definitely lies in attack.

I think others would, certainly worse than Dingwall.

[Adam_P]

But Dingwall is a very strong defender, so being less good than him doesnt make Hutch bad

[Banquo]

But Dingwall is a very strong defender, so being less good than him doesnt make Hutch bad

fair but highlighting known issues. being a strong defender shoud be a given

[twitchy]

[Which Tyler]

The pitch at the Rec is an absolute state isn't it

Yes - I'm afraid that can happen when you play on a flood plain and there's flooding in the area - the grass is only an inch or two above the water table right now.
It's why we want to raise the pitch level as part of the new stadium design (planning application due to go in in January)

As opposed to Saints, who were trying the run the clock down by cheating and cheating and cheating - which is, of course, how real rugby is played.
A few years ago, Sale tried every trick in the book to run down the clock with their scrum being trounced all over the park - and that worked.
This weekend, Saints were just as bad; but we found a way to hold them up against their will, get the ball to the back, and run Mercer at Grayson (and nicely, he still created and targetted a weak shoulder, rather than just bulldozing)

[Adam_P]

Why would Saints be trying to kill time when we were behind?!

[Which Tyler]

Why would Saints be trying to kill time when we were behind?!

Trying to run down the clock with a player in the bin. 2 points down, 17 minutes to play, 5M from your own line, getting dicked in the scrum.
It came at the cost of another player in the bin, and still have away 7 points anyway, but still, Saints had no intention of scrummaging legally, and did everything they could to prevent any scrums actually finishing in anything at all. They were also happy enough to give away 3 points if it meant they could get the ball in the Bath half 5 points down and plenty of time to go.

[fivepointer]

What on earth was Brew thinking? Deserved red card for an elbow to the head.

From an England POV, the good form of Will Stuart is pleasing to note. Ulster on Saturday will be another test, but the signs are very good.

[Digby]

Either Brew wasn't thinking, or that's what happens when he tries to think. Ewers amused me though when he kept calling the ref 'mate'

[Mellsblue]

Personally I'd have Hutchinson as my number 1 Saints centre at the moment, and he has the gift of being equally competent at 12 or 13. We'll see what Proctor offers when he comes in, but again he is a defensively solid centre so should work well with Hutch.

Strachan has always looked decent for the Wandies, but certainly behind Dingwall. More physical in stature and more a 12 than 13, will be interesting to see how he goes in the AP. Cant see him getting much first team time ahead of Hutch, Dingwall, Proctor and Symons. Then we've got Mallinder to come back from injury and Bird-Tulloch in the senior academy to compete.

Playing for Bedford this weekend.....