Sale vs Quins - Friday night

[FKAS]

Who was it from quins that looked like they were running away from the tackle and throwing a desperate "pass" my u10s would have been proud of?

Dunno but sounds like a flybalf I used to play with.

[Danno]

Oh no, don't do that Sale

We're such a lucky git of a team sometimes. But I guess you have to be there to capitalise on it

[FKAS]

Talking about Sale errors that was horrific. Northmore thinking Christmas has come in October.

[Danno]

Some really stupid errors. Feels like an away+full crowd wobble maybe

Nice offload to the face Denny :0

[FKAS]

That did crease me up. I'm sure Hammersley appreciated the out of the back pass point blank to the face.

Why does Manu keep passing it. Manu no one is paying you for your passing game...

[FKAS]

Just march the opposition back ten metres with a rolling maul and draw a penalty. Kick for the corner again and throw to the six foot ten man mountain? No give it to the flyhalf for three points and give the opposition chance to come back at you. I don't get it.

[Danno]

Eurgh Smith unhappy wirh a leg

[Magic_sponge]

Quinns are going to struggle if they can't get their maul defence working. Not just this game, but they're just not competitive

[Danno]

Losing Baldwin is starting to tell a bit already

[FKAS]

Great try for Quirke but Marler should be in the bin for collapsing that maul.

[Danno]

Neither side wanted to play with any accuracy. Felt like Quins got sucked into the nasty stuff and it was just error on error after the first 20 from both sides. Some poor ref calls - Mcguigan over or perhaps on top of Ross, a forward pass, Marler in the last maul.

Not a game to remember.

Thanks Tracey.

[Puja]

Thought Curry was immense on his return back - just led by example, running and tackling hard, being in the right place, making a nuisance of himself at the rucks with 4 turnovers won. Looks good for having had a 10 week off-season.

Quirke was very impressive - I don't think I'd realised just how physically strong he is before today, but when he drove into people, he made hard yards through contact. Still got a lot to learn in terms of nous but I'd be more interested in seeing him for England than Randall, rn.

Dombrandt picked a bad day to go missing, when Eddie was watching. We know he's great in a loose match like Bristol, but here was where he needed to show that he can make an impact on a tight game where defences are solid and he just didn't make a dent.

Puja

[chris1850]

Really interested to see TCurry up against Kenningham. It's the first time that SpecialK has gone up against one of the big names on the openside and it'll be a real test of his international credentials.

Puja

Think your question was answered fairly convincingly. Kenninghall still work in progress before he is international class

[Danno]

Thought Curry was immense on his return back - just led by example, running and tackling hard, being in the right place, making a nuisance of himself at the rucks with 4 turnovers won. Looks good for having had a 10 week off-season.

Quirke was very impressive - I don't think I'd realised just how physically strong he is before today, but when he drove into people, he made hard yards through contact. Still got a lot to learn in terms of nous but I'd be more interested in seeing him for England than Randall, rn.

Dombrandt picked a bad day to go missing, when Eddie was watching. We know he's great in a loose match like Bristol, but here was where he needed to show that he can make an impact on a tight game where defences are solid and he just didn't make a dent.

Puja

agree with all of that. Given how hard Dombrandt has worked on his general game it was weird for him to fail to turn up today of all days. He knew it was going to be physical

Tigers, Sarries and Chiefs will see easy points from that game. Keep us in our box and force the errors

[Puja]

Really interested to see TCurry up against Kenningham. It's the first time that SpecialK has gone up against one of the big names on the openside and it'll be a real test of his international credentials.

Puja

Think your question was answered fairly convincingly. Kenninghall still work in progress before he is international class

Agreed - very good prospect, but there was a distinct difference in class evident. Kenningham tried hard to put his mark on the game, while TCurry just did, and did well.

With luck, this is the kind of game that knocks Kenningham back and makes him come back stronger, so in a couple of years we'll have two superstars duking it out.

Puja

[Magic_sponge]

Just having a look through some of the stats in the fantasy game app, didn't appreciate Ross's tackling prowess. Granted he's played at least a game more than most but 61 tackles and one missed is not a bad return! If only he could stay on the field a bit more...

[FKAS]

To be fair to Kenningham he was one of the better Quins forwards he is in his second proper season and got a chance to go up against arguably the best openside in the NH. Curry looked in prime shape, a real nuisance.

Really odd game, the three talked up players for Quins Dombrandt, Care and Smith all were poor. Dombrandt MIA, Care good in the opposition 22 but a liability in his own and Smith just didn't get the ball enough to light things up mainly because he and Care could exert any control over the game and lost the tactical kicking battle comprehensively. Dombrandt could really have hurt his England chances.

For me this was the game where the new DOR could earn his money. Adapt Quins style for the opponent, so far Quins have played three teams with fairly average tight fives that they could bully. Last night was not going to be the same but there was the glaring opportunity to pressure the two kids at halfback. The Sale halfbacks really were not made to work hard enough. Wilkinson was toying with the Quins defence at times. Quins seemed to play with the belief they could pull anything back in the last 20 so didn't need to play the percentages. Problem was their forwards were knackered going into the end of the game and the coaches didn't have faith with some of the replacements to take them off.

It's only one game so if Quins learn their lessons then that could benefit them long term.

For Sale that was fairly textbook, cut down the errors and they are a scary prospect. Quirke was exceptional, definitely the best I've seen a scrum half play this season. Eddie will be writing his name into the EPS for announcement on Monday no doubt. Box kicks were good (though he did tire and slice a couple in the second half), passing good, sniping good and physical with it.

[fivepointer]

After the lord mayors show....

Quins a definite step down from last week. Sale had enough possession and territory to have won far more convincingly.

Curry and Quirke were very good. Quins England hopefuls didnt enhance their reputations.

[Mikey Brown]

Wasn’t able to catch the game but fairly unsurprising to read how it went. Sale are a tough team, with strengths in areas we don’t have.

A reality check on Kenningham (and maybe Dombrandt/Smith in a different sense) was probably due at some point. No shame in being bested by Curry. Hard not to imagine they would have been targeting Dombrandt pretty heavily too. Good point on Matson that this is the time he really needs to steer the ship, when we face a big, physical side that won’t get broken up so easily.

Care has been absolutely awful for a little while now, it’s been amazing that we kept getting away with it.

Worth a watch back when I get a chance or just dire and rainy? From the score and the back and forth it sounds like it would have been a compelling enough game?

Our incredible run had to end at some point and I’m happy if it means we take a moment to re-evaluate. We played a 2nd XV vs Sale last time out so didn’t really have to face it.

[Scrumhead]

To be fair to Kenningham he was one of the better Quins forwards he is in his second proper season and got a chance to go up against arguably the best openside in the NH. Curry looked in prime shape, a real nuisance.

Really odd game, the three talked up players for Quins Dombrandt, Care and Smith all were poor. Dombrandt MIA, Care good in the opposition 22 but a liability in his own and Smith just didn't get the ball enough to light things up mainly because he and Care could exert any control over the game and lost the tactical kicking battle comprehensively. Dombrandt could really have hurt his England chances.

For me this was the game where the new DOR could earn his money. Adapt Quins style for the opponent, so far Quins have played three teams with fairly average tight fives that they could bully. Last night was not going to be the same but there was the glaring opportunity to pressure the two kids at halfback. The Sale halfbacks really were not made to work hard enough. Wilkinson was toying with the Quins defence at times. Quins seemed to play with the belief they could pull anything back in the last 20 so didn't need to play the percentages. Problem was their forwards were knackered going into the end of the game and the coaches didn't have faith with some of the replacements to take them off.

It's only one game so if Quins learn their lessons then that could benefit them long term.

For Sale that was fairly textbook, cut down the errors and they are a scary prospect. Quirke was exceptional, definitely the best I've seen a scrum half play this season. Eddie will be writing his name into the EPS for announcement on Monday no doubt. Box kicks were good (though he did tire and slice a couple in the second half), passing good, sniping good and physical with it.

Yep. I agree with most of that.

I don’t know if it’s entirely fair to say Dombrandt has really ‘hurt’ his England chances. Last week he was thoroughly brilliant. This week he wasn’t, but to a certain extent that’s because of the standard he’s setting for himself. Most weeks he’s at least good. Billy Vunipola has been allowed to get away with far worse performances without the stellar ones to balance them out.

Kenningham is still very inexperienced and Curry is just an animal. I’m not sure Kenningham can/will get to Curry’s level but in the next couple of years I’d back him to be better than most of the players he’s competing with for England (Curry, Underhill and Willis being the exceptions).

[Raggs]

Yep. I agree with most of that.

I don’t know if it’s entirely fair to say Dombrandt has really ‘hurt’ his England chances. Last week he was thoroughly brilliant. This week he wasn’t, but to a certain extent that’s because of the standard he’s setting for himself. Most weeks he’s at least good. Billy Vunipola has been allowed to get away with far worse performances without the stellar ones to balance them out.

Kenningham is still very inexperienced and Curry is just an animal. I’m not sure Kenningham can/will get to Curry’s level but in the next couple of years I’d back him to be better than most of the players he’s competing with for England (Curry, Underhill and Willis being the exceptions).

It depends on how Dombrandt is viewed. If he can only influence a game when it suits his style and running lines, he's not ready for international. Curry goes out and changes the game, Underhill the same etc. They force themselves on the game, they don't let the game influence them (if you see what I mean).

[Puja]

Yep. I agree with most of that.

I don’t know if it’s entirely fair to say Dombrandt has really ‘hurt’ his England chances. Last week he was thoroughly brilliant. This week he wasn’t, but to a certain extent that’s because of the standard he’s setting for himself. Most weeks he’s at least good. Billy Vunipola has been allowed to get away with far worse performances without the stellar ones to balance them out.

Kenningham is still very inexperienced and Curry is just an animal. I’m not sure Kenningham can/will get to Curry’s level but in the next couple of years I’d back him to be better than most of the players he’s competing with for England (Curry, Underhill and Willis being the exceptions).

It depends on how Dombrandt is viewed. If he can only influence a game when it suits his style and running lines, he's not ready for international. Curry goes out and changes the game, Underhill the same etc. They force themselves on the game, they don't let the game influence them (if you see what I mean).

Nail on the head. Doesn't matter how good he is when the game suits him if he can't turn up when it doesn't - that's a recipe for a second Nathan Hughes at international level. International teams will target him and if Sale can do it, South Africa definitely can.

The answer isn't BillyV (barring a startling resurgence) either. I'm coming to the conclusion that it might be Sam Simmonds - he does seem to be ridiculously consistent regardless of the opposition in the Prem or Europe.

Puja

[Raggs]

I don't think he's ready, but Tom Willis is consistently being an impressive workhorse for wasps. He's not consistently able to impose his will on a game but it's rare that one gets away from him in the same way this got away from Dombrandt.

[FKAS]

Worth a watch back when I get a chance or just dire and rainy? From the score and the back and forth it sounds like it would have been a compelling enough game?

It's worth a watch. It's not a classic but neither is it one for the purists. I think the pitch was greasy but it wasn't lashing it down. As a neutral I enjoyed watching it with a beer.

[Raggs]

Just rewatching this quickly, because I do want to see who it was that threw that wild pass running away from the tackle (I think Murley, but could be wrong), when I find it, I'll post the time stamp. However, I've just seen something that if it happened to my team, I'd be a bit annoyed, but given it's an England player, I'm chuffed.

Watch Curry and Care in the scrum at 25.05 on the match clock. Care is stood where he's supposed to be, at the side onside, and Curry is doing his utmost to trip him up, actually succeeds in the end!