Exeter vs Saracens - Saturday 3pm

[Mellsblue]

This tmo is starting to get on my nerves…… oh bloody hell, I agree with Dallaglio.

[twitchy]

[Mellsblue]

Goode is class.

[Banquo]

dire stuff.

[Scrumhead]

Indeed. Looks like the other 3 games have got all the entertainment …

[Banquo]

Indeed. Looks like the other 3 games have got all the entertainment …

Too much history and a spot of rain. Sarries zero ambition, Exeter a bit more.

[Banquo]

Lozowskis kicking is a useful string to his bow. Shame he doesn't get much of a chance to do anything else!

[twitchy]

Terrible from exe. Momentum shift was started with hill's drop.

[Banquo]

Terrible from exe. Momentum shift was started with hill's drop.

They seem short on confidence, unsurprisingly i suppose.

[twitchy]

Fantastic defense from sarries.

[Mellsblue]

Hill has butchered that. Two men unmarked outside.

[Mellsblue]

Another stupid error from Hill. He’s not the sharpest.

[FKAS]

Hill has butchered that. Two men unmarked outside.

It was on to go wide about 6 phases earlier. The insistence on using only the forwards and charging for the line was really stupid particularly given the new law whereby it's no longer a 5m scrum if you get held up.

[twitchy]

Good win in the end given exe's form.

[FKAS]

Sarries attack was fairly toothless. Tompkins didn't offer much, Lozowski offered a bit more but the wings didn't take any heat off him. Looks like they could use a hard running option in the backline. Maybe time to bring back in Dom Morris.

[Mellsblue]

Hill has butchered that. Two men unmarked outside.

It was on to go wide about 6 phases earlier. The insistence on using only the forwards and charging for the line was really stupid particularly given the new law whereby it's no longer a 5m scrum if you get held up.

I wouldn’t say it’s stupid. They score like that more times than not and handling in those conditions was clearly very difficult. That said, when you have two completely unmarked men you need to have the awareness to change tactics.

[twitchy]

They would have scored against most teams there. Sarries did very well.

[fivepointer]

That was pretty rank. Not a great advert for the Prem.

Amidst the dross, LCD and Itoje really stood out.

[Oakboy]

Exeter missed Williams but apart from that the pack kept them in the game. Yes, Itoje and LCD looked class. Billy V just looked a petulant has-been. Mouthing off AFTER an initial 10m march-back is as stupid/unprofessional as it gets. Looking like a dog shitting razor blades afterwards must have put him on the edge of a card for further dissent.

[Timbo]

Thought Sam Simmonds had a strong game, too. Razor sharp in all aspects.

Not a real spectacle, but personally quite enjoyed it. Each facet of the game was a brutal contest. Chiefs starting to look a bit more “Chiefs-y” with some of their big forwards back.

[Mikey Brown]

Thought Sam Simmonds had a strong game, too. Razor sharp in all aspects.

Is he taller yet?

[Danno]

Thought Sam Simmonds had a strong game, too. Razor sharp in all aspects.

Is he taller yet?

What about his link play

[Magic_sponge]

I didn't think it was that bad! Yes I agree it wasn't a thriller in the sense of lots of tries but it was fairly tense, no? I didn't know who was going to win it essentially until the final whistle which is always a plus for me. Nice seeing tries like in the Northampton game, but once the game is won or lost it loses something for me.

I've criticised Slade on here a number of times but I thought he had a really good game. And Itoje, I literally thought he was going to turn it over every time. I think the ref (was it pierce?) got out of the wrong side of bed today, he was not in the mood! Hill just highlighted the gulf between himself and Itoje too... Not just butchering the try scoring opp but when he gave away that penalty at the end by playing Itoje in the air... Just brainless.

So I enjoyed it, even if no one else did.

[Danno]

My main takeaway was Pearce having such a bad game. He's been really solid for a while now, but even refs need a rest, I guess. Still hugely enjoying his tendency to use the march 10 rule though, every single other referee needs to pay attention to that, Right. Now.

[Magic_sponge]

Agree on the march 10, definitely seen more of it this season too which I can definitely get behind. I would also like to see them following up on the "use it 9...use it now...no seriously...I mean it, use it...one of these days..."

I thought he was going to snap today, I have thought for a while maunder in particular takes his time, but would love to see that clamped down on. For me the law should be changed to if you take too long, it's "out" and you can come round the ruck and do whatever.