Bristol vs Sale, Friday night (7.45pm KO)

[jimKRFC]

Bristol:
15. Charles Piutau (77 apps), 14. Siva Naulago (24 apps), 13. Joe Jenkins (5 apps), 12. James Williams (12 apps), 11. Gabriel Ibitoye (15 apps), 10. AJ MacGinty (22 apps), 9. Harry Randall (cc) (99 apps); 1. Ellis Genge (34 apps), 2. Harry Thacker (98 apps), 3. Max Lahiff (64 apps), 4. Joe Batley (37 apps), 5. Chris Vui (115 apps), 6. Steven Luatua (cc) (111 apps), 7. Fitz Harding (49 apps), 8. Magnus Bradbury (20 apps).

System players: 16. Will Capon (67 apps), 17. Yann Thomas (108 apps), 18. Kyle Sinckler (42 apps), 19. Sam Jeffries (59 apps), 20. Dan Thomas (125 apps), 21. Andy Uren (155 apps), 22. Sam Bedlow (61 apps), 23. Ioan Lloyd (77 apps).

Sale:

[FKAS]

Are Sale trying to claim George Ford as a Sale academy product with the N after his name?

The continued shoehorning or two flyhalfs into the midfield instead of picking one and then Sam James is mystifying.

[Mellsblue]

#northernrugbymatters
It says it on the graphic. It’s a big push to get people interested in rugby oop north. It mostly stems from the Sharks woman’s team being kicked out of the top flight, I believe.

[fivepointer]

N denotes being born in the north i think.

System players just might be a worse tag than finishers.

Intriguing game. Bris stumbled at Leicester after some good wins and Sale could really do with a win to consolidate 2nd place.

[Mellsblue]

N denotes being born in the north i think.

Yep. Northern players.

https://www.premiershiprugby.com/news/s ... s-campaign

[Puja]

Feels like a really weird thing to be drawing a distinction over, but I guess there's no harm if it makes them happy.

Puja

[FKAS]

Feels like a really weird thing to be drawing a distinction over, but I guess there's no harm if it makes them happy.

Puja

Trying to convince the locals the team represents them?

[TheNomad]

N denotes being born in the north i think.

Yep. Northern players.

https://www.premiershiprugby.com/news/s ... s-campaign

Totally bizarre - to put it into context, I would find it highly embarrassing if any Southern teams did the same

[Puja]

Feels like a really weird thing to be drawing a distinction over, but I guess there's no harm if it makes them happy.

Puja

Trying to convince the locals the team represents them?

Seems weird to try and do that by "Born in the north" (what is the criteria for "North", btw? I'm assuming it's higher up the UK than Watford) rather than "Players who have come through the Sale academy and thus are connected to the local area." The latter would get them the exact same players except for Ford.

Puja

[FKAS]

Feels like a really weird thing to be drawing a distinction over, but I guess there's no harm if it makes them happy.

Puja

Trying to convince the locals the team represents them?

Seems weird to try and do that by "Born in the north" (what is the criteria for "North", btw? I'm assuming it's higher up the UK than Watford) rather than "Players who have come through the Sale academy and thus are connected to the local area." The latter would get them the exact same players except for Ford.

Puja

Ford is being blamed by some fans for the downturn in form, maybe it's a PR move to get them on side with one of their highest paid players.

I think it's slightly unfair on Ford. The Sale pack gives away a lot of penalties and it looks like after a season where they've played with 14 or 13 players with regularity some of the players are tiring earlier in games. That and Rob du Preez isn't a 13, his form has fallen off a cliff since he switched from flyhalf to outside centre.

[twitchy]

Jonny Hill always seemed pretty northern? Is he actually a fancy dan southerner in disguise?

[FKAS]

Jonny Hill always seemed pretty northern? Is he actually a fancy dan southerner in disguise?

West Midlands I think. Came through at Gloucester but I seem to remember there being something about his family living closer to Sale than they did to Devon and it being one of the reasons he took the move.

[Puja]

Jonny Hill always seemed pretty northern? Is he actually a fancy dan southerner in disguise?

Google says born in Ludlow in Shropshire (so makes sense he'd've been in the Glaws academy), although he's apparently the nephew of a rugby league international, so he must have some northern connections.

Puja

[twitchy]

Didn't pass the old flat cap test.

[Tom Moore]

Jonny Hill always seemed pretty northern? Is he actually a fancy dan southerner in disguise?

Google says born in Ludlow in Shropshire (so makes sense he'd've been in the Glaws academy), although he's apparently the nephew of a rugby league international, so he must have some northern connections.

Puja

Paul Loughlin. Cost Great Britain the 1990 Ashes.

[Oakboy]

Jonny Hill always seemed pretty northern? Is he actually a fancy dan southerner in disguise?

Fancy dan or not, he has showed 3 or 4 instances of having damned good hands under pressure tonight.

[chris1850]

Good win tonight against a dangerous side if you let them play. Make no mistake, this was a potential banana skin but pragmatic play organised by the half backs ensured it never happened. Curry twins were immense tonight, Akker was everywhere and Manu had one of his better games in a Sale shirt.
Good to get a win and look more solid again after a poor few results

[FKAS]

Jonny Hill always seemed pretty northern? Is he actually a fancy dan southerner in disguise?

Fancy dan or not, he has showed 3 or 4 instances of having damned good hands under pressure tonight.

His skill set and physicality were never the problem, the unnecessary penalties and off the ball stuff were. Borthwick might still consider him a project for the world cup. How did he get on discipline wise?

I saw the score only. Drop goal for Ford, was he back to form?

[Oakboy]

Jonny Hill always seemed pretty northern? Is he actually a fancy dan southerner in disguise?

Fancy dan or not, he has showed 3 or 4 instances of having damned good hands under pressure tonight.

His skill set and physicality were never the problem, the unnecessary penalties and off the ball stuff were. Borthwick might still consider him a project for the world cup. How did he get on discipline wise?

I saw the score only. Drop goal for Ford, was he back to form?

Hill's discipline issues remain. He conceded two penalties, from memory. However, it is really about the 'brainlessness' of when he does it. Most truly competitive forwards will be on the edge at the breakdown, won't they? I watch Hill and think he's got a good rugby brain in terms of his positional sense and overall effect on the game. Then, he concedes a ridiculous penalty unnecessarily and I change my mind. Take that away and he's arguably Itoje's best partner. I don't remember him being a liability in that respect for Exeter but then he was playing for Baxter (excellent player empathy and communication skills). For England under Jones, though . . . . .

Ford kicked well.

[16th man]

Watching the highlights and trying to understand how Genge doesn't get a red. Fully upright, shoulder to the head at reasonable pace.

[FKAS]

Yeah Genge is a very lucky boy. I've only seen the snapshot on the highlights but Curry might be a tad lucky there as well as it looks like he had a hand on the throat of Genge. Hence Genge going after him after being dragged off.

I think if red card meant a 20 min sit down and then sub then Genge would have seen red for that. The only mitigation is that Curry steps into the tackle and ever so slightly lowers his height but Genge never bends at the waist and is always looking for the big shot. He might miss the final two rounds.

[Mikey Brown]

Watching the highlights and trying to understand how Genge doesn't get a red. Fully upright, shoulder to the head at reasonable pace.

Being able to say “I don’t see it as dangerous” pretty much throws everything else out of the window in these situations. I didn’t get that one at all.

[Mikey Brown]

Just watched it back and his charge on the other Curry for pulling Langdon away was pretty dumb too.

[chris18501]

Genge cited apparently

[p/d]

Is Rich Lane being held back for the playoffs?