Champions Cup - Week 1

[Timbo]

Isiekwe can play a bit. Still 19!

Who’s the best/most promising pound for pound English teenager in the Premiership; Isiekwe, Smith, Tom or Ben Curry?

[Scrumhead]

I'd go for Smith. The Curry twins and Isiekwe are hugely impressive, but I think Smith is on an another level of outstanding. Perhaps that's my Quins bias ...

Either way. The conveyor belt of talent is clearly churning out some excellent young players.

[Tigersman]

Isiekwe for me currently.

[Scrumhead]

i didn't expect Isiekwe to be getting as much game time as he has been. He really does look the part and looks set-to leapfrog Ewels as 5th choice lock for England.

[Which Tyler]

Smith, mostly because he weighs the fewest pounds, so has a distinct advantage in a "pound for pound" analysis.

[p/d]

Foden lying at the bottom of a ruck adjusting his hair doo says it all about Saints attitude today.

Ha!!! .......it was a priceless moment . The great big Belinda

[morepork]

Lawes over the last 12 months has become one of the top 5 locks in the game IMO.
I used to knock him as a bit of a one hit wonder (A hell of a hit mind) but his all round game has been truly amazing to watch esp his carrying.

Re the Farrell thing Harrison elbowed Faz first in the exact same way as Faz did to Harrison so if Faz was to go so should Harrison IMO.

I've watched a few games he has played in and he seems quality. He is doing that essential lock thing in tidying up the ruck and digging in to keep up continuity. He cleans out, he jackals, he puts his head down and fires himself at the line when all around is fluffing about. Good player, with some consistency becoming apparent.

[Puja]

i didn't expect Isiekwe to be getting as much game time as he has been. He really does look the part and looks set-to leapfrog Ewels as 5th choice lock for England.

Me neither. We were worried about Day and Skelton keeping him out of the XXIII, but Isiekwe's taken his opportunity and will be there on merit even when everyone's fit. I would say that Day looks like an utterly superfluous signing if it wasn't for the fact that an injury or two could see Maro, Kruis and Isiekwe all going off with England.

Puja

[Spiffy]

Lawes over the last 12 months has become one of the top 5 locks in the game IMO.
I used to knock him as a bit of a one hit wonder (A hell of a hit mind) but his all round game has been truly amazing to watch esp his carrying.

Re the Farrell thing Harrison elbowed Faz first in the exact same way as Faz did to Harrison so if Faz was to go so should Harrison IMO.

I've watched a few games he has played in and he seems quality. He is doing that essential lock thing in tidying up the ruck and digging in to keep up continuity. He cleans out, he jackals, he puts his head down and fires himself at the line when all around is fluffing about. Good player, with some consistency becoming apparent.

Given the talent that England has at locK, Lawes' future probably lies at 6. He's big, tough, athletic, a real lineout force, a destructive tackler, a great engine and currently looks the about the best 6 playing in the PL. He's a better 6 than Itoje. He has also cleaned up his act and developed some real rugby smarts in the past season. I'd like to see Jones give him a run as an out and out blindside in the AIs. (with two of Itoje/Kruis/Launchbury starting at lock and the other on the bench.)

[16th man]

Lawes over the last 12 months has become one of the top 5 locks in the game IMO.
I used to knock him as a bit of a one hit wonder (A hell of a hit mind) but his all round game has been truly amazing to watch esp his carrying.

Re the Farrell thing Harrison elbowed Faz first in the exact same way as Faz did to Harrison so if Faz was to go so should Harrison IMO.

I've watched a few games he has played in and he seems quality. He is doing that essential lock thing in tidying up the ruck and digging in to keep up continuity. He cleans out, he jackals, he puts his head down and fires himself at the line when all around is fluffing about. Good player, with some consistency becoming apparent.

Given the talent that England has at locK, Lawes' future probably lies at 6. He's big, tough, athletic, a real lineout force, a destructive tackler, a great engine and currently looks the about the best 6 playing in the PL. He's a better 6 than Itoje. He has also cleaned up his act and developed some real rugby smarts in the past season. I'd like to see Jones give him a run as an out and out blindside in the AIs. (with two of Itoje/Kruis/Launchbury starting at lock and the other on the bench.)

Possibly, but if you take out Robshaw for him, and have Hughes at 8, then you need to be putting a Curry at 7 for some sort of breakdown work

[bitts]

We have a ridiculous number of quality locks, but I'd really rather play them at lock than Shoehorn them in at 6. It's rarely a long term solution and I'd much rather we developed genuine back row players, or stick with Robshaw who is probably our best 6 right now.

[Timbo]

The standard of refereeing in the Champions Cup this season has been....atrocious.

[kk67]

The standard of refereeing in the Champions Cup this season has been....atrocious.

It's the quota system. The best ref's are Welsh and English.

[Mellsblue]

Squeaky bum time down at Allianz Park.

[Mellsblue]

Farrell's passing is rank average.

[Tigersman]

The standard of refereeing in the Champions Cup this season has been....atrocious.

It's the quota system. The best ref's are Welsh and English.

Remind where Whitehouse comes from?

[kk67]

The standard of refereeing in the Champions Cup this season has been....atrocious.

It's the quota system. The best ref's are Welsh and English.

Remind where Whitehouse comes from?

Exception proves the rule.
In truth there are only 6 decent international refs. After their international status disqualifies them we're left with a small pool for the Heineken games. Wayne was doing the Oz v AB's game. I hear he was pretty good.
Which must have come as something of as a surprise to the Aussies.

[Lord Llandaff]

Wayne was doing the Oz v AB's game. I hear he was pretty good.
Which must have come as something of as a surprise to the Aussies.

If by "good" you mean "did a good job of keeping NZ in it" then he was indeed

[Mellsblue]

Tompkin's offload was top draw.

[kk67]

You hate all refs, M'lord.

[Mellsblue]

Good game, good game.

[WaspInWales]

Good match that.

[Raggs]

It's the quota system. The best ref's are Welsh and English.

Remind where Whitehouse comes from?

Exception proves the rule.
In truth there are only 6 decent international refs. After their international status disqualifies them we're left with a small pool for the Heineken games. Wayne was doing the Oz v AB's game. I hear he was pretty good.
Which must have come as something of as a surprise to the Aussies.

Quoted from a time when proving something meant to test it, and the exception does test/prove the rule, and finds that it's wrong.

[Mellsblue]

I'm listening to Paul Grayson on the radio....he thought it was 2 yellows. One for the forearm smash and one for the tackle.

If that forearm is worth a yellow I'm off to watch netball.

Would have been red if it was Dylan

Thought I'd bump this due to it's extraordinary prescience.