SAINTS TEAM TO PLAY CLERMONT

[Mellsblue]

How many more consecutive posts do I need to make before I break Rowan's record?

[Mellsblue]

This is Manford's funniest sketch yet.

[fivepointer]

I've just turned this on and watched a replay of Hartley's yellow. This is some kind of joke, isnt it?

[Mellsblue]

Effing hell. That was rank. Alex King will be laughing in to his cup of tea.

[Mellsblue]

Francis on points.

[Mellsblue]

Mallinder crabbinh across killing space again. I honestly don't understand the hype surrounding him.

[16th man]

Ref's don't half make life hard for themselves do they?

[Timbo]

Clermont are pony. Their forwards attack the ball at every single breakdown because they’re too lazy/knackered to get back on their feet and get in the line. If Saints had even a modicum of composure they’d have bagged 4 or 5 try’s today. A really good team would have taken Clermont to the cleaners.

Not surprised they have been thrashed a couple of times already this season.

[Adam_P]

I missed the second half but from all accounts the ref continued to have an absolute stinker

[Adam_P]

Ben Whitehouse is trending on Twitter. The best referees are generally not discussed post game, so he must have been pretty dire

[kk67]

The best referees are generally not discussed post game.

In soccer.

I'm not saying he didn't have a shocker but the idea that you don't notice the best ref's is very much a soccer thing.

[Adam_P]

The best referees are generally not discussed post game.

In soccer.

I'm not saying he didn't have a shocker but the idea that you don't notice the best ref's is very much a soccer thing.

Not generally for their refereeing. Maybe something humorous Nigel comes out with, but good refs should not be the main talking point after a game

[Adam_P]

Catching up now, Slimani should have definitely had a red card. Absolutely bottled that. How he can compare it to Dylan's bull shit yellow in the first half is quite ridiculous.

[kk67]

Soccer refs are reactive, the best rugby refs are proactive. It's a different beast.
You're right,...but conflating refs of different sports is a mistake.

[Scrumhead]

I didn't see the game, but the BBC's match report describes Francis as having had a 'commanding display'. Accurate?

[Mellsblue]

Not for me. I'd give him 6/10 - average display. No mistakes but nothing that made you think 'that's top class'. That said, he was usually faced with a solid line of big frenchies.

[Puja]

I didn't see the game, but the BBC's match report describes Francis as having had a 'commanding display'. Accurate?

Maybe. What was he supposed to be commanding?

Puja

[WaspInWales]

Soccer refs are reactive, the best rugby refs are proactive. It's a different beast.
You're right,...but conflating refs of different sports is a mistake.

Bollocks.

[fivepointer]

I missed the second half but from all accounts the ref continued to have an absolute stinker

Only saw the 2nd half but he didnt have a great game. Saints badly done to with some very odd decisions going against them. Slimani should have seen red. Its unforgivable for TMO's to get these kind of calls wrong when they have access to endless replays.

However, Saints attacking in the Clermont 22 was awful. Overlaps were routinely ignored, while the running lines made life easy for defenders.

Francis was very much so-so.

[Discreet Hooker]

I've just turned this on and watched a replay of Hartley's yellow. This is some kind of joke, isnt it?

Opposite tight head lying face up on the floor , mad hooker runs in and smacks him in the face . Hardly surprising but no way a yellow . Hartley just cant help himself despite ' advice . '

Most of the game Northampton front row were on a car~jack .

[Which Tyler]

Really should have been a try for Hartley in that first half. Had he classed it as playing the SH then I'd have had some sympathy (and objected to the special protection SHs get... that I never did); but no way that went forwards.

I have to say, I happen to think the yellow for Hartley was in the "harsh but fair" category.
There's not really any debate that he did strike the player in the face with his hand. Entirely accidental, but it still happened and it shouldn't have.
I also don't particularly object because it looked to me that he was attacking the lock's knee with his own shoulder - which I never like to see.


Parts never lost consciousness to my eyes (never lost control of his head/neck) and however much the ref claimed that he was unconscious, the ref was wrong (not for the first time, or the last). I don't think we can really ask ref.s to over-rule the medical staff on medical diagnosis.

That was an absolute horror show from Mallinder there to butcher a 3 man overlap.


ETA: how the hell did Slimani get away with that?

[Adam_P]

How the fuck has Dylan been cited for that, and Slimani appears to have got off Scott free. Absolute joke.

[Puja]

How the fuck has Dylan been cited for that, and Slimani appears to have got off Scott free. Absolute joke.

You're joking! A citing means that they think the punishment at the time was too lenient and, while there are arguments to be made for whether it's a yellow or not, anyone who thinks that's a red needs their head examining!

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Cited? WTF?
Let's hope that gets thrown out PDQ

[Adam_P]

For anyone who hasn't seen both incidents