RugbyRebels

Good news for those hoping to see young back row options going to SA - Mercer's back in the XXIII.

Bath: Homer; Vuna, Banahan, Wilson, Brew; Priestland, Fotuali'i; Noguera, Dunn, Perenise, Garvey (capt), Stooke, Ellis, Louw, Faletau.

Replacements: Walker, Vaughan, Delmas, Phillips, Mercer, Green, Burns, Clark.

London Irish: Tonks; Cokanasigsa, Fowlie, Mulchrone, Loader; Brophy Clews, Steele; Elrington, Porecki, Hoskins, Van der Merwe (capt), De Chaves, McNally, Cowan, Treviranus.

Replacements: Paice, Franks, Du Plessis, Cooke, Basham, Van Zyl, Williams, Lewington.

Mercer was back last week, did well

Predictable big win for Bath.
They've done very well to finish on a high and earn Champions Cup rugby next season.
Banahan finishes with a hat trick. He's served the club splendidly.

Saw the highlights on 5 tonight, why was Burns allowed to knock the ball on on purpose to himself? Has there been yet another directive or did the ref just drop a bollock?

Because it's not illegal to do that.
It's only a knock on if the ball then hits the floor; he knocked it up and forwards, and successfully regathered; so it's juggling the ball, which is allowed.
Had he failed to regather, it would probably have been a yellow card (he might ave gotten away with it had he been in a position to regather, but couldn't due to being tackled)

I don't think that was a juggle, I think he's knocked it on with intent, which I understood meant it doesn't then matter if the ball doesn't touch the floor or another player before it's gathered, indeed they issued an edict saying just that.

Which Tyler wrote:Because it's not illegal to do that.
It's only a knock on if the ball then hits the floor; he knocked it up and forwards, and successfully regathered; so it's juggling the ball, which is allowed.
Had he failed to regather, it would probably have been a yellow card (he might ave gotten away with it had he been in a position to regather, but couldn't due to being tackled)

Yes, but the law about deliberately throwing or slapping the ball forward is separate from the knock-on. That's why you can't throw the ball over someone's head to yourself - it can't be a deliberate action otherwise it's a penalty.

Mind, I think Burns's one has enough doubt that he could claim that the first was a failed attempt to gather and there'd be enough doubt to let it stand.

Puja

Quite aside from that, I did enjoy London Irish’s last try. Some great play by Tonks, van Zyl and McNally.

Puja wrote:

Which Tyler wrote:Because it's not illegal to do that.
It's only a knock on if the ball then hits the floor; he knocked it up and forwards, and successfully regathered; so it's juggling the ball, which is allowed.
Had he failed to regather, it would probably have been a yellow card (he might ave gotten away with it had he been in a position to regather, but couldn't due to being tackled)

Yes, but the law about deliberately throwing or slapping the ball forward is separate from the knock-on. That's why you can't throw the ball over someone's head to yourself - it can't be a deliberate action otherwise it's a penalty.

Mind, I think Burns's one has enough doubt that he could claim that the first was a failed attempt to gather and there'd be enough doubt to let it stand.

Puja

If that can stand then cross field and dink kicks look an even better idea.

Worth noting - someone cocked up when counting Banahan's try tally - he DID reach 100 tries against LI:
https://www.bathrugby.com/news/milestone-matt/

Which Tyler wrote:Worth noting - someone cocked up when counting Banahan's try tally - he DID reach 100 tries against LI:
https://www.bathrugby.com/news/milestone-matt/

That's good news! Although frankly, I've got no clue why the fourth one against Irish wasn't given, so he should've had it anyway. Wasn't even remotely a double-movement.

Puja

Who's scored more tries for Bath than Banahan? Guscott probably, Adebayo maybe, after that I'm either overlooking the obvious or the names go further back than I recall

Digby wrote:Who's scored more tries for Bath than Banahan? Guscott probably, Adebayo maybe, after that I'm either overlooking the obvious or the names go further back than I recall

Swift, Trick maybe.

Banquo wrote:

Digby wrote:Who's scored more tries for Bath than Banahan? Guscott probably, Adebayo maybe, after that I'm either overlooking the obvious or the names go further back than I recall

Swift, Trick maybe.

Swift Trick sounds like an adult entertainer that Trump obviously never had an affair with. I think both names have some familiarity to them, but nothing I could place.

Banquo wrote:

Digby wrote:Who's scored more tries for Bath than Banahan? Guscott probably, Adebayo maybe, after that I'm either overlooking the obvious or the names go further back than I recall

Swift, Trick maybe.

I believe Swift, Trick and Guscott are the only ones ahead of Bananaman. A google tells me Adebayo finished in the 90s.

Puja

I know Hall topped the charts as a forward, but not sure if he dotted down as many times as Banahan