Quins vs Exeter

[Puja]

Harlequins: Morris; Chisholm, Penny, Lasike, Ibitoye; Smith, Care; Lambert, Baldwin, Kerrod, Young, Symons, Chisholm, Robshaw (capt), Dombrandt

Replacements: Gray, Auterac, Collier, Cavubati, Kunatani, Saunders, Herron, Saili

Exeter: Dollman; O'Flaherty, Whitten, Hendrickson, Woodburn; Simmonds (capt), White; Hepburn, Taione, Pieretto, Kirsten, Skinner. Ewers, Vermeulen, Simmonds

Replacements: Poole, Keast, Williams, Hill, Armand, Maunder, Steenson, Devoto

[Banquo]

Think Dors might burst into tears

[Oakboy]

Think Dors might burst into tears

Hell of a bench, that!

[Banquo]

Simmonds lads going well, as are quins. good game

[Mikey Brown]

Looking forward to Umaga, Simmonds and Smith fighting for the 10 shirt in a few years time. Not seen much of Unaga but don’t dare question Eddie’s judgement.

[Raggs]

Looking forward to Umaga, Simmonds and Smith fighting for the 10 shirt in a few years time. Not seen much of Unaga but don’t dare question Eddie’s judgement.

Watch the long highlights from the Wasps Sarries game last week. You'll see a lot of what he can do.

[Banquo]

not sure if thats a penalty try......

[Mr Mwenda]

Crazy finish. Feel for the ref, a bad call to deny ibitoye puts him into 10 minutes of scrumwang. I think the pen try was just to end it. A shame as it was a very exciting game.

Since i watch premiership rugby so seldom it's good to see some of the people touted as solutions to england's problems. I'm now more convinced of Jones' judgement. Although i hope simmonds and smith are going to be eased into the squad.

I recall someone suggested putting ibitoye into the england 23. No way yet, way too raw. I hope he delivers on the expectations.

[fivepointer]

No way a penalty try.
Young ref made the cardinal mistake of trying to even up a glaring error by doing all he could to give Quins the chance to score.
Pity to end a very entertaining game in such an unsatisfactory manner. On balance, largely due to a dominant scrum, Quins just deserved to win.
Both 8's did some good things, likewise the 2 young 10's.

[Banquo]

No way a penalty try.
Young ref made the cardinal mistake of trying to even up a glaring error by doing all he could to give Quins the chance to score.
Pity to end a very entertaining game in such an unsatisfactory manner. On balance, largely due to a dominant scrum, Quins just deserved to win.
Both 8's did some good things, likewise the 2 young 10's.

This.

[Oakboy]

I think Chiefs missed their 1st choice front row more than Quins missed theirs and it was tge difference on the scoresheet.

In the 8s head--to-head, Simmonds was demonstrably faster and more athletic, Dombrandt more physical. No surprise there. Both should be ahead of Curry for the 8 shirt.

4 years out from the RWC, I'd cheerfully have Simmonds and Smith at 10 and 22 now, not that many will agree. IMO, it's all about the team's ceiling - it needs raising.

[Banquo]

I think Chiefs missed their 1st choice front row more than Quins missed theirs and it was tge difference on the scoresheet.

In the 8s head--to-head, Simmonds was demonstrably faster and more athletic, Dombrandt more physical. No surprise there. Both should be ahead of Curry for the 8 shirt.

4 years out from the RWC, I'd cheerfully have Simmonds and Smith at 10 and 22 now, not that many will agree. IMO, it's all about the team's ceiling - it needs raising.

agree simmonds j is good. Not at Fords level even so.

Curry is a proven class act internationally, though not much cop at the base.

Ibitoye is miles off

[fivepointer]

Simmonds, Smith, Umaga, Grayson, Vunipola.......very nice group of young 10's coming through.

Ibitoye doesnt seem to have moved his game on much at all this season.

[Spiffy]

Great display of fly half play by two talented 10s. These lads have all the skills as well as pace, vision and self confidence. In far from ideal conditions too.

[Epaminondas Pules]

No way a penalty try.
Young ref made the cardinal mistake of trying to even up a glaring error by doing all he could to give Quins the chance to score.
Pity to end a very entertaining game in such an unsatisfactory manner. On balance, largely due to a dominant scrum, Quins just deserved to win.
Both 8's did some good things, likewise the 2 young 10's.

Aside from the three tackles in succession I thought Dombrandt drifted out of the game for large parts. Chisholm on the other hand was really active for Quins.

[Oakboy]

I think Chiefs missed their 1st choice front row more than Quins missed theirs and it was tge difference on the scoresheet.

In the 8s head--to-head, Simmonds was demonstrably faster and more athletic, Dombrandt more physical. No surprise there. Both should be ahead of Curry for the 8 shirt.

4 years out from the RWC, I'd cheerfully have Simmonds and Smith at 10 and 22 now, not that many will agree. IMO, it's all about the team's ceiling - it needs raising.

agree simmonds j is good. Not at Fords level even so.

I could not give a twopenny **ck if they are at Ford's level NOW. It's whether Ford can improve significantly and how far (further) those two (or others)can go. IMO, Ford is at his peak and that peak can be exceeded by both IF given time to develop. That's the key, though. I'd write off two 6Ns to get the team's ceiling up but instead we are watching crap like 33 year-old mediocre SHs.

[Digby]

Ford is 26 and could d be over 90 caps by the next WC. It's possible Smith or Simmonds could edge past him, but I don't fancy their chances

[Oakboy]

Somebody needs to up the standard, especially at 8, 9, 10 and 12 or we won't even be poor runners-up next time.

[Which Tyler]

Yeah, there's no waynon earth our current 8, 9, 10 & 12 are good enough to ever reach a RWC final, especially with 3 of those 4 just coming into their peak rugby playing 4-5 years

[Banquo]

I think Chiefs missed their 1st choice front row more than Quins missed theirs and it was tge difference on the scoresheet.

In the 8s head--to-head, Simmonds was demonstrably faster and more athletic, Dombrandt more physical. No surprise there. Both should be ahead of Curry for the 8 shirt.

4 years out from the RWC, I'd cheerfully have Simmonds and Smith at 10 and 22 now, not that many will agree. IMO, it's all about the team's ceiling - it needs raising.

agree simmonds j is good. Not at Fords level even so.

I could not give a twopenny **ck if they are at Ford's level NOW. It's whether Ford can improve significantly and how far (further) those two (or others)can go. IMO, Ford is at his peak and that peak can be exceeded by both IF given time to develop. That's the key, though. I'd write off two 6Ns to get the team's ceiling up but instead we are watching crap like 33 year-old mediocre SHs.

Ford is an excellent 10; Simmonds probably has a goal kicking edge. I would like to see him internationally, to see his game mgt at that level. No idea why you think they would develop to be better than excellent tho- both talented but hardly extravagently. Also no idea why you melted down and vaulted into the 9 problem.

[Scrumhead]

Oakboy and ‘meltdown’ are like the same word to me ...

Putting that to one side, I’d like to see Simmonds, Smith and Umaga travel to Japan at the end of the season. We’ve been told it’s a development tour so it would be great to see how they go against good opposition.

Back to Quins Vs. Chiefs, the penalty try was clearly the wrong call and definitely a case of trying to make up for the previous error. I thought he’d been good up until then but the Chiefs fans are really frothing on social media at his ‘awful’ performance. The way I see it, it was two very bad decisions, one against Quins and one against Chiefs and I’d have backed Quins to get over without the penalty try anyway.

[twitchy]

I some how thought ford was older.

[Stom]

By the way, how crap is Scott Baldwin?

Jeez. I mean, he's just pants.

We desperately need to stop signing mediocre.

[Banquo]

By the way, how crap is Scott Baldwin?

Jeez. I mean, he's just pants.

We desperately need to stop signing mediocre.

he was a bit of a gamble......

[Mikey Brown]

You should be ashamed of yourself.