Bristol vs Exeter - Tues - 7.45

[twitchy]

Looks like exe are rotating. Bris have to be favourites.

[Tigersman]

Didn’t Radradra play a whole 80 on Friday?
Same with Hughes.

[fivepointer]

Even with heavy rotation, Exe can put out a very strong looking side. Disappointed there's no Hinckley in the squad but at least Hodge gets a start.
Bris making fewer changes and trying to maintain continuity.

[Tigersman]

What’s the rules on welfare minutes wide?

[Puja]

What’s the rules on welfare minutes wide?

I think it's just 2 starts from 3, isn't it?

Puja

[Raggs]

What’s the rules on welfare minutes wide?

I think it's just 2 starts from 3, isn't it?

Puja

It says in a week, which seems odd, seeing as I don't think there's a single team that plays 3 games in 7 days, but it may mean 3 back to back fixtures. Even then, it's 180 minutes, with 2 starts max. And on top of that, I believe they're only guidelines/requests, not enforceable.

[francoisfou]

Reading the Bristol Bears’ tweet, the headline is “Tuesday night derby vibes”. Do they consider the match with Exeter to be a derby? I’ve always believed derby matches are between teams of the same town/city - Bristol Rovers/ Bristol City, for example. Or am I just and out of touch old’un?

[Peej]

Well Radradra is 3 from 3

[twitchy]

Reading the Bristol Bears’ tweet, the headline is “Tuesday night derby vibes”. Do they consider the match with Exeter to be a derby? I’ve always believed derby matches are between teams of the same town/city - Bristol Rovers/ Bristol City, for example. Or am I just and out of touch old’un?

I think it just depends. There isn't really a clear cut rule.

[francoisfou]

Reading the Bristol Bears’ tweet, the headline is “Tuesday night derby vibes”. Do they consider the match with Exeter to be a derby? I’ve always believed derby matches are between teams of the same town/city - Bristol Rovers/ Bristol City, for example. Or am I just and out of touch old’un?

I think it just depends. There isn't really a clear cut rule.

There must be 75/80 miles between the two cities. A bit far, innit?

[Mikey Brown]

Reading the Bristol Bears’ tweet, the headline is “Tuesday night derby vibes”. Do they consider the match with Exeter to be a derby? I’ve always believed derby matches are between teams of the same town/city - Bristol Rovers/ Bristol City, for example. Or am I just and out of touch old’un?

I'd imagine it's just a good way of hyping up the rivalry with one of the top teams around, given Exe don't really have a derby rival?

[twitchy]

Reading the Bristol Bears’ tweet, the headline is “Tuesday night derby vibes”. Do they consider the match with Exeter to be a derby? I’ve always believed derby matches are between teams of the same town/city - Bristol Rovers/ Bristol City, for example. Or am I just and out of touch old’un?

I think it just depends. There isn't really a clear cut rule.

There must be 75/80 miles between the two cities. A bit far, innit?

I think it's a derby if the fans decide it's a derby.

[fivepointer]

Bristol-Bath is a genuine derby. If Bristol-Exeter is a derby, then Bristol-Worcester must be one too.

[francoisfou]

Bristol-Bath is a genuine derby. If Bristol-Exeter is a derby, then Bristol-Worcester must be one too.

Bristol- Bath, no problem, and maybe Glaws too. Down here, they call Toulouse v Bordeaux a derby, but that’s the frogs for you - clueless!

[Tigersman]

It's like calling Wasps v Tigers derby.
Pure marketing.

[Raggs]

Brilliant comment from Twitter. Instead of System Players, Bristol could have gone with "Spare Bears".

[Which Tyler]

Brilliant comment from Twitter. Instead of System Players, Bristol could have gone with "Spare Bears".

[Scrumhead]

Did Wayne Barnes just call Sinckler ‘Ellis’ before the scrum ...

[twitchy]

I would say that counts as an "impressive" performance from exe. I was not expecting that given the bench was mainly 3rd XV'ers from exe also.

[fivepointer]

I'd call that a very impressive performance and a great result for Exeter.

Much to enjoy in the game overall which was very well reffed by Barnes.

[Oakboy]

I'd call that a very impressive performance and a great result for Exeter.

Much to enjoy in the game overall which was very well reffed by Barnes.

Agreed, though I was surprised that the pat-on in Bristol's try was so definitely judged as backwards. It looked forwards to me every time they showed it.

One small point of info. I noticed Armand packing down at 8. Does he usually do that? If so, I've missed it.

[twitchy]

I'd say Hidalgo-Clyne is comfortably better than maunder.

[Scrumhead]

Agreed. TBH I think Maunder is overrated based upon his early promise and our desperation for a credible challenger to Youngs. Hidalgo-Clyne may have had a few years in the proverbial wilderness but he’s still a test standard scrum half. He was good when we had him at Quins and TBH, I’d much rather we’d kept him instead of signing Landajo, but I believe that deal had already been agreed.

Re. Oakboy’s comment re. Armand, he occasionally packs down at 8 depending on who else is in the back row at the time. I don’t think he did until they had a bit of a re-shuffle later in the game.

[Oakboy]

Agreed. TBH I think Maunder is overrated based upon his early promise and our desperation for a credible challenger to Youngs. Hidalgo-Clyne may have had a few years in the proverbial wilderness but he’s still a test standard scrum half. He was good when we had him at Quins and TBH, I’d much rather we’d kept him instead of signing Landajo, but I believe that deal had already been agreed.

Re. Oakboy’s comment re. Armand, he occasionally packs down at 8 depending on who else is in the back row at the time. I don’t think he did until they had a bit of a re-shuffle later in the game.

Thanks. Was Lonsdale still on, though - and packing down on the flank? I'm definitely getting less observant. I can't remember Exeter's backrow change.

[Puja]

Agreed. TBH I think Maunder is overrated based upon his early promise and our desperation for a credible challenger to Youngs. Hidalgo-Clyne may have had a few years in the proverbial wilderness but he’s still a test standard scrum half. He was good when we had him at Quins and TBH, I’d much rather we’d kept him instead of signing Landajo, but I believe that deal had already been agreed.

Re. Oakboy’s comment re. Armand, he occasionally packs down at 8 depending on who else is in the back row at the time. I don’t think he did until they had a bit of a re-shuffle later in the game.

Thanks. Was Lonsdale still on, though - and packing down on the flank? I'm definitely getting less observant. I can't remember Exeter's backrow change.

I noticed it happening after the commentators remarked that Armand was limping, so maybe it was as much about hiding him at the back of the scrum rather than having him have to launch off from the base in defence?

Sadly, I think I have to agree on Maunder. I've been one of his champions for a long while and I do love the crispness of his passing, but he just doesn't seem to have kicked on and added anything to his game. Comparing him with Mitchell at Saints is night and day.

Puja