RugbyRebels

Saracens Men team to play Harlequins:

1 Mako Vunipola
2 Jamie George
3 Marco Riccioni
4 Maro Itoje
5 Hugh Tizard
6 Andy Christie
7 Ben Earl
8 Billy Vunipola
9 Ivan van Zyl
10 Owen Farrell (c)
11 Sean Maitland
12 Nick Tompkins
13 Alex Lozowski
14 Max Malins
15 Alex Goode

Replacements:
16 Theo Dan
17 Eroni Mawi
18 Alec Clarey
19 Nick Isiekwe
20 Jackson Wray
21 Aled Davies
22 Duncan Taylor
23 Alex Lewington


Harlequins Starting XV

1. Joe Marler (262)
2. Jack Walker (40)
3. Wilco Louw (63)
4. Irne Herbst (19)
5. Stephan Lewies (58) - Captain
6. Jack Kenningham (37)
7. James Chisholm (130)
8. Alex Dombrandt (109)
9. Danny Care (354)
10. Marcus Smith (135)
11. Cadan Murley (95)
12. Andre Esterhuizen (65)
13. Luke Northmore (55)
14. Joe Marchant (148)
15. Nick David (28)

Impact Players
16. Sam Riley (25)
17. Fin Baxter (21)
18. Will Collier (216)
19. Dino Lamb (78)
20. Will Evans (59)
21. Scott Steele (30)
22. Tommy Allan (29)
23. Oscar Beard (25)

Good to see absolutely no-one being rested (this goes for all teams)

A few players on both sides with something to prove. Should make for a spicy encounter.

I hope this is televised, looks like it should be a great game what with both sides tooling up.

Smith Vs Farrell will be an interesting match up as ever.

FKAS wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:35 pm I hope this is televised, looks like it should be a great game what with both sides tooling up.

Smith Vs Farrell will be an interesting match up as ever.

cheese meets icy chalk

Was hoping Dan got the nod over the fading George

FKAS wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:35 pm I hope this is televised, looks like it should be a great game what with both sides tooling up.

Smith Vs Farrell will be an interesting match up as ever.

On ITV and BT Sport.

p/d wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 7:51 am Was hoping Dan got the nod over the fading George

Interesting challenge for Walker!

Great seeing rugby at the lane. Fast start.

9 was clearly out. He did the fencing response.

Not often we praise refereeing, but Luke Pearce has been brilliant there. Both with the decision and double checking with the Sarries doctor.

The Sarries doctor on the other hand…

brilliant turnover from faz

Smith looks a better 9 than he does at 10

Is Northmore off form? He looks to be struggling. Marchant wasted on the wing.

Good half that. Sarries when they up the intensity are so hard to stop. The 8 battle has been fascinating. Both with good play, both with mistakes. Billy the more visible for the 40, whilst Dombrandt disappeared for periods.

Earl having a good game too. Sarries winning the backrow battle. Chisholm and Kenningham have largely been quiet with the odd intervention.

p/d wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 3:41 pm Smith looks a better 9 than he does at 10

I was about to post same thing. He looks nippy, has a decent pass and you have to watch out for him taking it himself.

Brilliant reffing

If Marchant had dropped the ball when tackled in the air by Goode, penalty try is awarded + Goode is yellow carded.

As Marchant scored despite being tackled in the air, it's no penalty try + a tough conversion which Smith misses. Also no yellow for Goode. Or a penalty to Quins at the restart.

The lack of logic here is breathtaking. Is this all ref interpretation or just rank laws?

I thought Goode did well to hold him up and stop him from crashing to earth in a dangerous way. Would have been harsh, having found himself in the wrong position and having done everything he could to ensure Marchant landed safely and still scored the try anyway to then card him.

Sure, but Goode clearly tackled Marchant in the air. That's a penalty at least. And Pearce said that as Marchant scored, there would be no penalty try (which would have been accompanied by other benefits for Quins).

The whole penalty try business is as confused as head contact sanctions.

stepsider wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 5:03 pm If Marchant had dropped the ball when tackled in the air by Goode, penalty try is awarded + Goode is yellow carded.

As Marchant scored despite being tackled in the air, it's no penalty try + a tough conversion which Smith misses. Also no yellow for Goode. Or a penalty to Quins at the restart.

The lack of logic here is breathtaking. Is this all ref interpretation or just rank laws?

That’s just the laws. Would have effectively been advantage but they scored so cancels out.

Big afternoon from Billy and Earl to be fair. Billy win that battle hands down! Dombrandt again prominent to anonymous throughout the game. For such a stupidly talented player he just goes missing. It is so frustrating!

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 5:20 pm Big afternoon from Billy and Earl to be fair. Billy win that battle hands down! Dombrandt again prominent to anonymous throughout the game. For such a stupidly talented player he just goes missing. It is so frustrating!

And Billy, despite the MoM award, coughed the ball up twice in contact unnecessarily. On another day those mistakes could have been costly.

Saracens just a little too good. Enjoyed the handling in the forwards and felt they always had an edge. Good effort by Quins to get a try BP. 2 excellent finishes by Murley.