RugbyRebels

Ref: Anthony Woodthorpe
TJs: Daniel Jones & Calum Howard
TMO: Stuart Terheege

Northampton:
1 Tom West
2 Curtis Langdon
3 Trevor Davison
4 Temo Mayanavanua
5 Alex Coles
6 Josh Kemeny
7 Tom Pearson
8 Juarno Augustus

09 Alex Mitchell
10 Fin Smith
11 James Ramm
12 Rory Hutchinson
13 Fraser Dingwall
14 Tommy Freeman
15 George Hendy

16 Henry Walker, 17 Tarek Haffar, 18 Luke Green, 19 Tom Lockett, 20 Henry Pollock, 21 Angus Scott-Young
22 Archie McParland, 23 Ollie Sleightholme


Bath:
1 Beno Obano
2 Tom Dunn
3 Will Stuart
4 Quinn Roux
5 Ross Molony
6 Guy Pepper
7 Miles Reid
8 Alfie Barbeary

09 Ben Spencer
10 Finn Russell
11 Will Muir
12 Max Ojomoh
13 Ollie Lawrence
14 Joe Cokanasiga
15 Orlando Bailey

16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Sam Underhill, 22 Josh Bayliss, 23 Jaco Coetzee
21 Louis Schreuder

7/1 bench?

Beasties wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 1:11 pm7/1 bench?

I know

Are they struggling for fit backs? Is Bayliss maybe actually the wing cover?

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 1:18 pm Are they struggling for fit backs? Is Bayliss maybe actually the wing cover?

He's probably quicker than Louis Schreuder. Not the game to have a lack of fit backs though. Will Vesty tweak his attacking tactics? Maybe try and get the Bath backline running a lot in the first half knowing they've all got to play the full 80 mins and Saints have the back division to make tired tackles costly.

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 1:18 pm Are they struggling for fit backs? Is Bayliss maybe actually the wing cover?

Nope, deliberate choice by JvG

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 1:33 pm

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 1:18 pm Are they struggling for fit backs? Is Bayliss maybe actually the wing cover?

Nope, deliberate choice by JvG

Got to love those crazy South African head coaches.

FKAS wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 1:38 pmGot to love those crazy South African head coaches.

It's the Bath Bomb squad - sponsored by Lush

Is Guy Pepper better at 6 or 7 btw?

jngf wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 2:54 pm Is Guy Pepper better at 6 or 7 btw?

In my eyes, he's a 7; but I don't think it really matters these days, it's about the backrow as a whole covering all the things you want from a backrow.
Choice between 6 and 7 seems to be "who do I want pressuring their 10" rather than anything to do with tackling, linking, carrying etc.

Pepper at 6 certainly isn't the problem with this selection.

where's the popcorn ?

Another school leaver in line for Prem debut!

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 2:56 pm

jngf wrote: ↑Fri Jan 03, 2025 2:54 pm Is Guy Pepper better at 6 or 7 btw?

In my eyes, he's a 7; but I don't think it really matters these days, it's about the backrow as a whole covering all the things you want from a backrow.
Choice between 6 and 7 seems to be "who do I want pressuring their 10" rather than anything to do with tackling, linking, carrying etc.

Pepper at 6 certainly isn't the problem with this selection.

Same. Feels a bit more like an SA numbering convention though with Reid the more natural 6 and Pepper the natural 7 just with the numbers swapped.

7:1 is very high risk but a big sign of confidence from Bath and as @Mikey Brown mentioned, Bayliss has the gas/dexterity to play a version of the Kwagga Smith role.

Sleightholme replaced on the bench by Seabrook

Lovely stuff from Fin Smith and Mitchell for the 2nd try

Well this isn't going how I thought it would, 3 tries for Saints in 13 mins

3 back rowers on the bench, one of whom is expecting to spend some time on the wing.
A starting backrower picks up an injury in the opening 10 minutes.
Replace him with your wing cover

Genius

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2025 3:18 pm 3 back rowers on the bench, one of whom is expecting to spend some time on the wing.
A starting backrower picks up an injury in the opening 10 minutes.
Replace him with your wing cover

Genius

Think they wanted the lineout option.

Fantastic game.

Yeah I was expecting Underhill on for Pepper

A] Saints racking up the defensive penalties.
B] how the hell did Bailey get through there?

Captainhaircut wrote: ↑Sun Jan 05, 2025 3:27 pm Think they wanted the lineout option.

I think it's just "we've game planned this to not use and backfield replacements, and well play it out as if we won't use any backfield replacements"

Bayliss for Pepper is fine.
It's doing that early, with a 7:1 bench that is too risky (mins, the 7:1 is too risky regardless)

And now Muir is injured...

Fin Smith absolutely melting Reid, embarrassing for the flanker

And the insanity is confirmed