Rugby

Sam Simmonds with another brilliant performance, out playing both Underhill and Faletau...

Really impressive performance by Exeter and Simmonds was immense. I just have no idea what EJ is seeing/isn't seeing...

Yes, good to see us back to our best after a poor couple of weeks, although was slightly worried after 20 mins.

Simmonds one handed pick ups from the back of the scrum are brilliant, it’s like watching junior rugby when one boy is bigger than the rest and toys with them.

I only got to watch the first 20 mins. Sounds like I missed a hell of a turnaround!

Bris squeaked in at the end - phew. Worcester a better side than their league position.

what EJ is seeing/isn't seeing

Can’t look past size. Very short-sighted. If he’s that bothered, maybe pick a bigger 6?

Yep, literally 2 different matches.

Bristol do look really good, they will definitely be there at the end of the season.

Yep, I’m convinced it is purely that he is not bulky enough. There are plenty of other bulky players to balance it out...

Looking forward to catching the highlights. Eddie is just a stubborn twat - it's fine line between being stubborn and basically cutting off your nose to spite your face and he consistently does the latter IMO. In other news, not just to further shame Sarries, but wasn't it brilliant to see the Cornish Pirates beating a Saracens who were so decimated, they featured a team with a mere 7 full internationals boasting just 145 caps between them and only the one British Lion. hahaha
Another loss and the rules will have to be changed again to ensure they are promoted.....erm, the highest placed former European Champions Cup winning team, beginning with the letter 's' and whose fans are partial to a Fez! Even denied them a losing bonus point.

EJ is stubborn for sure, he seems to have his favourites and sees no further. Think it was last year, he played Curry at 8 whilst Quin's 8 (Donbar?) was lighting up the premiership in that position, seems he'd rather select from what/who he knows, even playing them out of position, rather than change his tactics/style to accommodate in form players. Hopefully after the 6 nations he'll sit down with a blank piece of paper and figure it out, because his bullying opposition teams clearly is a wank game plan to start with, and even worse when the chosen team can't carry out that plan.

Yeah, Dombrandt - doing very well again this year and has trimmed up a lot after being, by professional standards, very much a latecomer to the game

That's him, knew I'd got his name wrong.

Anyone planning on hittimg France 2023?

Eyed up the (upcoming) presale, you can get team tickets (all matches for the country of your choosing) or city ticket (all games at a specific ground)

Was tempted but the games are quite spaced apart, if I could have got 3 games in a week I might have done a city break.
Will wait for single game tickets

I don't think that's it tho, because he plays Earl or Curry at 8 when BV is missing. As someone said subsequently, having favourites and sticking to those he has ordained seems more accurate...

France 2023

Have registered too. Some mates of mine had a fantastic long weekend down in Marseille last France RWC. Following the Japanese around could be fun also.

favourites

You could be right here. But Curry is deceptively big and Earl is more versatile, as he covers across all three positions. I'd still pick him in the squad though (and would start him). BV needs some game time to get back to form and doing that with an underperforming England side doesn't cut it for me. He should have gone on loan to a top flight side, like Malins and Earl.

Equally he didn't really need to go out on loan as he had nothing to prove to Eddie Jones, whereas Malins and Earl did as they were on the cusp of the side and wouldn't get a look-in if they'd have stayed. Given Billy's injury record he would also probably benefit from a season with a reduced work-load too with no European games etc.

Very true. Yes there's loyalty and not punishing players because of what the wheeler dealers and bean counters in the club have done. But it does send some poor signals out to the players. Try as hard as you like, you'll not break through into this group. And likewise the guys who are there may take their foot off the gas (might explain some performances/results). Leaves a bad taste in the mouth for me. This is not another "blame Saracens for all the things" rant. I think Jones is the one who got the balance wrong. BV has not hit form for ages and something has to give.

In fairness to BV he has previously been vocal about player welfare and offered a really interesting perspective, including saying he would accept a pay cut to be able to play less frequently. The oft-cited examples of Sexton and AWJ (who both play the vast majority of their annual rugby internationally, only very rarely playing for their clubs) provide relevant counterpoints to anyone arguing that it's madness to expect the Sarries players to be performing for England. I think it's entirely reasonable, at the point in their careers and having had such an intense 3-5 years, for BV, Maro, George, Farrell etc to think that a year of less playing, recovery and peaking for Lions/WC23 would be sensible. Sadly they find themselves playing in a stuttering England and Saracens are making assumptions of automatic promotion look wide of the mark...

Good to see Mallins and LCD getting their starts against France. I have no idea about Ewells, never seen him play a great game but with Launchbury and Lawes injured and Hill not having a great time of it against Wales I guess he's next cab off the rank...

Ewells

Someone better versed in the stats than I told me last year he had the quickest 'reload' time in the Prem (is this getting back up and in the defensive line?). He is also Bath captain and offers some leadership help. Pretty sure he is heavier than most other options also, a known Eddie criterion.

That said, I don't rate him above a host of others (Isiekwe, Ribbans, Attwood, Moon, etc...). Isiekwe being the best of the bunch for me. Ticks all the boxes - carries well, defence is excellent (kind of a given for a Sarries forward), lineout superb, athletic, pacy, intelligent and can have a bit of nasty about him too - also covers 6, which appears to be an EJ requirement for most of his locks.

Also a late acknowledgement of your very interesting memory jog above. I had forgotten BV's advocating less playing time + the rest of that.

Interesting! My opinion from (beerily) watching his england performances and a few bath games was of a bit of a trundler, not really dynamic, useful in tight defence and mauls/set pieces but not a modern lock. I may very well be wrong...

I think you an I are on the same page again (more worrying for you than me!). I just don't see what it is with him.

I also agree that I'd like to see Isiekwe back as he's very dynamic but I think you're correct re EJ needing one big lump in the row. It's why Kruis was such an underrated part of the England team because he provided the heft whilst also being dynamic and had great hands.

The Kpoku twins at Sarries are supposed to be pretty special and should be breaking through soon, maybe not in time for RWC23...

not in time for RWC23

Definitely not if Sarries miss promotion...

Ha, no, you wouldn't have thought so...