u/Wasrew13

Good Week:
Ben Earl - Shades of his England performances, standing out whilst a lot of other players struggled. He hit hard, carried hard and rucked hard, what more do you want. He’s in our all time back row for me (him, Hill and Vunipola if you’re wondering).

Owen Farrell - Maybe this isn’t so much about what Owen did, but what he used to do and what Fergus can’t do. Fergus lost his head for twenty minutes of the second half when the pressure picked up, Farrell had his best games in the biggest ones. Owen did little more than steady the ship and control the team when he got on but if Farrell’s on the pitch we take the three and go in ahead at half time. With 15 players and all the momentum.

Tom Willis - At times I feel like he is a bit of flat track bully, that he has gone missing in a lot of our defeats and I do think some of his stats are bit misleading due to the volume of carries and his bounce back technique getting counted as a defender beaten despite him losing ground. BUT he is a hell of a player, that has literally carried our team for two years and his effort and commitment to the team hasn’t waned a bit.

Bad Week:
Maro Itoje - He’s been great for the past couple of months and he is a great. Yesterday he was pretty ordinary. The line-out was crap and the Chiefs pack dominated them for the whole second half but the biggest let down was his captaincy. He’s become very cool, you could see Earl talking to the team and celebrating like they both used to. Also it seemed that he was told to not engage with Dickson -that didn’t work. I’ve been disagreeing with the calls for resting him in the summer - saying he is like Billy where the more he plays the better he is, I’ve changed my mind.

Nick Tompkins - This may be harsh, especially as he has been playing well and you can never doubt his commitment but I don’t think he fits our current game plan as his handling is often found wanting and he’s just isn’t enough of a threat in the thirteen jersey. Maybe a fit again Daly fits in here or maybe Cinti turns up - either way I’d give Hall as much time as possible and maybe try and kidnap Garry Ringrose.

Karl Dickson.

I think the thoughts to be taking into the off season, is whilst we are losing are best player, we couldn’t have realistic replaced him any better and we are adding two legitimate world class players. Front row excepting we have pretty much a full team of England u20 from the last three or four years including special talent where we need it.

Tried to post this earlier but it didn’t work, so here it goes again.

Good Week

Tobias Elliott - Every time he’s not in the team I forget how good he is. He’s very quick and very physical. Good in the air and chases everything in attach and defence. I think he had the biggest kick of the day too.

Owen Farrell (and Ivan van Zyl) - It started pretty ordinarily for him but then he rolled back the years and stamped his name on the game. Kicked the team where they needed to be and pulled the team back together. His line for the third try also showed why we also wasted half the season with him at 12. Van Zyl also was excellent when he came on - quick ball, good decisions, effort in defence and passing to Saracens players. I’m glad he finished his time at Stonex like that.

The Pack - Five metres out from the try line, with or without the ball they destroyed Quins. Admittedly they were hardly playing the Springboks, but it’s good to see the bite come back.

Bad Week

Ugo Monye and Danny Care - Nobody in rugby triggers me like Ugo and Danny is insufferable if Quins aren’t awful.

Noah Caluori (or at least his hype train) - He didn’t play badly by any stretch but it took the commentary team half an hour to realise that he wasn’t the best winger in a Saracens shirt that day. He’s only nineteen, he’ll get there, but saying he should be starting for England against South Africa is a bit much.

Stonex Stadium - it’s the last time McCall will be in charge there. It was heartbreaking to see him so broken up there at times this season so I loved seeing spend his final five minutes there raging that Farrell took too long with the kit before seeing his side swagger downfield and score the bonus point.

Thanks for nothing Tigers, so next week it is win and either match Exeter’s try bonus or somehow beat them by more than eight.

We’d have taken that a month ago and thank god for the 80th minute score yesterday.

To be entirely honest I was at a wedding this week, and watched the game on the train whilst being rather sorry for myself.

Good Week:

Saracens - Bonus point for Exeter aside, pretty much the perfect week for us - an stress-free four try win with those above losing. No injuries and Quins having their good performance for q2 a fortnight early.

Maro Itoje - What a player, every week (even when he was “out of form”) there are game changing turn overs. It seems he’s playing with a bit more attitude and swagger this year, which is working. I certainly take him for granted. We’re watching an all time great week-in week out.

The Scrum - As a unit they’ve had a great season but a tough couple of matches. Glos has a good front row and I don’t think they got anything out of us.

Bad Week

Me and my attempts at coping with Tom Willis departure - He was back to his absolute best this week and will be harder to replace than Billy. The worse part is he seems to be growing closer and closer with the rest of the team.

Second half Intensity - Maybe it’s because I was flagging a bit at this point, but it was another week where I felt after the bonus point we kind of switched off and expected them to roll over like Sale. We can’t against Harlequins.

Burke’s Kicking - Farrell spoiled us for twenty years and Jackson before him but it’s a surprise if Burke kicks anything out wide. We’ll need a lot better from him at Sandy Park.

Good

Fergus Burke - I’m coming round to him, the attack really fizzed in the first half and he was the main reason. Whether this is to do with the weather or if it is just him finding his feet - he has become a difference maker. Was his substitution tactical? or just because he’d run 20k by halftime with all the line breaks and needed a lie down.

Nick Isiekwe - Maybe a bit left field to pick him out but that hit on Thatcher in the act of scoring was a break of serve when the game was yo-yoing. He’s had a tough year, but I think he can bring a lot at 6 going forward and I’m glad he’s pulled through the hangover he had whilst filming with AOC and big Jim.

Olly Hartley - Janse van Rensburg is, for my money, the best 12 in the league and Hartley outshone him today. Big centres who can run through walls, goose step full backs and miss pass to the wings are unicorns. Sadly this does mean If he goes down the season is over.

Bad

Dynamic Situation - What happened to ‘always illegal’? I’d understand if he blamed the camera angles but it looked just at bad at full speed. Awful call and gave them a bonus point.

Charlie Bracken - He played well and it’s all good experience for him but on a different day the charge downs could have been a problem. He also fades in the second half, that’s probably due to the intensity of the game plan rather than any shortcoming of his own but it is a problem.

Owen Farrell - I love him, he’s the best fly half England has produced since Wilkinson (and I’d still pick Owen over him) and every bit the passing playmaker Ford is, but he was just a NFL punter today. When we had the ball in the second half Hartley and Tompkins could probably have nipped to the bar and come back when Caluori had knocked on.