Bath V Saints

Question: Pick your MoTM as Saints slip to defeat on the road at Bath!

Bath away - always one of the highlights of the season.  A glorious town with elegant shops for those that don't indulge in watching the sport, grandiose architecture and history in abundance and that is without considering the rugby team.  Bath Rugby for that matter have a fair amount of history and for many years were one of the power houses of the game - along with that bunch from up the road!  Recent times though have seen them slip from that pedestal and left people wondering whether in the modern game they have what it takes to be a great club again.  Well the 2009 side are certainly showing up any doubters as they sit high in the league and are playing an attractive style of rugby.  The only possible chink in the armour is that they have come through late in a number of games and I, for one, wondered if Saints might have an opportunity to gain some points on the road.  This was especially so as Saints had given them such a good game at home and on another day - with a different ref may have had 5 points rather than the two for the draw.

Well I didn't go to the pretty city this year as I was too slow to organise tickets, and to be honest I expected to get rained on again in the wonderfully quaint open terracing.  I will only mention this nce - but the sooner that they can come to a decision, one way or the other, on the Rec and move forward with a better stadium the happier all shall be.

Reports from the game are that we had a lot of possession but could not find the cutting edge to turn that into points.  Perhaps the boys were missing the suction effect of the South Stand.  Bath on the other hand looked dangerous in attack and resolute in defence.  That is the sign of a very, very good team.

So who caught the eye? 

Well quite a few to be fair.  Paul Diggin, continued his impressive run of form with 11.3% of the vote and indeed was the only back to feature.  Next we had Roger Wilson, who obviously did not let the impending disciplinary hearing affect his game, with 13.2%.  Roger has been one of the finds of the season.  The Big Evil (aka Euan Murray) picked up a creditable rating with 15.1%.  Euan is regularly appearing on lists of nailed on Lions and by almost all accounts gave the Bath loose-head a torrid time - although the Times would have you think otherwise.

In second place was the relatively new boy Juandre Kruger with 18.9%.  Jurandre, along with other recruits to the second row, seems to have turned around our performance in that department from previous seasons.  Long may it continue!

The winner and his first of this season (and last) is Mark Easter.  Mark seems to be fully fit and in my view showed up his more illustrious brother at the Quins game.  He is obviously hitting a rich vein of form which is good news given that we currently have two back row forwards on enforced leave.  Mark got 20.8% of the votes.

Thanks to all of those who did vote.

Full Result 

Question: Pick your MoTM as Saints slip to defeat on the road at Bath!

Euan Murray   15.09%

Juandre Kruger         18.87%

Mark Easter    20.75%

Roger Wilson 13.21%

Paul Diggin     11.32%

Number of votes: 53

Previous Winners 

Bath Away - Mark Easter

Quins Home - Euan Murray

Bristol Away (ECC) - Paul Diggin

Bristol Home (ECC) - Paul Diggin

Gloucester Away - Paul Diggin

Bath Home - Roger Wilson

Bristol Away - Roger Wilson

Scarlets Home (EDF) - Roger Wilson

Sarries Away (EDF) - Roger Wilson/Ben Foden

Montpellier Home - Courtney Lawes

Toulon Away - Stephen Myler

Bristol Home (EDF) - Paul Diggin

Leicester Away - Ben Foden

Sarries Away - Stephen Myler

Wasps Home - Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe

Newcastle Away – Sean Lamont

Worcester Home - Neil Best

Vote History 

Bath Away - 53

Quins Home - 147

Bristol Away (ECC) - 48

Bristol Home (ECC) - 107

Gloucester Away - 74

Bath Home - 121

Bristol Away - 40

Scarlets Home (EDF) - 124

Sarries Away (EDF) - 46

Montpellier Home - 119

Toulon Away - 167

Bristol Home (EDF) - 82

Leicester Away - 57

Sarries Away - 73

Wasps Home - 113

Newcastle Away - 46

Worcester Home - 149

Who wins? 

Backs 6.5, Half Backs 2, Forwards 8.5

Winners 

Paul Diggin 4

Roger Wilson 3.5

Stephen Myler 2

Ben Foden 1.5

Neil Best 1

Sean Lamont 1

Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe 1

Courtney Lawes 1

Euan Murray 1

Mark Easter 1

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