What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

Injury update:
Alex Waller, James Craig and David Ribbans are all unavailable for selection.

No Mallinder ?

Tuala
Tuitavake
Horne
Burrell
Foden

Francis
Groom

Ma'afu
Haywood
Brookes
Ratuniyarawa
Day
Wood
Brussow
Harrison

Marshall, Van Wyk, Ford-Robinson, Paterson, Gibson, Reinach, Myler,Pisi



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018:03:02:12:02:34 by tedge.

Interesting stat that came with the team's up email from the club. With Wayne Barnes refereeing we have:

Played 25
Won 7
Lost 18

Quote:

BrianB
Interesting stat that came with the team's up email from the club. With Wayne Barnes refereeing we have:
Played 25
Won 7
Lost 18

Yes that is quite some stat isn't it! At what point does it become noticeable to the higher paid help at the RFU?

Solved that Tim!

We can spend all afternoon shouting, "Oi! Wayne! Balance your averages!"

Such wit as this usually only emanates from The Shed....

Oh and if by some chance (though doubtfull with waynetta in charge) we are in a similar position as last week v Exe with 3 minutes to and Mr Reinach has been subbed on PLEASE forwards do NOT let him have the pill on pain of a court marshall and firing squad. Up the jumper wind the clock down - simples

Barnes will always give a penalty for holding on.

Anybody have ,or know where to find,stats for other refs and our outcomes?

As was discussed ad-nauseum a couple of years ago, we tended to get Barnes in bigger games, back at the time when we seemed unable to beat the top 4 sides.

And we were unable to beat those sides because.....

Wrong thread for Barnes - anybody got any comments about the team selection ?

Any chance the match could be off? Quins off tonight. cheers...

Mallider was ill after the Exeter game and given a few days off this week, so rested for tomorrow - so says Tom Vickers on Twitter

Emerging Shark - i guess it will depend on the weather this afternoon and tonight. We are expecting some more snow, but the club are confident that it will still go ahead - the pitch has been covered. However, the safety of supporters getting to the ground may be the problem.

Can't blame Wayne Barnes for our record this season in the Aviva and Europe

Played 22 Won 7

Quote:

tedge
Wrong thread for Barnes - anybody got any comments about the team selection ?

Not sure there is a lot to say. There are favourites and those not in that set of favourites are not and will not get a look in.

Quote:

andysaint

Quote:

tedge
Wrong thread for Barnes - anybody got any comments about the team selection ?

Not sure there is a lot to say. There are favourites and those not in that set of favourites are not and will not get a look in.

Perhaps they are favourites because they are the best available ?

Quote:

tedge

Quote:

andysaint

Quote:

tedge
Wrong thread for Barnes - anybody got any comments about the team selection ?

Not sure there is a lot to say. There are favourites and those not in that set of favourites are not and will not get a look in.

Perhaps they are favourites because they are the best available ?

Maybe so. Those not involved certainly know their place then.

Quote:

andysaint

Quote:

tedge

Quote:

andysaint

Quote:

tedge
Wrong thread for Barnes - anybody got any comments about the team selection ?

Not sure there is a lot to say. There are favourites and those not in that set of favourites are not and will not get a look in.

Perhaps they are favourites because they are the best available ?

Maybe so. Those not involved certainly know their place then.

Who would you change and why ?

Those not involved must accept that for whatever reason they are not good enough at present and just keep pushing on. That is the nature of team sport, always has been.

Quote:

Deesaint

Quote:

andysaint

Quote:

tedge

Quote:

andysaint

Quote:

tedge
Wrong thread for Barnes - anybody got any comments about the team selection ?

Not sure there is a lot to say. There are favourites and those not in that set of favourites are not and will not get a look in.

Perhaps they are favourites because they are the best available ?

Maybe so. Those not involved certainly know their place then.

Who would you change and why ?

I would look at Nutley over Wood and Gibson on the bench. Wood or Gibson to start is fine but I do not see them coming off the bench to change the game.

I am not a fan of Tuitavake I do not see what he brings over and above Estelles and Collins.

If Grayson is available I’d have him on instead of Myler to the bench. Even when Francis is struggling at 10 to dictate the game Myler is not brought on.

Ludlam Onojaife and Moon should be given some time if from the bench. They are not progressing here.

There is no competition for places and no one pushing for selection it seems. We’ve got an inordinate number of players not playing rugby which Dickens realises but has failed to do anything about.

I reckon most would agree that the "favourites" team has improved noticeably since Gaffney came and that in general those who have been selected have justified it. IMO I can't see any logic at this stage of the season in choosing fringe squad players just for the sake of it. I think people are going to have to wait until next season with a new coaching regime to see how things pan out and what, if any future the unselected players have.

"Ludlam Onojaife and Moon should be given some time if from the bench. They are not progressing here.

There is no competition for places and no one pushing for selection it seems. We’ve got an inordinate number of players not playing rugby which Dickens realises but has failed to do anything about."

Agree with this, particularly your final sentence. Moon was brought into the bench last week, last minute but played zero minutes. The only unused replacement.

He’s a nice lad but nutley isn’t good enough that’s why he’s 25 and not playing 1st team rugby!

Quote:

andysaint

Quote:

Deesaint

Quote:

andysaint

Quote:

tedge

Quote:

andysaint

Quote:

tedge
Wrong thread for Barnes - anybody got any comments about the team selection ?

Not sure there is a lot to say. There are favourites and those not in that set of favourites are not and will not get a look in.

Perhaps they are favourites because they are the best available ?

Maybe so. Those not involved certainly know their place then.

Who would you change and why ?

I would look at Nutley over Wood and Gibson on the bench. Wood or Gibson to start is fine but I do not see them coming off the bench to change the game.

I am not a fan of Tuitavake I do not see what he brings over and above Estelles and Collins.

If Grayson is available I’d have him on instead of Myler to the bench. Even when Francis is struggling at 10 to dictate the game Myler is not brought on.

Ludlam Onojaife and Moon should be given some time if from the bench. They are not progressing here.

There is no competition for places and no one pushing for selection it seems. We’ve got an inordinate number of players not playing rugby which Dickens realises but has failed to do anything about.

Onajaife is getting good game time at Bedford so no reason to change that right now and I think the general feeling is that Estelles defence is pretty poor and Collins defence isn’t great either

Do we want Estelles shooting out of the line and Sale running riot out wide all game

And there in lies the quandary.
Are those players good enough to challenge for a place in the top 23.
If so they should be given game time
If not they should be shipped on and free up the salary cap.

A lot of people blame Wayne Smith for removing the academy.
But if there wasn't good enough quality coming through why would you keep it running ?
Why not use the funds to buy in better talent.

Fewer number higher quality.

Estelles is not good enough, he is a decent 7's player.
Poor in defence, poor under the high ball, poor in contact.

Moon is very young, getting on too the bench is still good for him. Being in the environment, seeing how people like Day prepare for a game.
Moon is also playing for Nottingham in the Chanpionship as well.

It really isn't as simple as chuck them all in.

Hopefully next year we will be pushing on the domestic front and maybe in Champions cup.

That will take the attention of our senior squad. So the young promising guys can get some good game time in the Anglo Welsh.

If you have a out and out superstar I can understand getting them in quickly, but most academy products need to be nurtured and brought through at the right speed.

Boyd will come in and hopefully build a really good environment round the team where the young guys are eager and ambitious wanting to learn all they can from the senior guys and the senior guys push the standards.

It was interesting watching today's video interview with Francois Van Wyk where he commented that all the front row guys get together to discuss learnings from the last game and what they need to do to improve and also to plan how to approach the next game. Good to see players taking joint responsibility for performance improvements.

Wot no Collins?

Tom Stephenson has been clearing the pitch with the academy. Hope this isn’t a punishment

Quote:

Themanwho
Tom Stephenson has been clearing the pitch with the academy. Hope this isn’t a punishment

Stevo, Collins, Future ; if you don't play them now then when.
If a player has a weakness that has been identified then hopefully they are on a CPD scheme to eliminate that weakness. Again I name Jonny May who has listened and worked hard at his game. A certain Quins wing now at Sale not so. Collins could expose him today, if playing.
It is for the coaches to coach the improvement, it just has not been happening.
I would pick Stephenson every week, think back to his game before injuries, England caps etc. Others will disagree, I am understanding of that, but as others have said, either improve these players or let them get on with their careers elsewhere.

Barnes will always give a penalty for holding on.
Dems The Laws..
What should He give "A Face Off in The Neutral Zone" ?