Quote:

ajack
Season defining seems to get said almost every week but this does feel different. We are at home coming off a big win and playing probably the best team in England at the minute. We are currently 19 points behind them if that becomes 23 or 24 it looks a huge gap.
This really does feel like both as individuals and as a club a message needs to be sent out and our big name players really need to step up.

Can our tight five get close to parity at scrum, lineout and maul time and provide enough front foot ball, especially when the benches get unloaded?

Can our backrow match theirs albeit with Hill missing? Can Pollock make a bigger impact off the bench than Underhill?

If Mitchell and Smith are the future for England or even the Lions then they need to control games better than the likes of Spencer and Russell, can the prove they can do that?

Can the likes of Freeman and Slieghtholme (from the bench) provide more pace and power than Cockanasigna and Muir both of whom seem above their counterparts in the England pecking order.

Can Dingwall prove he can offer more than Lawrence in midfield and help his international standing?

This really does feel like a big test of both the side and the players as individuals as to where they really are at the minute.

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JohnI
Cheap shot from Lawrence results in Hendy being removed from the field unable to continue, time players doing this were given a yellow. Total disgrace only a penalty and not even warned.

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JohnI
Lawrence again, call it waist it was A Cheat!

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Buzzer
My estimation of Lawrence took a severe nose dive today. Smiling after he hurts Henry.
Plonker.

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Buzzer
Sorry smellcheck changed Hendy!
Lawrence got his just desserts.

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Angus67

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Buzzer
Sorry smellcheck changed Hendy!
Lawrence got his just desserts.

Not yet he hasn’t, could he get cited for the push on Hendy?

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higgy365

But the sh*thousery on show as he tried to milk/buy that penalty was over a line for me. I’m just pleased it didn’t win the game for him/them.

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JohnI
Lawrence again, call it waist it was A Cheat!

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ramseysaint

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Buzzer
My estimation of Lawrence took a severe nose dive today. Smiling after he hurts Henry.
Plonker.

And smiling after Alex got carded.

I did hear Fraser questioning the ref about why Lawrence didn't have to go for an HIA after his Bafta performance (it wasn't Oscar worthy)

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Saint Robert

Quote:

Angus67

Quote:

Buzzer
Sorry smellcheck changed Hendy!
Lawrence got his just desserts.

Not yet he hasn’t, could he get cited for the push on Hendy?

I think it has to be considered a potential red card incident and it was probably only worthy of a yellow.

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St Stokey.
Was the poor behaviour reported to the stewards?

Quote:

Connorman

Quote:

higgy365

But the sh*thousery on show as he tried to milk/buy that penalty was over a line for me. I’m just pleased it didn’t win the game for him/them.

100%

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John Rickerd
I would go along with most of the comments about Ollie Robinson made in this post, really disappointing and unnecessary.

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tigersimon
Ollie Lawrence has issued an apology on X
‘Ps - Apologies if my actions today offended anyone. On review, I understand the frustration voiced! I’ll be better 🫶🏾’

[x.com]

Quote:

hasta
Maybe fans should consider how they would react to getting their head hit by someone else's head?

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hasta
Maybe Mitchell shouldn't tackle people with his face and then he wouldn't get yellow carded? Maybe fans should consider how they would react to getting their head hit by someone else's head?
Congrats on your win, well deserved, but catch yerselves on.

Quote:

hasta
The late shot on Hendy was identical to Hendy's late shot on Finn two mins earlier, which also wasn't a penalty. Why did Dingwall hit Coetzee? Coetzee was looking to take the ball, no idea what you're on about there. What Hutchinson shot? Wasn't flagged at all.
If you're all getting het up about a supposed wink as the height of bad sportsmanship, I'm looking forward to your comments about Henry Pollock for the next few years.

Quote:

Stillgrinning

Quote:

hasta
The late shot on Hendy was identical to Hendy's late shot on Finn two mins earlier, which also wasn't a penalty. Why did Dingwall hit Coetzee? Coetzee was looking to take the ball, no idea what you're on about there. What Hutchinson shot? Wasn't flagged at all.
If you're all getting het up about a supposed wink as the height of bad sportsmanship, I'm looking forward to your comments about Henry Pollock for the next few years.

The play acting is indefensible - this is not football, the cheapshot shoulder charge was 2 seconds later than Hendy's tackle on your Finn (who was in the act of tackling whilst Finn still had the ball) and Dingwall didn't hit Coetzee, Dingwall was hit, off the ball, by Coetzee, who was running interference in front of the ball carrier. And, as far as I'm aware, HP has done nothing wrong and is therefore nothing to do with this conversation and another example of a Bath cheapshot - play the ball, not the man.

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hasta
The late shot on Hendy was identical to Hendy's late shot on Finn two mins earlier, which also wasn't a penalty.

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tigersimon
NGSB,
I hope you will email the Stadium Manager.

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NGSB

Quote:

tigersimon
NGSB,
I hope you will email the Stadium Manager.

The problem is that it’s nothing that you wouldn’t see, feel or hear at any football match. It’s not a case of being threatened or intimidated more a case that middle aged men who should know better are getting tanked up and making the ‘experience ‘ an unpleasant one for those of us who don’t need four or five pints to watch a game of rugby. I go to Old Trafford a couple of times a season ( friend has a couple of season tickets ) and the experience is the same and that from a sport that does not allow alcohol in sight of the pitch. I’m partial to a beer myself, so I’m not a teetotal snowflake but much as I love watching ‘my club’ as I have done since the sixties, I think that maybe the time has come to retire to the sofa - clearly I’m in a minority but the game has changed and not, from a purely personal perspective, for the better.

Quote:

Connorman
PS Hasta - I politely suggest you leave it now. You made your points well.

Quote:

hasta
The late shot on Hendy was identical to Hendy's late shot on Finn two mins earlier, which also wasn't a penalty. Why did Dingwall hit Coetzee? Coetzee was looking to take the ball, no idea what you're on about there. What Hutchinson shot? Wasn't flagged at all.
If you're all getting het up about a supposed wink as the height of bad sportsmanship, I'm looking forward to your comments about Henry Pollock for the next few years.

Quote:

Awaywin
Barberry also tried to milk head contact at a breakdown. Will need to rewatch as curious to know how probably a try was if Lawrence didn’t give up to get the penalty and kept going towards the line.

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Connorman
Such a shame that a brilliant game, in front of a sell-out loud Gardens that saw the youngest team in the competition outplay (for enough of the match) a Bath team built with a lot of money, some wonderful players and excellent coaching, is being overshadowed by a couple of moments that to be honest, the players forgot about a minute afterwards.

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Hygge

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Connorman
Such a shame that a brilliant game, in front of a sell-out loud Gardens that saw the youngest team in the competition outplay (for enough of the match) a Bath team built with a lot of money, some wonderful players and excellent coaching, is being overshadowed by a couple of moments that to be honest, the players forgot about a minute afterwards.

it's only being overshadowed in hindsight and only on social medias like this one. If you can't see beyond social media and enjoy things for what they are, life must be very challenging

Quote:

Hygge

Quote:

Connorman
Such a shame that a brilliant game, in front of a sell-out loud Gardens that saw the youngest team in the competition outplay (for enough of the match) a Bath team built with a lot of money, some wonderful players and excellent coaching, is being overshadowed by a couple of moments that to be honest, the players forgot about a minute afterwards.

it's only being overshadowed in hindsight and only on social medias like this one. If you can't see beyond social media and enjoy things for what they are, life must be very challenging

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Which Tyler
Bath fan in peace; just wanting to put my tuppence worth in.
Lawrence on Hendy seems to be one of those where either a penalty, or penalty and yellow are both fair calls. IMO it was late, and without arms. That Hendy was previously injured isn't illegal as far as I know - but it does make it a very unpleasant challenge to make - and deserves an apology.

Mitchell on Lawrence seems to be one where a yellow is technically correct, in a "harsh but fair" manner, and I'd have preferred it to be a penalty. My read is that Mitchell realised that he couldn't put a legal tackle in, and tried to bail; but was too committed at that time. So technically, the attempted tackle meets the yellow threshold, but it's also an example of behaviour we actively want to encourage (bailing out if you can't do it legally), so I'd have like that to mitigate it down. I don't see any play acting like this, as there's no denying that Lawrence had just received a probably painful clout to the face - which can take a second or two to fully appreciate. I further think (and this is pure opinion) that a head contact that results in the player having to stop play as they work out if they're badly hurt or not, should result in an HIA. That's not the laws as they stand, but it's what I would like to see.

Coetzee and Dingwall was a rugby incident. Coetzee was onside, and running to the side and slightly behind the ball carrier in perfect position for an offload. He only gets ahead of the ball carrier for approximately 1/10 of a second, due to a tackle on the ball carrier. At no point was he running an obstruction line, equally, Dingwall wasn't attempting a tackle on him. The only time he is between any Saint player and the ball carrier is after the tackle has been started, and after he's been knocked unconscious.
Absolutely nothing in it. Stop the match on the principle of player safety, restart with a scrum to the team in possession.


The match as a whole was really entertaining, with a whole bunch of "what if"s for both sides. I wish you well for the rest of the season, and hope to see you back towards the sharp end of the table when it matters.

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SaintsDuncan
Oh stop it with your sensible and balanced posts 😀

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NGSB
I know it was a cracking game and I’m delighted that Saints won but our afternoon was very much spoilt by drunken idiots ( Saints fans ) who surround our seats. I would not dream of taking my young grandchildren into such a bear pit of aggression, bad language and boorish behaviour. Maybe, just maybe there is a case for making the Barwell End a family stand ?

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tigersimon
Hammersaint, I have followed Rugby for about 45 years and my late Dad and I went to most grounds over the years and enjoyed the Craic with home supporters. Apart from 3 incidents I can recall including one being seated (at the Gardens) they were enjoyable visits! We also had several alcohol fuelled issues with Corporates who sat behind our ST seats at Tigers!
I read most of the teams forums across SportsNetwork and most weeks recently unfortunately there seems to be occurrences similar to yours & NGSB.

I am not sure if it’s a society issue, change in demographic of the supporters or an alcohol fuelled issue but the Respect between opposition fans is dying and ultimately we will see away sections and the Craic will die!

The clubs need to know about these issues and also educate Rugby Values and these also need to be shown on the Pitch (Bath Players!).

The stewards need to deal with drunks and any foul language instead of the reports I have read of doing nothing!

Quote:

Francis Allen

Quote:

tigersimon
Hammersaint, I have followed Rugby for about 45 years and my late Dad and I went to most grounds over the years and enjoyed the Craic with home supporters. Apart from 3 incidents I can recall including one being seated (at the Gardens) they were enjoyable visits! We also had several alcohol fuelled issues with Corporates who sat behind our ST seats at Tigers!
I read most of the teams forums across SportsNetwork and most weeks recently unfortunately there seems to be occurrences similar to yours & NGSB.

I am not sure if it’s a society issue, change in demographic of the supporters or an alcohol fuelled issue but the Respect between opposition fans is dying and ultimately we will see away sections and the Craic will die!

The clubs need to know about these issues and also educate Rugby Values and these also need to be shown on the Pitch (Bath Players!).

The stewards need to deal with drunks and any foul language instead of the reports I have read of doing nothing!

On the contrary, I still believe the respect between home and away supporters still exists, Having watched all my clubs home games for donkey's years and the majority of away games I find boorish behaviour between "rival" fans quite rare. However I am concerned by the amount of anti social obnoxious behaviour that is becoming commonplace at every Premiership ground. It's a common complaint on every forum but the culprits aren't supporters of either club. they are from a growing band of idiots who see a rugby match as an excuse for a boozy day out. They are rarely interested in the game and my heart sinks when they turn up in my row clutching a 2 pinter in both hands, 5 minutes after kick off and unable to locate their seats. Back and forth to loo and bar and as they get more inebriated the lairy behaviour kicks in. Proper fans sometimes self police it by shutting them up, amazingly I have never see a fight break out but you know it's going to happen one day.

Quote:

St Stokey.
I'm struggling to find the precise moment, but there was an instance where Underhill came in to the ruck and appeared to dive over the ruck.
Presumably he only dived over because the defenders mover our of the way.

How would this have been legal? Surely if a defender had been there, Underhill would have been out of control, reckless and off feet. If we're penalising not based upon outcome, how does this not get penalised?

Quote:

St Stokey.
I'm struggling to find the precise moment, but there was an instance where Underhill came in to the ruck and appeared to dive over the ruck.
Presumably he only dived over because the defenders mover our of the way.

How would this have been legal? Surely if a defender had been there, Underhill would have been out of control, reckless and off feet. If we're penalising not based upon outcome, how does this not get penalised?

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NGSB
My recollection from a long time ago ( maybe Longers could help ) was that there was very little opportunity to drink at the Gardens before the Sturtridge was built. The few hundred inhabitants of the main stand would probably have the odd hip flask or two, purely medicinal you understand. When I first went to Twickenham - South Africa 1969 on ‘that tour’ - I remember, as a schoolboy, being staggered by the carpet of bottles on the terraces after the game. Once the aforesaid Sturtridge was built, then a trip to the bar after the game was standard practice, maybe hanging around for the legendary Disco’s later in the evening. Times have certainly changed.

Quote:

harryw
The under stand bar was before thre Sturbridge