2013/14 English Premiership

Discussion in 'Rugby Union Discussion' started by Howe, Sep 1, 2013.

  1. Howe JHF Howe

    It's that tiiime again

    Went to see Tigers play a warm up against Ulster on Saturday, which featured a great passing performance from new signing 'Roger' Mele. Sunday times says he's one of the signings of the season due to versatility, which seems likely to come up as said game also saw Flood getting clotheslined and sent to hospital. we've also snagged Gibson (flanker) from Irish, and two new fly halves in Williams from Llanelli and Ryan Lamb.

    Northampton have taken the biscuit as far as that goes, though, by signing North and Corbisero, which almost feels like cheating.

    Table prediction

    1. Northampton
    2. Leicester
    3. Saracens
    4. Gloucester
    5. Harlequins
    6. Wasps
    7. Exeter
    8. Bath
    9. Newcastle
    10. Sale
    11. Worcester
    12. London Irish
     
  2. cpr CP Raftery

    Reckon Sale will surprise a few and build on last seasons strong finish IMO. Reckon about 6th or 7th this year
     
  3. Mariner CL Warrington

    My prediction:
    1. Tigers
    2-12. Irrelevant
     
  4. The Boy Brumby ZJ Brumby

    Flood's looked a bad one, but Tobias has apparently been tweeting from his sickbed, so some good news there at least.

    Hard to see past last year's four for me, although Kvesic (sp?) is a good get for Gloucester.

    With my Saints' cap on, I'm not quite convinced by Myler as a attacking force, but the Jimmys have brought in Glenn Dickson from Otago, who I must confess I'm not familiar with the work of, but who could be the final piece.

    The Exiles do look fucked tho. Corbs, Jonathan Joseph and Jamie Gibson are massive losses for them. Think it'll be between them and the Geordies for the arse.
     
  5. Howe JHF Howe

    Without checking I think it's pretty rare that a side coming up go straight down again unless they were thought to be over-achieving to be in the prem at all, like Welsh did last time or Rotherham a few years back. When sides like Newcastle or Quins go down and spend a season smashing the semi-pros it seems to do some good for them, maybe whatever shitty systems and squabbles that might've caused the issue in the first place get detoxed. I don't think Newcastle are playoff contestants for a while at least but I think they'll be fine this season.
     
  6. The Boy Brumby ZJ Brumby

    Newcastle have lost Jimmy Gopperth to Leinster, which is a big loss, IMHO. Phil Godman's got some big boots to fill there.

    Mike Blair's a good pick up for them tho.

    SuperBru does have an English Premiership tipping thang, which I enter anyway; could set up a cricsim league if anyone's arsed?
     
  7. The Boy Brumby ZJ Brumby

    I'll take that as a no then, ya miserable cunts.

    ftr:

    Newcastle v Bath by 6 (Bath won by 21)
    London Irish v Sarries by 12
    Gloucester by 12 v Sale
    Northampton by 12 v Exeter
    Wasps v Quins by 5
    Leicester by 15 v Worcester

    &, just to add weight to my "Newcastle will miss Gopperth" theory, the Kiwi out-half kicked 22 points for Leinster last night too.
     
  8. Howe JHF Howe

    Linky?

    Edit: nvm
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2013
  9. Howe JHF Howe

    I went

    Glaws by 8
    Saints by 10
    Wasps by 2
    Tigers by 17

    And Sarries to run away with it if I'd been sharper
     
  10. Mariner CL Warrington

    Tom Croft out for the season already.
     
  11. The Boy Brumby ZJ Brumby

    Ah, poo.

    Big blow for the Tigers and England.

    Maybe good news for the incumbent English skipper tho, as he might keep his starting spot.

    Any justice and England's 6, 7, 8 should be Kvesic, Wood & Morgan for the autumn ints.
     
  12. Howe JHF Howe

    Welp. That's fucked up.

    You know what else is fucked up? The new scrums. At Welford Road on Sunday every one was so low to the ground - to start with - that no movement happened at all and every one could only end with the ref blowing up. The second rowers were literally on their knees. Croft at 6 was spread-eagled with his outside hand on the ground as well as his knees.

    Has this happened in any other prem matches people have watched? I'm hoping it's just some teething issues because if not, the officials are going back to the drawing board on this one.
     
  13. Eds E Ames

    Kinda glad I don't have to start liking Andy Goode.
     
  14. Howe JHF Howe

    Deacon and Geoff Parling are unavailable this week. They join Flood, Croft, Miles Benjamin, Gonzalo Camacho, Rob Hawkins, Graham Kitchener, Matt Smith, Mathew Tait, Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs on the sidelines. Marcos Ayerza is on international duty with Argentina.

    This is ridiculous. A dozen of the first team out. The hell is going wrong?
     
  15. SmellyStuff MP Chung

    What's this I hear about English clubs pulling out of the Heineken Cup?
     
  16. Howe JHF Howe

    French clubs too. They're moaning that almost all the Pro12 franchise sides get in but the English and French clubs still have to qualify, which leads to important mid-table games at the end of the season for the clubs while the franchises can get away with resting players, so they have a direct advantage in the Heineken knockouts.

    It's a fair point IMO but they won't pull out of the Heineken, this is just playing their hand.
     
  17. The Boy Brumby ZJ Brumby

    The English and French clubs are going all BCCI.

    They contribute the vast majority of the revenue, so think they should call the tune.

    They have a point, tbh. If they could get the Irish on board they've essentially got the Heineken's core anyway; the Scots & Welsh regions are poor currently and the presence of the Italians in a group still generally means it's a pissy one.
     
  18. HeathDavisSpeed HT Davis

    LOL

    Jimmy Gopperth. WASC.
     
  19. Mariner CL Warrington

    Well it looks like we should stop players leaving us for other Premiership clubs, another ex-Tiger finishing us off yesterday. Really wish we could have kept Ford too, such a good prospect.
     
  20. BigDougy DG Dafter

    Newcastle get the first win under the belt. A super close game though.
     

Share This Page