Championship Rugby

[Tigersman]

Week 1
Saturday 6th
Hartbury v Richmond 13:15
Coventry v Bedford 15:00
Cornish Pirates v Saracens 15:00

Sunday 7th
Nottingham v Ealing 13:00
Ampthill v Doncaster 13:00

Hartbury win 38-15
Coventry win 10-9
Cornish Pirates win 25-17

[fivepointer]

Crikey Pirates beat Saracens 25-17! They had a pretty strong looking side out with internationals and plenty of Prem experience.

[francoisfou]

Crikey Pirates beat Saracens 25-17! They had a pretty strong looking side out with internationals and plenty of Prem experience.

Oh dear, what a shame, never mind, eh!

[Mellsblue]

Very impressed with the quality of the streaming so far. Bedford very unlucky to lose at Coventry. I think it’s fair to say we dominated most of the match. There are some quality players on loan from Northampton but they show their nativity on occasions. The best/worst examples being the no9 who had a clear run in from 10m but chose to saunter without realising there was a Cov player on their blindside and knocked on over the line in the tackle, and the no8 who burst through the line on halfway took the tackle on the 22 and then threw a Pat Mahomes arm angle offload which ended up pretty much back where he made the line break, if he’d just held on you’d have fancied a try would’ve been scored. Tbf, they’re only joining in with the Bedford way.

[Digby]

If anyone wants to have some fun it's perhaps a little late to pile in with money purchasing Cornish rugby merchandise, but every little helps

[Mellsblue]

Buy merchandise from all and any of the Champ clubs or cough up for a live stream or two. They were shafted by the RFU and then covid kicked them in the balls whilst they were down.

[Digby]

Also buy from Moseley, because that lovely combo of red and black looks just terrific with everything you wear, there's a reason Dennis the Menace is known for his sartorial elegance

[Stom]

Crikey Pirates beat Saracens 25-17! They had a pretty strong looking side out with internationals and plenty of Prem experience.

[Banquo]

Crikey Pirates beat Saracens 25-17! They had a pretty strong looking side out with internationals and plenty of Prem experience.

Cripes. If they stay in the champ, game over I'd think. Tough place to play I suppose....

[Which Tyler]

There's no relegation in the prem this season, we should identify the top 4 championship teams, and each should be adopted by 3 Prem teams for dual registration.
Keep Carries out of the top 4

Exeter, Bath and Bristol can send their internationals to Cornwall.
Gloucester, Worcester and Wasps can send theirs to Harpury.
LIrish, Quins and Leicester can adopt Ealing.
Sale, Saints and Newc adopt Doncaster.

[padprop]

Do people feel Sarries are irredeemable at this point? I disliked them as much as the next fan when they were going about their nefarious business in the prem and in europe but there has to be an element of saying they've served their punishment must there not? Its easy to get an element of Schadenfreude with whole scenario but at the end of the day, it is a rugby club that does risk dissolution if their pre-season and current form continues. Never thought I'd say it, but I wish them well.

[Puja]

Do people feel Sarries are irredeemable at this point? I disliked them as much as the next fan when they were going about their nefarious business in the prem and in europe but there has to be an element of saying they've served their punishment must there not? Its easy to get an element of Schadenfreude with whole scenario but at the end of the day, it is a rugby club that does risk dissolution if their pre-season and current form continues. Never thought I'd say it, but I wish them well.

Fair point. It is a bit of a giggle seeing them get a hurry-up, but they are one of the more famous clubs who have done a good job in promoting the game and also on youth development in their area. It'd be a shame if we solved the 13 clubs into 12 issue by them going out of business.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Well if we're going to be serious about things...

[twitchy]

I was expecting lots of unknowns in the sarries line up. They don't really have any excuses.

Saracens: Obatoyinbo; Lewington, Taylor, Socino, Maitland; Manu Vunipola, Davies; Barrington, Pifeleti, Koch, Hunter-Hill, Swinson, Rhodes, Reffell, Wray (capt).

[FKAS]

I was expecting lots of unknowns in the sarries line up. They don't really have any excuses.

Saracens: Obatoyinbo; Lewington, Taylor, Socino, Maitland; Manu Vunipola, Davies; Barrington, Pifeleti, Koch, Hunter-Hill, Swinson, Rhodes, Reffell, Wray (capt).

I've not seen the game but apparently the victory for the Pirates was built on their set piece. Particularly taking Sarries apart at scrum time. That Sarries pack should not be beaten up front by a Championship team, especially not in the scrum. I suspect the Pirates scrum coach and props might have some enquiries between now and the summer if they keep that up.

[Mellsblue]

Cornish are a good side, I believe they were third this time last year, and they are also one of the fully pro teams, ie they are one of the better teams in the division. Against that, they’ve had one preseason match and were one of the last teams back in training because of the cost of testing.
I wonder how much a bit of complacency played a part and perhaps the journey down there. I believe teams are making return journeys on the day of the match and that drive is no picnic (I say that assuming they didn’t fly to Newquay).

[fivepointer]

Alan Paver runs the Pirates scrum. He knows what hes doing. Saracens 2nd best in the l/o too.

Its a massive wake up call. They should win the league once they settle down but every side they play will want to turn them over.

[Danno]

Do people feel Sarries are irredeemable at this point? I disliked them as much as the next fan when they were going about their nefarious business in the prem and in europe but there has to be an element of saying they've served their punishment must there not? Its easy to get an element of Schadenfreude with whole scenario but at the end of the day, it is a rugby club that does risk dissolution if their pre-season and current form continues. Never thought I'd say it, but I wish them well.

Wray's fraudulent little vanity project is currently costing the national side quite dearly. I agree, the club itself should serve its time and then be welcomed back. It's a shame about Wray.

[twitchy]

Do people feel Sarries are irredeemable at this point? I disliked them as much as the next fan when they were going about their nefarious business in the prem and in europe but there has to be an element of saying they've served their punishment must there not? Its easy to get an element of Schadenfreude with whole scenario but at the end of the day, it is a rugby club that does risk dissolution if their pre-season and current form continues. Never thought I'd say it, but I wish them well.

Wray's fraudulent little vanity project is currently costing the national side quite dearly. I agree, the club itself should serve its time and then be welcomed back. It's a shame about Wray.

[Danno]

My dude, I'm so glad someone got that

[Which Tyler]

I agree, the club itself should serve its time and then be welcomed back. It's a shame about Wray.

[Mellsblue]

https://linktr.ee/Champclubspod

[Mellsblue]

The disparities in The Championship summed up in one tweet.

[Mellsblue]

Big game for Sarries away at Doncaster today. Lose and I’d say their chances of promotion are as good as over.

[Puja]

Big game for Sarries away at Doncaster today. Lose and I’d say their chances of promotion are as good as over.

Eh. They'd take Ealing's automatic spot as the 14th team regardless, so it's Ealing that should be worried.

Puja