EPS Watch / Player Form Thread

[Scrumhead]

The delayed team announcements meant The Big Game didn’t get it’s own thread. Shame as it’s been well worth a thread! Brilliant game so far!

End to end with Dombrandt having a cracker.

[Mikey Brown]

Yep, it’s been typically ridiculous so far.

[Mikey Brown]

Paul Hill might be my new least favourite player in the league.

[Dan. Dan. Dan.]

It was proper pishing it down and you could tell at times that they had a wet ball. Saints got munched in the scrum, Dombrandt was brilliant, but Esterhuizen really is the most ridiculous crash ball centre. He's much more as well, but everytime he carries into contact he makes yards and you really feel for the tackler. A fun match despite all the drops and defensive breakdowns.

[FKAS]

For me that game demonstrated why Mitchell isn't an international scrum half. He and Biggar had a shocker, exerted no control over proceedings and got pulled into playing the end to end rugby Quins love. At 7-21 they had a healthy lead and just needed to exert some control, play the percentages and force Quins to have to work hard in their own half as neither Quins half back is really strong at game management, they were bloody good at playing attacking rugby though.

Game was a complete try fest. Agree on Dombrandt he was in his element with a game that broke up in the first minute as opposed to midway through the second half, he was rampaging all over the place. Esterhuizen well it's ridiculously bad luck for him that de Allende is around at the same time as him, ordinarily he'd be accruing international caps like nobody's business. A very classy player and worth the big bucks Quins are paying him. Marler did another hefty stint and gave Quins a great platform at scrum time.

[Scrumhead]

I think that’s a little harsh on Mitchell. Surely the same would apply to Biggar - an extremely experienced test 10 and Lions starter? As I see it, Mitchell and Biggar were heavily involved in what Saints did well and this is hardly the first time Quins have come back from a few scores down to win.

It was very much in the balance until Lynagh’s try (which was probably against the run of play). The main difference IMO was actually the scrum - less as a platform and more as a the source of key penalties that gave us the territory to create the tries or to kill Saints’ momentum when they were in promising positions. On a dry day with less scrums from handling errors, that could have been a different result.

[fivepointer]

I think that’s a little harsh on Mitchell. Surely the same would apply to Biggar - an extremely experienced test 10 and Lions starter? As I see it, Mitchell and Biggar were heavily involved in what Saints did well and this is hardly the first time Quins have come back from a few scores down to win.

It was very much in the balance until Lynagh’s try (which was probably against the run of play). The main difference IMO was actually the scrum - less as a platform and more as a the source of key penalties that gave us the territory to create the tries or to kill Saints’ momentum when they were in promising positions. On a dry day with less scrums from handling errors, that could have been a different result.

Agree with this.

Quins are a mighty difficult side to contain once they get on a roll.

Marler is playing really well but Walker is proving to be a very handy acquisition (unlucky not to be capped in the Autumn games) and Collier is consistently delivering.

[Timbo]

Talk in the Mail that Collier is being looked at by Eddie. Decent argument that he’s the best scrummaging tighthead available to England at the moment (or maybe Dan Cole?). Tighthead definitely an issue for England this 6 nations.

[twitchy]

I'm just watching the replay now. Fantastic game. We should help puja out by starting more match threads.

[Scrumhead]

To be fair, I would have done it, but didn’t think about it on Boxing Day and forgot about it yesterday.

I wonder whether we should do 1 thread per round rather than 1 per individual game (quite a few only get a couple of posts anyway). We could all contribute when it comes to posting lineups etc.

Talk in the Mail that Collier is being looked at by Eddie. Decent argument that he’s the best scrummaging tighthead available to England at the moment (or maybe Dan Cole?). Tighthead definitely an issue for England this 6 nations.

At the time he got capped, Collier was pushing Sinckler pretty hard for the starting jersey but since then he had a lot of injury trouble and never really put together a decent run of performances. His return to fitness and form was a really useful bonus at the end of last season and now he’s back to being a genuine asset. He’s an excellent scrummaging tighthead with a good work rate so I’d not be overly disappointed to see him in the mix. My only bugbear would be the knock on effect for Quins.

[twitchy]

I think individual threads are fine. For me it reminds me when the game is on and gives an easy way to see the line ups. It also encourages discussion. You can put (willis back this week) or what ever in the title.

My NY resolution is to try and start the exe match threads. If we all just do our own teams then it's not just down to puja. One or two threads a week each should be fine.

[Scrumhead]

I’d be happy to take Quins match threads

[Which Tyler]

At the very least, a separate thread for televised matches and a catch-all for the others.

But I don't think that separate threads is that onorous - or that it's Puja's job to post things; he just usually beats the rest of us.
For example I usually do Bath's match - but if I'm not here within 15-20 minutes of the announcements, it's already done.

Pretty much all clubs have fans here, so just leaving it to fans of one of the clubs involved in each match, should get them all up - and if not, then anyone who notices the absence can fill in.

[Stom]

I think that’s a little harsh on Mitchell. Surely the same would apply to Biggar - an extremely experienced test 10 and Lions starter? As I see it, Mitchell and Biggar were heavily involved in what Saints did well and this is hardly the first time Quins have come back from a few scores down to win.

It was very much in the balance until Lynagh’s try (which was probably against the run of play). The main difference IMO was actually the scrum - less as a platform and more as a the source of key penalties that gave us the territory to create the tries or to kill Saints’ momentum when they were in promising positions. On a dry day with less scrums from handling errors, that could have been a different result.

Agree with this.

Quins are a mighty difficult side to contain once they get on a roll.

Marler is playing really well but Walker is proving to be a very handy acquisition (unlucky not to be capped in the Autumn games) and Collier is consistently delivering.

Said that at the start of the season. A really good player, imo, just needed a club to help him realise his potential (not a basket case like Bath).

We're really very good, aren't we? Which is truly fantastic. We were truly awful in those years before Dean Richards, and then Gustard's version was crap. And since he left, we've just been damn impressive.

[Puja]

To be fair, I would have done it, but didn’t think about it on Boxing Day and forgot about it yesterday.

I wonder whether we should do 1 thread per round rather than 1 per individual game (quite a few only get a couple of posts anyway). We could all contribute when it comes to posting lineups etc.

I like having a thread for each game, because it lowers the barrier for people wanting to talk about a game. If we have one thread for all of them, then people might feel like they're interrupting a spirited conversation about Leicester vs Bristol if they've got an observation about Wuss vs Saracens.

Besides, it's the internet. It's not like we're running out of space to put new threads and Hammy doesn't charge extra, despite what the SMB might think.

All help with threads gratefully accepted, but don't feel obligated or like we need to assign jobs - just feel free to start the thread if you're about on the internet before I am. I was just a bit busy with surviving inlaws to do it on Boxing Day.

Puja

[Puja]

But I don't think that separate threads is that onorous - or that it's Puja's job to post things; he just usually beats the rest of us.
For example I usually do Bath's match - but if I'm not here within 15-20 minutes of the announcements, it's already done.

It's the fantasy rugby and needing to sort my team out in time for the Friday kickoff that normally drives it tbh. That, and I get a chance to skive off work for half an hour.

Puja

[Timbo]

Any Quins fans know when Will Evans is due back? Arguably the best open side in the league for most of last season, but I feel like I haven’t seen him for ages. He’d be an incredible asset the way Quins are playing.

[FKAS]

Any Quins fans know when Will Evans is due back? Arguably the best open side in the league for most of last season, but I feel like I haven’t seen him for ages. He’d be an incredible asset the way Quins are playing.

It was a nasty injury he got wasn't it.

I'm quite interested to see what happens when he comes back. Got to say I'd like to see him pair up with Kenningham. Kenningham at 6 doing the lineout work and chop tackles freeing up Evans to hover and attack breakdowns and link. They'd be a nightmare to play against.

[Scrumhead]

Any Quins fans know when Will Evans is due back? Arguably the best open side in the league for most of last season, but I feel like I haven’t seen him for ages. He’d be an incredible asset the way Quins are playing.

I wish I knew …

He was originally supposed to be back at the end of November and then posted an update on Instagram at the beginning of December where he was in a hospital bed with words to the effect of ‘life can be pretty unfair at times, but you have to keep going’. Not dissimilar to Jack Willis … seemingly on the verge of a return and then a set back.

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah it's one of those where frankly you don't want to presume they'll necessarily get back to where they were anytime soon.

It seems horribly unfair on him, identified as a talent long ago but it never seemed to click for him. He was so crucial in the turnaround for Quins and just as he's consistently playing fantastically well, and looking to fulfil his potential, it's all derailed. If we are lucky enough both him and Kenningham are playing at their best in the future I'd be very happy to see them paired at flanker.

A word on Tom Lawday though, I don't see him challenging for an England spot at any point but he impresses me more and more at the moment. I thought he was a solid, energetic work-horse at Exeter, and a willing carrier, but he now regularly shows a real sense for the game with clever running lines or great timing on a pass. Not incredibly flashy stuff, but smart stuff that allows continuity in our game. I was gutted to lose Clifford the way we did but Lawday is doing a good job (particularly withe the void Robshaw left) and keeps Chisholm having to fight that bit harder.

[Scrumhead]

Agreed on all points.

Lawday has really stepped up this season. Like you, I always regarded him as solid but now I’ve come to appreciate him more and more.

[Freddo]

Owen Farrell, Jamie George & Manu Tuilagi set to play in Six Nations

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/59827819

[FKAS]

Ah shite. Was looking forward to not having Farrell shoehorned into the backline unnecessarily plus having Smith and Ford as the options would actually really bring us on as a side.

Ah well on the upside Tigers will have Ford available for the games during the international period. Might need all the points we can get...

[Mikey Brown]

Owen Farrell, Jamie George & Manu Tuilagi set to play in Six Nations

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/59827819

However, Sale head coach Alex Sanderson said the 30-year-old is "a really quick healer" who "knows how to manage injuries".

Hmm. I guess he’s got the experience.

[Which Tyler]

Falcons in trouble