RugbyRebels

I think he’s playing quite well in general. It’s just hard not to notice things like half time analysis where you watch Farrell flailing at Smith and nobody can bring themselves to mention his name. Yet missed drop goals and kicks that almost hit touch are raved about.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Where was Care going?

We look knackered.

Daly is playing?!

Oakboy wrote:I thought they showed Farrell with that cut well before the yellow card incident??

Think Quins 4 is a very lucky boy. Pretty sure he's got away with lamping Farrell.

Pearce rewriting the rule book on head contacts today.

Mikey Brown wrote:Pearce rewriting the rule book on head contacts today.

It's farcical

What a way for Symons to go out.

Mikey Brown wrote:Pearce rewriting the rule book on head contacts today.

Absolutely, awful calls on both Billy and Lozowski. Just because they came of second best doesn't mean they weren't shit high tackles with head contact.

If Billy's was on any back other than Esterhuizen it'd have been a red.

Pearce seemed to be very reluctant to issue any cards today.

That aside its impossible to ignore that Saracens were deserved winners. Quins had a bright start but were 2nd best too often and never fully imposed themselves on the game.

fivepointer wrote:Pearce seemed to be very reluctant to issue any cards today.

That aside its impossible to ignore that Saracens were deserved winners. Quins had a bright start but were 2nd best too often and never fully imposed themselves on the game.

Yep. Just dominated in contact too many times, errors, Sarries kicking game etc. all predictable stuff. I was surprised how much we persisted with Esterhuizen running straight at Farrell/Tompkins given how much they love the physical stuff. They’re just a very efficient team and at times in both defence and attack it looked like they had twice as many players on the field.

My god do I hate Sarries and their fucking hollering though. Tompkins is such a twat. Dombrandt losing his head at Tompkins screeching in face felt like a pivotal moment. Job done by Tompkins, he’s an impressive player and competitor, but him and Earl in particular are very easy to dislike.

Sarries pack fronted up big time didn’t it? Bench forwards, particularly Isiekwe, all made a difference too. Earl, Itoje and Billy excellent, but Jamie George was my player of the match. He was everywhere.

Timbo wrote:Sarries pack fronted up big time didn’t it? Bench forwards, particularly Isiekwe, all made a difference too. Earl, Itoje and Billy excellent, but Jamie George was my player of the match. He was everywhere.

I agree.

Timbo wrote:Sarries pack fronted up big time didn’t it? Bench forwards, particularly Isiekwe, all made a difference too. Earl, Itoje and Billy excellent, but Jamie George was my player of the match. He was everywhere.

He rarely is anything other than very good.

Mikey Brown wrote:My god do I hate Sarries and their fucking hollering though. Tompkins is such a twat. Dombrandt losing his head at Tompkins screeching in face felt like a pivotal moment. Job done by Tompkins, he’s an impressive player and competitor, but him and Earl in particular are very easy to dislike.

Pearce lost control of the game early on by not clamping down on it - as soon as he started saying, "Both sides need not to get involved with shoving," he gave Saracens carte blanche to escalate their verbal winduppery. There was one with Care just before the Dombrandt one where the Sarries player basically screamed in his ear and then acted innocent when Care shoved him away. Should have been after the first incident, talk to Farrell saying, "Next person to direct a windup to a Quins player after a decision gets a yellow, and penalty reversed," and to Dombrandt that, "Anyone reacts to a windup gets a yellow and penalty rereversed - let me deal with it." And then stuck by it. Would've wiped out the shithousery instantly.

Instead, he just wagged his finger and both-sided everyone, so no-one had any faith that he'd control it and so they wanted to take retribution themselves.

If I was Borthwick, it'd be the first thing I'd be talking to Barnes about midweek. I'm assuming the final is Barnes, right?

Puja

Yep. Seems a reasonable summary. Can sort of see why Symons began to view it as his last chance to punch a load of these tossers. Once we went down that road the game felt well and truly lost despite the late rally.

It’s shithousery of the next level and absolutely atrocious, makes Sarries impossible to like even though some of their players are fabulous. I watched the ladies final between Sarries and Exeter and it’s exactly the same. The ref even picked up on the constant bleating by the Sarries players and told them to back off. It needs sorting, asap.

Last year's play-off SF/F games were some of the best club entertainment I have ever seen. This match put me off rugby. The fringe stuff mentioned above, the pitch, the stadium and Saracens players' attitude were sickening. Rugby skill was present but overshadowed. I doubt I'll bother to watch the final.

The in your face wind ups and ridiculously over the top celebrations need to be reined in.
Its hard not to admire Saracens, but jeez its even harder to warm to them.
The final holds little attraction for me either.

Thing is, whilst Saracens are well ahead in the windup stakes, I'd say quin's are probably next in line for being wind up merchants.

God I hope Tigers win.

Above all, I can’t stand this ‘redemption’ angle for Saracens that keeps being pushed in the media/commentary. Their crimes were entirely pre-meditated, the punishment was minimal and they made/make no apologies for it.

What’s more, I still struggle to see how a squad with that many internationals is below the cap.

Raggs wrote:Thing is, whilst Saracens are well ahead in the windup stakes, I'd say quin's are probably next in line for being wind up merchants.

Really? I don’t see that at all …

Even if you’re right, on a scale of 100, Saracens’ wind up level is at 100, anyone else is struggling to get to 40 IMO.

Not that it matters now, but anyone able to actually make any sense of this scuffle at the time?



I assumed it was Symons just losing his head (it’s been a while but he has previous) but it does actually look more like intervening on Farrell here. Just a horrible game.

Banquo wrote:

Timbo wrote:Sarries pack fronted up big time didn’t it? Bench forwards, particularly Isiekwe, all made a difference too. Earl, Itoje and Billy excellent, but Jamie George was my player of the match. He was everywhere.

He rarely is anything other than very good.

Yep. I always start from the position that George is motm and work back from there.