Bath vs Exeter - Sunday 3pm

[Puja]

Bath Rugby: 15 Matt Gallagher, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Ruaridh McConnochie, 10 Orlando Bailey, 9 Ben Spencer ©; 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Josh McNally, 5 GJ van Velze, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Chris Cloete, 8 Miles Reid

Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Lewis Boyce, 18 D’Arcy Rae, 19 Fergus Lee-Warner, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Piers Francis, 23 Tom de Glanville


Exeter Chiefs: 15. Josh Hodge, 14. Jack Nowell ©, 13. Henry Slade, 12. Solomone Kata, 11. Olly Woodburn, 10. Harvey Skinner, 9. Sam Maunder; 1. Scott Sio, 2. Dan Frost, 3. Marcus Street, 4. Jack Dunne, 5. Dafydd Jenkins, 6. Dave Ewers, 7. Christ Tshiunza, 8. Sam Simmonds.

Replacements: 16. Jack Yeandle, 17. Alec Hepburn, 18. Patrick Schickerling, 19. Mike Williams, 20/ Aidon Davis, 21. Jack Maunder, 22. Joe Simmonds, 23. Ollie Devoto.

[Puja]

That's a good looking Bath team on paper. Anyone see them producing their paper form on the field?

Puja

[Epaminondas Pules]

That's a good looking Bath team on paper. Anyone see them producing their paper form on the field?

Puja

The only paper they've produced is a note from their mum excusing them from playing

[FKAS]

That's a good looking Bath team on paper. Anyone see them producing their paper form on the field?

Puja

Only if you skip over their second row and lack of an 8.

Front row and backline look more than capable though I do agree and all three backrowers are good.

[Puja]

Good game so far. I'm heartily cheering on Bath for several reasons today - because they're my local team, because it'll help Leicester, and because I'm no great fan of the Exeter Racists - and they're holding up their end of the bargain right now. Strong set piece, good scrum, and a very nice short kicking game that's pulling the Exeter defence to pieces. Cokanasiga's looking better than he's done in a long while too, which is nice.

Good to see Devoto back after 15 months out. Wonder how long it'll take before he recovers his position ahead of Dan Kelly as the man who can solve all England's midfield woes.

Puja

[Spiffy]

Good game so far. I'm heartily cheering on Bath for several reasons today - because they're my local team, because it'll help Leicester, and because I'm no great fan of the Exeter Racists - and they're holding up their end of the bargain right now. Strong set piece, good scrum, and a very nice short kicking game that's pulling the Exeter defence to pieces. Cokanasiga's looking better than he's done in a long while too, which is nice.

Good to see Devoto back after 15 months out. Wonder how long it'll take before he recovers his position ahead of Dan Kelly as the man who can solve all England's midfield woes.

Puja

Cocka was lucky to have his try awarded after being tackled and getting up with the ball. Many refs would have gone the other way. I still find something rather clumsy about his play in general.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Is that really late? Seemed harsh!

[stepsider]

Good game so far. I'm heartily cheering on Bath for several reasons today - because they're my local team, because it'll help Leicester, and because I'm no great fan of the Exeter Racists - and they're holding up their end of the bargain right now. Strong set piece, good scrum, and a very nice short kicking game that's pulling the Exeter defence to pieces. Cokanasiga's looking better than he's done in a long while too, which is nice.

Good to see Devoto back after 15 months out. Wonder how long it'll take before he recovers his position ahead of Dan Kelly as the man who can solve all England's midfield woes.

Puja

Exeter Racists?

[FKAS]

Good win for Bath. Keeps the fight at the bottom of the table interesting. Chiefs take a blow in the hunt for a playoff spot. A few playoff contenders taking serious knocks to their chances of making it this weekend. Bristol and Glaws almost out the running now. Saints being pulled into a real dog fight for fourth.

[fivepointer]

That should give Bath a lift. They were the better side and won well. Exeter were mostly dreadful after a decent opening quarter.

[morepork]

Good game so far. I'm heartily cheering on Bath for several reasons today - because they're my local team, because it'll help Leicester, and because I'm no great fan of the Exeter Racists - and they're holding up their end of the bargain right now. Strong set piece, good scrum, and a very nice short kicking game that's pulling the Exeter defence to pieces. Cokanasiga's looking better than he's done in a long while too, which is nice.

Good to see Devoto back after 15 months out. Wonder how long it'll take before he recovers his position ahead of Dan Kelly as the man who can solve all England's midfield woes.

Puja

Exeter Racists?

The preposterous native American cultural appropriation. The sound of thousands of fat white men making mock "red Indian" chanting noises is absolutely cringeworthy.

[stepsider]

Good game so far. I'm heartily cheering on Bath for several reasons today - because they're my local team, because it'll help Leicester, and because I'm no great fan of the Exeter Racists - and they're holding up their end of the bargain right now. Strong set piece, good scrum, and a very nice short kicking game that's pulling the Exeter defence to pieces. Cokanasiga's looking better than he's done in a long while too, which is nice.

Good to see Devoto back after 15 months out. Wonder how long it'll take before he recovers his position ahead of Dan Kelly as the man who can solve all England's midfield woes.

Puja

Exeter Racists?

The preposterous native American cultural appropriation. The sound of thousands of fat white men making mock "red Indian" chanting noises is absolutely cringeworthy.

Thought they'd changed the logo, etc. and addressed the cultural issue with the fans.

I'm not an Exeter supporter. But some might say that accusing "thousands of fat white men making mock "red Indian" chanting noises" as "absolutely cringeworthy" is in itself racist. Unless you're joking, of course.

[morepork]

Ironic isn't it?

But that is exactly what happens at Exeter games. Not my patch though, so...

[Spiffy]

Good game so far. I'm heartily cheering on Bath for several reasons today - because they're my local team, because it'll help Leicester, and because I'm no great fan of the Exeter Racists - and they're holding up their end of the bargain right now. Strong set piece, good scrum, and a very nice short kicking game that's pulling the Exeter defence to pieces. Cokanasiga's looking better than he's done in a long while too, which is nice.

Good to see Devoto back after 15 months out. Wonder how long it'll take before he recovers his position ahead of Dan Kelly as the man who can solve all England's midfield woes.

Puja

Exeter Racists?

The preposterous native American cultural appropriation. The sound of thousands of fat white men making mock "red Indian" chanting noises is absolutely cringeworthy.

It's not all that different from a bunch of white rugby players dancing about to a native Maori Haka

[morepork]

Not biting Paddy, sorry. "Native Maori Haka". Aren't you adorable?

[Oakboy]

I think Exeter made a huge PR error in not dumping the 'Chiefs' name BUT their supporters/members voted to keep it, as I understand it. It's probably the case that the more criticism is voiced the more they dig their heels in.

[Puja]

Exeter Racists?

The preposterous native American cultural appropriation. The sound of thousands of fat white men making mock "red Indian" chanting noises is absolutely cringeworthy.

Thought they'd changed the logo, etc. and addressed the cultural issue with the fans.

They have changed the logo, but it was only after a few years of doubling down, with internal reviews which talked to no Native Americans yet somehow found that the branding was "very appropriate". And, even after their reluctant and heel-dragging change, they still play the 'Tomahawk Chop' at Sandy Park and encourage fans to sing along.

So, yeah. Great that they have finally, grudgingly given into doing the absolute bare minimum, but that only gets them a modicum of goodwill, which they lose every time they decide it's still "very appropriate" to play that appalling song.

I think Exeter made a huge PR error in not dumping the 'Chiefs' name BUT their supporters/members voted to keep it, as I understand it. It's probably the case that the more criticism is voiced the more they dig their heels in.

I don't see any problem with them keeping the name - Chiefs exist all over the world and they've got a new story for their Chiefs branding that doesn't caricature a marginalised and disempowered group as big-nosed violent savages prone to waving weaponry. I think the huge PR error was in not making the change gracefully and graciously when the issue first gained momentum (about 3 years ago?). They could've come out looking like heroes who listened and surfed the wave of "Holy shit, maybe being racist isn't great" that came from the BLM protests. Instead, they dug their heels in and now nobody's happy.

Puja

[Puja]

Good win for Bath. Keeps the fight at the bottom of the table interesting. Chiefs take a blow in the hunt for a playoff spot. A few playoff contenders taking serious knocks to their chances of making it this weekend. Bristol and Glaws almost out the running now. Saints being pulled into a real dog fight for fourth.

It's much tighter than it looks, because the teams in 3rd, 4th, 5th have all played one more game than those beneath them and few of the midtable sides have an easy run-in. So while Glaws may be 11 points off Irish in 4th, which looks insurmountable, if they get a big win next weekend, that gap's down to 6 points, with Irish still having to play Saracens away and Exeter at home.

Not that I think that's likely to happen, mind, but I'm still not counting our own playoff chickens, despite having the whip hand.

Puja

[Spiffy]

Not biting Paddy, sorry. "Native Maori Haka". Aren't you adorable?

My post was an obvious joking response to yours but I think you missed it.

I use the term "native" in its proper context of original inhabitant and not as a derogatory term, so you can forget your not so subtle implication that I may have some kind of racist agenda. I don't. I hate the Chiefs stuff too. Makes me squirm. (And I talk about native Celts. re Ireland - again with no slur or insult intended, and never any taken)
In the light of this thread, I do see the irony of Anglo Saxon rugby players descended from colonists doing another culture's war dance. It's a bad fit. I realize others may not see that irony.

As for the adorable - Thanks, you're quite cute yourself.

[morepork]

I didn't mean any of that to be a dig at you. My satire needs work, clearly. I'm sincerely sorry for the lost in translation mate. I know you understand the tomahawk chop and crowd moanage to be patently ridiculous.

[p/d]

Blimey, Baxter has torn into the players a tad.

Were they piss poor?

[Puja]

Blimey, Baxter has torn into the players a tad.

Were they piss poor?

They weren't great. Beaten up in the scrums, picked apart by short tactical kicking, and missed some very straightforward tackles. However, I wouldn't've said they were appalling and worthy of a tirade - they met a side that had worked them out and who were having a good day.

What did he say?

Puja

[FKAS]

More than a bit of frustration on show. According to the Beeb:

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter said:

"We can't perform as a team because individually we are killing each other. I am at that stage when I am almost thinking we have got to change the personnel.

"We have got guys now who are champing at the bit and expecting to be there or thereabouts as players move on next season, and I just said to the lads 'the power you have got as a player is your performance'.

"They perform and it shows how much they want things and how good they want to be. The power I have got is selection.

"It never looked like we were going to make the game about us. It was a litany of errors.

"We have got a lot to work on in a week, and the most important thing is how the players turn up on Tuesday. Did we look like a good team today? I don't think we can say any player had a good game in any facet."

[fivepointer]

Blimey, Baxter has torn into the players a tad.

Were they piss poor?

I said earlier that they were dreadful and they were. Their set piece has been poor all season, their maul has disappeared and close to the line they are not nearly as potent as they have been.
What really killed them were brainless errors and shocking discipline. I can understand Baxter's frustration.
They look like a side in a bit of a muddle. Their traditional strengths have deserted them and they havent found a new way of playing.

[Banquo]

Blimey, Baxter has torn into the players a tad.

Were they piss poor?

I said earlier that they were dreadful and they were. Their set piece has been poor all season, their maul has disappeared and close to the line they are not nearly as potent as they have been.
What really killed them were brainless errors and shocking discipline. I can understand Baxter's frustration.
They look like a side in a bit of a muddle. Their traditional strengths have deserted them and they havent found a new way of playing.

when the old hard core have signalled their intent by leaving, and/or are past their sell by date, its quite a tough gig to keep it all going. They are a side in a muddle because of that, I'd think.