posted Dec 30, 2007

I'm with dan on this one... Sarries would have won this game if they'd put out their 1st 15...

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posted Dec 31, 2007

>>>does anybody else think Houghton is starting to make a claim for the England 15 spot? <<<

He was playing on the wing, with Russell at 15.


Very enjoyable game. Good to see Jon Golding giving Census Johnston a hard time in the scrum, given that he's supposed to be a soft touch.

I thought Flood should have been MOTM as virtually all of Newcastle's attacking threat came through him. Though Noon's second-half defence obviously caught they eye of the former back-row forward who made him MOTM instead.

Shame about Tait dropping a couple of high balls (one under no pressure at all) as it put a dampener on another very good game at 15 (after his decent showing against Gloucester the week before).

Though it has to be said that Newcastle really need some decent wingers. They go for power players to complement the skills of Flood and Tait, but neither Rudd nor 'Butcher' May have the talent to take advantage of the chances created for them. Both have hands like shovels and a real lack of pace.

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posted Dec 31, 2007

Oh yes you are so right about this. Rotation only works if the players that come in are as good as the ones that are left out. Ross is a good back up if JKackson gets injured but evry time he starts sarries struggle he hasn't got the vision and constantly kicks possession away. Not a good game for sarries which is a shame with an attendance like that for a televised game they really needed to turn it on. I just wonderr how many will come back for the next home game

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posted Dec 31, 2007

I'm a sarries fan, and was at the game. Loved it, although was well po'ed at the end, but you geordies deserved the win.

What i was worried about yesterday was both wilko's and floods kicking. Dureing the game, JW missed 3 in a row, and before the game Flood didn't even put a kick over.

Overall. JWs tackling is f'ing fantastic, but saracens were poor. I think that may have caused attendances to drop now, as some of those fans probably came to see jonny, and with saracens losing, some won't bother to turn up again.

In all honesty, if we play the way we did yesterday against biaritz, we're finished and our h cup dream is over.

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posted Dec 31, 2007

Acer,

Wouldn't worry - like Saints last season, you could afford to lose both games against Biarritz and still go through to the QFs given the poor quality of the other sides in the group.

And bear in mind the difference when Jackson was on. Ross will not play in the HEC, and there would also be returns for the likes of Skirving, Ratuvou and Farrell.

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posted Dec 31, 2007

as i sarries fan i have to admit that newcastle did deserve it yesterday, but for sarries i am worries about alan gaffney's rotation policy. he has stated that he does not even know his best XV which is slightly worrying. Ross should not be playing, he offers very little and gets nothing out of the back line whereas jackson is the best attacking minded 10 in the country by a mile.

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posted Dec 31, 2007

I was also at the match yesterday, and the applause that greeted Ross's non-appearance for the second half spoke volumes. It would be unfair of me to judge Ross on one showing (Jackson was playing when I've seen Sarries before), so I'm going to reserve judgement on whether his play yesterday was the norm or a poor day at the park.

HOWEVER (and you knew that was coming!) if Gaffney says he doesn't know his best starting XV and bench, he's either a hopeless coach (which I don't believe) or he's being tactful - because he'd then have to say WHO those 22 men are.

Knowing you're not first-choice for a position motivates some people and demotivates others. I am only guessing here, but I think if you said to Dave Seymour "you're no. 2 behind Hilly, but you're playing this week", he'd go out and have a storming game. If you said something similar to certain other players, they'd get a strop on.

If you look at the team sheet, it was obvious why Jackson was on the bench - there aren't many teams who have a back-up outside half on the bench.

(that was a bit longer than I planned - sorry. ramble over!)

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posted Jan 1, 2008

Watched the game on the box. Sarries in the first half were very poor and luck not to be a lot further behind.

I don't know Vicarage road very well, are there funny wind eddies or something, all kickers were hitting the ball cleanly, the ball semed to be sailing through the posts, only to vear off at the last minute.

JW's tackle on, was it Chesney? was straight out of the JW school of tackling, find teh biggerst bu**er on the pitch on a charge, hit him hard and square, right in the centre of the chest and lift him off his feet with the force of the upward drive.

You could see the shockwaves rising up through the player. How can 5'9" and 14.5 stone do that to 6'7" and what looks nearer to 19 stone and walk away. Incredible.

Flood was very od, solid defence, not that it was tested much, 1st half anyway. Great hands and timing.

Tait had a mixed game, great try, fantastic defence in getting not only back but under the ball to stop a Sarries try. His kicking was Ok, but those dropped catches??????.

Jackson chnaged things around for Sarried 2 nd half, but I was disappointed in the two Kiwi imports, Hayman did well in the scrum, but was not what I expected in the loose. Jacks was good in the loose, but did not dominate in a way I would have exoected. Both are amongst the best in the world in their respective positions, I was expecting more.

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posted Jan 3, 2008

well_past_it

Hayman did well in the scrum, but was not what I expected in the loose.
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Well if you were expecting something out of him in the loose you bought the wrong prop. The reason he is so good is because of his ability to both scrummage and lift in the lineout. At 6 ft 4 he is one of the taller props and is strong as an ox so has the ability to get the jumper up high-and quickly! His scrummaging allows coaches to pick locks who are better in the loose rather than scrummaging locks but I suppose it comes down to whether you have the depth to do this...which I don't think you do.

A good friend of mine is a very good friend of Carls and apparently he was saying how bad the Newcastle scrum and in particluar the locks were. Also he said they have the worlds worst fullback. I don't watch the Newcastle team but could you enlighten me on who he maybe talking about?!

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posted Jan 3, 2008

Kiwi, he was talking about Matt Burke. But fortunately he's injured now, so Falcons have some real talent there...

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