More good stuff from the Chiefs this morning. They’re really setting the standard at the moment:

Since 2013 IIRC.

Dragons beat Glos, so through to semis. (V Montpellier.) Glos didn’t look very good – are they normally like that?

Saracens v Northampton – why do I dislike both of these teams so much? It’s very difficult to get involved in a match when I want both to lose. 🙂

going to be a good ‘un

Good interview with Lancaster on Sportsweek this morning (Radio 5), he really does come across as a superb human being.

Hard to think Racing will win away, windy day made it hard for kickers and not a lot a lot to chose between the sides with neither looking really sharp. My money is on an all English final Saracens v Leicester

Played for wales U-20s so I think he’s locked in?

Completely agree CFH, but I’d add an option to gain an extra point too. Conversions should be worth 1 point with an added 2 points on offer for style. As an example… Anyone does the Biggarena, before dropping the ball sweetly through the middle and hitting Chris Ashton square in between the eyes can score the full 3. Will it catch on ?

That takes the game even further from its roots, which were to ground the ball so that you could score more points by kicking, I seem to remember. 🙂

Talking about dropgoals, I do think that missed DGs should be treated like any other kick, in that if they go dead a scrum will be awarded to the opposing side from where the DG attempt was made. I hate speculative DGs!

The back-from-the-point-of-scoring conversion is something I wish was transferred to NFL touchdown conversions, which are all taken from behind the post.

As said above, a “touchdown” didn’t score any points, it awarded the team “a try at goal”.

The beauty of the penalty at 3 points is it keeps team honest in their own half. Nearly all international kickers have a range within half of the pitch. By reducing the points it would encourage foul play everywhere.

A drop goal isn’t the same as a kick gone dead, because the ball touches the ground before it is kicked its treated the same as a grubber kick. 22 dropout.

Certainly speed up conversions, give the kicker 30 seconds rather than 60. Stops all of the ritual jigging and grass throwing.

Indeed. And AFAIK, in American Football rulebooks, a touchdown is still referred to as a try…I think…as it also allowed a team a kick at goal…need to check up on that…it has changed a lot since.

How about rugby borrows from NFL and offers an extra point conversion for running the ball over the line instead of the kick? 😀

You have a minute for a conversion,what’s that; one re-set Scrum? The climax of the Wasps game has left me a fan. As said, cast your mind back a few years,opo team were going through phases and making ground, somebody would fall over and kill the ball once they were inside the 22. Despite the shoe’ing all it would cost is 3 points. Now it is three and 10 mins,so it has improved the game as you are less likely to do it.

My pet hate these days is players whinging to the ref for penalties all the time. Biggar does it a lot.

I think that something needs to done about a) the amount of times at penalties/conversions and b) reset scrums

For a) I would just like the rules to apply. You have one minute from the time of the whistle to the time that it must be taken. If the clock is stopped (injury, TMO review) then the whole set up should be done while time has stopped and you have 10 seconds to take it after time has restarted.

For b) apply the rules. Scrums should not push until the ball has gone in and binding must not be on the arm. These are the rules, just apply them. Any prop boring in should get a yellow card. Problem will stop overnight.

And for any player appealing for a penalty. Give one – against them for referee abuse! It would stop immediately.

Watson should have had a longer ban – once you have a card (rightly or wrongly) just leave the pitch. The ref is right – you may or may not agree with the decision but for this match they are never wrong.

love the nige clip

and for b) Id add straight put in and hook for it.

Anyway, getting all geared up to take Jr to Warriors vs Wasps on Saturday.
Probably last time we get to sixways this season.
Im expecting to get a shoeing, but you never know….

Larry Dayglo deserves credit here. I forget the game, but remember him being sent off rather harshly. He jogged off, and the only reaction was an almost Roger Moore-esque eyebrow raise as if you say, ‘dafuq?’

Take the decision. Get off the pitch.

As the great Nige said, this is not soccer.

oof. Mind you, as he says, at least he only got hit by a 14. Got right back up again 🙂

Stoner Jr took a bet with Granddad last night on Chiefs destroying Glos by >10. Oh dear. At a £ a point on the spread, that’s going to put a big dent in his Lego fund….

What do the STW armchair refs think of young Maxwell-Keys?

http://www.premiershiprugby.com/premiership/referees/maxwell_keys.php#Yty3hWqJzZFpcvOv.97
He didnt do much wrong in the game last night, it was a pretty rubbish one anyway. Can’t help but feel that the matches under him fail to flow though.

Surely it should be McFadden with all those shoulder pads?

Nasty cheap shot tackling there. Not that it’s tackling, really.