As I took my seat at Sixways yesterday afternoon, I leant over to my mate and said, “I know we’re (Worcs) probably going to get a shoeing, but I’m really looking forward to watching Mr. Wade run”.

After his second try, I added “I think I’ve seen quite enough of Mr. Wade now”.

He is quite brilliant.
After one of his tries I was left wondering how the hell he got from a breakdown on one touchline to score at the corner of the opposite one faster than the ball that didn’t stop moving and doing it invisibly – like the sleight of hand of a magician!

Got to be slot at Rio for him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/36029997

A fantastic game in the spring sunshine. Worcs playing some of the best handling rugby I’ve ever seen at 6ways. Very little in the way of ball handling errors: the interception tries really being as much as a result of the backs working more attacking lines. Just not always nailing them 🙂

And even Mr Doyle had an OK day…except for that forward pass…

@stoner, read the report and looking forward to finding the highlights

There is that too! He’ll be 34 in August – mind you, Stringer isn’t slowing down any is he?
Spiky will be playing 2nd fiddle & I expect to see James Mitchell playing more of a role next season as well.

Phillips doesn’t have issues… he is just small man with small man syndrome trapped in a back row’s body 😆 Off the pitch he belives his own hype but isn’t that bad really once you get past the swagger. Can’t see him being especially great value for whoever he plays for but you could do worse I suppose

Well that’s 5 points from Bath thank you very much!

Mmmm appears the ref forums discuss the squeeze ball not allowed U18/19. Debate is whether it is bridging or not.

Strangest fixture scheduling ever ?

Top 14 playoff final will be held at the Nou Camp in Barcelona on the 24th June 😯

Capacity 98,000 and I foresee a half empty stadium (came across this as I was searching for tickets / dates at the Stade de France). Explanation given is that RWC pushed season back and Euro 2016 means SdF is not available

linky

More coverage here including an inference that Cipriani was given an extra 50 minutes to “sober up”

Telegrapgh

For all those who think I am overly negative on him this is why he’s not selected for England, he’s supremely talented but that’s not enough

Disgraceful if true but you didn’t need this news to be overly negative about him. Seen every home game this season bar Montpellier (Surfer junior was 18 that day) and he has been a model professional, except for his kicking being shit.

@surfer – I’ve heard enough “rumours” to not be surprised about the drink driving incident. As I have said many times I’d kill to be half as talented at any sport as he is at rugby, that’s probably the thing that frustrates me most about him. I was (or am) hardly tea total but given a shot at playing for England I think I could abstain.

I am sure he’s been the model professional on the field (he had another good game at the weekend it seems) but its always been about off the field with him

Grates a bit if he knows he was drink driving and hasn’t just taken the ban on the chin. Everyone else seems to just consider it as a tax for breaking rule 1 and (hopefully) learns from it.
I keep hoping to see a new dawn from Cipriani, but he keeps letting everyone down.

Whanau

Sounds like they are going to try and claim that procedures weren’t followed.

EDIT – I was close…from the BBC.

The move came after the prosecutor and district judge raised concerns that legal proceedings were being “filibustered” and the case “derailed” by “unnecessarily complicated” legal submissions made by Mr Lucas.

The ‘lack of evidence’ his lawyer is arguing is that there isn’t sufficient evidence that the machine was working properly. Without knowing exactly what they’re arguing it’s hard to comment on the merit of that argument, but the machines check and calibrate themselves every time they’re used, and also flag up to the operator any irregularity in the results that might indicate an error. In those circumstances the police take a blood or urine sample, and since that appears not to have happened here it’s reasonable to conclude that the machine appeared to be working just fine. But as I say, I don’t know what they’re arguing, could be something in it, could be clutching at straws.

Read some of barrister Philip Lucas’s other cases and make your mind up!

Silvere Tian, an Ivory Coast-born full-back who plays for French Top 14 side Oyonnax, was shown a red card by international referee Romain Poite during a league game against Grenoble on 2 April. Tian was initially sent to the sin-bin by Poite, but after being verbally abused and threatened Poite deemed the offence worthy of a red card and sent-off the 35-year-old.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/club-rugby/silvere-tian-ban-oyonnax-rugby-player-given-14-month-ban-for-verbally-abusing-and-threatening-a6994406.html

That’s a hefty sanction. There will be the inevitable comparison with other sanctions (or non-sanctions) but it shouldnt always be relativistic. His behaviour warranted it IMO.

The French ban isn’t that hefty as he reportedly went after Poite again after the game yet most of the media is describing the incident as a single costly moment of anger. It is however harsh if you consider this one incident is worth a longer ban than a career of Hartley’s naughtiness (just!) 🙂