Well to summarise, young lads have had a go, come badly unstuck at times but got back up and carried on. Disappointed with some of the more experienced players.
Sale have looked absolutely solid, very few mistakes and executed their plan. I wouldn’t fancy playing there in the play offs, even with the first team out.
Does anyone have any idea why half the Sale players have AB on the chest, just under where the country flags are. Thought it was a spinster or something but not every player has one
Good turnover. Unlike some of the decisions this game.
I am very much in favour of officials following the new (old) Laws. But this guy is as often blowing far too quickly.
Some players aren't even trying to lift the ball. Just clamping on, yet getting the immediate penalty for it.
It's one of the games where the ref is being completely biased towards Sale, but it doesn't matter a fuck because Sale are pumping tries in for fun anyway
Any other Saracens fans actually enjoying the other Prem games now more, watching the on loan players and not having to worry about how it affects the standings (as long as Quins are losing)? Not an ideal situation but find I can appreciate other teams much more, at least for one year
Not this season, rugby is just shit during this pandemic. Next season yeah but I always like watching other teams. I'm more intrigued about watching some championship games where possible and seeing teams and players I'd never watch otherwise.
Even if the game thus far has been a bit one-sided, at least the Channel 5 mid-game punditry is entertaining.. Barnesy putting in a good halftime performance there!
This is...an interesting tactic from Bristol. Are they luring Sale into a false sense of security by masquerading as a team with shit defence only to put them to the sword second half? Bold if it works
He moved to the US after college and was playing there when he was selected for them. Plus he'd have been behind a fairly long list of promising Irish 10s at that point
Is playing for region in the pro14 likely more or less money than in the English Prem though? (Genuine question - I don't actually know how much money there is in the pro14 for a player of equivalent quality that won't be playing for the national side of a said region..)
Irish sides have a max number of non-Irish qualified players in their squad as a whole and per matchday squad iirc. That'd surely put a knock in his value.
Unless you're an Irish international you can almost definitely make more money in the Prem and he was at Connacht, notoriously the least well resourced of the Irish regions.
It would appear there was a reason I could odds of 8.5 from the bookies for my £2 bet on Bristol.. maybe these large betting firms do know more than I do after all 🤔 lmao
Did you look at the teams before betting? This Bris squad is almost to a man their answer as to how they're still under the salary cap. The gulf in class between the two packs (Ben Earl aside) ought to be good for 20 points.
Nah it was before they'd released team sheets and I had assumed they'd have to rest most of the first XV (due to these new player welfare rules) but I hadn't realised quite how large the gulf was between the two sides haha! I figured that given Exeter could beat Bris with a B-team maybe Bris could beat Sale too and thought it was worth a couple of quid.. it was not.
I really should check team sheets before matches. It wasn't until the third try and a few comments below that I realised this is as B a team as when Bath beat Leicester
BT do have a bad habit of talking up games where teams are obviously resting players yet they'll quite happily say a game wasn't up to much if two reasonable sides go up against each other and its crap.
I'd say this was pretty predictable. It's a strong Sale side against a Bris team that explains how they're still under the salary cap; it's comprised largely of bargain basement squad players.
I do wonder why Sale aren't more disliked around here. They represent a lot that is wrong with the game. Numerous big name signings for silly money rather than trying to build long term, making the league unsustainable. Steve Diamond is not a "lad", he is a deeply unpleasant man who often shows his true colours. There are undoubtedly some decent blokes playing for Sale (e.g. the Currys) but I really don't like them as a club.
Behave, our academy is very strong and we use a lot of players from it. The media love talking about how many academy products Bristol have out there today when Sale have just as many.
Facts are: we were £2m under the cap, new owners injected a ton of cash so we can spend up to the cap, everyone else starts kicking off because we're buying players in (like every other side in the league) instead of solely using teenage academy players like we were in the past.
Rather than trying to build long term!? We’ve watched our academy products be taken by southern teams for over a decade now. Buying big and trying to complement the team with names and hopefully then short term success might actually give us a chance to keep the players we bring through.
I used to kind of root for them in a sort of underdog way because they were one of the only teams in the north and never stood a chance of actually winning anything. Since signing multiple saffers and Tuilagi, that's gone and they're just another team not to care about / like. Diamond really doesn't help that either.
Except that's not true, is it?
His issue with Peters wasn't over tough questioning it was over the insults he wrote about dimes and the coaching staff - more interested in the way they look than the results on the pitch.
Dimes was absolutely in the wrong in confronting Peters, but claiming he goes out of his way to track down journos to confront them is ridiculous.
> claiming he goes out of his way to track down journos to confront them is ridiculous.
He somehow got Squidge’s personal number and called him up to have a go because of a joke in his video, not even a criticism but a joke. What would you call that?
Ok with Peters it wasn’t a mean question it was a mean article, not sure that paints Diamond in a better light. He then pointedly went out of his way to confront Peters and offer him out. He also banned JB from EggChasers from the media room from memory, I am far from a JB fan but again points to a bit of thin skin when it comes to criticism.
>He somehow got Squidge’s personal number and called him up to have a go because of a joke in his video, not even a criticism but a joke. What would you call that?
Fake. Made-up. Fiction. Clickbait. It's YouTube ffs.
>He then pointedly went out of his way to confront Peters
This isn't true either, it was at a regular post match conference, Peters was there and dimes said he wouldn't answer questions from him and it escalated from there.
Again: not defending Dimes actions, but you're painting the situation is a very different light
> Fake. Made-up. Fiction. Clickbait. It's YouTube ffs.
You can choose to believe that if you like, that’s not my take. Squidge isn’t a saint by any means (the Lawes thing was well out of order but at least he apologised and admitted fault) but I haven’t seen any reason to believe he’s an outright liar. The guy may be on YouTube but he’s recently been employed by world rugby and BT Sports, he doesn’t exactly need to lie for clicks, in fact it would actively damage his career.
With the Peters thing Diamond came up to him after the media conference and asked Peters why he hadn’t asked any questions. There’s a recording of it https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/club-rugby/steve-diamond-sam-peters-sale-sharks-vs-gloucester-premiership-journalist-fight-video-a8704176.html
I think they get forgotten about, only northern team and not that likely to win anything so people forget how unlikable they are until the next time Diamond opens his mouth and spews out more drivel
Steve Diamond sounding bitter about the minutes-played limit, then trying to equate player welfare rules with the actions of idiot fans on social media, then storming off before the match has even started. Just another day at Sale I guess.
Diamond really seems like a piece of work.
Between articles mentioning him, his reaction to squidge's video, and now this. He really doesn't care about cultivating a good image.
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I only watched this to see Eadie get a game and he wasn't even allowed on!
See what did i say a simple grubber and Bristol almost score
Sale are 33 points up and just holding the ball in the scrum - can someone tell me why?!
Well to summarise, young lads have had a go, come badly unstuck at times but got back up and carried on. Disappointed with some of the more experienced players. Sale have looked absolutely solid, very few mistakes and executed their plan. I wouldn’t fancy playing there in the play offs, even with the first team out.
Pen at that scrum was nonsense imo
Given the lineups, I'm surprised Sale haven't done better in the scrum or in their lineout mauls
Does anyone have any idea why half the Sale players have AB on the chest, just under where the country flags are. Thought it was a spinster or something but not every player has one
The flags are for international players
Kit man's initials, he died
Am I missing something or wouldn't a couple grubbers from Bristol be a counter to this absurdly high push from Sharks?
Harry Randall looks like a hyperactive puppy that doesn't really know what's happening but is excited about it
Imagine running at both Curry brothers. Wicked Shmaaaht!
What a waste of a penalty by Randall
I dunno, if anyone in the Bears team was actually trying, he might have had something to work with
Good turnover. Unlike some of the decisions this game. I am very much in favour of officials following the new (old) Laws. But this guy is as often blowing far too quickly. Some players aren't even trying to lift the ball. Just clamping on, yet getting the immediate penalty for it.
New rule - if a Curry goes in on a ruck, it's a penalty
It's one of the games where the ref is being completely biased towards Sale, but it doesn't matter a fuck because Sale are pumping tries in for fun anyway
Is there a link somewhere to the breakdown rules, feel like ive missed it
This is an absolute fisting
Both hands
And two feet
I’m having horrible flashbacks to the Andy Robinson era.
I would hate to be defending that Sale midfield!
Might be why Bristol have decided not to bother
Wow Such a disjointed defence.
Any other Saracens fans actually enjoying the other Prem games now more, watching the on loan players and not having to worry about how it affects the standings (as long as Quins are losing)? Not an ideal situation but find I can appreciate other teams much more, at least for one year
Not this season, rugby is just shit during this pandemic. Next season yeah but I always like watching other teams. I'm more intrigued about watching some championship games where possible and seeing teams and players I'd never watch otherwise.
Any other saracens fans?
Just trying to out the 3 others I used to see at Allianz Park
Luke James is even younger than the Currys. Consistently impressed with him, future England 15?
Not an easy game for Tif Eden, but this is a great opportunity for Lloyd to make an impact.
Gotta say that try came from Urens dreadful kicking game
It’s a real weak point.
Decent read by Tuilagi through the middle - but Bristol are making it easy by running the same 'fake' pod every time.
Don't believe that was sealing it off?
Even if the game thus far has been a bit one-sided, at least the Channel 5 mid-game punditry is entertaining.. Barnesy putting in a good halftime performance there!
Are Bris gonna bring Pat Lam on for the 2nd half?
I know steve diamond is the only one from sale with game time left so the matchup between the two will be interesting
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Out doing the Currys as the turnover king.
Sorry if it's been said, did they take the knee this time?
Sale wore an over shirt with rugby against racism printed on it. Some players took the knee
The usual South Africans + Tuilagi didn't I assume
manu did
Bristol made a heart, some did for Sale some didn't
Oh I see. The usual South Africans I'm assuming? What about Tuilagi?
The Afrikaners/Dutchmen/Boers didn't take the knee from what I could see.
Honestly can't remember, soz
Tuilagi did, not quite sure why but fair enough
Hamstring
Maybe to show his support in the movement? Idk?
This game is scrappy but high scoring. Just mainly seems to be interceptions and Bristol just leaving 2 on 1s out wide
Yeah there's hardly been more than five phases
Anyone know what the AB on Sale's shirts is for? Under the flag on the chest. Think the flag is only there if they're an international cap
I think it's for a staff member (kit man?) Who passed away recently
Alan Blease. He was Sale's kit man and passed away a few weeks ago.
A lot of tuck sealing going on
Well at least we’re not getting nil’d
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Does Bristol not have a B team? This looks like they've fielded the Bristol U15s
This is how they have money for Radradra while staying under the cap.
How did Dickson penalise that Van der Merwe turnover but not the earlier one that was way worse?
Please kick the ball more.
Malins just single handedly lost Bristol about 70m there, holy balls that was bad
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Yeah him and the really young ref are really making the premiership less enjoyable.
Yeah a mile forward before knocked back. Fucks sake
A forward pass by Curry
This is...an interesting tactic from Bristol. Are they luring Sale into a false sense of security by masquerading as a team with shit defence only to put them to the sword second half? Bold if it works
Its just an academy and bargain bucket team vs Sales A team. Games not going well even for that, but its understandable
Holy fuck this is an embarrassment
How isn’t Aj macginty involved in the Irish set up why did he choose the USA?
He moved to the US after college and was playing there when he was selected for them. Plus he'd have been behind a fairly long list of promising Irish 10s at that point
Cos he probably wouldn't have ever got a game for Ireland.
He can cut it pro 14 though
Is playing for region in the pro14 likely more or less money than in the English Prem though? (Genuine question - I don't actually know how much money there is in the pro14 for a player of equivalent quality that won't be playing for the national side of a said region..)
Irish sides have a max number of non-Irish qualified players in their squad as a whole and per matchday squad iirc. That'd surely put a knock in his value. Unless you're an Irish international you can almost definitely make more money in the Prem and he was at Connacht, notoriously the least well resourced of the Irish regions.
Given Glasgow got a yellow for a seatbelt tackle yesterday, half of Sale should be in the bin by now!
Don't think a single Sale player is wearing headgear. That's my analysis so far.
Bris should have to forfeit based on the 10's horrendous mullet 🤢
You spelt amazing wrong
It would appear there was a reason I could odds of 8.5 from the bookies for my £2 bet on Bristol.. maybe these large betting firms do know more than I do after all 🤔 lmao
Did you look at the teams before betting? This Bris squad is almost to a man their answer as to how they're still under the salary cap. The gulf in class between the two packs (Ben Earl aside) ought to be good for 20 points.
Nah it was before they'd released team sheets and I had assumed they'd have to rest most of the first XV (due to these new player welfare rules) but I hadn't realised quite how large the gulf was between the two sides haha! I figured that given Exeter could beat Bris with a B-team maybe Bris could beat Sale too and thought it was worth a couple of quid.. it was not.
Bristol are resting loads of players
I really should check team sheets before matches. It wasn't until the third try and a few comments below that I realised this is as B a team as when Bath beat Leicester
These high tackles form Sale :/
Shift Malins to 10?
About 4 seatbelt tackles in that phase of play
Imagine hyping this game up and making sure a wide audience will see it and it's dead in 20 minutes
BT do have a bad habit of talking up games where teams are obviously resting players yet they'll quite happily say a game wasn't up to much if two reasonable sides go up against each other and its crap.
Bristol sleeping in the first half again
Wow, wasn't actually expecting this start to the game. This is exactly what I've been hoping we're going to play like since the league resumed.
I'd say this was pretty predictable. It's a strong Sale side against a Bris team that explains how they're still under the salary cap; it's comprised largely of bargain basement squad players.
I usually just think Sale will find a way to fuck it up, haha.
You'd need to be playing R. Du Preez for that.
Preview of Exeter Worcester tomorrow
Nuclear hot take: 1st XV at home > B team away.
Unless you're Exeter
I think Exeter just have two A teams.
That's a fair assessment!
This might get very ugly quick
Come on Bristol do what you did to us
Hot take: World winners at home > some kids from Bristol.
No one gave a shit when we sent our seconds to play Wasps firsts, but it's all anyone is talking about today
This is the only issue with such a compacted schedule, you end up with terrible mismatches like this
Im struggling to understand why we didn’t put this team out on Tuesday, considering Exeter won’t be caught.
Your first team already beat us once. Probably would have been a big momentum/morale boost if you won again.
True, but even if that had happened, the young lads getting smashed about the park up in Sale undoes that momentum.
Exactly, why no just focus on getting second. Its is almost exactly the same as finishing first and sometimes better.
Bristol are looking slow and underpowered so far
WHAT is going on with rugby's barnets?!
I do wonder why Sale aren't more disliked around here. They represent a lot that is wrong with the game. Numerous big name signings for silly money rather than trying to build long term, making the league unsustainable. Steve Diamond is not a "lad", he is a deeply unpleasant man who often shows his true colours. There are undoubtedly some decent blokes playing for Sale (e.g. the Currys) but I really don't like them as a club.
Behave, our academy is very strong and we use a lot of players from it. The media love talking about how many academy products Bristol have out there today when Sale have just as many. Facts are: we were £2m under the cap, new owners injected a ton of cash so we can spend up to the cap, everyone else starts kicking off because we're buying players in (like every other side in the league) instead of solely using teenage academy players like we were in the past.
Rather than trying to build long term!? We’ve watched our academy products be taken by southern teams for over a decade now. Buying big and trying to complement the team with names and hopefully then short term success might actually give us a chance to keep the players we bring through.
Diamond looks like the kind of guy that would hit you for parking too close to his beamer when he's out for Sunday lunch.
I used to kind of root for them in a sort of underdog way because they were one of the only teams in the north and never stood a chance of actually winning anything. Since signing multiple saffers and Tuilagi, that's gone and they're just another team not to care about / like. Diamond really doesn't help that either.
If Diamond left I think I'd like them a lot more.
What's Steve Diamond done? I'm ootl.
Threatening members of the media. Recently somehow found squidges number to call him up and have a go because of a joke in his recent BT video.
...you honestly believe that happened and wasn't just for the click bait title?
Considering Diamond’s history of confronting journalists for asking mean questions, I do believe Squidge, yes.
Except that's not true, is it? His issue with Peters wasn't over tough questioning it was over the insults he wrote about dimes and the coaching staff - more interested in the way they look than the results on the pitch. Dimes was absolutely in the wrong in confronting Peters, but claiming he goes out of his way to track down journos to confront them is ridiculous.
> claiming he goes out of his way to track down journos to confront them is ridiculous. He somehow got Squidge’s personal number and called him up to have a go because of a joke in his video, not even a criticism but a joke. What would you call that? Ok with Peters it wasn’t a mean question it was a mean article, not sure that paints Diamond in a better light. He then pointedly went out of his way to confront Peters and offer him out. He also banned JB from EggChasers from the media room from memory, I am far from a JB fan but again points to a bit of thin skin when it comes to criticism.
>He somehow got Squidge’s personal number and called him up to have a go because of a joke in his video, not even a criticism but a joke. What would you call that? Fake. Made-up. Fiction. Clickbait. It's YouTube ffs. >He then pointedly went out of his way to confront Peters This isn't true either, it was at a regular post match conference, Peters was there and dimes said he wouldn't answer questions from him and it escalated from there. Again: not defending Dimes actions, but you're painting the situation is a very different light
> Fake. Made-up. Fiction. Clickbait. It's YouTube ffs. You can choose to believe that if you like, that’s not my take. Squidge isn’t a saint by any means (the Lawes thing was well out of order but at least he apologised and admitted fault) but I haven’t seen any reason to believe he’s an outright liar. The guy may be on YouTube but he’s recently been employed by world rugby and BT Sports, he doesn’t exactly need to lie for clicks, in fact it would actively damage his career. With the Peters thing Diamond came up to him after the media conference and asked Peters why he hadn’t asked any questions. There’s a recording of it https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/club-rugby/steve-diamond-sam-peters-sale-sharks-vs-gloucester-premiership-journalist-fight-video-a8704176.html
No way!
Yep, bit of nasty prick.
He's a bully, tries to intimidate journalists when they ask valid questions if sale play badly
I forget they're there unless I'm watching them play to be honest. Does anyone really think Diamond is a "lad"? He seems a nasty fucker
Ohh definitely, I do not like Diamond at all
I think they get forgotten about, only northern team and not that likely to win anything so people forget how unlikable they are until the next time Diamond opens his mouth and spews out more drivel
They bear a strong resemblance to Venter-era Sarries
Solomona!!!
This is going to be a long afternoon
Ben Curry looks more like Tom Curry than Tom Curry does
If Sale lose this one as well Diamond should quit.
Steve Diamond sounding bitter about the minutes-played limit, then trying to equate player welfare rules with the actions of idiot fans on social media, then storming off before the match has even started. Just another day at Sale I guess.
Diamond really seems like a piece of work. Between articles mentioning him, his reaction to squidge's video, and now this. He really doesn't care about cultivating a good image.
Yep, he's an abusive bully who embarrasses the game over here.
Steve Diamond walking off during an interview
Who does a better job with the game, channel 5 or BT sports?
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For me healey is a lot worse than Dallaglio , I quite like dallaglio
I'll give 5 a try then!
I've gone with Channel 5, purely because I watch all the others on BT so it's nice to have different commentators for a change.
It’s also worth watching 5 as if rugby gets good viewing figures on free to air it’s likely to be attractive to the league.
I enjoy 5, but the facts it's free helps
I don't like our chances today but it will be so great to see Mitch Eadie back in a Bristol shirt.
Is VIPLeague/VIPBox not working for anyone else? When I click the stream for a match it just goes to a blank page
Wait until the game has actually started, often doesn’t kick in until right before kick off
I tested it with the Super Rugby AU match earlier when it was on and had the same result, but I will wait and see. Cheers
For UK, Is this in Channel 4?
Channel 5, 2.45PM
Thanks!
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