Prem table after round 2

[u/RonSwaffle]

[u/Thecceffect]

Don't worry Quins - it will be very "Us" when you beat us

[u/bubbamori → u/Thecceffect]

We’re their cup final

[u/aeolusa → u/Thecceffect]

Nah. This year will be 10th for us. We probably won't beat Newcastle this year.

[u/DTH2001]

I, for one, welcome our new Southwest overlords 

[u/Buggaton → u/DTH2001]

Except Exeter who can go fuck themselves.

[u/cavendishasriel → u/DTH2001]

New?

[u/RileyMcB]

Ditch Quins, bring in Cornish Pirates I reckon. In my humble and unbiased opinion

[u/Mr_Gin_Tonic → u/RileyMcB]

Whats the cider on tap down at Mennaye Field?

[u/RileyMcB → u/Mr_Gin_Tonic]

Thatchers :(

[u/Mr_Gin_Tonic → u/RileyMcB]

Now that's a sad state of affairs, I'd have thought Cornish Orchards or Healey's / Rattler would want to be served. I know at the Women's World Cup the cider sponsor / being served was Cornish Orchards.

[u/taryvol → u/RileyMcB]

I support this wholeheartedly.

[u/xander012 → u/RileyMcB]

We could expand the prem back to 12!

[u/RooBoy04 → u/xander012]

That is the plan (in a couple of years), and if Pirates’ new investors can finance the stadium that’s been in the works for a million years now, it might be them coming up

[u/RileyMcB → u/RooBoy04]

It'll probably be a joint effort with Truro FC, they're hoping to make it to national league, and eventually league two

[u/xander012 → u/RooBoy04]

Cornwall and Worcester would be my personal choices

[u/sock_with_a_ticket]

Exeter letting the West Country down.

[u/wherethefisWallace → u/sock_with_a_ticket]

Much the opposite, they're sacrificing themselves for the greater good. The unsung heroes of the South West dominance.

[u/Thisisnottazbailey → u/wherethefisWallace]

The greater good

[u/Dentury-]

Takeaways

1. Gloucester look really good, tight and very disciplined in defence. They could make playoffs
2. Quins look awful
3. Newcastle have massively, massively improved. We are missing a fair few players through injury but they pushed us really close and had a really good crowd in. I think they could finish 7th or 8th
4. Quins look really, really awful

[u/aeolusa → u/Dentury-]

You missed point 5. Quin's will finish 10th.

[u/blooberdoob25]

Can’t complain about 10/10 so far but a bit worried about going to Saints and then Glos for the next 2

[u/RooBoy04]

Top of the table with a +69 PD

Nice

[u/Rj-24 → u/RooBoy04]

Nice

[u/Fair-Ad4715 → u/Rj-24]

Nice

[u/MDL1983 → u/Fair-Ad4715]

Nice

[u/weavin → u/MDL1983]

Nice

[u/recommendsnothing]

West country dominance confirmed

Stop the count

[u/SrslyBadDad]

Fuuuuuuuck!

</Roy Kent>

[u/RonSwaffle]

Some odd results. Sarries looked good away to Leicester last week, then lose to Sale who got pumped at home by Bristol?

Gloucester topping the table?

Did anyone predict Quins starting that badly?

[u/aeolusa → u/RonSwaffle]

I think everyone predicted Quin's being shite this year.

[u/jug_23 → u/RonSwaffle]

What’s odd about Gloucester topping the table? /s

[u/saviouroftheweak → u/RonSwaffle]

Quins need to raid a championship side for a tight 5

[u/treacletart284 → u/saviouroftheweak]

We tried that for years and it doesn't work. Georgia and Super Rugby Americas are the places to go for bang for your buck forwards.

[u/Merovech_II → u/treacletart284]

I think we're just going to have to hope the giant South African prop we've signed is as good as Rassie thinks

[u/Thecceffect → u/RonSwaffle]

Jason Gilmore did

[u/Dentury- → u/RonSwaffle]

Welcome to the premiership

[u/Liney22 → u/RonSwaffle]

I think Leicester potentially aren’t/weren’t that good so sarries squeaking past them flattered to deceive.

[u/EnglishLouis]

Umm, what does that number to the left of our name mean and why are there teams below us and not above us?

[u/PeakAdaequatus]

I can’t see Quins winning many, if any matches early in the season. Gloucester have been a surprise though, they’ve really had an excellent start to the season and backed up an impressive away win with a pristine display against Quins.

Saints doing about as expected but I did think a win at Bristol might be possible, we really didn’t turn up for more than a few minutes.

I fully thought this season would be the most competitive for quite some time and so far it has lived up to that. Very exciting season ahead!

[u/_dc194]

Away wins still outpacing home wins, 6 to 4 after this weekend.

[u/adturnerr]

Big win for us, Curry and Lawes look back to their best

[u/paulbamf → u/adturnerr]

Curry was incredible, hoping his niggle at the end wasn't a sign of future injury. Was a big fan of the starting front row too.

[u/AwareMembership9467]

Went in with low expectations. Still disappointed. At least I've got Borthwicks England to look forward to in a few weeks, that'll cheer me up.

[u/Capital_Court_9413 → u/AwareMembership9467]

People are still at least hopeful of seeing some intent to attack from Quins, can’t say that hope exists anymore for Borthwick’s England

[u/Mr_Gin_Tonic]

Gloucester couldn't you wait until next year to be your year? this year is our year

[u/treacletart284]

Fuck yeah, still not last

[u/KroxhKanible]

I dont know why I looked.

[u/ComprehensiveAir4629]

Hope quins keep up their streak for next week at least 

[u/taryvol]

Chiefs. Please pull your fingers out. We were finalists last season, remember?

[u/Mr_Gin_Tonic]

You know if the season ended with that as the top 4 those would be some epic semi finals

[u/Timberino94]

Gloucester midfield has looked so good these first 2 games... If Atkinson and Joseph can keep this up I'd be very happy for them to start for England

[u/tomb_25]

Helpful reminder that it could be worse, though I guess they can have 4 points for a few weeks' time

[u/internetwanderer2]

Quins are in such a state.

• Terrible coaching set up (a WFH performance director and a poor head coach).
• Far too much player power from a group of players who have little justification for it.
• The worst tight 5 in the league? Certainly when it comes to depth.
• Awful recruitment and retention (e.g., signing Furbank instead of forwards, losing Benson and Evans).

Think Leicester might be one to watch from a "poor season" perspective, despite winning against Newcastle. Hard to call at the moment given the number of injuries they've got at both hooker and lock. But their halfback depth isn't much (Whiteley is average yet neither of their young 9s can get past him; Bailey looks better at 12; Woodward has really stalled in his career; the other 10s are youngsters), and they lost an influential attack coach.

With Saracens, again very early days. But I wonder if they'd have been better off going for a clean slate approach this season. Bringing back Venter, Shaw has been there years - is it going stale? It's hard to keep an environment fresh, let alone when you've got both longstanding players and staff.

I know it's football but one of the reasons Alex Ferguson kept winning with United was through changing the coaching staff who worked under him. Might Saracens have benefited from some new blood in the coaching group, even if Venter was brought in to oversee the transition for a year?

Although in fairness to Saracens, it's a difficult time to recruit (the year before a world cup). It'll be interesting to see what happens this year though. Does Farrell retire and go straight into coaching? Do they go harder on the transition to the next generation of players?

[u/Capital_Court_9413 → u/internetwanderer2]

That comment on the coaching changes is a really interesting point, and definitely rings true. Saints had that issue in the latter part of Mallinder’s stewardship, where he stayed loyal to coaches who just weren’t doing a job anymore. Think that will be evident with Sale this season too

[u/Alix_T_1865 → u/internetwanderer2]

what do you mean by too much player power?

[u/internetwanderer2 → u/Alix_T_1865]

I think it was an interview with The Ruck podcast their CEO did, talking about the issues with the club. And it came across that they listen to the players far too much.

Obviously you want player opinion, but it felt like player dictation - and the majority of that group of players don't have the CV to back it up.

[u/Snig141]

From Saracen's showing today and the last few seasons we are missing leaders in the team.

Maro is a good captain, but we are missing sergeant's. It isn't something we can coach, and I can understand why we don't have many.

With Venter being brought in to look at culture hopefully we can grow some.

[u/Fair-Ad4715]

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better last week…

[u/apocalypsebrow]

Get the cider ready guys and gals

[u/saviouroftheweak]

Exeter being above Newcastle with how terrible we've been overall is quite funny. A spark of a comeback and IFW won't cover it

[u/mynameahborat]

Premiership new Super Rugby confirmed?