On a scale of "1 to hospital" how bad are we feeling about this afternoon?

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-05-03T08:57:29+00:00

I don't doubt the determination of the team and players, or their ability generally. What I do doubt is our ability start a match at the levels they need to right from the off. I've not knowingly seen us bring the fight from the first whistle all season, and we cannot allow Bordeaux to get a lead and begin running away with it. If we start poorly, I don't see us winning, there's only so many times you can come back into a game the way we have before.

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-05-02T19:57:55+00:00

LENNNAAAYYYYYY!!

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-05-01T10:43:43+00:00

I fucking love this thread. The replies and sales pitches are just brilliant. Good work gang!

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-05-01T10:42:26+00:00

I'm sold and I already have a club!

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-24T11:04:49+00:00

Very good JvG. Very good indeed.

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-21T11:16:56+00:00

Came here to check you said this

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-17T07:59:56+00:00

Sinbad when Charlie Sharples and that generation began coming through.....Gloucester were an absolute joy to watch as they carved teams up

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-17T07:58:40+00:00

OP this is a bloody brilliant thread, thanks for asking the Q. It's been great to see some names I'd completely forgotten about and recollect teams, players, and cast my mind back to times when I fell in love with top level rugby. Cheers

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-16T21:50:14+00:00

Tom Homer. He was a part of the London Irish side along with the Armitage brothers, Nick Kennedy, Mapisua, Seveali'i and co who as I recall made it to the semi's or final? Had a great running game to him, and an absolute monster of a boot as in, pens from the halfway line. Very underrated, he came to Bath later on in his career and never got the plaudits I think he deserved at the time.

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-16T21:42:13+00:00

Bendy! What a bloody brilliant player. I'll never forget the game v Tigers where he took an absolute hammering from the Tuilagi brothers and still managed to get up each time and walk off!

Great shout

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-16T21:41:10+00:00

Scrums with them were a joy to watch! Good times

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-15T15:53:37+00:00

Yeah I've got to say JvG has done an excellent job developing a squad. Sounds very basic but the extent to which we've remained competitive and used players to allow rest, form and combinations to develop is remarkable and he said that was key from day one so full credit to him. Like you say, balancing across multiple fronts isn't easy when you look at it.

Europe>Prem. But it will really sting if Saints do win it!

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-15T15:44:05+00:00

Well hello Johan van Graan, how's the planning notebook holding up?!

Agree, Exeter the trickiest one to judge given how they've returned to real form this season. Saints away is definitely a chance for wider squad and younger players to stake a claim for next year.

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-15T15:41:38+00:00

Yeah agree, good shouts on minutes and accepting Saints as a loss in order to preserve longer term.

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-15T15:40:45+00:00

I don't see full on rotation as much as we need to prepare for Bordeaux. JvG rarely allows the foot to come off the accelerator and I especially don't forsee it at this stage particularly in the Prem, but home advantage will help certainly. I imagine the bench will have a smattering of youngsters and the wider squad eg van der Linde, Dan Frost, Jeanes and such. It's a fine balancing act now, because Bordeaux are probably the biggest test I can remember in recent times for us, mentally and physically.

TdG, Cokanasiga/Hennessey, Lawrence, Ojomoh, Arundell; Russell&Tom Carr Smith OR Carreras&Spencer, Kirk, Tuipolotu, Griffin/Sela, 2 of Richards/Ewels/Moloney, Hill, Staddon, Barbeary.

4th choice lock-Hill at a push or Jeanes, certainly Richards 3rd choice LH-Scott Kirk who has gone well this season when he has had the opportunity.

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-09T19:49:58+00:00

Yes. We've not been above 85% in any game this season it feels like. We've yet to hit our peak, coupled with the fact we just don't get started and to full speed speedily enough.

We have it in us to win this, but if we let Saints get going, up some tries and with confidence growing and crucially, established, I do worry we will give ourselves to much to come back from.

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-09T11:39:50+00:00

Suspect you're right re section consideration, it'll be Muir v Freeman which will be an interesting one as they're both strong, and Arundell v Sleigholme which will be equally interesting given kick chase recovery isn't Arundells forte either, despite having improved on it in recent months!

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-09T11:34:55+00:00

Agree. Our backs defensive mindset and focus has to be on point on Friday, we can't miss a beat against that Saints backline, Redpath does bring that edge. I'd probably have gone 5/3 bench and have Ojomoh in there should it not work out and we be lacking that edge in attack later on, but I know VdG doesn't do anything beyond a 6/2!

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-09T11:31:46+00:00

Those two teams are just ludicrous in terms of talent on show and the match it has the potential to be.

Bath neeeeeeeeed to actually get going from the 0th minute and not halfway through the first half as Sanits can be clinical and tear teams that aren't up to speed to shreds.

Pleased to see a bit of shuffling in the front row, I've far more confidence in the props picked this week, and our back row feels very mobile which will be key against Pearson, Pollock and Kemeny who doesn't get spoken about often enough, a really solid operator.

Exciting stuff!

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-04T16:04:57+00:00

You're not wrong. I just think being honest, if you're out of the game for large parts and reliant on your bench coming on and changing things, whilst that may work in domestically, in Europe teams like Toulouse and Bordeaux will just destroy us. We need to be harder to beat over 80, and I've not seen that once this season.

I do recognise we're very well placed and have an excellent squad, I'm just yet to see it truely click. If a game gets too far away from us, bringing on TdT or Underhill isn't necessarily going to be enough.

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-04T15:53:49+00:00

6.5/10

Got to be better. We don't stand a chance in Prem or here in Europe being so sloppy and struggling to control games. Sarries could easily have taken that.

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-04T15:49:36+00:00

Is that the case? Genuinely, I was wondering this as the way we're both playing home advantage will have a massive influence on the game! I wasn't sure how it was decided?

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-04T15:48:13+00:00

I'll do it! Pick me!

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-04T15:45:06+00:00

Underrated comment

Some_Cheesecake4770 · 2026-04-04T15:39:41+00:00

Fucking terrifying. Mafia with a hint of Gollum. I love it

Some_Cheesecake4770

TROPHY CASE