AHOY ME HEARTIES
1 HR AGO - And so it begins. After months of wondering whether there would be a league to play in and weeks Expand
1 HR AGO - And so it begins. After months of wondering whether there would be a league to play in and weeks of friendlies, the real thing starts on Saturday, away to Cornish Pirates in Penzance. The Cornish Riviera was on my bucket list to visit (and I’m sure I’m not alone) before COVID put paid to travel plans so sadly it will be streamed pay per view (£10 I believe). Collapse
SATURDAY KNIGHT FEVER
15/02/2021 - This was my first experience of the “new normal” rugby – I’d managed to Expand
15/02/2021 - This was my first experience of the “new normal” rugby – I’d managed to miss the 2 games against Trailfinders (not a bad thing by the sound of things). This is the world of the Championship. The world of the StoneX stadium. The world in which we find ourselves. Collapse
TRAILFINDERS LEAD THE WAY
10/02/2021 - Back to pre-season hit-out business after the postponed Doncaster Knights fixture…. or Expand
10/02/2021 - Back to pre-season hit-out business after the postponed Doncaster Knights fixture…. or “Nights” as it was spelt on one of the fixture lists shown on the live stream; I mused while starting a pre-match ale that “Doncaster Nights” sounded just the sort of sticky-carpeted boite de nuit that Mrs Jonny and I would frequent when were – as my mom would term it – courting. Collapse
END OF SEASON POLL 2019-20 # 2
17/01/2021 - So my laptop died but the info has now been retrieved and transposed onto a new version which Expand
17/01/2021 - So my laptop died but the info has now been retrieved and transposed onto a new version which means it's time for the results of the second part of ;ast season's poll. (and anyway who wants to read about yesterday's dire performance!) Collapse
NOTES FROM BEHIND THE COUCH
13/01/2021 - Some much needed tidying up yesterday uprooted the programme from the first ever Saracens game at Expand
13/01/2021 - Some much needed tidying up yesterday uprooted the programme from the first ever Saracens game at Allianz Park / StoneX Stadium against Cardiff Blues in January 2013. Collapse
RUGBY RETURNS
12/12/2020 - Just over 9 months have passed. The opposition is the same, the venue is the same but so much else Expand
12/12/2020 - Just over 9 months have passed. The opposition is the same, the venue is the same but so much else has changed – such is limbo Rugby in the time of COVID! I was fortunate to get 2 tickets in the ballot for today’s friendly against Leicester Tigers so little DG and I set off for Barnet to take our places among the lucky 1000. Collapse
An quiz to keep us going during the extended close season
04/12/2020 - A quiz to span at least part of the interregnum until Sarries play again: Points Expand
04/12/2020 - A quiz to span at least part of the interregnum until Sarries play again: Points will be awarded for correct answers submitted to the unofish email; any answers posted on the message board will result in a 35 point deduction, which may be arbitrarily trebled! Collapse
Pumas captain Matera suspended over racist posts
01/12/2020 - Argentina's Pablo Matera has been stripped of the Pumas' captaincy and suspended along with team Expand
01/12/2020 - Argentina's Pablo Matera has been stripped of the Pumas' captaincy and suspended along with team mates Guido Petti and Santiago Socino for posting racist comments on social media, the Argentine Rugby Union said on Tuesday. Collapse
France defeat Italy to set up England final
28/11/2020 - A revamped France beat Italy 36-5 at home on Saturday to top Autumn Nations Cup Group B and set up Expand
28/11/2020 - A revamped France beat Italy 36-5 at home on Saturday to top Autumn Nations Cup Group B and set up a bizarre final with England next weekend. Collapse
|
SARACENS V COVENTRY
23/02/2021 - After an, erm, interesting series of games (and one cancellation) in the Trailfinders Cup, now Expand
23/02/2021 - After an, erm, interesting series of games (and one cancellation) in the Trailfinders Cup, now certain to be won by its namesake club, we come to the first of two bona fide friendlies - home and away encounters with Coventry, currently another highly aspirational Championship side but once, for those of us old enough to remember, one of England’s leading clubs and home to, among other famous names, David Duckham, the original “rock star” rugby player. Collapse
SATURDAY KNIGHT FEVER
15/02/2021 - This was my first experience of the “new normal” rugby – I’d managed to Expand
15/02/2021 - This was my first experience of the “new normal” rugby – I’d managed to miss the 2 games against Trailfinders (not a bad thing by the sound of things). This is the world of the Championship. The world of the StoneX stadium. The world in which we find ourselves. Collapse
SO LONG ALEX AND THANKS FOR EVERYTHING
28/01/2021 - When Alex Sanderson joined Saracens in 2004, few could have imagined the impact he would have on Expand
28/01/2021 - When Alex Sanderson joined Saracens in 2004, few could have imagined the impact he would have on the team. He was born in Chester and played most of his career at Sale Sharks before coming south in 2004. Primarily a blindside flanker, he joined the likes of David Seymour, Steffon Armitage and HRHRH in the back row. Sadly he only played for the club for 1 season before a back injury (7 prolapsed discs) forced his premature retirement from the game at the age of 26. Eddie Jones, then working at Sarries as a Consultant, clearly noticed that Alex had potential as a coach and persuaded Nigel Wray to offer him the opportunity to join the backroom staff. Alex spent a year in Australia working under Eddie at Queensland Reds. Alex described his time down under as a “Baptism of Fire”. It was a year that culminated in a 92-3 defeat to the Bulls in Pretoria. “But thankfully I stayed afloat, didn’t drown amid the pressure. It was a brutally tough year, pretty dark. You Collapse
END OF SEASON POLL 2019-20 # 2
17/01/2021 - So my laptop died but the info has now been retrieved and transposed onto a new version which Expand
17/01/2021 - So my laptop died but the info has now been retrieved and transposed onto a new version which means it's time for the results of the second part of ;ast season's poll. (and anyway who wants to read about yesterday's dire performance!) Collapse
END OF SEASON POLL 2019-20 PART 1
01/01/2021 - So this is what you’ve been waiting for:- The Results of this very strange End of Season Expand
01/01/2021 - So this is what you’ve been waiting for:- The Results of this very strange End of Season Poll. Understandably we had less respondents than usual but enough I think to go ahead with the poll. So without further ado, here we go: Collapse
RUGBY RETURNS
12/12/2020 - Just over 9 months have passed. The opposition is the same, the venue is the same but so much else Expand
12/12/2020 - Just over 9 months have passed. The opposition is the same, the venue is the same but so much else has changed – such is limbo Rugby in the time of COVID! I was fortunate to get 2 tickets in the ballot for today’s friendly against Leicester Tigers so little DG and I set off for Barnet to take our places among the lucky 1000. Collapse
Scotland host SA, Aus, 2021 Internationals
01/12/2020 - Scotland will look to end an 11-year winless run against South Africa when they host the world Expand
01/12/2020 - Scotland will look to end an 11-year winless run against South Africa when they host the world champions in November 2021 as part of their autumn internationals season. Collapse
Women's RWC to be expanded to 16 teams
30/11/2020 - The number of teams participating in the women's Rugby World Cup will be increased from 12 to 16 Expand
30/11/2020 - The number of teams participating in the women's Rugby World Cup will be increased from 12 to 16 from the 2025 edition, the sport's governing body announced on Monday. Collapse
England overcome Wales in Autumn Nations clash
28/11/2020 - England did just about enough to subdue a spirited but limited Wales with a 24-13 victory in Expand
28/11/2020 - England did just about enough to subdue a spirited but limited Wales with a 24-13 victory in Llanelli on Saturday. Collapse
|
SARACENS V COVENTRY
23/02/2021 - After an, erm, interesting series of games (and one cancellation) in the Trailfinders Cup, now Expand
23/02/2021 - After an, erm, interesting series of games (and one cancellation) in the Trailfinders Cup, now certain to be won by its namesake club, we come to the first of two bona fide friendlies - home and away encounters with Coventry, currently another highly aspirational Championship side but once, for those of us old enough to remember, one of England’s leading clubs and home to, among other famous names, David Duckham, the original “rock star” rugby player. Collapse
TRAILFINDERS
10/02/2021 - Back to pre-season hit-out business after the postponed Doncaster Knights fixture…. or Expand
10/02/2021 - Back to pre-season hit-out business after the postponed Doncaster Knights fixture…. or “Nights” as it was spelt on one of the fixture lists shown on the live stream; I mused while starting a pre-match ale that “Doncaster Nights” sounded just the sort of sticky-carpeted boite de nuit that Mrs Jonny and I would frequent when were – as my mom would term it – courting. Collapse
SO LONG ALEX AND THANKS FOR EVERYTHING
28/01/2021 - When Alex Sanderson joined Saracens in 2004, few could have imagined the impact he would have on Expand
28/01/2021 - When Alex Sanderson joined Saracens in 2004, few could have imagined the impact he would have on the team. He was born in Chester and played most of his career at Sale Sharks before coming south in 2004. Primarily a blindside flanker, he joined the likes of David Seymour, Steffon Armitage and HRHRH in the back row. Sadly he only played for the club for 1 season before a back injury (7 prolapsed discs) forced his premature retirement from the game at the age of 26. Eddie Jones, then working at Sarries as a Consultant, clearly noticed that Alex had potential as a coach and persuaded Nigel Wray to offer him the opportunity to join the backroom staff. Alex spent a year in Australia working under Eddie at Queensland Reds. Alex described his time down under as a “Baptism of Fire”. It was a year that culminated in a 92-3 defeat to the Bulls in Pretoria. “But thankfully I stayed afloat, didn’t drown amid the pressure. It was a brutally tough year, pretty dark. You Collapse
NOTES FROM BEHIND THE COUCH
13/01/2021 - Some much needed tidying up yesterday uprooted the programme from the first ever Saracens game at Expand
13/01/2021 - Some much needed tidying up yesterday uprooted the programme from the first ever Saracens game at Allianz Park / StoneX Stadium against Cardiff Blues in January 2013. Collapse
END OF SEASON POLL 2019-20 PART 1
01/01/2021 - So this is what you’ve been waiting for:- The Results of this very strange End of Season Expand
01/01/2021 - So this is what you’ve been waiting for:- The Results of this very strange End of Season Poll. Understandably we had less respondents than usual but enough I think to go ahead with the poll. So without further ado, here we go: Collapse
An episodic quiz to keep us going during the extended close
04/12/2020 - A quiz to span at least part of the interregnum until Sarries play again:
Points Expand
04/12/2020 - A quiz to span at least part of the interregnum until Sarries play again:
Points will be awarded for correct answers submitted to the unofish email; any answers posted on the message board will result in a 35 point deduction, which may be arbitrarily trebled! Collapse
England hand Barbeary first call-up ahead of France clash
01/12/2020 - Wasps hooker Alfie Barbeary has been given his first England call-up after being included in the Expand
01/12/2020 - Wasps hooker Alfie Barbeary has been given his first England call-up after being included in the 33-man squad for Sunday's Autumn Nations Cup final against France. Collapse
France will not change player rule for ANC final
30/11/2020 - France will be without a number of their top players for the Autumn Nations Cup final against Expand
30/11/2020 - France will be without a number of their top players for the Autumn Nations Cup final against England after coach Fabien Galthie confirmed he would not be seeking to change a rule that allows players to compete in just three international games. Collapse
|
