What a performance! Huge effort to bounce back against a very strong bath side after that performance against Northampton.
I think BJVR put the centre debate to bed last night too, absolute machine both sides of the ball.
@cornwall_fraser@spkeene I think we're on the edge of not hitting it, hence why we've got a tighthead as our lock replacement. I think we'll be fine though
We're ahead but at what cost. Losing Batley, oghre, Ben Grondona and Lane is exactly not what we wanted.
A few good performances but it has felt like a bit of a slow half, hope we pick it up in the second half.
#NRBvBRI
@EngRugbyDebate Couple of interesting picks here. I know there are quite a few people against BJVR in the England squad but I would really love for him to be there, he's pure class.
Sotutu is a rogue call, he'll have to hit the ground running to stand any sort of chance.
My bolter is Friday๐
๐ฅ Viliame Mata will miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season after suffering an ACL injury against Leicester Tigers.
The Fijian number eight sustained the injury during the Gallagher PREM round 11 clash at Mattioli Woods Welford Road and is scheduled to return next season.
Director of Rugby, Pat Lam, said: โLosing a player of Billโs quality and experience for the remainder of the season, especially alongside injuries to other frontline forwards Pedro Rubiolo and Joe Batley in our pack, is a tough blow and reflects the kind of season we have had with injuries to date.
โWith all of the injuries, it just creates opportunity for other players to step up and perform for the team.โ
Couple of big calls here๐. Ibitoye and BJVR benched, will bring great impact later on in the game.
Great to have Genge, Jordan and LRZ back in bears colours!
@talkMacca@BristolBears Think I'd rest him this week tbh, I think we'll want him for the big day out and then I don't think they'd wait until Toulouse to rest him so has to be this week imo
Cannot wait for the Prem to return next week. Need some fun rugby back after having to watch England play how they've been playing over the past couple of months๐ซ
Fair play to Wales, they've progressed massively this 6n.
Really do think if we played Wales today, we would get beaten. Wales have improved while we've gone backwards this 6n.
@RugbyCollective A few other names not included in this team either like kepu tuipolotu (imo will be fast tracked into the England setup, looks class), sela, caluori, Friday (should be taking a good look at Friday imo). I'm sure there are other names too
Things do look bright for the future
Might be an unpopular opinion, but I believe having Farrell in the camp would only better everyone around him. Every player speaks very highly of him and how he sets the standards in training, he wouldn't allow these poor performances to keep happening.
With the World Cup on the horizon and England struggling, the question of whether Owen Farrell should be recalled cannot be ignored
@GavinMairs looks at why England need the fly-half back below โฌ๏ธ
https://t.co/VigsWAeNJ9
#GuinnessM6N
@EngRugbyDebate Don't think sela is in the squad anymore, believe kloska is still there. Think chessum is too good not to start and I would absolutely have fisilau on the bench
@RugbyCollective Absolutely, he has everything you want in a potential international. Size, pace, good hands, I'd definitely be looking at him for future A games at the minimum
@SamLStandsUp I'm really glad Bristol gave taken the approach of signing players from the champ, has worked really well for us over the past few years. Guys like Randall, lane, Williams etc doing really well