Blindside6.. Made I laugh..

The biggest issue with many (including me) posters regarding the team selection was centred around the choice of no. 12.

Clark, Fatiaki and Grove.. proven centres yet we go with one of the weakest tacklers we have Carlisle. Most of us actually don't mind him when he's at 10, not my first choice but at least he is playing the flyhalf he is and by the way I think his kicking is fantastic.

A 12.. he is not just like Lemi isn't a prop or Big Dave isn't a winger..

So bringing Grovey on within five minutes answered everybodies fears about the team selection.. business resumed then.

Shimple..!!

Nothing like stating the bleedin obvious..!!!

Blindside, Deepdiver is correct comments related to JC at 12 when some of us feel that at last we have found a really good 12. Given the players available there was support for the forwards selected. The front row was a concern because that combination had been found wanting before but last night the front did the business. The whole pack fronted up, the scrum held it's own and the lineout was a revelation. Well done ES and the others. I thought that Andress had probably his best game particularly in the loose. Chris Jones had a great game and looked the correct combination with Percival while Best provided that harder edge. CP was back to the form that we remember before that injury and Andy Goode again produced an excellent display. We elected to take the points, something some of us have pleaded for. All in all an excellent performance perhaps aided by the huge number of times that Sarries managed to knock on. Having said all that Mordt's kicking possibly cost them at least a draw with his poor place kicking and inability to execute their usual kick and chase game. Difficult to see how that was influenced by the pitch. Goode seemed to cope pretty well.

Of course, we could have won by more points if we hadn't been disrupted by an early injury. We will never know!

I have to agree with Deepdiver. The only problem I had with Hilly's selection was Joe at 12 purely because he's not exactly famed for his hard tackling. With Joe unfortunately going off so early we'll not really know of the result would've been even better, but we did seem more balanced and more relaxed when Grove got upto speed.

So although I'll happily humble pie over the result because I expected Sarries to narrowly beat us even before the team came out, I won't eat humble pie over the team selection.

But all that aside it was a tremendous effort from the lads, not just the starting XV, but those on the bench, it was a full squad effort.

And how was JC injured? Making a tackle and not his first! Why not lay off the lad and enjoy what was a great evening.

Incidently, watched last nights ref at Moseley v Pirates recently and there were no trys in that game-when either side got close the attacking side gave a penalty away, sound familiar?

And how was JC injured? Making a tackle and not his first! Why not lay off the lad and enjoy what was a great evening.

Incidently, watched last nights ref at Moseley v Pirates recently and there were no trys in that game-when either side got close the attacking side gave a penalty away, sound familiar?

I don't think that people are critical of JC in fact there is considerable support for him as a number 10, unfortunately for him Andy Goode is in great form at the moment. It's just that when you have at last found a good number 12 why not play him? I understand that JC wants to play in the centre and I suggested on this forum that when JM was away on international duty, JC should be at 12. If JM is injured or loses his form then play JC and I also understand the need to try to keep JC happy as we want him to stay at the club. Finally I think that JC's tackling has improved greatly and is not the problem that it was some time ago. In conclusion there is now considerable support for JC on this forum. The importance of having two reliable number 10's was shown on Friday night though in fairness to Mordt he was their third choice as a fly half.

That was a really good effort by all. Surprised no-one here has singled out Semisi who was immense at 8 all evening and was probably my man of the match.

Main points for me were the line out was sorted, at last; it was totally secure. But above all the ferocity of the tackling and the aggression at the breakdown which had real impetus in numbers all evening. Don't think I have ever seen so many Warriors' turnovers in one match before! No real sign of nerves either and the handling in wet and cold conditions was excellent - by us anyway.

One other credit: the club/pitch/groundsman. Considering the rain during the week and Friday after lunch (if it was same at Sixways as in Malvern) the surface stood up fantastically well.

BBC Sport website reporter last night gave a very downbeat report on the match, saying low on skills and no ambition by either team to play attacking rugby. Silly man. Given the conditions it was not at all bad and exciting to watch. What did he expect? Interesting to see also that all Friday and today's games produced very few tries - hardly surprising.

CRUSADING WARRIORS

I would echo the many plaudits generated by the team performance against Saracens... I would particularly single out Chris Pennall who has now turned in two scintilating performances on the bounce - he was phenomenal against the Scarlets too - the entire pack fronted up in a massive effort which was sustained throughout the entire game and (most unusually for me) I couldn't see us losing the game throughout the whole of the second half such was the intensity with which we competed! That is not to say that Saracens capitulated because they did not, some of their backs broke down the wings with truly amazing speed and it is great credit to our backs that they were intercepted on every occasion and stopped in their tracks. I would also mention that our scrum half is a dynamite tackler, probably the best we have since Raz legged it, although he employs a different modus operandi, preferring the more subtle round the lower limbs approach as compared to Raz's full on battering ram technique. A very gutsy performance on the night against a formidable team, albeit depleted, please, please continue in this vein next Friday!

Malvernman..

You're bang on.. can't fault Semisi, this guy is slowly becoming one of our favourites. He is a complete bulldozer and his ball carrying is phenomenal.

With both Blair and Semisi I think we have the no.8 shirt sorted.

A criticism I might have levelled at Semisi before the Sarries game is that when carrying infield, he seems content to look for defenders and bash them out of the way, gaining us fewer yards than we might have, had he gone for space. I understand that sometimes it's more tactically valuable to gain one yard than twenty, but it was the lack of variation from this that was beginning to worry me.

However, he varied this a lot more against Saracens, with one particularly eye-catching break. He should run for space, and let the opposition do the work more often. As satisfying as it is to see a would-be tackler bounce off ST's substantial frame, I much prefer the sight of him galloping forward, causing panic in the cover defence because of a well timed sidestep.

So yes, he had a good game too. He was particularly effective at countering their ball-carriers, stopping them from going over the gainline several times. Well done Mr T!