SHIT/GOOD™ Ratings: October 21-22

Lee has kindly loaned the famed computer stateside to provide its flawless SHIT/GOOD™ Ratings for the weekend action. After all, it provides the only ratings that matter.

SHIT

One welcome sight in this pre-season was a return of some excellent kit. Updated classics left behind the noisy and busy recent vintages. However, European kit designers apparently did not get the memo. Setting aside the Saints travesty, let’s focus on three. Leinster’s away kit, an awful homage to early PC graphics. Exeter’s pointless pink and Montpellier’s messy black clouded a great game of rugby. The computer is grateful Northampton remain winless in the year’s sartorial crime.

Jessie Mogg – A Series of Unfortunate Choices. We start with his hair, a classic Aussie on global walkabout mess. Once the game began, we were witness to his bungling of pass and catch basics, finished with his toothless cross-kick with a massive overlap. Nobody Down Under even remembers his name on this evidence.

ESPN3 – The broadcast empire faces a grave challenge due to declining business. One sure way to continue the decline is to decrease options. People could count on access to all European Champions Cup matches in previous years. This season? Only two matches per weekend. Disgraceful and a foolish business move.

GOOD

Wallaby forwards once again showed how they can beat the All Blacks, even if it happens now with less frequency. As a unit, the pack delivered a truly outstanding commitment that brought parity to set piece and breakdown. On this day, it meant Folau could be the difference-maker.

Glasgow’s first try was wonderfully improvised and executed. Rarely do short-side raids bear fruit these days, but this was a lovely display of deft kicking into space.

Nemani Nadolo should be illegal – like a 16-stone 12-year-old in mini rugby. His try was other-worldly in displaying utter contempt for full-size players hitting him as hard as they could. This excellent game had a number of fine finishes, but this one stands apart.

Leicester – For 60 minutes the entire team was frothing and fizzing all over the pitch. Ellis Genge got loads of deserved attention, but so many players exuded confidence and demonstrated what happens when everyone is on the same page.

Will Greenwood – We endured two matches listening to Stuart Barnes before this, so maybe any lifeline would have done. Greenwood teamed with Miles Harrison for the Leicester v Castres game while Barnes was busy dragging an Irish announcer to the depths of desperate banter in Glasgow. Yes, Greenwood can be voluble and effusive about crash-ball at times. His acumen was spot on, though, as he dissected the Tigers mauling of the French.

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