PREMIERSHIP ROUND 3 TAKEAWAYS

3 Rounds into the Gallagher Premiership, here's some of the stories and thoughts, and a preview of some HUGE fixtures too.

[@Dihedrals]

Thank you for covering the prem Tim, I know the numbers aren’t as good as the URC videos but it is nice to not neglect it especially considering the exciting talent that is currently being fostered.

[@StanWilks]

Yes, Tim. Would love to see you cover the Premiership more often. As an Exeter fan, I definitely think we'll finish top nine this season. 😂

[@ryanalessi2921]

As an American on the outside looking in, I keep seeing people saying the premiership is dying. It looks the opposite on tv but honestly, the crowds look great. The fans are passionate, and the stadiums are at or near capacity unlike the URC, where almost all the Welsh clubs are half empty. The games are exciting and you got great players on mid teams like Gloucester having Santi Carreras.

[@DM-rp9ik]

There's going to be 82,000 people at a URC game next weekend, though

[@SweptDust5340]

the problem is everyone spends money they do not have. It’s a great league but it’s living a dangerous game, covid took so many clubs out

[@trevormorgan1205]

Love the Prem content Tim, thanks! A few thoughts: - With the growth of the women's game, clubs are able to have alternate men's/women's home games, so this is good for their revenue. - A 10-team-league is definitely better for player welfare. - I would love to see a 10-team Prem and 10-team Champ structure, with an end of season play-off for relegation/promotion. As you said, jeopardy is important in sport.

[@henryburton6529]

Love the correction to fewer 🤣

[@henrymilleruk100]

Yummy yummy prem content. It may not get the views but if you build it up, they will come…over time…hopefully There may be systemic issues but the matches themselves in the prem the last two seasons have been so much fun. Really competitive AND this season it is rammed with young English talent. Fordjour Jibulu Fasogbon Pollock McParland Elliott All getting meaningful game time

[@somenamethatdoesntmatter]

Also nearly double the revenue per view than s.a but im starting to sound like a crank saying that every week.

[@speleokeir]

Early days, but as a Bristol fan I'm pretty happy at the moment.😀 It's always nice to win at the neighbours and win or lose any game with Bristol is going to be entertaining even if you're never sure if they're going to rip the opposition to shreds or leave gaping holes in defense.

[@tomallen9377]

Love the channel! Great to see lots of exciting rugby. i'd like to see more clubs. Its like watching the football premiership without the bottom half of the league

[@GeorgeMasson-ni9qu]

Thanks, Tim! Great preview of upcoming week-end. Sadly, across the pond, at this stage at least, we only get the post-match highlights, but can at least keep in touch. Much more sad of course are the precarious attendance numbers. As an exiled Glaswegian Scots exile now of 40+ years, it’s nevertheless painful to see Edinburgh get massacred in SA…, and I also feel real pain to see my Sassenach cousins just across the border on the Tyne struggle so…Guess the parlous economy over there tends to sink too many boats…

[@henryburton6529]

If they have stopped cheating I might start going easier on Sarries fans. They are a remarkable club…… if it’s all above board.

[@Gilescowdemdem]

Awesome weekend of rugby. You have to think some of those Exeter boys are hanging on to their England spot by a thread though, Roots probably being the main culprit.

[@shaunmahon3415]

As a neutral (at the minute 😂) I am a really big fan of the Premiership, I only started watching the year Quins won the title. I am so glad I did because it's a totally different game to International Rugby though I do keep an eye on how the Scottish players are doing especially when it's nearing 6Ns, Summer and Autumn series etc. I am going to add my piece on who I think may be a surprise package this season, now they may not make the play offs but I think they'll be in the mix. The team is Gloucester, I think pundits and journalists etc are being a bit disrespectful saying they'll end 2nd bottom because I watched them last week against Bristol Bears and they certainly didn't look like a team that will end 9th. Their attack looked very good and will certainly score tries especially if they keep Christian Wade fit then you look at Chris Harris who's their top defender. The only worry I'd have is that they nearly blew that one last week so they'll need to tighten up defensively especially when up against top teams like Saracens, Bath, Leicester and Quins.

[@KamogeloRakgalakane]

Tim who do you think would win between Newcastle and Zebre?

[@speleokeir]

The answer's black & white.😁

[@JohnRidley12]

I'm going to make a pitch for the 10 team prem: - You get the biggest names on the pitch for a higher percentage of games - player welfare - I last year was anything to go buy, lots of teams fighting to the end (remember Bris and Sale) - every game matters more However, there are downsides (opportunities for younger players and the others you've mentioned). I think 10 teams would be great if two things were magically fixed: - Having ten competitive teams - Having a proper second tier Which I admit is a long way away (or maybe an anglo-welsh league away)

[@somenamethatdoesntmatter]

As a fan it is the best the leagues been. The bench is stacked for every team. But tims right, less money and less players in pro academys. We will have a bump for a few years but without an improvement in england/rfu/prem cohesion that bump will fizzle. If you have less players competing in academies. You need to improve the cohesion between club and country. But that comes with a price. Less combative league and rfu making decisions.

[@JohnRidley12]

@@somenamethatdoesntmatter don't disagree, personally I believe the answer lies in a competitive tier two where players like Ethan Grayson get to play meaningful competitive minutes . Could even have cup comp in the November break and SN and maybe preseason. But tier two is at least two years away

[@nickrad6966]

Hopefully the shortened season is good not just for player welfare but English hopes in the Champions Cup

[@DaveMcBain-bh9fr]

Except feedback Tim 👌

[@newkasmir5759]

Tigers down to 13 men, we couldn’t even capitalise properly on it, It’s embarrassing. But we’re a poor, small club playing within our means without the talent necessary to win games consistently or comfortably. We’ve probably been hurt more from not being relegated, and now we barely get anywhere above 5,500 Falcons fans in the Park nowadays, so upsetting, been going since I was bairn.

[@DM-rp9ik]

Didn't get a lot of the low predictions for Saracens at the start of the season

[@ukkbiguy]

Tim, Siya Kolisi supports the women-s game, says we all have a duty to do so. Give them a call out sometimes?

[@guyportersfootstep4553]

That's Siya's opinion. Though womens rugby has its place, it's not for everyone - same applies to mens rugby. No need to make it mandatory.

[@ukkbiguy]

Yeah, who you gonna listen to, the the captain of the world champions or...... whoever. I didn't make it mandatory, I merely said give them some recognition fron time to tine

[@guyportersfootstep4553]

@@ukkbiguy Calm down, pal. Whatever Tim does with his channel is his prerogative. 😂

[@ukkbiguy]

@@guyportersfootstep4553 I'm perfectly calm. And it's my prerogative to ASK him to do something if I wish.

[@guyportersfootstep4553]

@@ukkbiguy Yeah, it's clearly not the first time you've asked him to recognise the womens game, and he still hasn't replied. So keep trying. 😂

[@MARTINA-gc3tq]

What a shame that the Saracens game was one third empty. Is it the terrible parking restrictions with the lucky few having to pay an outrageous fee to park 10minutes from the ground. It has non existent public transport links and the hospitality cost are Hilton level. To cap it all there is a lack of atmosphere which is inevitable when playing in an athletic stadium.

[@jakemoore1973]

If only there were a group of 4 nations in two islands next door to each other with a lot of old rivalries and great players….

[@andrewharris1837]

Agree on too few Teams so allow Teams to be promoted like Waking &Pirates.They will only get better if they step up.Product itself must be improved.Why not make some of the home Team games a day's Festival -junior team matches,women,under 20'etc so more fans enjoy.

[@andrewharris1837]

Ealing

[@SVAgxlxxi]

PUT EALING & DONCASTER IN THE PREM THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS

[@lungabiyela9081]

So, is the URC a bigger competition that the Premiership? Random question because no one watches your Premiership videos, but your URC videos blow up. You should move to Cape Town and start doing Currie Cup previews as well. You'd get more views in those than the Premiership.

[@bashab3098]

None of Saracens titles pre salary gate count . They cheated their way to them .

[@BertFlashman]

But there is relegation now Tim? There is motivation for fans to turn up at Sandy Park.

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

On your first point I completely agree. There aren't enough teams, and the obvious solution is to move the Welsh teams across from the URC.

[@somenamethatdoesntmatter]

Prem love = comment.

[@jayknox-crichton3130]

Instead of a salary cap lets have a player wages cap, raise the pay of lower paid players or increase the numbers. Then increase the league back to 12. Push matches to the BBC they have very little live sport and although they wont pay much they will provide the publicity TNT does not

[@Bobbydyland]

oof.. Quins not doing well.

[@tim73639]

Yes, love all this. Also, club rugby is just more interesting than international. I feel so much more closely tied to my club side than I do England, and the supporters are generally more knowledgeable and not on some corporate piss up.

[@guyportersfootstep4553]

Tim, it's easy to forget that Quins only won the league because Sarries were in the Championship. Very different story if they weren't. 😂

[@nickwoodall4744]

Why were they in the Championship?

[@guyportersfootstep4553]

@@nickwoodall4744 Relegated for breaching the salary cap. It was either accept relegation to the Championship or open up the books to the accountants. Sarries chose the former.

[@nickwoodall4744]

@guyportersfootstep4553 I know dude. Personally I would of stripped them of there domestic and european titles and told them to F off to the base of the pyramid. Is it any wonder why the job share was rejected for the S and C guy when the club are proven serial cheats.