Toby Flood

[MurphysLaw]

The injury looked painful. His slip before the try line was unfortunate, he seemed to land on his shoulder, and then Dausatoir? dived on top of him.
Before that happened, I thought that he was having a decent game. He was leading the line quite well, and was involved in good link-ups with a couple of the tries. His place kicking was faultless, certainly compared well with Goode and Parra.

If he does recover in time to play against the Scots, he will probably be rested for a week.

[Pete]

Goode, Walder, Barkley, Jackson, Cipriani, Lamb - in that order on current form

Didn't Jackson miss all his kicks at goal yesterday, even the easy ones?
And are Lamb, Barkley and Walder first choice 10s at their own clubs at the moment?
Cipriani still isn't playing well enough.

So that seems to leave Goode, Vesty and May from Newcastle!

[Darc Tiger]

Update from the beeb. Seems Flood is alright and could be fit for Saturday!

Says he wanted to go on in the second half, but the doctor told him not to risk it. I think speak for all of us when I say pheew!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7946956.stm

[jack]

Pity about the injury. Hope its nothing long term. The lad was playing nearly well enough to get in the Tigers team up till then1 I know, I was there! In fact by far his best England game at 10 that I have knowledge of. Well done, Toby. If you had stayed on Tom Croft would have had a rival for his Man of the Match award. Like I said :Nearly good enough to get in the Tigers team!!!
Nice one and get fit soon.
Come on the Vest!

[G.K]

Although nobody could justifiably criticise The Vest for his performances at 10, this has clearly coincided with a deliberate change in strategy, with Matt O'Connor and Aaron Mauger being handed responsibility for the backs.

Toby Flood is a player of international standing, an dhas to be the first choice stand-off. OK, he could play 12, so has The Vest in the past (as he has also played 11, 14 & 15!).

Both are of great value to Tigers, but don't let us all get confused as to the change of tactics being a revelation in what can be achieved, albeit The Vest has operated at 10 during this change. I am sure Toby would have capitalised on the change too, had he not been on England duty.

You know what, at the moment I'm not convinced of that.

[Pete]

Neither am I.

Too many people assume that Mauger has suddenly and miraculously changed from being a quiet and fairly ordinary, though good, player in Tigers ranks to one who has been the cause of the great and successful change in playing strategy. I do not believe it, and I am sure nor would Sherlock Holmes.

The evidence is obvious. Sam Vesty plays for the first time in ages, and guess what? - the whole team begins to play with flair, confidence and enjoyment, especially Mauger.

It is a no brainer - Sam Vesty is the reason why Tigers have scored so many tries, even won an away match, and picked up several crucial bonus points.
He is a natural communicator and motivator. He has to be captain next year!

[dailywaffle]

One of the amusing thing about any forum is the way that it often takes extreme views. Take Vesty. He's done pretty well, but to listen to many he's become the next Wilkinson / Carter. Its really not my intention to knock him, honest, but to suggest that he 'has to be captain next year' is very hard to take seriously.

Its quite clear that there has been a change in direction, and that that change has been led by the coaches and senior players. Vesty has played an important role in executing within that new freedom, but its only right that fleabane places it in some context.

Of course, I also accept that whilst Flood (or Hougaard) have not had the opportunity of delivering within the new structure their ability to deliver is still only hypothetical.

[dailywaffle]

True enough. Still, we can't undo the past, only learn from it.

[Qbec]

I too agree with jgriffin, but as said we can't change the past.
But we sure can ensure a better oulook for the future & learn from those past mistakes, This club & others for that matter perform & go forward as unit much better when you recruit from within.
I am now sure that The TIGERS must stick with RC & Mo'C plus a backs coach who knows the club & its people.
You can see the players are happy playing "Together" as a team to know don't change it.
As is said often on here "Keep The Faith" well do so with the set we have.

[bluntiger]

Someone said in an earlier thread that the difference has been Vesty but for fairly simple reasons.

Hougaard when playing has kicked way too much. I remember Cardiff in the EDF, he was kicking almost every time without chasers, sometimes cross-field without telling opposite winger to chase. It was dire.

The criticism of Flood comes in that he takes the ball into contact too much and that results in slow re-cycled ball and stodgy phases.

What Vesty has done is simply to mix it up, taking into contact/breaking the line at times or simply passing it out to Mauger/Smith/Hamilton/ Tuilagi/Murphy to play with ball in hand. However, people are getting carried away. He has not yet dominated games in the way Butch James or Nick Evans does but he has been way better than anyone expected given the lack of game-time.

[willstarr]

The evidence is obvious. Sam Vesty plays for the first time in ages, and guess what? - the whole team begins to play with flair, confidence and enjoyment, especially Mauger.

It is a no brainer - Sam Vesty is the reason why Tigers have scored so many tries, even won an away match, and picked up several crucial bonus points.
He is a natural communicator and motivator. He has to be captain next year!

Neither Flood nor Houggard have started a game for us since Cockers took charge and we started playing this new 'expansive' game. Are you assuming the next time Vesty doesn't start Tigers are going to revert to their style of rugby from a month or two back? I don't see how the inclusion of one player has suddenly brought the entire team back to life. Yes Vesty has performed above and beyond what was expected of him, but I don't see why the performance of every player on the pitch is down to Vesty. Everyone has picked up their game in the last few matches. I can't see Flood coming back and suddenly everything going to pot...

[Prof]

Mike Catt commented last week on Planet Rugby that Sam Vesty is the in-form No. 10 in England.