It feels like an undeserved privilege

[fleabane]

We are where we are because we have knocked up sufficient wins and bps. If we don't continue to do so, we will be somewhere else (Rumsfield moment . . . .).

I do not care that we play TTTE, or any non English qualified player. We have had an eclectic approach to foreign players, and long may it continue.

After all, I SUPPORT TIGERS!!!!!

[divingrob]

If anything I said has caused offence then I apologize, it was meant in jest and a copy of something that I seen on t'internet

http://deadspin.com/5716038/the-greates ... letterhead

sorry

mind you still think it was a daft statement to make and my forum days are coming to an end very soon.

[Gate]

If anything I said has caused offence then I apologize, it was meant in jest and a copy of something that I seen on t'internet

http://deadspin.com/5716038/the-greates ... letterhead

sorry

mind you still think it was a daft statement to make and my forum days are coming to an end very soon.

Marvellous link.

[Bill W (2)]

Marvellous link.

Absolutely. Has be American - the spelling betrays it!

[Johnnyg]

My point was that the position of players and the ball on the pitch is not always the only relevant issue. We have scored lots of tries and points. Teams are often playing catch up. We are, at least in the premiership, always going to come back at the opposition. Psychologically it is not as much of an "open goal" when a team has a 4 on 2 against us as it might be against say Sale. We have a harder edge that puts pressure on the opposition. However, I agree that we do not have the defence we had last season from a statistical point of view, but neither do we have such a limited attack.

[Smurphswillgetya]

My point was that the position of players and the ball on the pitch is not always the only relevant issue. We have scored lots of tries and points. Teams are often playing catch up. We are, at least in the premiership, always going to come back at the opposition. Psychologically it is not as much of an "open goal" when a team has a 4 on 2 against us as it might be against say Sale. We have a harder edge that puts pressure on the opposition. However, I agree that we do not have the defence we had last season from a statistical point of view, but neither do we have such a limited attack.

I think one thing people seem to be ignoring, when talking about our defence not being as good as last season, is that the changes in the interpretation of the laws favours the attacking team and hence teams will score more points against us than last season. By the same token if we still as good as last season then we should score more ourselves.

[kevf]

Ok, first, and I know people are probably going to jump down my throat for this, I found it very difficult to actually understand what you were saying because of the number of typos. I'm not trying to antagonise you, but it's just so you know that if I haven't responded to an important point, it's probably because I couldn't understand what you'd typed. Maybe other people can understand it all just fine, but there are bits that I can't and since your response was directed at me, I feel I should let you know, should you want to continue the discussion. I think I've got the gist, but I apologise if I haven't responded to something you wanted a response to. I am also not implying that your arguments are any less valid.

In response to your post, I'm not saying that we're only at the top through pure luck. I'm also not talking about little mistakes. It would be a bit of a futile hope for all mistakes to be cut out of games. However, it is the frequency with which teams we've played against have had some pretty damn good try scoring opportunities which haven't been due to particularly good attacking moves. As for most tries scored, if you'd bothered reading my previous posts, it's not the attack I'm criticising. It's the defence. I have already told you what I consider to be 'taking advantage'. Unforced errors do not come into that (unless someone's pounced on the ball and done something with it). If someone under no pressure drops the scoring pass and/or knocks it out into touch, every team 'takes advantage' of that by your definition which does not show that Leicester are better than everyone else.

Where did I say that you said anything about 'true supporters'? Enlighten me oh wise one. If you're wondering, it was more a general comment on people, who are not necessarily you, getting all tetchy whenever someone dares say anything negative about the team (or certain players).

if there was something you didn't understand simply ask.. the typos were not intentional.. they were purely mistakes.. i apologise for my sausage fingers... as you have said as the repsonse was directed at me i assume you meant me. I have no issueswith people criticising the team but again we are top of the league most tries scored arouind middle for tries scored against us... can we not see any positives? Have we no good points to mention about the team this year? each to their own...

[TigerAlex]

if there was something you didn't understand simply ask.. the typos were not intentional.. they were purely mistakes.. i apologise for my sausage fingers... as you have said as the repsonse was directed at me i assume you meant me. I have no issueswith people criticising the team but again we are top of the league most tries scored arouind middle for tries scored against us... can we not see any positives? Have we no good points to mention about the team this year? each to their own...

I had assumed that the typos weren't deliberate- I can imagine few things more pointlessly time-consuming than going back over a long post to deliberately put typos in

And sorry for the misunderstanding regarding the 'true supporters' comment.

I can see plenty of positives and as you have said, we have scored the most tries and have got the most try bonus points (although a couple of teams aren't far behind and have a couple of games in hand, so it needs to be taken with a small pinch of salt), in spite of having a pair of 'steady-eddies' in the centres, a 'past it' fullback, Alex T on the wing and 'conservative' Cockerill as head coach. However, 'looking at the positives' will only get you so far and I would like to see more consistency and more committed defence. There have been too many occasions where players have been reluctant to fall on a loose ball, or commit to a tackle, or where someone's rushed up out of the line, creating a big gap and then missing the tackle, which have given the opposition chances to score. I can see your point though. My particular bug bears are blind optimism/arrogance, and armchair managers (neither of which I am saying you are guilty of being).

[mike]

The original post seems perfectly sensible . Perhaps we have played really well in only a few games this Season - Llanelli at Home , Sale at Home ( although really ought to be discounted in view of the opposition )and L Irish away . Quite a lot of games we have been very poor - in quite a few more we have got out of jail by virtue of YBY brilliance and also by Billy's boot in the Quins game .
Nevertheless we are top and in a good position to get a Home semi - final spot so as far as the league is concerned we are o.k . Europe however is a very different matter and as it is the 'top' competition we should be very concerned about our showing .

[thebearisstilldeano]

Depends on your definition of undeserved I guess.....

Top of the table

12 tries more than any other team in the table scored so far this season

More try bonus points than any other team

86 points more scored than any other team in the table at present

Only five teams have leaked fewer points than Tigers

Only one team has gained more (1) losing bonus points

Top metres gained in Opta stats

Top number of defenders beaten in Opta stats

Three players in the top ten try scorers so far this season (Bubbles and 2 x Tuilagis)

Hmmmmm.......

We're doomed I tell you Capt'n Mainwairing, Doomed!!!!

[mol2]

I don't think we don't deserve to be where we are in the league.
Saints & Tigers have been the best 2 sides so far.

My concern is the we are top of a weak league rather than scrapping to be top of a strong league.
Big fish only get bigger if the pond is big enough! The salary cap is hurting the standard of the league compared to our contemporaries in France & Ireland.

[Bill W (2)]

I don't think we don't deserve to be where we are in the league.
Saints & Tigers have been the best 2 sides so far.

My concern is the we are top of a weak league rather than scrapping to be top of a strong league.
Big fish only get bigger if the pond is big enough! The salary cap is hurting the standard of the league compared to our contemporaries in France & Ireland.

Excellent post Mol2

[Phil B]

The original post seems perfectly sensible . Perhaps we have played really well in only a few games this Season - Llanelli at Home , Sale at Home ( although really ought to be discounted in view of the opposition )and L Irish away . Quite a lot of games we have been very poor - in quite a few more we have got out of jail by virtue of YBY brilliance and also by Billy's boot in the Quins game .
Nevertheless we are top and in a good position to get a Home semi - final spot so as far as the league is concerned we are o.k . Europe however is a very different matter and as it is the 'top' competition we should be very concerned about our showing .

Agree with your comment about Europe. Poor in both games v Perpignan (Plenty of heart, not too much else) and will be lucky to progress. You simply do not leak points at home, it's a well-established golden rule. As for the premiership, we are where we are, whether we deserve it or not is completely irrelevant.

[Maximus66]

I thinck we are the Man U of rugby. Pete

Aren't Man U the Leicester Tigers of football???

(Been wanting to say that for ages. Feel better now!)

~~~~~~~~

It is indisputeable that most teams will raise their game against Tigers, but by the end of the season, we are usually in the mix.
However each match gets played, it's the scoreline at the end that decides things and not whether you played 'attractive, running rugby'.
Game of the season for me so far was our forward demolition of L/I. I wish every match was like that, but sometimes you have to grind out results.
(Injuries, international call-ups etc.)

History will show who finished where in the final table.
The team finishing top should, by rights, be champions, as it shows consistency and ambition.
The play-offs are a great spectacle and a financial boon, but do not necessarily reflect progress over the entire season.
Bath are a case in point. Made the semis in style last year, but not firing on all cylinders so far this year, in spite of their big backer.
Always a Tiger...

[valerie]

the only difference between the two teams is the shape of the ball