Get a grip: stocktaking time.

[jgriffin]

We lost a close game to a settled region with a lot of advantages over a grossly unsettled side, a Tigers unable to turn out the same team any week.
We had 4 critical injuries. We had 3 Lions injured and missing. We had players out of form, players 80%.
This season has been a triumph of crisis management.
To be a step off the top 4 in the AP and to only just miss out on a home tie in the HC is a stunning achievement.

FGS will some supporters GET REAL???

If we get into the next round of the HC or the play offs, it will be a great effort from coaches and team. I have been a critic of RC (and MOC) but we fared into this season with injured, out for the season, tired, overplayed, never played (Camacho) - a total struggle.
What we have seen is worth applauding, not denigrating.

[Bill W (2)]

KEEP THE FAITH!!

[Tyzot]

Could not agree more.

Bring on Clermont! April could be a different story.

[fentiger]

+1
We now need as many as possible (supporters) in Clermont to give us a chance!

[rocktop51]

In many ways I agree with JG in that our weakened team apart from perhaps the centre issue has not really been that weak. My only issue has been in the Waldrom/ Crane debate. TTTE I'm my view adds more to our attacking possibilities than Crane who take the ball and goes to ground which is fine if we drive over and produce quick ball which we don't to our cost. The game against Ulster was a hood game but I now question whether RC' s heart is ruling his head :

[The Boy Dave]

Agree with what you say and why you say it jgriffin but I only get the feeling that things will improve on Manu's return and to be so reliant on one player is not ideal.
There are some great players around at clubs but none so important to a team than Manu is to us, I think he hides or covers our many weaknesses, we get away with being poor in some areas because of his ability and it has clearly taken it's toll, it's not good enough.
There have been some outstanding players in recent weeks but there have also been some very poor, I prefer not to hide the issues for now and cover them later for it will just repeat itself!

[drc_007]

I agree 100%

We are also still in the AngloWelsh cup as well.

[Old Hob]

I have a different view and think that the rosy view is mistaken. We were beaten by Sarries in our heaviest loss, we played a tight match yesterday against a very good side BUT WE LOST. Blaming injuries is not the answer - how come we have so many anyway? Is it our old-fashioned and out dated training which worked in the amateur days because other clubs' players were not as fit as we were?

We are one dimensional - get the ball in our own half and we kick it away most of the time; pedestrian, down the line passing so that even the slowest thinker on the opposition can work out who to tackle next; kicking for touch and then not competing at the lineout - what is the point of that? It is more free ball for the opposition.

This decline is three years old and I am fed up with people trying to paper over the serious structural cracks.

[ellis9]

If we can stay in the mix near the top 4 in the league, which I think we can, with our next 4 games being Worcester, Gloucester, Irish and Newcastle, (current bottom 4) then by the end of March/beginning of April, we have a real shot in the league and maybe in the Heineken Cup if we have a fully fit squad. IMO this would be our strongest team:

Ayerza
T.Youngs
Cole
Slater
Kitchener
Croft
Salvi
Crane/Waldrom
B.Youngs
Flood
Allen
Tuilagi
Benjamin
Goneva/Morris
Tait

With players such as Croft and Tuilagi basically not playing for most of the season and with Allen only just playing again, they will be really match fit and hopefully we can finish the season very strongly

[Crivvens]

I have a different view and think that the rosy view is mistaken. We were beaten by Sarries in our heaviest loss, we played a tight match yesterday against a very good side BUT WE LOST. Blaming injuries is not the answer - how come we have so many anyway? Is it our old-fashioned and out dated training which worked in the amateur days because other clubs' players were not as fit as we were?

I think you'll find most, if not all of the injuries our players have sustained have been during matches rather than training. There's only Matt Smiths dislocated thumb that I can recall occuring during a training session.

Edit: Oh, and well said OP

[youngtiger]

There are some great players around at clubs but none so important to a team than Manu is to us

Really? One that springs to mind rather quickly is the oppo 9 from last Saturday. Ulster would've been half the team they were without Pienaar.

[The Boy Dave]

Really? One that springs to mind rather quickly is the oppo 9 from last Saturday. Ulster would've been half the team they were without Pienaar

Pienaar played well but not in the same league as Manu who turns up every time. Leinster dealt with Pienaar quite well in the 2012 final. Pienaar's kicks looked good because the chase was good, his chase down on Flood looked good because we left a gaping hole for him to look good. The only player I witnessed make any credible attempt to pressure Pienaar was Gibson. Pienaar had an archair ride and we mostly gave it to him.

[Phil B]

I have a different view and think that the rosy view is mistaken.
This decline is three years old and I am fed up with people trying to paper over the serious structural cracks.

+1

Well said. What good are excuses? Of course Ulster deserved to win the game - they were simply better than us. Hopefully the coaching staff/management will start looking at why that was the case. I would start with the word "loyalty". Tigers, quite rightly believe that word goes to the heart of the Club. Loyalty is key to our traditions and our reputation. But not blind loyalty, and I fear we have a bit of that at the moment. Form counts for a starting berth, not reputation.

[tig1]

I disagree with you JG.

Two of the first three games this season were at home to Worcester and Newcastle.

A far better idea was to have the lions back the last weekend in September vs Exeter and they could have had a proper 8 week break. I have great admiration for the players, and for RCs work Tigers, but I think on this occasion he got it wrong.

[mike]

I thought Pienaar's play on Saturday was absolutely outstanding - with kicking out of hand and from the tee being of the highest order . I don't think I've ever seen such a complete all round display from a No 9 at Welford Road . He won the game for Ulster . Why FGS was Waldrom not even on the bench ?