I didn't go to the game because I was watching some local rugby on Saturday, but I have a good feel for the game having spoken to a few friends..
However I was surprised this morning to hear Cockers on RL openly criticise the team for the display and overtly say that some players are in danger of being dropped. That's unusual for him and shows that his patience is really wearing very thin.
A friend of mine happened to be sitting very close to Cockers on Saturday, he said that frankly watching Cockers frustration and general demeanour was for the most part more interesting than the rugby!!!
Soggypitch wrote:I didn't go to the game because I was watching some local rugby on Saturday, but I have a good feel for the game having spoken to a few friends..
However I was surprised this morning to hear Cockers on RL openly criticise the team for the display and overtly say that some players are in danger of being dropped. That's unusual for him and shows that his patience is really wearing very thin.
A friend of mine happened to be sitting very close to Cockers on Saturday, he said that frankly watching Cockers frustration and general demeanour was for the most part more interesting than the rugby!!!
I can agree with that, RC has, for the past few matches, looked that his patience is very much stretched to the limit.I'm no rugby coach, but the way we are playing is very poor, the kicking straight down the opponents throats to run back at us, the lack of penetration from the backs (no trys) the lack of line speed, static play, I could go on, but we do not have a devine right to win every game!, but we can expect one of the top teams in europe to make a better fist of things than what we are. I for one am really looking forward to the closed season, I have heard a few rumors regarding players for next season and I know that there will be plenty of so called "nailed on" signings over the next few weeks, but some of the stories I have heard from people I trust, have got me excited.
It may all be rubbish, but its good to dream, right ??????
Ok so it wasn't a good performance from either side, but at this stage of the season it's the result that matters and Tigers have done themselves a huge favour by keeping abreast of Saracens and above Sale, this result makes the matches on the 27th of December and 3rd January even more crucial.
The performance was good enough to win, I have been at games where we have played magnificently and lost, two Heineken finals for a start. Am I happy we played attractive rugby and lost? NO, I wish we had played :censored: awfull and won as it happens.
"If you want entertainment, go to the theatre," says Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill. "Rugby players play the game to win.15/1/21.
Seeing as how the management/coaching setup is a bit awry, maybe the players have lost confidence in how they are being managed? The Toulon game will be the acid test for the remainder of the season. If the Tigers set stuffed home and away (and based on the Tigers games this season - a real possibility) then the wheels could really fall off for the remainder of the season. Mauger will have a ' full in-tray' when he appears next season to tidy up the mess that may transpire? maybe it is not only certain players that need to be dropped?
Whoever said "one person cannot change the world' never ate undercooked bat
TigerCam wrote:Seeing as how the management/coaching setup is a bit awry, maybe the players have lost confidence in how they are being managed? The Toulon game will be the acid test for the remainder of the season. If the Tigers set stuffed home and away (and based on the Tigers games this season - a real possibility) then the wheels could really fall off for the remainder of the season. Mauger will have a ' full in-tray' when he appears next season to tidy up the mess that may transpire? maybe it is not only certain players that need to be dropped?
There's no evidence to support any of this, the Champions Cup could be one step too far, we will see next week. The wheel's haven't fallen off in previous years when we defeated the Sorries and the Sinners to become English league Champions at Twickenham. Aaron Mauger has been in touch with the club and will no doubt have a lot of the "in tray" dealt with before he lands in blighty.Your lack of confidence in our board is puzzling, this board has us sitting in the best club ground in the world, turning over a profit and consistently competing for silverware(and winning some)each season, failing once in a decade to reach a final and yet you suggest that some one needs to be dropped?
"If you want entertainment, go to the theatre," says Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill. "Rugby players play the game to win.15/1/21.
Do we know who Cocker's post match comments were aimed at? (or should have been aimed at). I imagine judging by some comments (I was at Twickenham) Mele may have been high on the list?
Cut out the errors, and get everyone on the front foot and we can beat Toulon. A fit outside centre wouldn't do any harm either, but we are in a far stronger position than a month ago.
tigerburnie wrote:The performance was good enough to win, I have been at games where we have played magnificently and lost, two Heineken finals for a start. Am I happy we played attractive rugby and lost? NO, I wish we had played :censored: awfull and won as it happens.
Absolutely right TB. It was bad enough over the last few seasons when people on here were criticising the team's performances but now the oxygen of publicity in the press has been given to this view. I say that if this so called Director of Rugby, one Richard Cockerill (or whatever his real name is) doesn't like what he has to watch he should go another club. At least that was your advice to me and others over the past seasons.
It's always better to win ugly than lose - and we were losing ugly at the start of the season.
Still concerned that the backs are misfiring. Ok, but for a high tackle Benjamin would have scored and perhaps a little confidence might have made the win easier.
Against better teams we will need to make better use of the work the pack are doing.
People go on about our backs but I think our forwards are not doing enough to put phases together in order to draw in defences so that our backs have space. In the past our forwards have come wave after wave but at the moment after one or two isolated breaks the ball is lost or passed out too early.
I seriously doubt Cockers has 'lost the dressing room'. IMO if that was so his bum would not touch the ground on the way out OR he would walk. The Loffreda and Meyer sagas show the Board know what is what.
He does not coach the backs and has said so several times - and his input into the forwards has been exemplary IMO.
My take on it is simple - we have not fielded consistent sides, and most times this season we have been struggling with filling positions, with players filling in (e.g. OW at 12). Speaking as an 'ability-light' centre-back, you play with people you don't usually play with, you end up being slower and more predictable or trying to force things - which is EXACTLY what I've seen on the park.
Leicester Tigers 1995-
Nottingham 1995-2000
Swansea (Whites) 1988-95
A game played on grass in the open air by teams of XV.
jgriffin wrote:I seriously doubt Cockers has 'lost the dressing room'. IMO if that was so his bum would not touch the ground on the way out OR he would walk. The Loffreda and Meyer sagas show the Board know what is what.
He does not coach the backs and has said so several times - and his input into the forwards has been exemplary IMO.
My take on it is simple - we have not fielded consistent sides, and most times this season we have been struggling with filling positions, with players filling in (e.g. OW at 12). Speaking as an 'ability-light' centre-back, you play with people you don't usually play with, you end up being slower and more predictable or trying to force things - which is EXACTLY what I've seen on the park.
Agree totally with you JG and seems to be a sensible view. However some on here are totally unforgiving and perhaps the blame culture means that someone is always at fault and no mitigating circumstances are accepted!
jgriffin wrote:I seriously doubt Cockers has 'lost the dressing room'. IMO if that was so his bum would not touch the ground on the way out OR he would walk. The Loffreda and Meyer sagas show the Board know what is what.
He does not coach the backs and has said so several times - and his input into the forwards has been exemplary IMO.
My take on it is simple - we have not fielded consistent sides, and most times this season we have been struggling with filling positions, with players filling in (e.g. OW at 12). Speaking as an 'ability-light' centre-back, you play with people you don't usually play with, you end up being slower and more predictable or trying to force things - which is EXACTLY what I've seen on the park.
Agree totally with you JG and seems to be a sensible view. However some on here are totally unforgiving and perhaps the blame culture means that someone is always at fault and no mitigating circumstances are accepted!
doublecarpet wrote:The back play is the worst in the league. We cannot go through this season with no specialist coaching, it is a joke and not acceptable for the paying public. Including the Saracens game, it was over 100 minutes of home rugby without a visit to the 22 from memory.
Turgid, boring and quite frankly zero value for money.
We've morphed into 90s England.
Time for change.
160 home minutes of Rugby without even a try
Likely to be 240 by next Sunday evening.
Nowadays referees decide matches, players by how much.
