Cockerill's message to us

[sapajo]

"Tigers have to improve and evolve"

http://bit.ly/1LzeHAE

[Spicer]

He just blames the injury list again.

[jgriffin]

He just blames the injury list again.

So it wasn't a factor, then? How would you have managed things, then?

[Spicer]

Of course it is a factor. But he has been saying this line all season. Every club has to deal with injuries, not just Tigers.

[TigerLad]

Of course it is a factor. But he has been saying this line all season. Every club has to deal with injuries, not just Tigers.

I wonder how Bath would have done without Ford, Eastmond, Wilson, Joseph, Banahan, Attwood, Houston and Watson for months of the season, because that's the calibre of player we have been without all season. I dare say they wouldn't be anywhere near the final.

[tigerburnie]

Typical of the man, tells it like it is, not hiding behind the statistics, just stating the facts.

[Rykard]

How many other teams can drag out results when so many key players are missing?
Stains, quins, sarriesm wasps certainly can't. Bath exeter we dont know yet...

[Spicer]

Of course it is a factor. But he has been saying this line all season. Every club has to deal with injuries, not just Tigers.

I wonder how Bath would have done without Ford, Eastmond, Wilson, Joseph, Banahan, Attwood, Houston and Watson for months of the season, because that's the calibre of player we have been without all season. I dare say they wouldn't be anywhere near the final.

We were nearly at full strength today in our starting line up. Forwards were, but with no Mulipola on the bench. Croft has barely played for years anyway.
Fair enough the centers weren't really first team, although Tait is a very good player and has played at 13 internationally. Williams and burns are a similar level. Benjamin and Tompstone as well. Morris is not quite at Tait's level but is still a good full back.
The subs bench was weaker than it could be. But our starting 15 were close to our optimum starting 15.

[Tigerbeat]

Bath have had a settled side for most of the season. Tigers have had to use different combinations to cover during the injury crisis and have not had the luxury of a settled side. They have ground out results to get into 3rd place....pretty or not!

[The Boy Dave]

Bath have had a settled side for most of the season. Tigers have had to use different combinations to cover during the injury crisis and have not had the luxury of a settled side. They have ground out results to get into 3rd place....pretty or not!

Well put!
I was looking forward to seeing players such as Manu and Benjamin build a relationship on the pitch but unfortunately it's not been possible.
Bath's backs and forwards to some extent are very settled.
Consider that Leicester could have had backs like Williams, Allen, Manu and Benjamin out on the pitch and it changes things especially if they are settled as a group, suddenly there are options like maybe Burns, Tait, Morris or Thompstone off the bench, in the forwards it's similar with the likes of Croft and Parling.
All of that pressure yesterday against Bath would have turned into many more points had Tuilagi and others been available!

[Jimmy Skitz]

wasn't pretty but they gave themselves a chance by reaching the play-offs but basic errors rather than injuries were at fault in that match in the end.

The need to evolve yes look at how Bath used their backs compared to tigers 1 pass and bash method, though I suspect that will change with Mauger coming in. They also need to look at everything from how the players prepare, recover and train to do something about the appalling injuries the past few years, you can only blame luck for so long after that it MUST be something you are doing

[TigerLad]

Of course it is a factor. But he has been saying this line all season. Every club has to deal with injuries, not just Tigers.

I wonder how Bath would have done without Ford, Eastmond, Wilson, Joseph, Banahan, Attwood, Houston and Watson for months of the season, because that's the calibre of player we have been without all season. I dare say they wouldn't be anywhere near the final.

We were nearly at full strength today in our starting line up. Forwards were, but with no Mulipola on the bench. Croft has barely played for years anyway.
Fair enough the centers weren't really first team, although Tait is a very good player and has played at 13 internationally. Williams and burns are a similar level. Benjamin and Tompstone as well. Morris is not quite at Tait's level but is still a good full back.
The subs bench was weaker than it could be. But our starting 15 were close to our optimum starting 15.

Yep, I agree with you. What I meant was that if Bath were without those players earlier in the season I doubt that they would have finished second and that they would have played with the level of confidence that only familiarity can breed.

[ukjohno]

Having read the posts since Saturday's debacle, which ever side of the fence you sit on in regard to this great clubs current demise, the one escapable fact is that our back line from 9 -15 who were on the pitch that day, were not/are not good enough in terms of basic talent when compared to the Bath players. If you merged to the two teams together, not one of the Leics backs would make it into the team., likewise not one of the leics back row on that display on Saturday would make it either. Leaving just the front 5 who performed heroically and demolished their counterparts. That's the scale of the problem facing us, we need quality players in that back line to build on the excellent work of the front 5 who could take on many international front 5's and come out on top. No emotion, no drama, just plain facts we need new faces who can play, make the line breaks and have the speed to run down the opposition.

[Big Dai]

And Cockers played where? Loyal, dogged, red green and white to the core, ABC to the core. A tight 5 forward and arguably the second best forwards coach in the country. The best, by a fine margin, being his erstwhile colleague Wig.

The change MUST come in the backs in tactics, personnel and management. This is why Mauger will be so important. Whether cockers will loose the reigns and allow new ideas makes me a little nervous.

But I'm looking forward to it. In a strange masochistic, Remy soaked, behind the sofa sort of way.

[GS]

Some of us have been saying for a couple of seasons that the club needs to change and move on to keep up with the modern game and even dared to say that at times we've been dire. Doom mongers, not real fans, go and support another team if that's how you feel.

The Director of Rugby says we need to evolve and move on as a club and he's praised for his honesty and vision. He says we've been rubbish but isn't told to go and support another club.

I worry that he's still looking for firepower to open defences, a forwards view - just keep pushing harder something will give - not use guile and skill to open them or run round them. Still, he eventually got the first message so I suppose there's hope yet. Mauger's got a big job to do, let's hope he's allowed to get on with it.