The Boy Dave wrote:Well beaten today by a better team who were in control.
They were almost as turgid as we were (first 3 minutes apart). Sarries must have been licking their lips.
The Boy Dave wrote:Should've been 26-9 had a perfectly good try been awarded to Racing which would've been a fairer reflection of the game.
Perfectly good there was a clear forward pass It was comparable to the forward pass by Tait that gave them the scrum!
After the first 5 minutes they didn't look like scoring.
Whilst it didn't affect the result I didn't think it was one of Nigel's better games (see the two penalties against Cole when it was clearly their loose head dipping his outside shoulder and turning in) but he let us hold on to the ball for a long time on the deck. I can't remember many penalties for holding on but I felt they could have been awarded 3 or 4 more.
I do like Bateman's attitude - goes in looking to beat defenders if he can, then looks for the offload but doesn't force it - twice he was looking for the pass but decided it was too speculative so pulled it back in and recycled.
champanzie wrote:I don't think I have ever seen as bad of a game as that
Stop showing how few games you have watched. You could probably pick any one of at least a dozen last season for a worse performance. Or how about against Sale at home this season, or Sarries away? To name a few. Yes, our inability to hold onto the ball for more than a couple of phases killed us so many times, but not everything was bad. I had thought our scrum would struggle and was pleasantly surprised when we were shoving them backwards at times.
Tigers won 1 penalty at the scrum...?
That 1 penalty was the only positive to the game. Who wants to watch a game with constant knock-on's, scrum after scrum and a team that can't even put a set move together or break the defence line. So in my view it was the worst game I have even seen. They are meant to be professional players who get paid to play the game full time and they could not even catch or string together more than 2 passes
champanzie wrote:I don't think I have ever seen as bad of a game as that
Stop showing how few games you have watched. You could probably pick any one of at least a dozen last season for a worse performance. Or how about against Sale at home this season, or Sarries away? To name a few. Yes, our inability to hold onto the ball for more than a couple of phases killed us so many times, but not everything was bad. I had thought our scrum would struggle and was pleasantly surprised when we were shoving them backwards at times.
Tigers won 1 penalty at the scrum...?
That 1 penalty was the only positive to the game. Who wants to watch a game with constant knock-on's, scrum after scrum and a team that can't even put a set move together or break the defence line. So in my view it was the worst game I have even seen. They are meant to be professional players who get paid to play the game full time and they could not even catch or string together more than 2 passes
Doom monger alert...........Must have left early before we scored that try at the end......
Should've been 26-9 had a perfectly good try been awarded to Racing which would've been a fairer reflection of the game.
Perfectly good there was a clear forward pass It was comparable to the forward pass by Tait that gave them the scrum!
What on earth are you carrying on about?
The intercept which was wrongly brought back for a deliberate knock on was a perfectly good try!
It would've put the score at 24-9 with an easy conversion to come.
I believe Owen's apologised to the Racing players for the glaring error in pulling play back and then to compound the error he gave the put in at the scrum restart to Tigers.
The City Ground...what a dump !! Tigers outplayed...seemed to run everything and got quite bored of the side to side attacking. Should have mixed it up a bit with a kicking game ? Can't believe the scrum penalties given away when we seemed to have the upper hand.
Should've been 26-9 had a perfectly good try been awarded to Racing which would've been a fairer reflection of the game.
Perfectly good there was a clear forward pass It was comparable to the forward pass by Tait that gave them the scrum!
What on earth are you carrying on about?
The intercept which was wrongly brought back for a deliberate knock on was a perfectly good try!
It would've put the score at 24-9 with an easy conversion to come.
I believe Owen's apologised to the Racing players for the glaring error in pulling play back and then to compound the error he gave the put in at the scrum restart to Tigers.
I thought you meant the try he awarded and TMO called back to half way whilst the conversion was being lined up (linesman really should have got that in real time).
The only intercept I remember being called back was definitely a knock on and possibly should have been a penalty. He was consulting with the TMO regarding hand action and explained to both captains good decision. Tait looked bemused as a downwards hand usually means a penalty
The only intercept I remember being called back was definitely a knock on and possibly should have been a penalty. He was consulting with the TMO regarding hand action and explained to both captains good decision.
You need to take a look at it again, I haven't seen it again and I wasn't sure myself at the time but I am told it was a perfectly good try.
The pass was behind our man and it was not touched by anyone.
A sincere apology was made for the error so I am told.
You need to take a look at it again, I haven't seen it again and I wasn't sure myself at the time but I am told it was a perfectly good try.
The pass was behind our man and it was not touched by anyone.
A sincere apology was made for the error so I am told.
Yes this, the pass was so far behind the man, the Racing 11 couldn't reach it. Nigel Owens apologised for the error several,times and the Racing captain asked for the try to be given hence Taits look of bemusement! Interestingly it was Owens who noticed his error, not the TMO.
I think people are getting hung up on a lot of peripheral stuff. It's clear that we butchered plenty of good opportunities because of handling errors. At this level, we had a decent enough platform to work with. It's disappointing but better than being beaten and thinking there was nothing you could have done about it.
Can only hope Sarries tire themselves out in the final before we come to the Allianz in the play offs!
Couldn't hold onto the ball long enough to sustain attacks against a well organised defence. Coughed up too many turnovers and knock ons especially by the forwards.
Scrum went better than I thought however by taking too long and faffing around getting the ref's attention every time a scrum went against us, Young's delays converted back foot ball to penalties for Racing. His passes seemed to be ankle high or over the head.
Tait still goes into the tackle too upright seemingly having learned nothing since Gavin Henson slung him backwards on his test debut all those years ago &
Kitchener seems to have the same problem - big bloke but lacks the physicality we saw from the Sarries second row players yesterday.
Unfortunate for Burns as he has been on good form recently although Williams looked more his old self when he came on.
Fonua - big but that seems to be the sum total. Perhaps he should convert to second row?
Too many handling errors and a lot of players Imo didn't turn up.
Racing are a good side but not a great one, physical but this game was for the taking. The Dan Carter hype didn't live upto it's billing, thought he had a quiet game.
Not sure why Sam didn't come on second half in place of Ben Youngs, to me Ben looks tired, his ball distribution is too slow and all over the place and needs to go out to graze for the summer and have a long rest!
But in a transitional season with the moulding of a new team, we made a European semi final, bar a major hiccup we will be in another Premiership semi and with the chance of another final and maybe silverware. We've made some great signings this year with more coming into the squad for next, it's looking good.
Couldn't agree more about the City Ground. A real dump.
I went to the toilet at the end- no water in the toilets or the taps and I was told it was like that in the gents as well. A clear health hazard and no-one to alert. We are owed an explanation and an apology but I don't think I'll hold my breath. Unlike in the loos at the ground.
There were lots of security staff though, with nothing to do, of course. Didn't they realise this is rugby?
there was a clear forward pass 
It was comparable to the forward pass by Tait that gave them the scrum!
