Teams Up v Newcastle (A)

[WhitecapTiger]

For a thrashing so severe, even people who wont see the game will find it hard to comment on afterwards.

You seem to be taking an awful amount of pleasure in ramping up this 'thrashing' that 'we' are going to get.

IF it happens then deal with the aftermath but to wallow in premature pity is pathetic.

[Roly]

For a thrashing so severe, even people who wont see the game will find it hard to comment on afterwards.

You seem to be taking an awful amount of pleasure in ramping up this 'thrashing' that 'we' are going to get.

IF it happens then deal with the aftermath but to wallow in premature pity is pathetic.

You're right, I should wait until I've seen the game before I make any judgement on performance

[WhitecapTiger]

For a thrashing so severe, even people who wont see the game will find it hard to comment on afterwards.

You seem to be taking an awful amount of pleasure in ramping up this 'thrashing' that 'we' are going to get.

IF it happens then deal with the aftermath but to wallow in premature pity is pathetic.

You're right, I should wait until I've seen the game before I make any judgement on performance

There's nothing wrong with doing it that way around.

[MrPartridge]

I didn't see the game.

We won.

That'll do me. On to the Bath game.

Trust me, you were one of the lucky ones. 2 hours of my life I will never get back. Seriously, the game exemplified the old mantra... 'if you can't be good, be lucky'!

On the positives: better defensively, first time in 18 months we have won back-to-back away AP games (a sad but true fact), lost to Newcastle there last year so nice to reserve that and JPP showing his class.

On the negative: I can't help feel this year we will be nowhere near the pacesetters of Wasps and Saracens. Of course we might get into the Top 4, but is that now the extent of our ambition? I said a while back we seem to be turning into Arsenal. Big problem for me is that RC and the coaches don't have any clue of their best 15 and the majority of the squad is currently fit. Early to say, but I think Bath at home is the litmus-test for our season.

In terms of the 15 debate... can anyone actually muster up stats on Veianu at 15 compared to 14... I suspect his yards made and tries will be more. But what are the actual numbers?

[jgriffin]

Ian Cockerill article

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/a-per ... story.html

Frankly, when IC gets that doomy, I'm getting worried.
IMHO it is time to admit AM/SH is not currently working, and we need to go back to TigersNormal Mode, i.e. down the middle, through the phases, rumble over or spin it when numbers are on our side. Dog-basic rugby.

Two seasons ago, two Tigers retiring forwards said, separately (one in my presence and one to another player who related it), that Tigers had lost a generation who knew how to win even when they should logically have lost. One also said that there was only really Cockers (at that time)who had the spirit, and he couldn't carry the burden of transmitting it to pampered academy players on his own.

[Soggypitch]

I just don't know what to think any more! Good players from last season seem shadows of themselves eg Betham, Tait. Our pack just aren't playing with enough grunt (except Genge)and fight.

Our backs seem "all at sea" with no real confidence in their game plan or each other.

At times like this it has to be a big team bonding session, then back to basic first principles. Give them nothing, play 10 man rugby until we've earned the right to go wide. Pick the players with the biggest hearts, who are fit and completely up for the challenge.

Then we may just have a chance against Bath. I sincerely hope so!!!

[Roly]

I just don't know what to think any more! Good players from last season seem shadows of themselves eg Betham, Tait. Our pack just aren't playing with enough grunt (except Genge)and fight.

Our backs seem "all at sea" with no real confidence in their game plan or each other.

At times like this it has to be a big team bonding session, then back to basic first principles. Give them nothing, play 10 man rugby until we've earned the right to go wide. Pick the players with the biggest hearts, who are fit and completely up for the challenge.

Then we may just have a chance against Bath. I sincerely hope so!!!

I already posted this on another thread, but it seems more appropriate here...


Betham has, for me, been quite easily our worst player this season. Lethargic in attack and absent in defence. However the real issue is not of individual players but a general laziness in working off the ball, exacerbated by the tendency for various players to rush ahead in defence. When it was Manu at route 1 it could be attributed to over exuberance, but since then it has been Burns, Smith, Williams, Betham, JPP.

It is nigh on impossible for any back 3 player to counterattack when they get the ball and no team-mates can be arsed to get back and Bath will exploit that readily. I'd like to think that RC and co recognise this, but alas, I'm not hopeful.

I would be interesting to know how coaching duties are divided up. Is Cockerill just watching?

[kend]

the tendency for various players to rush ahead in defence. When it was Manu at route 1 it could be attributed to over exuberance, but since then it has been Burns, Smith, Williams, Betham, JPP.

I think that is the defence system - player up in the centre to disrupt the play with the set defence moving up behind - a variant of the 'rabbit' defence. They do seem to be struggling to implement it though - the player up too often misses the man and ball tackle you really want. Perhaps lacking a clear defensive leader?

Actually the defence isn't really the issue (all systems break occasionally), the problem is continually losing the ball in attack and then being vulnerable to the counter - Wade's try last week being a perfect example. Tigers are continually in scramble defence mode, which is knackering over the course of 80 minutes.

What I see are issues with execution rather than systemic problems. They are getting into the right areas of the pitch and broadly doing the right things, but the precision isn't there. We've left a lot of points in the opposition 22. It may not settle down until Toomua arrives and we have a stable centre pairing.