Roly wrote:
Chiefs (and Wasps) demonstrated why Tigers wont have their hands on the trophy anytime soon - unless they can play for 80 minutes (or even a 100) with consistency, week in, week out.
Disagree. They played inconsistently for all the season and got into the play-offs. You only need consistency for the majority of the match in the semi and final. This has been shown numerous times in the past.
You also need to be the better team.
Reaching the play-offs is one thing. Then beating a team who are frankly, in another class, is another.
Tigers were demonstrably fourth best here. All season.
In answer to your last statement, so what? The "best" team does not always win, otherwise the bookies would all be bankrupt.
And you are not going to win the argument by just re-hashing it. "All season" is completely and utterly irrelevant. The only thing that matters prior to the play-offs is getting into them. I would agree that having some form coming into the play-offs help. To illustrate, look back at Wasps in the early years of the play-offs. Or Tigers in 2011(?) when, with many players away at the WC, we were 11th at one point, but reached the final (can't remember if we won).
Finally, against Wasps, who I agree were more successful across the season, Tigers played well, Wasps didn't and almost lost. If they had, would Tigers then have been the better team? On the day, yes. Overall, no.
Cagey Tiger wrote: To illustrate, look back at Wasps in the early years of the play-offs. Or Tigers in 2011(?) when, with many players away at the WC, we were 11th at one point, but reached the final (can't remember if we won).
It was the 2011/12 season. Tigers made a late run at the top four, getting (I think) 25 points from 5 games in a row. They lost to Quins in the final.
I also remember the year Glaws finished the regular season 17 points clear and lost in the final. I sort of take your point about one-off matches - of course it could be anyone, but in reality, it mostly isn't and class comes through. As it did this year.
“It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” Sir Winston Churchill.
No one ever wins a what is the best team argument. What we do know is the rules of the competition and what you need to do to win it. We also know how difficult it is to win both the ERC and Prem or to win an away semi but that it does happen sometimes. It is sport. There are different challenges. They are different ways to win.
Iain wrote:We narrowly lost to the losing finalists. The losing finalists narrowly lost to the champions.
We really weren't a million miles away from winning this guys.
True-ish. I think that you would agree, Iain, that this was one of, if not the best, defensive display from Tigers this season. Also, Wasps were below par for them, in no small part due to the Tigers' efforts. It could have been worse (no point speculating by how much). Agree we are not a million miles away, and did seem to be improving during the last few weeks of the season. When the bookies have us at similar odds to Wasps, Sarries or Exeter when we play them, then I'll know we are back challenging for trophies.
Iain wrote:We narrowly lost to the losing finalists. The losing finalists narrowly lost to the champions.
We really weren't a million miles away from winning this guys.
True-ish. I think that you would agree, Iain, that this was one of, if not the best, defensive display from Tigers this season. Also, Wasps were below par for them, in no small part due to the Tigers' efforts. It could have been worse (no point speculating by how much). Agree we are not a million miles away, and did seem to be improving during the last few weeks of the season. When the bookies have us at similar odds to Wasps, Sarries or Exeter when we play them, then I'll know we are back challenging for trophies.
If Tigers could keep their so-called 'star players' fit, or not sign star players made out of cheese in the first place, then they should be more robust next season.
They're still a class below this year's top three though (and Exeter don't even have the excuse that they are financially 'unsustainable').
“It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” Sir Winston Churchill.
Iain wrote:We narrowly lost to the losing finalists. The losing finalists narrowly lost to the champions.
We really weren't a million miles away from winning this guys.
True-ish. I think that you would agree, Iain, that this was one of, if not the best, defensive display from Tigers this season. Also, Wasps were below par for them, in no small part due to the Tigers' efforts. It could have been worse (no point speculating by how much). Agree we are not a million miles away, and did seem to be improving during the last few weeks of the season. When the bookies have us at similar odds to Wasps, Sarries or Exeter when we play them, then I'll know we are back challenging for trophies.
If Tigers could keep their so-called 'star players' fit, or not sign star players made out of cheese in the first place, then they should be more robust next season.
They're still a class below this year's top three though (and Exeter don't even have the excuse that they are financially 'unsustainable').
However, at the top level in any sport, it isn't just "class" that wins you things cf Clermont (just one example of many).