Tigers Vs Gloucester

[Scott11]

Bold selections,where? Barrow and Kitchener were crocked and Williams and Hamilton were near ever presents last season. Firced changes certainly not visionary!

[Scott11]

So hes too short to throw now scrum changed when he came on (nothing to do with Bateman then?) Your little digs are getting seriously boring now!

[cowmadiddy]

It's a win - ugly yes, at home yes, we are going to have to raise our game to beat harlequins who are a much stronger opposition at home.
But there are positives, I think Ford was very good with his flat passing and when everyone learns to play his way we will get over the gain line more and more - boring I know, but especially when he has tuilangi and Toomua for a full 80 it is an exciting prospect - although agree that Smith was one of our best players. B Youngs much improved performance with quicker ball. And we blooded some new players, all did themselves proud.
We have a win, which builds confidence and gives us momentum - will we be good enough by next.week? It will need to be like the first 20 mins for the rest of the game - not sure we're there yet.
Plus all teams in the premiership lost a game in their first 2 - it's an exciting season this year with some great teams - I couldn't pick the top 4 yet.

[strawclearer]

Plus all teams in the premiership lost a game in their first 2 - it's an exciting season this year with some great teams - I couldn't pick the top 4 yet.

Except for Wasps.

And Newcastle.

[ellis9]

Plus all teams in the premiership lost a game in their first 2 - it's an exciting season this year with some great teams - I couldn't pick the top 4 yet.

Except for Wasps.

And Newcastle.

Neither did Bath.

So a quarter of the league didn't lose a game in the opening 2 rounds.

[cowmadiddy]

Ok - bad use of (non) facts

Still think it's a really exciting year for the premiership

[MrPartridge]

Ugly win indeed. Didn't look exactly at the stats but Gloucester conceded >15 penalties and >15 turnovers. They were simply awful. We must have kicked for the corner 4/5 times but couldn't get the 4th try. Lineout is village. No one with any class to control the game on either side.

I'll take the win but we need a sharp improvement or we'll lose at Quins and home to Exeter IMO.

[Jimmy Skitz]

has a team ever conceded as many penalties as Gloucester did and not had a team yellow card for it?

[voice of the crumbie]

has a team ever conceded as many penalties as Gloucester did and not had a team yellow card for it?

See the comments on the Maxwell-Keys thread re this.

[wellstiger]

Pretty it was not.
However for me a change was required and the introduction of Papa, Malouf etc was a positive.
They need to bed in properly and game time at the furnace will be the best tonic- Confidence will come in those rolls.
What we all have been whinging about was the need for change. Me above all others. And guilty as charged. But I could see shoots of growth.Yes we are flat in attack - handling was better. An 80 min game rather than 40 would have been preferable
Given - against better teams we would have struggled. So when would you try new pairings?
Sort the lineout as a priority. As AH alluded to- make it simple and effective.

For me Matt Smith take a bow. My man of the match.

[BFG]

Agree with that in the main wellstiger.
Doesn't really matter how good anyone thinks we are or not, what really matters is not allowing the opposition to play and they did that first half, and the rest will hopefully come as the points did yesterday.

[MikeR]

I thought our game took a downward spiral when Toomua went off - his understanding with Ford gets better and better and he is an excellent tackler . Tait is a very ordinary player these days and his pace has gone sadly . Ben Youngs much sharper and Maloof will be fine .
We won and that is a positive , but clearly something is very wrong with the forwards - lineout almost completely inneffective , perhaps only Genge , Williams and Hamilton with any go forward . Croft ( one of the best lineout forwards of his generation) is not being picked even in our present predicament and I find that very hard to understand .

[Voyager1]

Toomua looked really good and his reading of the game, resulting in timely covering tackles were also excellent. Nick Malouf is not a huge chap but never takes a step back in the tackle, he made some telling hits in the second half, and he is very sharp at pace. Both excellent prospects.

[MrPartridge]

Easy 5 points for us next week then after Quins 24-21 win at Wasps today! Smith at 10 looks some prospect. Not sure if next week is a bigger test for him or Ford!

[Mark62]

Easy 5 points for us next week then after Quins 24-21 win at Wasps today! Smith at 10 looks some prospect. Not sure if next week is a bigger test for him or Ford!

Yes and no. Wasps loss of 2 starting flankers affected them and no body really got at Smith. Haskell seems to have got slower if that's possible.
Also very physical encounter with only 6 day turn round for Quins and potential loss of Marler with what looked like a rib injury.
As an aside Wasps looked very ordinary at times with no Goparth and no Beale