Blaze gone

[AngusMcCoatup]

Shame that he couldn't have gone out in a Blaze of Glory

I'll get my coat...

He has certainly "Gone to Blaze's!" - Got the coats!

[mol2]

With everything that is going on in Tom Youngs personal life I just think his head is somewhere else, he just seems a shadow of his former self.
His throwing to the line out has been below average that said the line calling has been very poor to, as someone has already said why can't we tap into Ben Kay as he sits on the board?

Why tap into Kay?
Why not get an experienced coach?

Why would you assume a retired pilot would have the skills to build a plane?

Playing and coaching are not the same and having been a good player is not the sole requisite to being a good coach let alone at a senior level at England's biggest professional club. It helps but there is more to it than that.

Our line out stats have fallen this year but one of the key issues over the past few seasons has been a lack of cutting edge in the driving maul with lots of drives going nowhere because we haven't got the cohesion and the ability to move the attack point quickly enough to prevent the opposition from resetting their defence. That's not just down to the hooker!

[Roly]

With everything that is going on in Tom Youngs personal life I just think his head is somewhere else, he just seems a shadow of his former self.
His throwing to the line out has been below average that said the line calling has been very poor to, as someone has already said why can't we tap into Ben Kay as he sits on the board?

Why tap into Kay?
Why not get an experienced coach?

Why would you assume a retired pilot would have the skills to build a plane?

Playing and coaching are not the same and having been a good player is not the sole requisite to being a good coach let alone at a senior level at England's biggest professional club. It helps but there is more to it than that.

Our line out stats have fallen this year but one of the key issues over the past few seasons has been a lack of cutting edge in the driving maul with lots of drives going nowhere because we haven't got the cohesion and the ability to move the attack point quickly enough to prevent the opposition from resetting their defence. That's not just down to the hooker!

Plumtree is the obvious choice in my opinion.

[strawclearer]

Why would you assume a retired pilot would have the skills to build a plane? Playing and coaching are not the same and having been a good player is not the sole requisite to being a good coach let alone at a senior level at England's biggest professional club. It helps but there is more to it than that.

As analogies go - that's about the best I've seen!

[JP14]

That's why Eddie Jones said that one-test wonders make the best coaches

[cpwhelan]

Although I can see why Ben Kay would not want to get involved in coaching, his knowledge, contacts and experience should be invaluable but what I'd like to know is, given all his attributes and qualities, what does he bring to the Board - I'm not criticising at all - I just would like to know his responsibilities on the Board. Can anyone tell me?

[rocktop51]

I have to confess that being out of the country I have only just picked this up.

Couple of points or so

1 surely the team know what a lineout does
2 apart from calls should they not have the techniques already
3 IMHO Blaze was given a job based on early retirement/international potential

OK guys - waiting to be shot down

[AngusMcCoatup]

Why tap into Kay?
Why not get an experienced coach?

Why would you assume a retired pilot would have the skills to build a plane!
[/quote]
We are talking about Ben Kay not the Underwoods RAF Rory & ex Easyjet Tony.
Please leave Ben in the background - on the Box and on the Board. We certainly do not want the lineout jumpers in his trademark dayglow orange gloves thankyou.

[ABClub]

I have to confess that being out of the country I have only just picked this up.

Couple of points or so

1 surely the team know what a lineout does
2 apart from calls should they not have the techniques already
3 IMHO Blaze was given a job based on early retirement/international potential

OK guys - waiting to be shot down

It's surprising how easily timings can fall apart at the line-out. It seems ridiculous at professional level but sides in the Prem fall apart in the line-out every season, some recover from it and others don't. Given it was such a strength for so long it is very hard to swallow as a Tigers fan. It is also unacceptable for it to be as incompetent as it has been from a side with these players and resources.

The simplest line-out model in the professional era is the Matfield built Bok machine of 06/07. Matfield has described that line-out many times as relying on "action beats reaction". The Bok placed their best jumper (Matfield) in the middle of the line with two strong lifters and backed their hooker to hit him at the top of his jump. The opposition knew as well as the Boks did where the ball was going 9 times out of 10 but if SA executed their basics they were rarely challenged.

The best line-outs use movement as a change up to shift a defences attention, rather than complicated moves as a go to on most throws.

I'd like to see Tigers return to a simpler line-out and back their strongest jumpers to win ball under pressure. If that means picking Crofty then I say fantastic. The line-out is the most important attacking platform in the game now. If Croft can secure us that platform then he would have been invaluable in the last 3 games.

[Scott11]

SA still do it now,Etzebeth takes nearly 90% of lineout ball

[mol2]

Relying on a single jumper is fine providing the throw is absolutely accurate and timed perfectly AND the jumper/lifter is better than their opponent.

However jumpers like the two South African individuals mentioned are pretty special and to expect Tigers or any club to have a jumper who is figuratively and literally head and shoulders above their opponents is unlikely, so you have to have options to avoid the opponents simply putting their big bloke against your big bloke.

Teams usually have 2 or ideally 3 options to lift at the line out it effectively means that simply chucking up someone in front of your main jumper won't disrupt your line out if their big bloke is bigger!

You know who you are throwing to - the opposition have to guess which of 3 to compete against. This is where the likes of Croft and Moody make a difference - sides can't just cover the locks if you have a back row who can jump too.

[RagingBull]

Interesting that MOC on Radio Leicester is emphasising experience when it comes to a forwards coach esp experiance in the lineout.

Thorn was mentioned, but MOC said he wants someone who has more than 12 months coaching experience.

Will be interesting who they might have in mind.


Will still prob end up with Deacon.

[Mark62]

Which Deacon ? Louis has been doing a fine job with England u20s very much under the radar

[RagingBull]

Which Deacon ? Louis has been doing a fine job with England u20s very much under the radar

Brett

[GETHIN EXILE]

I read with interest the comments about the driving maul. We have struggled with this aspect of the game since the laws were changed and the side going forward were denied the put in if the maul becomes 'unplayable'. Teams have become better at getting on the wrong side of the ball and preventing the scrum half from retrieving the ball even if it does get to the floor. The other problem is that if you turn a maul into a ruck, which is perfectly legal to do, the referee will 99% of the time give a knock on against you even if you clearly put the ball down.