Tigers v Quins

[DeadlyDunc]

Come on,we never played scintillating rugby when he was here before. The top scorers were usually P.Tyr,R.Maul and W.Alkin.

2010/11 - 67 tries / 8 TBP
2011/12 - 70 tries / 9 TBP
2012/13 - 56 tries / 7 TBP

Top try scorers each year, most try bonus points, Manu, Alesana, Scott Hamilton, Thompstone all in the top try scorers lists of the various seasons.

I’m not happy with how we are playing at the moment but you can’t rewrite history to suit the argument now.

We played some great stuff across these seasons ran in tries from all areas and were good to watch in the main playing a forward driven game with backs capable of individual bits of magic but also cohesive as a unit with AA, YBY & TF controlling midfield.

Not unlike a certain current Exeter team who are consistently bandied round (and not unreasonably) as the team we should emulate in style.

Guess why? Cause it’s similar to how we used to play when we were successful.

Why can’t MOC do it now? Maybe he’s not a head coach, maybe he’s not got the players, maybe he’s not got or had the coaches or maybe he needs more time.

I am guessing it’s all of the above to greater or lesser degrees.

[Rugbyflanker]

Some great stuff at times but most trys were walkins after forward grunt. Wasps like we certainly went,now they play great stuff at times.

[Dr H Flashman MBE]

I may be wrong or classed as a happy clapper, but I am sure we won yesterday? Yes loads needs working on, but we won. We managed to break the gainline and looked quite aggressive. I am not naive to think we are sorted but at we won and by a good few points. Let’s look at it positively rather than negatively.
It could be as I am 40 today and had a couple of beers but we won and I am happy that we showed fight.

[Rugbyflanker]

Happy birthday! Great win but let's not forget Wasps have just put 44 points on them with 14 men at The Stoop where Quins are historically better. We were second best for 60 minutes IMO.

[G.K]

Those of us around during MOC's previous tenure saw the same problem, lateral, flat and no incision. You have to remember he had oldskool players who would have the cojones to play what was in front of them (e.g. Flood using the short inside ball to a deep runner, as he did for England with Ashton))and alter a playbook move, and some rare talents such as Scottie who in his pomp scored some touchline beauties. We almost never seem to play with runners from deep this season.
It really depends on the players you have - that's where I like To'omua at 10, our match changed as he grew into the game and started to play heads-up.

Yes I had the impression that Tigers improved when Matt threw MoC's play by numbers game plan away. I think Harrison was suffering from that also.

We also had a proper pack last time MoC was here and as for running lines then most Tigers players should be charged for loitering without intent.

[jgriffin]

The problem previously was the point of attack was switched laterally often isolating players, and the flat formation meant players received the ball statically. This was happening to some degree yesterday.

[ellis9]

Come on,we never played scintillating rugby when he was here before. The top scorers were usually P.Tyr,R.Maul and W.Alkin.

Ah yes! These were beautiful to see. Why oh why are we trying to change from that wonderful, successful formula?!

I remember when we had a line out about 10-15 metres from the opposition try line feeling very confident that we would win the line out, set up a perfect maul, drive the maul towards and over the try line and see a Tigers forward stand back up having scored a try.

I remember when having a scrum 5 metres from the try line, feeling very confident that we would put huge pressure on the opposition, force penalty after penalty from them, take more scrums and then get a penalty try and an opponent sometimes sin binned.

Ah, those were the days! What I'd do to see us play like that again now!

[WiggoTiger]

Come on,we never played scintillating rugby when he was here before. The top scorers were usually P.Tyr,R.Maul and W.Alkin.

Ah yes! These were beautiful to see. Why oh why are we trying to change from that wonderful, successful formula?!

I remember when we had a line out about 10-15 metres from the opposition try line feeling very confident that we would win the line out, set up a perfect maul, drive the maul towards and over the try line and see a Tigers forward stand back up having scored a try.

I remember when having a scrum 5 metres from the try line, feeling very confident that we would put huge pressure on the opposition, force penalty after penalty from them, take more scrums and then get a penalty try and an opponent sometimes sin binned.

Ah, those were the days! What I'd do to see us play like that again now!

Those were the good old days of success, the sight of Neil Back getting up with the ball after scoring tries from 5m line outs and any number 8 smiling after push over tries.
Sadly until the forward grunt and control come back these sights will not be seen for a long time.

[Soggypitch]

Well I've not had chance to read all the comments but I was there and my take is;

1. We were 2nd best for an hour.
2. The forwards played better, especially Bateman and BOC.
3. We looked terrible in the backs for an hour, far too lateral and constantly spilling the ball, Quins on the other hand looked very sharp in the backs and always seemed to make big territorial gains.
4. We are a team massively lacking in confidence, the best example being kicking for goal when we were awarded a 5m scrum in front of the posts with Quins down to 14.
5. Two pieces of magic from Toomua won us the game. He must stay at 10 until George returns.
6. We should take confidence from the win and hopefully kick on.
7. I enjoyed the day, it was good to be back at Welford Rd and watching a win!

[Rugbyflanker]

Kitchener was very good too as was Williams defensively, poor on the carry again though sadly!

[ourla]

Rather damning report from Ian C in the Merc

To be fair to the coaches and players I don't think any of them would claim this was a top performance and all is rosey. They got a result and there were a few green shoots. That is all.

There are worse times to play Sarries at their place. And with Toomua now safely installed at 10 there is at least hope. As Keegan would say "I'd love us to win down there, I really would". It could that we need to though as Bath, Gloucester and Newcastle could easily all win on Saturday and leave us 9/10 points adrift.

We really are into one game at a time territory.

[Big Dai]

So.......Matt and George? Or Matt or George? That, for me, is an important question.

Toomua for me!
Ford has massive talent but Toomua is Farrell like in the size of his cajones!
Toomua did grow into it and teased the defensive line like I have not seen this season!
On yesterday's display and given Manu's injury record I think Leicester have made a massive recruitment gaffe, we should be watching Toomua at 10 along with Freddie, with the Ford money spent on two world class centres, or one centre and a forward!

Glad it's not just me!

[RagingBull]

So.......Matt and George? Or Matt or George? That, for me, is an important question.

Toomua for me!
Ford has massive talent but Toomua is Farrell like in the size of his cajones!
Toomua did grow into it and teased the defensive line like I have not seen this season!
On yesterday's display and given Manu's injury record I think Leicester have made a massive recruitment gaffe, we should be watching Toomua at 10 along with Freddie, with the Ford money spent on two world class centres, or one centre and a forward!

ford's on the same money virtually as Burns so not sure how you would get the 2 World class centres or one centre and a forward.

[h's dad]

So.......Matt and George? Or Matt or George? That, for me, is an important question.

Toomua for me!
Ford has massive talent but Toomua is Farrell like in the size of his cajones!
Toomua did grow into it and teased the defensive line like I have not seen this season!
On yesterday's display and given Manu's injury record I think Leicester have made a massive recruitment gaffe, we should be watching Toomua at 10 along with Freddie, with the Ford money spent on two world class centres, or one centre and a forward!

ford's on the same money virtually as Burns so not sure how you would get the 2 World class centres or one centre and a forward.

Not quite sure about that RB, and also there's the fee paid by Tigers to Bath to facilitate the transfer which, as well as being a cost, should also be included in the salary cap unless the lawyers claim to have found a loophole.

[RagingBull]

Toomua for me!
Ford has massive talent but Toomua is Farrell like in the size of his cajones!
Toomua did grow into it and teased the defensive line like I have not seen this season!
On yesterday's display and given Manu's injury record I think Leicester have made a massive recruitment gaffe, we should be watching Toomua at 10 along with Freddie, with the Ford money spent on two world class centres, or one centre and a forward!

ford's on the same money virtually as Burns so not sure how you would get the 2 World class centres or one centre and a forward.

Not quite sure about that RB, and also there's the fee paid by Tigers to Bath to facilitate the transfer which, as well as being a cost, should also be included in the salary cap unless the lawyers claim to have found a loophole.

There will be 100K max (From what i gather Burns is on around 400K Ford 450K) between the 2 which would only really get you a average player.

And Transfer fees between two clubs are not included in the cap so no lawyers needed or loophole.