Gallagher Premiership Rugby?

[MikeR]

Exeter away is a challenging start and I shall be surprised if we get anything . We have arranged 3 pre season games against pretty mediocre opposition and expect us to be way off the pace at Sandy Park. On the other hand our 'run in' seems fairly straightforward .

[Leicestertinytiger]

Exeter away is a challenging start and I shall be surprised if we get anything . We have arranged 3 pre season games against pretty mediocre opposition and expect us to be way off the pace at Sandy Park. On the other hand our 'run in' seems fairly straightforward .

Agreed with this, a difficult start! But, the big but, is the run in at the end seems to suit us big time. I can see a classic Tigers end to the season!

[sam16111986]

Exeter away is a challenging start and I shall be surprised if we get anything . We have arranged 3 pre season games against pretty mediocre opposition and expect us to be way off the pace at Sandy Park. On the other hand our 'run in' seems fairly straightforward .

Agreed with this, a difficult start! But, the big but, is the run in at the end seems to suit us big time. I can see a classic Tigers end to the season!

Exeter have Cornish Pirates, Cardiff Blues and Munster. Depends what team Munster field as to whether that is a tougher pre season than ours.

[Rugbyflanker]

I've wrote the Chiefs game off already, terrible start! An LBP is a bonus but expecting a big loss

[Leicestertinytiger]

I've wrote the Chiefs game off already, terrible start! An LBP is a bonus but expecting a big loss

Hoping for a LBP, anything more will be a bonus. Can’t see many teams getting much from Sandy Park so not the end of the world!

[JP14]

I think going into a match with a “Oh we’ll just get a losing bonus point” attitude is a really bad idea that’s just inviting the Chiefs to win, just do what we did at WR last season, strip them off the ball and try to keep the match as scrum-centric as possibly and we could win.

[Leicestertinytiger]

I think going into a match with a “Oh we’ll just get a losing bonus point” attitude is a really bad idea that’s just inviting the Chiefs to win, just do what we did at WR last season, strip them off the ball and try to keep the match as scrum-centric as possibly and we could win.

Obviously every game I want Tigers going into thinking they can win! Of course they can beat Exeter, they have the squad to beat anyone in the premiership! However, if they lost against Exeter first game of the season, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. It also wouldn’t be indicative for the 18/19 season.

[BigDan50]

We have a squad that can beat anyone on the day, unfortunately all the other teams also have squads who can beat anyone on the day.
I think it's going to be a season with some surprising results.
Far to difficult to predict the way the table will finish but can't wait for the season to start.

[JP14]

Ummmm, the opener against Glaws in 2016-17 was a distinct foresight into how topsy-turvy that season was while the opener against Bath last year pretty much summed up the season... disappointing.

[Rugbyflanker]

JP you can't mistake posters expecting a LBP at best and the team doing the same,I'm sure the team go out to win every game.
But there's a saying in boxing circles about an opponent being all wrong for you,fortunately you can avoid fights in boxing but Chiefs are all wrong for us. High possession with a low error count,solid set piece and a pack who regularly carry for many metres in a multi phase game. My stubborn old prop mates won't admit it obviously haha but the scrum isn't a match winner anymore. If two teams are evenly matched then maybe but we dominated the scrum at home to Sarries and away to Chiefs but lost both games. The lineout is far more important these days and ours lags behind the top teams badly!

[Rugbyflanker]

To add,we didn't beat Chiefs at home due to our scrum we won because it was by far our best lineout performance of the season. We completely shut their lineout down,so much so that they were kicking for points rather than kicking for corners which is their usual MO. Hopefully we can repeat that but sadly it looks like a one off!

[JP14]

To add,we didn't beat Chiefs at home due to our scrum we won because it was by far our best lineout performance of the season. We completely shut their lineout down,so much so that they were kicking for points rather than kicking for corners which is their usual MO. Hopefully we can repeat that but sadly it looks like a one off!

Hopefully with Will Spencer and a lot of preseason work by Bakewell, our lineout could improve?

[Rugbyflanker]

Lets hope so JP,I keep believing it will be fixed every season but it's been a very weak point for a good while now!

[johnthegriff]

In the last away game at Exeter we defended really well and were on level terms at halftime despite a strong wind in the Chiefs favour. In the second half we pressed them early on but lacked the nous to get over their line. A couple of individual errors cost us ground and points and then our heads seemed to drop. We were a better team at the end of the season and I believe will be even better at the start of next. To beat Exeter at Sandy Park in the first match is a big ask but it is not impossible we are in with a chance, a good chance and I am looking forward to the contest.

[Leicestertinytiger]

Hoping if we start off from where we finished last season away against Sale, then we could turn Exeter over at home. Depends on how well the pack performs with the new additions, especially the lineout. Surely the forwards have no excuses after a full preseason with Bakewell.