big john wrote: ↑Tue Aug 21, 2018 6:58 am
Yeah RC has done well up there............. Half the Scotland squad in there really helps on that front along with some good mercs.
Give Tigers half the England squad and I'm sure MoC would have a much better time.
If you followed Edinburgh before RC got there then you would know you're speaking complete rubbish. There are only 2 teams in Scotland, Edinburgh has always had a lot of Scottish internationals.
biffer is the resident expert on Edinburgh - see what he/she thinks of RC's performance.
I'd agree about Biffer! AFAIK Edinburgh began to increase their number of Scottish internationals after RC arrived, prior to that the national team had more Glasgow representation.
I disagree about the better players seeming happier after RC left, they were happy to flex their new influence via conduits into the BoD and wanted to play NZ style, not forward dominated RC style. We are now back trying to redevelop the forwards dominated style. The 'senior player' influence to me is one of a number of disruptive influences.
RC has moved on big time; following his Toulon adventure and his commitment to Edinburgh, he has developed and is in a different coach/DOR league. I do not want to see him return as I am happy for the bloke and the way things have turned out, and think the BoD has got us into the doo-doo, and has to get us out before the 'brand' turns sour.
Leicester Tigers 1995-
Nottingham 1995-2000
Swansea (Whites) 1988-95
A game played on grass in the open air by teams of XV.
Simply put, English players in general are light years behind in technique behind the New Zealand players
There is not a cat in hells chance of changing them when they get past a certain age
Its just the same in cricket, squash, tennis, we are not an outdoor Nation, we just mix and match
Forward domination in Northern Hemisphere Rugby is paramount, and then if you have backs to match, sometimes it all gels .
big john wrote: ↑Tue Aug 21, 2018 6:58 am
Yeah RC has done well up there............. Half the Scotland squad in there really helps on that front along with some good mercs.
Give Tigers half the England squad and I'm sure MoC would have a much better time.
If you followed Edinburgh before RC got there then you would know you're speaking complete rubbish. There are only 2 teams in Scotland, Edinburgh has always had a lot of Scottish internationals.
biffer is the resident expert on Edinburgh - see what he/she thinks of RC's performance.
I'd agree about Biffer! AFAIK Edinburgh began to increase their number of Scottish internationals after RC arrived, prior to that the national team had more Glasgow representation.
I disagree about the better players seeming happier after RC left, they were happy to flex their new influence via conduits into the BoD and wanted to play NZ style, not forward dominated RC style. We are now back trying to redevelop the forwards dominated style. The 'senior player' influence to me is one of a number of disruptive influences.
RC has moved on big time; following his Toulon adventure and his commitment to Edinburgh, he has developed and is in a different coach/DOR league. I do not want to see him return as I am happy for the bloke and the way things have turned out, and think the BoD has got us into the doo-doo, and has to get us out before the 'brand' turns sour.
Well put jg! Sums up the situation perfectly.
Tigers for the premiership and European Cup. Get behind the team and make some noise!!
Should never go back, he has been successful. Find some of the postings on RC a bit odd - yes things went bad for him at Tigers, but he can't be the only contributor to that? Lets not forget, it has hardly got better since he left
and yet - he did positive things with Toulon - granted though with the resources he should do
However at Edinburgh he has taken a team that couldn't tackle, attack, ruck or maul and turned them into a competitive and combative side. The Scottish contingent has increased there because of how they are playing, not in spite of him being there. He is obviously doing something right... wish we were
Things had got stale under Cockerill. It happens sometimes. The recruitment was poor and the inability or the club and Cockerill to forge a working relationship with a backs and defence coach left the club under performing.
Cockerill is a good coach and the perfect choice to rejuvenate a failing Edinburgh team.
Bakewell has come in and made a good impression. If we can build on the final day Vs Sale then there are many positives to be had next season. If we fail to learn the lessons of last season then this season will be another difficult watch.
Bakewell made an initial impression, but that levelled out and although there was an improvement, old habits crept back in (breakdown, penaltiesgiven away etc). The hope is that with what we had, plus Spencer (physicality/grunt), Denton (carries/breakdown) and Thompson (carries/breakdown & physicality) should see an improvement.....quicker and clean ball to play with even ? To allow the backs some front foot ball and cause a few problems for the opposition. Easy for me to say.
westwinds31 wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 5:53 pm
Bakewell made an initial impression, but that levelled out and although there was an improvement, old habits crept back in (breakdown, penaltiesgiven away etc). The hope is that with what we had, plus Spencer (physicality/grunt), Denton (carries/breakdown) and Thompson (carries/breakdown & physicality) should see an improvement.....quicker and clean ball to play with even ? To allow the backs some front foot ball and cause a few problems for the opposition. Easy for me to say.
Given that Thompson is out till Xmas apparently, that's a problem. If you don't see Spencer, Eastmond, Tait, Bateman, Cole on Friday, count that as another concealed set of issues.
Leicester Tigers 1995-
Nottingham 1995-2000
Swansea (Whites) 1988-95
A game played on grass in the open air by teams of XV.
RC was due a change, and the Edinburgh job was ideal for him. The requirements and pressures were different to those he left behind, and there is no doubt that he has tackled them well.
The current problems at Tigers are different again, and the slide and it’s consequences are partly of his making. He is not the man to resolve them.
I agree with those who believe that you should never go back to a job you have left. MOC did, and his competence has been exposed, and old issues and questions of his style have raised their heads again.
How much of the responsibility for Tigers decline rests with the board, (and MOC supporter SC in particular), also has to be addressed.
Can the board be honest enough to examine their own part in this saga? If not, who can be relied on to do the job?
As I have said many times I think the Board were wrong to sack Cocker but I accept Fleabanes point that maybe things had become a bit stale and it was time for change. I personally believe that the problems we had in the latter years of Cockers reign were simply an inability to keep a fit midfield even second and third choice centres became ill or injured, then we recruited a young backs coach as head coach and gave him possibly too big a say in recruitment, unfortunately there was also a difference in rugby philosophy between the head coach and the forwards coach who was also D.O.R , not a good situation. This all led to M.O.C coming in, his role was to sort out the playing squad by whatever means within the budget and to get us winning. It was never going to happen overnight, however finishing fifth is not acceptable for a club of our standing but the playing errors that created the home defeats to Saints and Falcons should not be laid at the door of the coaches. The final performance against Sale showed what we were capable of and we must build on that. I believe the squad is now stronger and has greater depth, I look forward to the September/October matches as the performances indicate just where we are on our revival path.