mightymouse wrote: ↑Sun Sep 09, 2018 10:30 am
How Ford made man of the match I have no idea. Defence poor again and his disire to constantly kick the ball away in the last 10 minutes instead of just control the game through possesion was criminal and could have cost us the game on another day.
I would have given either Spencer or Denton MOM.
Completely disagree here. 7 tackles made, 0 Missed from Ford. Held up attackers a couple of times in those tackles. I thought he unlocked our attack with his running and passing, and bossed the game. Made some sublime runs (4 clean breaks, 81m ran, 9 defenders beaten!)
Everybody is harping on about kicking away possession in the latter stages of the game. There is only one team in the league (Chiefs) who can hold the ball wherever they want for the whole match. Unfortunately we don't have the squad or fitness to do that at the moment. When you've had a tiring game, with a backrower having to be replaced early, it is surely prudent to not hang around in your own half....
Mark62 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 09, 2018 12:28 pm
Ford could score all the points make 2 try saving tackles and make a line out steal and some people still wouldn’t be happy
You can make a strong argument for several MOM awards - Denton, Kali, Ford, Spencer, BOC, Eastmond all put in excellent shifts as did many others - I personally would have given it to Ford as I think he was the spark for most of the points but would not argue with any of the others.
Really enjoyed the game, two good attacking teams.
Like most have commented, we need to improve our defence, but I'm sure that will come. Good to see Manu playing better, he just needs some confidence IMO.
Thought Eastmond and BOC were excellent and really hope their injuries are not serious!!!
Definitely thought Ford was MOTM, he is seriously quick and is at his best when he backs himself, also keeps the defence guessing.
Lineout much improved!
Spencer and Denton excellent again.
Great to see Doddie Weir at half time, a Gent of the game.
LE18 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:25 pm
It was a great entertaining day today, very enjoyable but a mixed game. Our attack was great, no early silly box kicks, all kicks were long and chased down. First 20/25 mins were great, but then we started to kick it away and they started to come back at us.
Is there anything in the Laws that a player/team can do to stop a rolling maul/5yd line out, because Tigers cannot stop it?
Denton, Spencer, Kalamafoni, Ford all stood out for me, but all players had their moments, Hardwick fitted in well and Olewefola got 7 mins, but I have to close my eyes to some of the defending, better teams could have beaten us.
Having said that Falcons did not give up, they came back at us and old boys Flood, Mcguigan, Goneva were very good and who is this new fit slim long haired prop they have got. When was Muli ever that fit for us, he lasted 65 mins?
Really enjoyed it, I just hope they can improve the tackling and please stop Ben reverting to his old box kicking, no more of that please.
Could be a very enjoyable season!
Agree 100%, especially BY giving ball away. Got tutted at by some fans for yelling 'stop kicking possession away'
I get the impression that some people will only be happy if Ben never kicks the ball!
The worst box kick of the day came from Harrison when he came on but I never heard anyone complain about that kick.
Whataboutery. Ben kicked too often, and sometimes wrongly. We effect a brilliant turnover on our 22, two phases later he box kicks. They run it back and eventually score. Two of such kicks handed possession to a team that scored their first two tries with the only possession they had. Lesson was deny them ball, but this didn't happen, especially the 3rd quarter.
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A game played on grass in the open air by teams of XV.
Mark62 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 09, 2018 12:28 pm
Ford could score all the points make 2 try saving tackles and make a line out steal and some people still wouldn’t be happy
Surprised no one has whinged about the missed drop goal either...
Darc Tiger wrote: ↑Sat Sep 08, 2018 9:20 pm
I thought Ben was excellent in keeping the tempo high in our attack. Far more fizz from our 9-13 today. Like a completely different set of players. Unshackled. Must keep it up.
Unshackled or just couldn't be so carp again and especially in front of 20k+ at Welford Road!
Or we finally played to our half backs strength instead of playing deep and kicking the ball long and incontestable we played flat to the line and allowed our playmakers to take control.
It's basically everything this message board have been talking about us doing all summer. Geordan clearly agreed.
Well we wil see what the opinion is when possession isn't quite as forthcoming.
Personally I thought that the execution of game management by the half backs was poor again on occasions yesterday and contributed to allowing the Falcons into the game.
If you translate that into a much more competitive fight for possession then you end up with something like the Exeter debacle.
Teams have shown from the first two rounds of the Premiership that if you let them play and encourage them to run it then they can and will score points.
Unshackled or just couldn't be so carp again and especially in front of 20k+ at Welford Road!
Or we finally played to our half backs strength instead of playing deep and kicking the ball long and incontestable we played flat to the line and allowed our playmakers to take control.
It's basically everything this message board have been talking about us doing all summer. Geordan clearly agreed.
Well we wil see what the opinion is when possession isn't quite as forthcoming.
Personally I thought that the execution of game management by the half backs was poor again on occasions yesterday and contributed to allowing the Falcons into the game.
If you translate that into a much more competitive fight for possession then you end up with something like the Exeter debacle.
Teams have shown from the first two rounds of the Premiership that if you let them play and encourage them to run it then they can and will score points.
I don't think anyone thinks we're close to being the finished article. Nor does anyone especially Murphy want this to be the standard going forward. Having said that this was as far away from the Chiefs display as you could hope in a week. There's only so much work can be done. This week we've worked on how we attacked the ball and our half backs ripped them apart in the first half an hour.
After that first half an hour we ran out of steam a little and had to battle through the second half. For me it's not as negative as you make out its a promising improvement with the aim of a continuation of improvement over the following weeks as Murphy puts his stamp on things.
At the end of the day we were desperate for a result and we've ended up with a five pointer.
Or we finally played to our half backs strength instead of playing deep and kicking the ball long and incontestable we played flat to the line and allowed our playmakers to take control.
It's basically everything this message board have been talking about us doing all summer. Geordan clearly agreed.
Well we wil see what the opinion is when possession isn't quite as forthcoming.
Personally I thought that the execution of game management by the half backs was poor again on occasions yesterday and contributed to allowing the Falcons into the game.
If you translate that into a much more competitive fight for possession then you end up with something like the Exeter debacle.
Teams have shown from the first two rounds of the Premiership that if you let them play and encourage them to run it then they can and will score points.
I don't think anyone thinks we're close to being the finished article. Nor does anyone especially Murphy want this to be the standard going forward. Having said that this was as far away from the Chiefs display as you could hope in a week. There's only so much work can be done. This week we've worked on how we attacked the ball and our half backs ripped them apart in the first half an hour.
After that first half an hour we ran out of steam a little and had to battle through the second half. For me it's not as negative as you make out its a promising improvement with the aim of a continuation of improvement over the following weeks as Murphy puts his stamp on things.
At the end of the day we were desperate for a result and we've ended up with a five pointer.
This lot are on their fourth head coach in twenty months, actually that could be five if you count last season versus Bath.
I think that I'll reserve judgement.
One day doesn't make a summer!
Well we wil see what the opinion is when possession isn't quite as forthcoming.
Personally I thought that the execution of game management by the half backs was poor again on occasions yesterday and contributed to allowing the Falcons into the game.
If you translate that into a much more competitive fight for possession then you end up with something like the Exeter debacle.
Teams have shown from the first two rounds of the Premiership that if you let them play and encourage them to run it then they can and will score points.
I don't think anyone thinks we're close to being the finished article. Nor does anyone especially Murphy want this to be the standard going forward. Having said that this was as far away from the Chiefs display as you could hope in a week. There's only so much work can be done. This week we've worked on how we attacked the ball and our half backs ripped them apart in the first half an hour.
After that first half an hour we ran out of steam a little and had to battle through the second half. For me it's not as negative as you make out its a promising improvement with the aim of a continuation of improvement over the following weeks as Murphy puts his stamp on things.
At the end of the day we were desperate for a result and we've ended up with a five pointer.
This lot are on their fourth head coach in twenty months, actually that could be five if you count last season versus Bath.
I think that I'll reserve judgement.
One day doesn't make a summer!
Hence my comment on the continuation of improvement. After last week I'm just happy to see us win and score some tries.
Obviously fitness and defence are still significant issues.
Cockerill was not the head coach and that was probably a problem in itself, he said himself that he had been promoted above doing a lot of the coaching. Mauger never got a real shot at having a go in his own. MOC was an error and 9 out of 10 fans could have told the board that from the word go.
Happy to eat humble pie. Have been a critic of Ford in the past but yesterday he was sublime. In the first 20 minutes he orchestrated (along with BY) the best period of free flowing attacking rugby I’ve seen at WR for a number of years. His kicking was excellent. As was his tackling. Finally saw a 20 minute glimpse of the best back line in the Premiership playing like the best back line.
Big applause to the new boys Denton and Eastmond. Denton hasn’t put a foot wrong since arriving. I also think we lost a bit of shape in the backs when Eastmond went off.
On the negative side - Three points MATCH FITNESS, MATCH FITNESS (you can guess the third). Seemed to run out of steam after 30 mins. And I thought at that point the Newcastle Forwards had the edge. And this is probably connected to the missed tackles and defaulting to the same old probs in the second half, though Newcastle are a good team and our line out was better - Goneva is something special and I think someone who will always want to make a point when playing us. Though I also feel things will improve with the return of our Aussies who both had a stormer against the Boks.
Is it me but why oh why do we always have a shocker at the beginning of most second halves!!!!!!
Finally, nice to see the big man Mulipola back. Nice touch was the warm and heartfelt applause from the crowd when he went off.
sam16111986 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 09, 2018 4:05 pm
Hence my comment on the continuation of improvement. After last week I'm just happy to see us win and score some tries.
Obviously fitness and defence are still significant issues.
Cockerill was not the head coach and that was probably a problem in itself, he said himself that he had been promoted above doing a lot of the coaching. Mauger never got a real shot at having a go in his own. MOC was an error and 9 out of 10 fans could have told the board that from the word go.
In coaching terms yesterday's result was irrelevant.
A good coach needs years to implement his ideas.
My point is that those suggesting that MOC's departure and Murphy's appointment led to yesterday's decent performance are living in a dream world.
Just as they were poor against Bath at the start of last season with Murphy in charge they were as good against Sale in the final game of last season with MOC in charge.
Last week it was MOC made to look stupid and this week Murphy made to look good.
Common sense tells me that poor coaching or stifling tactics are not the main issues here, inconsistent players are!
sam16111986 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 09, 2018 4:05 pm
Hence my comment on the continuation of improvement. After last week I'm just happy to see us win and score some tries.
Obviously fitness and defence are still significant issues.
Cockerill was not the head coach and that was probably a problem in itself, he said himself that he had been promoted above doing a lot of the coaching. Mauger never got a real shot at having a go in his own. MOC was an error and 9 out of 10 fans could have told the board that from the word go.
In coaching terms yesterday's result was irrelevant.
A good coach needs years to implement his ideas.
My point is that those suggesting that MOC's departure and Murphy's appointment led to yesterday's decent performance are living in a dream world.
Just as they were poor against Bath at the start of last season with Murphy in charge they were as good against Sale in the final game of last season with MOC in charge.
Last week it was MOC made to look stupid and this week Murphy made to look good.
Common sense tells me that poor coaching or stifling tactics are not the main issues here, inconsistent players are!
A good coach motivated and adds value from the first training session. To encapsulate their entire tactical vision it may take time but you can tweak elements in the short term. MOC had 18 months and took the club backwards getting nothing from players who had previously succeeded at this level. You certainly don't need years, if you need years in order to get a team playing how you want it to you're in the wrong business. You have to build things up and start the positive development from the first week.
Murphy was in charge Vs Bath at the start of last season? I'm pretty sure MOC had been in charge for six months at that point and gave the post match interview.
We have the players. We probably didn't under Cockers and Mauger, the pack had been allowed to lose weight and power. MOC has tried to play a brand of rugby several years out of date and hammer round pegs into square holes.
