Tigers v Warriors

[RagingBull]

Saints fans being smug pal..

They shouldn't be given where they are in the table currently.

[markharbtiger]

Don’t know what’s more depressing - the fact that we have now conceded more points than anyone else, or the glee of my Saints mate listening to the game as we are driving back from Wales...

Reading out some replies, particularly the one about being in 11th place, my Saints mate says he wasn’t party to my original post, but also says “see you at HQ (and bring £20 to put in the box for Rob Horne)”

[Dr H Flashman MBE]

I guess rugby has moved on and we have been left behind, which is now becoming more apparent this season. Not saying we can’t turn it round, but let’s be honest, we have been scrapping through to the last 4 for a few seasons and now we look like also rans already.
Not sure what the answer is, but Exeter and Sarries are what we were 10 years ago, the bench mark, who everyone wanted to be.

[RagingBull]

Well at least we are still up on our match points from the same fixtures last season.
Exeter - 0 (On par)
Falcons - 5 (+4)
Wasps - 2 (+1)
Worcester - 2 (+1)

[Maidman]

Urgh. How depressing.

On the upside, only Sarries and Chiefs have scored more than us, so if we can sort our defence out we could start climbing the league table a bit.

And I'm sure even when we were getting to HQ every year we frequently started the season poorly.

I know, I know, I'm just trying to find some consolation.

[Jimmy Skitz]

I guess rugby has moved on and we have been left behind, which is now becoming more apparent this season. Not saying we can’t turn it round, but let’s be honest, we have been scrapping through to the last 4 for a few seasons and now we look like also rans already.
Not sure what the answer is, but Exeter and Sarries are what we were 10 years ago, the bench mark, who everyone wanted to be.

we got left behind under Cockerill, since then its just become more obvious.

They need several more specialist coaches, starting with the obvious defense coaching gap

[RagingBull]

Murphy needs to decide if he is sticking with his friend Brett or looking for an experience defence coach.

And he will be judged on it because 100% he won't keep the top job if the defence does not start to tighten up.

[Robespierre]

Leadership is clearly a problem. I guess we can hark back to the Jono days and him berating a team who have just conceded behind the posts, but we need that now. A leader who tells it how it is, what it means to be a Tiger..maybe times have moved on?

Good point, but who in the current squad is hard-nosed enough to bring about the changes necessary?
I only get to watch a few matches in a season so can't really suggest anyone.
Thoughts?

[westwinds31]

Sanderson being interviewed after their win over a Glos and sums it up. You build a side based on home grown players, you then add like minded players and build a culture. You have several years on under performing and losses but you stick with the same group. After 3-5 years they mature together and hey presto, you have Saracens. Tigers on the other hand...changes in coaches, players in and out = no continuity and no progress. Hmmm...I’m almost tempted to say, Geordie, the job is yours for 3 years, defence coach comes in and we build but don’t win anything for a while, but we create a culture that we had with a Johnno etc

[Dr H Flashman MBE]

I wouldn’t blame an individual, I think it’s a club thing. We were winning and getting to finals on a regular basis. We thought it would last forever, but i hasn’t as it never does. I guess the club thought the good times would continue, but others copied and took over our mantle. That’s life and we have to get used to it.
I don’t think it was cockers fault.

[RagingBull]

+ point though George Ford is looking like a 10 you could build around IMO.
Eastmond needs to start next week and would be tempted to start White at 9.

[Robespierre]

158 points conceded in 4 games is appalling and the board simply have to address this problem immediately.

[Mark62]

Wasn’t there so can only comment on what I’ve read here and through the match feed.

Defence coach is a must. The club will stick with Geordan till the end of the season at least but Worcester had obviously seen hole in the midfield and attacked.
I wonder if Joe Worsley fancies swapping his bottles of Bordeaux for pints of tiger.

With regards to the senior players I have felt for a while that the Tuilagi and Youngs families have too much sway at the club. Much I am a big fan of his, I include Cole in this, although he always gives his all.

Manu will never be the same player, I believe his contract is up at the end of the season, time to let him have a French pay day and use the 300 k elsewhere.
Tom Youngs is ok when things are going well but struggles with negative emotions when the team is failing. Ben Youngs seems to play his game no matter what he might have been instructed, maybe a case of the player thinking he is too big for the team.

I know Cockerill still has his supporters but the route of a lot of these problems is that he was allowed to stay in position for at least 2 years too long and the club stagnated.
Those that say another clear out is required don’t realise that continuity is required.
Watching the Sarries game this afternoon Alex Sanderson was asked about Jamie George playing his 200 game at the age of 27. He said full,of emotion how proud he was and that he’d been there for each of those 200.
How many coaches has Dan Cole seen in his 200 games

[Robespierre]

I wonder if Joe Worsley fancies swapping his bottles of Bordeaux for pints of tiger.

Good shout, Mark62. Very much doubt if he'd come, though, unless Tigers were to offer him silly money.

[Big Dai]

Sanderson being interviewed after their win over a Glos and sums it up. You build a side based on home grown players, you then add like minded players and build a culture. You have several years on under performing and losses but you stick with the same group. After 3-5 years they mature together and hey presto, you have Saracens. Tigers on the other hand...changes in coaches, players in and out = no continuity and no progress. Hmmm...I’m almost tempted to say, Geordie, the job is yours for 3 years, defence coach comes in and we build but don’t win anything for a while, but we create a culture that we had with a Johnno etc
[/quote)

I'm kind of with you on that! Last year, if I'm not mistaken, we were lambasting the team for not getting bonus points. Now we seem to be scoring but leaking as many as we score. The area that need reinforcement is evident is it not? Plus looking at the line breaks our centres need improvement. I'm not a Manu fan. I think therein lies a defensive weakness. He doesn't seem to take to being organised or disciplined.