Only 4 points away from 3rd.

[WiggoTiger]

Considering the season we have had, we are only 4 points off 3rd spot.
This is the most competitive (or worst) Premiership campaign for many years. Is it due to the big teams becoming poor year on year.

[Scott1]

Yes it's a poor league bar the top 2,who haven't been anywhere near their best either. What does that say about the other 10 teams?!

[ellis9]

4 points from 3rd with our strong second part of the season to come!

[BFG]

I think teams really do need to put pressure on in their home matches as I think refs are having a direct impact on results.
It's a pretty tight league in the main and every decision counts.
I felt a bit bitter about some of the decisions at Bath last week and thought Leicester were robbed of at least a draw.
Today I thought a few decisions went in our favour.
Refs are giving decisions to the side with momentum and being the home side really matters in building pressure and giving a picture that you are on top to the ref leads to them overlooking stuff in my opinion.

[CitizenSmiff]

Very strange season indeed, even the top two are well below their normal standards, which from our point of view is fantastic. A big part of that must be changes to the tackle laws and the fact that you now have to ask the ref nicely for permission to compete at the breakdown.

[ourla]

I disagree it's a poor standard league.

Despite a couple of losses I think Gloucester are still building well. They have a lot of injuries.

And Quins are shaping up, I think they have a good chief now in Gustard.

And there are no patsies.

[Tomvarndell]

Harsh to say it’s a poor standard. May well be that the wage cap is now creating the competitive league that it was brought in for. I hate the wage cap from a Tigers supporter angle but when you see Bristol running Exeter close away from home and then take a look at the league table you can’t deny it’s making things interesting.

[BigDan50]

TV, why do you dislike the wage cap from a Tigers point of view.
Just interested.

[BFG]

To be fair to the OP it isn't anywhere near as skilled as it used to be IMO.
Too much bosh and referee game management to enhance it.
The ruck, I saw Evans legally over the ball at least twice yesterday only to be told to leave it, no fair competition, attacking sides allowed to go into rucks with a total lack of control and a lack of turnovers as a result.
Turnovers provide exciting play, out of shape defences and mismatches.
Scrums are a joke, some props couldn't hold an umbrella up.
The passing, that pass for the TMO disallowed try near the end of yesterday's match, he's about 5ft tall and and gives it about 7ft in the air.
Rant over, for now!

[JP14]

The league is too close and it’s not good imo, as I’ve explained in full in anothe thread a while ago.

[Tomvarndell]

TV, why do you dislike the wage cap from a Tigers point of view.
Just interested.

I’m not convinced it’s governed properly and certain clubs have cheated it without being sanctioned properly.

[Scuttle]

I always thought our inability to secure bonus points last season was a material part of not making the top 4. We seemed to win small and lose big compared to other teams. So it is interesting to note that, at the halfway stage and despite our concerns this season, we are already only one point behind our total BP tally for last season.

Note: I have searched and found 2 different figures in tables for last year. One gives us 10 BP and one 11 BP with both tables showing 22 games played so not sure which is right. I took the lower figure because it makes the story better !!

[Cagey Tiger]

I always thought our inability to secure bonus points last season was a material part of not making the top 4. We seemed to win small and lose big compared to other teams. So it is interesting to note that, at the halfway stage and despite our concerns this season, we are already only one point behind our total BP tally for last season.

Note: I have searched and found 2 different figures in tables for last year. One gives us 10 BP and one 11 BP with both tables showing 22 games played so not sure which is right. I took the lower figure because it makes the story better !!

Sorry to spoil things. Looked at the Aviva Premiership site and Thikipedia and both have us with 63 pts total (and 11 BP). As there are 4 pts for a win and 2 for a draw, the only way you can have an odd points total is to have an odd number of BPs, so definitely not 10 whichever way you look at it.

[Scuttle]

I always thought our inability to secure bonus points last season was a material part of not making the top 4. We seemed to win small and lose big compared to other teams. So it is interesting to note that, at the halfway stage and despite our concerns this season, we are already only one point behind our total BP tally for last season.

Note: I have searched and found 2 different figures in tables for last year. One gives us 10 BP and one 11 BP with both tables showing 22 games played so not sure which is right. I took the lower figure because it makes the story better !!

Sorry to spoil things. Looked at the Aviva Premiership site and Thikipedia and both have us with 63 pts total (and 11 BP). As there are 4 pts for a win and 2 for a draw, the only way you can have an odd points total is to have an odd number of BPs, so definitely not 10 whichever way you look at it.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I was talking specifically about bonus points on their own rather than the total e.g.1 bp for 4 tries

[wellstiger]

Its all up for grabs...
However after a great game against Cheery Whites, we need to back it up with more wins. Momentum.
Cause one swallow does not a summer make...
We have been building nicely without results going our way...season just starting for me...
Sarries not as clinical and stagnating. Executor hit and miss.Glouc missing key players....
all the above we have suffered and hopefully coming out of.....

Good display needed against Blues and who knows..So for me a strong team...............