European Challenge Cup - Cardiff vs Tigers

[Scuttle]

I presume the players called up to the Wales squad agsinst the Barbarians for the following weekend will still be playing for Cardiff against us e.g. Halaholo

[JP14]

We can only play the players in 7 premiership games, Europe is as many games as we are in the competition and then whatever is left they can play for England.

[RagingBull]

I reckon we will bring someone in.
Browning is promising but I wouldn't put as much trust into him as someone like Steward just yet.

Guess it will depend on how long Veainu and Olowofela are out.

[Mark62]

We can only play the players in 7 premiership games, Europe is as many games as we are in the competition and then whatever is left they can play for England.

The key figure is a maximum of 30 games in a season. The clubs cannot be told which games they play their players in this figure of 7 comes I think from Saracens ref their English players and the original likelihood that they would get deep into the European competition plus have players on duty for the 6 nations.
If for instance Cole is not selected for the 6 nations we can select him for as many premiership games as we wish as long as his total games doesn’t exceed 30.
This also only applies I believe to English players so Lavanini and Kalamafoni would not be affected

[Phil60]

Whatever people think of team selections, we have not won two games in a row for 12 months and 17 days across all competitions. Tigers are also now in a worse position compared to last year so we should be looking to start with the strongest team available, then bring on the benchers at the earliest opportunity. Time to stop faffing about with trial combinations and stick to a consistent formula, this is a game all about momentum - IMHO!!

We won back to back games in premier cup sept/Oct. Chiefs home and Bath away.

[Leicestertinytiger]

Jonny May is back training and “in theory” will be available for selection this weekend. Hanro Liebenburg still out, Veainu and Taufua still doubts.

I can see us putting out the younger players like Heyes, Kerr, Lewis, Hardwick and Olowofela. This isn’t a must win game and don’t want anyone injured on their awful plastic pitch.

[anz3001]

So, is this the answer to all of our problems, fit a plastic pitch at Welford Road and hope that most of our competition don’t send their top players for fear of injury?

[DingDong]

Whatever people think of team selections, we have not won two games in a row for 12 months and 17 days across all competitions. Tigers are also now in a worse position compared to last year so we should be looking to start with the strongest team available, then bring on the benchers at the earliest opportunity. Time to stop faffing about with trial combinations and stick to a consistent formula, this is a game all about momentum - IMHO!!

We won back to back games in premier cup sept/Oct. Chiefs home and Bath away.

I stand corrected Phil ...so i'll amend that stat to 12 months and 17 days in the premiership.

[10mill]

Do we also have to consider playing limitations / mandatory rest for out England players? I'm sure I read/heard somewhere that we would only be able to have our England players for seven games this season? I'm not sure how the regs work or if that's true though. If it is true then perhaps the primary focus for them should be the premiership? Particularly for the games towards the end of the season...…?

30 games in total from when the pre World Cup internationals started, anything over 20 minutes on the pitch constitutes a game

Slightly better news than that, they can have 35 ‘game involvements’ per season, but can only play a maximum of 2400 mins (equivalent of 30 full games).

[loretta]

Judging by RL interview with Murphy last night, I expect a weakened side against Cardiff.

Disappointing.

[Mark62]

Judging by RL interview with Murphy last night, I expect a weakened side against Cardiff.

Disappointing.

He’s in a no win situation, plays some of the bigger names on that pitch and they’re injured for the Saints game gets slaughtered for playing them.
Doesn’t pick them in the first place and gets slaughtered for not picking them

[loretta]

Judging by RL interview with Murphy last night, I expect a weakened side against Cardiff.

Disappointing.

He’s in a no win situation, plays some of the bigger names on that pitch and they’re injured for the Saints game gets slaughtered for playing them.
Doesn’t pick them in the first place and gets slaughtered for not picking them

You missed out the option of play the big names, no-one gets injured, perhaps win against Cardiff. Build esprit de corps amongst the squad and then play better against Saints. I'd count that as a win, albeit with an element of risk. Risk is unavoidable in life.

[DingDong]

Judging by RL interview with Murphy last night, I expect a weakened side against Cardiff.

Disappointing.

He’s in a no win situation, plays some of the bigger names on that pitch and they’re injured for the Saints game gets slaughtered for playing them.
Doesn’t pick them in the first place and gets slaughtered for not picking them

We have to play a strong side that can and will win so we keep that momentum and strengthen the synergy within the players. That surely is more of a priority than eventually field a side who lack confidence due to a lack of forward momentum and squad synergy against a decent Saints side? If that means resting one or two key players then fine, but to rest the majority of our starting XV just messes up the forward going structure.

[Mark62]

Judging by RL interview with Murphy last night, I expect a weakened side against Cardiff.

Disappointing.

He’s in a no win situation, plays some of the bigger names on that pitch and they’re injured for the Saints game gets slaughtered for playing them.
Doesn’t pick them in the first place and gets slaughtered for not picking them

We have to play a strong side that can and will win so we keep that momentum and strengthen the synergy within the players. That surely is more of a priority than eventually field a side who lack confidence due to a lack of forward momentum and squad synergy against a decent Saints side? If that means resting one or two key players then fine, but to rest the majority of our starting XV just messes up the forward going structure.

We don’t know who will be rested yet and I’m sure they will send a team capable of winning.
As for the other point you can either be Proactive or Reactive personally I prefer the former

[Cardiff Tig]

It's incredibly disappointing that this club, that supposedly spends up to the cap, feels the need to play weakened sides in only the second pool game of a European cup competition.

If the coaching team can't manage to move towards the top 6 of the premiership and progress out of the Challenge Cup pool phase in the same season then they need to leave ASAP. Maybe we'll play a weakened side at the weekend and win, or we'll play a strong side and win. But if we field a weak team and get hammered then it's time for these guys to seriously ask what they are trying to achieve right now.