Tigers vs Wasps - 15th Feb

[OakhamTiger32]

Dire game played by 2 dire teams in dire weather. Tigers line out was dire, box kicking was dire, attack was dire, breakdown was pathetic. White is dire, Taute offers nothing, Hardwick is not as good as he thinks he is. Liebenburg, Taufua, Spencer and Lavanini were immense as was the scrum and rolling maul. Thank heavens for Telusa.

I’m not his biggest fan but I certainly don’t think White was dire, bit harsh on the lad, especially given the conditions. I mean, the try saving tackle alone is worthy of a little praise surely?

[RichieB]

Thank goodness we improved in the second half, which coincided with Wasps getting even worse. Reid an upgrade on Hardwick. Lineout needs sorting STILL.

[SthrnTiger]

A bit of perspective here in that Bath currently sit in 4th place in the table and they just squeaked past us at home in a game (I’m sure someone wrote) between ‘the two worst teams in the league’. There are 3(4) decent teams in this league Exeter, Sale, Northampton, and Salarycens. All the others are not far from us, unfortunately we’re playing 3 out of the 4 away in our next 4 games so will be tough to climb the table.

[jgriffin]

Well two butchered Wasps tries and Tigers end up winning it. Can't see us being that lucky very often. On;y time Tigers get anywhere is gloing back to playing 10 man Rugby, so much for an all court game.

Question... Was the crusade for the stellar backline the cause for our demise? The merits of the 10 man game and the maul, our previous strengths abandoned?

This was the Mauger/sack Cockers pivot in a nutshell. Cockers didn't treat the 'stellar' mob right, out of date 10 man rugby doesn't win, blah blah, we were going to play champagne rugby - and it went rs-ends-uppards, knackering us for several years. Meanwhile, Cockers' dull approach just got 4 points away to Scarlets.

[G.K]

Well two butchered Wasps tries and Tigers end up winning it. Can't see us being that lucky very often. On;y time Tigers get anywhere is gloing back to playing 10 man Rugby, so much for an all court game.

Question... Was the crusade for the stellar backline the cause for our demise? The merits of the 10 man game and the maul, our previous strengths abandoned?

Well good teams are able to play both types of games but Tigers seem only to be able to play one of them at a time. Starts with coaching and recruitment and Tigers haven't done well on either score for some years now.

[sam16111986]

Well two butchered Wasps tries and Tigers end up winning it. Can't see us being that lucky very often.

Wasps created two chances, we applied pressure and they folded under it. Their winger transferred the ball to one hand away from the body so when the contact came he couldn't hold on in these conditions. It's still great work rate from White to get there, many would have pulled up rather than risk catching a boot to the face or sliding into the boards.

The second chance was on but required Umaga to a) make the right pass (I think he'd picked the crash as opposed to the out the back) and b) not panic when Taute rushed him. Umaga bottled it and fumbled the pass to TV.

[G.K]

Well two butchered Wasps tries and Tigers end up winning it. Can't see us being that lucky very often. On;y time Tigers get anywhere is gloing back to playing 10 man Rugby, so much for an all court game.

Always looking on the bright side

Nah I'm looking at the Premiership table.

[sam16111986]

Well two butchered Wasps tries and Tigers end up winning it. Can't see us being that lucky very often. On;y time Tigers get anywhere is gloing back to playing 10 man Rugby, so much for an all court game.

Question... Was the crusade for the stellar backline the cause for our demise? The merits of the 10 man game and the maul, our previous strengths abandoned?

This was the Mauger/sack Cockers pivot in a nutshell. Cockers didn't treat the 'stellar' mob right, out of date 10 man rugby doesn't win, blah blah, we were going to play champagne rugby - and it went rs-ends-uppards, knackering us for several years. Meanwhile, Cockers' dull approach just got 4 points away to Scarlets.

Wasn't just his choice of rugby style. His inability to get the production line from the academy working. His choices in terms of recruitment weren't the best either.

Cockerill was always an excellent coach the problem was he took the DOR role. We needed a man with long term vision at DOR and Cockerill as head coach overseeing the stuff on the pitch. His job at Edinburgh? Head coach and he's doing very nicely.

[kk20gb30]

Well two butchered Wasps tries and Tigers end up winning it. Can't see us being that lucky very often. On;y time Tigers get anywhere is gloing back to playing 10 man Rugby, so much for an all court game.

Question... Was the crusade for the stellar backline the cause for our demise? The merits of the 10 man game and the maul, our previous strengths abandoned?

Well I believe it certainly played its part , but not the only reason.For me ,the game has to be built around a strong set piece and powerful pack - it's only then that the 'stellar back line' can operate to its full potential.We looked to New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere and tried to transplant and/or create a game-plan that just could not exist here.Even ,if allowed time to mature and grow the nature of our game and conditions would see this 'all court' game stifled at birth.There are somethings you just cannot do in a mud-bath !
What we failed to notice in our quest however was that the rapier only ever followed the broadsword . How many times do you ever see a New Zealand pack bullied or pushed around ? Their game is actually built around strength - beat them up first then let the backs finish the job.We created a side that could do neither , in our eagerness to copy their style we forgot the substance and are still paying the price for envy.

[Big Dai]

Well two butchered Wasps tries and Tigers end up winning it. Can't see us being that lucky very often. On;y time Tigers get anywhere is gloing back to playing 10 man Rugby, so much for an all court game.

Question... Was the crusade for the stellar backline the cause for our demise? The merits of the 10 man game and the maul, our previous strengths abandoned?

This was the Mauger/sack Cockers pivot in a nutshell. Cockers didn't treat the 'stellar' mob right, out of date 10 man rugby doesn't win, blah blah, we were going to play champagne rugby - and it went rs-ends-uppards, knackering us for several years. Meanwhile, Cockers' dull approach just got 4 points away to Scarlets.

Back in the day we had a great pack, and a good back line. I'd still go with that split. If the foundations of a pack are returning I'm in favour. In another answer to my question someone mentioned the rapier following the broadsword.

[Tigerbeat]

Remy time...... At long last Remy time.

Thanks to the pack. There will be much moaning about the line out but in those conditions it's cow's backside and banjo time. Be realistic folks.

BTW Lawrence can take my empty Remy bottle and stick it where the sun don't shine. High tackle? Tom Youngs being a little bit naughty? What about Wasps repeated infringements at the maul? Wasps offsides? Biased *censored*. (I'll do it before Tigerbeat does! )

there was a definite punch thrown by Tom to be fair, surprised TMO didn't step in, fully expect he'll get cited for that

TMO apparently looked at it but could not find anything.

[BFG]

I thought the maul was very good.
I haven't seen that level of intensity consistently in that area for a long time.
The backs weren't great but neither was the weather and that's the area where Leicester are much weakened presently minus Youngs, Ford and May.
A win is a win.
Feeling a bit negative though as I was soaked through, even my underwear was wet and I haven't seen a drop of beer or anyone in a bikini today.
Some unknown named Dennis was the MOM, controlled the game well.

[Robespierre]

The dust has settled and my head is still spinning after I don’t know how many beers but that was a hell of a win. Warts an’ all, it was a good win and I’ve nothing but praise for the team. The critics may say this and that but that was a hard earned win! Bravo, Tigers !

[mol2]

Second half was better. Real intensity.
First atrocious. Why do we go with long throws in awful weather when Youngs has struggled with the throws for some time?

Looked a bit odd that we kept trying to run the ball out of our own 22 when the wind was with us, although the kicking in the first half was poor.

Forwards woke up in the second half.

Ref was woeful. Ignored Wasps off side nearly all the game. How many penalties would they have to concede before getting a card out?

[longlivethecrumbie]

Second half was better. Real intensity.
First atrocious. Why do we go with long throws in awful weather when Youngs has struggled with the throws for some time?

Looked a bit odd that we kept trying to run the ball out of our own 22 when the wind was with us, although the kicking in the first half was poor.

Forwards woke up in the second half.

Ref was woeful. Ignored Wasps off side nearly all the game. How many penalties would they have to concede before getting a card out?

You say that the ref was woeful but, invariably, his eyes are on the breakdown and the assistants should be assisting with the offisdes and they don't.

For what it's worth I thought that Sir was consistent in terms of penalising both sides for the same offences