Finishing this season

[mol2]

The aim for this season has to be to put together and develop a side and game plans for next season.

Our pre season games for a few years have been shocking. Yes those games have been friendliest but we leaked tries to the likes of Jersey and seemed not to be concerned. That’s all well and good if you can turn up the wick when the games proper start but we haven’t for some time. At least the “pre season” for 20/21 will be against Premiership opposition. No scope for pretending that we aren’t going too hard against weaker teams.

[JP14]

When was the last time we played Jersey?

[Tiglon]

When was the last time we played Jersey?

August 2012, apparently. We won 34-21 and went on to win the Premiership.

[JP14]

When was the last time we played Jersey?

August 2012, apparently. We won 34-21 and went on to win the Premiership.

Yet another silly generalisation from the poster above then...

[h's dad]

When was the last time we played Jersey?

August 2012, apparently. We won 34-21 and went on to win the Premiership.

I thought it was a lot more recent but could only come up with August 2013 Jersey 7-69 Leicester Tigers. Third, losing to Saints in the play-off.

[Mark62]

Just watched the interview with Zack Henry, seems a really switched on bloke, and as he says just wants to play rugby.
It was Richard Hill, assuming ex Bath 9 not the other one, who first took him to France.
I think we can look forward to him starting at least one game at 10 and one at 15, get the feeling he is going to be a really astute signing

[JP14]

Just watched the interview with Zack Henry, seems a really switched on bloke, and as he says just wants to play rugby.
It was Richard Hill, assuming ex Bath 9 not the other one, who first took him to France.
I think we can look forward to him starting at least one game at 10 and one at 15, get the feeling he is going to be a really astute signing

I share the same feeling. In regards to Hill, Henry signed for Rouen before playing for Nevers, who indeed are coached by ex-scrumhalf Richard Hill not the World Cup winner, who is not a coach.

[DingDong]

Our pre season games for a few years have been shocking. Yes those games have been friendliest but we leaked tries to the likes of Jersey and seemed not to be concerned...

Pre-season is and has always been a mix of 1st XV and Dev squads, with the purpose under match conditions of trialling players, combinations and strategies against Championship sides. The idea is not to put out your strongest Prem side and smash a Championship side which no-one will benefit from. And FYI we didn't leak tries against Jersey on 11th Aug 2012, we scored, they scored, both sides benefited, us supporters had a great weekend on a beautiful island! The following year was a ridiculous drubbing for Jersey for which no-one benefited, probably the reason why we've not been invited back!

[johnthegriff]

Actually we were invited back but we felt that Jersey were not strong enough opposition for anything other than the first pre season match and made other plans that actually did not come to fruition, Jersey unfortunately arranged for Bath to visit them instead of us. The policy in the past has been to have three matches, the first is usually against perceived weaker opposition with our team containing many development and fringe players, the next is a more competetive game and the last with our touring England players available a match nearing full intensity. The plan for our August immediate pre season this year was to have been against Cocker's Edinburgh as the opening match on the new small stadium at Murrayfield, I was really looking forward to it.

[DingDong]

Actually we were invited back but we felt that Jersey were not strong enough opposition for anything other than the first pre season match and made other plans that actually did not come to fruition, Jersey unfortunately arranged for Bath to visit them instead of us. The policy in the past has been to have three matches, the first is usually against perceived weaker opposition with our team containing many development and fringe players, the next is a more competetive game and the last with our touring England players available a match nearing full intensity. The plan for our August immediate pre season this year was to have been against Cocker's Edinburgh as the opening match on the new small stadium at Murrayfield, I was really looking forward to it.

[mol2]

When was the last time we played Jersey?

August 2012, apparently. We won 34-21 and went on to win the Premiership.

Yet another silly generalisation from the poster above then...

I thought the Jersey game was more recent than that but the game against Jersey was a clear illustration of our declining interest in the pre season games and also when our defensive effort went from being the most miserly in the league to one that has had more holes that a rusty bucket. When sportsmen seem disinterested in preparation it is a warning sign that their career is coming towards its end and for teams a sign of the end of an era?

There has been a lot of denial over the past few years that we have gone from being the best side in the league to one of the worst and bat a bit of fortune against Newcastle last season we would have been relegated. As for this season the Sarries issue aside we have been the worst so far.

I have to say I gave up going to to watch the pre-season games because we seemed to poorly prepared compared to some of the supposedly lesser opposition.

[Cagey Tiger]

August 2012, apparently. We won 34-21 and went on to win the Premiership.

Yet another silly generalisation from the poster above then...

I thought the Jersey game was more recent than that but the game against Jersey was a clear illustration of our declining interest in the pre season games and also when our defensive effort went from being the most miserly in the league to one that has had more holes that a rusty bucket. When sportsmen seem disinterested in preparation it is a warning sign that their career is coming towards its end and for teams a sign of the end of an era?

There has been a lot of denial over the past few years that we have gone from being the best side in the league to one of the worst and bat a bit of fortune against Newcastle last season we would have been relegated. As for this season the Sarries issue aside we have been the worst so far

I have to say I gave up going to to watch the pre-season games because we seemed to poorly prepared compared to some of the supposedly lesser opposition.

My bold.

In the past few years there has been far more pointing out how bad we have been than there has been denial.

As for the rest of the highlighted paragraph, while you make valid observations, irrespective of the reasons why, we didn't get relegated and we aren't going to get relegated this season. So we have another season and a bit to look forward to in the Premiership. And with the playing staff changing considerably at many Premiership clubs, along with the coaching staff at some clubs (with Tigers rather leading the way in both areas) I'm not sure that we can infer anything for Tigers general future from the last few seasons.

[Ashurstwoodtiger]

Given the recent announcements what selections for the remaining 9 games? Are we allowed to blood new players if contracts run from 1st July?

Answers on back of post card or new alternative kit

[TigerFeetSteve]

Given the recent announcements what selections for the remaining 9 games? Are we allowed to blood new players if contracts run from 1st July?

Answers on back of post card or new alternative kit

Yes, if you read the news release on each playef it says when they'll join, essentially we're waiting a short while for Van Wyk, Moroni is a slight unknown (possibly tied in with the future of the Jaguares) rest I think we pretty much immediately (based on quarantine etc)

[Scott1]

Will we be playing twice a week to complete season quicker?