Tiglon wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 4:23 pm
Context first - Exeter are the best team in the country and were at almost full strength. Their team and coaching is settled and consistent and we were playing at their place. We are still waiting for many of our signings to arrive and our coaching and playing teams are as unsettled as any in the league.
Taute was a disappointment for me, he has the pedigree but he just doesn't look good enough to me. But that's ok, because Moroni is coming in - we've already got a solution.
Worth is not a Premiership 15, not if we want to get anywhere near the playoffs. Centre, maybe, but only as back up. But that's ok, because we have Murimurivalu joining - we've already got a solution. Surely Steward is worth some minutes in the meantime.
I thought Olowofela looked less physically vulnerable than when I've seen him previously, but I still have my doubts. But that's ok, because we have Van Wyk arriving - we've already got a solution.
Williams did ok for me and a useful player until reinforcements arrive. Scott was good, exactly what we need at 12. Ford was his usual excellent self. Refell looks at home in the Premiership. Wells was strong. Lavanini a bit underwhelming. T Youngs had a good game. Genge a bit quiet perhaps. Cole decent. I'm yet to be convinced by Heyes, but he's still very young for a prop. Thom didn't look out of his depth at all when he came on. Kerr decent. So many individual positives in my eyes.
My one big expectation was that Borthwick has fixed the lineout. It was flawless, so that's a huge success IMO - how many times has it been our achilles heel recently? Brilliant, keep it up.
The attitude looked good, we didn't capitulate under pressure, the defence was pretty solid other than Taute's error.
We know it will take time to make significant improvement, we know the back line is makeshift and that reinforcements are coming. Crucially I now know that improvement has already begun.
Lots more work to do, but I see that match as a good start to the Borthwick era.
Couldn’t have put it better myself
Oakham lad born and bred, Tigers season ticket holder who is enjoying steady progression back towards the good old days!
RagingBull wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 2:06 pm
The major stumbling block for me was stupid pointless penalties.
What 3/4 times we gave away promising positions because of discipline, and gave them 2/3 promising positions because of it.
Agreed although as mentioned elsewhere, Worth is reasonably solid but that’s about it at 15.
In fairness, I still wouldn’t have put Steward in that game - there are better games to blood him in but I am excited to see what he can offer from 15
BFG wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 6:19 pm
I'm more disappointed that no one laid out LCD.
The player that does will have automatic legend status in my opinion.
norfolkexpat wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 6:22 pm
It was stated on here months ago that Worth, Hardwick and Olafewla are at best , Championship standard. Snag is,we are playing in the Premiership.
Perhaps the club decided to save money and spend it else where ?
Without hope we are nothing, keep the faith, a Tiger for eternity
If we had not lost players in season and many of the key replacement players either not here yet or not yet ready it would have been more of a concern.
More structure but not a team yet.
BFG wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 6:19 pm
I'm more disappointed that no one laid out LCD.
The player that does will have automatic legend status in my opinion.
what upsets you so much about him?
I wasn't keen before.
Less so after yesterday.
See after scoring for why.
norfolkexpat wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 6:22 pm
It was stated on here months ago that Worth, Hardwick and Olafewla are at best , Championship standard. Snag is,we are playing in the Premiership.
Stated? No it was somebody's opinion.
Owolfela has been looked at by Eddie Jones there is clearly ability and the potential to grow more there. He's come on well since his debut and hopefully continues to grow. His role this season looks likely to be that of back up winger trying to push past the more experienced starters which is what it should be.
Tom Hardwick has looked pretty decent whenever he's taken the field for us. Struggled under the high ball a little early in the season but his opposite number and much heralded young talent Umaga also struggled in the conditions and gifted us the win. There's a lot to like about Hardwick and Borthwick is the kind of meticulous detail orientated coach that I think will fine tune him. Hardwick has a massive boot and a huge passing range. If he was in the Championship he'd be dominating and would be picked up by somebody else in short order.
Worth didn't have a good game but has previously been very reliable for us. Normally he's reliable in all areas, lacks any significant strengths to make him a first team regular but he's the kind of solid utility player you need in the squad. I'm sure he'll make up for one bad game. It would have been harsh to start Steward given the level of pressure Exeter were always likely to exert and with two inexperienced wingers. Steward is still a teenager, I'm sure he'll be in the team again soon but up against Hogg would have been a tough ask.
Something is bothering me about the post match interview with Borthwick in relation to Nadolo. When asked why he wasn't picked his answer about not being ready sounded a bit unconvincing and his body language suggested there was something else going on. I have no idea what if anything that might be and maybe I mistook the signs. It just gave me the feeling that there was something other than just not match ready.
RichieB wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 7:35 pm
Something is bothering me about the post match interview with Borthwick in relation to Nadolo. When asked why he wasn't picked his answer about not being ready sounded a bit unconvincing and his body language suggested there was something else going on. I have no idea what if anything that might be and maybe I mistook the signs. It just gave me the feeling that there was something other than just not match ready.
I think it was mentioned before in an older LTTV episode that Nemani was doing extra strength and conditioning because Tigers felt he wasn't in the right shape so it didn't surprise me when Borthwick mentioned it as to why he didn't play
RichieB wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 7:35 pm
Something is bothering me about the post match interview with Borthwick in relation to Nadolo. When asked why he wasn't picked his answer about not being ready sounded a bit unconvincing and his body language suggested there was something else going on. I have no idea what if anything that might be and maybe I mistook the signs. It just gave me the feeling that there was something other than just not match ready.
I think it was mentioned before in an older LTTV episode that Nemani was doing extra strength and conditioning because Tigers felt he wasn't in the right shape so it didn't surprise me when Borthwick mentioned it as to why he didn't play
He's got a baby in the house and I don't think there's any family come over with him and his wife. Might be a tough time at home if they aren't getting sleep. Takes it's toll mentally, club could just be protecting him and giving him a little more time to adapt.
Putting a shift in to help the missus with evening feeds and so might be limiting his ability to hit his fitness goals as well.
Also worth remembering that a lot of our French based recruits have had to slim down a little, with the lockdown on top of that and his visa issues delaying his arrival its not a surprise that he could be a week or 2 behind the pack, lets just hope the extra conditioning makes it worth the wait
JP14 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 15, 2020 7:58 pm
Was disappointed by the performance in the scrum, Exeter prevented us from using it as a platform to build upon, although I feel as though we should have been awarded a penalty for the last scrum as Moon had bored in in my opinion.
I’ve never played in the front row, but it looked to me like Moon swung his elbow down and under every time the pressure came on. Seemed to be intent on collapsing the scrum.
