Tigers vs Bristol

[TigerFeetSteve]

Thye've sucked us all in, along with the rest of the premiership teams. You watch, we'll be scoring try's for fun next season. They might even show us a few glimpses of what to expect on Sunday....

Seriously, where's that fingers crossed emoji....

[CrumblingTerrace]

@westwinds31 You make some good points. It's a pragmatic way of looking at our current plight.

What was I expecting? I'm over the moon we've got Borthwick but, I have to be honest, I thought he would be able to do more in the short term than he has. Not leaping up the table - that's for another year - but perhaps being much more difficult to beat, picking up a couple of wins against decent opposition.

[BFG]

[I just don't know what folk expect though, other than a miracle.

I only heard some of it on the radio but with that and what I've read here what I don't really get is the tactics. Then again if I look at Saracens, done well maybe those tactics wouldn't seem so daft.

Penalties and missed tackles seem to be a recurring problem.

I saw the Toulon game and that gave me cause for optimism.

Like many I am trying to just be patient. It's not easy though.

Yes absolutely spot on there in my opinion.
Everybody does kick territory and pressure.
It only seems to get noticed by some when it's not done very well.

[sapajo]

All you lot moaning about style of play, selection, coaching etc....what is the way forward then ? I don’t see anyone coming up with ideas of how this supposed desperate situation can be resolved ? Maybe get new coaches in and a fresh set of players and see how that goes ? If after a few games we’re not better than just repeat until it clicks !!? I’m fed up of saying it....it will take time...a number of years to get back to competing with the top 6. If you can’t wait that long then...oh well. If you’re going to judge how it’s all fitting together at Xmas, I think you may be disappointed, so save yourselves the bother.

It does not need to take years! Setting a low bar and low expectations is part of the problem and not the solution. Strange as it may seem its not upto the customers of a business to turn it around and determine how it should be run and improved. Tigers have a board to do that and ultimately they are responsible for the product not supporters!

[JP14]

People are quick to forget, there's nothing surprising about being well-defeated by a team in form playing against youngsters who will probably never even earn the money the likes of Sinckler, Hughes etc are on.

We'll see what Sunday brings, personally I believe the tactics yesterday were because there wasn't enough time to implement any other kind of strategy considering training after Toulon probably began on Monday.

The kicking tactic worked when targeting Adeolokun, if it was a bit shallower and put him under more pressure we could have really caused trouble. The cross-kick to Potter was superb, but I would have liked the guy to have tried and gassed Lloyd round the outside instead of chipping it over the top again (which is a confidence thing), was impressed by Simmons who is showing real speed and is getting the game-time we have been craving for some time.

I actually thought we defended Bristol's attack play considerably well, we were just undone by their maul. Should have kicked to the corner a couple more times as our maul looked semi-promising in the first half. Heyes and Gigena were more undone by the official's "interpretations" rather than the Bears front-row, but Yann Thomas was deserved MVP.

[MurphysLaw]

I agree Ourla - it's not easy when we seem to take these backward steps after previous positive signs.

I, like most, did not expect a win last night. Fielding a very much weakened side so soon after a big European game away from home against a side gunning for a play-off spot was always going to be difficult. Even in-form Exeter, and Sarries had a similar turnaround and even though they had games against teams with little to play for, they both lost.
The difference though is the manner of defeat - the Tigers performance seems woeful in comparison with even other weakened teams.
I don't know if it is the coaching or the players, but it almost seems that for these odd midweek games, that we are just there to fulfil the fixture.
Here's hoping that this was an anomaly, and this weekend we can get back to seeing more progress.

[johnthegriff]

A friend suggested to me that last night was " men against boys " I agree with him, I also agree with those who say we must judge the current coaching set up by how we play in the new season when team selection will reflect what is considered to be our strongest possible team. I cannot argue with any that say we are kicking the ball away far too much, we do seem to have forgotten the old adage " to look after the pill", if we have no option but to kick because ball transfer is too slow the we must change but last night our centres barely received a pass. Also I do not understand why we pick a lock in the back row, I am aware that some players are equally adept in both positions and should not be categorised as one or the other but that does not apply to all and our selection seems to suggest a policy.
I do understand that it would not have been at all practical last night to select players who had played a significant part in our match in Toulon but hope that for Harlequins they will be included.
Positives from these recent matches such as they are include that all the recent signings to our first team squad (that we have seen) have actually looked the part, Steward has emerged ahead of time as a genuine contender for selection, Chessum and Henderson are developing well. Reffell should no longer be considered development he is definite first team squad. There are other who I think have enhanced their reputation and some who have not had much opportunity to do so, we are told that Hardwick is now considered as a 12 not a 10, I agree with that but feel that based on performance pre- lockdown he should be given more game time than he has had since the restart.

[Old Hob]

It's not just on this board that people are critical...

From The Times
"Although Bristol's intensity dropped for much of the second half, Leicester offered nothing; not once did they test Bristol. Their only tactic was to kick the ball back to the Bears."

Alex Lowe Deputy Rugby Correspondent Thursday October 1st

[sapajo]

It's not just on this board that people are critical...

From The Times
"Although Bristol's intensity dropped for much of the second half, Leicester offered nothing; not once did they test Bristol. Their only tactic was to kick the ball back to the Bears."

Alex Lowe Deputy Rugby Correspondent Thursday October 1st

"None as blind as those that refuse to see" is to the fore, I do not subscribe to the jam tomorrow philosophy when tomorrow is still yet to come when its been 7 yrs in the making.

[ads]

Thye've sucked us all in, along with the rest of the premiership teams. You watch, we'll be scoring try's for fun next season. They might even show us a few glimpses of what to expect on Sunday....

Seriously, where's that fingers crossed emoji....

Cheers. I should have posted from my phone, then I'd have found it!
One of these my be useful as well......

[westwinds31]

People are quick to forget, there's nothing surprising about being well-defeated by a team in form playing against youngsters who will probably never even earn the money the likes of Sinckler, Hughes etc are on.

We'll see what Sunday brings, personally I believe the tactics yesterday were because there wasn't enough time to implement any other kind of strategy considering training after Toulon probably began on Monday.

The kicking tactic worked when targeting Adeolokun, if it was a bit shallower and put him under more pressure we could have really caused trouble. The cross-kick to Potter was superb, but I would have liked the guy to have tried and gassed Lloyd round the outside instead of chipping it over the top again (which is a confidence thing), was impressed by Simmons who is showing real speed and is getting the game-time we have been craving for some time.

I actually thought we defended Bristol's attack play considerably well, we were just undone by their maul. Should have kicked to the corner a couple more times as our maul looked semi-promising in the first half. Heyes and Gigena were more undone by the official's "interpretations" rather than the Bears front-row, but Yann Thomas was deserved MVP.

Agreed. Our defence was pretty solid I thought, just the maul defence wasn't great a couple of times and we let them in without much trouble. How good was Thomas ? I remember him at Gloucester and he was fair game, week in week out for scrum penalties. As Flats said in commentary, some clubs just take players in and make them better. He's one of them.

[ourla]

"None as blind as those that refuse to see" is to the fore, I do not subscribe to the jam tomorrow philosophy when tomorrow is still yet to come when its been 7 yrs in the making.

But it's not really been 7 years in the making has it.

This is maybe the 3rd or 4th reworking of the coaching set up and squad. This particular set up is months old.

[DingDong]

The reality is the entire squad 1-23 except possibly Steward are not our 1st choice starting XV. That being the case it was a dead rubber to blood an entire second XV.

Positives - our structure has improved enormously due to better comms and the cohesion that follows, we don't roll over any more especially facing the likes of Hughes, Thomas, Attwood, Sinkler and Radradra. Good experience for a developing 2nd XV.

Negatives were 11 to14 were physically too light and didn't dominate/disrupt the tackle areas, Ben White still shows a severe lack of composure required for a starting 9, stupid and unnecessary penalties (again!) and individual tackling errors (again!).

Not despondent, not a happy clapper, not going to listen to the miserable doom mongers, but I am looking forward to the Harlequins game to see more development and hopefully an attacking game this time.

[Chobbsy]

The reality is the entire squad 1-23 except possibly Steward are not our 1st choice starting XV. That being the case it was a dead rubber to blood an entire second XV.

Positives - our structure has improved enormously due to better comms and the cohesion that follows, we don't roll over any more especially facing the likes of Hughes, Thomas, Attwood, Sinkler and Radradra. Good experience for a developing 2nd XV.

Negatives were 11 to14 were physically too light and didn't dominate/disrupt the tackle areas, Ben White still shows a severe lack of composure required for a starting 9, stupid and unnecessary penalties (again!) and individual tackling errors (again!).

Not despondent, not a happy clapper, not going to listen to the miserable doom mongers, but I am looking forward to the Harlequins game to see more development and hopefully an attacking game this time.

Defence is a real worry for me, especially as that was where the improvement was supposed to start

[sapajo]

"None as blind as those that refuse to see" is to the fore, I do not subscribe to the jam tomorrow philosophy when tomorrow is still yet to come when its been 7 yrs in the making.

But it's not really been 7 years in the making has it.

This is maybe the 3rd or 4th reworking of the coaching set up and squad. This particular set up is months old.

So when did our great club last play in a premiership final ? It is accurate to say our recovery has literally been 7 years in the making and you could also argue so has the current coaching set up and squad because there predecessors failed and necessitated their appointment.