Quins v Leicester - 23rd April 2022 KO 15:00

[Old Hob]

I've been shouting (at the TV for the last two years) at players pushing their own players in the back. Ignoring the danger, it just seems dumb to me as the pushed player invariably stumbles, gets on the wrong side in a ruck or falls over. Binding to a fellow player and driving through a tackle is one thing but shoving and hoping is generally counter-productive.

[Rugbygramps]

He has great attributes, but sleight of hand, great passing and an overdone spiral bomb/ kicking game

Overdone spiral bomb He did one yesterday and zero against Clermont. He needs to increase not decrease them as its the kick he does best and very few No10s can actually perform

From watching on the telly he did seem to attempt more. I’m no kicking expert but I wonder if the strong wind affects them

[Crofty]

"Ruck" discussing the Green, Dombrant, Marler affair this morning. Citing on the way?

Unlikely I'd say, even if they publicly disagree with Barnes and Foley (and by extension the WR focus on pushing into contact they very prominently cited) on the penalty going against Quins, the push would still mitigate it to a yellow so they can do nothing.

Unless, of course, they feel the time is right to publicly reveal the anti Tigers conspiracy at the top of rugby but it might be a bit early for that...

https://www.ruck.co.uk/marler-left-bloo ... -red-card/

Link to article

Article is a strong word...

[Tiglon]

Every time Tigers dare to lose a game or Ford makes a mistake with his boot the same old comments come out - he's predictable, kicks too much, past it, etc etc.

If Farrell hadn't been injured and Ford had escaped England imprisonment, we would all be marvelling in the wonder of his continued brilliance. As it is, he's spent a couple of months doing sod all and clearly has a few niggles.

We all praise the work SB has done in turning this club around, but a HUGE part of that is his emphasis on kicking the ball away (largely because ALL the top clubs and nations in world rugby do it). It's completely illogical to say SB has done a great job but then claim we kick the ball too much, because that's a core part of his rugby philosophy - no risks in your own half. You don't like the game plan, then you need to be critical of SB.

What do the All Blacks, South Africa, France, Saracens and Leinster all have in common? They kick the ball away a lot and they win a lot. If, at the end of the season, we can add Tigers to that list then I for one won't be disappointed.

Maybe if Smith kicked a bit more his team wouldn't be so far behind Tigers in the league and out of Europe

[sapajo]

He has great attributes, but sleight of hand, great passing and an overdone spiral bomb/ kicking game

Overdone spiral bomb He did one yesterday and zero against Clermont. He needs to increase not decrease them as its the kick he does best and very few No10s can actually perform

From watching on the telly he did seem to attempt more. I’m no kicking expert but I wonder if the strong wind affects them

Undoubtedly, the wind being the biggest factor.

[Ashurstwoodtiger]

Crofty thanks for link. Some inaccurate comment one being that Marlene sustained a bloodied ear after the tackle. IIRC Marler did sustain a blood injury but that was to his right forehead which did not require treatment and happened later in the game. Maybe too much to hope that people reporting on games could get their facts right. I don't count these people as Journalists

[Crofty]

Crofty thanks for link. Some inaccurate comment one being that Marlene sustained a bloodied ear after the tackle. IIRC Marler did sustain a blood injury but that was to his right forehead which did not require treatment and happened later in the game. Maybe too much to hope that people reporting on games could get their facts right. I don't count these people as Journalists

T'wasn't me with the link, that was Big Dai but yes, I agree with you on the quality of the """"article"""" which boiled down to a couple of sentences of inaccurate histrionics and then a statement of what happened in the decision in question framed as if to say Barnes had lost his head somehow...

[Big Dai]

Unlikely I'd say, even if they publicly disagree with Barnes and Foley (and by extension the WR focus on pushing into contact they very prominently cited) on the penalty going against Quins, the push would still mitigate it to a yellow so they can do nothing.

Unless, of course, they feel the time is right to publicly reveal the anti Tigers conspiracy at the top of rugby but it might be a bit early for that...

https://www.ruck.co.uk/marler-left-bloo ... -red-card/

Link to article

Article is a strong word...

Yup. Perhaps inverted commas were called for.....it's just what greeted me on the phone this morning.

[No6_Flanker]

Superb piece of psychology and planning by SB, in my opinion.

When we play these teams in the play offs they think back oh heck we only just beat them when a number of 1st and 2nd choices weren't playing and they could have won if the rub of the green had gone their way. Now we are facing their strongest available line up ooh er....

Add to this all the stuff about rest, rotation, needed game time etc and I start to understand SB's philosophy for this and similar games.

There is also a 3rd element. If we ended up being without a number of our1st and 2nd choices in the play offs or latter stages of European Competition these squad players would be drafted in and asked to step up. A game like yesterday enables them to put into practice strategies, moves and systems learned on the training field in the cauldron of a full on premiership match against top opponents. Having come through and not disgraced themselves, indeed being close enough to actually win, gives individual players, the whole squad and the coaching staff the confidence to go out and perform again with 1st hand knowledge of the step up they need to make to win next time. Much better than being thrown in at the deep end, methinks.

This. A touch of the Eddie Jones about it: don’t reveal your hand until the World Cup.

Borthwick’s squad development is remarkable. The thing we lacked for so many of the bad years.

[fentiger]

Superb piece of psychology and planning by SB, in my opinion.

When we play these teams in the play offs they think back oh heck we only just beat them when a number of 1st and 2nd choices weren't playing and they could have won if the rub of the green had gone their way. Now we are facing their strongest available line up ooh er....

Add to this all the stuff about rest, rotation, needed game time etc and I start to understand SB's philosophy for this and similar games.

There is also a 3rd element. If we ended up being without a number of our1st and 2nd choices in the play offs or latter stages of European Competition these squad players would be drafted in and asked to step up. A game like yesterday enables them to put into practice strategies, moves and systems learned on the training field in the cauldron of a full on premiership match against top opponents. Having come through and not disgraced themselves, indeed being close enough to actually win, gives individual players, the whole squad and the coaching staff the confidence to go out and perform again with 1st hand knowledge of the step up they need to make to win next time. Much better than being thrown in at the deep end, methinks.

I've often wondered if SB plays chess? He really does appear a master strategist!

[Crofty]

https://www.tiktok.com/@harlequinsrugby ... ULmHG&_r=1

Classy response from the Harlequins to Dombrant getting penalised pretty mildly for his push. If Sarries or us posted similar there would be consequences I have no doubt but when the darlings of English rugby do it, well let's wait and see but I'm not holding my breath...

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

Some interesting parallels with the Challenge Cup Final last season towards the end, still kicking the ball as a means of attack, but contrast that with Bristol & Connacht away games when we hung on to the ball to score winning trys, not sure why we didn't trust ourselves more.
Generally we didn't do enough to win on Saturday, some below par performances from our more experienced players.

[sam16111986]

Some interesting parallels with the Challenge Cup Final last season towards the end, still kicking the ball as a means of attack, but contrast that with Bristol & Connacht away games when we hung on to the ball to score winning trys, not sure why we didn't trust ourselves more.
Generally we didn't do enough to win on Saturday, some below par performances from our more experienced players.

When we tried to run it from deep we got turned over, think it cost us 3 when Burns got caught without support. We normally use the kicking game to gain territory and then apply pressure in the opposition 22. I presume our playmakers didn't feel it was on, we lacked a little impetus in the backs when Nadolo went off, he combined so well with Moroni.

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https://www.tiktok.com/@harlequinsrugby ... ULmHG&_r=1

Classy response from the Harlequins to Dombrant getting penalised pretty mildly for his push. If Sarries or us posted similar there would be consequences I have no doubt but when the darlings of English rugby do it, well let's wait and see but I'm not holding my breath...

This is the thing, they say Marler gets hit in the head, but did he? Or did Green get hit in the head because of Dombrandts push. I know they want to get rid of head contact and the emphasis is rightly on the defending player but people have to start realising that it's not only the attacking player that can be the reciever of said head contact. The duty of care is on all players.

[Chobbsy]

I didnt see the game as I was busy at Wembley, am I right to be down with the result?