Tonights Game?

G.K · Post by **G.K** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:33 pm

Just puzzled why there is such a big difference between the A team results and the first team results?

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:34 pm

Well done Gate, another poster that spelts Humphreys correctly !

He looked very good ball in hand, although kicking from hand was mixed. The lad has a serious boot on him, one kick from nearly half way would have scored from our 10m line. Northampton didn't really test him defensively, but I thought Humphreys passed tonights examination well enough.

I agree that Matt Smith looked very sharp as well.

Up front the line out struggled against a big Northampton pack, but Tigers' front row absolutely hammered their opposite numbers. Young Mr Holford, dare I say it, took their tight head apart.

GS · Post by GS » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:44 pm

Well Humphries (sorry Humphreys - doh) could hardly have done more to stake a place on the team sheet at the weekend. Kicking out of hand was very good, with only a few gliches and place kicking very good and every gap he saw he seemed to go for and make yards. If there was a criticism it could be he was trying a bit too hard at times, but who could blame the lad?

Just like last week Northants looked up for it and the half time score was reasonable for the game. they did look very good up front at times. But just like last week fitness told, but it must have hurt (literally) to lose two forwards in quick succession, one on the stretcher and one limping/carried off because the stretcher was busy.

Alex Tuilagi looks very one dimensional, unfortunately. A battering ram who is prone to lose the ball in contact. What was Abrahams thinking when he clattered their 10? Mind you it was very roundy ball the way he looked dead to the world until the ref took the point and then he sprang to his feet.

All in all another great night of entertaining rugby. To refer to another thread about the Quinns game it was a pretty win. Some excellent fast and at times powerful rugby from both sides in the first half with fitness showing in the end. It was the sort of game (in the first half) you could lose and go home entertained. This A team does look a bit special so far though. Full marks to the coaches and everyone involved.

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:50 pm

Hi GS

Completely agree on the fitness thing. Northampton had 'gone' after 60 minutes, we were running rings round them at the end.

Compliments to our conditioning coach !

GS · Post by GS » Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:59 pm

Hi dailywaffle

Yeh, its always ominous when they start going dowm with cramp halfway through the second half.

That said a couple of ours suffered later on. Surely an indication of the players' energitc approach to these highly entertaining games.

simon redshaw · Post by **simon redshaw** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:03 pm

Sounds a great performance again by the Development Team. If only that could be rubbed off into the First Team!! :( :( The Development Team are doing very well and are better then last year which was pretty good.

I see Neil Back was one of the replacements with Pat. Or that's waht it said on the home page!! Did Neil get on to the pitch!!

Rizzo · Post by **Rizzo** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:08 pm

no Simon, he didn't - he didn't take his tracksuit off so I wasn't expecting him to play at all - presumably his name was listed in case of dire emergency! Pat was in shorts from the get-go - although he didn't emerge to warm up until after the rest had finished

Apologies about Humphreys - slap wrist, and will go back and edit :)

GS · Post by GS » Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:10 pm

I got the impression that Pat's appearance was more of an ego thing. Tuilagi didn't look best pleased to be replaced and Deacon spent a bit of time trying to captain our leader.

unohoo · Post by **unohoo** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:23 pm

GS wrote:I got the impression that Pat's appearance was more of an ego thing. Tuilagi didn't look best pleased to be replaced and Deacon spent a bit of time trying to captain our leader.

Tuilagi never looks pleased to be replaced.

Iain · Post by **Iain** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:38 am

GS, I'll refer you to the post I contributed about Pat being on the bench. Not egotistical at all I didn't think. I was near the front and could pick up on what Pat was saying and it was almost like live coaching in a match situation for a young set of backs. Invaluable experience for them I'd have said.

Very good performance from Tigers, looked very slick, even considering for the fact Northampton were better than the score suggested and picked up a couple of bad looking injuries in the process.

boondock · Post by **boondock** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:37 pm

got caught up in work and didnt make it to the game - have to say having seen the score i'm kind of glad about that now.

we have a rash of injuries at the moment , was hoping some of the wanderers would make a case for first xv places. doesnt look that way just yet though.

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:59 pm

Hi boondock

I'd say that the main (only ?) positive that the Wanderers could take away was their line out, which functioned well. Your scrum, on the other hand, was pretty much wrecked.

In fairness, the score flattered Leicester a little; the Wanderers actually dominated the first quarter before the wheels flew off.

GS · Post by GS » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:30 am

Fair enough Iain, I was nearer the 22. My egotistical comment was based on the fact that the game was won and Tuilagi wasn't injured or failing to contribute to the team.

Mind you it does open a whole new can of worms. Does this mean he doesn't think Andy Key and co are doing their jobs properly or are failing in some way? Are his management skills limited to actually hands on (pushing people around)? Perhaps he should have given Deacon a better briefing about the way the backs were playing/should play rather than undermine the captain on the pitch in full view? (To his credit Deacon did have a strong discussion with Pat in front of us that appeared to be about who was captain)

Whatever, this thread is about the A team and everyone involved are to be congratulated on the style of rugby they play and the fact that they one of the only two unbeaten teams, having played 1 game more, Brizzle being the other.