Big Dai wrote:...............But we were fortunate to win. If you were a Toulouse fan you'd be calling for the kicker's head(s) (at least) and bemoaning Clancy's decision not to give Picamoles his try.
Brave and gutsy in the extreme. But fortunate...........and if you're being picky we bombed chances early on.
Take nothing away from the effort............but we were fortunate.
I don't disagree but couldn't it also be argued that Toulouse were fortunate to be awarded any points at all?
Indeed - that's always the problems with 'what ifs'. In one very real sense they only missed either 2 or 3 points. If any one of the penalties, or the conversion, had gone over you cannot say how the game would have gone from that point. If the score had been 9-7 and not 9-5 we probably wouldn't have been facing the line outs for Geoff Parling to steal them. And they might have continued to miss kicks, or would they have gone to pieces or got riled up if Morris had hung onto the ball to score, or ... etc etc etc
All good existentialist stuff.
For when the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name,
He marks - not that you won or lost - but how you played the Game."
A few did shake hands Whitecap, but the majority sulked and walked off. Unbelievably, as I walked towards the players at the coach, one of the Toulouse staff put his hand up to me as if to say do not approach us...quite distasteful, and yes, I have no respect for them now.
Clancy wasn't that bad and certainly not biased or a "homer".
What was disappointing, yet again,was his acceptance/refusal to police the crooked feed.
I think it was the last scrum of the game when one of the commentators remarked "as we don't have to put the ball in straight any more, this is the winning play" (not verbatum but you get my drift).
We shouldn't accept this as the status quo. Whether we benefit from it or not, it ruins the scrum as a contest.
As for their try, the camera angles didn't prove it one way or the other which is why the commentary team didn't pronounce on it in the way that the supporters have. It should certainly be a lesson for Tait to take on board.
Clapping off at the end? I have done it all over the world and have never known it not to happen.
It isn't a written statute but has always been the accepted "form" of manners and sportsmanship.
You can only be generous in victory and think they were so befuddled at loosing a game they should have won, they went off in a dream.
At least there were handshakes.
Last edited by Smudge on Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Smudge wrote:
As for their try, the camera angles didn't prove it one way or the other which is why the commentary team didn't pronounce on it in the way that the supporters have.
Unless I'm mistaken before the TMO gave the result they started gathering ready for a scrum rather than getting back for a kick - which is rather telling in my view.
Big Dai - your summary of the game and our performance is spot on as ever . We showed enormous determination , particularly from 1 to 9 and our lack of creative ability did not for once matter . The display of the Toulouse place kickers was probably the worst ever seen at Welford Road - perhaps so bad as to be termed an 'act of God' . I have to say that Morris should probably be shot for that inept display and Tait also if he drops any more like that . If those pair can't improve their communication and effectiveness in defence then dear old Geordan will be wearing the 15 shirt when he is 45 .
Very dissappointed with their attitude post match, not in the spirit of the game at all.
Think shooting Morris and Tait a bit harsh given the conditions!
Fortunate as regard their kicks but a great win non the less. I'd also suggest with utter bias that he seemed very quick to ping us for not rolling away and not as keen to ref them at the break down so justice done in my very biased and humble opinion!
Smudge wrote:Clancy wasn't that bad and certainly not biased or a "homer".
What was disappointing, yet again,was his acceptance/refusal to police the crooked feed.
I think it was the last scrum of the game when one of the commentators remarked "as we don't have to put the ball in straight any more, this is the winning play" (not verbatum but you get my drift).
We shouldn't accept this as the status quo. Whether we benefit from it or not, it ruins the scrum as a contest.
No, it shouldn't be accepted, but IMHO it happens more often than not and is rarely penalised.
mike wrote:Big Dai - your summary of the game and our performance is spot on as ever . We showed enormous determination , particularly from 1 to 9 and our lack of creative ability did not for once matter . The display of the Toulouse place kickers was probably the worst ever seen at Welford Road - perhaps so bad as to be termed an 'act of God' . I have to say that Morris should probably be shot for that inept display and Tait also if he drops any more like that . If those pair can't improve their communication and effectiveness in defence then dear old Geordan will be wearing the 15 shirt when he is 45 .
That up and under went into orbit! Indeed when it went up I thought a try was a banker it was such an excellent dangerous kick from the Toulouse 10 and Tait did his utmost to catch it. Frankly such was the quality of the kick even GM would have struggled to cope with it especially in the conditions. Tait actually did well to regather the ball, but his mistake was trying to then make amends by putting boot to ball, trouble was he was tackled in the act of doing so and failed to connect which led to the try. A more experienced full back would have gone to ground and held on to the ball for dear life and surrender the penalty. Tait is a work in progress at 15 he will get better and better.
As for Morris he should have grounded that ball as he was not under pressure unlike last week against the Ospreys when he did magnificently to squeeze in for a try.
Without hope we are nothing, keep the faith, a Tiger for eternity
mike wrote:Big Dai - your summary of the game and our performance is spot on as ever . We showed enormous determination , particularly from 1 to 9 and our lack of creative ability did not for once matter . The display of the Toulouse place kickers was probably the worst ever seen at Welford Road - perhaps so bad as to be termed an 'act of God' . I have to say that Morris should probably be shot for that inept display and Tait also if he drops any more like that . If those pair can't improve their communication and effectiveness in defence then dear old Geordan will be wearing the 15 shirt when he is 45 .
Have you played rugby in a blizzard before? I find this post to be fairly ludicrous.
It was not a day for creativity or flair, it was a day for hoofing the ball down the pitch and playing in the right areas. Saying Morris should be 'shot' is, IMO, unbelievable. He failed to hold on to an icy ball with a one handed reach. He was solid under the high ball and made some important tackles. Not up to his usual recent standards but conditions must be taken into account. Tait DID have a poor game, with several drops and some poor kicks, but again, he has built up some credit in the bank over the last few weeks and so can be forgiven.
I for one will not be doing any shooting but will be saying well done for the grit and determination that won us the game, and hoping we can pick it up and find another level in the better conditions in France come April.
mike wrote:Big Dai - your summary of the game and our performance is spot on as ever . We showed enormous determination , particularly from 1 to 9 and our lack of creative ability did not for once matter . The display of the Toulouse place kickers was probably the worst ever seen at Welford Road - perhaps so bad as to be termed an 'act of God' . I have to say that Morris should probably be shot for that inept display and Tait also if he drops any more like that . If those pair can't improve their communication and effectiveness in defence then dear old Geordan will be wearing the 15 shirt when he is 45 .
Just a few simple questions, do you actually watch the game or are your comments already pre-written like some journalists who cannot bring themselves to say anything nice about Tigers. In the conditions yesterday all our backs played well. Tait drops one ball and he should be shot? Tad harsh don't you think? I would like to see you try and catch a ball or ground it when you can't feel your fingers. If their misses were an act of God then at least he's a supporter who is happy with the result.
Of course this is my own opinion and other posters may have a different perceived factual viewpoint.
iceman_19 wrote:
Have you played rugby in a blizzard before?
Certainly have, not pleasant at all. Makes handling errors very understandable and forgiveable in my view, as I can recall all too well the difficulty of catching and passing the ball when you can no longer feel your fingers. I've seen some players with excellent ball handling skills go to pot in better weather than that. I've hung my boots up now, but I recall from my playing days that sometimes you just want the match to end, and if I'd been out on Saturday that would have been one of them!
Agreed Iceman. Morris played well in general. The try was difficult to ground because the leg of the first player to try and tackle him went under his arm as he went to ground it. It lifted his arm as he was probably thinking it wouold be going downwards.
Also, and I'm guessing I'll get corrcted if I'm wrong, but when they got their first penalty in the corner at the end - around 78 mins - it was for Ayerza goin in the side. What I noticed is that, whilst seeing Ayerza do that, the ref called "maul" just AFTER he did it. Does that make Ayerza's actions technically legit?
Finally, I got narked with a) a couple of pens given against us for off feet when Salvi and Cole I think were clearly NOT supporting their weight, and b) the ref penalising them for binding on the arm when he saw it, but the AR couldn't spot exactly the same thing at another time. In fact, we got penalised instead!
First visit to see the Tigers play anywhere yesterday and all I can say is well done - dreadful conditions but played out in front a packed house and the desire to win was always going to win the day - sure there were errors (none more so from the Toulouse boot thank heavens) and from cold hands when the snows in your eyes) but the line held pretty firm - there will be much to watch and learn from in the video analysis but all I can say is a big thank you for a cracking match - stewards & shop staff all very pleasant & helpful for first timers not knowing their way round and fellow supporters were friendly as well - a much enjoyed game and we will be back !
So nice to see them offering congratulations to Tigers - very sporting! NOT!
Toulouse have gone down in my estimation - I used to have a lot of respect for them - but no longer
First visit to see the Tigers play anywhere yesterday and all I can say is well done - dreadful conditions but played out in front a packed house and the desire to win was always going to win the day - sure there were errors (none more so from the Toulouse boot thank heavens) and from cold hands when the snows in your eyes) but the line held pretty firm - there will be much to watch and learn from in the video analysis but all I can say is a big thank you for a cracking match - stewards & shop staff all very pleasant & helpful for first timers not knowing their way round and fellow supporters were friendly as well - a much enjoyed game and we will be back ! 
