First things first

[ourla]

On Saturday Harlequins, Wasps and Northampton all have fairly tough away games at Sale, Gloucester and Saracens respectively. Obviously Wasps are in form and probably the most likely to win away but Gloucester are much better at home and their form has been very good at Kingsholm and pretty good overall.

Sooo... it's quite feasible that those 3 are home wins and things will really tighten up again. As if our game against Exeter wasn't crucial already it becomes even more so. Win and we could go 3rd and within strking distance of 2nd, we could put a bit of space between us and the teams in 5th/6th. 44 plays 38 approx. Lose and we are back amongst the rabble.

As ever each week changes the dynamics for the week after, so no point worrying about Wasps away or beyond right now.

So it's all in for Sunday. What are the prospects? Whose in, whose out? What do we have to do to beat the Chiefs?

The signings are all jam tomorrow. We need to kick on from the Irish and win agin.

[Cagey Tiger]

Please don't turn up at WR on Saturday. Our match is now on Sunday (Mothers Day - clever rearrangement. Not)

[ourla]

Please don't turn up at WR on Saturday. Our match is now on Sunday (Mothers Day - clever rearrangement. Not)

I did actually know that, don't know why I got it wrong

[Roly]

On Saturday Harlequins, Wasps and Northampton all have fairly tough away games at Sale, Gloucester and Saracens respectively. Obviously Wasps are in form and probably the most likely to win away but Gloucester are much better at home and their form has been very good at Kingsholm and pretty good overall.

Sooo... it's quite feasible that those 3 are home wins and things will really tighten up again. As if our game against Exeter wasn't crucial already it becomes even more so. Win and we could go 3rd and within strking distance of 2nd, we could put a bit of space between us and the teams in 5th/6th. 44 plays 38 approx. Lose and we are back amongst the rabble.

As ever each week changes the dynamics for the week after, so no point worrying about Wasps away or beyond right now.

So it's all in for Sunday. What are the prospects? Whose in, whose out? What do we have to do to beat the Chiefs?

The signings are all jam tomorrow. We need to kick on from the Irish and win agin.

Play like they did for the 1st 60 v Irish and they've got a good chance. Play like they did in the last 20, and they'll get walloped.

[ellis9]

Yet another statement about a stupid (apparently) kick off time!

I can't make Sunday but I also can't make Saturday so maybe I should moan about it not being played on Friday night when I could have made it and suits me best!

[Smudge]

Play like they did in the last 20, and they'll get walloped.

We had most, if not all, the replacements on by then. The temptation is always to
empty the bench after 60 minutes if we are ahead so don't be surprised if we then
ship a few tries. In the event, it didn't affect things and the players got some
game time.
The secret is to get it right.
We have a recent history of not using our bench astutely so it is not anything new.

[The Boy Dave]

We had most, if not all, the replacements on by then. The temptation is always to
empty the bench after 60 minutes if we are ahead so don't be surprised if we then
ship a few tries. In the event, it didn't affect things and the players got some
game time.
The secret is to get it right.
We have a recent history of not using our bench astutely so it is not anything new.

Agree!
It was poor, the atmosphere which wasn't great anyway went totally flat and folk started leaving early.
You expect changes with a scoreline like that but also expect some level of thought going into it in terms of maintaining a level of organisation and performance and not just simply stopping playing.
It took the :censored: to be honest!

[tigerburnie]

Goes back to my favourite moan, no proper "A" league is part of the problem. Players train hard all week and don't play at the weekend, net result? At the end of their contract they leave to get some game time and we as a club lose out, I could make a list, but we already know the likes of Tommy Bell is leaving for this very reason. So we either keep haemorrhaging players we'd rather keep, or we empty the bench when circumstances allow.
We are at the tight end of the season now and some of the player rotation is no longer an option(a couple are away with the National team as well).I shall endeavour to get to some of the games before the season ends to give them my vocal support, sadly not this weekend though.

[murphy15]

I'm interested by recent comments regarding only allowing substitutions for injuries. It would certainly add a new dimension - targeting tired players etc. Although I suppose could also be potentially increase amount of injuries / provide more opportunities for Harlequins to cheat...

[tigerburnie]

I was against the idea of substitutes when they were first introduced, before, you could only be replaced if a doctor said you were unfit to continue. The games dynamics have now changed and in certain positions, a full 80 minutes may actually not be looking after the players welfare. Not an easy answer to a game that is evolving rapidly without any real evidence available to make a considered response. We cannot sanitise the game and remove all the risks from a contact sport, we can however look after the players and act in a responsible manner. To me managing players game time with the aid of the GPS units they all wear is a sensible option going forward.

[LE18]

Annoying that we gave away those last 2 tries, both through the 12/13 channels, neither had been substituted. Think EJ may need to have a word with one of them, the one who rushed up and flattened the opposition but gave away the penalty for doing it, off side!

[Isambard]

So why no A league? Oh money? It would be good to have some a league fixtures at club grounds where there were fewer overheads. The players would get some game time, the clubs would see some Tigers and maybe the game and the club would benefit?

[Noddy555]

If we get our 3 English Internationals back and hopefully a fit Tom Youngs then we have a chance against the chiefs who are arguably the form team of the moment with the three ex tigers players performing well, but we will have to defend a lot better than we did against the Exiles when we gave away two soft tries.

[Roly]

Play like they did in the last 20, and they'll get walloped.

We had most, if not all, the replacements on by then. The temptation is always to
empty the bench after 60 minutes if we are ahead so don't be surprised if we then
ship a few tries. In the event, it didn't affect things and the players got some
game time.
The secret is to get it right.
We have a recent history of not using our bench astutely so it is not anything new.

Rugby Union at professional level is now very much a 23 man game. Eddie Jones has proven that your substitutions, if of suitable quality and used judiciously, can strengthen the team.

Its no longer good enough - nor should we accept - that substitutions invoke a lack of continuity or somehow weaken a team. Gone are the days when a sub was a player who struggled to make the first XV.

It seems that the teams at the top understand this, and Tigers simply haven't. It doesn't matter who you're playing, your match day squad are your 23 best available players and you use them properly.

Exeter aren't the form team at the moment (Wasps are) but they're very consistent. They were robbed by poor officiating v Sarries and should be top of the pile now. Baxter should be confident of a result on Sunday - Tigers fans can only hope. It should stick in the craw that three players Tigers saw as surplus to requirement, are ripping up trees for Chiefs.

[Donny]

Please don't turn up at WR on Saturday. Our match is now on Sunday (Mothers Day - clever rearrangement. Not)

This fixture change was announced last year.