Sale v Tigers

[G.K]

Tigers are what they are now - a mediocre team that every now and again plays a blinder. The table doesn't lie.

[strawclearer]

Tigers are what they are now - a mediocre team that every now and again plays a blinder. The table doesn't lie.

...or an incredibly successful side in its formative year?

[Guinness&Nuts]

Tait has been struggling for fitness, yet the coach decides to experiment and put him out of position. Blame the coach. Bell is way out of his depth at this level, and the sooner people relise this the better.

Tait plays at FB or not at all. For me when he is fully fit he is the best all round option at 15, providing the likes of Veainu, Thompson or Betham are on the wing.

Leicester did not take their opportunities in the first half and paid the price!

[mol2]

Someone has got to get hold of Thacker and tell him he is not big enough to constantly be there at first receiver.

Wrong. As a 2 who is as mobile as a fast 7 it gives an extra option. The defenders are not facing a donkey but an extra back.

Only if it doesn't compromise the scrum. What's the point of having arguably the best props in the country if the hooker means you can only use the scrum as a restart rather than as an attacking weapon as we did in the past?

[Grimlish]

Frustrating afternoon. 5 points wasted not putting the ball down and Sales two first half tries coming from silly, unnecessary, Tigers' errors (missed touch pen and Bell's misfortune on the other touchline).

Don't forget Stringer conning the ref for the pen against Fonua just before Cip's try. Sale played the ref well.

[richardssalex]

Sale really did play a sly game today. From the moment they cynically killed the clock during the sin bin I knew how they were going to play.

The manner of defeat was gutting really. Felt we were the best side, our defence was really good and their tries came from a disappointing missed touch and a try which I called to be in touch when his knee made contact at the time. We seemed to play all the rugby.

Looking on the bright side this could nearly be considered a reserve pack apart from the props so to have such a strong driving maul is exceptional. Missing TY at hooker, slates and fitzgerald at lock, williams, BOC and Mcaffrey in the back row.

Manu had a pretty good game as well.

Ref was shocking.

[Smudge]

We are not far off being a good side but it would help if we could field the
same set of players consistently. Likewise, the same captain.

It is obvious the coaches don't trust our second string props and with good reason
but at least the new lad looked OK in the short time he was on.
The pack was on par with Sale but never pushed them back.

As for Goneva, he is a talented player but as well as scoring them he is costing
us tries. The high catch on the wing he missed last week was bad enough, the
failure to score today was lamentable.
What are the coaches doing? Every player I have ever coached has learned the
basics, in that you cut your options when you carry the ball in only one hand and
have every chance of getting it stripped from you. (Or dropping it)
The most puzzling problem is the selection policy.
It is well known that RC has never been able to manage his bench well and nothing
has changed since AM arrived. You can only come to one conclusion there!

[LittleBigG]

Don't forget Stringer conning the ref for the pen against Fonua just before Cip's try. Sale played the ref well.

In Stringer's defence I don't think that he actually saw who pulled him into the ruck but, being the irritating little scrumhalf that he is, remonstrated to the referee anyway

Sale are obviously doing something right as you don't get a year unbeaten at home by luck! It's the nature of the defeat what grates, however - we could have been about 5 tries up at half time if we could just do the basics right (and if Sir was a bit more generous with the yellow card offence!)

Losing Freddie early on was a massive blow considering how well he played last week. Betham and Veainu do need resting as they've not really had any break over the summer; was this game the best for them to do this, or would it have been better to have a break next week when we are at home? Meh. Whataboutism gets us nowhere.

[wellstiger]

When we played SALE at Welford Rd earlier in the season it was like a comedy of errors, Dropped balls, Knock ons, poor kicking missed tackles.
That was from both teams and Sale won.

Difference on Sunday .....Sale have cut that out of their game.
We have been like it all season.
I for one cannot wait for next season. I keep the faith that we will make play offs.. but do we deserve to win Prem ?????
On recent performances do we hope to beat Stade.

IMHO we have not been ruthless enough in cutting deadwood. Some of the transfers out will not be missed post season.

[Tigerbeat]

When we played SALE at Welford Rd earlier in the season it was like a comedy of errors, Dropped balls, Knock ons, poor kicking missed tackles.
That was from both teams and Sale won.

The conditions at Welford Road were awful and the game matched it.

[The Boy Dave]

All teams make errors, few teams consistently create so many chances that they can get away with it but there are a few, maybe those above us.
What's disappointing is to create more than the opposition and lose.
Watching the scrum these days is a pitiful sight, world class props and nothing in it whatsoever, and sarries away in the play offs looking the most likely opportunity.

[mightymouse]

I much prefer Williams at 10. Burns kicking (from hand) is so poor it costs us points. To defend so manfully for umpteen phases only for yor fly half to kick it straight back to them after you turn it over is criminal.I hated playing with fly halves like that and for that reason would not pick him.

At the end of the game on the line we needed it wide where our two most dangerous players in manu and telusa had the best opportunity in securing the draw.

How does the TMO not spot the foot in touch when the sale man kneed it forwaRd and go on to score?

However we cannot complain too much because as Cockers said we had it in our own power to win and we blew too many chances.

[RagingBull]

Williams has been brilliant under Mauger IMO.

Burns has improved a lot esp when you look at his form in his last season with Glous but Williams has that extra stability which is really needed for this run in.

[LE18]

The law was explained to us, you are not in touch if you don't hold the ball, kicking it or kneeing it whilst in touch does not count, play on.

[fleabane]

^ as long as the ball has not crossed the centre line of the touch line.

In this case, the TMO was correct.