Ospreys tomorrow night.

[kpj tiger]

1. Ayerza
2. T Youngs
3. Bateman
4. Barrow
5. Slater
6. O'Connor
7. Evans
8. Hamilton
9. Kitto
10. Harrison
11. Thompstone
12. Roberts
13. Betham
14. Veainu
15. Tait

16. Mcguigan
17. Genge
18. Cole
19. Kitchener
20. Wells
21. B Youngs
22. Smith
23. Pieterson
24. H Thacker
25. Worth
26. Balmain
27. Mcgrath
28. F Tuilagi

[Spicer]

42-38.

Harrison's best game to date, playing at fly half, never mind Burns or Williams!

[PaleoTiger]

I spoke with Mike Fitzgerald, broke his hand 3 wks ago, hopes to be back in 2-3wks. Spoke to Logo, saw him queueing for pies for family (He had to pay as well!!) back for Wasps game. Burns tweaked injury on Monday, but rested for tonights game, OK got Glaws. Croft was in the stand but didn't speak to him not seen him yet pre-season........?

Overall game was forgettable, some good moments, I thought that Sam H looked OK as a passing fly half, kicking was OK. Betham looked really good at centre. Pietersen never touched the ball other than his yellow card. Barrow looks like he's continuing from last year. Genge looks abrasive in the carry and Dan Cole got in a scrap at the end, something happened or was said and a 99 call went in. Game promptly ended.

Jack Roberts looked lively at centre, again, abrasive. Will Evans tackled everything, O'Connor, Hamilton and Evans were all still on the pitch at 65 mins. I'm really impressed with Hamilton, looks a big mobile unit, I hope he continues to impress, I think that he will turn into a top signing for us

[jgriffin]

Would agree with that. Thought Genge/McGuigan/Cole was a very lively front row.
One or two odd reffing decisions (penalty against Sam for ripping ball off player NOT on ground?), and the usual refusal to flag offside.
Hamilton was excellent.

[Ads677]

At the risk of being condemned into the doom and gloom corner my view is that both attack and defence coaches will have their hands full over the next week. Ospreys showed exactly how to create space and put players into it. They also read most of our attack plays quite easily. Our scrum looked good, although I don't know the quality of their opposition, and our lineout also went well. Rolling mauls created problems for both defences, penalties being indicated or awarded at almost every one.

Individually nearly all the players looked good, it's just getting them to play coherently together that needs much more work, but that, of course, is the whole point of a team game. Nonetheless, I would have hoped for at least a better defence, we had one last season.

[PaleoTiger]

Would agree with that. Thought Genge/McGuigan/Cole was a very lively front row.
One or two odd reffing decisions (penalty against Sam for ripping ball off player NOT on ground?), and the usual refusal to flag offside.
Hamilton was excellent.

I'd forgot about the ref, he made some very generous decisions towards the away team. I'm convinced that he must have a coal fireplace or his father was a miner. When he refused to give a knock on against Ospreys when they cocked up a "tap and go" and tapped it and knocked on the catch, I lost all hope and started spiralling downward in respect for the ref.

[ellis9]

Ads677, I wouldn't worry too much. I thought people wanted to see games like this. Six tries each, running rugby and a high scoring game. This is what the people have asked for, apparently.

[Bowden Tiger]

Overall I thinks there were more positives from that game, which as a pre-season game wasn't bad.
Ospreys backs were electric, and we coped with their speed reasonably well. Sam Harrison is such a good player, again giving 100% and was really effective. But for me the performance of Luke Hamilton was a real eye opener. I think we signed him from Agen, and he tackled aggressively and effectively, was good in the line outs, and showed great control at No8. Early days yes, but the signs are good.
My only real worry, and it's not just Tigers, but we seen to really struggle with a rolling maul, with our players being spun out everywhere. I have seen effective defence of this where two or three hit it at once and stop the momentum, sometimes driving it back. Work to do on that area I think.

[TomWeston]

...Spoke to Logo, saw him queueing for pies for family (He had to pay as well!!) back for Wasps game...

Hope Logo left some for you!

[TomWeston]

As it is a friendly, does anyone think that Mr Paul James will be allowed to do his normal cartwheels by the ref?

Or should I have posted this nonsense on Mr Partridge's 'pivotal' thread?

I see that Mr James was sanctioned, even by wet-behind-the-ears Mr Luke Pearce. Was it, perchance, because of his habitual circular perambulation at scrum time?

[Soggypitch]

I enjoyed the game and a decent 14,000 crowd.

Good in attack, excellent in the scrum and hopeless in defence, but I would hope that will change when it really matters next week.

I agree Hamilton looked excellent, and nobody had a bad game. Bateman looks a proper tighthead, well ahead of Balmain. Kitto was really sharp.

Still concerned about the centres, Betham standing at 12 did well, Roberts at 13 likewise, but that combo will not worry the better sides in the prem.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/ ... -director/

Interesting article on Manu and Tom Youngs mentioned hooking the ball.....but where was Manu last night?!

He must have some injury concern or surely he would have been in the squad?

Also what's wrong with Croft?

Sam played v well last night but we desperately need Burns back for next week.

Sounds like Williams (x2), Fitzgerald, Cilliers, Logo are all out short term, so hopefully will be back soonest - M Williams being the most important IMO - the back row were good last night but both O'Connor and Evans are 7's and we really need Williams physicality at 6.

Finally where was MacCaffrey last night?

[Soggypitch]

As it is a friendly, does anyone think that Mr Paul James will be allowed to do his normal cartwheels by the ref?

Or should I have posted this nonsense on Mr Partridge's 'pivotal' thread?

I see that Mr James was sanctioned, even by wet-behind-the-ears Mr Luke Pearce. Was it, perchance, because of his habitual circular perambulation at scrum time?

The scrum was excellent and never went down until James came on, then immediately it went down virtually every time. In the end even this ref got fed up and binned him.

[TomWeston]

As it is a friendly, does anyone think that Mr Paul James will be allowed to do his normal cartwheels by the ref?

Or should I have posted this nonsense on Mr Partridge's 'pivotal' thread?

I see that Mr James was sanctioned, even by wet-behind-the-ears Mr Luke Pearce. Was it, perchance, because of his habitual circular perambulation at scrum time?

The scrum was excellent and never went down until James came on, then immediately it went down virtually every time. In the end even this ref got fed up and binned him.

Going down is the recognised James alternative to circular motion when you can't take the pressure. Long may he show his lack of effectiveness, but it's a pity we won't be playing against him often.

[TomWeston]

I enjoyed the game and a decent 14,000 crowd.

Good in attack, excellent in the scrum and hopeless in defence, but I would hope that will change when it really matters next week.

I agree Hamilton looked excellent, and nobody had a bad game. Bateman looks a proper tighthead, well ahead of Balmain. Kitto was really sharp.

Still concerned about the centres, Betham standing at 12 did well, Roberts at 13 likewise, but that combo will not worry the better sides in the prem.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/ ... -director/

Interesting article on Manu and Tom Youngs mentioned hooking the ball.....but where was Manu last night?!

He must have some injury concern or surely he would have been in the squad?

Also what's wrong with Croft?

Sam played v well last night but we desperately need Burns back for next week.

Sounds like Williams (x2), Fitzgerald, Cilliers, Logo are all out short term, so hopefully will be back soonest - M Williams being the most important IMO - the back row were good last night but both O'Connor and Evans are 7's and we really need Williams physicality at 6.

Finally where was MacCaffrey last night?

Great news about Tom Youngs now becoming the complete hooker, he clearly has all the other skills required and I've always thought that he had the physical strength to support himself on one, albeit stumpy, leg for the split second of hooking, with sufficiently stable props. Channel one ball with the quality in our backs will worry a lot of teams.

[MrPartridge]

Felt like a barbarians match. I said after 10 mins it would end 40-40 and I wouldn't have been far wrong if Ospreys hadn't missed a couple of kicks. Tackling was optional...pitch looked like fairways at Augusta

Little disappointed we didn't field a stronger team. Harrison played well at 10 but had no pressure. Good to see our captain back and Genge looks a prospect! But I wonder how much everyone gets out of these games: can't see us starting with anything like that 15 next week.

A couple of moans: 1 bar open in Goldsmiths for 14,000. What a joke! plus stewards told us we could buy tickets at what people will know as the ticket collection point (on corner opposite LRI). This is signposted as ticket office but should be changed to ticket collections. Ticket office is now roadside mid point of the new Nottingham building society stand. We weren't the only ones who did this. On the plus side no band after the game so you could hold a decent conversation