London Irish vs Tigers

[MCC1964]

I'm suggesting that players might be less inclined to be 'available' for whatever reason when the team is performing so badly. It seems that much depends on the returning England internationals to reinvigorate the team.

Well I’m sorry. I think that’s absolute [censored]. Examples? Would you be prepared to put that accusation to any individuals?

[ancientmariner]

As someone else points out, many of our players, particularly among the backs, are Championship standard - therefore they should fit in well next season.

[wellstiger]

I am a Tiger to the core but I am getting fatigued and need a rest.
New Tigers, New systems, New season - same old dross. Same old excuses.
Some very good players made to look poor.

So I'm of to the bench - pub bench - regroup and find a reason motivate myself

[TigerCam]

So according to the the Tigers Report, the stats are

LI/TIGERS
POSSESSION
38%/62%
TERRITORY
39%/61%
PENALTIES CONCEDED
19/13
YELLOW CARDS
1/0
TACKLES WON
163/198 82%/84/98 86%
SCRUMS WON
3/3 100%/6/6 100%
LINEOUTS WON
17/19 89%/19/19 100%

How do you allow yourselves to get a stuffing with these %?

IMO, the LI plan was maybe give the Tigers the ball because they do not have any idea what to do with it. From the Tigers play, that sounds about right? Total garbage from the coaching staff being played out by the players. If some think that the reliance of the returning RWC players will turn things around, then it may in some part; but the quality of depth is poor and to rely on them is a complete 'sticking plaster' approach just like previous seasons. Maybe a dose of relegation is the only way forward?

[BFG]

Told ya you'd regret Cockers being sacked. He knew that renewal was needed but the Board wouldn't pay up, and we had the spectacle of managing with 4 coaches, only one of them having any brain, and that was Cockers. To my mind the rot started with MOC and his simplistic approach to 1st XV (and the rest, he admitted it). Defence was puerile, attack playbook a single play, and we still got on because we had some players who were ballsy enough to play what was in front of them (like Toby, Scott etc).We also lost a generation of hard-nosed winners and gained cheap journeymen and wobbly academy types. Then the senior players - or some of them - got an ear on the Board and everything went .
At the root of all this is the Board. Currently I believe they could hire Eddie Jones and drag him down to our level.

I agree.
Cockers was not perfect though and a lot of tough and talented local lads were turned away on his watch in my opinion, concerned wrongly that they might threaten control.
Control which was lost anyway because of the snides.
Even with wobbly academy types you still can invest well around it in the areas that severely need it i.e Hughes at Bristol this year is a great example of another piece in a jigsaw.
He is everything that Leicester have been missing for several years just in that one position let alone what is going on with several others.

[JP14]

This is typified by the board going for the Cheap & Cheerful Fonua over a more willing, fitter Number 8 that would have made a difference.

[biffer]

We're going to struggle to get ahead of Sarries even with a 35 point start this year, aren't we.

[Mayocaz]

Hopefully the management and players, unlike last season, will realise we are in a relegation dogfight early this season. We need to scrap for every point. Staying in the division is our only concern this season. Last season the Club were still targeting European places with 3/4 games to go when there was more chance of us going down. It was delusional thinking.

Going back to yesterday the decision bang on half time to go for the corner was ludicrous. We were lucky to be only 15-6 down at that point and had we gone in only 6 down with that penalty we would have still been well in the game. Instead we let them go the length and in that moment the game is as good as over. Had it been 15-9 or even still 15-6 early in the second half those repeated Irish infringements would have allowed us shots at the post and the whole dynamics of the game would have been different.

[Tigerbeat]

Hopefully the management and players, unlike last season, will realise we are in a relegation dogfight early this season. We need to scrap for every point. Staying in the division is our only concern this season. Last season the Club were still targeting European places with 3/4 games to go when there was more chance of us going down. It was delusional thinking.

Going back to yesterday the decision bang on half time to go for the corner was ludicrous. We were lucky to be only 15-6 down at that point and had we gone in only 6 down with that penalty we would have still been well in the game. Instead we let them go the length and in that moment the game is as good as over. Had it been 15-9 or even still 15-6 early in the second half those repeated Irish infringements would have allowed us shots at the post and the whole dynamics of the game would have been different.

The build up to the try before half time was judged to have a forward pass in the play according to the TMO but JP Doyle decided not....that swung the momentum to Irish and Tigers were always chasing the game from then on, trying to force it and making mistakes and giving penalties away, which Irish took advantage of.

[drc_007]

Hopefully the management and players, unlike last season, will realise we are in a relegation dogfight early this season. We need to scrap for every point. Staying in the division is our only concern this season. Last season the Club were still targeting European places with 3/4 games to go when there was more chance of us going down. It was delusional thinking.

Going back to yesterday the decision bang on half time to go for the corner was ludicrous. We were lucky to be only 15-6 down at that point and had we gone in only 6 down with that penalty we would have still been well in the game. Instead we let them go the length and in that moment the game is as good as over. Had it been 15-9 or even still 15-6 early in the second half those repeated Irish infringements would have allowed us shots at the post and the whole dynamics of the game would have been different.

I agree, teams can't defend a kick at goal. Should have taken the kick. Poor decision making.

[Mayocaz]

Hopefully the management and players, unlike last season, will realise we are in a relegation dogfight early this season. We need to scrap for every point. Staying in the division is our only concern this season. Last season the Club were still targeting European places with 3/4 games to go when there was more chance of us going down. It was delusional thinking.

Going back to yesterday the decision bang on half time to go for the corner was ludicrous. We were lucky to be only 15-6 down at that point and had we gone in only 6 down with that penalty we would have still been well in the game. Instead we let them go the length and in that moment the game is as good as over. Had it been 15-9 or even still 15-6 early in the second half those repeated Irish infringements would have allowed us shots at the post and the whole dynamics of the game would have been different.

The build up to the try before half time was judged to have a forward pass in the play according to the TMO but JP Doyle decided not....that swung the momentum to Irish and Tigers were always chasing the game from then on, trying to force it and making mistakes and giving penalties away, which Irish took advantage of.

I purposely didn’t want to mention the forward pass at the edge of Irish’s 22 as I didn’t want to blame the ref for our poor result. However, that was a truly astonishing decision that had me very angry at the time.

[Redstripeman]

... we
Struggled to break the oppositions defensive line and constantly moved laterally or lost ground in doing so. We are so predictable and the need to change tactic was clear to see. There surely need to be a plan B, where we kick for field position and a line out deep in the oppositions half. Forcing them to play from deep and the likelihood of giving away penalties. Better teams than us employ this tactic, so why shouldn't we?

[JP14]

Anyone else think Hoskins was held up? Not that it matters much?

[sapajo]

... we
Struggled to break the oppositions defensive line and constantly moved laterally or lost ground in doing so. We are so predictable and the need to change tactic was clear to see. There surely need to be a plan B, where we kick for field position and a line out deep in the oppositions half. Forcing them to play from deep and the likelihood of giving away penalties. Better teams than us employ this tactic, so why shouldn't we?

Because our coaches are mostly Ex Tigers they only know one way to play and coach and that is how they were coached to play for Tigers years ago.

That's why we continue to get beaten by sides that have evolved their style of play by not appointing Ex players as coaches and DOR.

[wellstiger]

Lions led by donkeys.....or should that be Tigers led by asses????????