Sale game moved - Teams up

[OakhamTiger32]

I expected a lot better from Henry I must say.

I really rated Henry but am starting to wonder whether I spoke too soon. Half backs made all the difference tonight

[bendy]

Since Henry didn't run in that open try a couple of months ago he's been very average. Very.

That said, other than Steward, I'm struggling to see many players who impressed today. Wiese, Liebenberg, Reffell - all previously game-winners, tonight were all anonymous. I don't think I saw van Wyk carry the ball. Ditto either of our centres apart from Scott's mad run which gifted them a try (not his fault).

Argh. I suspect there'll be a few, coy "how the hell did win that one??" comments on the Sale team bus home tonight.

Montoya looked good

Fair.

And if anything, Potter and Porter's stock has risen somewhat. Muri's too...

[BrightonTiger]

The incident were Freddie Steward was forearm smashed around the head, when he was nowhere near the ball was something out of the muppets...

"Dicks" the TMO couldn't hold up the game to check the incident, but let's spend 20 mins of Columbo and Sherlock and on whether Lavanini did an imaginary no arms tackle.

[Scott1]

Can't wait for the Wuss game! They will be a step up from this version of Sale that's for sure

[TigerFeetSteve]

Not the best but by no means a terrible performance. Got to say Montoya looked great our standout. Think a explosive sub role is approaching very fast for Tom who didn't do anything wrong and am chuffed he got a try, but still Montoya is another level now.

Wigglesworth looked a fraction too slow tbh age catching up. JVP looks like the real deal, I'd give him a start next weekend.

Bonilla, well we don't know exactly why he was unavailable but I'd look to start him if fit, overseas quota allowing.

[Truefollower]

All the usual suspects crying in their beer/wine, lets step back and review, we competed very well up front and but for an intercept would have gone in at half time in front, 2nd half they knew our plan and unfortunately Zac Henry is not a good enough kicker or good enough to think outside the box and do something different. A decent back-up 10 to Ford and we would have been in with a chance. I still see enough improvement, SB needs time to change things round, we will not be able to change everything in half a season (with disruptions). Exeter took 3 years to get where they wanted to be, we will need just as long.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

The law needs changing, a deliberate slap down of the ball is cynical play and should be penalised. If van Wyk slaps it out on the full it’s a yellow card, but you slap it down in open play it’s fine? Doesn’t make sense to me.

Scott played some of his best rugby in a Tigers shirt thus far, whilst Montoya provided an exciting 35 minute stint.

No different to a slap back in a lineout, if it's back towards your line it's fine, deliberately slapping it off the field isn't.
As for the deliberate knock on by Sale, it saved another shocking pass from our "esteemed experienced 9" If White is available next week he has to start.

As for Nemani, his mate is leaving, & Mrs N is back in Oz.. played well.

[fentiger]

The incident were Freddie Steward was forearm smashed around the head, when he was nowhere near the ball was something out of the muppets...

"Dicks" the TMO couldn't hold up the game to check the incident, but let's spend 20 mins of Columbo and Sherlock and on whether Lavanini did an imaginary no arms tackle.

First half De Clerk jumped two feet into the air to grab Nadolo around the neck... unseen, apparently, by the 'officials'

[TigerCam]

3 pints watching some very poor half-back play were a waste of good beer- thought it was Henry's worst game by a long long way. Very few good kicks out of hand but more important for me was his decision making - kicking when we are just outside of the 22 makes no sense whatsoever to me and his cross-field kicks were simply awful. I can now understand why we are trying to get Freddie back. It can't be long before JVP gets a start either, very impressed with his all round game. We have got ourselves a top-class hooker in Montoya and I hope he is on a long contract. Now to the loo and then to bed.

+1 I thought the disconnect was at 10. Pity because there was some really good stuff and Sale just picked off the mistakes nothing more.

[aslongaswebeatsaints]

Tonight demonstrated the value of having George Ford. Because in his absence we got that seriously wrong in the FH department tonight, and that wasn’t helped by Wiggs having an off day. For some reason those two don’t click. Repeatedly kicking when pressing on the 22, or going for a Drop Goal when we were still gaining ground and had momentum in the forwards made no sense to me. It has its purpose but not repeatedly.

As for not blaming the ref, it’s difficult when he and the TMO were so inconsistent. They DID impact the result IMHO. The blatantly offside intercept try was a momentum changer. As was the one sided use of cards.

Then again I’m disappointed because I thought we had the firepower to win, even with some of our first XV missing. And I guess that’s a positive thing because SB has created a squad that raises the expectations.

[Tigerbeat]

The incident were Freddie Steward was forearm smashed around the head, when he was nowhere near the ball was something out of the muppets...

"Dicks" the TMO couldn't hold up the game to check the incident, but let's spend 20 mins of Columbo and Sherlock and on whether Lavanini did an imaginary no arms tackle.

TMO was Christopher Ridley.

[Tigerbeat]

The law needs changing, a deliberate slap down of the ball is cynical play and should be penalised. If van Wyk slaps it out on the full it’s a yellow card, but you slap it down in open play it’s fine? Doesn’t make sense to me.

Scott played some of his best rugby in a Tigers shirt thus far, whilst Montoya provided an exciting 35 minute stint.

No different to a slap back in a lineout, if it's back towards your line it's fine, deliberately slapping it off the field isn't.
As for the deliberate knock on by Sale, it saved another shocking pass from our "esteemed experienced 9" If White is available next week he has to start.

As for Nemani, his mate is leaving, & Mrs N is back in Oz.. played well.

I did not think that they were allowing entries into Australia at the moment, only returning nationals.

[Duncan B]

Thought the half backs were really poor today, kicked the ball away really badly whenever we were in a promising attacking position, and we do look a bit clueless about how to do it when it’s time to turn the tempo up. Huge improvement from last season in terms of personal and the nuts and bolts of the game though overall. Thought the ref really killed an already dull game by taking so long over a lot of fairly marginal foul play decisions, and the free kick advantage to sale towards the end was absolutely farcically long.

[LE18]

The law needs changing, a deliberate slap down of the ball is cynical play and should be penalised. If van Wyk slaps it out on the full it’s a yellow card, but you slap it down in open play it’s fine? Doesn’t make sense to me.

Scott played some of his best rugby in a Tigers shirt thus far, whilst Montoya provided an exciting 35 minute stint.

No different to a slap back in a lineout, if it's back towards your line it's fine, deliberately slapping it off the field isn't.
As for the deliberate knock on by Sale, it saved another shocking pass from our "esteemed experienced 9" If White is available next week he has to start.

As for Nemani, his mate is leaving, & Mrs N is back in Oz.. played well.

I dont think White is the answer, he's very stereotyped, its got to be JVP to start for me he's our quickest SH and different.

[Big Dai]

All the usual suspects crying in their beer/wine, lets step back and review, we competed very well up front and but for an intercept would have gone in at half time in front, 2nd half they knew our plan and unfortunately Zac Henry is not a good enough kicker or good enough to think outside the box and do something different. A decent back-up 10 to Ford and we would have been in with a chance. I still see enough improvement, SB needs time to change things round, we will not be able to change everything in half a season (with disruptions). Exeter took 3 years to get where they wanted to be, we will need just as long.

What game were you watching? I think your analysis is a little of the mark. I think with the cards, we were on the back foot for 20 out of 80. Even with a full compliment our ball carriers were not making headway. There was very little attacking threat from midfield with "kick to Nadolo" being the only obvious attacking ploy.