Tigers v Bath (H) - Premiership - Sunday 31st December 2023 - KO 3-00pm

[Rugbygramps]

Another good showing from Tom Whiteley. I wasn't convinced by him at the start, but he looks a dependable 3rd choice SH now.

I do agree he had a good game in trying conditions and his pass to Brown for his try was excellent, seems the skip one pass down the short side works well

[TigerFeetSteve]

First time in his professional career Brown had started on the wing. Pass from Whitely for his try was very similar to one Lenny gave to Reffell? to score a try in that same corner

Not quite, first start on the wing for us on the wing in the prem.

He's started 5 other games on the wing in his professional career.

He's started wing for Tigers 2 weeks ago in the Champions Cup vs Stade (after the injury to Hassell-Collins, so Atkinson moved to 15 he started 11 then.

He started 4 consecutive games there in 2018 (3 test maches against SA in the June then Quins first prem game of the next season)

Thank you for the clarification. My first comment came from Mullins commentary who I misquoted he said it was his first premiership start on the wing, but that seems incorrect too. No matter he acquitted himself well.
Mullins also said it was the first time Chessum and Martin had been selected to start at lock together, but I’m doubting hat now too

No that one is correct. Martin only started playing lock in senior rugby for us last year during the 6N then Chessum got injured

[Scott1]

Yes,Brown started on the wing when we were smashed by Wales 30-3 ,thought so

[Darc Tiger]

All the energy seemed to drain away once we scored the 5th. We need to be more ruthless. Still, job done, and we're back in the mix if we can get a win next week.

I thought we started off very loose and overplaying, but when we settled into plan A we looked comfortable. Held up well defensively too, until all the changes.

Cronin stepped it up and had his best game of the season, for me. Theobald-Thomas looks a spikey player, and like Vanes, seems capable if needed. Hooker stocks looking very healthy.

[Rugbygramps]

All the energy seemed to drain away once we scored the 5th. We need to be more ruthless. Still, job done, and we're back in the mix if we can get a win next week.

I thought we started off very loose and overplaying, but when we settled into plan A we looked comfortable. Held up well defensively too, until all the changes.

Cronin stepped it up and had his best game of the season, for me. Theobald-Thomas looks a spikey player, and like Vanes, seems capable if needed. Hooker stocks looking very healthy.

You can only score a maximum of 5 match points and restrict the opponent to zero, which is what we did Much more important to rest players given the 4 weeks coming up

[aslongaswebeatsaints]

Enjoyed that game. 5 points and game effectively won at half time. Allowed rotation to rest players. Though if I was a Bath supporter I’d be livid with that team selection - I get the idea of rotation but talk about surrendering title race momentum.

Only thing to add (except for how on Earth do we replace Jasper!) is I thought Martin alongside Chessum at 4/5 is an obvious but match winning pairing - certainly wouldn’t look out of place in an England team.

Looking ahead into January, Saracens, Leinster La Rochelle and Quins, 3 at home. Wow, simply wow - great time to be a Tigers fan

[Tigerbeat]

Looking ahead into January, Saracens, Leinster La Rochelle and Quins, 3 at home. Wow, simply wow - great time to be a Tigers fan

Quins and La Rochelle are away…..Quins women are playing at MWWR

[MrPartridge]

Interesting that it was listed as a ‘sell out’. Plenty of empty seats near us in the Europcar End. Suspect a lot who bought seats made it over to the terrace as friends said that was heaving.

5 points for us and none for Bath was the order of the day and the team delivered.

As for the half-time ‘entertainment’ - can we please give the ‘Big Boot’ the big boot? The machine is all over the place and it is just tedious. Maybe make teams pay £100 to enter for charity and they only get the cash back if they catch 4 or more. The zorbing was introduced as ‘a fans favourite’. Absolutely tragic. And we had a ‘fan’ birthday for 2nd Feb announced on the big screen. Presumably not coming to the Saracens or Leinster games… just let us watch the grass grow and talk to other spectators.

[Rugbygramps]

Interesting that it was listed as a ‘sell out’. Plenty of empty seats near us in the Europcar End. Suspect a lot who bought seats made it over to the terrace as friends said that was heaving.

5 points for us and none for Bath was the order of the day and the team delivered.

As for the half-time ‘entertainment’ - can we please give the ‘Big Boot’ the big boot? The machine is all over the place and it is just tedious. Maybe make teams pay £100 to enter for charity and they only get the cash back if they catch 4 or more. The zorbing was introduced as ‘a fans favourite’. Absolutely tragic. And we had a ‘fan’ birthday for 2nd Feb announced on the big screen. Presumably not coming to the Saracens or Leinster games… just let us watch the grass grow and talk to other spectators.

I believe they have a DJ and laser show planned for half time at the Leinster game

[fentiger]

As for the half-time ‘entertainment’ - can we please give the ‘Big Boot’ the big boot? The machine is all over the place and it is just tedious. Maybe make teams pay £100 to enter for charity and they only get the cash back if they catch 4 or more. The zorbing was introduced as ‘a fans favourite’. Absolutely tragic. And we had a ‘fan’ birthday for 2nd Feb announced on the big screen. Presumably not coming to the Saracens or Leinster games… just let us watch the grass grow and talk to other spectators.

The main reason for us not attending many matches these days! Tried to get the sound levels turned down at half time etc for several years to no avail!

[Ian Cant]

Don’t care what they do at half time as we always go down to chat with friends who stand on the Crumbie which had more people crammed in yesterday than I’ve seen for a long-time. The empty seats were sold! Some fans, like I do at away games, get a seat then stand! Only thing yesterday is I think Health and Safety went out of the window. At the the lads loading the cups as high as they could got more cheers than Tigers.
And hardly any Bath fans came: in fact I didn’t see any!!
Hope it’s a sell out v Sarries and Leinster.
I’ve got my Quins away ticket too: might stand there if I’m allowed though last season we did sit until the last 20.

[longlivethecrumbie]

The half time queues for the loos were horrendous (more so than normal) and apparently the outside portaloos that are normally in situ, weren't - adding to the congestion.

In terms of away fans - I saw two guys with two-pint Bath pitchers but other than them, I didn't see anyone.

It's a fair track back to Barf and on NYE as well, so I'm not hugely surprised.

[WhitecapTiger]

Suspect a lot who bought seats made it over to the terrace as friends said that was heaving.

Certainly busier than it has been of late in the area I routinely stand but not what I would describe as heaving, plenty of wiggle room around and in years gone by you can hardly move when it was packed.

The space around either side of the players steps/tunnels and behind dugouts that has never been returned to use for paying fans since it was a COVID restriction reduces capacity a bit too.

The TV camera stands seem to be growing too, eating into space.

Which may, I guess, give the impression of heaving in other areas but still didn't look as full as for big games in years gone by.

[Jimmy Skitz]

Another good showing from Tom Whiteley. I wasn't convinced by him at the start, but he looks a dependable 3rd choice SH now.

Well if he could improve his box kicking and stop trying to run through brick walls it would help. That said he did very well to get back , catch and run the ball out of touch otherwise it was a nailed on Bath try.

he was missing those gaping holes that Ben and JVP would have been sniping through all game though, needs to be more willing to do that

[LE18]

Enjoyed that game. 5 points and game effectively won at half time. Allowed rotation to rest players. Though if I was a Bath supporter I’d be livid with that team selection - I get the idea of rotation but talk about surrendering title race momentum.

Only thing to add (except for how on Earth do we replace Jasper!) is I thought Martin alongside Chessum at 4/5 is an obvious but match winning pairing - certainly wouldn’t look out of place in an England team.

Looking ahead into January, Saracens, Leinster La Rochelle and Quins, 3 at home. Wow, simply wow - great time to be a Tigers fan

I think they could increase interest in the game by awarding extra points for tries scored, games can be almost over at half time but if an extra point/s was on offer for say 6/7 tries or pro rata etc, sides would have something to go for without all the changes and switching off.
Regarding Martin and Chessum at 4 and 5, it was noticeable in the lineout when thrown to number 2 in the line we lost a lot of ball and had to resort to throwing to 4 (Chessum). With Hanro in the side he takes a lot of ball coming forward at 2 in the line, we missed his skills there, Chessum had to take a lot of the calls.
Finally a shout out for Mike Brown, I think he is great, has great experience and a delight to watch, I really hope he has not left us, infact let someone else go but keep him.