Tigers v Saints (A) - Premiership - Saturday 20th April 2024 - KO: 15-05

[sapajo]

Saints have been building for a long time, I'll be interested to see how they do next year without Ludlum and Lawes.

Bath are doing well and I would expect us to be doing just as well by this point next year, right in the mix for the playoffs. That said, it's still very possible that they don't make the playoffs, and they've only won one more match than Tigers - so what have they actually achieved so far?

We hall have to wait to the end of the season to judge that.

So you're prepared to wait to the end of the season to judge Bath and Saints. Any chance of giving Tigers and DMK until the end of at least next season or the season after to make it a level playing field?
[/quote

You asked what have Bath actually achieved so far? You answered that question yourself by stating they have only won one more game than us. Tigers supporters expect us to be in the play offs every season but at this juncture unless the coaching and performances are drastically improved I do not see how this will happen.

[RagingBull]

I don't necessarily expect us to be in the top 4 every season TBH.
Not when you look at how much more stacked some teams look now the league is 10 teams.

I expect us to win pretty much all our home games.
But if you decide that any coach who misses the top 4 should be sacked, well we are be in the situation we got into a few years ago.

[RagingBull]

In terms of attack I wonder if McKeller thought our centres would go
12. Kelly, Kata,
13. Scott, Porter
With Kata as a main impact player off the bench
But trouble has been Kelly and Porter form both stunk start of season, for whatever reason personally I think Borthwick knocked their confidence with England. It's odd because Borthwick trusted both at Tigers massively and both got dropped like a lead balloon when he came to England but since that training camp neither have looked good. Certainly think the treatment lead to Porter looking back to Aus.
Scott has had a lot of injury problems especially start of season.
Kata has arguably been the form Centre with those other options but doesn't play 13.

I feel Gloucester away and Falcons home was the only time we saw the backline as roughly intended?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c8p3WzILmw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWaCAKWW5mQ

Even the lose at home v Leinster we had some decent structure in places (Swap Whiteley for JVP)

It still wasn't perfect but I feel that's the balance that McKeller had wanted this season but both outside centres getting out hurt us. Now the biggest worry with that is does that mean he can't adapt that quickly to the problems in the backs? does he lack the confidence for trying someone like Cusick an actual 13 to be given a chance instead of shoehorning Kelly? or is that where an experienced attack coach comes in and helps with plan B?

[westwinds31]

Cusick is leaving, as I understand it.

[mol2]

Kelly looks to be one of the few who have shown signs of form in the last couple of matches.
Certainly both Porter and Kelly lost form after their England stints.

I think Kelly had only just got back to full fitness so would always have been marginal for world cup consideration and realistically Porter was only only really called up as an option for the warm ups rather than any serious expectation of going to the world cup. It certainly hit their form.

I appreciate Kata makes a good impact player off the bench but when we are struggling with wing injuries, I struggle with moving him into the centres and end up playing Steward on the wing.

[RagingBull]

Cusick is leaving, as I understand it.

My point more aimed at the start of season rather than now

[Tiglon]

Kelly looks to be one of the few who have shown signs of form in the last couple of matches.
Certainly both Porter and Kelly lost form after their England stints.

I think Kelly had only just got back to full fitness so would always have been marginal for world cup consideration and realistically Porter was only only really called up as an option for the warm ups rather than any serious expectation of going to the world cup. It certainly hit their form.

I appreciate Kata makes a good impact player off the bench but when we are struggling with wing injuries, I struggle with moving him into the centres and end up playing Steward on the wing.

Pretty sure Kata was signed as a centre. He only played wing for Tonga because they were desperate, and at Brumbies years ago because he was transitioning from League.

[sapajo]

In my ignorance I wrongly assumer Curtis Langden was a product of Saints Academy but in reality he was signed from Montpelier having been priorly at Worcester and Sale beforehand for some 6yrs. Must say that prior to his time as Saints I had never heard of him.

[sam16111986]

In my ignorance I wrongly assumer Curtis Langden was a product of Saints Academy but in reality he was signed from Montpelier having been priorly at Worcester and Sale beforehand for some 6yrs. Must say that prior to his time as Saints I had never heard of him.

There was a time a few years back when he was around England training squads but never quite made it. Was always a decent player but seems to have really come to life this season and is playing his best rugby. Deserves a shot with England and had he not picked up a stupid ban just before the 6N might have already featured.

[Leicestertinytiger]

This popped up today on recommended.

Good run down of some stats.

https://youtu.be/TmLCd_Qj4yo?si=QfdBECgMNDNOgNUi