Tigers v Saints (H) - Premiership - Saturday 18th November 2023 - KO: 15:05

[Rugbygramps]

Have to consider the surface next week re Pollard.

Pollard 100% fit to the best of my knowledge so need to field strongest side. What you are suggesting is that Pollard isn’t considered for games at Gloucester Newcastle and Sarries, and also in Europe away against Stade

[RunTigerRun]

Have to consider the surface next week re Pollard.

Pollard played at Kingsholm last year - unless there’s a niggle, I don’t see why we wouldn’t play him.

Can’t afford to not play the best players when we have so much ground to gain. Plus, I’d imagine he’d want to play and help the team to try and win

[Offside]

If we are going to kick Basset is out best kick chaser other than Steward on his own kicks. Kelly / Porter should be our core partnership and if if is not working they need to be developed back to their best says not just binned. A couple of games on loan to Nottingham as pair?
I know weather was better but the handling in the Quins vs Sarries game and quality of pass by Sarries we a step up from anything Tigers seems to be able to put together.

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

Have to consider the surface next week re Pollard.

Pollard 100% fit to the best of my knowledge so need to field strongest side. What you are suggesting is that Pollard isn’t considered for games at Gloucester Newcastle and Sarries, and also in Europe away against Stade

It has to be a consideration unfortunately, I believe the Glaws pitch is a "better" version, but they should never have been allowed.

[Soggypitch]

Enjoyed the whole day out yesterday, it was good to be back on the Crumbie Terrace!!

Thought we deserved the win, just need to tidy up a few silly errors from good players and get some better cohesion in the back line in particular.

It wasn't long ago that Porter was an England 13, so he's obviously just out of form, but he will I'm sure come good. But as others have said, I think that Kelly/Scott would be good v Glaws, with Kata to come on after 55 mins at either centre or wing, depending how the match is panning out.

It would be great to get Martin/Montoya back, that bit more grunt in the pack would be beneficial!

[Rugbygramps]

Have to consider the surface next week re Pollard.

Pollard 100% fit to the best of my knowledge so need to field strongest side. What you are suggesting is that Pollard isn’t considered for games at Gloucester Newcastle and Sarries, and also in Europe away against Stade

It has to be a consideration unfortunately, I believe the Glaws pitch is a "better" version, but they should never have been allowed.

But unfortunately they have and you are suggesting not playing arguably our best player for a third of our away league games, I know he missed Sarries for a different reason, when he isn’t injured, and to the best of my knowledge there is no definitive proof that such pitches cause knee injuries.

As a slight aside I have seen a number of leg injuries caused by sliding on and getting feet caught on a grass surface during the cricket World Cup

I’m sure you’ll disagree but if you’re fit you play imo, no matter the surface

[Rugbygramps]

Enjoyed the whole day out yesterday, it was good to be back on the Crumbie Terrace!!

Thought we deserved the win, just need to tidy up a few silly errors from good players and get some better cohesion in the back line in particular.

It wasn't long ago that Porter was an England 13, so he's obviously just out of form, but he will I'm sure come good. But as others have said, I think that Kelly/Scott would be good v Glaws, with Kata to come on after 55 mins at either centre or wing, depending how the match is panning out.

It would be great to get Martin/Montoya back, that bit more grunt in the pack would be beneficial!

Totally agree, and I think Porter is possibly confused with the game plan, but he butchered a couple of potential try scoring opportunities yesterday by cutting inside, one in particular when he had Steward, Bassett and OHC outside him.
From what I understand Montoya closer to a return than Martin

[RagingBull]

Scott is our best centre.
Porter looks a lot better at 13 with Scott at 12
Kelly looks a lot better at 12 with Scott at 13

I feel that our combinations revolve around a fully fit Scott starting, it's a worry because it means whilst on paper centre looks decent in reality with the current form it is weak.

Kata is a very solid 12 option, Kelly is potentially world class at 12 on form. But Kelly's form isn't great atm.

My preference currently is
11. OHC
12. Kelly
13. Scott
14. Kata (Watson come December)
15. Steward

22. Shillcock
23. Porter (Kata come December)

Bassett is a class wing a constant 7/10 at least and excellent defender. But we do need a power back option.

[johnthegriff]

I think the time has come to stop moaning every time we play on an artificial surface, to be honest i dont like them but with so many around now we just have to accept them. We certainly cannot afford to have any player unable to play on that surface, there is so far no firm proof that they cause more serious injury than grass.
We are certainly missing players of the calibre of Montoya, Martin,JVP and Watson from our matchday 23, we do have options in many positions and i believe our coach is still searching for his best combinations. In the centres we have seen Kelly, Scott, Porter and Kata none have let us down as individuals but we probably need to decide on our best paring and give them game time together rather than chopping and changing.

[Big Dai]

Have to consider the surface next week re Pollard.

Pollard 100% fit to the best of my knowledge so need to field strongest side. What you are suggesting is that Pollard isn’t considered for games at Gloucester Newcastle and Sarries, and also in Europe away against Stade

It has to be a consideration unfortunately, I believe the Glaws pitch is a "better" version, but they should never have been allowed.

+1

[kk20gb30]

'fraid artificial surfaces are part and parcel of the game now ... Progress ?
Guess like everything else balance has to be struck and obvious risk to particular players has to be taken into account.
Re. the Centre pairing , for me, a place has to be found for Matt Scott - clever player and still a classy operator.
Does the right things at the right times over and over ...

Biggest concern as a whole though remains our defence.

[DeadlyDunc]

Pollard 100% fit to the best of my knowledge so need to field strongest side. What you are suggesting is that Pollard isn’t considered for games at Gloucester Newcastle and Sarries, and also in Europe away against Stade

It has to be a consideration unfortunately, I believe the Glaws pitch is a "better" version, but they should never have been allowed.

+1

Problem is that whenever anyone gets injured on an artificial pitch it’s always the surfaces fault.

When anyone gets injured on natural turf, no one (or very very rarely) says it’s the quality of the pitch.

Injuries happen on both and despite attempts to prove it, there is no evidence to suggest one or the other causes more or greater severity of injury.

Consequently, play your best players for the game in question and give yourself the best chance of winning.

[Rugbygramps]

'fraid artificial surfaces are part and parcel of the game now ... Progress ?
Guess like everything else balance has to be struck and obvious risk to particular players has to be taken into account.
Re. the Centre pairing , for me, a place has to be found for Matt Scott - clever player and still a classy operator.
Does the right things at the right times over and over ...

Biggest concern as a whole though remains our defence.

I thought our defence was a big step up yesterday and there were a lot more positive collisions which helped with a number of Reffells turnovers.
A team like Saints is always going to score end to end tries it’s the way they play. The trade off is their set piece and turnovers conceded

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

The general consensus is it takes longer to recover after a game on the "carpet", it will be interesting in a few years to see how players who have played more on it, fair later in life.

[Jimmy Skitz]

if Pollard can't play on artificial surfaces for us then he is far too expensive a player to keep and we couldn't play him in a semi final at Sarries or Gloucester then we need to move him on and get someone else in.

If he's fit he plays