Tigers v Leinster (H) - Champions Cup - Saturday 20th January 2024 - KO: 3-15pm

[Tigers86asw]

Looks like the round of 16 could have quite a few games a repeat of the pools.

The pool system I sort of understand for number of games, home games etc reasons.

Do not get at all this round of 16 set-up

What a complete mess. How can you play the same team in the 1st knock out match as you played in the pool. Absurd.

[Wellscity]

Absurdity and Mediocrity are becoming the norm.
Standards are dropping because we accept Mediocrity, absurdity is the result

[Not a jock]

London Irish's nickname was/is Notnots, especially when they were based in Reading. This competition should be nicknamed the Notnots Rugby Cup. They're not all European teams and they're certainly not all champions (3 out of 24 participants). Perhaps time for Carlsberg to sponsor it - Heineken have done so in the past. Their tag line could be "reaching the parts of the world the other beers cannot reach."

[jgriffin]

I can't remember us having a decent attack/backs coach. On a couple of occasions since 2005 against Welsh and Irish opposition, I've quipped that with our forwards and their backs, we'd be lethal. Under SB we became a great forwards and defensive unit, based on AWs exceptional conditioning regime. Attack? Mmmmmm.

[WhitecapTiger]

time for Carlsberg to sponsor it -

Probably....

[sapajo]

I can't remember us having a decent attack/backs coach. On a couple of occasions since 2005 against Welsh and Irish opposition, I've quipped that with our forwards and their backs, we'd be lethal. Under SB we became a great forwards and defensive unit, based on AWs exceptional conditioning regime. Attack? Mmmmmm.

It simply beggars belief that the Club seems completely unwilling to acknowledge that if our great club has any serious aspirations to win anything we must have a fully functioning quality attack as we cannot win every game through our forwards alone. Kills me to say it but Saints do not have the quality of our forward pack but their attack is superb and thats why they are and where they are in the table.

[phil14]

It's the same year on year and still we carry on. We can't compete with the French Clubs who can spend many times our capped salary or the Irish Provices who are massively funded directly by the IRFU. The addition of the SA Clubs will only queer the mix even further.
Today will have brought in another tidy sum, but Tigers management are well aware we don't have a prayer in this competition.
It is meant to be a Club tournament but Ireland, play as Provinces, despite having many clubs. ( I played against Cork Const and Dunganon in my playing days). Essentially, there is a very uneven playing field so what's the point of playing, if not for a few paydays? It is not only futile, it is dishonest.
I am sure we opted out some years ago to bring about an "evening up" but that never lasted. If all teams can't possibly beat all other teams, there is no point in playing. Form an alternative competition for Clubs and insist all are equal.

Worth asking- when was the last time an Irish team, apart from Leinster, reached the latter stages? I know it is a source of anger in Ireland how slanted their system is towards Leinster. Ulster and Munster are very similar to a lot of Prem Clubs.

French clubs live on another playing field.

All that being said, Tigers would be more competitive if they could attack. We can’t, hence, we cannot take our opportunities.

If the Irish system is slanted towards Leinster, somebody needs to have a word with the fifteen IRFU Committee members from Munster, Ulster and Connacht, and also with the President and Senior Vice President (Munstermen both). That these people are so in thrall to the five Leinster nominees is bizarre. There are thirteen players on IRFU central contracts - that the majority at the moment come from Leinster is merely a reflection of their recent success.

[TigerCam]

I can't remember us having a decent attack/backs coach. On a couple of occasions since 2005 against Welsh and Irish opposition, I've quipped that with our forwards and their backs, we'd be lethal. Under SB we became a great forwards and defensive unit, based on AWs exceptional conditioning regime. Attack? Mmmmmm.

Unknown at the time the Tigers did in Sam Vesty. Chris Boyd knew a good'un.

[Pellsey]

Agreed, a good attack coach would be good, but IMHO more importantly we need to cut out basic errors like dropping the ball. This is something we can do until Dickens either starts or we get another attack coach. At the moment, we simple do not know what is going on, so we have to do something about what we do know - basic errors and maybe decision making are stopping us winning.

[jgriffin]

I can't remember us having a decent attack/backs coach. On a couple of occasions since 2005 against Welsh and Irish opposition, I've quipped that with our forwards and their backs, we'd be lethal. Under SB we became a great forwards and defensive unit, based on AWs exceptional conditioning regime. Attack? Mmmmmm.

Unknown at the time the Tigers did in Sam Vesty. Chris Boyd knew a good'un.

I remember in MOCs first tenure, 12T era, they were doing circle ball like a u11s side or lateral fast hands that went nowhere. IMO having Manu around stalled progress, prob best deep attack came with Toby at 10 and Matt S running from deep; same as Ash did in the England side. We've had excellent direct runners, but any sophistication seems beyond us.

[mol2]

It's the same year on year and still we carry on. We can't compete with the French Clubs who can spend many times our capped salary or the Irish Provices who are massively funded directly by the IRFU. The addition of the SA Clubs will only queer the mix even further.
Today will have brought in another tidy sum, but Tigers management are well aware we don't have a prayer in this competition.
It is meant to be a Club tournament but Ireland, play as Provinces, despite having many clubs. ( I played against Cork Const and Dunganon in my playing days). Essentially, there is a very uneven playing field so what's the point of playing, if not for a few paydays? It is not only futile, it is dishonest.
I am sure we opted out some years ago to bring about an "evening up" but that never lasted. If all teams can't possibly beat all other teams, there is no point in playing. Form an alternative competition for Clubs and insist all are equal.

Worth asking- when was the last time an Irish team, apart from Leinster, reached the latter stages? I know it is a source of anger in Ireland how slanted their system is towards Leinster. Ulster and Munster are very similar to a lot of Prem Clubs.

French clubs live on another playing field.

All that being said, Tigers would be more competitive if they could attack. We can’t, hence, we cannot take our opportunities.

If the Irish system is slanted towards Leinster, somebody needs to have a word with the fifteen IRFU Committee members from Munster, Ulster and Connacht, and also with the President and Senior Vice President (Munstermen both). That these people are so in thrall to the five Leinster nominees is bizarre. There are thirteen players on IRFU central contracts - that the majority at the moment come from Leinster is merely a reflection of their recent success.

Or perhaps they put the national team first? Or pressured to do in return for sponsorship.

[tigerburnie]

Sadly it looks like Borthwick is pushing for the Irish system here, these central contracts, with him dictating when and where our players will play will leave the English Premiership all the poorer. The club game is not really suited to playing against provinces/regions it is different, it has provided us with a successful National team in the past, but it seems the RFU made a mess of that in recent years with coaches going when they shouldn't have and been kept when they should have gone.
English rugby is poorly run and lacks proper governance and the clubs are suffering because of it, some of our best coaches have either gone to Ireland or have left the game, there seems to be little appetite for running an English club. So we end up struggling to get the right candidates and this is not helped by fans expectations being unrealistic. Calling for the gaffers head after less than a year and expecting us to suddenly be European Champions after less than a season for this current squad to develop is a clear example of this.

[longlivethecrumbie]

It's no wonder Simmons went off! https://twitter.com/dave_r_king4/status ... bSkGg&s=19

[Scott1]

It's no wonder Simmons went off! https://photos.app.goo.gl/z5DySnrgRpuyK7af8

Should be a ban, Chris Ashtons was nowhere near as bad. But it is a Leinster player,so there will be no citing

[DeadlyDunc]

It's no wonder Simmons went off! https://photos.app.goo.gl/z5DySnrgRpuyK7af8

Should be a ban, Chris Ashtons was nowhere near as bad. But it is a Leinster player,so there will be no citing

I know eye contact, accidental or otherwise is a penalty but what is the law around a hand off to the face?

Seems odd to allow a straight arm to the face given the way the sport is trying to minimise head contacts but I don’t know if it’s legal or not