Black Lions fixture

[sam16111986]

The we will sort it out @ Oval Park & Manu will be fit next week became rather boring in the end.

When he became the genuine top of the coaching tree he couldn't/wouldn’t see past the next game.

The above doesn't or shouldn't cloud his achievements as a player & coach, much like we should all split GM the player from GM the coach (although the academy renaissance was on his watch).

I think that's right. He's a good coach but not a good director of rugby. Paired with the right DOR he'd have been ideal for us.

[Ian Cant]

Cockerill was a top bloke. He once turned up to coach about 150 school children when 3-4 other England players suddenly didn’t turn up. “ No problem,” he said, then told a few of us what he needed setting out equipment wise and for a whole afternoon had the children enthralled by his coaching. Afterwards I asked him if the rumours were true about Keith Barwell offering him “ silly money” to play for Saints!
“Yes, but I d never leave Tigers for Saints no matter what they paid me!” He then returned to my school to take a couple of Assemblies and then came along to a few area tournaments to promote Tag Rugby which was just being introduced!
Like many fans I also remember he was the one player who win or lose when playing away would go round the pitch and thank us for turning up!
Yes, things didn’t go well at the end but Tigers wanted him to do too much and like Murphy he couldn’t say no to the club he loved.
There are fans who still blame him for Thomas The Tank leaving! I was lucky enough to meet Thomas a few days after it was announced he was leaving for Exeter: I thanked him for his time at Tigers and he said,” Thanks, I’m sorry to be leaving but Exeter have offered me far more than Tigers will ever be able to.”
In other words, welcome home Richard. In my eyes one of the best Tigers as a player and with Pat Howard, Deano and Wells and Chalkie White,one of the best coaches. Thanks.

[RagingBull]

Will always be a club legend for me also.

I tend to feel that it was just his time generally, I feel most coaches have a shelf life at anyone club. Shame it happened how it did. The club played some amazing rugby under his watch it just became harder and harder to keep players

[johnthegriff]

I don't need to defend Cocker, his record speaks for itself. After O Connor left as backs coach and the following season all our centres were injured for long periods, Paul Burke was sacked as M.OC's replacement having been given no real chance. In my opinion the club should have promoted Anthony Allen to the job but instead Aaron Mauger was brought in thinking he was in charge of coaching and tactics. I think that decision was taken over Cockers head and was a mistake.
I look forward to seeing Richard and his team back at Welford Rd

[Rugbygramps]

Are the Black Lions the Georgia national team, without their French players and a couple who play over here

[Caerlyr Osprey]

Are the Black Lions the Georgia national team, without their French players and a couple who play over here

In a word 'yes'.

[SASCOkid]

Cockerill was a top bloke. He once turned up to coach about 150 school children when 3-4 other England players suddenly didn’t turn up. “ No problem,” he said, then told a few of us what he needed setting out equipment wise and for a whole afternoon had the children enthralled by his coaching. Afterwards I asked him if the rumours were true about Keith Barwell offering him “ silly money” to play for Saints!
“Yes, but I d never leave Tigers for Saints no matter what they paid me!” He then returned to my school to take a couple of Assemblies and then came along to a few area tournaments to promote Tag Rugby which was just being introduced!
Like many fans I also remember he was the one player who win or lose when playing away would go round the pitch and thank us for turning up!
Yes, things didn’t go well at the end but Tigers wanted him to do too much and like Murphy he couldn’t say no to the club he loved.
There are fans who still blame him for Thomas The Tank leaving! I was lucky enough to meet Thomas a few days after it was announced he was leaving for Exeter: I thanked him for his time at Tigers and he said,” Thanks, I’m sorry to be leaving but Exeter have offered me far more than Tigers will ever be able to.”
In other words, welcome home Richard. In my eyes one of the best Tigers as a player and with Pat Howard, Deano and Wells and Chalkie White,one of the best coaches. Thanks.

Well said he is one of the Tigers greats. After he was sacked it took us years to get back to anywhere close to the success he achieved. We don't honour our past servants enough. I hope his tenure with Georgia brings more games like this at all levels.

[AViewFromLe2]

Personally i think Cockers will be well-received and that is a good thing, as has been stated he is a club legend and deserves a great recognition for what he did with the club.

Time is a great healer and it is now 7 years on from when he left the club, i think enough time has passed for people to remember the positives of Cockers' time at the club. In any case, the 3 years from when he left to when Borthwick came in, showed that there were more problems at the club than Cockers, and in any case Cockers was probably holding it all together given how quickly it fell apart once he left.

As for the game itself - really good chance to get some minutes into some young lads and use it as an opportunity to aid their development.

Just as a rough thought to a possible XV - Whitcombe, Clare, Heyes, Wells, Hatherall, Carnduff, Illione, Cracknell, Whiteley, Wilkinson, OHC, Woodward, Scott, Bassett, Shillcock/Brown. Would then like to see the likes of Van der Flierr, Vanes/FTT, Hoyt, Lewis Chessum (if fit), on the bench with more senior boys to keep that balance.

Feel that could be a nice blend of youth and senior players, and gives the Black Lions respect too. Given it is a friendly, it could be tempting to use Kata on the wing to see how he looks there. Nothing lost by doing so.

[Old Hob]

Or try out Freddie in the centre

[Rugbygramps]

Or try out Freddie in the centre

And George Martin to number 8

[Rugbygramps]

Cockerill was a top bloke. He once turned up to coach about 150 school children when 3-4 other England players suddenly didn’t turn up. “ No problem,” he said, then told a few of us what he needed setting out equipment wise and for a whole afternoon had the children enthralled by his coaching. Afterwards I asked him if the rumours were true about Keith Barwell offering him “ silly money” to play for Saints!
“Yes, but I d never leave Tigers for Saints no matter what they paid me!” He then returned to my school to take a couple of Assemblies and then came along to a few area tournaments to promote Tag Rugby which was just being introduced!
Like many fans I also remember he was the one player who win or lose when playing away would go round the pitch and thank us for turning up!
Yes, things didn’t go well at the end but Tigers wanted him to do too much and like Murphy he couldn’t say no to the club he loved.
There are fans who still blame him for Thomas The Tank leaving! I was lucky enough to meet Thomas a few days after it was announced he was leaving for Exeter: I thanked him for his time at Tigers and he said,” Thanks, I’m sorry to be leaving but Exeter have offered me far more than Tigers will ever be able to.”
In other words, welcome home Richard. In my eyes one of the best Tigers as a player and with Pat Howard, Deano and Wells and Chalkie White,one of the best coaches. Thanks.

Well said he is one of the Tigers greats. After he was sacked it took us years to get back to anywhere close to the success he achieved. We don't honour our past servants enough. I hope his tenure with Georgia brings more games like this at all levels.

I would dispute this with the legends walk way and many past players attending games and being involved with match day experiences.
Interesting that the 2 most successful Head Coaches/DOR, Cockers and Richards are the 2 of the most acrimonious partings

[johnthegriff]

Neither Bob Dwyer nor Matt O'Connor were exactly reticent in expressing their feelings about Tigers dispensing with their services.
Deano was unfairly sacked after his aging and tired team couldn't regain former form following the England World Cup win, he did sign Ramiro Pez though. There were people in the club that wanted him gone but couldn't t make their move whilst the team was winning.
Cocker's sacking was just unfair.

[jgriffin]

Neither Bob Dwyer nor Matt O'Connor were exactly reticent in expressing their feelings about Tigers dispensing with their services.
Deano was unfairly sacked after his aging and tired team couldn't regain former form following the England World Cup win, he did sign Ramiro Pez though. There were people in the club that wanted him gone but couldn't t make their move whilst the team was winning.
Cocker's sacking was just unfair.

[Rugbygramps]

Neither Bob Dwyer nor Matt O'Connor were exactly reticent in expressing their feelings about Tigers dispensing with their services.
Deano was unfairly sacked after his aging and tired team couldn't regain former form following the England World Cup win, he did sign Ramiro Pez though. There were people in the club that wanted him gone but couldn't t make their move whilst the team was winning.
Cocker's sacking was just unfair.

Very one eyed view John, always 2 sides to every story.

[jgriffin]

Neither Bob Dwyer nor Matt O'Connor were exactly reticent in expressing their feelings about Tigers dispensing with their services.
Deano was unfairly sacked after his aging and tired team couldn't regain former form following the England World Cup win, he did sign Ramiro Pez though. There were people in the club that wanted him gone but couldn't t make their move whilst the team was winning.
Cocker's sacking was just unfair.

Very one eyed view John, always 2 sides to every story.

The other side is the club's refusal to spend any money on the players RC wanted?