Cockerill farce continues

First topic message reminder :

The Aviva Premiership final was on the 25th May. A month and a half after Cockerill allegedly used abusive language against a 4th official, Cockerill was charged and been suspended for 9 matches.

Now another twist in the farce - Tigers given more time to appeal - originally should have been the 9th July which was yesterday.

The Tigers now have till the 18th to appeal and might well succeed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/23255490

When will this farcical episode eventually be put to bed? Why have the RFU taken so long to deal with this? Will Cockerill be allowed to wriggle free?

Thoughts?

Tbf Sam, didn't the 4th official say that he wasn't offended by the language that was used at him or towards him? You are right in saying it's not acceptable but for RC to draw parallels with others expelling expletives to the ether is a bit rich

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:Tbf Sam, didn't the 4th official say that he wasn't offended by the language that was used at him or towards him? You are right in saying it's not acceptable but for RC to draw parallels with others expelling expletives to the ether is a bit rich

He did. He said the thing he didn't like and the reason he reported it was the 'threat' of Cockrill telling his players to smash the opposition.

I think the comment was "smash the c**ts" which was not really a good choice of phrase when trying to rationalise with a match official. He did say he didn't mean it but then he shouldn't have said it. I'm hoping he will choose his language better from now on.

His job is not safe, Murphy is showing early signs of brilliance, Mauger is keen to return and both are very popular with the fans and Richard Blaze has been heavilly involved with the forwards and would be an able head coach with Chuter looking to go into coaching wheb he finally retires.

It wasn't the bad language that was the problem (for the 4th official). It was the threat of violence. Which is why it's amusing most of the uproar on here seems to be about the language. If that's all it was it wouldn't have even been reported.

Quite amusing as well Hammer. Of the players on the pitch the only two with a history of violence is Tom Youngs (one punch on the Worcester captain in the Championship) and Manu (for those 3 on Ashton). We'd have struggled to cause much of a scrap minus the enforcers.

Well well!

This was not something I ever expected.

RC seems to agree with me????

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/23754448

Should I be worried?

I think that virtually no-one disagreed MrsP.

Now will the ageing Tommy get off his crutches before the big day or should we swallow the Ulster spin?  

 

I sincerely hope he hasn't required crutches!!!

They would be very hard to use after his hand/wrist injury!

Mind you, you can't trust these Orthopods!

Oh that's right. He couldn't use crutches whilst manoeuvring his zimmer.

My (as they say) bad!

formerly known as Sam wrote:Quite amusing as well Hammer. Of the players on the pitch the only two with a history of violence is Tom Youngs (one punch on the Worcester captain in the Championship) and Manu (for those 3 on Ashton). We'd have struggled to cause much of a scrap minus the enforcers.

If you say so though both Murphy and Flood have done naughty things yet have got away with it.

http://www.rugbydump.com/2011/12/2265/alesana-tuilagi-and-tom-wood-red-carded-following-touchline-brawl-


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI89HHfNncE



To be fair Tigers are generally a quite clean side these days - hard but fair. Except when playing Saints - then the gloves come off and all hell breaks loose between the two sides. I don't think any other rivalry is anywhere near as fierce.

It's no coincidence that Cockerill has got this ban vs Saints.

Last season, Tigers were almost the best disciplined side, beaten only by Exeter Chiefs.

If that's the Geordan punch in the melee after the Alesana hair pull (can't watch vids at work) then he didn't get away with it. He had a tv retrospectively added to his record as the panel deemed his actions merited that.

Can't see the Flood incident. If It's the punch on Hartley then I condone that 100% as a flyhalf. Purposefully late hits off the ball are tiresome and if you clock the bully early on they soon pack it in. If it's the tackle on Goode he was a lucky boy the panel decided that Hawkins made contact with Goode knocking Flood off balance.

Sam and Jimpy you are correct though. Tigers do have decent discipline in general.

Though as the Toulon game in the HC showed discipline is important. I think Tigers would have beaten Toulon without those two YCs. Obviously injury to Croft didn't help either.

It's Saints that seem to get the blood boiling.

You are also correct - Murphy and Flood aren't dirty players but like most players are prone to a moment of madness or two.

beshocked wrote:
It's Saints that seem to get the blood boiling.

These matches arent always feisty affairs, but when they are, it seems to me that it's Saints instigating the foul play, hair pulling, arm breaking, off the ball incidents. It could be argued that Tigers' players are in the main simply reacting to provocation. Saints were way up the StatBunker list of naughty teams last year.

Jimpy wrote:

beshocked wrote:
It's Saints that seem to get the blood boiling.

These matches arent always feisty affairs, but when they are, it seems to me that it's Saints instigating the foul play, hair pulling, arm breaking, off the ball incidents. It could be argued that Tigers' players are in the main simply reacting to provocation. Saints were way up the StatBunker list of naughty teams last year.

The vast majority of games have been feisty affairs in recent years - involving punching, pulling hair, breaking arms, abusing refs and bringing the game into disrepute by say something inappropriate to the 4th match official. Tigers are also a guilty party. Perhaps not as much as Saints but still....

It takes two to tango.

You couldn't say any other team match up has had anywhere near the amount of incidents recently could you?

No other game has that level of aggression that's for sure. A couple of factors really: local rivalry, Cockers vs West (they aren't pals) and then each game raises the temperature more. There's a game early doors in the AP and that will be very fiesty I'm sure.

The East Midlands derby is always going to have great rivalry, the only other teams that could claim derby rivalry on that level is probably Bath v Glaws and they seem to not be as physical. Then of course, you have the London derbies, the potential is there for physical incidents but it rarely materialises, on a ccount of they're soft southern shandy swillers - all gob and no trousers.

Other opinions are available

Sam I agree but in my opinion that doesn't necessarily make a good match.

Jimpy I suppose it depends how you define great.....

I don't know why you seem to be proud of the incidents.

I would prefer a rivalry where opposition are evenly matched in terms of wins/losses.

Unfortunately for Saints, Leicester have beaten them frequently in recent times.

The match doesn't need to become littered with incidents to be good.

In terms of tough matches recently I see Gloucester and Leicester as our biggest rivals for example.

I get the impression Leicester don't really see the likes of Quins and Saracens as rivals as of yet. Am I wrong?

Pysicality is part of the game, i'd be disappointed if it was sanitised. I'm not proud of the incidents, i'm proud that Tigers stand up for themselves in the face of provocation. I wouldn't want a hair puller on my team, i'd rather have someone who knocked his teeth out.

Based on Premiership titles, I wouldn't have thought Tigers see any other team in the league as huge rivals, more speed bumps to be overcome on the way to glory.

beshocked wrote:Sam I agree but in my opinion that doesn't necessarily make a good match.

Jimpy I suppose it depends how you define great.....

I don't know why you seem to be proud of the incidents.

I would prefer a rivalry where opposition are evenly matched in terms of wins/losses.

Unfortunately for Saints, Leicester have beaten them frequently in recent times.

The match doesn't need to become littered with incidents to be good.

In terms of tough matches recently I see Gloucester and Leicester as our biggest rivals for example.

I get the impression Leicester don't really see the likes of Quins and Saracens as rivals as of yet. Am I wrong?

I can't speak for all Tigers fans of course but...

Saints is the big derby game for a lot of folk and is usually a sell out.

Bath always attracts a good turn out as many remember when they were good and our main rivals 20 odd years ago... but the memory lingers.

Glaws is always a fun game but worry most Tigers fans despite the Glaws inconsistency and ability to implode.

Quinns are not seen as a serious threat and a bit of a blip on the radar.... yes it's good to romp the league because you have no players on international duty and then beat a clearly knackered & tired Tigers who spent most of the first half of the year at the bottom of the league due to something ridiculus like 17 players out injured PLUS international call ups and who then flogged themselves to death to amass a record number of back to back bonus point wins to climb back to 2nd place and the final.... AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!! NOW YOUR PLAYERS HAVE BROKEN INTO THE ENGLAND SET UP LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED THE YEAR AFTER!!!! YESSSS!!!!!! THE MAN U of RUGBY MY ARRRRRRSSSEE!!!!!

...calmy steps down off soapbox...

...and relax.

Oh yeah... Most Tigers fans develop a frown when talking about Sarries... only team to consistently put us through the mill over the last few years and we do see you as a rival team.

Playing Sarries is kind of like having a mini international twice a year!!


It's always good to see how the bokke academy is getting on.


....stands well back and put's fingers in ears.

Rivalry is something that takes time to come to the fore. Tigers vs Bath was a really big game and is still relished though It's not quite the game it was. Similar to Wasps as well really, they have fallen down the bill of late as well. Sarries and Quins have both started to be considered big drawing games though any rivalry seems to be tempered by the fact we keep meeting them during the international windows.

Those are rivalries based on league and form though.

Saints now that's a local derby and only increases when both teams are in form. The incidents are unpleasant but the bad blood between the sides has fueled the fire and has led to some electric atmospheres the players have fed off and produced some brutal games. Outside of the unfortunate incidents the Tigers vs Saints games have produced some wonderful rugby.