Aviva Premiership Round 15

First topic message reminder :

I couldn't see a topic this week so I thought I'd make one.

Friday 4th March
Newcastle Falcons v Worcester Warriors  - BT SPORT - KO 19:45

Saturday 5th March
Sale Sharks v Harlequins - KO 2:30 pm
Gloucester V Wasps - KO 3 pm
Bath v London Irish - KO 3:15 pm
Saracens v Northampton Saints - KO 3:15pm BT SPORT

Sunday 6th March
Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs - KO 3pm BT SPORT

From what I've heard a deal for Genge next season is as good as sorted already. It sounds like he's had a tough time personally in Bristol including being arrested when away in Belfast with the team. Andy Robinson seemed to lose a bit of interest in him and I got the impression that Tigers were in talks about signing him for next season when they found out he was available on loan.

He's a big unit and rated as a strong scrummager. If he is good enough to play then in current circumstances I hope he lines up against Wasps and/or Sarries rather than miss out on game time due to club politics.

Might be as good as sorted but unless it's is a done deal if he performs Bristol might well get more attractive offers.

Why wouldn't we want to bring in Genge? Abrasive prop who can scrum and has a tendency to score. Sounds just what we need at the minute.

Prop is a real issue. Balmain has looked tired and when he came on he worked hard but was off the pace and struggling. I doubt whether him or Logo are 100%. Ayerza is holding any semblance of a front row together. We're just lucky Thacker has been playing so well round the park and at the lineout.

LT for the Burns penalty the assistant is calling very quickly for the penalty for offside and Carley goes with it and blows up without waiting for anything to develop. It certainly helped us out.

LondonTiger wrote:Carley had a shocking 5 minutes. Fitz should have been binned - however Carley's bad spell started earlier.

1) He should have binned the Exeter winger for deliberate knock on.
2) after our 4th try he penalises Locky after the ball bounces off burns straight at him.
3) From the lineout he bins Barrow, but when he watches it on the bigh screen he realises he was wrong and admits that the slater during a skippers chat (was right in front of me)
4) he then evens the score by not binning Fitz.
5) Lets burns get away with a blatant deliberate knock on, bringing them back for offside. Pretty sure he had not blown the whistle - but perhaps intended to

Yet, my friend, it is that annoying time of year when Tigers start their predictable run up the table. Again. And again. And again. What is it about Tigers that they always do this? I was happy Saints beat Saracens the other day, only to find we are still in 5th place.

Well good luck to you the rest of the way. No offense to anyone, but let's have another Midlands Day in the Premiership playoffs............

Timely injury returnees - Manu has recently come back but on top of that today we had Niki back who performed strongly and Owen + Mike Williams came off the bench. Whilst JDV missed today I expect him to be a big part of the latter end of the season too. Slater looked nearer his best today as well after recent injury issues.

Pitches beginning to harden up - Our forwards are always strong but in recent seasons they haven't been as exceptional in muddy dog fights. Guys such as Slater and Croft are however very good on quicker pitches when things speed up a bit, it looks like Barrow and Fitzgerald also enjoy the quicker game as well plus Mulipola likes a fast game to come flying onto the ball.

Our backs of course also enjoy this platform and weather much more too. I think because of how long Goode marshaled a gnarly dominant pack around which bullied many sides in mud baths that many still expect the same. Since Flood took over at 10 though we've been a side that has played better in fairer weather - hence the usual improvements around now for a few seasons.

For this season rather than ones before we are also seeing a new game plan and new players starting to bed in more and more as well. On this note, I thought Betham was fantastic today at 13 and Kitto (whilst slow for a modern 9) had very slick service. Given that is our 3rd strength scrum half and about the same for outside centre it shows a squad that is beginning to gel more.

A very costly weekend for Glaws as it seems likely we'll lose Burns, McAllister and Purdy for the season. However, it was probably our best performance of the season and with more composure we'd have been 20 points up at half time.

I sincerely hope Eddie Jones continues to listen to his pal George Smith and sticks with Haskell at 7, rather than pick the player that dominated the breakdown and Smith at the weekend!

From memory Kvesic did well at the Ricoh too.

king_carlos wrote:Timely injury returnees - Manu has recently come back but on top of that today we had Niki back who performed strongly and Owen + Mike Williams came off the bench. Whilst JDV missed today I expect him to be a big part of the latter end of the season too. Slater looked nearer his best today as well after recent injury issues.

Pitches beginning to harden up - Our forwards are always strong but in recent seasons they haven't been as exceptional in muddy dog fights. Guys such as Slater and Croft are however very good on quicker pitches when things speed up a bit, it looks like Barrow and Fitzgerald also enjoy the quicker game as well plus Mulipola likes a fast game to come flying onto the ball.

Our backs of course also enjoy this platform and weather much more too. I think because of how long Goode marshaled a gnarly dominant pack around which bullied many sides in mud baths that many still expect the same. Since Flood took over at 10 though we've been a side that has played better in fairer weather - hence the usual improvements around now for a few seasons.

For this season rather than ones before we are also seeing a new game plan and new players starting to bed in more and more as well. On this note, I thought Betham was fantastic today at 13 and Kitto (whilst slow for a modern 9) had very slick service. Given that is our 3rd strength scrum half and about the same for outside centre it shows a squad that is beginning to gel more.

The 'latter end of the season'?

Its a joke, he's hardly touched the ball for Tigers since he arrived (already feckin' injured I might add). And the latter part of the season is virtually here already. I don't know how much he's being paid, but it's a lot to warm the bastad bench.

HongKongCherry wrote:A very costly weekend for Glaws as it seems likely we'll lose Burns, McAllister and Purdy for the season. However, it was probably our best performance of the season and with more composure we'd have been 20 points up at half time.

I sincerely hope Eddie Jones continues to listen to his pal George Smith and sticks with Haskell at 7, rather than pick the player that dominated the breakdown and Smith at the weekend!

Yes his omission from the squad does raise the eye brows. Hopefully he'll tour to Oz in the summer and will get plenty of gametime.

JDV was rested vs Chiefs. Sensible to rotate him out after two starts and with the inevitable Manu call up and Smith recovering from concussion. I think he's done ok so far and is apparently not on that much. I expect him to be back in the team for the Wasps game.

Jimpy wrote:

king_carlos wrote:Timely injury returnees - Manu has recently come back but on top of that today we had Niki back who performed strongly and Owen + Mike Williams came off the bench. Whilst JDV missed today I expect him to be a big part of the latter end of the season too. Slater looked nearer his best today as well after recent injury issues.

Pitches beginning to harden up - Our forwards are always strong but in recent seasons they haven't been as exceptional in muddy dog fights. Guys such as Slater and Croft are however very good on quicker pitches when things speed up a bit, it looks like Barrow and Fitzgerald also enjoy the quicker game as well plus Mulipola likes a fast game to come flying onto the ball.

Our backs of course also enjoy this platform and weather much more too. I think because of how long Goode marshaled a gnarly dominant pack around which bullied many sides in mud baths that many still expect the same. Since Flood took over at 10 though we've been a side that has played better in fairer weather - hence the usual improvements around now for a few seasons.

For this season rather than ones before we are also seeing a new game plan and new players starting to bed in more and more as well. On this note, I thought Betham was fantastic today at 13 and Kitto (whilst slow for a modern 9) had very slick service. Given that is our 3rd strength scrum half and about the same for outside centre it shows a squad that is beginning to gel more.

The 'latter end of the season'?

Its a joke, he's hardly touched the ball for Tigers since he arrived (already feckin' injured I might add). And the latter part of the season is virtually here already. I don't know how much he's being paid, but it's a lot to warm the bastad bench.

We knew he was injured when he was signed, it was cover for what was hoped to be a marquee centre which we didn't get for this season - I'm not complaining with Toomua on his way.

By all accounts he has had a positive effect at the club and he's been doing everything he possibly can to get on the field. It's not a case of someone who just seems disinterested as you see surprisingly often with professional sportsmen.

I thought he looked good against Quins in poor team performance and once again was strong against LI in a much better performance. After how many injuries Tigers have dealt with in recent seasons the decision to sign a 34 year old with a broken jaw was always going to be criticised. However I actually think this is an area where it will come good - going into the QF with Stade I certainly think that my starting centre partnership would be 12.JDV 13.Manu, especially when Matt Smith appears to have been played into the ground given his strong form when we had no other options.

As for money, it's been stated several times that he isn't being payed nearly enough to just be here for a pension top up.

GeordieFalcon wrote:

HongKongCherry wrote:A very costly weekend for Glaws as it seems likely we'll lose Burns, McAllister and Purdy for the season. However, it was probably our best performance of the season and with more composure we'd have been 20 points up at half time.

I sincerely hope Eddie Jones continues to listen to his pal George Smith and sticks with Haskell at 7, rather than pick the player that dominated the breakdown and Smith at the weekend!

Yes his omission from the squad does raise the eye brows. Hopefully he'll tour to Oz in the summer and will get plenty of gametime.

With Beaumont injured it might depend on whether Ewers is viewed as 8 cover or Hughes is brought in to replace him. Given that Jones has talked so much about back row players needing to contribute all over the pitch I can't see Morgan being recalled without improvements to his all round game.

6.Robshaw, Ewers
7.Haskell, Clifford
8.Billy

At the moment he seems to view those guys above Kvesic. With one place already up for grabs (and a bigger squad usually taken on summer tours) he must stand a good chance of being involved.

I imagine he'll want to rest some of the guys who played at the RWC rather than flog them on a summer tour as well.

formerly known as Sam wrote:I imagine he'll want to rest some of the guys who played at the RWC rather than flog them on a summer tour as well.

I would hope so.

Oi, leave all this international stuff for the Int Board please.


ps Any new arguments on there or are all the same old things being recycled?

Don't know LT, I gave up on those discussions a while ago.

Itoje vs Launchbury and arrogance are the main topics LT.

No 7&1/2 wrote:Itoje vs Launchbury and arrogance are the main topics LT.