Leicester vs Harlequins - Sunday 15:00

[Puja]

I thought the pass, in the try build-up, from Ford to Youngs was forward. The halfway line was in shot as a reference.

Did look a bit lateral, didn't it?

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Class from Ford.

[Mellsblue]

I thought the pass, in the try build-up, from Ford to Youngs was forward. The halfway line was in shot as a reference.

Did look a bit lateral, didn't it?

Puja

NZ flat.

[p/d]

Wtf did Youngs kick that away.

I’m certain you will find out at some point on this thread

[Mellsblue]

Class from Lewies.

[Mellsblue]

Class from Smith and Lynagh.

[Danno]

Spicy

[Mellsblue]

Enjoyed that.

[Puja]

Christ, we tried hard not to win that on occasions. Turned into a very scrappy and error-strewn game in the second half and we just about dogged it out.

Puja

[Danno]

Bit of silliness from both sides at times. The cards were equally brainless, possession squandered numerous times and a screaming overlap each went begging. If Quins had managed to nick the win at the death then the decision to kick for the corner and not the posts would have taken the prize though

[Puja]

Bit of silliness from both sides at times. The cards were equally brainless, possession squandered numerous times and a screaming overlap each went begging. If Quins had managed to nick the win at the death then the decision to kick for the corner and not the posts would have taken the prize though

I actually agree with the decision to kick to the corner. It's on halfway, probably 60m when the angle's taken into account, in driving rain, with the wind against him. Chances that it falls short or doesn't go dead are very high and it gives the likes of Green and Smith the ball with a massive run-up and plenty of time to pick their spot to counter-attack. Given our solid lineout so far that game, putting it into touch was the far safer option and even losing it would only give Quins slow ball.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

I feel like both sides will think they should have taken control of that one, but Leicester just looked more composed over all.

Really didn’t take enough of our chances.

Care is so frustrating to watch these days.

[Tigersman]

Tigers looked like a team that hadn't played in 4 weeks which is what it was basically.
We saw a few teams look a bit rusty last week but better this week, Tigers with the bye had it pushed back a week.

Genge was dropping balls he wouldn't normally have dropped this season, a lot of Tigers players getting stipped in the tackles which hasn't really happened, Maul work was very rusty.

[Scrumhead]

Jones has just Jonny Hilled.

Not making a good case for a Scotland recall - two touches that I've seen and he's been turned over twice and bombed a near certain try. Mind, it's not necessarily unfair for him not to have expected that absolute worldie of a tackle from Potter.

Puja

Credit to Potter for a try saver, but why even give him the chance to make the tackle with two unmarked players outside you.

I can find some forgiveness for Jonny Hill given he’s 1) a second row and 2) and Exeter second row (where pick and go is ingrained). Jones is an international centre and that was outright unforgivable. Score that and the game could have been quite different.

[FKAS]

Wiese is such a liability. We've just got on top, newly in the lead and Quins having Smith yellow carded, and he decides to level the playing field with an utterly unnecessary no arms daisy-cutter tackle on a particularly unthreatening tackler. Wasn't even particularly effective at stopping him.

He's a great ball carrier, but he's almost not worth having, despite that, given his inability to not be incredibly stupid.

Puja

Whilst I agree that Weise is just as likely to score as he is to get carded I've seen lots of those daisy cutter tackles be just a penalty. The TMO also said just a penalty and it was less dangerous that the blatant high tackle on Steward to stop him scoring that neither ref nor TMO actually pinged. Weise's reputation probably doing for him which I have no sympathy before because he's earned that reputation with some really dim thuggish cards and bans. He did however make two absolute beauty tackles, poor Murley will be checking under his bed for Weise tonight.

Ben Youngs should have been man of the match. He was excellent and the most inventive player on the pitch and if anyone had said that before the game we'd have all considered it a mildly funny joke. Honestly can't remember the last time he played that well for Tigers, we really missed him when he went off.

[Oakboy]

Ben Youngs should have been man of the match. He was excellent and the most inventive player on the pitch and if anyone had said that before the game we'd have all considered it a mildly funny joke. Honestly can't remember the last time he played that well for Tigers, we really missed him when he went off.

I thought it a strange decision to take him off that early unless he was injured.

[FKAS]

Ben Youngs should have been man of the match. He was excellent and the most inventive player on the pitch and if anyone had said that before the game we'd have all considered it a mildly funny joke. Honestly can't remember the last time he played that well for Tigers, we really missed him when he went off.

I thought it a strange decision to take him off that early unless he was injured.

Tigers nearly always sub their 9s early. Normally before 55 mins. Borthwick is of the belief he has three quality 9s and subbing them early means they don't have to hold back. When Youngs was playing out of his skin like that I'd have been of a mind to leave him on a little longer, obviously Borthwick doesn't have the years of frustration I have having watched Benny barely trouble third gear when playing for Tigers. Was really good to see him come out firing on all cylinders.

[Mikey Brown]

I hate bitching about the ref but there so many instances every game of attackers prevent tacklers from rolling away that get called as 'not rolling away' it's so frustrating to watch.

Watching the highlights back today and Leicester pen to make it 6-6 Van Staden is the first man to the ruck and simply dives on top of the tackler to win a penalty. I understand refs want to clear the tackle area quickly but so many teams are exploiting this at the moment.

[FKAS]

I hate bitching about the ref but there so many instances every game of attackers prevent tacklers from rolling away that get called as 'not rolling away' it's so frustrating to watch.

Watching the highlights back today and Leicester pen to make it 6-6 Van Staden is the first man to the ruck and simply dives on top of the tackler to win a penalty. I understand refs want to clear the tackle area quickly but so many teams are exploiting this at the moment.

Tempest did let some odd stuff go yesterday. If both sides were irked by him it probably means he did it fairly equally at least.

Quite a bitty game where both defences shone more than the attacks though which didn't help things. I think both sides played pretty close to the line, as the game was so tight. Some better conditions might have made the game more interesting with some passes sticking, Dino Lamb might not have knocked on from that lineout intercept as well.

Not sure Eddie will have learnt much from the game, other than maybe that he can get Youngs to run ball in hand more. His hand off on Smith was hilarious as was selling Care the dummy from the base of the scrum as Quins were worrying over Nadolo.

[Mikey Brown]

I hate bitching about the ref but there so many instances every game of attackers prevent tacklers from rolling away that get called as 'not rolling away' it's so frustrating to watch.

Watching the highlights back today and Leicester pen to make it 6-6 Van Staden is the first man to the ruck and simply dives on top of the tackler to win a penalty. I understand refs want to clear the tackle area quickly but so many teams are exploiting this at the moment.

Tempest did let some odd stuff go yesterday. If both sides were irked by him it probably means he did it fairly equally at least.

Quite a bitty game where both defences shone more than the attacks though which didn't help things. I think both sides played pretty close to the line, as the game was so tight. Some better conditions might have made the game more interesting with some passes sticking, Dino Lamb might not have knocked on from that lineout intercept as well.

Not sure Eddie will have learnt much from the game, other than maybe that he can get Youngs to run ball in hand more. His hand off on Smith was hilarious as was selling Care the dummy from the base of the scrum as Quins were worrying over Nadolo.

Yeah I generally go along with that, and don't want to quibble over the result too much as you were the better team and took your chances. But a couple of those penalties, a missed Tigers knock-on at the base and OMG that disallowed try where he was stood in the way - they felt like big moments in such a tight game.

You have to take the chances that come and put it out of reach of a single refereeing decision though, so I don't feel we were robbed of a win or anything.

[Puja]

I hate bitching about the ref but there so many instances every game of attackers prevent tacklers from rolling away that get called as 'not rolling away' it's so frustrating to watch.

Watching the highlights back today and Leicester pen to make it 6-6 Van Staden is the first man to the ruck and simply dives on top of the tackler to win a penalty. I understand refs want to clear the tackle area quickly but so many teams are exploiting this at the moment.

Tempest did let some odd stuff go yesterday. If both sides were irked by him it probably means he did it fairly equally at least.

Quite a bitty game where both defences shone more than the attacks though which didn't help things. I think both sides played pretty close to the line, as the game was so tight. Some better conditions might have made the game more interesting with some passes sticking, Dino Lamb might not have knocked on from that lineout intercept as well.

Not sure Eddie will have learnt much from the game, other than maybe that he can get Youngs to run ball in hand more. His hand off on Smith was hilarious as was selling Care the dummy from the base of the scrum as Quins were worrying over Nadolo.

Yeah I generally go along with that, and don't want to quibble over the result too much as you were the better team and took your chances. But a couple of those penalties, a missed Tigers knock-on at the base and OMG that disallowed try where he was stood in the way - they felt like big moments in such a tight game.

You have to take the chances that come and put it out of reach of a single refereeing decision though, so I don't feel we were robbed of a win or anything.

I think it's a bit harsh to accuse him of being stood in the way - he was standing where every ref does at a lineout and Quins did a set play where they run at the ref's channel to try and use him as a blocker and just missed the bit about going to the side of him. He did take out two Leicester tacklers, so I don't think Dombrandt was going over either way.

Puja

[FKAS]

As the two tacklers were Genge and Montoya I'd have been bloody impressed had he gone over. I think the Dino Lamb knock on was a bigger missed chance for Quins. If he gathers that cleanly then all he has to do is pass to Dombrandt and run after him in case the big man gets tackled and needs to offload.

Dry game and they probably stick. Then again, dry game and the Moroni offload to Nadolo sticks and Green gets the fun of trying to stop the big man one on one.

[Banquo]

I hate bitching about the ref but there so many instances every game of attackers prevent tacklers from rolling away that get called as 'not rolling away' it's so frustrating to watch.

Watching the highlights back today and Leicester pen to make it 6-6 Van Staden is the first man to the ruck and simply dives on top of the tackler to win a penalty. I understand refs want to clear the tackle area quickly but so many teams are exploiting this at the moment.

Tempest did let some odd stuff go yesterday. If both sides were irked by him it probably means he did it fairly equally at least.

Quite a bitty game where both defences shone more than the attacks though which didn't help things. I think both sides played pretty close to the line, as the game was so tight. Some better conditions might have made the game more interesting with some passes sticking, Dino Lamb might not have knocked on from that lineout intercept as well.

Not sure Eddie will have learnt much from the game, other than maybe that he can get Youngs to run ball in hand more. His hand off on Smith was hilarious as was selling Care the dummy from the base of the scrum as Quins were worrying over Nadolo.

I do feel Ben Youngs strengths have been scrambled by successive coaches- when he broke through he was an instinctive player, with pace and a great eye for a break. Unfortunately, imo his decision making processes have been erased and imprinted with safety first, and kick if in doubt.

Still, he's had a moderately successful career by any standard

[FKAS]

Agree when Benny started I think he'd played some sevens and was a really creative player. He worked with Dupuy a lot to sort his kicking out and used to be good off the tee. The more he played internationally the more their seemed to be an onus on his tactical game. With Tigers playing woefully for years that's the game he went to for us because that's all was on offer. Now we've got more running threat I'm hoping he'll get more license to revert back. Clearly all the skills are still there.

Interesting to hear from Borthwick that Youngs came into pre season wanting to up the intensity in his training to be fitter and faster for this season.

[Banquo]

Agree when Benny started I think he'd played some sevens and was a really creative player. He worked with Dupuy a lot to sort his kicking out and used to be good off the tee. The more he played internationally the more their seemed to be an onus on his tactical game. With Tigers playing woefully for years that's the game he went to for us because that's all was on offer. Now we've got more running threat I'm hoping he'll get more license to revert back. Clearly all the skills are still there.

Interesting to hear from Borthwick that Youngs came into pre season wanting to up the intensity in his training to be fitter and faster for this season.

Suspect that's the train on word from Eddie as per the previous 6N. IMO passing, passing and more passing would also be on the list...