Forum Rugby Club - 2009-2010 Season

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I'm off to HQ on Saturday to watch us all but clinch a semi final in Leicester.

Not a good day for London affiliated clubs today was it but at least the TIGERS kept their end up
 

quote:

Originally posted by deadlifter:
to watch us all but clinch...

all but?? Those nice Saracens at Northampton have ensured that Tigers finish top, whatever happens in the last game of the regular season! So it's now just a question of whom we'll be playing, Barf, Pests or Exiles.

quote:

Originally posted by deadlifter:
Not a good day for London affiliated clubs today was it but at least the TIGERS kept their end up
 

First the bad:

I haven't seen the possession stats but I am sure they would favour Wasps by some margin. The difference between the two teams was Wasps' poor defence in midfield, with too many missed tackles resulting in Bath crossing the gainline with every surging attack by James and Barkley, and Bath's clinical execution compared to Wasps' laughable schoolboy efforts. At times it was like watching England play with the complete inability to draw the last defender before playing the final pass to put in the overlapping attacker. Wasps had 4 or 5 opportunities to cross the line even before Joe Simpson dropped the opportunity of the seaon in front of the posts when it was already too late.

Another big difference was Cipriani's bizarre decision making, such as spurning the opportunity to take 3 points and take us to 15-18 and instead putting a speculative kick up for Sackey to catch on the wing when he had two defenders in close attandance. Then, minutes later, throwing a looping missed pass across the back line just in front of the Wasps' 22, to enable Joe Maddock to intercept and flop unchallenged across the line to take it to 12-25. These were the two major turning points when Wasps were really resurgent and looking like hauling Bath back in.

Cipriani may be a talent but he is also a liability and we may be better without him, especially with Flutey coming back.

Now the good:

Twickenham was 3/4 full with 60,000 people to watch a normal club game, astounding! It was a great atmosphere and a wonderful game to match. 5 tries and it could and should have been 8 or 9. With it also being Twickenham, we were quite high up and I was able to illustrate to my teenage daughter how the game worked. She really enjoyed it and said she understood the game much better afterwards. She will definitely come again.

Well done to Bath. They deserved the win for the quality of their passing, offloading and execution. It was a great display of economic rugby a la All Blacks. I think 4th place is now a shoo-in for them.

Congratulations also to Tigers for finishing top. Whatever happens in the play offs they deserve the title for that alone and how they have played this season.

Mark

Congratulations also to Tigers for finishing top. Whatever happens in the play offs they deserve the title for that alone and how they have played this season.

That's very gracious of you sir.
I checked on the wasps forum just for a look see,and they seem to be unhappy with ref Barnes

Well done to Leeds for staying up. Now they need to recruit and stop the haemorrhage of talent or next season they will go down!

Well wasps are out of the Amlin cup [what happened
there then]i thought that they were pushing for some silver ware.
Its going to be a rather cracking month for me in May as tonight i will be going to see the Tigers A team take the Quins apart which is a freebie then next Saturday the Sarries [which was my 40th b-day pressie], then on the 16th for the semi final and to cap it all down to HQ for the final and see Tigers lift the cup

quote:

Originally posted by deadlifter:
...next Saturday the Sarries...

Picked up tickets for the WHOLE FAMILY when we were in Leicester on Saturday dropping off our eldest at Uni for the new term.

Although my son and I are match-goers, our girls (Mrs JWM and two daughters) have never been before. But the lads' enthusiasm has rubbed off and the girls voluntarily expressed a desire to have the Welford Rd experience before the end of the season.

Unfortunately at this late stage, we could only get five seats together in the Clubhouse Stand, but at least we're going to be there! And whilst I remain optimistic, it should be quite a tight one against a back-to-form Saffacens. Particularly need to close down that great play maker Hooker Brits.

Congratulations to Bath on reaching the semi finals, they deserve it for the way they ended the season in real London Wasps style and for the way they demolished us at Twickers.

At least we ended the season with a win and the consolation is that we have ended up in the Heineken Cup unlike last year. For the second season running though, we have just not been good enough.

Now, as a Wasps supporter, every fibre of my being says I should want Bath to beat Tigers. However, many of my friends on here support Tigers and it's time to put aside the tribal rivalries in favour of friendship, so in that spirit..."come on Tigers!".

After all you do deserve it for finishing top.

Thanks for good wishes, Mark!

Just back from Tigers' first home loss in over 2 years, not a good way to finish the regular season on top. (Haven't yet seen other scores.)

Sad to see Tigers lose, but they were for much of the game both hesitant and unimaginative. I think we saw the difference between Flood (not playing today) and Staunton at Flyhalf. They only really played with ambition and passion when down to 14 men after Tom Croft was inexplicably sin binned late in the 2nd half.

The Ref was, predictably, bizarre in [some] of his decisions. At a key moment Moody was penalised for an early tackle out of a ruck, though he tackled the Scrumhalf in the motion of passing, so the ball was out! Another bizarre decision was stopping the game as a Tiger was collecting a chip ahead and with a clear run to the line ... because the ballboy was still on the pitch collecting the ball.

BUT It was a really lovely day out, with my wife and two teenage daughters, their first ever rugby match, who really enjoyed the Welford Rd experience, especially my younger daughter who was beaming from ear to ear almost throughout.

Anyway, hope we make a better fist of things against Barf than against Sarries.

quote:

Now, as a Wasps supporter, every fibre of my being says I should want Bath to beat Tigers. However, many of my friends on here support Tigers and it's time to put aside the tribal rivalries in favour of friendship, so in that spirit..."come on Tigers!".

Does this mean you will be purchasing a Tigers jersey sometime soon

I have just about calmed down after yesterday and i think the Ref will be very happy with his saffies season ticket for next season,he certainly earned it and did Venters boys proud in fact i would think he will still have a thick head this morning from celebrating with them last night.I think the only thing that blighted his day was that he could not wear his Saffies jersey while officiating the game.
By the way if i sound bitter and twisted you would be correct in your assumption
By the way Croft was binned for a so called offence [that never was] that Moody committed and the Ref penalised Tigers for pulling down a maul when a Tiger was on one knee in front blocking and and it was not pulled down not that the Ref could see of course as he was behind the Saffies.I do not mind the team losing to a better team if we play poorly and lack the required discipline but how can you play a team who has the Ref as a 16th man
Got to go now and let my blood pressure drop again

quote:

Originally posted by deadlifter:
Does this mean you will be purchasing a Tigers jersey sometime soon

Er....no!

Mate, if we get to the final i would expect you to be in our colours after that comment from earlier

quote:

Originally posted by deadlifter:
Mate, if we get to the final i would expect you to be in our colours after that comment from earlier

I said I had friends on here that I wished the best for, not that I had suddenly developed a mental illness.....besides, it would burn!

You never know you may like the feel of the quality of a Tigers jersey,and there is the prestige of following a club at the top of their game.I heard a rumour that all Wasps jerseys were half price for the forseable future

quote:

Originally posted by deadlifter:
You never know you may like the feel of the quality of a Tigers jersey,and there is the prestige of following a club at the top of their game.I heard a rumour that all Wasps jerseys were half price for the forseable future

So far you've only made the playoffs, you may wish to wait before crowing.

Here we go then. Sarries already through. Who will join them?!!

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Originally posted by Chillkram:
Here we go then. Sarries already through. Who will join them?!!

Guess who?!

I know. Happy for you James.

Venter throws toys out of pram for having been given a detention for throwing toys out of pram.

Meanwhile ... George Chuter (who was awesome vs Bath last week and was awarded MoM) named in England touring squad in place of the unfortunate Dylan Hartley who is injured.

Bring on the Saffies and we will see how good they think they are with their man banned from the touchline (although only for the final)I think he is a disgrace and from their supporters behaviour at the tigers home game (I had to have a word with a couple of young lads)I do not think much of them either. The Tigers need to show their class a week on Saturday because the Saffies are not good enough and are certainly not worthy winners of the title. And on another note I hope that they lower the salary cap and stop teams like the Saffies flooding the premiership with foreign players like football has.I will leave my crowing or misery till the final is over,I have not replied earliar because I could not think of anything comical to say even though the wasps are down and out(and I think they will be for some time)So hopefully I will see you boys face to face at HQ over a quick beer

Heineken Cup this weekend. Far more interesting!

quote:

Originally posted by Chillkram:
Heineken Cup this weekend. Far more interesting!

Maybe not! Defence on top, but the last 7 minutes were interesting.

The Toulouse scrum was something to behold as well.

Not sure I approve of this apparently new phenomenon of jeering the opposition penalty kicker. The first time I was really aware of it was in the Six Nations when England were playing away (can't remember who). It is happening again in the Toulon v Cardiff final. Whatever happened to respectful silence?

Congratulations to Cardiff Blues.