Wasps Vs Tigers

[Mr Mwenda]

Nearchou is losing it for us. Big, soft, and unfit.

It's going to end up with a Wasps penalty though. The ref's going to bottle it and seize the first opportunity to get out of the situation.

Puja

There you go.

[FKAS]

How's that not the third penalty from Alo? He's on the floor and then stands up?

[Mikey Brown]

Well that wasn’t a good decision.

[Raggs]

I have a horrible suspicion that we're going to lose this one. Just seem to be autopiloting through the game and ignoring the fact that we're only just ahead and Wasps are getting more and more confident. We need the next score.

Puja

First scrum and we'll lose all our steam I suspect.

I think technically it was the 2nd scrum.

[FKAS]

Nearchou is losing it for us. Big, soft, and unfit.

It's going to end up with a Wasps penalty though. The ref's going to bottle it and seize the first opportunity to get out of the situation.

Puja

There you go.

Absolutely spot on. He bottles the yellow Hougaard deserved for cynically killing the ball as well.

[twitchy]

Exciting finish.

[FKAS]

There's at least three penalties at the breakdown from Wasps but ref has no bottle to give them. Slap down, break and game over.

[Peej]

That final break sums up Wasps season.

And to be fair to Nearchou, he put himself about in defence and worked on the deck. But his scrum needs work

[Puja]

We can't complain about the ref. We got given two good decisions in Genge's yellow and Montoya's try being allowed when it did look like JVP had knocked on, and that loss was entirely our own doing. Credit to Wasps, who did do just about enough to take advantage, but we chucked away so many point in the first half and then just stopped playing for about 25 minutes of the second half. Borthwick needs to be giving people a rocket in training this week, cause that just wasn't good enough.

Puja

[Gloskarlos]

High tackle by Wasps near the end missed too... a few dodgy decisions, a draw perhaps a fair result, interesting last 10 mins, kicking kicking and more kicking.

[Banquo]

We can't complain about the ref. We got given two good decisions in Genge's yellow and Montoya's try being allowed when it did look like JVP had knocked on, and that loss was entirely our own doing. Credit to Wasps, who did do just about enough to take advantage, but we chucked away so many point in the first half and then just stopped playing for about 25 minutes of the second half. Borthwick needs to be giving people a rocket in training this week, cause that just wasn't good enough.

Puja

Very fair, well played

[FKAS]

Fair play to Wasps they played the ref excellently, fought for everything and looked dangerous ball in hand.

Tigers need to find the next gear in the attacking structure.

[fivepointer]

Well done Wasps. They improved after h/t and deserved the win for showing some ambition. Tigers sat back, did little with the ball and conceded the initiative.
Barbeary got better as the game wore on and i thought Porter made a big impact at SH.

[I R Geech]

We can't complain about the ref. We got given two good decisions in Genge's yellow and Montoya's try being allowed when it did look like JVP had knocked on, and that loss was entirely our own doing. Credit to Wasps, who did do just about enough to take advantage, but we chucked away so many point in the first half and then just stopped playing for about 25 minutes of the second half. Borthwick needs to be giving people a rocket in training this week, cause that just wasn't good enough.

Puja

You are a gentleman

[FKAS]

Well done Wasps. They improved after h/t and deserved the win for showing some ambition. Tigers sat back, did little with the ball and conceded the initiative.
Barbeary got better as the game wore on and i thought Porter made a big impact at SH.

Good points. Wasps adapted their game after half time and were the better side for the third quarter. The replacements, bar the unfortunate loosehead, all made a good impact.

Barbeary seemed to be dropping into the backfield more for kicks and seemed to have licence to just get on the ball as much as possible. Really gave Wasps that extra go forward that Tigers were badly lacking.

[Puja]

Barbeary seemed to be dropping into the backfield more for kicks and seemed to have licence to just get on the ball as much as possible. Really gave Wasps that extra go forward that Tigers were badly lacking.

I think he was actually helped a lot by Willis going off. It's like the old argument of, "I bet we could play Hughes and BillyV together!" that used to go around - one of them will want to be the primary carrier and be sitting back to position himself for the big busts. Feels like Barbeary's an 8 or nothing at this stage in his development

Puja

[Banquo]

Barbeary seemed to be dropping into the backfield more for kicks and seemed to have licence to just get on the ball as much as possible. Really gave Wasps that extra go forward that Tigers were badly lacking.

I think he was actually helped a lot by Willis going off. It's like the old argument of, "I bet we could play Hughes and BillyV together!" that used to go around - one of them will want to be the primary carrier and be sitting back to position himself for the big busts. Feels like Barbeary's an 8 or nothing at this stage in his development

Puja

I still hanker after him going back to hooker tbh.

[Scrumhead]

I was much more excited about the idea of him as a hooker too, but I think ‘back to’ is a bit inaccurate considering he’s never made a senior level appearance in the front row.

I can understand Tigers fan’s frustration with some of the decisions, but IMO, thr combination of a poor performance and a strange gameplan were the main reasons for the defeat. Despite being on top for pretty much the entirety of the first half, they never really capitalised and Wasps were always in touch.

A note on Brad Shields. I was probably one of his biggest critics when he was in the England squad, but in recent times I’ve been hugely impressed by him. A very good player and a real leader. I get it now. Shame he didn’t show those qualities at the right time - he almost certainly would have gone to the RWC if he had.

[Peej]

You're spot on about Shields. He's absolutely vital for wasps. Alfie and Tom Willis only look as good as they do because he puts in so much of the grunt work. I think his form merits being in the EPS, but think time might have passed him by

[FKAS]

I can understand Tigers fan’s frustration with some of the decisions, but IMO, thr combination of a poor performance and a strange gameplan were the main reasons for the defeat. Despite being on top for pretty much the entirety of the first half, they never really capitalised and Wasps were always in touch.

The tactics worked. Tigers had a lot of opportunities and but for a lucky deflection and a couple of missed Ford penalties we'd have won. Hey ho bounce of the ball etc.

Our two problems on attack were that a) we didn't have enough big ball carriers to maintain momentum in Wasp's 22. When we did they managed to kill the ball and take the penalty, b) we targeted Spink in defence via the 13 channel but Wasps were wise to that tactic and moved personnel around so that Gopperth or a member of the backrow could cover. Gopperth is a very underrated defensive organiser.

Add in a number of handling and other errors and we didn't make the most of the territory we had, particularly in the first half.

[Banquo]

I was much more excited about the idea of him as a hooker too, but I think ‘back to’ is a bit inaccurate considering he’s never made a senior level appearance in the front row.

.

I do beg your pardon most 'umbly. Though his ESPN and Wasps profiles have him as a hooker and iirc he played Wasps age grade rugby there. He has settled on backrow it seems, and be interesting to see how that goes.

[Peej]

Also have to agree that Guy Porter was excellent too. Steward had one of his better games for a while.

[Oakboy]

We just look like we've lost all plans. Aimlessly kicking the ball away, no organisation in our attack, no bite in our defence. Wasps are doing so much better this half, but we're giving them this game right now. Someone needs to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Puja

Ford isn't screaming for an England recall. The fact that I am watching this happen depresses me.

I only watched the first half. I switched off at half time because there was so much kicking that I was bored. I get stick on here because I criticise Ford!

[Puja]

I can understand Tigers fan’s frustration with some of the decisions, but IMO, thr combination of a poor performance and a strange gameplan were the main reasons for the defeat. Despite being on top for pretty much the entirety of the first half, they never really capitalised and Wasps were always in touch.

The tactics worked. Tigers had a lot of opportunities and but for a lucky deflection and a couple of missed Ford penalties we'd have won. Hey ho bounce of the ball etc.

Our two problems on attack were that a) we didn't have enough big ball carriers to maintain momentum in Wasp's 22. When we did they managed to kill the ball and take the penalty, b) we targeted Spink in defence via the 13 channel but Wasps were wise to that tactic and moved personnel around so that Gopperth or a member of the backrow could cover. Gopperth is a very underrated defensive organiser.

Add in a number of handling and other errors and we didn't make the most of the territory we had, particularly in the first half.

I question the idea that the tactic worked. That was a weakened Wasps side, made even weaker by the late withdrawals, and any tactic which saw them get close enough to us that luck could come into it was a bad tactic. We could have dominated that game, but instead we refused to fire shots and kept giving Wasps possession with the hope that they would make mistakes. If we'd played the whole game like we played the last 10 minutes, it would've been a bonus point win.

We just look like we've lost all plans. Aimlessly kicking the ball away, no organisation in our attack, no bite in our defence. Wasps are doing so much better this half, but we're giving them this game right now. Someone needs to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Puja

Ford isn't screaming for an England recall. The fact that I am watching this happen depresses me.

I only watched the first half. I switched off at half time because there was so much kicking that I was bored. I get stick on here because I criticise Ford!

Yeah, he was terrible yesterday. Mild excuse in that no-one was offering him any options any of the time, but he's a leader in the team - he should have gathered the forwards in and screamed at them until two were on his shoulder at all times.

Doesn't mean he's not a very, very high quality player who has been head and shoulders the best fly-half in England this season on average, but that game, he was dire.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Ford's a quality player. One indifferent performance doesnt change that. Thought Leicester looked a bit flat for most of the game. Relying on a powerful scrum and maul may not be enough sometimes.

Interesting to see how they react after the loss. They have a difficult encounter with Connacht away up next.