Match thread - Exeter away

[JonnyD]

The difference between Dai and the Saints comparison is that now Dai seems ok to play the young players when in the past he just hasn’t.
Saints fans were crying out for Mallinder to play Ludlum for years as he always impressed in the LV and the A League, as soon as he gets regular game time under Boyd he gets picked for the World Cup, now Furbank, who is not exceptionally young at 22 is finally getting a game too and the younger ones like Dingwall and Grayson are getting the game time trust as well as they come through.
Dai finally seems to be ok with playing younger players at last, even though apart from Flament they are all senior squad players now, unfortunately, like others have said I do believe we need some new ideas at the top.
If we’re going to have more years at the bottom end of the table in ‘transition’  anyway perhaps a new approach and then an upward turn would not be a bad thing.
Of course Dai isn’t going anywhere though as he is still in contract for a few more years and even though we were in for Borthwick and Edwards we didnt seem to look elsewhere to bring another big name in to assist

[Shugs]

The reality is it's too easy to say we're not good enough and we must be like Saints etc. We just rotate the name to whoever is top of the league. Last year it was Exeter or Sarries. Now it's the Saints model that should be followed. We've got our own model which has emerged from a completely unique set of circumstances. We need some patience. I find it odd that most said they expected absolutely nothing from the Exeter game but are calling for change after it. I realise it's not just based on one game. For me if we can put a couple of wins together this season will take off as the talent is there.

[HDAWG]

Shugs,

We're comparing us to Northampton in terms of transition from bad to not bad. I'm not picking them because they're table toppers. I could pick Bristol and Gloucester, they're similar situations.

I wasn't expecting us to beat Exeter, but we should've put in more of a fight. We almost beat Bordeaux the other week, then we play this badly? That's embarrassing and I'm ashamed of the result. Losing 40-30 to Bordeaux is annoying but respectable. This was a proper spanking that should be taken seriously as a red flag.

[backdoc]

"Review S+C and training methods an rotation as injuries seem high."

i wonder if there is a relationship between possession and injuries, i.e. teams that play with a lot of possession get less injuries - the chaps making all the tackles get them.

[BG]

If we think we're being a bit gloomy I take no schadenfreude in reading (I hope that's grammatically correct) Tiggers thread on their board.. their supporters are seemingly even more frustrated and resigned to a relegation battle.. they also have other things to worry about.. the sale of the club and 15 snr contracts up for renewal.

[mike909]

Shugs,

We're comparing us to Northampton in terms of transition from bad to not bad. I'm not picking them because they're table toppers. I could pick Bristol and Gloucester, they're similar situations.

+1

And we could easily point to Newcastle who went from 4th and Euro qual to relegated the next season - which was linked to poor form and injuries.

The key point about Saints position is that they recognised they were in a hole and made a change. It worked out for them. But the point isn't that it worked for Saints, more that we don't appear to have recognised we're in a hole.

This was one report of the matter. Again, not sure if its relevant to us.

https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/featured-post/29606/the-reasons-behind-jim-mallinders-sacking-at-northampton-saints/

Newcastle went down off a similar first run of results last season and our next 3 games offer little respite. We easily could be one win from games 5 to 8, and that assumes we beat Quin's as I'm not optimistic of Bris away or Saints at home on current form.

I personally hope "we just need a couple of wins" and it will be ok. We might have the talent - but no team is too good to go down. It does appear we need a different path, but we don't have the time. It is already a near emergency.

We can look back for clues - 15 of the 23 from the 2017 Final vs Exeter are no longer with us...and 14 of the 23 from the 2018 semi have gone too. (mostly the same players) It might appear our weakness is at least in part self inflicted.

Exeter Game review
Watched the game extended highlights. Exeter didn't seem to have to play that well - and with the wind being a key issue, Exeter were probably happy if they'd been only level at HT and then played a fairly limited game of pressure, with the wind and we were buckling before the SRs went off - though obviously, it got worse after. I wish they had shown more of the card for Brookes as it was difficult to see the issue. We didn't have good discipline at the breakdown, which was reffed pretty well. We easily could have conceded more penalties for hands in the ruck. I know Willis is brilliant at turnovers, but even just in the highlights - he was hands in the ruck too often. Carr looked like superman.

We were in it for 50 or so, but we seemed to have to put an 80min effort into that 50 to keep in the game

[welsh wasp]

Two points come out from this thread for me:
- We played well in the first half, then lost our two second rows to injury and we went downhill. Was that the case?
- Still comments about our S & C and the number of injuries. Is there any evidence that we have more injuries compared to other teams?

[Jac A]

Two points come out from this thread for me:
- We played well in the first half, then lost our two second rows to injury and we went downhill. Was that the case?
- Still comments about our S & C and the number of injuries. Is there any evidence that we have more injuries compared to other teams?

1) Yes, with a caveat. We played well but we didn't take our chances or make too many of them in the first place. It is all well and good controlling the game, making some carries and throwing the ball about a bit, but untimely we still only had three points at half time.

2) I don't think so. Like everything, we notice our injuries more. Bath are missing Faletau, Mercer, Clark, Watson, Cokanasiga and Thomas that I know of. Quins are missing Earle, Marchant, Clifford, Tapuai, Crumpton, Baldwin, Buchanan and Mike Brown. Admittedly we are one of the worst hit and have been for a few seasons but every club has injury problems.

[Shugs]

Agree about Carr. For me he's consistently our best player alongside Willis. I realise the comparison with Saints is as described above. For me we are on the same path. We're now blending youth into the 23 much better. That is happening under our current DoR. They had to change DoR to do it.

[RBB]

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-sopoaga-rugby-transfer-rumour-17344830

Summary from TRP on Lima, I expected this, that he will play out the season and we probably won't take up the extension option. A couple of considerations - he needs to put himself in the shop window or he plays out his contract in a pretty lacklustre manner like ED did (but he was already signed the EAs), I am hoping the former as I think he is wired that way, and, has to either secure a new club or get an extension. If he leaves at the end of the season, then I am guessing Japan will be his destination.

[Shugs]

It's a shame isn't it. If we do part company with LS at the end of the season it will be something that we all hoped would go well that hasn't. We'll certainly need a new 10. Searle hasn't convinced me and Umaga still has a long way to go.

[Hymenoptera]

While it wasnt a great performance I do wonder how many posters on this thread watched the entire game before offering their opinion.
It's hard to have a balanced view having just watched highlights or worse having just seen the scoreline.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

I watched the entire game 

[NellyWellyWaspy]

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-sopoaga-rugby-transfer-rumour-17344830

Summary from TRP on Lima, I expected this, that he will play out the season and we probably won't take up the extension option. A couple of considerations - he needs to put himself in the shop window or he plays out his contract in a pretty lacklustre manner like ED did (but he was already signed the EAs), I am hoping the former as I think he is wired that way, and, has to either secure a new club or get an extension. If he leaves at the end of the season, then I am guessing Japan will be his destination.

Well, that leaves us probably looking for a lot of backs this year. I wonder if Jimmy will finally call it a day also, or at least take a minor playing role from 2020 onwards, as I think his two year extension is up? We really need better quality and depth in the backs. We HAVE seen flashes of brilliance from Fekitoa, Le Bourgeios, Watson, Kibirige (will Falcons want him back?) and Odogwu, but, for me, none of them have nailed a first team place down. Watson at least must be at the end of his contract, as also Le Bourgeois and was Kibirige only with us for a single year (assuming Falcons bounced back up)?

I have a feeling we will hold on to most of our forwards. Charlie Matthews will have been with us two years, so I am unsure about him.

I wonder who is in the Academy this year that might come up also?

[NellyWellyWaspy]

No, I correct that. Watson re-signed recently, didn't he?