The last 5 minutes...

[wasps]

What would you have done?


There's lots of comments on other threads regarding the decision to take the lineout, particularly after Gaby's first one went very wonky.

Try to take hindsight out if it, what do you do?




For me, I'm still not entirely sure that the they're was bad. It seemed that no one jumped, other than a half hearted attempt right at the back when it had already gone wrong. Was the call to the middle, rather than the rear and we actually had no jumper?



I'm sure it was playing in their minds that we'd been down the road before of drawing with Exeter at full time, but this time there was an option to actually win it.

It's also quite possible that Exeter could have worked their own penalty if we'd taken ours, and still lost.

With hindsight, it was obviously the wrong call, but in the heat of the moment, I'm happy to go the "no guts, no glory" approach.

[Raggs]

Only the players will know exactly what went wrong with the lineout. Communication was obviously not right.

I do wonder why we didn't just have Biyi take a tap though.

[Shugs]

Line out right call. Go to tail wrong call.

[Beasties]

Considering how disastrous our lineout had been the whole game I am utterly perplexed as to why they even considered gambling with our possession like that. Just tap and go, or even a flipping scrum, at least we'd have had an over 50% chance. There's no law against scoring from a tap and go.

[Brandnewtorugby]

In the conditions with the dominance of the previous maul I wanted tap and go, even though it was Exeter. More through fear from behind he sofa than anything else though.

Nothing but respect for the players in the arena though, they did what they thought best.

[NorthYorksWasp]

For me, line out, call it to the front, catch and drive the maul, result - try, penalty try after Exeter collapse or further penalty, have another go. Called to the back was the wrong call given how the wind was blowing about and how we’d been off target all game.

Not certain of winning the scrum, tap and go a possible but trying to play with a wet bar of soap, not a certain outcome. We needed 5 points to make Ex go for at least another try, our defence had keep them out most of the match so reasonable chance of doing so again.

Kicking the three points, fair chance Jimmy would land it but then gives possession back to Ex with time enough for them to make ground and score at least another 3 points - extra time?

Was pleased they had the courage to go for it, showed that the guys had the confidence, and I’d guess the blessing of Lee, to try for it. Only issue was where it was called to.
Whatever, the guys have played way above what we could ever have hoped for pre lockdown n and I for one am incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

For me its more about the decision making process*. On the day it didn't work, if it had we might have forgotten about it but the question would still remain: did they end up with the wrong decision?

The coaches and senior players should be asking what went on and who was involved? In the end the skipper has to make a call and like all leaders under pressure he can only make the best call given the information to hand.

What you don't want after something like that is senior players brooding they weren't involved and using hindsight bias to say they would have made the right call, that's bad for moral.

In the end in those conditions all the choices were high risk.

* Woodward's "TeaCUP"

[Heathen]

I fancy if Alfie had been on the pitch, they might have gone for a different option.

[andermt]

Line out right call. Go to tail wrong call.

+1

[wasps]

Line out right call. Go to tail wrong call.

+1

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced they didn't go for the tail.

I think Gaby threw for the middle, and there was simply no jumper.



Throwing at the front is easier to catch but do often ends up being driven into touch.
Throwing for the tail feels like suicide in those conditions
Throwing for the middle feels like the best option


Weirdly, it seems the lineout doesn't make the YouTube highlights

[WonkyWasp]

I'm more concerned about  Gaby.  I hope he is not beating himself up about this (many people would)  annd will not lose4 his confiodence. He  has a very bright future.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

I'm more concerned about  Gaby.  I hope he is not beating himself up about this (many people would)  annd will not lose4 his confiodence. He  has a very bright future.

+1

In the match thread I made the point that one of the senior players needed to put their arm round him and reassure him as he looked really down.

[mike909]

Line out right call. Go to tail wrong call.

+1

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced they didn't go for the tail.

I think Gaby threw for the middle, and there was simply no jumper.



Throwing at the front is easier to catch but do often ends up being driven into touch.
Throwing for the tail feels like suicide in those conditions
Throwing for the middle feels like the best option


Weirdly, it seems the lineout doesn't make the YouTube highlights

Seems most likely to me too. I couldn't see a tail throw being called. It seems that the communication re the jumper/s went pear shaped.

What would I have done? Really hard one. The lineout had been going badly, it was wet and windy.......we'd been doing really well on tap and go, but when dry.....there was no easy choice. Some luck was needed. I would have wanted a middle jump lineout - just not one we cocked up! It gave best choices once ball was in hand in a maul.

[Neils]

I'm more concerned about  Gaby.  I hope he is not beating himself up about this (many people would)  annd will not lose4 his confiodence. He  has a very bright future.

+1

[Chunky24]

I'm more concerned about  Gaby.  I hope he is not beating himself up about this (many people would)  annd will not lose4 his confiodence. He  has a very bright future.

+1

What I hope Gaby has gained from this experience is the confidence to influence a more experienced teammate's call should a similar situation arise again and he felt it necessary. Not easy for a young man in a high pressure situation working with such illustrious players but judging by what we have seen of him so far and the group environment certainly something he is capable of and would be supported to do.