Today's Match Thread

[Heathen]

They had the two most effective game influencers in Paddy Jackson and Sean O'Brien.

[mike909]

It might be uncomfortable at times but we have a lot of young/inexperienced players currently and they are learning. We had c60 international caps on the pitch today, the Irish had nearly 400.

I think this is an important point, alongside another midfield starting pair, one of whom hasn't plated for a while and only just about able to get a 23 - and goodness knows how fit - onto the pitch. It was a decent defensive effort - we probably got the point we deserved - but in the context of missing so many senior players, you'd need a bit of luck to win the game. And some of that luck we probably had in our run to the final last year is absent.

You do make you own luck - but sometimes it just doesn't matter. Still need to do some basics properly - make touch etc and if necessary - kick from hand more, but then make the most of doing so.

Need whatever leaders can still walk to make a difference.

[Heathen]

It might be uncomfortable at times but we have a lot of young/inexperienced players currently and they are learning. We had c60 international caps on the pitch today, the Irish had nearly 400.

I think this is an important point, alongside another midfield starting pair, one of whom hasn't plated for a while and only just about able to get a 23 - and goodness knows how fit - onto the pitch. It was a decent defensive effort - we probably got the point we deserved - but in the context of missing so many senior players, you'd need a bit of luck to win the game. And some of that luck we probably had in our run to the final last year is absent.

You do make you own luck - but sometimes it just doesn't matter. Still need to do some basics properly - make touch etc and if necessary - kick from hand more, but then make the most of doing so.

Need whatever leaders can still walk to make a difference.

We had a 'Buzz' going in the second half of last season. That was very noticeable in the way that the team were playing for each other. At times, this season, we look as though the players had never met one another.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

We had a 'Buzz' going in the second half of last season. That was very noticeable in the way that the team were playing for each other. At times, this season, we look as though the players had never met one another.

Yeah, it almost makes you wonder if there is something going on behind the scenes that we don't know about.

[HDAWG]

Injuries, England call ups, loss of form and no rest from last season. It's really a combination of all that. I don't think there's much else.

Think of all the players that contributed to our best performances last season and this season, they're either injured, not in form or with England.

I'll add someone saying the more matches over a shorter time period last season may have benefitted us not giving opposition to figure out our strategy.

[mike909]

Injuries, England call ups, loss of form and no rest from last season. It's really a combination of all that. I don't think there's much else.

This seems most likely. Sport does exist on small margins and confidence is v important - and we're from a position where playing Sarries away last season, we were rotating players through choice and now, where, say Tom Willis has had to start every one of Wasps last 6 Prem games.....In normal times with a normal injury rate, you might have picked him for half of those plus one or two on the bench perhaps.....

[Shugs]

Agreed I don't think it's anything fundamental. Our squad at the moment breaks down in to 3 separate categories 1) Away for internationals 2) Injured 3) Overplayed and exhausted. Personally I've always thought having the 6N at the same time as so many league games is a nonsense.

[HDAWG]

Personally I've always thought having the 6N at the same time as so many league games is a nonsense.

I'm really annoyed we had the opportunity to sort out a global calendar and a situation where club and international wouldn't overlap. I'd even have conference system if it meant no overlap, which I'm sure isn't a popular opinion. But Pro14 has one of those and there's still overlap! Urgh.

[petros]

The overlap with the 6N is worse this season because of the delayed start to the season. Normally 2 Twickenham games are Premiership free weekends

[will311293]

I don't think it helps that we look a little derived of leadership. When you consider that influential players we are missing. We just don't seem to click and it's very worrying.

Poor form combined with a lack of influence and control has led to misbehaviours and that impacts the quality of play.

This season needs to be over sooner rather than later and maybe give us a chance to re-evaluate the squad.