Lee says Wasps 'need to address' problem area after Bristol Bears defeat

[Rossm]

Every word Lee said.

Report from Bobby Bridge.

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/bristol-bears-v-wasps-reaction-23225984

[Shugs]

It’s clearly been the issue in the last two games.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

That may have been a major statistical issue, but statistics do not measure on field decision making, tactics and leadership. Elephant in the room.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

We lost the battle of the breakdown against Quins, Bristol saw that and went in hard as I commented in the match thread.

The question, why wasn't it fixed after the Quins game? I know there was only 6 days turn around but it doesn't need a lot of hard contact training to sort out the tactics for the breakdown, or more importantly not getting isolated.

I'm not one to criticise coaches too quickly but if it happens a third time we might have to because it will be a sign that something is not right in the training structure.

And I agree with NWW, leadership is the elephant in the room and part of this problem because we're still less than the sum of the parts.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

It's not about Jacob vs Charlie, or any other players. It's not about managing the breakdown, or calling a line-out.

It's about the team not having a system that suits their style of play, it's about players not having the confidence that if they try for a play they will have the backup they need, or if they make a mistake they'll have cover.

We have the individual ability to beat any team, but we don't have a cohesive team of our own.

That's all coaching.

We are playing the same way Tigers did last season. Like no-one believes there is any point.

I think it was a big mistake not to bring in a DOR with vision and experience.

[Shugs]

That’s not the team I see to be honest. In terms of leadership experience Mitchell is part of the coaching staff and he has all the experience you could want - okay, he’s not the DoR but he’s part of the team. To be fair to Blackett I think his vision has been fairly consistent. He said early on we are a more consistent team when we have a dominant pack. I accept you could easily argue that about any team. But the point is he’s set about addressing that through the additions he’s made. Also, let’s not forget, he’s not operating with Dai Young budgets. Since we’ve had a decent amount of players back we’ve had some good results and some bad ones. Which really sums up where we are at the moment - probably a top six side capable of beating most but needing to add consistency.

[Andywasp50]

It's not about Jacob vs Charlie, or any other players. It's not about managing the breakdown, or calling a line-out.

It's about the team not having a system that suits their style of play, it's about players not having the confidence that if they try for a play they will have the backup they need, or if they make a mistake they'll have cover.

We have the individual ability to beat any team, but we don't have a cohesive team of our own.

That's all coaching.

We are playing the same way Tigers did last season. Like no-one believes there is any point.

I think it was a big mistake not to bring in a DOR with vision and experience.

Totally agree with this. Plus the fact Blackett has a serious blind spot with Atkinson. I was at the game last night and it was very obvious that he doesn’t organise or communicate with the backs. He made a lovely cross field kick to Odogwu which nearly came off nin the first half, but for the rest of the game he was remote and quiet - he’s got no on field partnership with Robson.

I’m not convinced Umaga is the solution, but he was streets ahead of Atkinson and has far more energy and threat with ball in hand. Falling ooff the tackle for their third try wasn’t impressive though.

[Hymenoptera]

That’s not the team I see to be honest. In terms of leadership experience Mitchell is part of the coaching staff and he has all the experience you could want - okay, he’s not the DoR but he’s part of the team. To be fair to Blackett I think his vision has been fairly consistent. He said early on we are a more consistent team when we have a dominant pack. I accept you could easily argue that about any team. But the point is he’s set about addressing that through the additions he’s made. Also, let’s not forget, he’s not operating with Dai Young budgets. Since we’ve had a decent amount of players back we’ve had some good results and some bad ones. Which really sums up where we are at the moment - probably a top six side capable of beating most but needing to add consistency.

Please explain to me how we are a top 6 side. Please look at the table and the teams above us and tell me who we are better than.
Enlighten me as how being less than the sum of your parts isn't a coaching issue, or opposite, how good coaching doesn't produce more than the sum of the parts.
So Lee is addressing the forwards through recruitment? while ignoring the shitty back play through coaching..and that's the answer? WHo in the forwards is having a is so substandard they need replacing and with who that will make such an impact to change our entire game?
Only 3 weeks ago, you said, and I quote: We are actually a very, very good side ..scraping past someones 3rd team is nothing to be proud of and if that's your barometer to being a stella side, you wont be seeing many positive seasons in your lifetime.
We are awful, you excused the entire last season and your doing it again. Thats your prerogative, but it's delusional. Do yourself a favour and watch the Irish game from last night and tell me how we arent a millions miles from that product with arguably better players man for man in most positions.

[Shugs]

To answer the questions I’d say we’re better than Irish and Gloucester. Of course I could trot out the fact that we’ve also recently beaten Saracens and Leicester but I fear they have been dismissed as “lucky” or playing “3rd teams” etc because they were positive results. Secondly, I think possibly one of the worlds best tight heads will have an impact. For clarity our backs aren’t “shitty” - that’s an insult to some very, very good players. I haven’t excused anything. We’re a good side. A top six side which means we’ve won some good games and lost some - it’s the way sport goes. To your final point we did beat Irish the last two times we’ve met - does that mean we’re miles behind them?

[Vespula Vulgaris]

I haven't seen much of Glaws, but I've seen plenty of Irish this season. We aren't better than them.

[Shugs]

But we’ve beaten them. I know strict form lines through individual games don’t really work but that is a fact. In the prem at the moment you’ve got an abrasive Tigers side riding the wave which puts them marginally ahead of the rest. You then have Worcester and Falcons who are weaker than most. The rest are much of a muchness. Good weeks, bad weeks, but not much between them.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

But we’ve beaten them. I know strict form lines through individual games don’t really work but that is a fact. In the prem at the moment you’ve got an abrasive Tigers side riding the wave which puts them marginally ahead of the rest. You then have Worcester and Falcons who are weaker than most. The rest are much of a muchness. Good weeks, bad weeks, but not much between them.

Yes we beat them, but we also beat Sarries, does that make us better than them?

And Irish are 4 places above us in the table, I'd say that's a better reflection of our relative prowess at the moment.

We have the potential to be better than them, but we are far from hitting it.

[Shugs]

That’s more or less my point. Yes, we beat Sarries. No I wouldn’t say that makes us better than them. We lost to Worcester - but we are better than them. It’s a topsy turvy competitive league - everyone will lose a few. I’m just not convinced there is anything more fundamentally wrong with us in comparison to maybe one other team.

[HDAWG]

I think to be best in the league you have to win regardless of is you look. We've won while not looking good, but not won looking good. E.g. we won like England did today, rather than France.

Stand by it, we're going down forwards emphasized Identity and very little emphasis on backs. I've been told that's because of injuries, but regardless it's how it feels this season. Honestly I compare us to Bath a couple of seasons ago. Big forwards, but never utilize the talented back line.

Imo it's coaching and feel we're focused too much on forwards and defence and not the backs.

All the more frustrating that I started watching this team for the exciting try scoring Identity, that god damn Quins have used to success, and yet we seem to be moving away from.

[Hymenoptera]

To answer the questions I’d say we’re better than Irish and Gloucester. Of course I could trot out the fact that we’ve also recently beaten Saracens and Leicester but I fear they have been dismissed as “lucky” or playing “3rd teams” etc because they were positive results. Secondly, I think possibly one of the worlds best tight heads will have an impact. For clarity our backs aren’t “shitty” - that’s an insult to some very, very good players. I haven’t excused anything. We’re a good side. A top six side which means we’ve won some good games and lost some - it’s the way sport goes. To your final point we did beat Irish the last two times we’ve met - does that mean we’re miles behind them?

I suspect it's the case that you watch Wasps and only Wasps, so your appreciation for anything outside of Wasps is limited. The fact you think we are better than either lends itself to that.
To your Sarries / Leic comment..thats my point, your only see results as a measure of the standing, you refuse to look at the performance. You mention the top 2 fine, i'll mention the loss to 3 of the bottom 4, with a win against 13 of the 4th. How does that fit into your narrative of being a very, very good side? As for maintaining we are a top six side, with the proof being in the eating, we weren't top 6 last season, we aren't top six now and I bet you a new hat that we won't be come season conclusion. When that happens, you may have to finally except what's in front of you.
I also didn't call the backs shitty, I said shitty back play. Lee needs to recruit himself out of it because he doesn't seem to be able to coach himself out of it. Like it or don't, the teams that are playing well are clearly we'll coached, with a consistent game plan and tactics.
Atkinson came into the first team and looked the business, he then gets 1st team coaching and now looks a shadow of the player that stepped up...whats that down to?
Like i said, sum of part in minus...you didn't expand on that