Leicester v Wasps: Post Match Thoughts

[backdoc]

If Mitchell is staying as defence, Lee will have to take back attack. Who is then in charge?

[HDAWG]

If Mitchell is staying as defence, Lee will have to take back attack. Who is then in charge?

Bold assuming Lee will be going back to attack coach. No changes to coaching structure yet, I'd aim to change skills and or attack. Lee doesn't necessarily need to stop being head coach for this to happen.

Whether Lee is still best person for head coach role is another question.

[Shugs]

Mitchell. There is the question for me. Experience - yes. Commitment - not sure. I don’t think we lost much when Gleeson went but I’m not sure what we’ve gained since. When we were tearing it up in the backs Blackett was the brains behind it. Yes we had some stellar performers but he was bringing it together. I think he needs to focus on that again. If he wants to keep Mitchell - fine - let him run the defence as has been the case recently.

[Chunky24]

Couple of interesting stats about tries scored compared to last year, we have scored more per game than last year, would be interesting to see the change in forward / back tries split.

https://twitter.com/RugbyInsideLine/status/1533132989240164353?t=kwQZw9UeKk7OR91DIJjTVA&s=19

https://twitter.com/RugbyInsideLine/status/1533132991228170240?t=Iv4eShVxikl1jHcWanPsyQ&s=19

Same thing for defence

https://twitter.com/RugbyInsideLine/status/1533184458899218432?t=vcfQG0bmCVoZcdlmHP0anw&s=19

https://twitter.com/RugbyInsideLine/status/1533184461717884928?t=zY8lTh1I_do1g2-iXzssGQ&s=19

[Covkid40]

Well it will be a different backs division. Watson, Gopperth, Fekitoa and Le Bourgeois are off. So we’re going to be completely overhauled in the centres. We have a new 10 plus probably a couple of backs incoming. I trust the coaches to a) recognise the problem and b) fix it.

The people that are leaving is irrelevant, the only new signing is going to be joining us mid season after a full season in SA. How can anybody call that a complete overhaul? The difference is the players available next season are players the coaching staff have deemed second choice this season. Please tell me how you can be so confident it will improve

[Shugs]

Odendaal is not the only signing. Assuming we’re just talking backs we also have Haydon-Wood and Hartley joining the first team. Spink, Atkinson and Porter have a year of experience under their belts. And we (hopefully) won’t be chopping and changing every week. We may also have a couple of new signings. Plus we already have some of the best backs in the division. It will turn.

[HDAWG]

Plus we already have some of the best backs in the division.

Agreed with everything you said except this.

[Shugs]

Bassett, Robson, Odogwu. They would appear in most match day prem squads.

[HDAWG]

Bassett, Robson, Odogwu. They would appear in most match day prem squads.

Bassett is a really good club level winger, but not one I'd have over other wingers.

Robson on form is the best in the league. Just been awful this year.

Odogwu was good for last season, not sure I'd say he's one of the best backs in the league after one season.

[Heathen]

A very disappointing season.

Stephen Vaughan has to sit down with the coaching team and analyse where it has gone wrong and what has to be done to stop the rot.

For me one of the main issues has been player confidence. Throw in the lack of vision when in possession of the ball and also lack of the ability to play 15 man rugby.

I do wonder why when Nemo, TY and FIfita have all been were all fit and available in recent weeks and CAN play heads up rugby, they never got a look in against the one dimensional stuff that we saw from the 4 players who Lee sees and undropable from the matchday 23.

Something has to change. End of.

I just hope that the answers are found during the close season, otherwise it will be bottom 5 again next year.

[Wombles]

Is Lee a quality coach?...I think we can all agree he is. Is Lee a head coach?....unfortunately I am not so sure at present.

[Westy68]

Next season our pack should compete with any other team. If we don’t bring anyone else in at the backs then we will have a problem. Not sure spink is ready to be first choice 13, mills has got to stay fit.

If we can bring in a quality 13 or Paolo plays 13 and we bring in 2 wingers and a 15 then I think we will improve a lot.

My worry is lee doesn’t get the right players in and he can’t get us playing as a team

[Covkid40]

Odendaal is not the only signing. Assuming we’re just talking backs we also have Haydon-Wood and Hartley joining the first team. Spink, Atkinson and Porter have a year of experience under their belts. And we (hopefully) won’t be chopping and changing every week. We may also have a couple of new signings. Plus we already have some of the best backs in the division. It will turn.

Odendaal will join in Oct/Nov after finishing a full season in SA, no rest and no preseason if reports are correct. We’ve already seen the effects that can have on a players form. Haydon Wood is a young inexperienced player at 10 and Hartley is stepping up from the academy so I think it would be unfair on them to think they are going to tear the league up straight away. Yes Spink, Porter and Atkinson will be better with this season under their belts. You keep saying we MIGHT have a couple of new signings, at this point we haven’t so you have to base your assumptions on what we have got. Others have commented on your statement that we already have some of the best backs in the division and I agree with their assessment. The one point that could prove you right is IF and it’s a big IF we get a couple of quality signings in the backs this could be a completely different conversation

[Egret]

Backs performances this season has largely been about the need to play Gopperth as a points kicker and second play maker.

His absence next year will change things for sure.

[JonnyD]

Backs performances this season has largely been about the need to play Gopperth as a points kicker and second play maker.

His absence next year will change things for sure.

But I think if we’re brutally honest we did not get any playmaking from Jimmy when it mattered this year, no bossing Charlie around, no sneaky cross field grubbers and definitely no putting his 13 through any gaps.
This possibly led to the Umaga to 15 experiment, which led to more creativity for us out the back - but not sure our wingers saw any more ball this way.

Watching Saints again yesterday was quite depressing from a backs point of view as we’re miles away from just doing the basics let alone the intricate backs moves and trust in eachother that they have.
I just don’t see us scoring a try like Freeman’s first, quick hands down the line, drawing the man - with the exception of Biggar they are no better on paper than our backs but are a well oiled machine.