Tigers fans have their say on record Leicester loss... and the consensus isn't what you might expect
After suffering their heaviest loss in the history of the Premiership, there were few positives to take away from the Wednesday night Leicester hammering at Wasps – the side coached by Steve Borthwick slumped to a 54-7 defeat at the Ricoh, which leaves them rooted to eleventh place in the Gallagher Premiership.
The world of social media has made unpleasant viewing for anyone involved with Leicester in the aftermath, with fingers pointed at where the club is going wrong at the moment. No one can necessarily agree on what the main reason behind this decline at Welford Road is, but Wednesday was a new low point for many.
Some supporters are seeing the bigger picture in this situation, though, realising it will take time for the Tigers’ resurrection.
Given the Premiership’s currently unique schedule since its return from the coronavirus break, there have been a number of lopsided score lines with teams fielding XVs of differing strengths. That was undeniably the case with Leicester at the Ricoh following the XV named by Borthwick – and results like that come with the territory.
Moreover, without the lingering threat of relegation due to the Saracens salary cap punishment, there is perhaps less to play for at the bottom of the table this season.
"That is not something to be proud of today"
– Cub skipper leaves it all out there ?https://t.co/ffU9vS6U8P
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 10, 2020
While that is the case across the Premiership, the Tigers were handed the bitter blow weeks before the season restarted when a cohort of high-profile players – including Manu Tuilagi – left the club after contract breakdowns. Borthwick had only recently taken the Leicester helm and was very much on the back foot.
It seems some supporters are bearing that in mind and are treating the conclusion of this season as a pre-season for 2020/21. No one, however, seems to be under any illusions about how much time this will take for Borthwick and director of rugby Geordan Murphy to turn things around, given how long the club’s decay has been.
Having said that, while there are those that know Borthwick must be afforded time, there are those in equal measure who are despondent, particularly given the Tigers’ proud history. A response is expected this Sunday when they host their East Midlands rivals Northampton Saints at Welford Road.
Sometimes you have to hit the bottom to start the process of getting back to the top. Great club, Ellis is leader, Steve Borthwick is a great coach.. it may take some time but tigers will be back..You can bet on that.
— Tom Neal (@TomNeal92875117) September 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/RichDulson1989/status/1303765668421144581?s=20
It is hard to watch. But we all raved about the Borthwick appointment. And no one could have foreseen the Covid impact/squad turnover/empty stadiums. Only fair to give the team time to get going.
— Gregor Brown (@GregorBrownGB) September 9, 2020
You need to give Borthwick time to get that Tigers brutal grind you down pack back.
— JC & Yogi (@ImmerJc) September 9, 2020
How can anyone seriously be too disappointed with everything that’s going on at the moment? Every team weve played so far has played their first team whilst were played every man in our squad in a new coaching team. Wait until next season
— Joe Yeomanson (@Joeyeo92) September 9, 2020
I’m cool with this season being a trial and extended preseason. However if this is the results next season I think relegation is what is needed to sort the club out. I think top eight is a minimum to show progression next season or its crunch time.
— William Morriss (@William71233971) September 9, 2020
Played against a much more drilled team. Definitely exposed some of our weaknesses and showed how much we need to grow to compete higher up. Wasn’t our strongest team by far which I think showed. Annoyed with ref allowing steps towards lineouts and long waits for scrums…
— Jonathan Malin (@Jonnyrjackson) September 9, 2020
It takes time to turn an oil tanker around in rough seas, especially when some of the crew should’ve been put on extended shore leave months ago. The immediate on field strategy needs to be to ensure that one other club is worse than us next season and build from there.
— Mark Fletcher (@MarkFletch117) September 9, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause
9 Go to commentsNo way. If you are trying to picture New Zealand rugby with an All Blacks mindset, there have been two factors instrumental to the decline of NZ rugby to date. Those are the horror that the Blues have become and, probably more so, the fixture that the Crusaders became. I don’t think it was healthy to have one team so dominant for so long, both for lack of proper representation of players from outside that environment and on the over reliance on players from within it. If you are another international side, like Ireland for example, sure. You can copy paste something succinct from one level to the next and experience a huge increase in standards, but ultimately you will not be maximizing it, which is what you need to perform to the level the ABs do. Added to that is the apathy that develops in the whole game as a result of one sides dominance. NZ, Super, and Championship rugby should all experience a boom as a result of things balancing out. That said, there is a lot of bad news happening in NZ rugby recently, and I’m not sure the game can be handled well enough here to postpone the always-there feeling of inevitable decline of rugby.
9 Go to commentsNo SA supporter miss Super Rugby - a product that is experiencing significant head wind in ANZ - the competition from rival codes are intense, match attendance figures are at a historical low and the negativity of commentators such as Kirwan and Wilson have accelerated the downward spiral in NZ. After the next RWC in 2027 sponsors will follow Qantas and start leaving in droves.
2 Go to commentsLike others, I am not seeing the connection between this edition of the Crusaders and the All Blacks future prospects under Razor. I think the analysis of the Crusaders attack recently is helpful because Razor and his coaching team used to be able to slot new guys in to their systems and see them succeed. Several of Razor’s coaches are still there so it would be surprising if the current attack and set piece has been overhauled to a great extent - but based on that analysis, it may have been. Whether it is too many new guys due to injuries or retirement or a failure of current Crusaders systems is the main question to be answered imo. It doesn’t seem relevant for the ABs.
9 Go to commentsharry potter is set in stone. he creates stability and finishes well. exactly what schmidt likes. he’s the ben smith of australian rugby. i think it could quite easily be potter toole and kellaway for the foreseeable future.
5 Go to commentsThis is short sighted from Clayton if you ask me, smacks of too much preseason planning and no adaptability. What if DMac is out for a must win match, are they still only going to bring their best first five and playmaker on late in the game? Trusting the game to someone who wasn’t even part of planning (they would have had Trask pinned in as Jacomb preseason). Perhaps if the Crusaders were better they would not have done this, but either way imo you take this opportunity to play a guy you might need starting in a final rather than having their 12th game getting comfortable coming off the bench.
1 Go to commentsThanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.
21 Go to commentsWhat a load of bollocks. The author has forgotten to mention the fact that the Crusaders have a huge injury toll with top world class players out. Not to mention the fact that they are obviously in a transition period. No this will not spark a slow death for NZ rugby, but it does mean there will be a new Super Rugby champion. Anyone who knows anything about NZ rugby knows that there is some serious talent here, it just isn’t all at the Crusaders.
9 Go to commentsI wouldn’t spend the time on Nawaqanitawase! No point in having him filling in a jersey when he’s committed to leave Union. Give the jersey to a young prospect who will be here in the future.
5 Go to commentsIt was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
7 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to commentsOf the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.
29 Go to commentsIrish Rugby CEO be texting Andy Farrell “Andy, i found our next Kiwi Irishman”
5 Go to commentsI certainly don’t miss drinking beers at 8am in the morning watching rugby games being played in NZ.
2 Go to commentsThis looks like a damage limitation exercise for Wales, keeping back some of their more effective players for the last 20/25 minutes to try and counter England’s fresh legs so the Red Roses don’t rack up a big score.
2 Go to commentsVery unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to comments