Clinical Tigers punish Falcons' ill-discipline
By Leipziger
February 27 2012
Leicester ran in six tries on Saturday as the Falcons crashed to a 42-15 defeat at Well-quiet Road.
Of course it’s disappointing that we lost by 27 points and got nothing, especially after our recent improvement and Wasps coming away from Sale with no points on Friday, but it’s happened and to be honest whatever has happened in the past six weeks we are simply not at the same level as Leicester.
The odds were we would lose heavily in one game at least by the end of the season, so if this was the only one, that’s not a disaster.
What matters now is responding positively and beating Harlequins on Friday to put some real pressure on Wasps.
Leicester had six players in the England 22 that met Wales on Saturday evening, while we had our only Six Nations player available since Euan Murray’s Scotland were in action yesterday. Jeremy Manning and Andrew van der Heijden also made their first starts following recent injury.
Both made an impact – VDH by having a very solid game in the second row and Manning by winding up the home fans in taking out a runner (presumably, I only saw it out of the corner of my eye).
The Falcons began on the front foot but Leicester were first on the scoresheet, George Ford kicking a penalty for us not rolling away. I didn’t hear who man of the match was but the fly-half, who did a fantastic job of unlocking a Newcastle defence coached by his father Mike, must have been a top contender.
James Fitzpatrick was sent to the sin-bin after slipping and then tripping an opponent in our half, and seemed to have known what he was doing by the way he trooped off. Leicester scored the quintessential seven points during their one-man advantage through a try by Julian Salvi from close range, converted by Ford.
The Falcons hit back with a penalty by Jimmy Gopperth for a punch by a Leicester player. I presume that was what the penalty was given for – the referee took a few seconds to give it and somehow decided against a yellow card.
Billy Twelvetrees extended Leicester’s lead with a neat try on the right, our defenders being very slow to react in a two-on-two situation on the far right. Following another Ford penalty, Horacio Agulla wrapped up the scoring in the first half by rounding our defence on the left for the hosts’ third try.
23-3 down at half-time, the Falcons brought on Jon Golding but it made no difference to our back-pedalling scrum.
Thomas Waldrom sealed Leicester’s bonus point early in the second period. From a lineout, Leicester attempted to maul but were still for about 20 seconds, until finally it moved forward and the referee gave an advantage. The play moved from one side of the pitch to the other and back again and the penalty was finally given, the Anglo-Kiwi number eight going over from the resulting lineout.
The Falcons then had probably their best spell of the match and attacked the Clubhouse Stand tryline for an extended period. Golding got our first try of the match but Gopperth couldn’t convert.
With the Falcons’ line next to take a battering from a succession of scrums replacement Taiasina Tu’ifua was sent to the bin for the second time at Welford Road in three weeks as the referee Greg Garner finally lost patience with our offending. Waldrom touched down as our pack were driven over the line, Ford knocking over the conversion.
Niall Morris was the scorer of the final try, taking an excellent cross-field kick from Ford who had spotted our narrow defending on the Tigers’ right. Unfortunately for the replacement winger he injured his shoulder in the process and so was replaced himself, but Morris’s work was done.
Richard Mayhew scored a late try for the Falcons but it mattered little, Gopperth’s conversion being of interest only because it improved the damage to our points difference by two.
Gary Gold is correct that this was the worst performance since he joined, but at least the games get easier from now on. Slightly.
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GG's response was to be thoroughly disappointed and angry, while I suspect previously such a result would have been put down to being expected and therefore many positives could have been taken.
It is poor, but we have lost to Tigers by more with far better players.
We can avoid the drop but we shouldn't be disappointed with not achieving miracles.
Time to move on.
We have to be positive, we know it can be done, no point in crying over a game that was always slated down for a drubbing anyway. What matters now is the last 6 games for us, and the last 6 games for Wasps.
In dark times we need to stand strong. Our supporters need to ask if they see themselves as this:
Or this:
The most important point in Leipy's report however is that we will not win if we fight them on the benches.
Discipline must improve.
The trick is to create the character that isn't intimidated by the aura around the opposition.
I wish Falcons all the best for the rest of the season. Given the energy and direction displayed by your new owner and his recruitment I think the club's long stated ambitions are being matched with action.
Bad luck on Sat guys somedays you're the bug and somedays the windshield eh?. It was just one of those days.
The Kiwi's have a saying - from the Maori: 'Kia kaha': Stand strong!
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Try to understand, and I know it must be very hard for you but please try, Leicester without 15 players can still wallop just about any other side in Britain. Maybe once you get the hang of that you may stop repeating yourself.
Oh and we do need to talk about yellow cards as they are a serious problem that needs to be dealt with urgently.
Swinson 2
Tuifua 2
Gopperth 1
Pilgrim 1
Hudson 1
Catteric 1
Fitzy 1
And 1 red, Fondsa
4 of the above yellow cards have been in the last 3 games. They are a major issue, we can't afford not to have every man on the pitch and fighting, I know margins are tight, lines easily crossed especially when passions are high but the cards must stop.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:02:27:23:02:23 by MrC.
We know where we are and what needs to be done, it may be too late but we have a chance. The indiscipline is a major issue and has to be addressed by the players.
However, a supportive post from you would not go amiss rather than a torrent of negativity as we have to back the team if we are to achieve the great escape.
This is a supporters' forum, and it's not apparent from your posts if you do support the club.
Do you back the team or not?
I expected us to be competitive but I dont think the players turned up mentally and physically, and GG admitted as much which he was disappointed with.The yellow cards did not help either.But how Skivington got away with nearly taking off Jamie Helleur's head without at least a yellow was also strange.
That aside, to think we could've won would be wishful thinking, even if some of us still hoped for a losing bonus point.Leicester even without their other international players are a class above and have demonstrated that with their win away at Saracens among others.
We move on and should now get behind the boys for what is a crucial game against Quins on Friday. Your team Needs you!! so dont be an armchair fan and come to KP. C'mon Falcons!!
Fow what it's worth - the trip looked accidental to me - he got stepped, slipped and in trying to recover, flailed his leg. I don't think there was ever an intention to trip Ford. The yellow was harsh imo - I'm not even convinced it was a penalty but I haven't watched the replay yet,
Skivs' challenge wasn't a penalty either. A high tackle requires the tackled player to be standing upright. In this case he was ducking down as Skivs lined him up so that what would have been a tackle at chest level went over the shoulder. Further there was no swinging arm and both tarms came up as if to wrap the man but because of the angle of impact slipped over the top of him. Again - no yellow card not even a penalty.
Though again - I'll watch the replay on the Aviva site tonight.
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No first choice wingers (or actual wingers for that matter) and Uys would certainly slot in and pretty sure Fondse or Hudson would have started.
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We would've had a huge task on our hands playing for 80 minutes with 15 men so in no way am I making excuses for us losing. Let's just hope that the decisions balance themselves out in the remaining games.
I think the ref got that right - not one eyed - just my analysis.
Conversely - the trip looked entirely accidental to me due to a loss of balance. My (not one-eyed) analysis is that it wasn't a card or even a penalty.
I'm not claiming to be right - it's my opinion - but I'm definitely not being biased.
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I will hold my hand up as one of his detractors over the years, but I think that is entirely justified by the fact that he proved to us that he was capable of so much more last year.
I look forward to praising him again.
I really am starting to think that one of the props will go at the end of this season. I like Mayhew and would see him as the No 1 pick to be honest - now to pick 2 more ......
Quote:Rich W
As I said - I don't think either was a yellow. Skivs arm was swinging because Helleur was ducking. If you aren't standing upright it can't be a high-tackle. If, in the opinion of the referee, you were attempting to wrap the arm but due to the movement of the target you miss then it's not a dangerous tackle.
I think the ref got that right - not one eyed - just my analysis.
Well if it was a supposed to be a tackle - then it was a swinging arm shocker of a tackle.
Sorry rich I can't agree that it shouldn't have been a Yellow.
As for the Quins players coming back from England duty, we cannot worry about them.We have to concentrate on our performance and try to win the game regardless of whatever team Quins put on. If anything I think it might disadvantage the Quins playing their England players as they havent been playing much rugby with England. We just need to worry about what we have to do, that's something we can control.C'mom Falcons!!!!!!
Anyway - good luck this weekend.
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