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Author Topic: Not at the races  (Read 2597 times)

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Mandator

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Re: Not at the races
« Reply #30 on: Monday 20-May-2019, 09:50* »
My personal view is that at the start of the season the sole objective was to avoid relegation and any thing else was a bonus. When it became certain that we would avoid this the focus of the squad lapsed which explains the poor latter part of the season.

marlowish

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Re: Not at the races
« Reply #31 on: Monday 20-May-2019, 09:56* »
Against Exeter, who we beat once and lost by the narrowest of margins at theirs?

One win against one of the top 2 does not makes us a good side. 

Harleys Evil Step Mum

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Re: Not at the races
« Reply #32 on: Monday 20-May-2019, 10:06* »
Saturdays game perfectly summed up our season, middle 40 mins we were clueless, painful viewing....then all of a sudden we realised time was running out and we suddenly started playing!! Most frustrating!

Quinky

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Re: Not at the races
« Reply #33 on: Monday 20-May-2019, 13:50* »
I can't help but think that phoning up 12 of the squad and letting them know their contracts weren't being renew'd after Christmas had something to do with it. Not the be and end all but certainly can't have helped

Although some players might then have seen the benefit in playing out of their skins, to make it more likely that another club would want them.

Gone

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Re: Not at the races
« Reply #34 on: Tuesday 21-May-2019, 13:18* »
I have to agree I think taking the shot at goal was right with Lang on the pitch. Had Smith been on we would have gone for the corner and still had a lot of work to do. 

The middle 40 lost us the game. 

Still happy with 5th and Champions Cup rugby to look forward next season.  I’m inpatient to know where my weekend away will be.

But as ever, with Smith, we’d have just got the ball over the 22.

Between him and Lang we can’t get near the bloody corner.

Fursty

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Re: Not at the races
« Reply #35 on: Tuesday 21-May-2019, 13:37* »
If we look at our last 7 games:

Wasps (a) - lost by 2 points and about 30cm - on another day this could easily have been a W.
Leicester (h) - reasonably comfortable win, Leicester scored with the last play of the game
Exeter (a) - lost by 2 and again had a kick to win it - based on the possession we had we probably should have won
Saints (h) - lost by 1 after failing to see out a 6 point lead with a minute left
Sale (a) - lost by 9 after contriving to give away more dumb penalties than most teams give away in a season - a LBP here would have given us top 4.
Sarries (a) lost by 7 - lucky to get a LBP on the day but not many teams will get one away at Sarries
Glos (h) - lost by 22 - absolute disaster.

I think looking back over the final 7 games its clear that we threw away top 4, but make some small improvements over the summer and we should definitely be challenging for top 4 again next season.

honkytonk

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Re: Not at the races
« Reply #36 on: Tuesday 21-May-2019, 13:52* »
Discipline and LO will make the world of difference I think.  I would also like to see us have more attacking threat than just relying on Care.  Like to see Smith take this on (or maybe our new star 10)!!!  Also think Sailli makes the world of difference attacking wise.  Always gets his arms free and always looking to off load.

Bolly-Quin

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Re: Not at the races
« Reply #37 on: Wednesday 22-May-2019, 11:18* »
I think looking back over the final 7 games its clear that we threw away top 4, but make some small improvements over the summer and we should definitely be challenging for top 4 again next season.

Home win against Glaws, LBP v Sale, home win v Saints, a TBP v Tigers and a win at Wasps would have given us another 13 points, third place and a semi v Sarries away.

Need to be fitter, more exact, perfect LOs and keep discipline and we’re there. So a lot to work on but not out of reach with more time with the squad, I’d back PG to deliver.

Yareet

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Re: Not at the races
« Reply #38 on: Wednesday 22-May-2019, 19:25* »
Home win against Glaws, LBP v Sale, home win v Saints, a TBP v Tigers and a win at Wasps would have given us another 13 points, third place and a semi v Sarries away.

Need to be fitter, more exact, perfect LOs and keep discipline and we’re there. So a lot to work on but not out of reach with more time with the squad, I’d back PG to deliver.

Ifs, buts and maybes. Faf hit the post with the last kick at Ashton Gate which meant it was a draw rather than a Sale win. Those 2 points were the difference between 4th and 7th.

It was a very tight league and some teams will definitely be gutted.
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