8th it is...

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Agreed, Moorsman, a season with some sublime and some less so moments, but all part of the journey. And we now have our first piece of senior silverware.

Personal higlights for me were the first 40 minute performance against Cardiff and their 6 B&I Lions, and he away trip to Toulon and getting to socialise with the team afterwards.

By recent standards...well in league terms this has been a less than vintage season for the Chiefs but yesterday's win looked solid enough and...well we did collect the LV Cup!

The Bath LV semi was probably my personal highlight, just about edging out the Cardiff home game!

But for a missed kick or 2 we could have been planning a trip to Stade Francais, but it wasn't to be this year. On the whole I think there are just as many positives than negatives to take from this season.

8th place and a trophy.......I'd have taken that at the start of the season As 50 pointer said, a stray kick and misplaced pass better executed and who knows!
Cue doom n gloom merchants.

Time for a pipe of Old Toby!

I am simply looking forward to hearing who we have in the second tier E uropean competition and then organising another Pirate Tour for my mob. The ONLY downside I can think of is getting a Thursday or Sunday slot which would be a bit of a showstopper for a couple in Team Pirate. other than that? Bring it on.

I fancy an Italian adventure. la Dolce Vita 😃

The league doesn't lie and 8th is what we're worth. It's always good to finish above Gloucester as my other half has a colleague who is a Gloucester fan and is constantly reminding us of how much better there players, club, fans etc. are.

He was recently overheard telling a customer that there was absolutely no point in Exeter expanding our stadium as we rarely get any more than 6000.

I will enjoy the next time I see him to ask him what he thinks of two consecutive sell outs, a much poorer side than his finishing above his. I will finish off by asking him what year Gloucester won a senior trophy (all in good spirit of course).

Those who have doubts about our future would do well to take note of comments made by Lawrence Dellaglio and that beast from Sarries after yesterdays' Quins - Bath game. Both were full of praise for our successes this season and believe that we have a great future ahead with all of the young talent bursting through.

For me this has been at times a frustrating season but look what we did. We competed well with the best in Europe, we did well enough in the league that there was never any need for panic except amongst the most pessimistic of us and we won a senior trophy.

Glass more than half full with all summer to enjoy it and prepare for a bib big season at Sandy Park next season.

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For me this has been at times a frustrating season but look what we did. We competed well with the best in Europe, we did well enough in the league that there was never any need for panic except amongst the most pessimistic of us and we won a senior trophy.

Sums it well enough for me Jim.

Well done to all on a challenging but rewarding season.

Thought Bentos's article in the Echo summed up the season very well. Seven LBPs - if we had had the rub of the green that could have been 21 extra points and who knows what! We are a team in transition - how many players are left from the team that won the play-off against Bristol? We have also lost some stalwarts due to injury which has meant we have had to play players who were not fully fit and have not had the opportunity to rotate players much.
IMHO we need a specialist defence coach and a player like Shoey to marshal defence on the pitch. Our first up tackling towards the end of the season was embarrassing at times and this needs to be addressed.

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Toomanychiefs

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For me this has been at times a frustrating season but look what we did. We competed well with the best in Europe, we did well enough in the league that there was never any need for panic except amongst the most pessimistic of us and we won a senior trophy.

Sums it well enough for me Jim.

Well done to all on a challenging but rewarding season.

Yep and me. It has been frustrating at times not least the loss to Sale but on the whole I would rather be where we are than Wus newcastle etc. I just hope we can improve a bit next year as I am sure others will and hence the bar will be raised.

ok some frustrations this season and also a need to do a bit more recruiting before next season BUT

if 4 years ago we had been told...

you will have

1. a senior trophy
2. 4 premiership seasons where you don`t finish below 8th
3. 2 england players and several more in the saxons
4. your coach on an england tour
5. 2 seasons of HC with games against the previous champions 2 years running
6. a TBP and win against a team littered with Lions in the HC
7. sound finances looking forward to hosting some RWC games

i think we all would have taken that !!!

True, that, brent, although it is a human characteristic to adjust our expectations (particularly with respect to the most recent past) as we go along!

Very good point brent - for the 10/11 season I'm pretty sure we would have all settled for securing Premiership survival with the last game of the season but since then...our expectations have gone way up!

Agreed, but our club has probably overachieved bearing in mind our financial status, and our expectations are now a bit too high. We probably need to re calibrate.

It is essential that we are ambitious, and the club leaves us in no doubt about that . But in terms of team performance, I always hope for more, but expect a little less. It is always better to under-expect and over achieve. It feels much better.

Yes OK that is fine in theory , but we are only human.

Oggy

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brent
ok some frustrations this season and also a need to do a bit more recruiting before next season BUT
if 4 years ago we had been told...

you will have

1. a senior trophy
2. 4 premiership seasons where you don`t finish below 8th
3. 2 england players and several more in the saxons
4. your coach on an england tour
5. 2 seasons of HC with games against the previous champions 2 years running
6. a TBP and win against a team littered with Lions in the HC
7. sound finances looking forward to hosting some RWC games

i think we all would have taken that !!!

Yep, if you think about it, this is as much or more than other established premiership clubs have achieved, and we have done it all in a few years.

I believe that 8th is the highest place Wuss have achieved in their Premiership career.

I thought it might finally be a good time to contribute my opinion on how I think the club is performing. I will say that "my opinion" is mostly just passing on what someone extremely highly regarded within chiefs circles(including on here) has said about how he sees things going.

Reasons to be positive:- there is virtually a new, younger team in place that has just managed to finish 8th in its first season in the premiership, same as the old team. Why be positive about that? because its a younger team and has the potential to go further than the old team.

the people that were hysterical about some of the performances were asking where was the spirit that was on display in Bristol 4 years ago? well, it was probably in the stands or at home watching on tv, wherever that team actually was at that time.

Rob Baxter mentioned it at the end of season dinner that probably 10-11 players played their first full year of premiership rugby. Thats a big change in a team. To back this up, pick the team that has played the most premiership minutes in each position since the chiefs have got promoted...I think this is close to it..

1. B.Sturgess
2. N.Clark
3. H.Tui
4. T.Hayes
5. J.Hanks
6. T.Johnson
7. J.Scaysbrook
8. R.Baxter
9. H.Thomas
10. G.Steenson
11. M.Jess
12. J.Shoemark
13. S.Naqelivuki
14. Foster/Sesterat/Comacho???
15. L.Arscott

Or as my 'adviser' also put it, take some landmark occasions over the last few years, Bristol, Leinster away, LV=Cup final. Something like 13 of the 'Bristol' squad were on duty in Dublin (2.5 years later). How much of that had changed in less than 18 months to the LV final?

The team has haemorrhaged the solidity and dependability of the unit that drove the club forward for a few years. Some of it nothing could be done about, Richie deciding to retire, the injury enforced retirements etc., some of it is self 'inflicted' e.g big pay cuts to the likes of Shoemark and Clark (big enough for them to say thanks but no thanks, that's a clear indication the finish is in sight for me here). Then there's the marginalising of the likes of Haydn Thomas, James Scaysbrook etc. This isn't all criticism, its just pointing out whats happened. The coaches have made a decision that they've gone as far as they can with the old guard and now hope to see that the new team can go further. How does that old adage go? 'sometimes you've to go backwards to get a good run-up'

We've got a squad that got more points in the H cup than the year before, won the LV=cup, and has learned some harsh lessons losing games which , you would hope, will be the making of some young inexperienced men in the future.(look at the experience in the team mentioned above to what would be the chiefs top minute men this year).

The leadership group of the squad for the preceding years was Hayes, Baxter, (both retired) Scaysbrook (almost a pariah for most of this season) H.Thomas (Marginalised) and Steenson (sitting out many big games for the heir-in-waiting).

The leadership of the squad has been obliterated, new leadership will take time but I'd feel confident it will come.

Enjoyed reading your post Bugaboo but "marginalised"? "Pariah"? You seem to want to create drama where there is none. Surely they were just "not selected to play", which is far less sinister.

An interesting perspective, bugaboo, even if straying into melodrama at time (as Bodges notes)! Thanks

Bugaboo..I note you say big pay cuts for Clarke and Shoey? Is this reliable info or just speculation.

Hmmm not sure what to make of your post Bugaboo...informative but a tad theatrical or dramatic as Bodges said. I'd also like to know if your info is reliable or as my fellow Tuilagi Islander Toomanychiefs asks just speculation?

Time for a pipe of Old Toby!

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Toomanychiefs
Bugaboo..I note you say big pay cuts for Clarke and Shoey? Is this reliable info or just speculation.

From the horses mouth(s)

Surely it's natural contracts come to an end. New contracts are offered but may not be acceptable; at that point it's the player's choice. Finances/the cap only spread so far. Careers peak and decline physically and financially; unless like Clarkey/Tui French teams come in with tempting offers.

I'm as sad as anyone to see Shoey go, but if it wasn't worth his while staying, don't blame him for returning home. From the first couple of line breaking runs to what for me was a MOTM performance in the LV= final he's been good value for every penny he's been paid.

Rob has to have one eye on the future, building a squad to be competitive at the highest level in two/three years time.

Retirements through injury, unexpected departures, are hard to plan for and probably most disruptive.

Just my view.

I dont blame Shoey or Clarky at all for going.
I do blame the club for big pay cuts for the pair of em as they were worth their weight in gold and had a few good years left in them yet.

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Moorsman
I believe that 8th is the highest place Wuss have achieved in their Premiership career.

Thought they made the Heineken Cup one time?

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Toomanychiefs
I dont blame Shoey or Clarky at all for going.
I do blame the club for big pay cuts for the pair of em as they were worth their weight in gold and had a few good years left in them yet.

It may be a matter of the salary cap and planning in x number of players to cover positions (although currently having too big a squad doesn't seem to tbe the issue!)

It was pointed out to me that Rob and the coaching team are having to plan the team for 15/16 not just 14/15. That does make you realise that this is far from easy and also explains why some of the decisions do not make immediate sense in the short term .juggling variable length contracts, anticipating younger players coming through and then keeping within budgets thinking 2 or 3 years ahead must be a real test of skill which we know Rob has done very well at so far.

Oggy