New coaches' warm-up over
By Leipziger
February 4 2012
The Falcons hopes of a second successive run to the LV= Cup semi-finals ended today with defeat at Leicester, who secured their own place in the last four.
A 24-13 defeat was one of the 'better' defeats I've seen at Welford Road over the last few years and it reminds us that just because we have a good new coaching team, Gary Gold is correct that they will not be working miracles and everything will not suddenly come together.
There were positives today though – a solid lineout, strong scrum and excellent defence in the face of some probing home attacking.
Jon Golding started his first game of the season for the Falcons and Richard Mayhew wore the number 7 shirt, while Greg Goosen's return to full-back saw Jimmy Gopperth return to the fly-half position.
Former Falcon Ben Woods captained Leicester, who also named Craig Newby, James Grindal and Toby Flood on the bench, the latter no doubt looking to prove his fitness for the rest of the Six Nations.
On a bitterly cold day in the Midlands, Thomas Waldrom went over from a spell of forward play for the opening try, which Jeremy Staunton converted. In the build-up for the try Leicester did a clever move from a lineout, the ball being knocked down by the jumper and a maul then formed in the next phase, drawing defenders away. I would hope we might pull such a trick later in the season.
Staunton kicked a penalty soon after, but on our first real attack Gopperth knocked over a kick.
Staunton restored his side's 10-point lead with a soft penalty given for our players not retiring 10 metres at a tap penalty. This is something that needs to be changed – at the moment it is a licence for a team to just move a penalty forward a few metres.
Gopperth scored his second penalty, and we then had probably our best chance of a try in the first half, Jon Golding hacking on into the Tigers' 22 but only he and Mayhew were in a position to chase and we were unable to capitalise.
Leicester went 19-6 ahead with the final kick of the half, Staunton knocking over his fourth penalty of the day.
At half-time Ashley Wells came on for Golding, joining Joel Hodgson who had replaced the injured Corne Uys in the first 40.
Any hopes the Falcons had of turning the scoreline around probably ended with George Skivington's try from close range in the second half. However, we then put together a good spell of possession that I hear BBC Leicester enthused about.
Several tries proved fruitless until Gopperth broke through by the posts and then converted his own try.
With 12 minutes left any renewed hope ended with Taiasina Tu'ifua was sin-binned on our five-metre line for not releasing a tackled player, an offence referee David Rose was keen to penalise all day. Nothing wrong with that of course.
With the snow coming down heavily and most of the alleged 19,000 spectators (can't really call them supporters, I've never known such a quiet crowd at a rugby match!) having left their seats or the terrace, a knock-on in the Tigers' half ended the match.
So that's another cup over for us for the season. Other results today mean that a bonus point win would have been enough to get us into the semis, but that would have been quite something at a ground we have not conquered for over 14 years.
We have to now hope that these last couple of games have helped messers Gold, Ford, Wells and Moriarty ahead of our assault on the Premiership, that begins a week today in Bath. Of course, we still have to visit Welford Road in the league later this month, and if given a choice between winning that or today, we all know which we would prefer.
I know negativity is now banned from this board (thankfully!), but I have to chuck something in here – the Pukka Pies chippy on Granby Street in Leicester was closed after the game! Frozen through, I was not happy.
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Quote:Monkey1
Half a dozen Falcons supporters, a mute dog & a soft toy will easily make more noise than the locals at Welford Road.
Honestly, I've never heard a rugby crowd so quiet when the home team came out before the game. There was little noise during the game either.
We would be happy with just about any silverware chance and AP survival at the moment. I guess as a Tigers fan you are used to having your expectations higher than needing to be Falcons at home in the snow to qualify for the LV knockout stage.
I don't think it would be unreasonable to suggest that some of them might have also been hoping for the above mentioned cricket score - particularly as there was likely nothing in it for us.
I would also suggest that the failure of the Tigers at home earlier on in the season has left the home supporters feeling less confident this season and somewhat unnerved by the quality of rugby being less than than they have previously been accustomed to.
Been a long time since they have only lost 5 players to the 6N as well (only 4 to England, though Flood will be likely recalled).
Mind, it was absolutely freezing, as North Angel said (-1C!).
I think from the sentiment I have picked up that he will need to win the AP, although he may just escape with runners up. I have a sneaking suspicion that playoffs and an LV win will not be enough.
Tiggers fans always write off an RWC season, but it doesn't save their coaching staff. No Tigers DOR in an RWC year in the professional era has completed the season (other than Richards who started in the 1999 season).
Now that is not a comforting fact if you are Cockerill.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:02:06:15:00:40 by Kwa444.
That said everyone starts somewhere and their gate in the early 70's was around 2k which shows that there is no reason why other clubs can't develop their support to similar levels given the right conditions.
Also can anybody advise how the distribution of crowd income works for cup games?
Do the Falcons get any benefit from the fact that Leicester's crowd was officially declared as 19,000+ even if not that many were actually present