Approaching a Climax - Bath v Leicester

[Banquo]

He turns in to it. You can at least pretend you’re trying to avoid the contact, it’s not like he was remotely close to charging the kick down.

A shame for him, but equally it’s a fucking hilarious way to end his career and many will be tuning in to hear him discuss it.

Aye, it was spectacularly lacking in smarts if nothing else.

[Puja]

He turns in to it. You can at least pretend you’re trying to avoid the contact, it’s not like he was remotely close to charging the kick down.

A shame for him, but equally it’s a fucking hilarious way to end his career and many will be tuning in to hear him discuss it.

See, that's the interpretation that Dickson took and it still seems weird to me - in real time, if you're flying through the air and realise you're going to land on someone, it's a very weird person that's not going to curl in and protect their ribs.

Puja

[Danno]

I don't understand that card at all. Cole is maybe a bit silly (he's a tighthead trying a chargedown after all) but he's doing nothing but trying to get that ball back to the ground, isn't late and is totally committed.

We're going to be adopting the term "it's another Dickson" at this rate.

[Mikey Brown]

Mmm. Not sure I’m buying Cole being in any sort of danger from the way he lands without going shoulder first at Russell.

To be clear I absolutely love Dan Cole, his stifled laughter during the anthems was as good as any of the rugby we saw today, but I don’t see any way of defending that challenge.

Maybe if it were a 12 stone player, not a tighthead prop, it wouldn’t have looked so dramatic and wouldn’t have been a yellow, but that’s still on him.

[Danno]

I just don't get it, I'll always disagree I think. But that's what forums are for, bitching away until the sun comes up

[francoisfou]

The post match player interviewing is embarrassing.
« Julian, how are you feeling after that defeat? »
Jeez, can’t they do better than that?

No they can’t. Shit wasn’t it

Was it Sonia again

No, a woman with a very Welsh accent!

[Danno]

No they can’t. Shit wasn’t it

Was it Sonia again

No, a woman with a very Welsh accent!

I don't know why they insist on getting it so wrong. "Hey your season has just gone up in flames over the last 80 minutes how do you feel?"

"Like shit what the hell do you want me to say?"

[Puja]

Mmm. Not sure I’m buying Cole being in any sort of danger from the way he lands without going shoulder first at Russell.

To be clear I absolutely love Dan Cole, his stifled laughter during the anthems was as good as any of the rugby we saw today, but I don’t see any way of defending that challenge.

Maybe if it were a 12 stone player, not a tighthead prop, it wouldn’t have looked so dramatic and wouldn’t have been a yellow, but that’s still on him.

Regardless of any actual level of danger, as a split second reaction, I'm willing to bet it's what you'd do. It's instinct to protect yourself.

The slow-motion does him no favours, making it look like he's got all the time in the world to think and choose to drop a shoulder into Russell, instead of half a second of, "Oh shit!"

Agreed that it's on him though - it's established precedent in law that you cannot jump into the kicker for a chargedown (and that you are responsible for the subsequent contact), ever since that Aussie cleaned out Halfpenny that time.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Closer than it might have been, so credit Tigers for keeping in the game and coming back well. Bath always looked the more likely winners.

A few guys did their England prospects no harm at all - Pepper, Hill and Ojomoh for Bath and Heyes for Tigers.

Reid again underlining what a useful guy he is and TdG showing up well at FB.

[francoisfou]

No they can’t. Shit wasn’t it

Was it Sonia again

No, a woman with a very Welsh accent!

Just a thought, was it Nigel in drag?

[Banquo]

Mmm. Not sure I’m buying Cole being in any sort of danger from the way he lands without going shoulder first at Russell.

To be clear I absolutely love Dan Cole, his stifled laughter during the anthems was as good as any of the rugby we saw today, but I don’t see any way of defending that challenge.

Maybe if it were a 12 stone player, not a tighthead prop, it wouldn’t have looked so dramatic and wouldn’t have been a yellow, but that’s still on him.

Regardless of any actual level of danger, as a split second reaction, I'm willing to bet it's what you'd do. It's instinct to protect yourself.

The slow-motion does him no favours, making it look like he's got all the time in the world to think and choose to drop a shoulder into Russell, instead of half a second of, "Oh shit!"

Agreed that it's on him though - it's established precedent in law that you cannot jump into the kicker for a chargedown (and that you are responsible for the subsequent contact), ever since that Aussie cleaned out Halfpenny that time.

Puja

I think it’s the latter point that is the most salient. Then given the nature of the contact you then see what the officials look at, because intent flies out the window once he launches.Either way (yellow or not) it was 3 crucial points to Baaaath.

[Oakboy]

Closer than it might have been, so credit Tigers for keeping in the game and coming back well. Bath always looked the more likely winners.

A few guys did their England prospects no harm at all - Pepper, Hill and Ojomoh for Bath and Heyes for Tigers.

Reid again underlining what a useful guy he is and TdG showing up well at FB.

Might the fact of your last comment result in Steward losing ground? He was the second best FB on the day.

[francoisfou]

Bath wore their traditional jerseys, but not Leicester. Was that Leicester's choice?

[Banquo]

Bath wore their traditional jerseys, but not Leicester. Was that Leicester's choice?

I think Bath were the 'home' team by seeding, but not sure why tigers wore their away strip.

[Which Tyler]

Bath wore their traditional jerseys, but not Leicester. Was that Leicester's choice?

I assume it's the new requirement of one light and one dark kit, helping those with limited vision

[francoisfou]

Bath wore their traditional jerseys, but not Leicester. Was that Leicester's choice?

I assume it's the new requirement of one light and one dark kit, helping those with limited vision

Ah, yes! Evidently for the benefit of Mr Dickson, but it unfortunately didn’t have the required effect yesterday!

[Banquo]

Bath wore their traditional jerseys, but not Leicester. Was that Leicester's choice?

I assume it's the new requirement of one light and one dark kit, helping those with limited vision

Ah, yes! Evidently for the benefit of Mr Dickson, but it unfortunately didn’t have the required effect yesterday!

lol. But yes, good insight @wt

[Which Tyler]

I've been made to see this, so I'm halving my problem by sharing it.

FB_IMG_1750012452617.jpg

On the plus side, maybe I DO have the body of a professional athlete after all

[FKAS]

Closer than it might have been, so credit Tigers for keeping in the game and coming back well. Bath always looked the more likely winners.

A few guys did their England prospects no harm at all - Pepper, Hill and Ojomoh for Bath and Heyes for Tigers.

Reid again underlining what a useful guy he is and TdG showing up well at FB.

Might the fact of your last comment result in Steward losing ground? He was the second best FB on the day.

Steward had a fairly miserable time at the back because our kicking strategy was awful and Bath flooded the landing zone with chasers. Anything other than a clean catch wat Bath ball and Bath ensure whomever was chasing got up and made contact with Steward in the air. Very hard to get a clean catch against those Bath wingers playing those tactics, Steward managed to knock two or three back on his side only for Bath players running through to collect. Made it a fairly rough day for him.

TdG was solid but not a lot more, did everything neatly but realistically he was never under any real pressure. Pollard's kicking in particular was dreadful and an easy out for a player like TdG.

I'd still not be surprised if Borthwick selects Donoghue or Furbank at 15 this summer so he can still have his playmaker back there.

[FKAS]

Got to say I think Chieka should have thrown caution to the wind and got Volavola on at 10 for the final play. He's got weaknesses to his game but attacking ball in hand he's got something about him and would have shown the Bath defence something very different to what Pollard did. Might have also meant we didn't kick the fucking ball away with little chase at the death.

Shame the final to such a thrilling season was tactical kick fest. At least there was a few young English talents doing the business.

Give the ball to Coka.
Knock on and scrum pen, who do you want taking it on the halfway line/touch line though?

Why give the ball to Coka when you can give Muir a routine catch with plenty of time to land and brace for impact before the chase gets there. All he has to do is stay in field and off the ground until support arrives.

A pass back to Pollard and then an unexpected crossfield on Coka with OHC and Steward chasing was far to obvious.

Also Dickson wasn't exactly rewarding Tigers edging the scrums particularly well so that was far from a given.

[Which Tyler]

Seeing all the pictures of the parade, in and out of the stadium - it looks like Bath got more people attending than Trump did for his military birthday parade!