Achilles heel hits Gloucester again in Tigers defeat
with Andy Deacon, former Gloucester prop and Longlevens director of rugby
YOU could say Gloucester’s opening Premiership game did not go to plan. Leicester Tigers have, over recent seasons, languished at the wrong end of the table and leading up to this game had parted company with their director of rugby Geordan Murphy who had been part of the furniture for many years.
Steve Borthwick is taking over the reins for now and Gloucester fielded a very experienced back line packed with experience if not pace.
Both sides were shorn of their international players on international duty.
I found watching the game a very strange experience - to me it never seemed to have that intensity of an opening season fixture.
Of course, crowds not being in the ground does not help and the atmosphere was flat - which mirrored the Gloucester performance,
It never ignited at any stage, apart from when Gloucester scored a cracking try.
Gloucester does have a recurring Achilles heel, which is their discipline.
Especially when under pressure, a team concedes any kind of positivity with penalties; you add two yellow cards, and it is extremely difficult to win a game of rugby. Giving away multiple penalties in your own half will only heap a load of pressure on the defensive structure.
Professional rugby now more than ever before is built upon fundamentals.
Platform, defence, territory, and discipline.
In most of these facets Gloucester were second
It will not be a magic wand moment, - it will be at times a slow building of the Kingsholm fortress, along the way there will be setbacks.
best to a Tigers side that is also trying to gain confidence, and form.
With 12 minutes gone Gloucester were as many points down, which makes for an uphill struggle.
Kick to regain possession did not work. I would question players’ aptitude to regain the ball in the air.
If this tactic is not working would it not be more beneficial if the ball is kicked longer with a hungry defensive line, at least meterage could potentially be gained.
The platform was passive, with the scrum coming under increasing pressure, the line-out defence was good, but the turnover ball was not used to a positive outcome.
The players, and coaching staff will be bitterly disappointed in this new season opener.
Lessons will have to be learnt, and they will.
George Skivington will need time, if this is not afforded to him his appointment will have been wasted.
This is not the start any Gloucester supporter would have wanted to witness, but what has started is the process of the new coaching team to mould and nurture the way they want their team to play.
It will not be a magic wand moment, - it will be at times a slow building of the Kingsholm fortress, along the way there will be setbacks.
But if accurate analysis is documented and most importantly the players learn then the re-building process will gather pace and drive success.