Sale Sharks vs Leicester Tigers (friday night ESPN coverage)

Leicester Tigers make two changes to the team that beat Gloucester last weekend for Friday's return to Aviva Premiership Rugby action at Sale Sharks. Share Scott Hamilton is recalled to the backline and George Chuter is named at hooker.
Chuter is set for his 250th club appearance after making his Tigers debut in March 2001. The England international is also third on the all-time Premiership appearances list with 234 in his career with Leicester and Saracens.

Tom Croft also reaches a landmark as his makes his 100th appearance for the club since his debut in November 2005.

International prop Martin Castrogiovanni returns to the squad for the first time this season and is included among the replacements alongside Ed Slater, Steve Mafi and Niall Morris who were all rested last week after playing in each of the opening seven matches of the season.

Director of rugby Richard Cockerill has selected Matt Smith and Horacio Agulla in a new partnership at centre after injuries to Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Allen.

Cockerill said: "Manu suffered a broken cheekbone after a clash of heads in the Gloucester game and we'll be without him for about six weeks. Anthony Allen has had an operation on his thumb after an injury in an accident at home.

"We're having a terrible run of luck, especially with Mathew Tait's groin injury and Billy Twelvetrees out with an ankle injury.

"But we knew we would need the whole squad to front up if we were going to push on this season. Matt Smith has been playing really well and Horacio Agulla came back from the World Cup and fitted right back in last week.

"We now have all the Test players back and we've been working hard to integrate them as quickly as possible."

Ben Youngs remains on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Leicester Tigers (v Sale Sharks, Aviva Premiership Rugby Round 7, away, Friday 7.45pm)
15 Geordan Murphy (c)
14 Scott Hamilton
13 Horacio Agulla
12 Matt Smith
11 Alesana Tuilagi
10 Toby Flood
9 Sam Harrison
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 George Chuter
3 Dan Cole
4 George Skivington
5 Geoff Parling
6 Tom Croft
7 Julian Salvi
8 Thomas Waldrom

Replacements
16 Tom Youngs
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Martin Castrogiovanni
19 Steve Mafi
20 Ed Slater
21 James Grindal
22 Jeremy Staunton
23 Niall Morris

Sale Sharks have named skipper Sam Tuitupou and Johnny Leota as a new centre pairing for the game, and Richie Vernon starts at No8 for the first time.

Welsh international back-rower Andy Powell is included among the replacements after his return from the World Cup, and Irish prop Tony Buckley has recovered from flu to take a place on the bench.

Sharks executive director of sport Steve Diamond said: "We've had some good sessions this week, working on several issues raised by last week's game. The match against Leicester will be very tough, probably our hardest task of the season. We can't wait."

Sale Sharks: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Tom Brady, 13 Johnny Leota, 12 Sam Tuitupou (c), 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Nick Macleod, 9 Dwayne Peel; 1 Alasdair Dickinson, 2 Marc Jones, 3 Henry Thomas, 4 Fraser McKenzie, 5 Kearnan Myall, 6 James Gaskell, 7 David Seymour, 8 Richie Vernon.
Replacements: 16 Joe Ward, 17 Vadim Cobilas, 18 Tony Buckley, 19 Mark Easter, 20 Andy Powell, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Luther Burrell, 23 Will Addison

Couple of disappointing choices as a Tigers fan namely, why the hell is Chuter playing when Youngs offers much more and is comfortabley better form. Skivington shouldn't be above either Slater or Deacon in the pecking order and on that note where's Deacon? A wet night against a big Sale pack is just screaming for Louis Deacon. I have a nasty feeling our centres are going to get mullered and Forsyth isn't on the bench so we have no centre backup.

Some meaty forwards on the sharks bench.

I agree with you about Chuter and Skivington (wonder how Deacon's back is?).

I think in attack Smith/Agulla will be OK - but worried about their positioning defensively.

Deacon was fit enough to be on the bench last Friday.

Agulla will give 100% and is experienced enough to know where he should be, not the greatest tackler though. Hope none of our backs moves requires a pass from the IC...

Agulla at 13????

Id rather see Flood at 12


Aside from the centers Tigers still have issues with the SH and Hooker positions but thats getting close to a full side now. Cold wet winter night, idealfor the front 5 to grind out a win, could do with the try bonus point as well though

I'm less concerned at the SH issues now that Harrison has overtaken Grindal. With Harrison we play at a tempo and have excellent passing straight from the base. He's not the greatest scrummie going but his basics are excellent and so he gives us a decent platform to work from.

I have the feeling Cockers is looking to squeeze the life out of the Sale pack in the first 50 minutes through set piece domination and a ruthless pack display. Then let loose the big ball carriers like Youngs, Mafi, Castro and Slater to tear in the heart of the wounded Sale pack and hopefully get the tries we need for all 5 points.

It's a pretty mobile but lightweight Sale pack. McKenzie, Gaskell and Vernon are all pacy but underpowered. Gaskell against Croft will be an interesting match-up though.

I think Sam's right - the way forward for Leicester here is to make it a forward-orientated match and really take it to the Sale pack. Leicester look vulnerable in the backs, and an open game will suit the Sale forwards I listed above, who all like to get their hands on the ball.

I think Leicester will be sufficiently pragmatic to suffcate the points from Sale this time round.

Looks likely to be dry. I think Sale will try to play, using their mobile pack and superior backs. Interesting to see if the scrum can avoid being totally destroyed. Also Seymour vs Salvi will be interesting.

formerly known as Sam wrote: Hope none of our backs moves requires a pass from the IC...

Look at it this way
with Smith, Agulla, Tuillagi, Hamilton, Murphy outside him Flood shouldnt have any trouble getting the ball to the wingers even if he passes like Ben youngs in the world cup hes bound to hit oine of them.

Well Pete 10 to deep standing full back is about the same length of pass Youngs had to attempt when passing to Johnny so it should be comparible.

Good point Dave, Seymour vs Salvi should be an interesting watch as Seymour must have an England shirt in his mind now. Though if it's a dry day I wouldn't put it past Tigers to play with some width as there is pace out wide and the Tigers pack is fairly mobile. I'd expect them to play a lot of attacking rugby in the second half as well when the subs come on.

LondonTiger wrote:Some meaty forwards on the sharks bench.

But it's all grunt and no technique. Ayerza or Stankovich will take Buckley apart in the scrum and Powell is a bit of a show pony. I firmly believe we will start seeing the true Leicester appear and can see you winning this by at least a score (but probably more).

I'm just gutted Glaws didn't travel to WR during the WC

Not sure any win will be that big HKC as Tigers are missing their midfield and the usually use those attacking options a lot. No Manu and no Allen/Twelvetrees means Matt Smith has been left with a lot of carrying work as little Agulla isn't going to be powering into the Sale centres. Tuilagi might be brought off of the wing and into the action quite a lot to cover.

I would expect both Ayerza and Stankovitch to deal with Buckley. In fact I rather expect Tigers to dominate the scrum, the lineout will be more of a challenge though.

I have certainly underestimated Sale this season as I thought with all their changes they were going to be cannon fodder, but in fairness they have been very good so far. But... their pack is woefully underpowered. Dickinson is not a top class TH and he's even worse as a LH! Cole will rip him a new one! Similarly Thomas is a decent prospect but Ayerza will be too strong and your boiler room is far superior in terms of grunt and lineout ability Your midfield may be lacking depth at present, but they're not going to have to make many tackles!

Myall and Gaskell are both very lightweight but they also get up very well in the lineout so Croft and Parling will have to work hard for good lineout ball. Especially if Chuter continues his early season form . Really we could have done with Deacon if it's going to end up as a set piece battle but by the sounds of it dry ground should suit the more mobile Skivington (not sure he deserves his place in the 23 at the moment) so we'll have to see.

There's some players out there that need a good game!

After a shaky first half, Leicester came out with 31 unanswered points to take a 13-34 TBP win.

They could do with having a centre or 2 back, but the Leicester pack is looking ominously strong.

Looks like croft gave gaskell and co a lesson in lineouts. Very much a get the set pieces right and you can afford to be shakey elsewhere win as expected. Really huge win for tigers and puts the faith back that they can make the playoffs the hard way.

I think with the Internationals back with the clubs, it is back to form for the clubs. Tigers a standard-issue victory over a club they should beat. And the climb up the ladder begins. But can they get to the top 4?

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:Looks like croft gave gaskell and co a lesson in lineouts. Very much a get the set pieces right and you can afford to be shakey elsewhere win as expected. Really huge win for tigers and puts the faith back that they can make the playoffs the hard way.

I thought it was Parling that was sorting the lineout for Leicester, I don't think it helps that the Sale hookers couldn't hit a thing all night!

Impressive from Tigers. Sale need to sort out the set-piece. Actually the scrum recovered slightly after the first few (although obviously Leicester's was stronger) but the line-out was a shambles and how do you get away with that for 80 minutes?

Cockerill's comments about spending so much on the pack other areas suffer and "The most important position is TH. The next most important position is TH" were interesting.