AP Round 7 Part 2

Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
White Cloud, 12 Degrees, 6mph Winds

Sale Sharks
Manager – SJE

01. Marcos Ayerza	09. Danny Care
02. David Paice	10. Johnny Sexton
03. Neemia Tialata
04. Andries Bekker	11. David Strettle
05. Christian Day	12. Jordan Turner Hall
06. Julien Salvi	13. Robbie Freuen
07. Matt Todd	14. Keith Earls
08. Wycliffe Palu	15. Luke Rooney

16. Jerome Schuster 17. Agustin Creevy 18. Werner Kruger 19. Chris Jones 20. Kai Horstman 21. Shaun Perry 22. Andy Goode 23. Nick Abendanoon


Key Points

Home Advantage
We are unbeaten at home since Season 2 having won every league game here in the last year. Edgeley Park is a fortress and Tigers will need to be at their very best to breach it with a passionate crowd cheering us on

Breakdown
With two flankers with expertise at the breakdown today we will look to seriously target the breakdown. With our blitz defence stopping Leicester before the gain line we will look to our pack, Todd and Salvi in particular, to hit the breakdown area hard and fast looking to get their hands on turnover ball. We want to seriously disrupt the quality of the ball Cusiter and James is receiving.

Target the Midfield
We will target the Tigers midfield axis on attack. We will send our strong carriers down Twelvetrees channel looking to get through the defensive line by either breaking the tackle or offloading to support runners while we will look for our pacyier runners to attack BOD’s outside shoulder. Earls will come in from his wing to really target this. We will look to Freuen to test him with a combination of power and pace and really get at him on the outside as we feel his pace is on the decline and he caught be here.


Setpiece
At scrum time we will be looking to really turn the screw. Ayerza and Tialata are both strong scrummagers and will look to get at their man and really disrupt Tigers putting the nudge on and providing us with a solid platform all game. At the lineout, we will look to Bekker to be our talisman. He will call the line and will have Day and our entire back row to support him as jumpers to mix things up. Our jumpers will look to either play the ball of the top quickly and look to our backline to move it or bring it down into a maul and make the hard yards through the pack, sucking in the Tigers forwards to leave space out wide for our backs. On Leicester ball we will look for Day to get up in the air at the front of the line and Bekker to follow Croft in the line and disrupt the Leicester lineout. If we really start to get on top of the lineout we will look to Sexton to kick for the corners a few times and really put the pressure on.

Breakdown
We have a very mobile and quick pack to really target the breakdown. On our own ball we will look to our forwards to get numbers to the breakdown quickly rucking past the ball and clearing out the Tigers boys looking to recycle clean fast ball. On defence, if we are first to the breakdown or the ball carrier is isolated we will look to seriously commit numbers and will look to Salvi and Todd to secure us turnover ball. At all other times we will commit lighter numbers to the breakdown but look to counter ruck slowing down Tigers ball allowing our defensive line more time to set.

General Attacking Play
We will look to play a strong carrying game using our big carriers to hit the gain line offloading in or just before the tackle (when it's on) to support runners breaking the defensive line and keeping our forward momentum going. Earls will look to come in field at different times tracking the runs of Freuen looking for the ball on the offload. If running the ball is not on we will look to Sexton to kick in behind the Tigers back 3.

Danny Care will look to play around the fringes of the breakdown and make his usual snipping runs when it’s on, tying the Tigers back row to the breakdown. Sexton has been instructed to play heads up rugby and if overlaps or gaps appear they will look to get the ball moving and take advantage. Rooney will look to come up from fullback from time to time and offer an extra ball carrying threat while looking to create these overlaps out wide.

Sexton will look to kick for goal when in Tigers territory and take the drop goal option when it’s available to keep the score board moving. Danny Care though will look for the quick tap when the Leicester defence is slow to organise.

General Defensive Play
In defence we will be using a blitz defence and will look to get up at pace looking to isolate the ball carrier before he gets to the gain line stopping any Tigers momentum and allowing us to hit the breakdown hard. We will look to keep Leicester on the back foot forcing the kick. Danny Care will act as a sweeper and look to cover any chips in behind the line. Our wingers will look to sit deeper on defence then the rest of the line ready for any kicks. Our back three have been instructed to play to their strengths and look for the counter attack, running the ball back with serious pace.

---

Leicester Tigers
Manager – LukeLovesLuka

01. Wyatt Crockett	09. Chris Cusiter
02. Lee Mears	10. Brock James (k)
03. Cencus Johnston
04. Chris Jack	11. Alesana Tuilagi
05. Nathan Hines	12. Billy Twelvetrees
06. Tom Croft	13. Brian O'Driscoll (c)
07. John Barclay	14. Topsy Ojo
08. Thomas Waldrom	15. Isa Nacewa

16. Clarke Dermody 17. Marc Jones 18. Jonny Harris 19. Alex Brown 20. Magnus Lund 21. Ernst Joubert 22. Micky Young 23. Jonny Wilkinson

Tactics

GENERAL:

- We have picked a big carrying front five, a mobile back row and a powerful back line to go through the phases, and look to dominate possession and starve Sale of the ball.

- There will be NO AIMLESS KICKING, we will be playing a possession game, where will keep the ball away from Sale as much as possible. When the timing is right though, we will be looking to B.James or 36 to move us into the right areas of the pitch, and they will look to kick for touch and then contest the lineout deep in Sale territory.

- B.James to kick all penalties in range, keeping the scorebaord ticking over.

- Cusiter to sweep behind a blitz defence.

- Last 30 mins are where we will look to win the game with our 6/2 split bench. Wilkinson to come on and dictate play, Micky Young to inject pace around the rucks, and the likes of Joubert, Lund and A.Brown to strengthen our set piece and pack. With Wilko, Joubert and A.Brown on, we will look to target lineouts and attack Sale from there.

- Target a jet-lagged Palu from the first minute to the last.

FORWARDS:

- We will look to maintain a strong scrum all game, with two massively powerful props in Crockett and Johnston to get the shove on. Both Crockett and Johnston are tall props, so they are told to hold their bind and keep their body and back straight in an effort to stop them being done underneath.

- From attacking scrums, Waldrom to look for the pick-and-go if it is on to test Sale's defence.

- We will look to use the lineout as an attacking weapon. We have three specialists in Croft, Hines and Jack, and believe we can get real joy in targeting Paice's throws. Croft, Hines and Jack will rotate on our ball to keep Sale guessing where our throws will be going.

- With Joubert and A.Brown to come on, we will target the lineout more and more towards the end.

- Every one of our forwards brings a carrying game, and we feel we can really tire Sale's defence with this before unleashing our pacey back line. Our big carriers are encouraged to run straight to best utilise the carrying options they bring.

- Barclay, Croft and Hines are told to hit the breakdown area hard and fast looking to get their hands on turnover ball. We want to seriously disrupt the quality of the ball Sale can get, and steal as much as we can for our own backs to use.

BACKS:

- Cusiter is asked to play his natural game. Give B.James great quick service, snipe round the fringes looking for gaps, and feed our ball carriers into the right areas.

- With B.James at pivot we are looking for a controlling, posession based game. He is tasked with getting our strike runners into the game and getting our back line moving.

- If the game is tight and the ball isn't coming quickly, B.James will look to drop into the pocket and keep the scoreboard ticking over with drop goals.

- Tuilagi/Waldrom/Crockett/Johnston to be used off the shoulder of the half backs, inside or out, and look to crash through the defence.

- Twelvetrees can act as our second receiver, and can hit the gain line hard to make yards. BOD to play his natural game, be the leader in our midfield, and look to get our back three into the game.

- Our back three are encouraged to do what comes naturally to all of them - counter attacking and running the ball back. All have good boots to rely on if it isn't on or they are isolated, but the counter is what we ask them to look for. Tuilagi, Ojo, and Nacewa provide us with explosive pace and power and this is a weapon we will look to use as much as possible.


KEY POINTS:


- Play a possession based game utilising our massive carrying front five and a mobile back row.

- Use the lineout as an attacking weapon, with our specialists in Croft, Hines and Jack, and Brown and Joubert to come on.

- Look to BOD to be our leader, and to bring the explosive pace and power we have in our back three into the game as much as he can.

- If the game is tight, B.James will look to drop into the pocket and keep the scoreboard ticking over with drop goals.

- Utilise our powerful bench to win the game for us in the second half. Wilko to control things, and look for kicks into touch deep in Sale's half and attack the lineout.

- Our in-game form is very good, with us having won 4 of our last 5 games. Confidence is high throughout the squad, especially now we are integrating back some of our WC players.

---

---

Mark

How come this is on a seperate thread?

Ignore my last question, just seen the homepage.

Are we doing the predictions for this match on here or on the main match thread???

Sale 28 - 27 Leicester
Great game this one, would imagine its going to be very high scoring - could have easily been a Tigers away win as if subs come on I think Sale start to struggle a bit, espc as Perry and Goode have no impact. Issue for me is that I wouldnt have Brock James kicking when you have Twelvetrees there, pressure gets to Brock and this will be a game where one missed kick could be all the difference. Wilko coming on changes this and the match sways in Tigers towards the end, but Sexton's presence wins the game for the homeside...just.

If both teams dont score 4 tries in this I'd be amazed!

Sale 30-28 Leicester
Pack goes to Leicester and also love Nacewa finally back at full-back! Feel the centre battle could go either way and Sale's dominance at the breakdown should see them getting better ball. Sale also have a bit better impact from the bench which should sneak them home.

Agree with Chris with seeing 4 tries apiece here.

Sale 19 - 18 Leicester

Scrums are pretty even in my eyes and lineout is also dead even. I am sceptical of the balance of the Sale back row but they get away with it here as Leicester haven't got the strongest ball carrying flankers possible. packs are even as I can't call it. Both half backs are pretty level, Sexton struggled in the world cup as did Cusiter so they level each other out. Centres are also a very even battle. I think Leicester have a stronger back 3. Both have strong benches. Sale should have a scrum advantage as the benches come into play. Its very close but Sale edge it.

Sale 33-33 Tigers
Could not split the teams

Mark, get back to this later

Sale Sharks 38 Leicester Tigers 35

This has try fest written all over it, with great attacking threats in both sides. Sale will take the scrum, and the lineout will be an excellent contest. Good ball carriers in both packs, the main difference for me is in the half backs where I much prefer the Sale pair and really see them getting their backline going. I do however mark Sale down for Palu who is just back from NZ, although this is slightly offset by Barclay not having had a great world cup. At Welford Road, I think I would have scored it a draw, but at home sale just have the edge.

Sale 28 Leicester 25

Home advantage steals it for sale at the death. Pressure on title contenders luke

Sale 23-22 Leicester

I will quote Steven on this as its exactly my opinion

"Scrums are pretty even in my eyes and lineout is also dead even. I am sceptical of the balance of the Sale back row but they get away with it here as Leicester haven't got the strongest ball carrying flankers possible. packs are even as I can't call it. Both half backs are pretty level, Sexton struggled in the world cup as did Cusiter so they level each other out. Centres are also a very even battle. I think Leicester have a stronger back 3. Both have strong benches. Sale should have a scrum advantage as the benches come into play. Its very close but Sale edge it."