The Leicester Tigers thread

[Portnoy]

First topic message reminder :

2012/3 may well prove to be a memorable one.

For once, there seems to be (albeit not unplumbable) strength in depth, a fairly healthy squad and a straightforward, uncomplicated international season.

[RuggerRadge2611]

Barclay is a great player, if the rumours are tru you will have yourselves a tackle and turnover machine. Good catch for Leicsester.

[LondonTiger]

Castro not available this weekend, and may be out for a while.

http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/22428.php

“Castro is not fit and not coming back from Italy,” said Cockerill. “His neck is no good. Who knows how long he will be out for. He is staying with Italy for treatment.”

[formerly known as Sam]

That's bad news for Tigers. Leaves a large work load for Coley. Stanko's injury makes it worse with Mulipola the only experienced prop behind Ayerza and Cole. Maybe Cockers will give Balmain and Brookes the chance to shine.

[LondonTiger]

Croft captains tigers v Sale tomorrow.

Tigers are without six players retained by England this weekend. Anthony Allen, Martin Castrogiovanni, Louis Deacon, Geordan Murphy, Boris Stankovich and Miles Benjamin are unavailable due to injury.

Leicester Tigers (v Sale Sharks, Welford Road, Saturday 3pm)
15 Mathew Tait
14 Niall Morris
13 Matt Smith
12 Dan Bowden
11 Adam Thompstone
10 George Ford
9 Sam Harrison
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Rob Hawkins
3 Logovi'i Mulipola
4 Ed Slater
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Tom Croft (c)
7 Julian Salvi
8 Thomas Waldrom

Replacements
16 George Chuter
17 Kieran Brookes
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Brett Deacon
20 Jordan Crane
21 Micky Young
22 Matt Cornwell
23 Scott Hamilton

Sale Sharks: 15 Cameron Shepherd, 14 Tom Brady, 13 Jonny Leota, 12 Sammy Tuitupou, 11 Will Addison, 10 Nick Macleod, 9 Cillian Willis, 1 Ross Harrison, 2 Marc Jones, 3 Henry Thomas, 4 James Gaskell, 5 Fraser McKenzie, 6 Dan Braid, 7 David Seymour (c) 8 Richie Vernon
Replacements: 16 Tommy Taylor, 17 Alasdair Dickinson, 18 Tony Buckley, 19 Richie Gray, 20 Andy Powell, 21 Nathan Fowles, 22 Danny Cipriani, 23 Jordan Davies

[yappysnap]

How's the Bowden/Ford axis working out LT?

You guys should definitely win this one easily, we bested them at their place without a defense or the ability to ruck

[LondonTiger]

In attack it looked OK last week - helped by Harrison playing the best I have seen him (unlike others I am not his biggest fan).

Defensively it could still be an issue - but the Sale centres look fairly direct so we may be ok.

[formerly known as Sam]

Sam Harrison is looking better now he's a bit more match fit. Still needs to step up a bit though. We need Smith to find some form otherwise Bowden will miss his usual tackles and concede key tries again.

[nathan]

Doesn't sound like the backs are playing well, messed up 3 - 4 try scoring opportunities already.

[nathan]

Fords kicking sounds like its improved this week.

[yappysnap]

Any score Nathan?

[nathan]

Ed Slater just did a show and go then ran 40 metres for the try.

[nathan]

Sorry mate its 27 - 3 to the tigers.

[nathan]

Croft is apparently having a brilliant game.

[yappysnap]

Fricking hell, I was tongue in cheak when I said you should hammer them! how many tries is that then?

[nathan]

Just got the try bonus point. 34 - 3

[nathan]

Another try by smith, ford converts to make it 41 - 3 after 55 minutes.

I'm guessing this is the backlash from the last two losses.

[nathan]

Ford and Bowdon playing well together now. Cipriani is now on for sale

[Metal Tiger]

I'm in the crumbie right now and can honestly say that Sale are their own worst enemy. Their ball retention in the contact area is appalling. Richie Gray just knocked on in the tackle with very little pressure or effort from Tigers. One of many today.

On the upside... Wayne Barnes is reffing pretty well.

[nathan]

I'm in the crumbie right now and can honestly say that Sale are their own worst enemy. Their ball retention in the contact area is appalling. Richie Gray just knocked on in the tackle with very little pressure or effort from Tigers. One of many today.

On the upside... Wayne Barnes is reffing pretty well.

I don't believe you!

[nathan]

Tait with the try, ford gets the conversion. Now 48 - 3

[formerly known as Sam]

Sounds like wholesale slaughter. Judging from the radio Slater and Croft must be given Lancaster a headache. Big Ed Slater has been playing very well of late and was described by Louis Deacon as "old school" and a "proper Leicester forward" which is some praise from Deacs. A brace of tries including a 40m run in isn't what you'd associate with Johnno, Deacs or Kay though. Given Lawes poor form and Ed's ability to cover 6 and 8 he wouldn't be a bad bench option. Though losing more players to England really wouldn't help.

Gray was being ridiculed by the radio commentators, light weight in contact, out of form and they were saying how glad they were he'd not signed for Tigers.

[nathan]

Andy Powell scores for sale, 48 - 10 to the tigers.

[nathan]

Full time. 48 - 10 to t he tigers. 6 tries to 1.

[nathan]

Congrats to croft for his 100th start today.

[LondonTiger]

Writing a full review - just want to say Croft was fantastic.

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

It appears that rural Leicestershire is a dangerous place these days

I also got bitten by a dog back home. Dogs attack you and if you go to see someone's family you have to take a pair of rocks just in case any dogs attack you

Must be all those unemployed fox hounds

[killer938]

I heard Croft has increased his weight, has this affected his pace at all?

[LondonTiger]

I heard Croft has increased his weight, has this affected his pace at all?

It was not apparent that there was any reduction in pace.

[killer938]

Ok good, hopefully he can come back from this injury better than ever

[LondonTiger]

When Salvi left Croft moved to openside and continued to dominate the breakdown. He did however then miss two tackles from scrums - one when the replacement SH for Sale tugged him back, and for the Sale try when he moved too far away from the scrum and allowed a gap for Powell to run through.

[Hood83]

When Salvi left Croft moved to openside and continued to dominate the breakdown. He did however then miss two tackles from scrums - one when the replacement SH for Sale tugged him back, and for the Sale try when he moved too far away from the scrum and allowed a gap for Powell to run through.

He also gave away about 3 pens early on as well. Probably just finding his feet a little but it was more of a mixed bag than I think was suggested. What he did well he did exceptionally well. But i still don't know where he might fit in with England. He may not have lost any pace from bulking up, but he didn't seem to have found much extra power either.

[LondonTiger]

He was penalised for scavenging ball on the ground - and once for pulling down a maul that no longer existed. The latter was a bad call the first 2 arguable.

There was one very physical tackle on Gray that suggests there is more power.

[yappysnap]

So not a good weekend for Quins, not helped by seeing how Tigers got on in their game. Suddenly I'm a lot more worried about the run in and play offs.

Who do you boys have next up?

[formerly known as Sam]

Remember Barnes was reffing and so 50% of decisions were guesses.

Yappy we've got Exeter, Saints, Wasps the LI (I think).

[yappysnap]

Realistically 4 wins and probably 2 bp's then. Awesome

[LondonTiger]

Exeter, Saints and Bath away (hope to win 2 of these), Wasps and LI at home.

IF we can win at Sandy Park in 2 weeks it would really set up the Sarries vs Quins game the following day

[Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler]

Yapp its been apparent from pretty early on in the season that theres 3 teams who are a notch above, one of those will surely take the title. But all 3 are very close. The battle for a top 2 spot could be very important, and getting top could see a less difficult opponent too.
Seeing how close things are and are likely to remain through the run in t does seem appropriate to have the playoffs. It certainly not a Gloucester winning the league by March then getting hammered in the final year.
Assuming Sarries take a 5 pointer today they will be back ahead...but not by far. Tigers have been very good at leaving their best till late season since being taught a lesson in peak fitness by Wasps.
All 3 of course have to balance resources against the HC too.

Fascinating run in for all clubs, most games still have meaning (although the relegation battle is clouded by the LW registration issue)

[LondonTiger]

Ed Slater wins Try of the Week, to go with Dan Bowden's award the previous week.

http://www.leicestertigers.com/news/15975.php#.UTejwFfA_84

Shame we are so negative

[formerly known as Sam]

Big Ed has said it was the biggest gap he'd ever seen (and according to him it needed to be to fit him through it). It's still a damn fine finish past backs who really shouldn't be out paced by someone that big.

[beshocked]

The thing about Tigers is that you generally pick up more bonus points throughout the season than any other side - even if you lose a game you generally get something. You are also the team most effective at routing the weaker sides. e.g the crushing win vs Sale.

Tigers are always in the mix. So competitive that makes it virtually impossible to write them off at any part in the season.

[Hood83]

He was penalised for scavenging ball on the ground - and once for pulling down a maul that no longer existed. The latter was a bad call the first 2 arguable.

There was one very physical tackle on Gray that suggests there is more power.

Yes, he was off his feet. I think it may just be a bit of ring-rust but it was a mixed bag re penalties won/conceded. He also missed a couple of tackles on Powell I think. I think Croft is a fantastic player, just wish you could splice him with a ball carrier/rock-hard defender.

[nathan]

He was penalised for scavenging ball on the ground - and once for pulling down a maul that no longer existed. The latter was a bad call the first 2 arguable.

There was one very physical tackle on Gray that suggests there is more power.

Yes, he was off his feet. I think it may just be a bit of ring-rust but it was a mixed bag re penalties won/conceded. He also missed a couple of tackles on Powell I think. I think Croft is a fantastic player, just wish you could splice him with a ball carrier/rock-hard defender.

to be fair to him, if your scavenging for the ball your always likely to give a couple of penalties away.

[king_carlos]

To be fair to Croft I'd happily see him give the odd penalty away if it meant he was really offering big competition on the ground. His line-out work, carrying, support play and work rate in defence are usually very good if he could at scavenging to the list it would be great for both Tigers and England.

[lostinwales]

Missed one tackle on Powell. Also smashed Powell and stole the ball I believe on a Sale defensive lineout that lead to a try. I watched it on the prem rugby site and tried to watch out for Croft through the game, and he looked the class player we know him to be but I didnt think he was as outstanding as has been suggested.

[LondonTiger]

Yes, he was off his feet. I think it may just be a bit of ring-rust but it was a mixed bag re penalties won/conceded. He also missed a couple of tackles on Powell I think. I think Croft is a fantastic player, just wish you could splice him with a ball carrier/rock-hard defender.

Yes he did. The first was a defensive scrum on the Sale 5m line, where the replacement scrum half for Sale tugged Croft back. The second was the try - Croft had switched to openside by then and probably went too wide, covering the wrong player maybe. He left a massive hole and Powell ducked inside Croft and through Jordan Crane.

[tigerleghorn]

Just got a text from Tigers stating..... "Scarlets Fly-Half Owen Williams has agreed to join Tigers at the end of the season!

[maverickmak]

http://www.scarlets.co.uk/eng/news/5626.php

[Artful_Dodger]

Have Tigers got an academy?

[nathan]

Have Tigers got an academy?

yeah, we just don't see many backs emerge from it.

[LondonTiger]

Have Tigers got an academy?

Yes. The U18s beat Wales U18s last month.

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