Tigers vs Ospreys - HEC Round 2

First topic message reminder :

Tigers v Ospreys Sunday the 21st October 2012

Kick Off at 15:00
Welford Road

TICKET INFORMATION:- http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?agency=OSPREYS&organ_val=22376&schedule=list


Referee: Romain Poite (France)

Assistant referees: Cédric Marchat (France), Eric Soulan (France)

Television match official: Bernard Dal Maso (France)


Form
Statistics for Leicester Tigers vs Ospreys

Games played: 6 5.50%
Games won by Leicester Tigers: 3 50.00%
Games lost by Leicester Tigers: 2 33.33%
Games drawn: 1 16.67%
Most wins in a row for Leicester Tigers over Ospreys: 3
Most losses in a row for Leicester Tigers to Ospreys: 1
Largest points for Leicester Tigers: 32 32 - 32
Largest points against Leicester Tigers: 32 32 - 32
Largest winning margin for Leicester Tigers: 18 30 - 12
Largest losing margin for Leicester Tigers: 6 15 - 9
Total points for Leicester Tigers: 112
Total points against Leicester Tigers: 97
Average points for Leicester Tigers per game: 18.67
Average points against Leicester Tigers per game: 16.17
Average points difference per game between Leicester Tigers and Ospreys: 2.50

Leicester Tigers

15 Scott Hamilton 14 Niall Morris 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi 12 Anthony Allen 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Tom Youngs 3 Dan Cole 4 Graham Kitchener 5 Geoff Parling 6 Steve Mafi 7 Thomas Waldrom 8 Jordan Crane (c)

Replacements
16 George Chuter, 17 Marcos Ayerza, 18 Martin Castrogiovanni, 19 Louis Deacon, 20 Richard Thorpe, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 George Ford, 23 Matt Smith



Ospreys:

Richard Fussell; Hanno Dirksen, Andrew Bishop, Ashley Beck, Eli Walker; Dan Biggar, Kahn Fotuali'i; Ryan Bevington, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Ian Evans, Ryan Jones, Jonathan Thomas, Justin Tipuric.
Replacements: Matthew Dwyer; Duncan Jones, Aaron Jarvis, George Stowers, Joe Bearman, Rhys Webb, Matthew Morgan, Tom Isaacs.

If you ask me, there is not a better front five in Europe than what the Ospreys have at the moment, I would not swap any of Leicesters front row for the the Ospreys front row and Alyn Wyn Jones and Ian Evans are the playing the best rugby I have ever seen them play, add Tuperic and Ryan Jones to the mix and the only position I can see the Ospreys yeilding in the pack on Sunday is at no. 8. The backs need to become more savy though, as much as I rate the likes of Biggar, Webb, Dirksen, Beck, they still need to be able to know when things are on and when they are not on, this is where they are missing Bowe and Williams, but if their forwards front up like they have been recently then I think that this game will be a lot closer than what people think.

yappysnap wrote:

Avalon wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:

Avalon wrote:I'm backing Tigers to bounce back from their rather tentative and mistake-laden performance v Toulouse.

Bonus point win for the home side.

Tigers are in danger of being out of it with a second loss, the Ospreys have a good pack and kicker although they don't have the finishing power they had two years ago.

Yeah, I agree. Tigers are already staring down the barrel a bit which hopefully will bring out some of the old grit that has been missing recently. Ospreys are a good side, but I back the Tigers at home.

Ecactly, it's pretty much now or never for Tigers. And if there's one team you can expect to react positively to that kind of pressure then it's Cockers Cats.

I can't help but feel that the 2009 final against Leinster 19–16 was the day that "Cockers Cats" lost their dog.

It might also be the day that focussed the PRL on their own inadequacies relative to the valid Irish selective game selection protocols in the rabo.

Whatever. For the Tigers, they lost their dog and with it their sense of inner invincibility.

The dog now lives in Ireland.

I can foresee only a four-pointer for the Tigers and possibly a LBP for the O's. In which case it's game over for the Tigers ¼-finals campaign.

greytiger wrote:

yappysnap wrote:

Avalon wrote:

glamorganalun wrote:

Avalon wrote:I'm backing Tigers to bounce back from their rather tentative and mistake-laden performance v Toulouse.

Bonus point win for the home side.

Tigers are in danger of being out of it with a second loss, the Ospreys have a good pack and kicker although they don't have the finishing power they had two years ago.

Yeah, I agree. Tigers are already staring down the barrel a bit which hopefully will bring out some of the old grit that has been missing recently. Ospreys are a good side, but I back the Tigers at home.

Ecactly, it's pretty much now or never for Tigers. And if there's one team you can expect to react positively to that kind of pressure then it's Cockers Cats.

I can't help but feel that the 2009 final against Leinster 19–16 was the day that "Cockers Cats" lost their dog.

It might also be the day that focussed the PRL on their own inadequacies relative to the valid Irish selective game selection protocols in the rabo.

Whatever. For the Tigers, they lost their dog and with it their sense of inner invincibility.

The dog now lives in Ireland.

I can foresee only a four-pointer for the Tigers and possibly a LBP for the O's. In which case it's game over for the Tigers ¼-finals campaign.

Don't talk rubbish.

I struggle to see Tigers getting 4 tries, but a win should be achievable. Even if we do not deny Ospreys the LBP, 1/4 finals would still be achievable.

Lose and then the fat lady will be gargling.

As a neutral I'm looking forward to this match. It won't be pretty but it should be tight.

I think people are underestimating the Ospreys pack. They're the Rabo champions and very difficult to beat, especially for Leicester who rely on their pack alot.

Poite being the ref makes things more of a lottery. He picks a side and goes with that for the game and when teams know that they have a free reign to cheat as much as they like.

Tigers pack can be very good, problem is they don't seem to know or have their best players.

Ospreys pre game interview with Tandy.

http://www.ospreysrugby.com/matchdaytv/?play=media&id=13130

Ospreys have conceded 9 tries in seven games since the start of the RP12. Three of those in the loss vs Glasgow. Leicester 8 in seven.

Thats pretty even on the attacking threat stakes. Tigers have lost two games this season, Ospreys three.

Tigers have conceded 109 points, scored 149

Ospreys have scored 154 points, conceded 129

ah yes but the tigers play in a proper league with relegation and everything.

real men playing every game. not like that namby pamby league the ospreys play in.

Don't you mean the Ospreys play in the league that's confident that all the teams are good enough to be in it as opposed to the league where they aren't really too sure of the quality so every year they give someone else a go?

I'll get my coat.......

On subject though, I have a horrible sinking feeling the O's are going to implode in the last 20 and Leicester will come away with a TBP and the O's nothing at all......

LemonyVodka5 wrote:
On subject though, I have a horrible sinking feeling the O's are going to implode in the last 20 and Leicester will come away with a TBP and the O's nothing at all......

What makes you think that?

The Ospreys have finished their last five games very strongly...

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:ah yes but the tigers play in a proper league with relegation and everything.

real men playing every game. not like that namby pamby league the ospreys play in.

Hmmm! Here are the teams for the last three RP12 matches and sole HEC game. The Team doesn't really change much. Capped Internationals are in bold

Ospreys Vs Treviso:
Richard Fussell; Hanno Dirksen, Andrew Bishop, Ashley Beck, Eli Walker; Dan Biggar, Kahn Fotuali'i; Ryan Bevington, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Ian Evans, Ryan Jones, Justin Tipuric, Jonathan Thomas.
Replacements: Rhys Webb for Fotuali'i (74), Duncan Jones for Bevington (64), Aaron Jarvis for Adam Jones (57), George Stowers for Alun Wyn Jones (76).

Ospreys Vs Zebre:
Richard Fussell; Hanno Dirksen, Ashley Beck, Andrew Bishop, Eli Walker; Dan Biggar, Kahn Fotuali'i; Ryan Bevington, Scott Baldwin, Adam Jones, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Ian Evans, Ryan Jones, Sam Lewis, Jonathan Thomas.
Replacements: Replacements: R. Jones for Fussell (74), Webb for Fotuali'i (51), D. Jones for Bevington (52), Jarvis for A. Jones (44), Stowers for R. Jones (68).

Ospreys Vs Munster:
Fussell, Dirkson, Bishop, Beck, Isaacs, Biggar, Fotuali'i, Bevington, Hibbard, Jarvis, AW Jones, Evans, R. Jones, Tipuric, Bearman.
Replacements: Morgan for Beck (75), Webb for Fotuali'i (74), D. Jones for Bevington (63), Baldwin for Hibbard (69), A. Jones for Jarvis (59), Stowers for R. Jones (74), Thomas for Bearman (59).
Not Used: R. Jones.

Ospreys Vs Scarlets:
Richard Fussell; Hanno Dirksen, Tom Isaacs, Andrew Bishop, Tom Grabham; Dan Biggar, Kahn Fotuali'i; Duncan Jones, Richard Hibbard, Aaron Jarvis, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Ian Evans, George Stowers, Joe Bearman, Justin Tipuric.
Replacements: Jonathan Spratt for Grabham (71), Ryan Bevington for Duncan Jones (51), Scott Baldwin for Hibbard (78), Ryan Jones for Stowers (55), Jonathan Thomas for Bearman (70).
Not Used: Rees, Webb, Morgan.

For two reasons.

1) I've been to Welford Road quite a few times and the Tigers almost always manage to put on something special for the home fans.

2) My ex is a Tigers fan and I put £50 on it and I suck at making bets.

Add to that the odds that it'll be towards the end of the match that Poite will be handing out the 'final, final, final warnings' for penalties and a yellow card will be on the books for us if not two.

It's part history and part gut instinct.

I live to be proven wrong (And that sweet, sweet crisp £50 note in my pocket that I'll immediately spend on a quality bottle of Tequilla because she never let me drink it when we were together! )

Maybe im being naive or just going crazy, but I make the Ospreys favourites for this game. Only slight favourites mind, I don't think either side will run away with it, but with the Ospreys pack hopefully gaining parity; Beck can produce a little bit of magic and get us over the line.

Forgive me of that sounds like complete tosh

Two big packs and two poor backlines going at each other. Not looking forward to this drop-goal fest to be honest.

LoyalPoolaFan wrote:Maybe im being naive or just going crazy, but I make the Ospreys favourites for this game. Only slight favourites mind, I don't think either side will run away with it, but with the Ospreys pack hopefully gaining parity; Beck can produce a little bit of magic and get us over the line.

Forgive me of that sounds like complete tosh

As an O's fan your forgiven

I think the 2/7 odds on for a home win generally available would sound very attractive to you?

Morgannwg wrote:Two big packs and two poor backlines going at each other. Not looking forward to this drop-goal fest to be honest.

Leicester have scored the most amount of tries in the Aviva for the past two years, surely not a poor backline???

Manu's Boxing Coach wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:Two big packs and two poor backlines going at each other. Not looking forward to this drop-goal fest to be honest.

Leicester have scored the most amount of tries in the Aviva for the past two years, surely not a poor backline???

They haven't scored too many this season. Same amount as the Ospreys... He has a point

The quality of the backline is dependent on who is available. If the likes of Manu, Flood, Murphy and Youngs are all fit and in form then the backline is quality. If we are missing some or like last weekend where some of them are still recovering from injury then their is a few steady players to come in. Steady doesn't mean much creation though.

maestegmafia wrote:

Manu's Boxing Coach wrote:

Morgannwg wrote:Two big packs and two poor backlines going at each other. Not looking forward to this drop-goal fest to be honest.

Leicester have scored the most amount of tries in the Aviva for the past two years, surely not a poor backline???

They haven't scored too many this season. Same amount as the Ospreys... He has a point

Thanks.

Outside Flood and Manu I don't see any threats in the Tigers backline. The back 3 look very average. Not saying it is an area of strength for the opposition. Biggar is similar to Flood and Manu won't get past Bishop so they might not be of much use anyway.

Lets just hope its not like the Sarries vs Tigers match at Wembley...!

maestegmafia wrote:They haven't scored too many this season. Same amount as the Ospreys... He has a point

I will admit that Tigers attack has struggled so far. If we look just at "domestic" league form Tigers have 14 tries from 6 games to Ospreys 10. Neither side will be happy with that.

As usual both teams are pretty even going into the game, the advantage swings with either home or away.

Ospreys have got better at winning away since the last match at Welford road, which i think was the draw we gave away...?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/9610342/Leicester-Tigers-need-to-rediscover-their-bite-in-next-round-of-Heineken-Cup-against-Ospreys.html


There has been a sharp edge in everything Leicester have done for many years, a bristling sense that you meddle with them at your peril. They circle those wagons quicker than any pioneer did on an American prairie when under attack.
Well, it is time for a few arrows. Leicester’s 23-9 defeat at Toulouse on Sunday was all too inevitable, all too predictable. It was Tigers’ sixth successive defeat in the Heineken Cup in France, a dispiriting record. Leicester used to be the English standard-bearers. The colours were hanging limply on a suitably sodden Sunday evening in Toulouse.
This should not be happening as a matter of course for a club with such legitimate claims on greatness. It was their second significant setback within the week, the club already reeling from the news that they would not be getting an invite to the 2015 Rugby World Cup party. Daft, short-sighted, a PR blunder: the decision was all of those things but the barb has struck home.
The organisers do not think that Welford Road, the biggest club rugby ground in the country, is up to scratch. In their eyes, it is not only a question of bums on seats, with football’s Walkers Stadium along the road holding 8,000 more, it is more to do with meeting high-grade criteria, and Leicester’s ground did not stack up.
It is an adequate, but not state-of-the-art, stadium, with one foot still in the past. Is the same true of the team on the pitch?

Leicester were sparky and salty for half an hour. Thereafter it was a different story. They made poor decisions and played in the wrong part of the field. That is happening too often for comfort.
You might argue that this club have made it to the past eight Premiership finals. But it is three years since they won one. It is 10 years since they won the Heineken Cup. Leicester were beaten in last season’s Premiership final by Harlequins. Three weeks ago the champions entered the lair at Welford Road and left with a 22-9 win, Tigers reduced to Cat cats.
There is time to reclaim that lost ground. The season is in its infancy, or the Premiership is. The Heineken Cup operates to a different, unforgiving rhythm. Leicester did not get a bonus point in Toulouse and those points matter.
That was not about wads in the respective wallets or the depths of squad. Toulouse’s star centre, Gaël Fickou cost nothing. He was released by Toulon, who could not accommodate him in a squad overflowing with blue-chip recruits. Toulouse liked what they saw and had no hesitation in picking the
18 year-old for such a key match. The same was true at scrum-half where Jean-Marc Doussain, 21, was preferred to former Wallaby Luke Burgess. Youth was given its head.
And Leicester? How much game time did highly regarded 19-year-old fly-half George Ford get? Not a second, even though Toby Flood did not take Leicester to where his opposite number, Luke McAlister, managed to take Toulouse.
Now, this is not just about this or that player, about Ford over Flood, about scrum-half Ben Youngs recapturing his form.
It is about setting the right tone, about playing with conviction and displaying genuine European credentials. That is no longer a given with Leicester.
Tweaking the Tigers’ tail is a dangerous business. The bite-back is never far away. Sunday’s match against Rabo12 champions, Ospreys, always looked a top-drawer fixture. This weekend, it is laden with even more significance.

Other than the pop about Ford a good and uncomfortably accurate article.

I think both teams have gone backwards over the last year or so because of the loss of key players.
However, it is still a massive fixture because it is the biggest(not best) English club against the biggest(Scarlets = on ability) Region in Wales and yet again they find themselves in the same HEC pool.

Tigers definitely need to step up their performance from last week & I have no doubt they will. I think it will be close which may not be enough for Tigers to get through to the next round.

Ideally for the Tigers, they would have taken points from that game, but it's not as if the Ospreys or Treviso have already been there and claimed theirs, so there's certainly no need for panic just yet.
Personally, if the Ospreys can deal with the mental side of going to Welford Road, I believe they can win this weekend. Looks to be parity through most areas of the pitch, with Kahn and Richard Hibbard shading the Youngs brothers.
Biggar will need to carry his outstanding kicking form into the game, and keep the backrow interested by changing things up regularly.
Ospreys really need to win games like this if we have any pretentions of winning the cup.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Other than the pop about Ford a good and uncomfortably accurate article.

The part about Ford is interesting and similar to the Ospreys who will likely have Fords junior level international sparring partner Mathew Morgan on the bench.

Similarly when Biggar isn't working things out and is becoming his petulant pathetic alter ego we should be introducing the zip and charisma of Morgan.

Unfortunately we have ran him out at centre and fullback rather than flyhalf too often, which kinda boarders on the ridiculous.

There was a period where we fell off the game, took our foot off the pedal last week when Adam Jones, Ian Evans and Khan Fotuali lost the plot for fifteen minutes. Khan and Ianto re found their game, Adam was subbed for Jarvis.

But these decisions should have been made quicker.

I demonstrated some statistical software my company manufactures for American football to a rugby client this week, using the forty minutes from 37 mins to the 77th as an example.

Ospreys kicked away more ball from nine, didn't cover ground at first receiver and were in able to string more than four passes together for 65% of that period. Also conceding scrum penalties, line out penalties and non attacking line out ball off four line outs, (75% of the previous had all gained yardage).

In that period Ospreys conceded two tries very easily.

A decisive bench move like a change of scrum half and an earlier substitution at Tighthead could well have saved those points from existing.

Hopefully the management will make more shrewd decisions this Sunday.

The management wont have to if Tigers don't pull their socks up and use their brains.

Waldron is the player I worry about most. He did a great number on Scarlets the year before last. He is a very clever player.reads the game well in an area where the ospreys have work horses not thinkers.

If the ospreys pack can apply pressure in the loose and hold their own in the set piece they'll do well.

But if Leicester can irritate, steal ball and defend well against our ball carriers then the ospreys attack will not work, and we will become impatient and careless with possession.

I like this thread. In a world where people are usually talking up their team and trashing the opposition - instead we are all talking down our own team

Although both teams have showed consistency, they are nothing to boast about.

It's an intriguing match up....!

Plenty of history, but that's in the past, we are both very different teams now.

Can somebody help, I was checking the fixtures and it states that this game is a Sunday game at 3.30pm, but people have been telling me it is on Saturday, please can anybody tell me who is right ?

Sunday is correct.

Jimpy wrote:Sunday is correct.

Thank god for that, I can relax and watch the game on Sunday with a few sherberts, I am far to busy on a Saturday latley and I would probably be in a quandry all day trying to get things done before kickoff, so it is take the wife and daughters out for a spot of Sunday roast and a refreshing pint, then back home to watch the Blues, then off to the pub to watch the Ospreys, thats my day sorted, what have all you lot got planned ?

Sorry I posted Saturday at the start of the thread. I have corrected it though.

Games like this remind me why i love Union, i can't wait for first scrum

Pity It's not in the Liberty. I would drop in and watch it on the way back from the Scarlets game.

Too much of a trek to Leicester, and got to fly back from Bristol at 8.

Went to watch Toulouse v Gloucester last year when I was in Montpellier.

Cardiff Toulon......Hmmmmm Possible depending on Hangover.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Pity It's not in the Liberty. I would drop in and watch it on the way back from the Scarlets game.

Too much of a trek to Leicester, and got to fly back from Bristol at 8.

Went to watch Toulouse v Gloucester last year when I was in Montpellier.

I know what you mean, I have an irrational phobia of large crowds too.

Jimpy wrote:

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:Pity It's not in the Liberty. I would drop in and watch it on the way back from the Scarlets game.

Too much of a trek to Leicester, and got to fly back from Bristol at 8.

Went to watch Toulouse v Gloucester last year when I was in Montpellier.

I know what you mean, I have an irrational phobia of large crowds too.

Jimpy with the amount of stick you give Ospreys and Sarries fans on here I think it may be a rational fear mate.

LordDowlais wrote:If you ask me, there is not a better front five in Europe than what the Ospreys have at the moment, I would not swap any of Leicesters front row for the the Ospreys front row and Alyn Wyn Jones and Ian Evans are the playing the best rugby I have ever seen them play, add Tuperic and Ryan Jones to the mix and the only position I can see the Ospreys yeilding in the pack on Sunday is at no. 8. The backs need to become more savy though, as much as I rate the likes of Biggar, Webb, Dirksen, Beck, they still need to be able to know when things are on and when they are not on, this is where they are missing Bowe and Williams, but if their forwards front up like they have been recently then I think that this game will be a lot closer than what people think.

I would swap Duncan or Bevington for an on form Ayerza, but if we still had James then not.

Leicester Tigers (vs Ospreys, Welford Road, Sunday 3pm)
15 Scott Hamilton
14 Niall Morris
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Toby Flood
9 Ben Youngs
1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Graham Kitchener
5 Geoff Parling
6 Steve Mafi
7 Thomas Waldrom
8 Jordan Crane (c)

Replacements
16 George Chuter
17 Marcos Ayerza
18 Martin Castrogiovanni
19 Louis Deacon
20 Richard Thorpe
21 Sam Harrison
22 George Ford
23 Matt Smith

Ospreys
15 Richard Fussell
14 Hanno Dirksen
13 Andrew Bishop
12 Ashley Beck
11 Eli Walker
10 Dan Biggar
9 Kahn Fotuali'i
1 Ryan Bevington
2 Richard Hibbard
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones (c)
5 Ian Evans
6 Ryan Jones
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Jonathan Thomas

Replacements
16 Matthew Dwyer
17 Duncan Jones
18 Aaron Jarvis
19 George Stowers
20 Joe Bearman
21 Rhys Webb
22 Matthew Morgan
23 Tom Isaacs

maverickmak wrote:Leicester Tigers (vs Ospreys, Welford Road, Sunday 3pm)
15 Scott Hamilton
14 Niall Morris
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Toby Flood
9 Ben Youngs
1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Graham Kitchener
5 Geoff Parling
6 Steve Mafi
7 Thomas Waldrom
8 Jordan Crane (c)

Replacements
16 George Chuter
17 Marcos Ayerza
18 Martin Castrogiovanni
19 Louis Deacon
20 Richard Thorpe
21 Sam Harrison
22 George Ford
23 Matt Smith

Ospreys
15 Richard Fussell
14 Hanno Dirksen
13 Andrew Bishop
12 Ashley Beck
11 Eli Walker
10 Dan Biggar
9 Kahn Fotuali'i
1 Ryan Bevington
2 Richard Hibbard
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones (c)
5 Ian Evans
6 Ryan Jones
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Jonathan Thomas

Replacements
16 Matthew Dwyer
17 Duncan Jones
18 Aaron Jarvis
19 George Stowers
20 Joe Bearman
21 Rhys Webb
22 Matthew Morgan
23 Tom Isaacs

For me its the 16-18 that could win it for the tigers, other than that its pretty even all over the park

Knackeredknees wrote:

maverickmak wrote:Leicester Tigers (vs Ospreys, Welford Road, Sunday 3pm)
15 Scott Hamilton
14 Niall Morris
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Toby Flood
9 Ben Youngs
1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Graham Kitchener
5 Geoff Parling
6 Steve Mafi
7 Thomas Waldrom
8 Jordan Crane (c)

Replacements
16 George Chuter
17 Marcos Ayerza
18 Martin Castrogiovanni
19 Louis Deacon
20 Richard Thorpe
21 Sam Harrison
22 George Ford
23 Matt Smith

Ospreys
15 Richard Fussell
14 Hanno Dirksen
13 Andrew Bishop
12 Ashley Beck
11 Eli Walker
10 Dan Biggar
9 Kahn Fotuali'i
1 Ryan Bevington
2 Richard Hibbard
3 Adam Jones
4 Alun Wyn Jones (c)
5 Ian Evans
6 Ryan Jones
7 Justin Tipuric
8 Jonathan Thomas

Replacements
16 Matthew Dwyer
17 Duncan Jones
18 Aaron Jarvis
19 George Stowers
20 Joe Bearman
21 Rhys Webb
22 Matthew Morgan
23 Tom Isaacs

For me its the 16-18 that could win it for the tigers, other than that its pretty even all over the park

I know what you mean Knackered, but for me unless Leicester really up the anti it's there backrow which will lose it for them. Looked miles behind Toulouse last week and Tipuric is probably licking his lips at the moment!!

formerly known as Sam wrote:Other than the pop about Ford a good and uncomfortably accurate article.

I think the pop about Ford is also spot on. It just feels like Tigers are slipping back - this weekend's game is massive.

Shame the Tigers don't have more English lads,
Well done Ospreys only Three Non Welsh players

I wish the Cardiff Blues followed the Ospreys with more Welsh players than the duff front and back row imports.

I watched the Bath v Agen last night, the French side seemed to be half Samoan, they were not that great in defence.

Shame the Tigers don't have more English lads, Well done Ospreys only Three Non Welsh players

10 English players in the Tigers starting 15, 8 are capped and the other two are capped at England Saxon level. 6 of the 8 replacements are also English and include last seasons England under 20 captain.

I think the pop about Ford is also spot on.

That's a matter of opinion. He's being given some game time but is also not being risked so that he will be fully fit for an extended run when Flood is away with England and over the busy Xmas period.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Shame the Tigers don't have more English lads, Well done Ospreys only Three Non Welsh players

10 English players in the Tigers starting 15, 8 are capped and the other two are capped at England Saxon level. 6 of the 8 replacements are also English and include last seasons England under 20 captain.

I think the pop about Ford is also spot on.

That's a matter of opinion. He's being given some game time but is also not being risked so that he will be fully fit for an extended run when Flood is away with England and over the busy Xmas period.

Why respond to it?