Warriors v Tigers

Back-rower Croft returns for the opening Aviva Premiership fixture of the new year after his recovery from a neck injury suffered last season.
He joins fit-again Steve Mafi and Thomas Waldrom in the Tigers back row at Sixways. Rob Hawkins is joined by Logovi'i Mulipola and Martin Castrogiovanni in the front row.

Mathew Tait returns at full-back, and there are starting places for Scott Hamilton, Matt Smith and Dan Bowden in the backline, with Toby Flood and Ben Youngs at half-back. Warriors expect to welcome their biggest crowd of the season so far for Friday's fixture as they defend an unbeaten home record strecthing back to September.

Worcester lost 23-24 on the opening day of the season against Bath at Sixways but have been unbeaten on home soil in the eight games in all competitions since then, however, Tigers are fielding a very strong side and I can't see past a win for them this evening.

Leicester Tigers

15 Mathew Tait
14 Scott Hamilton
13 Matt Smith
12 Dan Bowden
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Toby Flood
9 Ben Youngs
1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Rob Hawkins
3 Martin Castrogiovanni
4 Louis Deacon (c)
5 Ed Slater
6 Tom Croft
7 Steve Mafi
8 Thomas Waldrom

Replacements
16 George Chuter
17 Marcos Ayerza
18 Dan Cole
19 Graham Kitchener
20 Julian Salvi
21 Micky Young
22 Anthony Allen
23 Niall Morris

Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Josh Drauniniu, 13 Alex Grove, 12 Jon Clarke, 11 David Lemi, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Jonny Arr; 1 Ceri Jones, 2 Aleki Lutui, 3 Euan Murray, 4 James Percival (c), 5 Dean Schofield, 6 Sam Betty, 7 Matt Kvesic, 8 Semisi Taulava
Replacements: 16 Ed Shervington, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 John Andress, 19 Chris Jones, 20 Neil Best, 21 Ollie Frost, 22 Danny Gray, 23 Josh Matavesi

Going to be a close one. All of Tigers backrow are making their returns from injury. No Geordie to orchestrate things from full back no go to Manu in midfield.

That's a big Worcester pack and two meddling flankers for the breakdown.

Is it legal for a Worcester player to hit the deck at lineout time to stop tigers pushing the maul?

Smith is making a pretty slow start. Nice try by wus.

Stupid decision, he clearly tried to use his right arm to wrap. Clear as Frak day.

Lol, oops!

How many tackles are the tigers going to miss!??

Wus player going to be on the floor?

Tigers have been awful so far. Bowden and Smith are looking decidedly second best, no cohesion in defence and Tom Youngs absence is very noticeable.

Hamilton looks uniterested and Thompstone can't seem to bend at the midrift.

No urgency from the Tigers, so many are conceding their shirts to those they replaced already.

Kudos to the Wuss defence though.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Tigers have been awful so far. Bowden and Smith are looking decidedly second best, no cohesion in defence and Tom Youngs absence is very noticeable.

Hamilton looks uniterested and Thompstone can't seem to bend at the midrift.

No urgency from the Tigers, so many are conceding their shirts to those they replaced already.

Kudos to the Wuss defence though.

+1

How did he miss Betty kicking the ball back in the scrum? There was more flanker in the scrum than out. Tigers need to start boxing clever. It's a poor show that the player coming back from an 8 month layoff is our best player at the moment.

Scrum is the only good thing at the moment.

I can see cockers giving them a roasting at half time. This half they have been rubbish.

Unsure if that was a yellow,

What's wrong with Floody? Can't kick far enough off the tee today. Give Tait one on one and he creates a try, nice backs move to put a sheen on an awful 40 mins. Andy Foode does us a favour again with another card.

formerly known as Sam wrote:What's wrong with Floody? Can't kick far enough off the tee today. Give Tait one on one and he creates a try, nice backs move to put a sheen on an awful 40 mins. Andy Foode does us a favour again with another card.

Pitch is a bit longer than Wexford road hehe

Ah, I suspect it's a pig to kick off as well.

Kvesic looks quality, he'll be improving his negociating position with this performance.

I'm liking the Slater/Deacon combination in the second row, they are getting through loads of work.

Glasgow get the bonus point try courtesy of the mad Fijian 5 minutes from time

GLove39 wrote:Glasgow get the bonus point try courtesy of the mad Fijian 5 minutes from time

Sorry wrong thread, getting my Warriors mixed up!

50 quality mins from Croft. Good come back.

Tigers with a crap start to the second half but applying pressure now. Salvi on and Cole about to join him.

Wuss pull down a maul 2m out and it's only a penalty.

The tank has been poo this game.

Was that a punch?

Penalty try from the opted scrum.

Agreed Nathan, a very silly performance from him.

Smith gonna get cited.

And flood!

Could say number 4 put his hands in floods face too?

That was a plain red card for me, Flood shouldn't still be on the pitch.

Stupid tackle from Flood, that'll be a ban as well. Unitentional but same as Warburton he has no control over how the player lands. He doesn't drop him but it looked nasty.

Smith is taken out in midfield then throws an elbow. Definite ban, kick in retaliation by Grove.

Cumbrian wrote:That was a plain red card for me, Flood shouldn't still be on the pitch.

I agree

I have no idea how we're only 2 points behind.

You can see how the inconsistencies in the applications of the law can urine people off in instances like that.

Cumbrian wrote:You can see how the inconsistencies in the applications of the law can urine people off in instances like that.

It can do, I thought the video ref could flag up foul play.

The touch judge is saying he didny bind, why have we a reset?

nathan wrote:I have no idea how we're only 2 points behind.

Tigers have done okay in the second half, mind you I don't think I've seen a worse display from a Tigers team than in the first for a very long time.

All we've done is kick!???

If you can understand my horrendous English.

In most the game Cumbrian. To be fair to JP he has reffed well what he's seen. Not sure his assistants have assisted him much though.

Tigers are lucky to still be in this.

Eeeeew!

At least you've played most of the second half in the Warriors half of the field.

4th miss for Flood

Pitch seems to be badly affecting Toby's range, it must be really spongy under foot.

Flood really has been poor. Pennel lucky to not be off as well.

Sounds like a really close game, how was Croft's return to action? All the talks of him bulking up so does he look noticeably bigger and his it effected his game at all?

Oh and go Wuss! Do us all at the top a favour!

Feel bad for Tait there.

Aye on another day Pennell could have walked too. You'd like to think he didn't mean to do it but he definitely seemed to flick his hand towards Tait.

Look how much we gained keeping the ball in hand!

Wouldn't bet against Tigers getting the win now.

Lol, should that be allowed?

penalty try for the tigers!!!!