Leicester Tigers 2016/17 thread.

[Welly]

First topic message reminder :

2016/17:
Director of Rugby: Richard Cockerill
Head Coach: Aaron Mauger
Assistant Backs Coach: Geordan Murphy
Assistant Forward Coach: Richard Blaze
Defence and Scrum Half Coach: Scott Hansen
Head of Rugby Operations: Ged Glynn
Team manager: Matt Cornwall

2016/17 Senior Squad: (Confirmed So Far) (Blue = EQP)
Hookers: Bateman, McGuigan, Thacker, Youngs
Props: Ayerza, Balmain, Brugnara Cilliers, Cole, Genge, Mulipola, Rizzo
Locks: Barrow, Fitzgerald, Kitchener, Slater
Back Row: Croft, Fonua, Hamilton McCaffrey, O'Connor, Williams
Scrum Half: Harrison, Kitto, Youngs
Fly Half: Burns, Williams
Centre: Catchpole, Roberts, Smith, Toomua, Tuilagi
Back 3: Betham, Brady, Pieterson, Tait, Thompstone, Veainu
Squad number: 37, EQP: 24, Academy products: 8

Transfers
IN: (7)
McGuigan (Newcastle Falcons), Cilliers (Montpelier), Genge (Bristol), Hamilton (Agen), Toomua (ACT Brumbies). JP Pieterson (Sharks), Brady (Sale)

OUT: (12)
Ghiraldini (Toulouse), Pasquali (Treviso), De Chaves (London Irish), Crane (Bristol), Pearce (Sale), Bell (London Irish), Baikeinuku (retirement), De Villiers (Retirement), Benjamin (retirement), Morris (N/A), Camacho (N/A), Goneva (Newcastle Falcons)

Not Sure: (No official confirmation of leaving or Staying) 3
Aguero, Sio Loamanu,

Rumours:
Harry Wells (Bedford) Lock/6

2016/17 Development Squad: (15)
Bryant, Evans, Hills, Lewis, Mahoney, Maksymiw, J.Olowofela, R. Olowofela, Owen, Simmons, Thacker, Tuilagi, White, Worth, Yawayawa

Transfer
IN: (7)
Lewis, Mahoney, J.Olowofela, R. Olowofela, Simmons, White, Yawayawa

OUT: 11
Odogwu (sale), Beckett (Glous), Povoas (Coventry), Tresidder (Rotherham Titans), Douglas, Farnworth, Galletly, Hogan, Murrin, Nairn, Priestley-Nangle.


Academy
Academy Head Coach/forwards Coach: Brett Deacon
Academy Backs Coach: Anthony Allen

[king_carlos]

With Owen likely out I expect he'll stay on the bench for the Racing game as well, Welly. It's becoming a case of last back standing.

Hopefully Roberts is fit to return to the squad at the weekend. It would be a good chance to give Oli Bryant (is he fit at the moment?) a game as well if Williams will be out for a while.

9.Youngs 10.Burns 11.Brady 12.Smith 13.Betham 14.Thompstone 15.Worth

Expect we will see that at the weekend with Harrison on the bench, hopefully joined by Roberts and one of Thacker/Bryant.

[Welly]

Is he in the euro squad?

Could see it being
21) Kitto
22) Harrison
23) Roberts.

[king_carlos]

He isn't Welly no. I always forget about registered squad for the ERCC.

Oli Bryant is so he could feature if fit.

If the club wanted to bring Charlie in then there are a few he could reasonably replace. Tomas Leonardi   is still registered. On the other end of the spectrum Ben White is registered but unlikely to feature with the three senior 9s available.

[screamingaddabs]

On an upbeat note, I thought Betham looked fairly good in the snatches of the game that I caught. TO be honest though, the problem is (in my not very humble opinion) the back row. You look at the top sides and compare the back rows and ours simply isn't as good. Not much go forward ball, just a group of decent but not outstanding players.

[Welly]

He isn't Welly no. I always forget about registered squad for the ERCC.

Oli Bryant is so he could feature if fit.

If the club wanted to bring Charlie in then there are a few he could reasonably replace. Tomas Leonardi   is still registered. On the other end of the spectrum Ben White is registered but unlikely to feature with the three senior 9s available.

Think it has to be for a player in a similar position.

Guess Manu.

[formerly known as Sam]

Isn't there age limits. You're allowed 25 players of 21 and over and then all the academy options you want? Or is that football?

[LondonTiger]

3. ELIGIBILITY OF PLAYERS
3.1 Each club must nominate a squad of up to 41 players. A minimum of 10 of the players nominated by the club must be capable of playing in front row forward positions. All such players must, on registration, be fully and properly registered with their club and Union.

3.2 A club must nominate a squad of between 19 and 23 players for each match.

3.3 A minimum of six front row players must be included in each match squad such that on the first occasion that a replacement is required in each position, a replacement can be made. Where uncontested scrums are ordered due to the departure of a front row player and there is no suitable replacement, the player whose departure caused the uncontested scrums may not be replaced (i.e. the club will be required to play with 14 players).

3.4 In order to reduce the possibility of uncontested scrums, each club may also nominate further front row players, referred to as Emergency Front Row players, who may be registered with EPCR on a match-by-match basis provided that all necessary details of the players have been submitted before 12 noon (GMT) on 22 September 2016. The provision for the nomination of Emergency Front Row players is not intended to allow clubs to improve the quality of their squads, and is designed to cater for illness and/or injury in the relevant positions. The players added to squads will typically come from a club's academy or similar.

3.5 Each club may register up to three additional players during the pool stage, each to replace a player previously registered. If a club registers three additional players, one such player must be a front row player. Additional players must have a three-month contract with the club and must not have played for another club in the tournament. Additional player registrations must be submitted by 12 noon (GMT) on the Tuesday before the match. De-registered players may be re-registered (in place of the relevant additional players) during the pool stage.

3.6 Each club involved in the knockout stage may register up to three further players. If a club registers three further players, one such player must be a front row player. Such registrations must be submitted by 12 noon (GMT) on 16 March 2017. The players in question must not have played for another club in the tournament.

3.7 Each club is permitted a maximum of two 'non-European players' in each match squad.

[formerly known as Sam]

I'm thinking of the wrong sport clearly.

I suspect we'll need Bryant on the bench if possible to cover flyhalf. Unless we're going to move Harrison there in an emergency.

[Welly]

Could be wrong but didn't Bryant get injured during the a league game v Saints

[formerly known as Sam]

Probably he seems susceptible to injuries. We'll need Tait fit for the bench then as we'll be struggling for fit backs else. Worth played flyhalf on loan for Notts but it might be a bit much to ask him to do that against Dan Carter. Wrap Burns in cotton wool this week.

[king_carlos]

Who do we believe is still out of contract at the end of the season then?

Brugnara
Rizzo
Logo 
Harry Thacker
Croft
Leonardi
Kitto?
Roberts
Matt Tait

I'm guessing that Harry Wells and Will Owen are on 1 year deals as well. Bryant too I'd guess. Catchpole could perhaps need a renewal if he's on a short contract.

[king_carlos]

http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/leicester_tigers.php?section=3

Manu taken out of the European cup squad and Charlie Thacker added to it.

I think we can presume that Charlie is in the running for the Racing game then. That's both good news from a player development perspective and bad news from where our injured backline players are at.

[formerly known as Sam]

Logical to pop Thacker into the squad. Manu is injured and we need the midfield cover.

With the season now only a few months long hopefully we can scrape the cash together for a centre.

[LondonTiger]

Team:

Tait, Thompstone, Betham, Smith, Brady, Burns, Youngs, McCaffery, Evans, William, Kitchener, Slater, Cole, Youngs, Genge

Thacker, Bateman, Cilliers, Fitzgerals, Hamilton, Kitto, Harrison, Roberts

[king_carlos]

Tough on Worth to drop out completely, especially with 2 scrum halves on the bench.

Good to see Taity back though.

Glad to see Harry Thacker involved too. I'm actually a fan of McGuigan, unlike many I've spoken to I think he has performed OK and just looks like a young player adapting to a new club. If game time could keep Thacker at the club then give him game time though.

[LondonTiger]

Racing 92:

15 Brice Dulin, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Henry Chavancy, 12 Casey Laulala, 11 Marc Andreu, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Xavier Chauveau; 1 Eddy Ben Arous, 2 Virgile Lacombe, 3 Luc Ducalcon, 4 Gerbrandt Grobler, 5 Francois van der Merwe (c), 6 Antonie Claassen, 7 Matthieu Voisin, 8 So'otala Fa'aso'o. Replacements: 16 Camille Chat, 17 Viliamu Afatia, 18 Ben Tameifuna, 19 Ali Williams, 20 Olivier Missoup, 21 James Hart, 22 Benjamin Dambielle, 23 Albert Vulivuli


I know they are struggling a little, but blow me that looks strong.

[king_carlos]

There goes hopes that Racing would field a weakened side

[BigGee]

It would be utterly embarrassing for Racing to come out of the group without a single win and you can't imagine the pay masters will be happy with that at all.

They also need to find some form for the league which they are also struggling with a little bit.

Hard to see them rolling over this week like they did for Munster last week. You would imagine if Leicester are to win this, then they will have to play out of their skins.

[formerly known as Sam]

Yikes. As I feared the French don't want to risk losing at home. This is going to be a brutal game.

Good to see Thacker back as his dynamism off the bench might be very helpful. We won't be able to physically overpower Racing so we're going to have to be more intense and box clever. The template has to be the second half vs Wasps. Press hard round the fringes to stop their big ball carriers making easy yards and take the ball at pace in attack with multiple runners overloading the channel to stop the big Racing pack coming forward to make dominant tackles.

Surely Worth has a knock to not be on the bench. If Tait gets injured we're in trouble as it's either Betham to 15 or Burns to 15 and a scrum half to 9. Worth is also a back up goal kicker and has played 10 and 12 before at decent levels.

[nathan]

Cockers last blog for the mercury

I am glad to have the opportunity to write one final column.

I wanted to be able to say a few things and offer some sincere thanks after 23 years at Leicester Tigers.


The whole experience has been absolutely fantastic and I have loved almost every minute of it.

I don't think you ever truly realise what a good time you are having somewhere until it's over and you have a chance to reflect and look back.

Now I will have a chance to do that.

I am not one for overly reminiscing – sitting down and going through old times. But memories of my time at Leicester will always be at the forefront of my mind. Stories and little moments will, no doubt, always crop up. When your time at one club has taken up as much of your life as my time at Leicester has, that will be inevitable.

I am writing this from Toulon where I have just arrived to offer them some help until the end of the season.

To be honest, I am glad to have had the opportunity to get back out on the coaching field so quickly after leaving Tigers.

When I woke up at home on Tuesday morning, it was the first time since I was 16 that I didn't have a job to go to.

That felt strange.

We'll see what this chapter of my life brings and I am going into it with an open mind.

I have often referred to Tigers as 'my club' during press interviews.

With every year that went by as a player and then a coach, I felt a stronger and stronger attachment to it. Not just the pitch, the changing rooms, the training ground and the team rooms, but to the people that have made the club what it is.

That obviously means my relationship with the board, senior management, players and fellow coaches but, behind the scenes, there are a lot of other people at Leicester to help make the place what it is.

They all play their part and they have all had an impact on making me enjoy my time at the club so much.

In some respects, you get thrown together with the people you work with. I have been lucky to have worked alongside some fantastic people at the club and consider myself very lucky to have done so.

Leicester is a proud club with family values which runs its own finances and is one which has enjoyed incredible success over the years.

There is a lot of respect around the country for Tigers and the way the club has gone about its business over the years.

People know what the Tigers stand for and I am proud to have been part of that.

I have also been taken aback by the amount of 'good luck' messages I have received this week.

Unusually, I have had the time to write back to every single one of them too!

So thank-you to everyone for the support I have received, not just during the last week or so, but over my two decades at the club.

It has meant a lot.

I would like to sign off by wishing everyone at the club and all of the supporters of Leicester the very best for the rest of the season and beyond.

The Tigers are in my blood and will always be in my heart.

[king_carlos]

It's a great sign off, nathan. As I said last week, whilst Tigers might end up playing better rugby after a change up I think the Prem as a whole will miss a character like Cockers. He's a genuine, candid and thoroughly decent bloke.

On one of offy threads someone has posted a video of him in a press conference in France. It's certainly odd seeing him in different clubs tracksuit but his French certainly hasn't diminished since leaving Clermont. It's actually pretty amusing to see him chatting away with the journalists there whilst Ford sits next to him looking like he doesn't know what they're talking about it!

[formerly known as Sam]

Cockers has always been a good bloke off the pitch and his passion was always obvious. It was unfortunate he couldn't get a structure that worked right for him.

Ford Snr looks a bit annoyed in that interview. I think he's realising that he's hired his replacement.

http://video-streaming.orange.fr/sports-extreme/avant-match-toulon-sale-richard-cockerill-et-mike-ford-VID0000002hT1V.html?pid=SIl2WFC2AZWzJ7qSByljitF90Oyhq/uTlP9RR4oa2UJAUjZPP6wsdYWH95P3DwrNfPzEqwQzMhY=#plmAnchor

[BigGee]

I have to say to all Leicester fans that I thought the way Cockers conducted himself after the two away euro games against Glasgow and Munster was exemplary.

Leicester got murdered in both games but he made no excuses and told it how it was, fundamentally saying they needed to get back on the training pitch and work harder to play better. On both occasions they won the game the following week at home.

Clearly not everything has been good at the Tigers over the past few years and maybe Cockers needs to re-invent himself as a coach in some ways but you certainly can't fault him for his honesty and his integrity and that article surely sums him up.

I really hope that he finds a new role for himself in the game, we need people like him.

[formerly known as Sam]

BigGee he's already working in France as a consultant at Toulon.

Personally I think he needed to be a head coach with a DOR working above him. Couldn't really demote him once he'd got the job though.

[eirebilly]

There ye go Leicester fans, we have given yiz a chance

[nathan]

There ye go Leicester fans, we have given yiz a chance

We'll still lose today

[eirebilly]

There ye go Leicester fans, we have given yiz a chance

We'll still lose today

Believe

[eirebilly]

There is no comp without Leicester and Munster competing.

[eirebilly]

What channel is the Leicester game on?

[Guest]

BT Sport 3 Billy.

[eirebilly]

BT Sport 3 Billy.

Cheers brother, best of luck te yiz

[formerly known as Sam]

How on earth does Rocko not score that?

[eirebilly]

Jaysus, Racing actually look up for this....

[formerly known as Sam]

Ben Whitehouse not so much...

[eirebilly]

How on earth could he see that as a knock-on?

[nathan]

Trying to this what's worse at the minute, that call or the pitch

[formerly known as Sam]

Trying to this what's worse at the minute, that call or the pitch

The missed block for the try was far worse. The idiot shouting Tigers as Carter kicks need to be cut off at the bar.

[eirebilly]

I feel for yiz Tigers fans, the one time Racing turn up is in a match yiz have to win. gutting

[Welly]

How the fek is this guy Reffing a champions cup game.

[nathan]

How the fek is this guy Reffing a champions cup game.

Surely the racing player dived on the player?

[eirebilly]

Is it me or are Racing playing dirty? Seems a lot of cynical play from them not being seen..

Oh feck.

[formerly known as Sam]

It's Ben Whitehouse. He's been fast tracked through the WRU. I've seen him ref three or four games (only one previously for Tigers) and he was very poor in all of them.

Tigers are appalling away from home and have been season.

[formerly known as Sam]

"You didn't move out the maul when I asked." No Ben you're miked and we can hear that you didn't say anything. 

How is this guy a professional?

[eirebilly]

The ground is terrible. It is cut up te fack...

[nathan]

The ground is terrible. It is cut up te fack...

Must be pretty heavy playing on that surface

[Welly]

I remember when we used to be good away

[formerly known as Sam]

Just so many errors from Tigers. Tait is having a shocker at the back.

[formerly known as Sam]

Why was Locky nit allowed to compete at the breakdown? There was a clear release and no ruck formed before he got back in.

[eirebilly]

The ref is awful...

[Geen sport voor watjes]

No Leicester are awful.

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