Leicester Tigers 2016/17 thread.

by Welly Fri 10 Jun 2016, 12:47 pm

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

by nathan Mon 13 Feb 2017, 2:16 pm

Another announcement coming up

Ignore me, twitter timeline wasn't in time order.

by formerly known as Sam Mon 13 Feb 2017, 2:42 pm

LondonTiger wrote:
HongKongCherry wrote:You lot are just a discourteous rabble. We provide you absolutely no opposition and you offer not a single word of thanks.

I did appreciate the way that every time we messed up and ceded any advantage, your boys would then mess up too.

Back to new contracts - Mike Fitzgerald stays. All we need is Matty Tait to sin a new contract and we may see Sam's head explode

If we can keep Fitzy off the backrow and away from calling the lineout I can out up with it. Not sure how we are going to afford the two rumoured backrow additions if we are keeping both Fitz and BOC. Unless we are jettisoning all the squad front rowers and not signing anyone else?

by Welly Mon 13 Feb 2017, 3:05 pm

Cap goes up by 500k
Ford takes up Burns and Williams cap I guess (maybe 50k less if rumored salaries are right Ford £450k, Burns 300k, Williams 200k)

Balmain off maybe Brugnara. (Pro around 100k in that roughly).
Kalamafoni cap comes from Fonua cap I'm guessing. Hamilton was a swap for Crane cap wise I think. Evans similar to Pearce cap space I guess.

So say 650k to pay with.
Let's say 150k into increase contracts.
500k To get another 8 and a backup 10/Centre.

by formerly known as Sam Mon 13 Feb 2017, 3:27 pm

I thought we were up to the cap (per Cohen) hence there's no Fonua cap for Kalamafoni to slide into. That's why I'm concerned about who is going to be jettisoned to allow for Kalamafoni plus A N Other and then the utility back we need.

by Welly Mon 13 Feb 2017, 4:32 pm

formerly known as Sam wrote:I thought we were up to the cap (per Cohen) hence there's no Fonua cap for Kalamafoni to slide into. That's why I'm concerned about who is going to be jettisoned to allow for Kalamafoni plus A N Other and then the utility back we need.

No we had the cap space but it was tied up for a number 8 in mind.

by king_carlos Mon 13 Feb 2017, 4:49 pm

According to the fans forum last week the Mermoz signing was tied up 2 days after Manu was ruled out for the season. The issue was when he'd be coming. The club were keen for ASAP but Toulon wanted to wait to see if they'd need him for 6 Nations cover.

I think a lot of signings are like that nowadays. A club will be 90% sure that a player is heading there way but the finer details take far longer to sort out - hence why rumours tend to float around for so long during silly season. I'd guess that more players leaving contracts early exacerbates that as well.

I'm pleased with those re-signings now but how I feel about them in the long run will hinge on what happens with Harrison and Harry Thacker. If either head elsewhere for more game time I'll be very frustrated. Harrison is definitely still our 2nd choice scrum half and Thacker has the potential to be a great Tiger for years and years.

by formerly known as Sam Mon 13 Feb 2017, 4:53 pm

That's not what Cohen said when questions were asked about why no further additions were made to the squad this season. According to him we are up to the cap and Mermoz is injured dispensation.

I hope you're right because I don't want us to offload players like Thacker X2 and Worth in order to make room for the players we need when losing one of Fitz or BOC could have accomplished the same.

by king_carlos Mon 13 Feb 2017, 5:19 pm

The word from the club for a while has been that the money is there for back row signings but they are saving it for the right name.

Then again what the club says on these issues is usually contradictory and has little/no transparency.

by Welly Mon 13 Feb 2017, 5:20 pm

formerly known as Sam wrote:That's not what Cohen said when questions were asked about why no further additions were made to the squad this season. According to him we are up to the cap and Mermoz is injured dispensation.

I hope you're right because I don't want us to offload players like Thacker X2 and Worth in order to make room for the players we need when losing one of Fitz or BOC could have accomplished the same.

I know what Cohen said FFS. Don't take everything he says for face value.

Also what leads you to think any off that last part will happen?

by formerly known as Sam Mon 13 Feb 2017, 7:18 pm

Because it's what's we've done for the last five years plus?

by Welly Mon 13 Feb 2017, 7:22 pm

formerly known as Sam wrote:Because it's what's we've done for the last five years plus?

Like?

by formerly known as Sam Mon 13 Feb 2017, 7:27 pm

Lewington?

We are currently in a position where we have several young players in positions where they will reinforce the squad and allow us to spend more cap on key players as opposed to squad players. The real concern is we'll lose out on keeping those youngsters and we have to go back into the market for a Brady or similar because the next Lewington or Humphreys is playing somewhere else.

by Welly Mon 13 Feb 2017, 8:04 pm

Lewington wasn't released to make room for more cap though he left becuase we had more players ahead of him.

by formerly known as Sam Mon 13 Feb 2017, 8:13 pm

He left because he played exceptionally well in the LV and was then dropped for an experienced player who had injury problems and a definite shelf life. Lewington left and within a year we were shopping for a new winger. Dim short term thinking.

by Welly Mon 13 Feb 2017, 10:00 pm

formerly known as Sam wrote:He left because he played exceptionally well in the LV and was then dropped for an experienced player who had injury problems and a definite shelf life. Lewington left and within a year we were shopping for a new winger. Dim short term thinking.

Lewington signed for Irish before Camacho signed for Tigers also Camacho didn't have a injury problem before he joined Tigers his injuries started that rugby championship with Argentina.

Lewington left becuase Irish offered him a higher starting place

Lewington was behind at the time
Goneva
Morris
Benjamin
Thompstone
Hamilton

Also Humphreys was never really identified by Glynn hence why he pretty much never played in the A league or LV cup.

by formerly known as Sam Mon 13 Feb 2017, 10:21 pm

Hamilton was the injury concern. He was just about fit enough for the LV final after Lewington had played a blinder at Bath in the semi helping us pull off a massive upset. I can only manage his dejection when he was told he wasn't in the 23 for the final and the following season where he set the Championship alight and was just left at Nottingham without a single chance at Tigers despite Hamilton clearly coming to the end of his career and Lewington being a ready made replacement.

Much better to sign Camacho instead, more expensive older option. Worked out really well. That lack of succession planning has undone us.

On a different note, just saw the highlights of the game. Great angles by Roberts and Thompstone for the first and third tries. Really nice lines to cut apart the onrushing Glaws defence.

by Welly Mon 13 Feb 2017, 11:15 pm

He would of still left even if he got ahead of Hamilton.

Also what has Camacho got to do with it?

by **LondonTiger** Tue 14 Feb 2017, 8:19 am

formerly known as Sam wrote:
On a different note, just saw the highlights of the game. Great angles by Roberts and Thompstone for the first and third tries. Really nice lines to cut apart the onrushing Glaws defence.

The highlights do not do justice to Roberts line of running before he got the ball. He comes from the blindside in a (probably) pre-arranged move with Hamilton delaying the pass that completely changes teh direction of teh play quite nicely. Sat behind the posts in teh RH stand gave me an ideal view of this, certainly better than the Glaws defence Very Happy

by **LondonTiger** Tue 14 Feb 2017, 11:15 am

Ford to us, Freddie to Bath now confirmed.

by TightHEAD Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:09 pm

LondonTiger wrote:Ford to us, Freddie to Bath now confirmed.

What a little r u n t!

by formerly known as Sam Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:13 pm

Shame I'd have liked to have both. Still leaves us needing acquire a 10 before next season and one that can be relied upon for international periods. To many games to rely on one of Toomua, Harrison and Worth to cover.

If we could sign a 10 that can also play 15 and kick goals that would be handy.

by **LondonTiger** Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:16 pm

formerly known as Sam wrote:If we could sign a 10 that can also play 15 and kick goals that would be handy.

Gopperth?

by Guest Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:19 pm

Will be nice to have a decent discussion about Ford. There's still so much bitterness about him leaving that some of the comments on the offy/unoffy are so ridiculous that it's not really worth engaging. Constantly put down as flaky and a liability in defence, as though Freddie hasn't shown just as much, if not more, of those qualities throughout his career.

I will be sad to see Burns go, his attitude since joining has been absolutely fantastic tbh, but Ford is just simply better. His form of creativity is much more dependable than Freddie's 1 in 100 chips over the defence or looping wide passes. His kicking out of hand also provides considerably better game management than either of the current options.

by TightHEAD Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:27 pm

Glad to see him leave to be honest, fed up with seeing his childish ungrateful mood when we win a game and walks off without interacting with his team mates.

Welcome home Freddie, we'll get you back into the England set up.

by Welly Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:30 pm

Happy with that TBH Ford is a class act, and has a lot of friends in the Tigers camp player wise even ones who signed after he left.

If Ford can show the same attitude as Freddie when he arrived then we are golden.

Another plus is that Ford is only 23 years old and a Academy lad.

by **LondonTiger** Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:36 pm

Perhaps, as Freddie did, George needs to hire Paul Grayson for 6 months out of his own pocket (and time)

by Gooseberry Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:38 pm

Does this mean we will have to get his dad in as DOR?

by **LondonTiger** Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:43 pm

Gooseberry wrote:Does this mean we will have to get his dad in as DOR?

Suggestions the new DoR will be a Saffa

by formerly known as Sam Tue 14 Feb 2017, 12:51 pm

Gooseberry wrote:Does this mean we will have to get his dad in as DOR?

No.

LT, that would be a good idea. Getting a PT to work on George's stamina and leg strength could also be a good idea as he sometimes seems to struggle more with kicking off the tee as he tires.

Great signing, Burns should have stayed and converted to 15...

by nathan Tue 14 Feb 2017, 4:56 pm

TightHEAD wrote:Glad to see him leave to be honest, fed up with seeing his childish ungrateful mood when we win a game and walks off without interacting with his team mates.

Welcome home Freddie, we'll get you back into the England set up.

Glad he's got out of there to be honest, Craig seems to be a bit of a toxic person if he doesn't get his own way.

by king_carlos Tue 14 Feb 2017, 10:25 pm

Re-watching the Gloucester game and it's really striking me just how much Rizzo got through in the loose. His scrummaging was eminent at the time, as were a few carries but he really is all over the park, hitting rucks, making tackles and supporting.

Really impressive from the elder statesman. If he can continue that form I'd very happily have him extend his contract by another year.

by formerly known as Sam Tue 14 Feb 2017, 10:36 pm

When Rizzo was fit earlier in his time with us he looked great in the loose but I always thought he lacked a little in the scrum compared to others. Seems like he's really upped his game there as well. Ideal time for him to be fit and firing, will keep Genge focused with some competition and allow him to get some rest time.

by TightHEAD Wed 15 Feb 2017, 9:55 am

nathan wrote:
TightHEAD wrote:Glad to see him leave to be honest, fed up with seeing his childish ungrateful mood when we win a game and walks off without interacting with his team mates.

Welcome home Freddie, we'll get you back into the England set up.

Glad he's got out of there to be honest, Craig seems to be a bit of a toxic person if he doesn't get his own way.

All Multi Millionaires are the same.

by nathan Wed 15 Feb 2017, 11:15 am

TightHEAD wrote:
nathan wrote:
TightHEAD wrote:Glad to see him leave to be honest, fed up with seeing his childish ungrateful mood when we win a game and walks off without interacting with his team mates.

Welcome home Freddie, we'll get you back into the England set up.

Glad he's got out of there to be honest, Craig seems to be a bit of a toxic person if he doesn't get his own way.

All Multi Millionaires are the same.

Think you hit the nail on the head there.

by **LondonTiger** Fri 17 Feb 2017, 12:01 pm

Team for Brizzle:

TV, Thompstone, Roberts, Mermoz, JPP, Williams, Harrison, Rizzo, Youngs, Cilliers, Barrow, Fitz, Williams, BOC, Hamilton

McGuigan, Genge(!!!!!!!!), Bateman, Croft, Thacker, Kitto, Tait, Smith

by **LondonTiger** Fri 17 Feb 2017, 1:05 pm

Bristol Rugby: 15. Jason Woodward; 14. Jack Wallace, 13. Siale Piutau, 12. Tusi Pisi, 11. Thretton Palamo; 10. Adrian Jarvis, 9. Will Cliff; 1. Ryan Bevington, 2. Rob Hawkins, 3. Gaston Cortes, 4. Dan Tuohy, 5. Mark Sorenson, 6. Mitch Eadie, 7. Jack Lam, 8. Jordan Crane (c).
Replacements: 16. Marc Jones, 17. Jack O'Connell, 18. Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19. James Phillips, 20. Sam Jeffries, 21. Alby Mathewson, 22. Gavin Henson, 23. Will Hurrell

by **LondonTiger** Fri 17 Feb 2017, 1:05 pm

International duo Telusa Veainu and JP Pietersen return to the Leicester Tigers backline for Saturday's home game against Bristol Rugby in Round 15 of the Aviva Premiership season.

Veainu has not played since suffering a head injury in the autumn international period with Tonga, while South Africa wing Pietersen returns from an arm injury to play for the first time since early December.

French centre Maxime Mermoz starts his first game for the club after a try-scoring appearance from the bench in the bonus-point win over Gloucester last weekend.

Sam Harrison teams up with Owen Williams at half-back after Freddie Burns was replaced in the first half against Gloucester following a knock to the head and there is a return to the forward pack for Mike Williams, with Mike Fitzgerald moving into the second row in place of Ed Slater this week.

Tom Croft is included among the replacements alongside prop Ellis Genge who has been training with the England squad this week.

Tigers head coach Aaron Mauger said: "JP and Telusa have been fully integrated into training during the last couple of weeks, they've helped to bring a spark to the training field and it'll be good to get them back on the pitch.

"The real focus for us in the build-up to the last round was driving the energy and creating a more competitive environment in training and I thought that showed in the match.

"Lots of parts of the performance against Gloucester were very good but there is also work to do and we need to be better."

by formerly known as Sam Fri 17 Feb 2017, 2:37 pm

Bristol have gone pretty big in the backs. Should be quite a battle there.

I like how Mauger is rotating the squad around to give game time to as much as the squad as possible before the run in. We need that level of competition and as many match fit bodies as possible. Great to see TV back.

by **LondonTiger** Fri 17 Feb 2017, 2:43 pm

Really pleased to see TV back - his running could be really useful as we enter spring.

by formerly known as Sam Fri 17 Feb 2017, 3:16 pm

He does have the ability to tear sides apart if they kick poorly. Hopefully he's been using him time out of contact sessions to get his head sorted and to work on his kicking game. If he adds a good kicking game and is strong under the high ball then he'll be one of the best 15's going. Certainly aspects of the game that can be taught by Geordan.

by **LondonTiger** Sat 18 Feb 2017, 2:51 pm

Will Hurrell wearing tights pair of shorts I have ever seen. Makes Robson Cook's look like bloomers.

by **LondonTiger** Sat 18 Feb 2017, 3:14 pm

Cilliers ignored a 3 man overlap..... To run round the winners and score. And gets injured

by nathan Sat 18 Feb 2017, 3:43 pm

Great to see TV score. From reading the updates we are playing well.

by **LondonTiger** Sat 18 Feb 2017, 3:48 pm

Missed their try, but yes playing well. tv great in attack, but shake in defence. Whether we can play like this against a better team though.

by nathan Sat 18 Feb 2017, 3:54 pm

Doesn't matter at the minute, it will help build confidence that we badly need

by Welly Sat 18 Feb 2017, 4:32 pm

Why do some people have to put ? Marks over anything positive.

You can only play what's in front and it's nice to see us take a team apart completely for once

by **LondonTiger** Sat 18 Feb 2017, 7:38 pm

Sorry to not be 100% positive. After the home win over Bath, that was our best performance of the season and light years ahead of the away game in Bristol. For 50 minutes the support running was outstanding, such that we always had options. It got a little ragged towards the end and we gave away afew holding on penalties.

Barrow and Mike's Williams were very good, Owen Williams put in an excellent display of distribution that was so much better than anything I have ever seen from him. the back 3 were always a threat in attack.

We struggled a little in the scrum (though Genge won a couple of penalties when. He came on and carried really well) and the evidence of the season so far means I do have to wonder if we can execute our skill quite so well against a more organised team.

Really pleased with the last two weeks, hoping we can play like this in the next two.

by formerly known as Sam Sat 18 Feb 2017, 11:17 pm

Potential banana skin avoided and rousing five point win recorded. OK, wasn't perfect but when you've got some players coming back from long term injury and one making their first start it might be a bit rusty, particularly as they tire. Still job done and Mauger certainly gave an interview that they were under no illusions afterwards.

by **LondonTiger** Tue 21 Feb 2017, 12:51 pm

Rizzo called up to the Italian squad.

by king_carlos Tue 21 Feb 2017, 2:49 pm

Their scrum hasn't been as strong as Italy's characteristically is so unsurprising with his form. If Rizzo comes straight in for Lovotti then it will be a very experienced front row for Italy. In reality I expect Rizzo will be on the bench but just an interesting direction that COS is taking with his forwards having a much higher average age than the backs.

Thankfully for Tigers, Marler and Mako are the only 2 loose heads named in the 28 man England training squad for the weekend so we will have Genge available all week as well as the weekend.

If Locky is back from his bout of Delhi-belly for the weekend then there will need to be some rotation in the back row. Williams, O'Connor, Hamilton, Croft and Thacker are already fit and all playing well enough to deserve game time. Add McCaffery to that and it's a good chances to rotate and keep guys fresh, something injuries have prevented thus far.

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