Gallagher Premiership - Round 7

Friday 16th November


19:45 Gloucester v Leicester   BT Sport
19:45 Harlequins v Newcastle

For varying reasons Leicester are likely to be missing 10 first choice players (Genge, Denton, Kalamafoni, O'Connor, Youngs, Ford, Toomua, Manu, May, Veainu). While the side that Murphy puts out should give their all, it is hard to see beyond a fairly comfortable win for Glaws.

Falcons had some good performances in Europe and will be hoping to translate that form into the Premiership and move off the bottom of the table. These sides met in the Prem cup the weekend before last, with Falcons squeaking an away win. How much relevance that has is moot as both teams will be much changed.


Saturday 17th November


12:45 Bath v Worcester
13:00 Northampton v Wasps
13:00 Saracens v Sale

Worcester's preparations over the last 5 weekends have been focusing on this fixture. They will be very close to full strength and could easily storm past a Bath side who all season have looked less than teh sum of their parts.

Northampton are in the middle of a serious injury crisis and along side international call ups are missing 16 players this weekend. They will be relieved that Burrell and Francis seem to be fit after recent knocks as they look to capitalise on a very leaky Wasps defence. Wasps themselves have an issue with injuries, and while they are getting some players back key leaders will be missing. Possibly the biggest issue is the fitness of the coaches son. When available he has been the standout player for the Coventry side this term.

Saracens are missing a lot of players, but they have a large squad. they will be hampered by the late release of guys like Wigglesworth and Lozowski, but they have the cover to leave them on the bench. Problems in the second row with Itoje, Kruis and Isiekwe unavailable - yet they can still call on Skelton and the "new Itoje" Joel Kpoku. Whoever they select should be too strong for Sale, but Sarries have been vulnerable in the AI window in recent years.


Sunday 18th November


15:00 Bristol v Exeter   BT Sport

Bristol have been keen to win home games. Exeter top the table but have struggled a little in Europe. Missing four props will hinder them and this game could be interesting. Bristol will look to make a quick start, but unlike too many other games they cannot afford to fold after the break.

BUY TICKETS
GLOUCESTER RUGBY
VS
LEICESTER TIGERS
16 November 2018 19:45 at Kingsholm

Team news | Tigers at Gloucester this Friday
15 November 2018 12:00




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Sione Kalamafoni returns to the Leicester Tigers line-up to face former club Gloucester Rugby at Kingsholm on Friday evening.

The Tonga international returns for the resumption of the Gallagher Premiership programme, joining Mike Williams and Guy Thompson in the Tigers back row for the Round 7 fixture.

Dan Cole is back in the front row alongside Greg Bateman and club captain Tom Youngs, while Ben White and Joe Ford team up at half-back in the only changes to the backline from the Premiership Rugby Cup tie with Sale Sharks last weekend.

The replacements include Argentina international duo Facundo Gigena and Gaston Cortes, plus Will Spencer and Mike Fitzgerald, while Matt Smith has recovered from a foot injury and takes his place in the squad.

Geordan Murphy, Tigers’ interim head coach, said: “The Cup games came at a good time for us to rotate selection and give some opportunities through the squad. Some of the younger guys had a run of games and they will have learned from that.

“We’re starting to get a few bodies back in the squad from injury, though we’ve now got players away with England, Wales, Tonga and Fiji so it is a test for the squad.

“Gloucester are a very good side, they’re going well and we know they will want to get stuck into us. But we’re going there looking for a big performance from the team.”

Leicester Tigers (v Gloucester Rugby, away, Friday 7.45pm)

15 George Worth

14 Adam Thompstone

13 Gareth Owen

12 Kyle Eastmond

11 Jordan Olowofela

10 Joe Ford

9 Ben White

1 Greg Bateman

2 Tom Youngs (c)

3 Dan Cole

4 Harry Wells

5 Graham Kitchener

6 Mike Williams

7 Guy Thompson

8 Sione Kalamafoni

Replacements

16 Jake Kerr

17 Facundo Gigena

18 Gaston Cortes

19 Will Spencer

20 Mike Fitzgerald

21 Sam Harrison

22 Tom Hardwick

23 Matt Smith

FFS why?!?

Gloucester Rugby: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Matt Banahan, 13 Billy Twelvetrees, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley; 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Willi Heinz; 1 Josh Hohneck, 2 James Hanson, 3 Fraser Balmain; 4 Tom Savage, 5 Ed Slater (c), 6 Gareth Evans, 7 Jaco Kriel, 8 Freddie Clarke
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Val Rapava Ruskin, 18 Ciaran Knight, 19 Gerbrandt Grobler, 20 Ben Morgan, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Henry Trinder, 23 Tom Hudson

We're going to get humped.

Absolutely humped.

Likely to be pretty well beaten whoever we chose, but Ford starting, and Fitz covering back row on bench are tried and failed selections.

Good Quins team that. Glad to see Clifford playing

Falcons Vs Quins looks like it could be a really decent game that. Two strong squads looking to play some rugby.

LondonTiger wrote:Absolutely humped.

Likely to be pretty well beaten whoever we chose, but Ford starting, and Fitz covering back row on bench are tried and failed selections.

Feel sorry for Eastmond and Owen. Nothing like getting the ball at a standstill metres behind the game line from a flyhalf running sideways as two 15+ stone centres line you up. That's if Kriel isn't flying off at you out the corner of your eye. Hardwick will probably be put on at 12 so that he two can take a pasting.

We have two talented young opensides who are watching from the stands so our fifth choice lock can cover 6. It's like MOC is still watching the game over his sizeable gut. Surely against a big Glaws pack a mobile openside could cause some serious headaches particularly as the big pack tires and aren't going to bully them up front where as they are going to keep trying to run us over.

That's a dynamic mobile aggressive back row we've put out there...

Still no Radwan...I wonder whats going on there...?

I fancy our chances in this one.

EDIT: However just seen JP Doyle is in charge...Quins win...

CHIEFS SIDE TO FACE BRISTOL BEARS

15 Phil Dollman
14 Santiago Cordero
13 Ian Whitten
12 Ollie Devoto
11 Alex Cuthbert
10 Gareth Steenson
9 Stuart Townsend
1 Moray Low
2 Jack Yeandle (capt)
3 Greg Holmes
4 Ollie Atkins
5 Mitch Lees
6 Don Armand
7 Matt Kvesic
8 Tom Lawday
16 Elvis Taione
17 Billy Keast
18 Marcus Street
19 Wilhelm Van Der Sluys
20 Dave Dennis
21 Nic White
22 Joe Simmonds
23 Sam Hill

4 props on international duty but Marcus Street looking a good prospect on the bench played U20 when only 18

4 props on international duty yet still two international props playing. A lot of depth.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Gloucester Rugby: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Matt Banahan, 13 Billy Twelvetrees, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley; 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Willi Heinz; 1 Josh Hohneck, 2 James Hanson, 3 Fraser Balmain; 4 Tom Savage, 5 Ed Slater (c), 6 Gareth Evans, 7 Jaco Kriel, 8 Freddie Clarke
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Val Rapava Ruskin, 18 Ciaran Knight, 19 Gerbrandt Grobler, 20 Ben Morgan, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Henry Trinder, 23 Tom Hudson

We're going to get humped.

With all due respect, I hope so! We've got a lot of players out too, but this 23 does show how our strength in depth has improved. I can't wait to see a fully fit Kriel.

Joe ford at 10, congratulations on the win glos.

This is awful....

We are genuinely relegation candidates on this form....

Well 6 losses from 7 Premier games....that's not a good stat...

Dont know what happened in that game, by all accounts we were pretty sloppy but Falcons just didnt want to play. Strange after they went so well in europe.

And Leicester... damn

Not seen the game just the score. Sadly anticipated considering the awful squad selection. Murphy needs to take back the initiative he has shown previously this seems like the kind of selection and performance we had under MOC

Yappy.. we got obliterated at the breakdown...Clifford ,Brown etc just making turnovers at will...

Michael Young returned to his box kick us out of the game rubbish and our lineout normally a real strength was poor.

Noticeably as soon a Cooper came on at hooker and Young went off we started to play...

And I'll say again...Alex Tait is a good full back...NOT a winger. Where the hell is Radwan and Kibirige??!!

Good to hear about Clifford playing well Geordie, seems like forever since he last got a run of games or those england call ups.

nathan wrote:Joe ford at 10, congratulations on the win glos.

Is there a worse flyhalf in the league?

Glaws played well to be fair and simply outclassed us.

Credit where it's due as well the ref had a good game too.

Glaws were perhaps lucky to have just one try ruled out for forward passes, however margin of victory was pretty fair.

The selections of Ford and Fitz panned out as expected.  Owen was really poor in defence, Olowofela struggled, Thompstone has no pace anymore. On the plus side a few Tigers gave good displays - Balmain, Slater and Twelvetrees all showed up well.

A great result by a very young and inexperienced side for Saints, thee starts at GP level, two in the starting line up plus another eight players with only a handful of starts for Saints in the 23. Only two tries conceded against a strong Wasps side with 2 of our teenage back scoring tries.

Did anyone see the game, I am interested in how Moon stepped up? He has all the size and athleticism to be a major player for Saints, I just haven't seen him show the "dog" required to be a top player.

The future is starting to look bright down at the Gardens.

Bristol looking good so far.

Been an excellent match so far ...

Ruined by the ref.

We should have seen Exeter taking a touchline conversion for the win, yet he awards a penalty try.

Got me 2 Grandslam points in Superbru though

Wasps keep screwing up my superbru

I wasn't sure about that one so luckily went Saints by 1 ...

Ruined by the ref.

We should have seen Exeter taking a touchline conversion for the win, yet he awards a penalty try.

Ha ha take it on the chin , I worked out Exeter have 12 props on their books , 4 on International duty, 4 for the Braves match Saturday and 4 for the Chiefs on Sunday . Ironically they based the club business plan on Leicester.

Heaf wrote:I wasn't sure about that one so luckily went Saints by 1 ...

I was a bit more optimistic, I went Saints by 3. Scored 5 out of 6 correct, but only picked up one bonus point, ironically with Chiefs where I clicked the wrong button, I thought they were win by more.