Tigers Vs Saints

[FKAS]

The depleted Midlands Derby is incoming with at least a few names back for each side.

15. Freddie Burns
14. Anthony Watson
13. Matt Scott
12. Guy Porter
11. Harry Potter
10. Handre Pollard
9. Sam Edwards
8. Jasper Weise
7. Tommy Reffell
6. Hanro Liebenburg (c)
5. Eli Snyman
4. Harry Wells
3. Will Hurd
2. Julian Montoya
1. James Whitcombe

16. Charlie Clare
17. Tom West
18. Dan Richardson
19. George Martin
20. Olly Cracknell
21. Tom Whiteley
22. Jimmy Gopperth
23. Harry Simmons


15 James Ramm
14 Courtnall Skosan
13 Matt Proctor
12 Rory Hutchinson
11 Ollie Sleightholme
10 George Furbank (c)
9 Tom James – 50th Saints Appearance

1 Alex Waller
2 Mike Haywood
3 Paul Hill
4 Alex Moon
5 Alex Coles
6 Angus Scott-Young
7 Aaron Hinkley
8 Juarno Augustus

Replacements:
16 Robbie Smith
17 Ethan Waller
18 Alfie Petch
19 Brandon Nansen
20 Karl Wilkins
21 Sam Graham
22 Callum Braley
23 Tom Litchfield

[FKAS]

Tigers tighthead stocks are really stretched here. No Cole, Heyes or Leatigaga mean it's 22 year old Hurd and then Richardson who's primarily a loosehead but can cover tighthead who's played virtually all his rugby at Championship level. I can't see Tigers being able to push around the Saints scrum like have enjoyed doing previously.

[Mellsblue]

George Furbank (c) - Saints by 83

[Puja]

Tigers tighthead stocks are really stretched here. No Cole, Heyes or Leatigaga mean it's 22 year old Hurd and then Richardson who's primarily a loosehead but can cover tighthead who's played virtually all his rugby at Championship level. I can't see Tigers being able to push around the Saints scrum like have enjoyed doing previously.

Ethan Waller to come on at loosehead for Saints as well; could get messy at the end of the game. Surprised they haven't gone for Hoyt - okay, so he would probably get murdered as well, but it would at least be a learning experience for him.

Aside from that, the teams look much more evenly matched than I was expecting. Could be a good game.

Puja


ETA. Surprised we've dropped Olly Cracknell from the 23 and replaced him with a retired Olympic rower.

[Mellsblue]

ETA. Surprised we've dropped Olly Cracknell from the 23 and replaced him with a retired Olympic rower.

Great spot!!!
Given his well documented issues with brain trauma…

[Epaminondas Pules]

Watson back is good. Still no sign of Coka, which is a shame.

And Martin back, woohoo!

[Puja]

Watson back is good. Still no sign of Coka, which is a shame.

And Martin back, woohoo!

And covering lock, which is interesting.

Puja

[FKAS]

Coka not with Nottingham this weekend so presumably is the traveling reserve. Ilione is on the bench for Nottingham.

Hoyt is with the England under 20s atm, not sure dropping a 19 year old tighthead into a Prem game for a mullering would help his development to be honest.

I can see Tigers putting plenty of testing kicks on that back three unless Saints adapt their defence to have Furbank situated in the backfield.

[FKAS]

Watson back is good. Still no sign of Coka, which is a shame.

And Martin back, woohoo!

And covering lock, which is interesting.

Puja

Where's Henderson was my thought, must have a niggle and he did come off last weekend.

Green is injured and Chessum with England so it's one of Liebenburg or Martin covers unless we got with Tom Manz.

[Puja]

Watson back is good. Still no sign of Coka, which is a shame.

And Martin back, woohoo!

And covering lock, which is interesting.

Puja

Where's Henderson was my thought, must have a niggle and he did come off last weekend.

Green is injured and Chessum with England so it's one of Liebenburg or Martin covers unless we got with Tom Manz.

Well, I'm in favour of Martin moving back forwards, as we said in the transfers thread, so I'm pleased.

Puja

[fivepointer]

Fancy Saints. They look to be a bit less disrupted than Tigers.

Neither side in irresistible form so it could be a very close affair.

[FKAS]

And covering lock, which is interesting.

Puja

Where's Henderson was my thought, must have a niggle and he did come off last weekend.

Green is injured and Chessum with England so it's one of Liebenburg or Martin covers unless we got with Tom Manz.

Well, I'm in favour of Martin moving back forwards, as we said in the transfers thread, so I'm pleased.

Puja

I'm caught in two minds. He's a brilliant blindside for us and his introduction on the flank can and does change the flow of games sometimes. Case in point being the Leinster game last season where he came on at half time and Leinster's easy metres dried up really quickly with Conan and Doris suddenly shackled. Going to be a big ask for him to do the same from lock, part of me falls on the side of "it ain't broke, don't try and fix it" then the other half is with you and would quite like a second row with his mobility that hits like a train.

We've also got a number of good locks waiting in the wings but not as many backrowers. The good ones are two or three years away.

[stepsider]

Wayne B interpreting the head tackle law in his usual idiosyncratic way

[Adam_P]

Saints are kicking away far too much ball

[FKAS]

Wayne B interpreting the head tackle law in his usual idiosyncratic way

I understand where he's coming from but the player jumps up into the tackle so there's no chance he will ever be low enough to make a legal tackle. It's exactly the kind of stupid shit World Rugby want to stamp out so a red would have been perfectly acceptable. I'm more annoyed by Saints being allowed to come in at the side at every ruck after Tigers knock back their forwards in the tackle.

The influence of Pollard on the Tigers backline is starting to show, nice to see some variety ball in hand but I'd like to see a few more inside balls to try and target Hutchinson in the midfield.

[Adam_P]

Wayne B interpreting the head tackle law in his usual idiosyncratic way

I understand where he's coming from but the player jumps up into the tackle so there's no chance he will ever be low enough to make a legal tackle. It's exactly the kind of stupid shit World Rugby want to stamp out so a red would have been perfectly acceptable. I'm more annoyed by Saints being allowed to come in at the side at every ruck after Tigers knock back their forwards in the tackle.

The influence of Pollard on the Tigers backline is starting to show, nice to see some variety ball in hand but I'd like to see a few more inside balls to try and target Hutchinson in the midfield.

It was low danger so yellow is perfectly in line with the protocol - it's one of the mitigating factors to bring it down from a red along with things like change of height or direction

[stepsider]

For some of last week's Euro refs, I'd say that a red would have been a stone cold cert!

That said, Saints doing well to stay in this.

[FKAS]

Wayne B interpreting the head tackle law in his usual idiosyncratic way

I understand where he's coming from but the player jumps up into the tackle so there's no chance he will ever be low enough to make a legal tackle. It's exactly the kind of stupid shit World Rugby want to stamp out so a red would have been perfectly acceptable. I'm more annoyed by Saints being allowed to come in at the side at every ruck after Tigers knock back their forwards in the tackle.

The influence of Pollard on the Tigers backline is starting to show, nice to see some variety ball in hand but I'd like to see a few more inside balls to try and target Hutchinson in the midfield.

It was low danger so yellow is perfectly in line with the protocol - it's one of the mitigating factors to bring it down from a red along with things like change of height or direction

Yeah that's why I said I understood where he came from. He could have also gone straight red with no mitigation because it's never a legal tackle.

Barnes has been incredibly generous to Saints so far. That off the ball tackle was a stone wall penalty. To then penalise Weise because Proctor is lying over the ball and gets a shoulder he deserved is just galling.

[Adam_P]

I understand where he's coming from but the player jumps up into the tackle so there's no chance he will ever be low enough to make a legal tackle. It's exactly the kind of stupid shit World Rugby want to stamp out so a red would have been perfectly acceptable. I'm more annoyed by Saints being allowed to come in at the side at every ruck after Tigers knock back their forwards in the tackle.

The influence of Pollard on the Tigers backline is starting to show, nice to see some variety ball in hand but I'd like to see a few more inside balls to try and target Hutchinson in the midfield.

It was low danger so yellow is perfectly in line with the protocol - it's one of the mitigating factors to bring it down from a red along with things like change of height or direction

Barnes has been incredibly generous to Saints so far.

Makes a change

[FKAS]

Alex Waller the knob is lucky that Barnes blew the whistle before Edwards took the ball out because that was high.

[Adam_P]

Alex Waller the knob is lucky that Barnes blew the whistle before Edwards took the ball out because that was high.

I see you Alex Waller and raise you Jasper Weise. Total prick. Wish he played for Saints.

[FKAS]

Alex Waller the knob is lucky that Barnes blew the whistle before Edwards took the ball out because that was high.

I see you Alex Waller and raise you Jasper Weise. Total prick. Wish he played for Saints.

True, though Weise is supposed to quiet and relaxed off the pitch it's the classic different person when he runs on the pitch syndrome. The carry on by Waller was just pathetic though, tell him you'll see him in the next ruck and then get on with the game already. Barnes should have marched him back another 10 for the shouting and finger waving after the decision was explained.

[Adam_P]

He did try to Callum Clark his ankle to be fair

[twitchy]

He did try to Callum Clark his ankle to be fair

Very dangerous play. Could have been nasty.

[padprop]

Awful from Weise, very clear he know what he was doing and was trying to hyperextend. Should be cited.