Tigers Vs Sarries

[FKAS]

Geez this team list is fecking depressing. How have we picked up so many injuries during bye weeks FFS. The backline is particularly awful, the carehome will be worried sick about how they're getting on Vs the Wolfpack defence. I'm really looking forward to the second half scrum collapse and the lack of any sort of game plan as Wigglesworth seems to be the kind of coach who only has his arms up his sleeves. Borthwick I'd trust to somehow win this but it looks like we'll empty a young or journeyman bench onto the pitch desperately chasing the lead.

STARTING XV

15 Mike Brown *
14 Chris Ashton [23]
13 Matt Scott [58]
12 Jimmy Gopperth [9]
11 Harry Potter [57]
10 Handré Pollard [5]
9 Ben Youngs (vc) [294]
1 Tom West [1]
2 Julián Montoya (c) [34]
3 Joe Heyes [114]
4 George Martin [49]
5 Cameron Henderson [27]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [75]
7 Olly Cracknell [15]
8 Jasper Wiese [51]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Charlie Clare [69]
17 Francois van Wyk [26]
18 Will Hurd [19]
19 Eli Snyman [28]
20 Tommy Reffell [92]
21 Sam Edwards [9]
22 Charlie Atkinson [10]
23 Harry Simmons [30]

Saracens Men team to play Leicester Tigers:

1 Eroni Mawi
2 Kapeli Pifeleti
3 Marco Riccioni
4 Tom Ellis
5 Hugh Tizard
6 Andy Christie
7 Jackson Wray
8 Billy Vunipola
9 Aled Davies
10 Alex Goode (c)
11 Alex Lewington
12 Nick Tompkins
13 Alex Lozowski
14 Rotimi Segun
15 Sean Maitland

Replacements:

16 Theo Dan
17 Robin Hislop
18 Christian Judge
19 Cameron Boon
20 Toby Knight
21 Ivan van Zyl
22 Olly Hartley
23 Ben Harris

[fivepointer]

That Tigers backline is a just a bit long in the tooth, for sure. Pack should be able to hold its own.

Olly Hartley on Saracens bench. Ex Wasps and someone who looked very handy in the brief glimpses we saw of him.

[FKAS]

Olly Hartley is a great pick up for Sarries, should suit them down to the ground in terms of size and skillset at centre. Good to see he's getting exposure.

I didn't notice at first glance but Montoya is captaining the side despite club captain and captain for pretty much every other game this season Liebenburg starting at 6. Odd.

I suspect Tigers are going to kick the leather off the thing and look to try and gain a physical advantage with the big starting pack. Pretty dull tactics if so and not a great team to try them on. I'm still seething about the awful centre combination, where's Cokanasiga FFS. At least have a pretence we might run it occasionally.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Cokanasiga must be desperately out of favour

[FKAS]

Cokanasiga must be desperately out of favour

I bet he can't wait for the change in head coach. Borthwick spoke really highly of him early in the season as well.

[Puja]

Cokanasiga must be desperately out of favour

I bet he can't wait for the change in head coach. Borthwick spoke really highly of him early in the season as well.

But didn't follow through by picking him - has he featured in a XXIII since the first few weeks of the season? I'm wondering if there's some kind of a personal or application issue, cause I can't see why else he's not been used when we're this short.

Have to say, I'm not thrilled about Wiggy getting a promotion to England. Not seen much of anything to recommend him as a coach so far. If we are picking up Rennie or Cotter or anyone else available mid-season, I think I'd want them in asap - better to give them the rump of what's likely a dead season to get acquainted with the place and start working on what they want to do going forwards.

Puja

[FKAS]

Played in the first five games. Was an unused sub in round 10 and played in the PRC mid November Vs Sarries. Played for Notts on a one off a few weeks back.

I like Wigglesworth and he might well become a really good coach in time but I don't think he's one now and he's certainly not head coach material. I'm happy for the club to take their time and get the right bloke in whether that's Rennie, Chieka, Cotter, McFarland or McKellar I'm open. As soon as the decision is made it has to be all guns blazing get them in asap. Same for the chosen assistants. We need top 6 for this season and then to start building for next.

[Danno]

This is on ITV I believe

[Danno]

This is on ITV I believe

This is not correct.

[Mellsblue]

This is on ITV I believe

This is not correct.

Peak RR. Close the board.

[FKAS]

This is on ITV I believe

This is not correct.

Probably for the best. Can't see either a one sided hiding or a kick heavy arm wrestle being a great advert for the game.

[Banquo]

This is on ITV I believe

This is not correct.

Probably for the best. Can't see either a one sided hiding or a kick heavy arm wrestle being a great advert for the game.

sarries are pretty weak, so I can see Tigers humping them. Their bench is really...meh.

[FKAS]

This is not correct.

Probably for the best. Can't see either a one sided hiding or a kick heavy arm wrestle being a great advert for the game.

sarries are pretty weak, so I can see Tigers humping them. Their bench is really...meh.

I wish. Tigers have emptied the care home for the backline though. Only Pollard and Porter are under 30. Add that to the complete lack of coherent structure under Wigglesworth and I can see us kicking the leather off the ball unless we're in the opposition 22. Sarries backline is to good to be pulled apart with that strategy and they have better structures than we do.

[Banquo]

Probably for the best. Can't see either a one sided hiding or a kick heavy arm wrestle being a great advert for the game.

sarries are pretty weak, so I can see Tigers humping them. Their bench is really...meh.

I wish. Tigers have emptied the care home for the backline though. Only Pollard and Porter are under 30. Add that to the complete lack of coherent structure under Wigglesworth and I can see us kicking the leather off the ball unless we're in the opposition 22. Sarries backline is to good to be pulled apart with that strategy and they have better structures than we do.

I'd think you should more than match them up front, esp front 5, and your bench is way better up front. The backs may tire tho .....and have to say its a bit of a self inflicted wound recruitment wise.

[stepsider]

Brown for an England comeback?

[twitchy]

Great stuff from tigers.

[Banquo]

Probably for the best. Can't see either a one sided hiding or a kick heavy arm wrestle being a great advert for the game.

sarries are pretty weak, so I can see Tigers humping them. Their bench is really...meh.

I wish. Tigers have emptied the care home for the backline though. Only Pollard and Porter are under 30. Add that to the complete lack of coherent structure under Wigglesworth and I can see us kicking the leather off the ball unless we're in the opposition 22. Sarries backline is to good to be pulled apart with that strategy and they have better structures than we do.

ahem so far (great recruitment obvs )

[FKAS]

sarries are pretty weak, so I can see Tigers humping them. Their bench is really...meh.

I wish. Tigers have emptied the care home for the backline though. Only Pollard and Porter are under 30. Add that to the complete lack of coherent structure under Wigglesworth and I can see us kicking the leather off the ball unless we're in the opposition 22. Sarries backline is to good to be pulled apart with that strategy and they have better structures than we do.

I'd think you should more than match them up front, esp front 5, and your bench is way better up front. The backs may tire tho .....and have to say its a bit of a self inflicted wound recruitment wise.

Not really, there's quite a few injuries to younger options.

However, apparently I'm well off and the key to playing a fast offloading attack is to play a slow backline who are mainly over 30.

Great stuff so far so let's hope it stays the same way throughout.

[Banquo]

I wish. Tigers have emptied the care home for the backline though. Only Pollard and Porter are under 30. Add that to the complete lack of coherent structure under Wigglesworth and I can see us kicking the leather off the ball unless we're in the opposition 22. Sarries backline is to good to be pulled apart with that strategy and they have better structures than we do.

I'd think you should more than match them up front, esp front 5, and your bench is way better up front. The backs may tire tho .....and have to say its a bit of a self inflicted wound recruitment wise.

Not really, there's quite a few injuries to younger options.

However, apparently I'm well off and the key to playing a fast offloading attack is to play a slow backline who are mainly over 30.

Great stuff so far so let's hope it stays the same way throughout.

aged recruits doing well as expected . My point was that your back up recruits are a tad old...but so far...

as i thought, Tigers cohesion up front is telling...rapid ball.

[stepsider]

Sarries clueless so far, dire tackling + only attacking ploy bar poor box kicks is 'give it to Billy' (which isn't working).

[FKAS]

I was a little concerned the tight five might be a bit youthful as three of the five are 23 and under then West has only been at the club a few weeks. Seem to be going well enough at the minute. I wasn't a big fan of pushing Martin forward into the row because I thought we might lose some of his impact in the loose. He's carried decently and tackled as hard as ever though so far.

[Banquo]

good game- important score there.

[stepsider]

Sarries clueless so far, dire tackling + only attacking ploy bar poor box kicks is 'give it to Billy' (which isn't working).

Ah, that didn't age well.

[FKAS]

Sarries clueless so far, dire tackling + only attacking ploy bar poor box kicks is 'give it to Billy' (which isn't working).

I'm surprised they haven't run the Tigers around more. Try to get that backline blowing and test the discipline.

Tigers looked a bit tired at the end of the first half then and Sarries grabbed a try. Slightly concerning going into the second half.

[Banquo]

Sarries clueless so far, dire tackling + only attacking ploy bar poor box kicks is 'give it to Billy' (which isn't working).

Aled Davies is pants, and Youngs bar a kadabbi has used fast ball well.