Leicester vs Gloucester - Sat 3pm

[Puja]

Leicester Tigers team news
15 Freddie Steward [62]
14 Anthony Watson [8]
13 Guy Porter [51]
12 Dan Kelly [46]
11 Harry Potter [51]
10 Freddie Burns [112]
9 Jack van Poortvliet (vc) [55]

1 James Whitcombe [30]
2 Charlie Clare [63]
3 Dan Cole (vc) [300]
4 Harry Wells [166]
5 Ollie Chessum [38]
6 Hanro Liebenberg (c) [70]
7 Tommy Reffell [86]
8 Olly Cracknell [10]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Gabriel Oghre [1]
17 Nephi Leatigaga [74]
18 Joe Heyes [109]
19 Calum Green [98]
20 Sean Jansen [10]
21 Ben Youngs [289]
22 Charlie Atkinson [6]
23 Chris Ashton [21]



15. Santiago Carreras
14. Louis Rees-Zammit*
13. Chris Harris
12. Seb Atkinson
11. Jonny May*
10. Adam Hastings
9. Stephen Varney*

1. Val Rapava-Ruskin
2. Santi Socino
3. Kirill Gotovtsev
4. Freddie Clarke
5. Matias Alemanno
6. Ruan Ackermann
7. Lewis Ludlow (C)
8. Albert Tuisue

16. George McGuigan
17. Alex Seville*
18. Ciaran Knight*
19. Alex Craig*
20. Ben Morgan
21. Charlie Chapman*
22. Giorgi Kveseladze
23. Lloyd Evans*

[Puja]

First game for the Ed Slater cup to raise money for MND. Should be a good one with those teams. Bit sad that Atkinson's not having another runout at 10 - he needs more gametime to get into his groove (plus it wouldn't hurt for him to be playing behind JVP instead of the random ball spray that he got from Youngs last weekend).

Wiese and Cronin rested is a big call for the new boss.

Puja

[FKAS]

No Martin, Weise and Cronin is a blow. I'd have preferred Atkinson to remain at 10 as well. Borthwick wouldn't rotate for home games so unless there's some niggling injuries I'm not amused by Wigg's stance. Away games we rest players.

Be interesting to see if anything has changed with the loss at the top.

[fivepointer]

Charlie on the bench but Seb starting. VR-R v Cole could be good to watch.

[Gloskarlos]

Distinct lack of SiD in the front row for Glos which I think will be telling. Hopefully lots of money and awareness raised for Ed and MND.

[Banquo]

Distinct lack of SiD in the front row for Glos which I think will be telling. Hopefully lots of money and awareness raised for Ed and MND.

Aye, poor lad.

[astralweeks]

The wife gone shopping, did I want to come as well, no, I said, I'll watch the rugby. The only highlights have been Dan
coles meltdown and some very admirable kick tennis.
Wish I'd gone shopping.

[Oakboy]

I watched a fair bit of it, all the time wondering why BT chose this game ahead of Exeter v Bath.

[FKAS]

Wasn't a fun watch. Brightened up somewhat in the second half though the introduction of Youngs and then Ashton limited Tigers ability to go after the TBP.

[Puja]

Wasn't a fun watch. Brightened up somewhat in the second half though the introduction of Youngs and then Ashton limited Tigers ability to go after the TBP.

Youngs was dire off the bench, wasn't he? I was baffled as to why we only gave Atkinson 5 minutes at the end. Surely we want to get minutes into the lad to get him up to speed?

I was impressed once again with Seb Atkinson - decent power in the carry, good hands and decision-making, and looks good in defence. Wouldn't mind England having a look at him.

Puja

[FKAS]

Wasn't a fun watch. Brightened up somewhat in the second half though the introduction of Youngs and then Ashton limited Tigers ability to go after the TBP.

Youngs was dire off the bench, wasn't he? I was baffled as to why we only gave Atkinson 5 minutes at the end. Surely we want to get minutes into the lad to get him up to speed?

I was impressed once again with Seb Atkinson - decent power in the carry, good hands and decision-making, and looks good in defence. Wouldn't mind England having a look at him.

Puja

I'm normally a Youngs advocate but he had an absolute shocker. JVP putting his hand up to be first choice with the new gaffer.

Seb Atkinson is a class act of a player at 12. Glaws have picked up a gem there. He could quite easily be there go to option for more than a decade. It was a day for young EQ 12s as Kelly was the attacking fulcrum in the backs for Tigers. If Borthwick is looking for different 12 options there then a return back home will have offered him two young guys ready to mold into how he wants England to play.

Burns has hit and miss again, I did think we'd turn to Atkinson a lot earlier. Five minutes didn't really give him much chance, I can only presume Wigglesworth was regretting putting Benny on and wanted to limit the crap Atkinson would have to deal with. I wouldn't mind experimenting with Atkinson at 12 during the 6N if Pollard is back, particularly if we're going to be looking at the 12 to be passing as much as Kelly did yesterday.

[Gloskarlos]

Only managed to watch parts of the first half due to visitors, glos looked to have the upper hand marginally, what happened second half? Had hoped it might’ve been a little closer...

[FKAS]

Only managed to watch parts of the first half due to visitors, glos looked to have the upper hand marginally, what happened second half? Had hoped it might’ve been a little closer...

First half was rather messy but Glaws had slightly better discipline and the attack looked more fluid. Losing Rees-Zammit was a blow though. Second half Tigers were able to up the intensity and when Carreras went off injured and Glaws had a scrum half in the back three Tigers were able to exert more pressure. The Tigers forwards off the bench were stronger and as Tigers grew into the game Glaws struggled. Glaws did finish with a flourish at the death.