Tigers v Gloucester - 3rd v 4th!!!

[Tigerbeat]

Should be a cracking game!!

Heres the officials -

Leicester Tigers vs Gloucester
Referee: Andrew Small
Assistant referees: Kevin Stewart, Paul Burton
Television match official: Dave Grashoff
Timekeepers: Clive Leeke

[tigerburnie]

Big game against Glaws,should be an absolute belter, I expect a very strong team for this one with Croft on the bench for his return.

[TTRITH]

Andrew Small...

Thinking Crofty will be back, but Waldrom is out, not sure on where Mafi is in terms of coming back to fitness. Would imagine Castro is still out in Argentina, whilst I expect Taity to come back into the fold. I would expect to see the following:

15. Mathew Tait
14. Niall Morris
13. Manu Tuilagi
12. Anthony Allen
11. Adam Thompstone
10. Toby Flood
9. Ben Youngs
1. Marcos Ayerza
2. Tom Youngs
3. Dan Cole
4. Louis Deacon (c)
5. Graham Kitchener
6. Brett Deacon
7. Julien Salvi
8. Jordan Crane

16. Rob Hawkins
17. Logo Mulipola
18. Fraser Balmain
19. Geoff Parling
20. Tom Croft
21. Sam Harrison
22. George Ford
23. Geordan Murphy

[PM76]

Strongest available side presumably IMO:

Ayerza, Youngs, Cole
Deacon (C), Parling
Mafi (if fit)/ Deacon, Waldrom (if fit)/ Crane, Salvi
Youngs, Flood
Allen, Tuilagi
Thompstone, Tait (if fit)/ Murphy, Morris

Hopefully Croft will be on the bench, it will be interesting to see what happens with TC and Mafi both returning at similar times. Mafi was meant to be fit last week which means he will return this week!!

There are some good match ups too:

Flood vs. Burns
Allen vs. 12Trees
B.Youngs vs. Cowan
Waldrom/ Crane vs. Morgan
Salvi vs. Qera
Parling vs. his future team

IMO the return of Salvi will be key as Qera played Tigers off the park last time. I think it will be tight but Tigers should have too much up front and have stopped, touch-wood, giving up free seven pointers at the start of games. If they leave with nothing then it will be excellent and with Saints playing Sarries then a gap could emerge between the top 3 and the rest.

Tigers by 4-9 IMO but anything more would be a bonus, Glaws have the potential to win though.

[kpj tiger]

Should be a great game, should be dry too according to the weather reports, The Team should be the best available IMO so i would go for:
1. Ayerza
2. Youngs
3. Cole
4. Deacon
5. Parling
6. Deacon - Mafi if fit
7. Salvi
8. TTE
9. Youngs
10. Flood
11. Morris
12. Allen
13. Tuilagi
14. Thompestone
15. Tait

16. Mulipola
17. Hawkins
18. Castro
19. Croft
20. Crane
21. Young
22. Ford
23. Murphy/Smith

[mol2]

Andrew Small...

Thinking Crofty will be back, but Waldrom is out, not sure on where Mafi is in terms of coming back to fitness. Would imagine Castro is still out in Argentina, whilst I expect Taity to come back into the fold. I would expect to see the following:

15. Mathew Tait
14. Niall Morris
13. Manu Tuilagi
12. Anthony Allen
11. Adam Thompstone
10. Toby Flood
9. Ben Youngs
1. Marcos Ayerza
2. Tom Youngs
3. Dan Cole
4. Louis Deacon (c)
5. Graham Kitchener
6. Brett Deacon
7. Julien Salvi
8. Jordan Crane

16. Rob Hawkins
17. Logo Mulipola
18. Fraser Balmain
19. Geoff Parling
20. Tom Croft
21. Sam Harrison
22. George Ford
23. Geordan Murphy

Current England man Parling on the bench behind ex-England man and England hopeful (Deacon and Kitchener respectively)?Not sure I'd go for that one.

I think we have to assume Waldrom and Mafi are still out injured which does leave us with a lack of pace in the back row but that doesn't justify starting Croft too soon.

[RWA]

This is a defining game in our season in my opinion. If the Tigers of the last few weeks turn up, then Gloucester are more than capable of turning us over, given their away performances at Quins and Sarries where they nearly won. If we can put an 80 minute performance together then we can win with a bonus point. Set piece will be key as usual and we should have the edge at scrum time, line out and at the breakdown, with Salvi in to get in amongst Calamari/Morgan/Qera. Flood's kicking will be crucial - as in not kicking to the dangerous Sharples and Monahan - no JSD for them...bonus. Cockers talks every week about precision and accuracy and if we're off our game then Gloucester will gain confidence from this and grow into the game. A fast start is crucial, we need to steam into them and put a marker down. We will not be bullied by a bunch of West Country upstarts who think they are about to put a challenge in for a Top 4 finish. Crowd can play a huge role here, can a full house actually spur the team on to victory, or are we in for another demonstration of how quiet 20,000 people can be ?

Time to step up to the mark - will the real Leicester Tigers please stand up (please stand up etc)...Happy to give the team talk prior to Smoke on the Water !!

[MrPartridge]

will the real Leicester Tigers please stand up (please stand up etc)

RWA - couldn't agree more with your comments about this match potentially defining our season...

However, I think your views are a little harsh. Recent performances haven't been great but IMHO the 'real Leicester Tigers' stood up last week at Irish. Not a perfect performance, but a 22 point 4 try bonus point win at a team who lost their home fixture to Quins on a dubious last minute TMO decision shows how well we played last week.

Gloucester will be tough - no doubt. First 10 minutes are crucial for me. Get at them and get the crowd involved early doors. You could also ask the 'real Gloucester RFC to please stand up'...

Could be a classic encounter... (why have I said that...?) It can only go down from there...!

One final thought.... anyone else a little surprised we might bring Croft back on the subs bench for this game. Don't get me wrong - it will be great to have him back... but I'd keep him out of the squad until one of the first two matches in the New Year...

[MJ Chairman]

MrPartridge, I think the answer to your question is the forthcoming European games. A match fit Croft coming on as an impact sub against Ospreys and Toulouse would be a massive bonus.

[TigerLad]

Personally i would go for a team of
15.Murphy
14.Morris
13.Manu
12.Allen
11.Thompestone
10.Flood
9.Youngs
1.Ayerza
2.Youngs
3.Cole
4.Deacon
5.Parling
6.Slater(If Mafi isn't fit)
7.Salvi
8.Crane

16.Hawkins
17.Fluffy
18.Balmain (Is Castro still in Argentina?)
19.Kitchener
20.B.Deacon
21.Harrison
22.Ford
23.Tait

[tigerburnie]

Personally i would go for a team of
15.Murphy
14.Morris
13.Manu
12.Allen
11.Thompestone
10.Flood
9.Youngs
1.Ayerza
2.Youngs
3.Cole
4.Deacon
5.Parling
6.Slater(If Mafi isn't fit)
7.Salvi
8.Crane

16.Hawkins
17.Fluffy
18.Balmain (Is Castro still in Argentina?)
19.Kitchener
20.B.Deacon
21.Harrison
22.Ford
23.Tait

I might swap Tait and Murphy round, but that is a strong looking squad to take the points at home.

[Rhino33]

The Living Rugby site has started a ranking system (4th week now of their Voltage Ranking) and has Gloucester a place above Tigers.

Are the placings right?

Will Tigers tighten up on their "clumsy and sloppy spell" in the last game?

http://www.livingrugby.co.uk/voltage-rugby-ranking

[WhitecapTiger]

The Living Rugby site has started a ranking system (4th week now of their Voltage Ranking) and has Gloucester a place above Tigers.

Are the placings right?

Will Tigers tighten up on their "clumsy and sloppy spell" in the last game?

http://www.livingrugby.co.uk/voltage-rugby-ranking

Subjectivity rules!

Glaws squeak a win at home against the Chiefs yet are still considered 'hot' whereas the, admittedly misfiring for a period in the match, Tigers win away at London Irish (not the hottest performers at the moment granted) getting a Try Bonus Point into the bargain and are considered 'not hot'

We are all well aware of what Gloucester can do on the pitch, but will they do it? That's another matter........I think this will be a factor:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/ ... ather.html

Wet and windy, last year was a torrential downpour and Glaws flopped, will that happen again?

[PM76]

Teams up:

Leicester Tigers (v Gloucester Rugby, Welford Road, Saturday 5.00pm)
15 Geordan Murphy
14 Niall Morris
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Toby Flood
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon (c)
5 Geoff Parling
6 Brett Deacon
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane

Replacements
16 George Chuter
17 Logovi'i Mulipola
18 Martin Castrogiovanni
19 Ed Slater
20 Steve Mafi
21 Sam Harrison
22 George Ford
23 Matt Smith

Tait, Waldrom and Croft still out but its great to see Mafi and Castro back.

And the Gloucester side:

Gloucester Rugby:

Martyn Thomas; Charlie Sharples, Mike Tindall, Billy Twelvetrees, Shane Monahan; Freddie Burns, Jimmy Cowan; Nick Wood, Huia Edmonds, Shaun Knight; Will James, Jim Hamilton (capt); Sione Kalamafoni, Akapusi Qera, Ben Morgan

Replacements:

Darren Dawidiuk, Dan Murphy, Dario Chistolini, Tom Savage, Matt Cox, Dan Robson, Tim Molenaar, Drew Locke

[WhitecapTiger]

Gloucester Rugby: 15 Martyn Thomas, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Mike Tindall, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Shane Monahan, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Jimmy Cowan; 1 Nick Wood, 2 Huia Edmonds, 3 Shaun Knight; 4 Will James, 5 Jim Hamilton (c); 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Akapusi Qera, 8 Ben Morgan
Replacements: 16 Darren Dawidiuk, 17 Dan Murphy, 18 Dario Chistolini, 19 Tom Savage, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Dan Robson, 22 Tim Molenaar, 23 Drew Locke

Got to admit, Glaws Backrow looks pretty tasty, Brett, Julian and Jordan need to be right on their games!!