Leicester Tigers vs Sale Sharks

[tigerburnie]

That's a team to do the job, feel confident we can take this one and build for the Heineken.

COME ON YOU TIGERRRrrrssss

[MurphysLaw]

quote="Soggypitch"]Yes no Cipriani in their 23. disappointing really it's always good to watch talented players.

Good Tigs team, hope Williams goes well, that will decide if we win or win well IMO.[/quote]

Disappointing not to see Cipriani playing against a good team - might have seen whether the recent fuss is based on anything other than hype.
I noticed that he also didn't play in the away leg of their Amlin game the other week either. Apart from him missing, that's quite a strong Sale squad. Behind all the Cipriani praise, their pack has been playing well, particularly Cobilas, Gaskell and Patterson.Don't know anything about their new Tongan 8, but you can guess what he will bring to their game. Behind their pack, Dwyane Peel has looked to be back to form too.

Good to see Tait again - no ill affects from last week; and Bowden too - I think there will be an interesting match up in the centres between him and Goneva and Tuitupu/Cueto.
Also, interesting to see Williams picked ahead of Lamb. A reflection of Lambs recent performances?
Hopefully, our returning forwards will eventually get on top, but it will be a battle, imo.Not sure about the combination of Slater and Deacon at lock. There will be planty of grunt and dog, but the line-out might be interesting, especially with Waldrom starting.

[Big Dai]

Yes no Cipriani in their 23. disappointing really it's always good to watch talented players.

Good Tigs team, hope Williams goes well, that will decide if we win or win well IMO.

Concur with the above Williams plays much deeper than Flood and on the occasions he has started this has blunted our attack. BY found it difficult to locate him with his passes.

Unlike Lamb who stands flatter but has a propensity to locate the opposition with his passes?...............I'll get me coat!

[fentiger]

I think given more game time and therefore more confidence we will see Williams standing flatter. He has come to us not used to a dominant forward pack and his game will take time to bed in.
My opinion (not worth much ) is that he should be brought on to be our No1 when Toby goes, with Lamb +1 as back ups.

[4071]

Disappointing not to see Cipriani playing against a good team - might have seen whether the recent fuss is based on anything other than hype.

Before last weekend his previous Premiership start had been against Sarries, and they are pretty decent. He scored a try and kicked Sale to a losing bonus point at Allianz Park.

He's also started against Saints, Bath, Quins and Exeter. So all of the top five teams in the Premiership.

I noticed that he also didn't play in the away leg of their Amlin game the other week either.

He missed the away game in the Amlin, which Sale lost, but played in the home game which Sale won (with Cips scoring two tries).

[PM76]

According to Martin Crowson on Twitter (https://twitter.com/martin_crowson) Logo is still not fit and Steve Mafi is arriving back in England this weekend.

[kornboy130]

Looking forward to the match though not sure which way the wind will blow.
This is no game for those who think they should automatically play for us just because they age grade internationals, there are plenty of those about in the lower leagues.
I don't recall anyone being that good in the LV that they should expect a red carpet laid out for them into the first team, I went to the worcs match and some were poor against a very poor side, excellent the week before against a young Ospreys rabble but against worcs they were all over the place and it took a few old heads to steal the win. Briggs came on to strengthen the scrum and a hapless worcs side found so many holes that they could have scored 40 points were it not for how poor they actually were, if it is that end to end against Sale with Cipriani, Cueto and others on the pitch then they will score the points.

You seem to have assumed that these players are arrogant and expect a red carpet in to the first team - no one has said that and it's a disservice to them to suggest so.

What we're suggesting is if they aren't going to get games during injury crises then when are they?

Whilst I like Cockers and I'm glad he has a long term contract - his long term succession planning regarding use of the academy has been poor, and there is no denying that.

Whilst we have some superstars who have come through the academy our recent returns have been poor and the signings we've made to replace them have been subsequently mediocre.

[kornboy130]

You obviously think he is of the sufficient quality sam, that is your opinion and that is fine. To expect anyone to be selected on age grade reputation is ridiculous. What they do in the LV and behind closed doors in training says more and as Tigerbeat stated, if they are good enough then they will get their chance. I have seen nothing in the LV to convince me that there is another Croft or Manu being held back by blind coaches!

The problem is wider than the selection for this one match (which I am happy with).

Obviously the academy has the ability to produce the Crofts and the Manus - but what about the Brett Deacons? Matt Smiths? Jordan Cranes etc of this world? (I know JC was Leeds academy but he's been a one-club man with minimal international exposure).

There have been plenty of younger players who are up to premiership standard who have not been utilised as they could be. Did we need to sign Neil Briggs when we had Jimmy Stevens? or Hepetema when we have Pohe and Dunn? Or Pieter Myburgh when we had Matt Everard? Or Jason Spice when we had Sam Harrison? The list goes on.

After that last example Cockers admitted he'd perhaps made a mistake with that policy yet, sadly, it continues to blight us - we're content to look outside rather than promote from within. Despite the fact the academy graduates are cheaper in cap terms and even increase the size of our cap.

[MurphysLaw]

[quote="4071"]
[quote="MurphysLaw"]I noticed that he also didn't play in the away leg of their Amlin game the other week either. [/quote]
He missed the away game in the Amlin, which Sale lost, but played in the home game which Sale won (with Cips scoring two tries).[/quote]

Quite so! As we know, away games in France are generally much tougher, even in the Amlin. Perhaps, Sale should have picked him for both legs.
As I said, shame he isn't playing tomorrow. Hard to believe, but according to one or two on the Sale unoffy, his ommision may be owing to a disciplinary matter.

[The Boy Dave]

The problem is wider than the selection for this one match (which I am happy with).

Obviously the academy has the ability to produce the Crofts and the Manus - but what about the Brett Deacons? Matt Smiths? Jordan Cranes etc of this world? (I know JC was Leeds academy but he's been a one-club man with minimal international exposure).

There have been plenty of younger players who are up to premiership standard who have not been utilised as they could be. Did we need to sign Neil Briggs when we had Jimmy Stevens? or Hepetema when we have Pohe and Dunn? Or Pieter Myburgh when we had Matt Everard? Or Jason Spice when we had Sam Harrison? The list goes on.

After that last example Cockers admitted he'd perhaps made a mistake with that policy yet, sadly, it continues to blight us - we're content to look outside rather than promote from within. Despite the fact the academy graduates are cheaper in cap terms and even increase the size of our cap

I wouldn't know if academy graduates are cheaper than any other young players, not without seeing the facts.
Graduates also bring all this emotional baggage with them, as if they expect to get a long try out at the club, even if they are a big risk to the collective effort, players that come in from elsewhere get a chance and if they mess up we are far more accepting if they get binned.
When anyone is of the required standard and worthy of a place it is pretty obvious as has been the case many times over in the past, no matter what level of player they turn out to be in the longer term.
I haven't seen anything so obviously worthy of promotion for quite a while be it Manu's level or Crane's level, but that is just my opinion.

On topic I would add that we have a good squad named for Sale and it should be a really good game, a shame Cipriani is missing though!

[Noddy555]

To kpj. Obviously Cockers doesn't agree with you and has named Gibson in his starting fifteen. Good for Cockers & Tigers.

[BJ.]

Referee: Matthew Carley (7th Premiership game). I can't remember seeing him ref before, anyone got any opinions/knowledge?

I was going to ask the same question. Apparently he is the first to gain promotion into a full-time role from the Referee Academy. There's some info on him here at the RFU site.

[GS]

From the article:-
'The appointment is of significance as Matthew, 28, becomes the first referee to gain promotion from the Referee Academy, managed by Chris White, into a full time role since its introduction three years ago.'

My fear is that with Chris White's involvement young M Carley Esq won't have a clue at scrum time thus disarming our first, and probably best, form of attack. Fingers crossed that I'm wrong.

[MurphysLaw]

[quote="GS"]From the article:-
[i]'The appointment is of significance as Matthew, 28, becomes the first referee to gain promotion from the Referee Academy, managed by Chris White, into a full time role since its introduction three years ago.'[/i]

My fear is that with Chris White's involvement young M Carley Esq won't have a clue at scrum time thus disarming our first, and probably best, form of attack. Fingers crossed that I'm wrong. [/quote]

This ref was in charge for the Wasps v Northampton game last week. Apparently, some contentious decisions around the scrum, including the late penalty. Wasps less than happy!

[tigercaspian]

Looks like GS was right on the ref given the events leading up to the penalty try, although we couldn't see much from the Clubhouse stand to be fair. However, he did give a forward pass at one point without checking with the TMO so that makes him an improvement on Barnes for (a) not checking it and (b) giving it!!
Cockers very funny on Radio Leicester afterwards about the yellow card for Toituiwotsit which was for a punch to the face for those who didn't know and the report is also here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/25506358
Perhaps someone should tell Messrs White & Sheridan!!
I'll take the win thank you
Very interesting report in the match programme on Page 87 comparing with last season !!
Happy New Year