Tigers v London Irish - Teams up

[Jimmy Skitz]

I really wish we'd used the LV to develop Gibson or Mafi as an 8 to give a different option. I assume we have Slater and YBY back from England haven't checked the match squad they announced.

Tait
Scully
Goneva
Allen
Thompstone
Flood
Mele
Ayerza
Hawkins
Mulipola
Slater
Kitchener
Mafi
Salvi
Waldrom

Thacker, Boris, Balmain, Deacon, Gibson, YBY, Williams, Smith

[sapajo]

According to twitter tweets Marlon Yarde is pushing to be fit for Sunday

[RWA]

Come on people !! We should be a bit more upbeat for this game surely ? No O'Leary for Irish and we have a decent side to put out. One that should dominate up front and if the backs click, then we are up there with the best. Ok, this season has been poor with awful aspects, but after two unacceptable performances, I'm backing the squad to bounce back and put in display to make us proud. This isn't far off the side that destroyed Saints away, then Quins and then Saints again at the end of last season. Another win sets us up nicely for Newcastle away and the return of Manu.

[GS]

Come on people !! We should be a bit more upbeat for this game surely ? No O'Leary for Irish and we have a decent side to put out. One that should dominate up front and if the backs click, then we are up there with the best. Ok, this season has been poor with awful aspects, but after two unacceptable performances, I'm backing the squad to bounce back and put in display to make us proud. This isn't far off the side that destroyed Saints away, then Quins and then Saints again at the end of last season. Another win sets us up nicely for Newcastle away and the return of Manu.

And there, ladies and gentlemen, you have the definition of a perfect optimist. Yes there's ice on the deck and there's a great gash in the side, but just you wait until the Titanic gets to New York......

[sapajo]

Come on people !! We should be a bit more upbeat for this game surely ? No O'Leary for Irish and we have a decent side to put out. One that should dominate up front and if the backs click, then we are up there with the best. Ok, this season has been poor with awful aspects, but after two unacceptable performances, I'm backing the squad to bounce back and put in display to make us proud. This isn't far off the side that destroyed Saints away, then Quins and then Saints again at the end of last season. Another win sets us up nicely for Newcastle away and the return of Manu.

And there, ladies and gentlemen, you have the definition of a perfect optimist. Yes there's ice on the deck and there's a great gash in the side, but just you wait until the Titanic gets to New York......

Hope springs eternal

[TigerLad]

One of our big problems is that we have had to chop and change the team all season so we haven't had the chance for the team to build up any continuity. Now we have the opportunity we need to stick with the same team as much as possible IMO and let them find their game. I would only make forced changes for this week.

I completely agree with you. Our kicking game will need to improve because kicking to Yarde, O'Connor and Ojo with no chase will kill us. The one change I would make would be to move Goneva to 13 and Scully onto the wing. I just think Scully will suit this game better, along with Thompstone he is the best defensive wing we have and we will need that against Irish's potent back line. I would also really like to see Matera on the bench but the Crane/Waldrom axis will surely be utilised again. I can feel it again. The sense that by Sunday Cockers will have waved his wand and we will be ripping teams apart once more, it may not be realistic but that's my level of faith in Cockers and the team.

[MrPartridge]

I would Start Mele

I don't think anyone thus far has one for Youngs at 9. Like other I've been wanting to see Mele at 9 for few weeks now - cue Cockers selecting Youngs at 9 again, I suspect.

I think Tigers will win by 2-6 points with a similarly dour performance

I'd be happy with a 2-6 point win, but I simply can't see us turning up and playing as badly as we did at Worcester or v Gloucester and getting a win on Sunday. Man-for-man you'd go for us over Irish 90% of the every time, but they have the vital ingredients at the moment that we don't: good form and confidence. Add in home advantage and the high likelihood that loads of Irish fans heading over to Twickers on the Saturday will head to Reading on the Sunday…

[TTRITH]

Will imagine that Cockers will go with:

15. Mat Tait
14. Niki Goneva
13. Matt Smith
12. Anthony Allen
11. Adam Thompstone
10. Toby Flood
9. Ben Youngs
1. Marcos Ayerza
2. Rob Hawkins
3. Logo Mulipola
4. Louis Deacon
5. Ed Slater
6. Jamie Gibson
7. Julian Salvi
8. Jordan Crane
16. Neil Briggs
17. Boris Stankovich
18. Fraser Balmain
19. Steve Mafi/Graham Kitchener
20. Thomas Waldrom
21. David Mele
22. Owen Williams
23. Scott Hamilton/Blaine Scully

Although I'd go with

15. Mat Tait
14. Blaine Scully
13. Niki Goneva
12. Anthony Allen
11. Adam Thompstone
10. Owen Williams
9. David Mele
1. Marcos Ayerza
2. Rob Hawkins
3. Logo Mulipola
4. Louis Deacon
5. Ed Slater
6. Steve Mafi
7. Jamie Gibson
8. Jordan Crane
16. Harry Thacker
17. boris Stankovich
18. Fraser Balmain
19. Graham Kitchener
20. Julian Salvi
21. Ben Youngs
22. Toby Flood
23. Matt Smith

[Will S]

Personally I would go for a starting line up of:

15. Mat Tait
14. Blaine Scully
13. Niki Goneva
12. Anthony Allen
11. Adam Thompstone
10. Toby Flood
9. Ben Youngs
1. Marcos Ayerza
2. Rob Hawkins
3. Logo Mulipola
4. Graham Kitchener
5. Ed Slater
6. Steve Mafi
7. Julian Salvi
8. Jamie Gibson

[Jimmy Skitz]

well we can all scratch Harry Thacker from our squads as he is starting for England U20s on Saturday

[kpj tiger]

I would go with
1. Ayerza
2. Hawkins
3. Mulipola
4. Slater
5. Kitch/Deacon
6. Matera
7. Salvi
8. Crane
9. Mele
10. Flood
11. Scully
12. Allen
13. Goneva
14. Thompstone
15. Tait

16. Stanko
17. Chutes/Farnworth???
18. Balmain
19. Deacon/De Chaves
20. Gibson
21. Youngs
22. Williams
23. Smith

[RWA]

Come on people !! We should be a bit more upbeat for this game surely ? No O'Leary for Irish and we have a decent side to put out. One that should dominate up front and if the backs click, then we are up there with the best. Ok, this season has been poor with awful aspects, but after two unacceptable performances, I'm backing the squad to bounce back and put in display to make us proud. This isn't far off the side that destroyed Saints away, then Quins and then Saints again at the end of last season. Another win sets us up nicely for Newcastle away and the return of Manu.

And there, ladies and gentlemen, you have the definition of a perfect optimist. Yes there's ice on the deck and there's a great gash in the side, but just you wait until the Titanic gets to New York......

Good one there GS....I see what you did. To be frank it's all getting a bit tiresome now, this constant battering of the team, squad, coaching staff. Even if Tigers were to win at Irish, it would only be papering over the cracks no doubt or a temporary respite until we sink to even lower standards of mediocrity ! Oh yes, you will still support the side through thick and thin !! It's your opinion blah blah

Just to update everyone on what the problems we have:

- Cockers isn't a head coach...he's a forwards coach so let's keep him for that
- Burke is inexperienced and not up to the role
- Murphy, who saved our season with a team talk at Exeter last term, isn't qualified enough.
- Bring someone in to help these people (see above)
- Cockers has favourites and won't back down (Eg:Crane)
- We won't buy star quality players, just lots of mediocre players
- Flood should be dropped, his head is elsewhere
- YBY (god I hate that) shouldn't start,Mele is the answer
- [insert player name] is tired and needs a rest
- injuries have killed us
- Injuries are bad but we should be able to win games without all our star players
- England injure our players
- Lancaster coaches the flair out of our players

A balanced view is often good view in my experience. We have played some complete rubbish in recent games....but the players will work hard to get it right, starting on Sunday. Like I said, these are the same players who played some superb rugby last season so why wouldn't we back them to find a way out of a hole and put a performance together ? The players have said as much, it's their responsibility on the park to play....the coaches put a plan together, the players are not executing the plan.....in fact they are not passing, catching, rucking, driving properly...that isn't a coaching problem. Combinations are coming back, Tait and Allen already look better after a few games...it takes time when you've been out of the game injured. I'll be castigated no doubt for excuses. Welford road was quiet vs Gloucester....why didn't the crowd make some noise to try and spur the players on? We couldn't possibly do that could we.

[Smurphswillgetya]

Come on people !! We should be a bit more upbeat for this game surely ? No O'Leary for Irish and we have a decent side to put out. One that should dominate up front and if the backs click, then we are up there with the best. Ok, this season has been poor with awful aspects, but after two unacceptable performances, I'm backing the squad to bounce back and put in display to make us proud. This isn't far off the side that destroyed Saints away, then Quins and then Saints again at the end of last season. Another win sets us up nicely for Newcastle away and the return of Manu.

And there, ladies and gentlemen, you have the definition of a perfect optimist. Yes there's ice on the deck and there's a great gash in the side, but just you wait until the Titanic gets to New York......

Good one there GS....I see what you did. To be frank it's all getting a bit tiresome now, this constant battering of the team, squad, coaching staff. Even if Tigers were to win at Irish, it would only be papering over the cracks no doubt or a temporary respite until we sink to even lower standards of mediocrity ! Oh yes, you will still support the side through thick and thin !! It's your opinion blah blah

Just to update everyone on what the problems we have:

- Cockers isn't a head coach...he's a forwards coach so let's keep him for that
- Burke is inexperienced and not up to the role
- Murphy, who saved our season with a team talk at Exeter last term, isn't qualified enough.
- Bring someone in to help these people (see above)
- Cockers has favourites and won't back down (Eg:Crane)
- We won't buy star quality players, just lots of mediocre players
- Flood should be dropped, his head is elsewhere
- YBY (god I hate that) shouldn't start,Mele is the answer
- [insert player name] is tired and needs a rest
- injuries have killed us
- Injuries are bad but we should be able to win games without all our star players
- England injure our players
- Lancaster coaches the flair out of our players

A balanced view is often good view in my experience. We have played some complete rubbish in recent games....but the players will work hard to get it right, starting on Sunday. Like I said, these are the same players who played some superb rugby last season so why wouldn't we back them to find a way out of a hole and put a performance together ? The players have said as much, it's their responsibility on the park to play....the coaches put a plan together, the players are not executing the plan.....in fact they are not passing, catching, rucking, driving properly...that isn't a coaching problem. Combinations are coming back, Tait and Allen already look better after a few games...it takes time when you've been out of the game injured. I'll be castigated no doubt for excuses. Welford road was quiet vs Gloucester....why didn't the crowd make some noise to try and spur the players on? We couldn't possibly do that could we.

+1 Though i wish you had said what you really think!

[RagingBull]

Irish team is up

1. Parr
2. Paice
3. Hagan
4. Skivington
5. Rouse
6. Low
7. Cowan
8. Treviranus
9. Allinson
10. Humphreys
11. Fenby
12. Geraghty
13. Sheridan
14. Lewington
15. O'Connor

16. Stevens
17. Yapp
18. Halavatau
19. Sinclair
20. Ellis
21. Ojo
22. Yarde
23. Kennedy

[RagingBull]

Leicester Tigers (v London Irish, away, Sunday 1pm)
15 Mathew Tait
14 Blaine Scully
13 Vereniki Goneva
12 Anthony Allen
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Owen Williams
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Rob Hawkins
3 Logovi'i Mulipola
4 Ed Slater (c)
5 Louis Deacon
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane

Replacements
16 Neil Briggs
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Steve Mafi
20 Thomas Waldrom
21 David Mele
22 Matt Smith
23 Toby Flood