Team's up: Tigers v London Irish

[Iain]

Leicester Tigers (v London Irish, Welford Road, Sunday 3pm)
15 Mathew Tait
14 Adam Thompstone
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Jean de Villiers
11 Telusa Veainu
10 Freddie Burns
9 Jono Kitto
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs
3 Fraser Balmain
4 Mike Fitzgerald
5 Dom Barrow
6 Tom Croft
7 Lachlan McCaffrey
8 Ed Slater (c)

Replacements
16 Harry Thacker
17 Riccardo Brugnara
18 Logovi'i Mulipola
19 Mike Williams
20 Laurence Pearce
21 Sam Harrison
22 Tommy Bell
23 Matt Smith

[Iain]

I think this recognises a few things:

First, that Harrison is lacking sharpness and we looked quicker and sharper with Kitto last week.

Second that the back row was missing physicality, presence and leadership to secure good ball, hence Slater at 8.

If you're not excited at seeing Manu Tuilagi outside Jean de Villiers with a creative ten like Burns in front of them then you probably don't really like rugby.

[RagingBull]

Called Slater @ 8!

Yeh Thompstone back thought he looked good pre injury solid.

Hope Betham is just rotation.

Good to see Kitto get a start.

[Qbec]

Gotta ask where is Goneva?

[Iain]

The more I look at it the more I think that might be one of the most balanced back rows we have put out this season. Let Croft play his natural game at 6, let McCaffrey secure ball, let Slater lead, control and charge.

Good team I think, really strong options on the bench too.

[drc_007]

Gotta ask where is Goneva?

Hibernating waiting for spring?

[Qbec]

You may well be right he does prefer the harder ground doesn't he.
Just not heard anything from the club as to why he has not been playing though.

Good to see Adam T back as well.

[Bunchy]

The more I look at it the more I think that might be one of the most balanced back rows we have put out this season. Let Croft play his natural game at 6, let McCaffrey secure ball, let Slater lead, control and charge.

Good team I think, really strong options on the bench too.

Completely agree - very balanced side

[Noggs]

If we manage to win the set piece and get some go forward ball it has the potential of being a great performance with that backs line up. Conditions should be good so there are no excuses.

Let battle commence

[Jose]

Yeah! Really excited by the thought of that team on Sunday vs Irish. Is a teamsheet that should genuinely intimimidate the opposition for the first time for a few weeks. Now just praying for good weather and a 5 point win. Friday afternoon optimism!

[jgriffin]

Called Slater @ 8!

Yeh Thompstone back thought he looked good pre injury solid.

Hope Betham is just rotation.

Good to see Kitto get a start.

Hope this is the start of something good - several of us have suggested Ed as a natural 8 in the past and been ridiculed.......the only ??? for me is 'where's Betham?'
Will be glad to be back on the terrace after missing two games for 'health' reasons (actually an op on my tackle ).

[TomWeston]

?..
First, that Harrison is lacking sharpness and we looked quicker and sharper with Kitto last week.

...

To be fair that might just be like the YBY/Care situation. Fresh legs can often impress against a flagging opposition.

[ourla]

London Irish: 15 Sean Maitland, 14 Topsy Ojo, 13 Ciaran Hearn, 12 Fergus Mulchrone, 11 Andrew Fenby, 10 Theo Brophy Clews, 9 Scott Steele, 1 Tom Smallbone, 2 David Paice, 3 Halani Aulika, 4 Matt Symons, 5 Elliott Stooke, 6 Luke Narraway (c), 7 Blair Cowan, 8 Ofisa Treviranus

Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Tom Court, 18 Leo Halavatau, 19 Will Lloyd, 20 Joe Trayfoot, 21 Darren Allinson, 22 Shane Geraghty, 23 Johnny Williams

[Iain]

?..
First, that Harrison is lacking sharpness and we looked quicker and sharper with Kitto last week.

...

To be fair that might just be like the YBY/Care situation. Fresh legs can often impress against a flagging opposition.

No, I think it was more than that. I thought Harrison was looking lacklustre all game. Very slow and ponderous, uncharacteristically so. We were remarking on it early in the first half, it was making our attack very flat. Whether that was partly as a result of poor back row work is possible, hence the back row changes this week too perhaps. I don't think I'm alone in this opinion either, I think he's been a little off the boil of late.

[drc_007]

?..
First, that Harrison is lacking sharpness and we looked quicker and sharper with Kitto last week.

...

To be fair that might just be like the YBY/Care situation. Fresh legs can often impress against a flagging opposition.

No, I think it was more than that. I thought Harrison was looking lacklustre all game. Very slow and ponderous, uncharacteristically so. We were remarking on it early in the first half, it was making our attack very flat. Whether that was partly as a result of poor back row work is possible, hence the back row changes this week too perhaps. I don't think I'm alone in this opinion either, I think he's been a little off the boil of late.

I think is more that that he offers little threat in attack himself, defenders can drift off the breakdown.