LEICESTER TIGERS 2020/21 SQUAD/TRANSFERS/CONTRACT THREAD EPISODE IV: A New Hope

[sapajo]

I guess we shall also loose Lavanini to the Championship?

[RagingBull]

So Edgerton is saying that Gigena is staying in Argentina to play for the Pumas in the Rugby Championship?

I’m assuming the same will stand for Moroni too.

Yes it was stated in the press release when we announced him

[Mark62]

So Edgerton is saying that Gigena is staying in Argentina to play for the Pumas in the Rugby Championship?

I’m assuming the same will stand for Moroni too.

Yes it was stated in the press release when we announced him

Thanks, well at least we were aware at the time of signing.

[GETHIN EXILE]

assuming they are actually picked for the final pumas squad - so far 59 players named in the training squad with many of those training with their current clubs in europe so only time will tell how many players we may lose

[Richardfje]

Anyone still feel like we’re lacking a powerful centre, someone like manu and it could a cheaper Pacific island project player but just feel like we a physical replacement for him aswell as Nadolo

[Mark62]

Anyone still feel like we’re lacking a powerful centre, someone like manu and it could a cheaper Pacific island project player but just feel like we a physical replacement for him aswell as Nadolo

Plenty of teams play without a power centre, and in effect gives you more options.
Most of our centre options are 15 stone plus with Scott and Taute both being very solid citizens

[Traveller]

Anyone still feel like we’re lacking a powerful centre, someone like manu and it could a cheaper Pacific island project player but just feel like we a physical replacement for him aswell as Nadolo

Plenty of teams play without a power centre, and in effect gives you more options.
Most of our centre options are 15 stone plus with Scott and Taute both being very solid citizens

The All Blacks centre combination in the WC semi-final was Goodhue (187cms – 101k) & Leinhart Brown (185cms – 96k). South African’s combination of De Allende 189cms – 101k) & Am (188cms – 98k). Henry Slade (who I think is a fabulous player but not viewed as a 'truck it up' Centre) is 191cms and 96k. All of which means that Scott, Moreni and Taute are typical. Tualigi is an outlier at 185cms and 109.8cms.

[sam16111986]

Anyone still feel like we’re lacking a powerful centre, someone like manu and it could a cheaper Pacific island project player but just feel like we a physical replacement for him aswell as Nadolo

Everyone and their dog is after cheap high quality PI project players. Finding an affordable or undiscovered Manu style centre would be a very notable find.

None of our centres are what you'd call diminutive in fact quite the opposite, even Kelly the development centre looks a unit. Remember we've also picked up Murimurivalu who's pretty stocky for a 15 to play alongside the massive Nadolo and Cobus van Wyk who is anything but small. Overall it'll be a bigger and more physical backline than last season.

[Mark62]

With our scrum and the power of Nadolo and Murimurivalu we should be looking to score at lot more from 1st phase.

Scrum between 5 and 10 metres out , Coley gets his right shoulder up a bit, and a classic 8,9, 14 pick if executed properly should be virtually unstoppable.
Alternatively use them as decoys to give space to others.

[mol2]

My concern is lack of pace - Taute really looked slow most of the season so far so I have my doubts about him at the top level.

As for the power centre, I fear that has been our gameplan every time Manu played and as such was way too predictable.

[kpj tiger]

My concern is lack of pace - Taute really looked slow most of the season so far so I have my doubts about him at the top level.

As for the power centre, I fear that has been our gameplan every time Manu played and as such was way too predictable.

Moroni is probably one of the fastest 13's in the game so that shouldn't be an issue when he is here, I agree about the one dimensional gameplan though

[Downsouth]

I can't see Moroni and Scott being slow. Just need to make sure key players stay fit and not play them into the ground

[Traveller]

With our scrum and the power of Nadolo and Murimurivalu we should be looking to score at lot more from 1st phase.

Scrum between 5 and 10 metres out , Coley gets his right shoulder up a bit, and a classic 8,9, 14 pick if executed properly should be virtually unstoppable.
Alternatively use them as decoys to give space to others.

Agreed. I don’t get the concerns about 'power' because of the loss of MT. Fine player though he is. For me power is about the team collective rather than an individual. Saracens centre options in recent years: Barritt 101 kg 185cms, Lowoski 1.84 92k, Taylor 189 92k, Tompkins 181 94k, Bosch 186 97k. Tigers Scott 185cm 103k, Moroni 198 88, Taute 191 108k. The key thing for me is that we now have a first class coaching and recruitment set up which will develop the collective in terms of pace and power and skill etc.

[longlivethecrumbie]

It's all well and good having power if you have a limited game plan with very little intention to offload or have other ball carriers to share the load. In recent seasons we've basically had Genge and Manu who were the threats. You can shut them down easily enough because there was very little offloading going on and we had one off runners going in to contact and looking to recycle on the floor.

We now have multiple good, big, gain line breaking carriers and I would be very, very surprised if we didn't see more offloads with big runners on shoulders to suck in more defenders.

I'm genuinely excited about what is to come.

[loretta]

As Pirelli would say, power is nothing without control. If we can establish a bit of a grip on games, the power we have will be enough.