Round 3 - Saracens (H) - Saturday 02nd October 2021

[tigerburnie]

I guess this could be one of our biggest tests at home, however we are putting together some good performances and with players missing from both sides, this looks like a fairly evenly balanced contest. You cannot ignore home advantage here and both sides, coaches included, will be looking to make a mark , I expect an interesting match, probably close, but Tigers really are in a great place to win this.

[Old Hob]

Team selection will be interesting. Ben Youngs has withdrawn from England camp with a thigh strain but should be available to play on Saturday. Does anyone else find that curious?

[iceman_19]

I think the reality is that the kicking game will be absolutely critical on Saturday and so, if Youngs is fit, he starts, with JVP on the bench. Other than that I can see Green coming back in for Snyman because of his expertise, and hopefully Nephi on the bench too to offer some explosivity. Sarries' really dominated the collisions against Bristol and gave them pretty slow ball to play off so we'll need to be pretty aggressive on the carry and on the clearout.

One thing we discussed on the podcast was whether or not this may be a game where we'd want a second kicking option in the backline to try and open up the options with the boot. Lancaster or Socino at 12 may be an option (the latter in particular given his recent experience for them) but it would be a big shout to drop them in for their first start against Sarries.

Shameless plug again for the Rolling Maul (Tigers Fans Podcast) - our new episode is up where we chew through the Gloucester result, look ahead to Sarries and Elliot tells us all about the new 'friend' he made in the Shed. You can find it on Apple Podcasts (the following link) but also Spotify and Google etc.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t ... 1583870237

[TigerFeetSteve]

Team selection will be interesting. Ben Youngs has withdrawn from England camp with a thigh strain but should be available to play on Saturday. Does anyone else find that curious?

Not particularly, it's a training camp. No use risking not playing matches going to an intensive training camp and missing the game because it made a niggle worse.

EJ is famed for high intensity training so it won't be time off. Youngs is also a known quantity, so it's not like he's desperate to make a mark in front of the England coach for the first time.

That said if he isn't 100% I'd have him on the bench and start JVP

[ABClub]

I think Borthwick will go for continuity and near full strength for Sarries then we will see a bit of rotation against LI and Worcester away the following two weekends.

1.Genge 2.Dolly 3.Cole 4.Wells 5.Green 6.Martin 7.Reffell 8.Liebenberg
9.Youngs 10.Ford 11.Nadolo 12.Kelly 13.Scott 14.Potter 15.Steward

16.Youngs/TCD 17.Leatigaga 18.Heyes 19.Snyman 20.Chessum 21.JvP 22.Burns 23.Murimurivalu

Then the following week for LI something like:

1.van Wyk 2.Dolly 3.Heyes 4.Snyman 5.Green 6.Chessum 7.Reffell 8.Liebenberg (c)
9.JvP 10.Burns 11.Saumaki 12.Scott 13.Porter 14.Potter 15.Murimurivalu

16.Youngs/TCD 17.Genge 18.Leatigaga 19.Henderson 20.Evans 21.Youngs 22.Ford 23.Hegarty

Perhaps Socino coming into the centre over the course of the LI and Wuss games but with Moroni away I think Borthwick will really want the defensive leadership that Scott offers.

[OakhamTiger32]

I think Borthwick will go for continuity and near full strength for Sarries

1.Genge 2.Dolly 3.Cole 4.Wells 5.Green 6.Martin 7.Reffell 8.Liebenberg
9.Youngs 10.Ford 11.Nadolo 12.Kelly 13.Scott 14.Potter 15.Steward

16.Youngs/TCD 17.Leatigaga 18.Heyes 19.Snyman 20.Chessum 21.JvP 22.Burns 23.Murimurivalu

Can’t see it being much different to that. Would love to see Socino or Muri on the bench but can see Porter getting the 23 shirt due to his versatility

[ABClub]

I think Borthwick will go for continuity and near full strength for Sarries

1.Genge 2.Dolly 3.Cole 4.Wells 5.Green 6.Martin 7.Reffell 8.Liebenberg
9.Youngs 10.Ford 11.Nadolo 12.Kelly 13.Scott 14.Potter 15.Steward

16.Youngs/TCD 17.Leatigaga 18.Heyes 19.Snyman 20.Chessum 21.JvP 22.Burns 23.Murimurivalu

Can’t see it being much different to that. Would love to see Socino or Muri on the bench but can see Porter getting the 23 shirt due to his versatility

There are a few very good backs who haven't had game time in the first 2 rounds. Hegarty, Socino, Murimurivalu and Saumaki all haven't featured yet. The depth is so much better now.

Back row depth has taken a hit with Wiese, van Staden and Brink unavailable at the same time but Liebenberg, Martin and Reffell have all been excellent across rounds 1 and 2. We may struggle to rotate Liebenberg until Wiese is back though.

[RagingBull]

Personally I don't agree with mass unforced changes
I feel most should be 5 in the starting XV something like
v Irish
1. Genge, 2. Dolly, 3. Heyes, 4. Wells, 5. Henderson, 6. Martin, 7. Reffell, 8. Liebenberg
9. JVP, 10. Ford, 11. Saumaki, 12. Scott, 13. Porter, 14. Murimurivalu, 15. Steward

then v Worcester
1. Van Wyk, 2. Dolly, 3. Heyes, 4. Green, 5. Henderson, 6. Martin, 7. Reffell, 8. Liebenberg
9. JVP, 10. Burns, 11. Saumaki, 12. Kelly, 13. Porter, 14. Murimurivalu, 15. Hergarty


In this league there will be no easy away games now, but Irish and Worcester are targetable especially with the Internationals being here. I feel like that changing half our team in a week is just taking us back to last season.

Look at quins last season Dombrandt and Smith played in all but a couple games.

[OakhamTiger32]

Personally I don't agree with mass unforced changes
I feel most should be 5 in the starting XV something like
v Irish
1. Genge, 2. Dolly, 3. Heyes, 4. Wells, 5. Henderson, 6. Martin, 7. Reffell, 8. Liebenberg
9. JVP, 10. Ford, 11. Saumaki, 12. Scott, 13. Porter, 14. Murimurivalu, 15. Steward

then v Worcester
1. Van Wyk, 2. Dolly, 3. Heyes, 4. Green, 5. Henderson, 6. Martin, 7. Reffell, 8. Liebenberg
9. JVP, 10. Burns, 11. Saumaki, 12. Kelly, 13. Porter, 14. Murimurivalu, 15. Hergarty


In this league there will be no easy away games now, but Irish and Worcester are targetable especially with the Internationals being here. I feel like that changing half our team in a week is just taking us back to last season.

Look at quins last season Dombrandt and Smith played in all but a couple games.

Might try and give Dolly a rest at some point, especially if Youngs is back but otherwise agree with all of this

[RagingBull]

Well that’s the IF he is

[anz3001]

Are the Lions available for this game?

[OakhamTiger32]

Are the Lions available for this game?

“The structure the RPA agreed with the Premiership includes a mandatory five-week rest period, but only two of those weeks are absolute rest with the other three ‘active rest’, meaning players should be completing conditioning programmes. Four weeks’ complete rest after a Lions tour would surely be better in player welfare terms”

Last test was 07 Aug so I reckon they’ve got to be in contention

[Big Dai]

There's a bit of me saying bringing their Lions back could be disruptive. An advantage to Tigers?Especially if Farrell believes he has something to prove and gets "reckless".

I've got to moderate my expectation. I want a performance, never mind the result, leave nothing out there and maintain the improvement.

Then I'll have a pint with the old man....if not a Remy.

[ABClub]

5 weeks rest is for non EPS Lions such as Smith and Simmonds. EPS members have a mandatory 10 week rest period so the Sarries cohort won't be available for a few weeks yet.

[anz3001]

5 weeks rest is for non EPS Lions such as Smith and Simmonds. EPS members have a mandatory 10 week rest period so the Sarries cohort won't be available for a few weeks yet.

Just been reading about the Bristol lions, apparently they have applied to get back out.