Weakened Saracens side

[physiodan]

Every bit of news, social media… stated that Sarries were such a weakens side for the game but when I look at the team I only count 4 1st choice players if the Tigers team were all available and fit. From the fame at the weekend we had 6 2nd choice in the squad or position, 3 3rd and 1 4th. All in all a pretty good win


1. 2nd Genge, Van Wyk, Witcombe
2. 4th Montoya, Youngs, Clare, Dolly
3. 1st Cole, Heyes, Leatigaga
4. 2nd Snyman, Green
5. 3rd Wells, Henderson, Chessum
6. 2nd Liebenberg, Martin
7. 2nd Van Staden, Reffell,
8. 1st Weise, Brink
9. 1st Youngs, JVP, Wigglesworth
10. 1st Ford, Burns, Socino
11. 2nd Nandolo, Saumaki,
12. 2nd Moroni, Kelly
13. 3rd Taute, Scott, Porter
14. 3rd Potter, Porter, Van Vyk
15. 4th Steward, Murimurivalu, Hegarty, Burns

[TigerFeetSteve]

4 at most really. The only one nailed on you'd say is Ford...

Liebenberg (but not in his best position)
Cole (but you're starting to be able to make an argument for Heyes)
Youngs (though a lot now have JvP ahead)

2nd row possibly it's hard to tell atm who our best line up is there, I'd put Wells as our best lock and for me it's a tossup between any of Chessum, Green, Henderson & Synman for the 2nd lock position.

[longlivethecrumbie]

2nd row possibly it's hard to tell atm who our best line up is there, I'd put Wells as our best lock and for me it's a tossup between any of Chessum, Green, Henderson & Synman for the 2nd lock position.

What an awesome position to be in!

We must remember that the rhetoric is all about Saracens and that they only lost because they had a weakened side (what tripe)

[OakhamTiger32]

Every bit of news, social media… stated that Sarries were such a weakens side for the game but when I look at the team I only count 4 1st choice players if the Tigers team were all available and fit. From the fame at the weekend we had 6 2nd choice in the squad or position, 3 3rd and 1 4th. All in all a pretty good win


1. 2nd Genge, Van Wyk, Witcombe
2. 4th Montoya, Youngs, Clare, Dolly
3. 1st Cole, Heyes, Leatigaga
4. 2nd Snyman, Green
5. 3rd Wells, Henderson, Chessum
6. 2nd Liebenberg, Martin
7. 2nd Van Staden, Reffell,
8. 1st Weise, Brink
9. 1st Youngs, JVP, Wigglesworth
10. 1st Ford, Burns, Socino
11. 2nd Nandolo, Saumaki,
12. 2nd Moroni, Kelly
13. 3rd Taute, Scott, Porter
14. 3rd Potter, Porter, Van Vyk
15. 4th Steward, Murimurivalu, Hegarty, Burns

This is exactly the point I made after the match.. Sarries had the likes of Farrell, George, Vunipola and Malins available and yes, they were missing some big names but by my calculations (which pretty much match your above) we were missing far more first team players than them. Didn’t hear that mentioned once but from the media reports you’d think Sarries had been forced to field their U14s!

[OakhamTiger32]

2nd row possibly it's hard to tell atm who our best line up is there, I'd put Wells as our best lock and for me it's a tossup between any of Chessum, Green, Henderson & Synman for the 2nd lock position.

What an awesome position to be in!

We must remember that the rhetoric is all about Saracens and that they only lost because they had a weakened side (what tripe)

Have to say also that I didn’t once hear McCall moaning about having a weakened side or all the absentees. In fact, he was full of praise for Tigers. It’s just the media spinning the story how they want.. as usual

[longlivethecrumbie]

2nd row possibly it's hard to tell atm who our best line up is there, I'd put Wells as our best lock and for me it's a tossup between any of Chessum, Green, Henderson & Synman for the 2nd lock position.

What an awesome position to be in!

We must remember that the rhetoric is all about Saracens and that they only lost because they had a weakened side (what tripe)

Have to say also that I didn’t once hear McCall moaning about having a weakened side or all the absentees. In fact, he was full of praise for Tigers. It’s just the media spinning the story how they want.. as usual

Absolutely agree. TBH, I've got a lot of time for McCall, but whatever achievements he has had as a DoR will forever be looked at with a huge amount of suspicion.

[Ian Cant]

For years now the media, especially The Times and often BT Sport go on about other teams missing players when, as Lol pointed out in Cockerill last two seasons Tigers’ missing list through injury and international calls meant the Tigers couldn’t train effectively! It was glossed over.
I’ve been amazed how after yesterday some of the media put Tigers‘ wins down to Exeter, Gloucester and Sarries missing key players yet Tigers had at least as many players missing!
Hopefully the players read the reports and will continue to win.
Even tAdam Whitty on Radio Leicester kept saying how poor Tigers were!
Well if we play poorly and beat Sarries then we are going to be a hell of a team when we turn it on! The only thing that matters in sport is the final score!
Irish were unlucky yesterday according to the press but Tigers were incredibly lucky to win.
You make your own luck and it was Tigers’ refusal to be beaten yesterday that brought a win. The game v Irish should be compelling as Irish too never give up and have a very good attacking game.

[sam16111986]

I care very little how the media try to sell their media/get their clickbait. If they want to talk missing Sarries players then so be it. I'm not fussed. Mako, Koch and Itoje would have undoubtedly added something but so would have Montoya, Weise, van Staden and Moroni.

At the end of the day you play what's in front of you. Was an odd day in terms of reffing decisions, some didn't fall our way but when a big one did at the end the lads took it and made the most of it. Three wins on the spin with Wuss and LI coming up. Time to show that the Tigers ruthlessness is back and put both those sides to the sword. That would be a serious statement. Five wins from five, remove the doubt. I don't care what sides Wuss and LI put out, it's all about what we do.

Incidentally if we could be really hitting our stride come the end of the month when there's a little trip to the Gardens for which I have tickets that would be much appreciated.

[KiwiTig]

I like this post

[Greenwhiteandred]

Remember Exeter were weakened too

[TigerCam]

I care very little how the media try to sell their media/get their clickbait. If they want to talk missing Sarries players then so be it. I'm not fussed. Mako, Koch and Itoje would have undoubtedly added something but so would have Montoya, Weise, van Staden and Moroni.

At the end of the day you play what's in front of you. Was an odd day in terms of reffing decisions, some didn't fall our way but when a big one did at the end the lads took it and made the most of it. Three wins on the spin with Wuss and LI coming up. Time to show that the Tigers ruthlessness is back and put both those sides to the sword. That would be a serious statement. Five wins from five, remove the doubt. I don't care what sides Wuss and LI put out, it's all about what we do.

Incidentally if we could be really hitting our stride come the end of the month when there's a little trip to the Gardens for which I have tickets that would be much appreciated.

+1

[Noggs]

We can always argue the toss about who is our #1 player for each position and clearly day to day form comes into that equation but yes, like others we are also missing a good few of our 'best' players and it speaks volumes for SB and the rest of the back room team that they have recruited and trained a squad of players which enables us to win games against decent opposition when some first choice players are missing.

The media often look for a story where none exists but slowly they are beginning to recognise that things at Welford Road are changing for the better and the the old Tigers DNA is back.

[ay2oh]

By my reckoning we only had 5 or 6 of out first choice 15 starting on Saturday so it doesn’t add up that we only won because Sarries had a weakened side out.

[johnthegriff]

Heard reference on commentary to Saracens hitting us with 50 points a few seasons ago, no one mentioned the players we had missing that day or how Sarries paid for their stronger team. The record books for this season will for ever show a Tigers win, no adjustments for missing players or poor calls by the ref, we won they lost and I enjoyed it.

[OakhamTiger32]

Heard reference on commentary to Saracens hitting us with 50 points a few seasons ago, no one mentioned the players we had missing that day or how Sarries paid for their stronger team. The record books for this season will for ever show a Tigers win, no adjustments for missing players or poor calls by the ref, we won they lost and I enjoyed it.

Touché!

Fact is, we had more first choice players missing than Sarries on Sat. Had they not welcomed back their Lions contingent then maybe it would have been a fair point to make but it's almost like the media had already written their 'weakened Sarries' articles and then when Farrell, Malins and George were recalled they just thought.. ahh, what the hell.. let's print this rubbish anyway!

Full strength I'd expect to see Montoya, Van Staden, Wiese, Nadolo, Potter, Moroni and maybe T Youngs in the 23 and Genge, Wells, Steward all starting