Flood injured - out for up to 6 weeks!!!

[Ian Cant]

Oh well here we go again! Injuries. Manu, Deacs,Ayerza, Crane all out so we have to hope Parling, Skivington, Castro, Salvi and Allen are ok!!
Maybe Tigers and Wasps need to do a deal with Band Aid or some other plasters company for the weekend sponsors!!! Come on Tigers listen to us fans ROAR on Saturday.

[biffer]

Already a topic

http://www.leicestertigers.com/forum/vi ... =1&t=33600

[WiggoTiger]

So we have lost nearly 50% of the returning England World Cup players and will lose the others in 3 games time, if not sooner if our injury jinx continues.

Of course no-one will sympathise as Tigers have lots of money, allegedly break the salary cap and other teams injury lists are always more serious than ours!

Oh course Smurphs!!
The lonodon teams will moan about the 6Ns ripping their squads apart... , they always stay within budget...have record crowds every week.....and our always the best teams in the league (even when pants!!)

[daktari]

I'd go with Staunton (experience), 12trees, Smith for Wasps game.

[TigerAlex]

I'd go with Staunton (experience), 12trees, Smith for Wasps game.

The only thing with that line up is that if 12T and Staunton both get knocks (as is always possible) then, unless Ford is recalled to sit on the bench, we'd be in very deep doo doo as there is no fly half cover on the bench. With that in mind, I doubt that will be the starting lineup. I would expect either 12T, Allen, Smith with Staunton on the bench to cover 10, or Staunton, Allen, Smith with Billy on the bench to cover centre and 10. Obviously this assumes Allen is available again and it's clearly not ideal to be starting him after a 3 month lay off. At the risk of being shot down, I'd be very tempted to start with Staunton, Allen and Smith because Staunton needs game time with the 6 Nations approaching (and Ulster if Toby's injury is as bad as reported) and then Billy can come on at 60 minutes, or for the second half for Allen or Staunton if we're well ahead. I want to make it clear that this is not my suggestion because I think Allen should walk back into the team or because Staunton is a better player than 12T- if Toby were fit, I would have liked to have seen Staunton (because he really needs game time before the 6 Nations), 12T and Smith with Flood and Allen on the bench. I just feel it's better to have your fly half cover starting on the bench than starting on the pitch.

[4071]

At the risk of being shot down, I'd be very tempted to start with Staunton, Allen and Smith because Staunton needs game time with the 6 Nations approaching... if Toby were fit, I would have liked to have seen Staunton (because he really needs game time before the 6 Nations), 12T and Smith with Flood and Allen on the bench.

I assume you'd also advocate starting with Julian White or Ryan Bower at tighthead for the same reason?

Or not?

[TigerAlex]

At the risk of being shot down, I'd be very tempted to start with Staunton, Allen and Smith because Staunton needs game time with the 6 Nations approaching

I assume you'd also advocate starting with Julian White or Ryan Bower at tighthead for the same reason?

Or not?

Good question. I have to say I don't know who the coaches consider to be the third tighthead. Presumably not Julian White if we're talking 6 Nations starters. I suspect Brookes might have been trained up to cover there had he not been injured early in the season. Either way, I would like to see whoever the third choice tighthead is play some part against Wasps. I don't know who of Cole or Castro I'd drop for it, probably Castro because he started both games against Clermont and it's probably not a bad thing for him to have a week to recover from his dead leg anyway so he can be fresh for Ulster.

As far as the Twelvetrees bit goes, I think he offers more options from the bench than Staunton. I still maintain that it's better to have the main fly-half cover starting on the bench rather than on the field and whichever one of Twelvetrees or Staunton you start, that would mean Allen also starting (or moving Smith to 12 and Agulla to 13 again, which would cause even more disruption). Given that Allen has had a pretty lengthy injury lay off, ideally you wouldn't want to play him for a full 80 minutes on his first game back, so at half time, or whenever, Twelvetrees could come on as a straight swap for Allen, thus minimising the disruption to the back line. Ditto if Staunton gets a knock or plays appallingly. It also means there's a plan B on the bench. Clearly this only applies if Allen is fit to play again.

Also, I'm not saying that this is what I think Cockerill should do, these are just my thoughts based on what (relatively little) information I have about the squad and players.

[Uhtred]

We have the Mickey Mouse Cup fixtures (and the Aironi game should things go badly in Belfast) for pre-6 nations game time. We need to use our best available players to pick up as many points as possible in the next two games.

[WhitecapTiger]

Good question. I have to say I don't know who the coaches consider to be the third tighthead. Presumably not Julian White if we're talking 6 Nations starters. I suspect Brookes might have been trained up to cover there had he not been injured early in the season. Either way, I would like to see whoever the third choice tighthead is play some part against Wasps.

Maybe Logovaii Mulipola? As I think he was effectively the TH cover on the bench for the Sale match, sadly we didn't get to see him play.

[DickyP]

Now in the Merc:

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/T ... story.html

Yes, but if you read it their only source is the Daily Mail article you quoted.

[sapajo]

Its also on the BBC Rugby web site

[Hull Fan]

Been on rugby club as well tonight. What do they do to our players in training? Great lets get Mr Experience and flawed Mr Staunton in the team. The only way is up!

[publandlord]

Flood is out for a few weeks. Our options are limited, as Ford is away at Leeds. Staunton must start, with 12Ts as cover. What concerns me is that it has been weeks (if not months) since Jeremy has played first team rugby! Also with the imminent return of AA (we hope), this would leave a 10/12 axis with no game time between them, not good! However, all hands to the pumps, and onward and upward to HC/AP glory!!

[Smurphswillgetya]

Been on rugby club as well tonight. What do they do to our players in training? Great lets get Mr Experience and flawed Mr Staunton in the team. The only way is up!

Given the injuries we have, we have to get fully behind any player that is selected to pull on the shirt on Saturday. It's time to forget 'flawed' Staunton, 'slow' Grindal, 'love -child' Smith, 'too old' Murphy, 'cant catch, cant tackle' Tuilagi. I am sure the players want to win as much as we the fans do so come on let's hear the Tigers Roar on Saturday.

[Hull Fan]

Been on rugby club as well tonight. What do they do to our players in training? Great lets get Mr Experience and flawed Mr Staunton in the team. The only way is up!

Given the injuries we have, we have to get fully behind any player that is selected to pull on the shirt on Saturday. It's time to forget 'flawed' Staunton, 'slow' Grindal, 'love -child' Smith, 'too old' Murphy, 'cant catch, cant tackle' Tuilagi. I am sure the players want to win as much as we the fans do so come on let's hear the Tigers Roar on Saturday.

I agree and will cheer as hard as anyone on saturday and the coming weeks but i can't help feeling that this may well bring an end to this season HC at the very least.
Unfortunately we don't have the same cover at fly half as we have at prop, second row and wing.