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

[TiltonTiger]

Happy days. A much better second half IMO. Anything to do with JVP coming on and no more aimless box kicks?

[mol2]

The officials on the pitch were poor.

Offside at the ruck not policed. High tackles ignored by the touch judges. I know it was windy but surely it is bizarre that so many line outs occurred on the 22 or 10m line irrespective of where the ball went out.

[OakhamTiger32]

Wow...talk about winning ugly. I was impressed that Dolly was on almost the whole game: good shift.

Dolly has played nearly every minute of our first 3 matches.. guy is a machine

[TigerFeetSteve]

Wow...talk about winning ugly. I was impressed that Dolly was on almost the whole game: good shift.

Dolly has played nearly every minute of our first 3 matches.. guy is a machine

Cowan Dickie did well coming on at the end with the lineout too...

[aslongaswebeatsaints]

Winning ugly. The Tigers of old Never gave up.

I thought It all changed when SB offloaded the bench and conversely, Farrell went off.

And the small matter of the TMO being missing in action for most of the game.

Van Wyk sadly did nothing to change my reservations about him but, in his defence, not a wingers game.

[OakhamTiger32]

Wow...talk about winning ugly. I was impressed that Dolly was on almost the whole game: good shift.

Dolly has played nearly every minute of our first 3 matches.. guy is a machine

Cowan Dickie did well coming on at the end with the lineout too...

Yep.. he nailed a couple of pressure throws so good contribution. Anyone know when Youngs and Clare are due back or when we will have Montoya?

[fentiger]

This is in tomorrows Telegraph:
Leicester Tigers 13 Saracens 12
A slow burner in sodden conditions, ignited at the death by a match-winning pushover try that seemed to be blown over the try-line by a raucous crowd. What could symbolise the resurgence of Leicester Tigers more than this?

For so much of this contest on a grey day of incessant drizzle and constant kicking, it appeared as though the cohesion and patience of Saracens would extinguish the hosts’ bid for three consecutive league wins.

That would be to reckon against a script-shredding climax, for which Leicester head coach Steve Borthwick deserves huge credit. He had made wholesale changes but unleashed a powerful bench, including club captain Ellis Genge, with expert timing to snatch a contentious victory. The locals already love him, and this result had a sense of folklore.

England coaches Eddie Jones and Matthew Proudfoot had plenty to peruse from the stands. At fly-half, it was the first meeting between Owen Farrell and George Ford in the Premiership since Boxing Day 2017.

Besides Ford, Jamie George and Billy Vunipola were two more high-profile absentees from England’s three-day training camp last week. The latter was particularly influential and it was almost cruel that he was singled out for the maul offence that brought the decisive penalty try.

Harry Potter was among the players that Borthwick had rested but, to borrow another J.K Rowling trope, Saracens relish the role of rugby dementors and continually sucked energy out of the home crowd.

Nine weeks after coming off the bench for the British and Irish Lions in the second Test against South Africa, Farrell started sharply. He gathered a clearance from Freddie Burns and beat the Tigers full-back with a lesser-spotted counter-attack.

Farrell fed Alex Lewington, who earned dangerous field position with a dribbling grubber. It took Calum Green’s heavy tackle on Billy Vunipola to force a fumble and relieve pressure.

Ben Youngs and Ford attempted to assert control in the kicking exchanges, but Saracens treat this area of the game like an art and have long been masters of it. When Tigers wing Hosea Saumaki opted to run back a kick from the visitors, Billy Vunipola engulfed him to win a penalty.

Farrell converted and then doubled the advantage from halfway minutes later after Ford’s restart had sailed into touch on the full and Marco Riccioni had worked a scrummaging offence out of Leicester loosehead Francois van Wyk.

Without doing too much wrong, Leicester were 6-0 behind and in danger of drowning, even if another Vunipola spill at the tail of a maul surrendered Saracens’ second try-scoring chance.

As the wind picked up, both teams struggled for lineout security. Leicester committed a breakdown offence on a rare visit to the opposition 22 and Farrell’s third shot from the tee drifted wide.

He made amends swiftly. In the 32nd minute, Saracens reclaimed an Aled Davies box-kick. Jamie George, Max Malins and Alex Lozowski worked the ball wide to Rotimi Segun, and Farrell punished some over-eagerness at the breakdown.

On the stroke of half-time came a rare lapse of discipline from Saracens. Their pack had earned a maul turnover, to howls of derision across Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

However, replacement prop Eroni Mawi was promptly collared by referee Christophe Ridley for shoving Dan Cole. It was a soft penalty on a day where points were so precious and Ford pulled back three, keeping Tigers in touch as the teams headed down the tunnel to towel off.

Less than seven minutes into the second half, after Saracens had kicked a penalty to touch within 20 metres of the Leicester try-line, Borthwick unleashed reinforcements in the shape of Genge, Jack van Poortvliet and Freddie Steward.

Although they could not stop a fourth Farrell penalty, which arrived off the back of a powerful Vunipola carry, Leicester’s forwards looked rejuvenated and began to dominate the set-piece skirmishes.

Twice, Saracens needed excellent defensive interventions to escape their 22. First Nick Isiweke leapt to spoil a lineout and then a sniping Van Poortvliet had the ball bounced out his grasp by Vunipola.

Tigers did not relent and set up a tense finale. After Farrell had been withdrawn, Ford chipped over the top and Malins lost concentration by letting the ball bobble against a post. The chasing Van Poortvliet seemed to score, but the try was chalked off because Dan Kelly had pursued the kick from an offside position.

Ford nudged Leicester into bonus-point territory moments later and Borthwick’s plan of a strong finish materialised – with a hint of luck. Surging runners dented the Saracens defensive line time and again until Kelly spotted space out wide. Guy Porter was bundled into touch, but Davies was penalised for going off his feet to complete the tackle.

Ford dinked the ball into the corner, Harry Wells gathered the throw and the drive rumbled and rolled towards the line. Vunipola was identified as having illegally dragged down a heap of bodies. Ridley obliged, Genge, roared and Tigers will stay on top of the table for another week.

[OakhamTiger32]

And the small matter of the TMO being missing in action for most of the game.

Van Wyk sadly did nothing to change my reservations about him but, in his defence, not a wingers game.

Think her mic must’ve been broken! No all joking aside I’ve been pretty critical of her previous matches involving us so credit where credits due for a solid afternoon from her.

Tough conditions and first outing of the season but I very much see Kobus behind Nadolo, Potter, Muri, Porter, Moroni for us winger-wise.. Not seen much of Saumaki and not really his conditions today but he’s a good prospect. Would like to see Saumaki given another outing next week

[KiwiTig]

I think that’s what is called getting the rub of the green !

[TigerMac3]

Was surprised they have Hanro MoM, thought Chessum was the stand out for us! Martin a strong showing. Socino off the bench also very good, other than that - apart from a good amount of grit - a lot of the lads had a game to forget. That being said, what an effort at the end!

When is it our official ‘week off’?

[longlivethecrumbie]

Most pleasing thing for me was that Sarries never looked like scoring a try

[Ian Cant]

Just got back home with hardly any voice left and elated with that.
Awful conditions but we hung on in there then the replacements kept their heads when Sarries lost theirs! Well done Christophe too as at last a ref gave a penalty try to us after we’d steamrollered over the line despite Sarries illegally pulling it down.
Now we need to ramp up the performance next week against an Irish side that haven’t had the rub of the green yet!
I thought Youngs was ok today but JVP poses a threat that Youngs used to do which makes defences more honest. Thought the try we scored under the posts was good but that’s because on the big screen at the game we only really seemed to see the TMO focus( I think 3 times )on their player dropping the ball allowing us to score!
Dolly and Cowan Dickie brilliant as was the control we exerted in the last 2-3 minutes!
Thought Jamie George, Billy V and Farrel very good for Sarries.

[Tigerbeat]

The Tigers try was disallowed as the Tigers 12, who touched it down was in front of the kick and therefore offside.
Correct decision from the officials.

[sam16111986]

The Tigers try was disallowed as the Tigers 12, who touched it down was in front of the kick and therefore offside.
Correct decision from the officials.

I think sir said 12 but meant 21. Either way as you say it was the correct decision, JVP was a long way in front of the kick.

[OakhamTiger32]

Most pleasing thing for me was that Sarries never looked like scoring a try

So Tigers B team beat Sarries 13-12 and we scored the only try of the match.. yep I’ll take that

All joking aside as I know Sarries were missing a few big names but to win ugly or otherwise against arguably the best side in the league when the starting XV today was made up of only 5 potential ‘first XV’ players (Cole, Youngs Ford, Reffell and Liebenberg) was an incredible feat. We were without Montoya, Youngs, Clare, Wiese, Van Staden, Moroni, Nadolo, Potter, Murimurivalu and Scott tonight for varying reasons but still got the job done.

Full strength I’d imagine we’d look something like:

Genge Montoya Cole Wells Snyman Liebenberg Reffell Wiese Youngs Ford Nadolo Scott Moroni Potter Steward

Subs Youngs Leatigaga Heyes Martin Van Staden JvP Burns Porter

I know Clare, Henderson, Chessum, Brink, Kelly, Murimurivalu et al could all be in there too but just as a for instance…

Only 5 of that 23 started today and only 14 featured. We were without 5 nailed on starters (Montoya, Wiese, Moroni, Nadolo and Potter) and without a host of other players.

Just makes it even more impressive IMO