Leicester Tigers Women 2023/24 - Vicky Macqueen in 'The Magnificent Fifteen'

[jgriffin]

excellent report!

[Jimmy Skitz]

it was from the website

[jgriffin]

it was from the website

Blimey, and there was me thinking you were an unsung genius!

[Jimmy Skitz]

it was from the website

Blimey, and there was me thinking you were an unsung genius!

both things can be true you know

[Darc Tiger]

We're heading down to Ealing on Sunday (1400) for a 3rd shot at our apparent bogey team. I'd say that the two matches against them have been our worst performances of the season.

In the end it was a decent effort last week against Quins, having been outplayed in the first half, but a lot of that was due to the impact of our North Americans from the bench. That key group headed off to prepare for the Pacific Fours this week, so its an even more inexperienced side this time out. I think Ealing will be less impacted in terms of experience lost, so I'm keeping my expectations in check, and its all about experience for much of our team.

STARTING XV
15 Amanda Swartz [11]
14 Charlotte Daley [9]
13 Katie Childs [25]
12 Sarah Nicholas [10]
11 Zoë Evans [22]
10 Natasha Jones (c) [33]
9 Amy Relf [32]
1 Churchy Knight [30]
2 Alana Bainbridge [13]
3 Ofure Ugiagbe [28]
4 Zoe Warrington [19]
5 Charlotte Fray [17]
6 Morgan Richardson [33]
7 Roisin McBrien [30]
8 Becky Noon [32]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Tanya Bird [19]
17 Stef Evans *
18 Jade Jones [18]
19 Maddie Massey [2]
20 Georgie Grimes [5]
21 Jemima Moss [1]
22 Molly Draycott [18]
23 Louisa Burgham [13]

Daley and Burgham join the ranks of last season's stars to get an opportunity, while the likes of Warrington, Massey and Grimes also get rare appearances.

There's also another debut this week in experienced former Worcester forward Stef Evans, who sures up the depth in the tight 5. I liked the look of Jemima Moss on debut last week. Definitely brought some physicality.

[Darc Tiger]

Back to the PWR tomorrow, with an away trip to Quins.

STARTING XV
15 Amanda Swartz [12]
14 Celia Quansah *
13 Katie Childs [26]
12 Sarah Nicholas [11]
11 Francesca McGhie [11]
10 Natasha Jones (c) [34]
9 Amy Relf [33]
1 Leah Bartlett [12]
2 Elis Martin [11]
3 Lisa Cockburn [11]
4 Eva Donaldson [11]
5 Charlotte Fray [18]
6 Morgan Richardson [34]
7 Roisin McBrien [31]
8 Becky Noon [33]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Alana Bainbridge [14]
17 Jade Jones [19]
18 Georgie Grimes [6]
19 Maddie Massey [3]
20 Tanya Bird [20]
21 Zoe Warrington [20]
22 Charlotte Daley [9]
23 Zoë Evans [23]

We're reinforced by our Scottish contingent, but we're still under-strength, as our Red Roses and North Americans are absent.

Great to see Celia Quansah finally make her debut, and it will be her first XVs game since 2021!

I think its a first league start for Katie Childs.

Georgie Grimes and Charlotte Daley can make their league debuts for the club off the bench.

Not going in with huge expectations, as our absentees are significant ones. Hopefully the good weather will allow us to play the attacking rugby we want to play, and we can get some scores on the board.

[Darc Tiger]

Meg Jones has stepped away from XVs for the rest of the season, as she rejoins GB Sevens ahead of the series final in Madrid at the end of the month, and then on to the Paris Olympics. She'll become the first active Leicester player to represent at the Olympics since John and Dick Jackett in 1908!

Amy Cokayne, Lucy Nye, Rebecca De Filippo and Orla Proctor are all starting for the RAF in their crunch clash with the Army tomorrow at 11am.

Mae Sagapolu, Tahlia Brody and Tess Feury are on PAC4 duty for the USA. Claire Gallagher and Julia Omokhuale for Canada. They faced each other in the first round, and Canada were impressive in a 50-7 win. Gallagher scoring twice, and Omokhuale finishing a sweeping team effort for her first international try. USA face the Black Ferns, and Canada face Australia in the early hours tomorrow morning.

Both the RAF and PAC4 games are being streamed on rugbypass.tv