Tigers v Nottingham (A) - Friendly - Friday 09th February 2024

[RagingBull]

What are we hoping for?
Will be interesting to see what our loan players do personally I hope AVDF and Tom Manz plays for Nottingham and Ilione and Woodward for us.

Gonna be without Miell, Thomas, Beddall, Carnduff, Allen, Myall, Satala

Hoping maybe something like
1. Whitcombe
2. FTT
3. Richardson
4. Wells
5. Chessum
6. Rogerson
7. Ilione
8. Cracknell
9. Whiteley
10. Wilkinson
11. Cusick
12. Woodward
13. Cokanasiga
14. Porter(?)
15. Brown

16. Vanes
17. Van Wyk
18. Hoyt
19. Carmichael
20. Koroiyadi
21. Edwards
22. Meredith
23. Gourlay

[tigerburnie]

If this game is a prep game before the Ealing Trailfinders trip, I would expect a much stronger side, if it is a "let's have a look at what we have", then it's not a bad squad.

[RagingBull]

If this game is a prep game before the Ealing Trailfinders trip, I would expect a much stronger side, if it is a "let's have a look at what we have", then it's not a bad squad.

I wouldn't say much stronger for the LV cup.
Maybe
1. Whitcombe, 2. FTT, 3. Richardson
4. Carter, 5. Wells
6. Rogerson, 7. Ilione, 8. Hatherell
9. Whiteley, 10. Shillcock
12. Kata, 13. Kelly
11. Porter(?), 14. OHC, 15. Brown

16. Vanes, 17. Van Wyk, 18. Hoyt
19. Chessum, 20. Cracknell
21. Edwards, 22. Wilkinson, 23. Scott

[RunTigerRun]

I’d hope we would at least have the spine of the team that’s playing vs Ealing. We haven’t played well this season the week after a rotated team so I hope we get some cohesion going.

Also give some guys some minutes granted, but the spine or at least combinations at some stage in the game. Could be off the bench. Something like

15 - Gourlay
14 - Bassett
13 - Porter
12 - Woodward
11 - Simmons
10 - Wilkinson
9 - Edwards
8 - Hatherall
7 - Ilione
6 - Rogerson
5 - Chessum L
4 - Carmichael
3 - Richardson
2 - FTT / Vanes
1 - Whitcombe

16 - Dolly / Vanes / FTT
17 - van Wyk
18 - Hoyt
19 - Carter
20 - J Manz
21 - JVP
22 - Shillcock
23 - Cokanasiga / Watson

[Tigersunited]

How long did DMK say they were having off? Could be an academy team if they are still away.

[KiwiTig]

No idea what to expect but you’d like to think a strong side to keep players ticking over whilst getting the balance right to give opportunities to others ! Essentially I haven’t a clue what to expect !

[TigerFeetSteve]

IF (and given the time off he's had and the club
confirmation that he has a concussion issue I think it highly likely) Porter is having the mandatory 3 month stand down for having 3 concussions within a 12 month period, then Porter will not be back till after the Ealing semifinal.

My guess at the team

Gourlay
Bassett
Cokanasiga
Woodward
Simmons (if fit)/Cusick
Wilkinson
Edwards
Whitcombe
Vanes
Hoyt
Wells
L.Chessum (if fit)/T.Manz
J.Manz
Ilione
Rogerson (c)

Theobald-Thomas
Van De Flier
Richardson
Carter
Hatherall
Allan
Shillcock/Meredith
Cusick/Myall


It's a friendly so think more than 3 right in that team is a win...

[Bunchy]

1st team squad and coaches are on 10 days off - so they are back in this week either today or tomorrow - unlikely many will play in this I would have thought

[Rugbygramps]

Thank God I’m not a coach. I would have thought that the senior squad will build up gradually with a few playing in the semi, if we win a few more in the final, with possible some big dogs on the bench. Then maybe a mini break before build up for Gloucester

[GB72]

It will be interesting to see how we treat the PRC semi. We could put out at team to the level of the Quins match but is that in the spirit of the competition. Is the spirit of the competition even a thing any more. Is this still to be viewed as a mainly development competition as it has already formed part of the first team pre-season. No we have reached the later stages, is any selection fair game.

Sort of confused as to where it stands but I think I always have been. A sort of unwritten rule that it is a development comp but then a couple of teams decide they want to win it and start going full noise.

Personally, I see it as silverware and so think we should be going at this full throttle whilst allowing a few players in need of a rest the time off.

That said, unless they are on their way back from injury, I would not suspect many who have recently pulled on a first team shirt to be on the pitch at Nottingham.

[Rugbygramps]

GB72 I think once it starts getting to the business end I think teams are going to take it more seriously, it’s one of 3 trophies up for grabs.
I think I’m right in saying that Exeter played strong sides in the early group games as Baxter used it as part of his preparation of a new group of players, putting nearly 80 on Bristol. They will be without a few players but I can see both them and Gloucester going strong pushing for that home final

[TigerFeetSteve]

Pretty much all of the teams in the competition went full strength in at least 1 game, most at least 2 or 3 games.

With how the matches fell it was always going to be used as a preseason for the full strength squad to use.

That makes rotation for the knockouts pretty weird given it would be weaker sides than the group stages.

For example this is the side we played in the Newcastle game in the pools...

Brown, Bassett, Porter, Kelly, Hassell-Collins, Atkinson, Powell, Van Wyk, Clare, Heyes, Wells, Liebenberg, Cracknell, Rogerson

(Considering we were missing all at the world cup that was a full strength team)

I suspect and hope we will go full strength in the semifinal. We have a chance of silverware in a new coaches first season. We should pick a team consistent with the group stages...

[Tiglon]

I'm not at all bothered whether we win the PRC trophy in itself, but I would think the semi and (hopefully) final are absolutely essential preparation for the resumption of Premiership games. It's almost like another mini-preseason for the non-6N players. There's a real advantage to be has if we can can go into matches against teams that haven't played competitively for weeks, off the back of two tough-but-not-exactly-test-match intensity games.

I would expect to see very few, if any, first teamers against Nottingham, unless any need game time and apart from maybe a couple to guide the kids.

Ealing onwards, games are all about the first team getting back into a rhythm and staying match sharp.

[Bunchy]

OHC indicated that this is the first of 2 breaks over this 7 week period.....

[Rugbygramps]

OHC indicated that this is the first of 2 breaks over this 7 week period.....

Yes I would imagine there will be a few days off after the final, if we get there before a 2 week build up to Gloucester