Tigers v Saracens Sun 3pm

[fivepointer]

Leicester: Tait; Thompstone, Tuilagi, Toomua, May; Ford, B Youngs; Mulipola, T Youngs (captain), Cole, Fitzgerald, Kitchener, Mapapalangi, Williams, Kalafamoni.

Replacements: Polota-Nau, Traynor, Baumann, Wells, Hamilton, Harrison, Ford, Malouf.

Saracens: Goode; Maitland Bosch Lozowski Wyles; Farrell, Spencer; Vunipola, George, Figallo, Skelton, Kruis, Isiekwe, Burger, Wray.

Replacements: Tolofua, Barrington, Koch, Rhodes, Clark, Whiteley, Tompkins, Earle.

[Puja]

Thank you 5p - appreciated as always. Our back row balance still is not right, but on the bright side, Sarries are still playing a lock at 6, so maybe it'll balance out.

Looking forward to seeing that backline now that the centres have had 80 minutes to shake some of the rustiness off.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Sarries fans, is Henry Taylor injured?

[Oakboy]

That Leicester bench won't exactly make Saracens quake.

[Tigersman]

Yeh that sarries bench in the forwards is massive.

[twitchy]

Hope that's allowed.

[Mellsblue]

What. An. Offload.

[twitchy]

Yep lovely.

[Mellsblue]

Great kick from a test match animal.

[Mellsblue]

End to end stuff from a Leicester v Sarries match. Merry Christmas everyone.

[twitchy]

Skelton looks like a different guy having lost all that weight.

[Scrumhead]

Entertaining game so far.

Mike Williams really is w@nk though. I thought he was rubbish against Munster and he’s been worse today. He carries like a fanny and for a player reputed to bring aggression, I think he’s looked powderpuff in defence too.

[Spiffy]

Entertaining game so far.

Mike Williams really is w@nk though. I thought he was rubbish against Munster and he’s been worse today. He carries like a fanny and for a player reputed to bring aggression, I think he’s looked powderpuff in defence too.

It's not just Williams. All the Leicester ball carriers are making little impression. They seem content to seek contact and just run into the nearest defender without loooking for an offload.

[Mellsblue]

Skelton looks like a different guy having lost all that weight.

Rank average?

[Mellsblue]

What is a positive interaction? Farrell had 1/1 for kicks and I thought his kick through was a waste of good, quick, attacking possession. As for a ‘positive pass’ being solely down to accuracy, that’s utter balls. As Goode then pointed out. He also pointed out that a flyhalf is very much reliant on the quality of ball, of those on his team and the opposition. As always, stats are only useful if used as context rather than unarguable facts.

[Oakboy]

Why didn't the ref card Kitchener for such blatant rudeness? It was open dissent.

[Scrumhead]

Entertaining game so far.

Mike Williams really is w@nk though. I thought he was rubbish against Munster and he’s been worse today. He carries like a fanny and for a player reputed to bring aggression, I think he’s looked powderpuff in defence too.

It's not just Williams. All the Leicester ball carriers are making little impression. They seem content to seek contact and just run into the nearest defender without loooking for an offload.

No it isn’t just Williams but for a guy who was touted as an England’s contender he’s looked particularly poor. It’s saying something when Jackson Wray looks like a World-beater in comparison.

[Timbo]

Sarries should be out of sight here. They’ve bombed 3/4 try’s.

[Mellsblue]

What a horror show from Youngs.

[Timbo]

What is a positive interaction? Farrell had 1/1 for kicks and I thought his kick through was a waste of good, quick, attacking possession. As for a ‘positive pass’ being solely down to accuracy, that’s utter balls. As Goode then pointed out. He also pointed out that a flyhalf is very much reliant on the quality of ball, of those on his team and the opposition. As always, stats are only useful if used as context rather than unarguable facts.

I thought Farrell looked a class above everyone else tbh.

[Oakboy]

Tuilagi looks at least a dozen games away from being match-sharp. Mako had a pretty awful match.

[Oakboy]

What a horror show from Youngs.

What did you think of Spencer?

[Timbo]

Mako had a pretty awful match.

Sarries scrum was crap, of which Mako is a part of course. In open play he was very good I thought.

[fivepointer]

Outside of the scrum (where Cole completely dominated Mako) Sarries were far superior. They werent at their best but did enough to end their losing run. i thought Spencer was excellent and Wray a deserved moTM. Isiekwe is no back rower but is going to be some lock when he fills out a bit.
Manu is miles off international pace, but that is to be expected given his lack of game time.

[Timbo]

Outside of the scrum (where Cole completely dominated Mako) Sarries were far superior. They werent at their best but did enough to end their losing run. i thought Spencer was excellent and Wray a deserved moTM. Isiekwe is no back rower but is going to be some lock when he fills out a bit.
Manu is miles off international pace, but that is to be expected given his lack of game time.

Largely agree with that. A Sarries team that’s been winning would have won that by 20. Add in their injured blokes and there is a gulf between the two teams. Tigers will be alsorans until they overhaul the back 5 of their scrum.