Leicester v Saracens

[fivepointer]

This afternoons match.

Leicester: Holmes; Thompstone, Owen, Eastmond, J Olowofela; J Ford, Harrison; Bateman, T Youngs (capt), Cole, Spencer, Kitchener, Williams, O'Connor, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Kerr, Gigena, Cortes, Wells, Fitzgerald, White, Hardwick, Worth.

Saracens: Goode; Lozowski, Tompkins, Barritt (capt), Lewington; Malins, Spencer; Barrington, Tolofua, Judge, Day, Skelton, Rhodes, Burger, Wray.

Replacements: Woolstencroft, Thompson-Stringer, Sasagi, Kpoku, Clark, Earl, Whiteley, Gallagher.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Can't see this going well for us today. Number 5 to 8 are rank average at best. Joe Ford is gash, whilst the rest of the backline is average.

[p/d]

Loz on the wing

[Tigersman]

Olowofela out by the looks of it.

Worth starting and Smith on the bench.
A slow backline gets slower.

[Epaminondas Pules]

Olowofela out by the looks of it.

Worth starting and Smith on the bench.
A slow backline gets slower.

To be fair taking Youngs, Ford, Toomua, Tuilagi and May out of any backline and it'll look a smidge worse off.

Mind that's no excuse for our pack, especially numbers 5 through 8.

[p/d]

Cole done for Worth and Youngs all in 40mins.

[Tigersman]

What a crap call 100% PT.

[p/d]

What a crap call 100% PT.

Aye. Goode should have seen yellow as well.

As a neutral enjoyed that.

[fivepointer]

Very odd - and bad - decision by the officials not to award a PT. Yes, they had 20 meters to the line but it was a back rower with a SH in support, not a pair of props. Saracens had a bit of luck there.
3 long range tries in about 10 minutes saw them through, plus some smart play in the last few minutes.
Lozowski put in a good shift on the wing. He really is a very adaptable player.

[francoisfou]

I watched the match on and off on t'internet (more off than on as the signal was crap) and have a question for those that saw the match in full.
Karl Dickson seems to be an up and coming ref, and apart from the criticism aimed at him for the rejected penalty try, how did he handle the game overall?

[fivepointer]

I think he's a good ref. He's very clear in his decision making, stays calm and communicates effectively. Like any ref he will make the odd marginal call the wrong way, but you have to live with that if he is generally consistent.
i could see why he didnt award the PT as the Leicester players had 20 odd meters to the line. i think he was wrong as "probably" they would have made it. It doesnt have to be a 100% certainly, only that a try would probably have been scored.
For me it was bad call.

[Peej]

I've just had a chance to watch it, and it looked a bad call. Think it should have been a penalty try.

But you have to ask why there's such variation in what TMOs will and won't say, and how aggressively they'll push

[Puja]

I watched the match on and off on t'internet (more off than on as the signal was crap) and have a question for those that saw the match in full.
Karl Dickson seems to be an up and coming ref, and apart from the criticism aimed at him for the rejected penalty try, how did he handle the game overall?

I've generally got a lot of time for him, but I think he had a bit of an iffy game. He let a lot of neck rolls and high shots go and was very, very patient with asking players to roll away. Plus, the penalty try was a shocking decision - they were 25m out and cover was miles away. The try would almost certainly have been scored, let alone probably. And then Goode should have gone and given away a penalty try shortly after.

Bit of an odd game - I wasn't expecting more than a losing bonus point at best, we were desperately unlucky to go 3-21 down, and there were isolated moments for our comeback which were very good, but we looked so poor for so much of the time. Why do we play everything off 9 to a stationary forward standing 3m behind the gainline? Is there some tactic behind not running onto the ball that I've missed?

I tell you what, Lozowski looked a handy winger. I'd be interested to see more of him there.

Puja

[twitchy]

[Peej]

Bit strange that Malins didn't give the simple pass to the two runners on his right, but cracking stuff all the same. It's not easy getting on the outside and then round Eastmond.

[Scrumhead]

Credit to Malins for some excellent play, but the simplest option is typically the best.

I can see why the penalty try wasn’t given but Goode should definitely have seen yellow for a very cynical piece of play.

[Stom]

Where can I see the penalty try?