Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons 3PM Saturday

[Tigersman]

Leicester Tigers (v Newcastle Falcons, Welford Road, Saturday 3.00pm)
15 Telusa Veainu
14 Adam Thompstone
13 Manu Tuilagi
12 Kyle Eastmond
11 Jonny May
10 George Ford
9 Ben Youngs
1 Greg Bateman
2 Tom Youngs (c)
3 Dan Cole
4 Mike Williams
5 Will Spencer
6 David Denton
7 Brendon O’Connor
8 Sione Kalamafoni

Replacements
16 Jimmy Stevens
17 Campese Ma’afu
18 David Feao
19 Harry Wells
20 Guy Thompson
21 Sam Harrison
22 Tom Hardwick
23 Jordan Olowofela

V

Newcastle Falcons team to play Leicester Tigers (Saturday, 3pm, Welford Road)
15 Simon Hammersley
14 Vereniki Goneva
13 Chris Harris
12 Josh Matavesi
11 Sinoti Sinoti
10 Toby Flood
9 Sonatane Takulua
1 Sami Mavinga
2 George McGuigan
3 Logovi'i Mulipola
4 Calum Green
5 Will Witty
6 Mark Wilson
7 Will Welch (captain)
8 Callum Chick

Replacements
16 Santiago Socino
17 Adam Brocklebank
18 Jack Payne
19 Tevita Cavubati
20 Gary Graham
21 Sam Stuart
22 Joel Hodgson
23 Alex Tait

[Puja]

I thought Thompson was supposed to be out for longer? Good news to have him back on the bench. I am also in favour of a teamsheet without Fitzgerald - he's nothing but a waste of space.

Hopefully there'll be some more coherence about us this week with home support, a slightly weaker opposition, not trying to drop Toomua in aftter flying halfway around the world, etc.

Puja

[Tigersman]

I thought Thompson was supposed to be out for longer? Good news to have him back on the bench. I am also in favour of a teamsheet without Fitzgerald - he's nothing but a waste of space.

Hopefully there'll be some more coherence about us this week with home support, a slightly weaker opposition, not trying to drop Toomua in aftter flying halfway around the world, etc.

Puja

Apparently things where erm exaggerated and it he's good to go.

Also Hardwick over Joe Ford is a thing of beauty.

[Tigersman]

Also think Williams position could be Lock going forward, especially with Denton at 6.

[Scrumhead]

Good news on Thompson. Agreed on Williams too.

Interesting replacement front rows there. With the exception of Ma’afu, there’s not much Premiership experience on either side.

[fivepointer]

having Thompson available is a timely boost for Tigers. Williams for Fitzgerald looks like an upgrade to me.
Falcons are struggling with props but i do like their back row, plus they have 2 very effective wingers.
Expecting a Tigers bounce back.

[ad_tigger]

Am I lacking in loyalty or missing something to think that both tigers and England really should be looking for a lot more out of a starting tight-head than Cole offers these days?

[Puja]

Am I lacking in loyalty or missing something to think that both tigers and England really should be looking for a lot more out of a starting tight-head than Cole offers these days?

Depends which Cole you get - when he's on song, he's a very useful player to have. Plus it also depends who his competition are - for England especially, as neither of Williams nor Sinckler can hold a candle to Cole in the scrum and we're not a strong enough team elsewhere that we can afford to have a scrum that goes backwards on the tighthead side.

Puja

[Tigersman]

Ford is destroying Falcons currently.

Helps with Youngs and the forwards giving quick ball.

[Tigersman]

What a try by MANU!!!!!!

Lovely pop by Eastmond

[Mellsblue]

Stating the obvious, but if that backline are given a platform they will rip teams to shreds.

[Shiny]

Please can we have MOC back to run tigers for the saints game

[Mellsblue]

What a try by MANU!!!!!!

Lovely pop by Eastmond

Just shown it on BT Sport. Classic Manu.

[Renniks]

Decent pace to score that, after great strength as expected

[Tigersman]

Best performance I have see Ford play for Tigers.

Defence still poor, but hopefully we will get someone in to help that in time.

But Murphy has changed alot already especially in attack George Ford looks a different player also
1. Subbed both props at around 60mins
2, Hardwick has played 45 mins
3. Olowofela coming on instead of Veainu returning with 10 mins left and the game fairly in balance still.
Nice to see him being adventurous.

Promising start, but as said Defence still very much a worry, and the only coaching psoition we do not have covered.

Mike Williams looks a much better lock than a flanker.
Will Spencer was everywhere
Tuilagi looks confident in his running

Wasps will be very tough.

[Puja]

Saw the highlights and does look very promising. Obviously only so much you can tell from the reel, but Youngs looked brighter and faster to the base and away and forwards were offering more options and more positive lines.

Against that, we were always going to have a reaction and a reversion to the mean bounce. Plus, with all due respect to Newcastle, they're not Exeter and achieved their fourth last year through strength of character rather than quality of squad. The acid test will be Wasps next week.

Puja

[twitchy]

Watching manu score is really cathartic. Can we start to think of for england again? (| know, I know).

[TheNomad]

Watching manu score is really cathartic. Can we start to think of for england again? (| know, I know).

We can, and will...until he gets injured

[Oakboy]

Watching manu score is really cathartic. Can we start to think of for england again? (| know, I know).

Let's see him get really fit first by playing, say, 10 successive club games. Maybe, Murphy is the guy to get the best out of him and supervise a full recovery. He might even get Youngs, Ford and Eastmond to peak form too. Wow!

[Puja]

Watching manu score is really cathartic. Can we start to think of for england again? (| know, I know).

Let's see him get really fit first by playing, say, 10 successive club games. Maybe, Murphy is the guy to get the best out of him and supervise a full recovery. He might even get Youngs, Ford and Eastmond to peak form too. Wow!

Well, he's playing without strapping on his legs for the first time since about 2011, so that's a good start.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Isn’t that when he debuted?

[Puja]

Isn’t that when he debuted?

Technically that was 2009, but 2011 was when he was really brilliant for the first time.

ETA. A quick google search tells me he was actually strapping-free until 2015, so I overestimated. Still, it's a good sign.

Puja

[Which Tyler]

Let's see him get really fit first by playing, say, 10 successive club games.

Aren't you about 6 months late for that requirement?

[Puja]

Let's see him get really fit first by playing, say, 10 successive club games.

Aren't you about 6 months late for that requirement?

Maybe we should wait for him to have a full pre-season with his club?

Puja

[Renniks]

No no, let's wait to see him score a brilliant try where he shows power, pace, and poise to score…