RugbyRebels

More rotation from Tigers, really don't like Steward on the wing but with the 6:2 bench split it might suggest we've got some injuries or Covid cases in the squad. I like that Heyes and Whitcombe will be getting some more game time.

STARTING XV
15 Bryce Hegarty [4]
14 Freddie Steward [42]
13 Matt Scott [32]
12 Dan Kelly [28]
11 Hosea Saumaki [4]
10 Freddie Burns [83]
9 Ben Youngs [270]
1 Nephi Leatigaga [51]
2 Nic Dolly [10]
3 Joe Heyes [82]
4 Harry Wells [135]
5 Eli Snyman [6]
6 George Martin [25]
7 Tommy Reffell [57]
8 Jasper Wiese [25]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Julián Montoya [11]
17 James Whitcombe [9]
18 Dan Cole [274]
19 Calum Green [70]
20 Ollie Chessum [18]
21 Marco van Staden [6]
22 Jack van Poortvliet [30]
23 Guy Porter [27]

Connacht Rugby: 15 Tiernan O'Halloran, 14 John Porch, 13 Sam Arnold, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Alex Wootton, 10 Jack Carty (c), 9 Kieran Marmion; 1 Matthew Burke, 2 David Heffernan, 3 Finlay Bealham, 4 Ultan Dillane, 5 Niall Murray, 6 Cian Prendergast, 7 Conor Oliver, 8 Jarrad Butler.

Replacements: 16 Shane Delahunt, 17 Tietie Tuimauga, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Leva Fifita, 20 Abraham Papali'i, 21 Caolin Blade, 22 Conor Fitzgerald, 23 Diarmuid Kilgallen

I agree that FB is Steward's natural position but might half a dozen games a season on the wing sharpen his finishing? He's a good rounded player but there could be room for improvement in taking half-chances perhaps.

Oakboy wrote:I agree that FB is Steward's natural position but might half a dozen games a season on the wing sharpen his finishing? He's a good rounded player but there could be room for improvement in taking half-chances perhaps.

I'd have said he's an excellent finisher from what I've seen internationally. Great try v Aus and a very good finish from close range v SA.

When I've seen Steward play wing before he just tends to be a bit anonymous. His strength is the timing of his runs up from fullback, I think he'd actually make a better centre than winger, he played centre for Loughborough Students because they wanted him on the ball more.

If English posters are not familiar with Connacht - they do like running, attacking rugby, a hangover from the Pat Lam days, and will play a loose, fairly unstructured game. But on any given day they tend to be very good or very poor, with little in between. Hope they show up for this one.
In Murray and Prendergast (both around 21) they have a pair of athletic and skilful forwards with great potential

Spiffy wrote:If English posters are not familiar with Connacht - they do like running, attacking rugby, a hangover from the Pat Lam days, and will play a loose, fairly unstructured game. But on any given day they tend to be very good or very poor, with little in between. Hope they show up for this one.
In Murray and Prendergast (both around 21) they have a pair of athletic and skilful forwards with great potential

There was an entertaining game between the two sides last season. Tigers rotated heavily for that game as well. I'm hoping for a similar game to last season which provided both entertainment and a comfortable Tigers win.

Borthwick talked in a very complimentary way about Friend and the Connacht side this week highlighting the half backs and the back five of the scrum. With that in mind Youngs is back in and we have two flyhalfs in the back line to try and dominate the tactical contest and the 6:2 split should allow us to go hard against their forwards as well.

Great result for Connacht.

.....or i misread the beeb oops

Tigers have to thank their scrum and maul dominance for that. They were off key for a lot of that game, making errors that they havent made all season.
I do like Sam Warburton on commentary. Always fair and balanced, plus able to offer some real insight into a game.

Banquo wrote:Great result for Connacht.

I lost signal watching it on my phone at 79 minutes, so you've just given me a frantic dash to the BBC website to see if they'd somehow managed to make up 9 points in 1 minute.

Good result for Leicester as well - bonus point win with a heavily rotated team. IBWT on the team selection again and each week he keeps proving that he deserves it.

Puja

I do agree re Warburton but think the removal of Burns was just as if not more critical to the result as the front row change. Burns looked very rusty, he stood very flat and gave himself no room to pass comfortably under pressure shovelling crap down the line often. He also left his back line standing flat a lot of the time by standing so flat and delaying the pass. Hegarty offered a no frills but much tidier option and the backline flourished instead of repeatedly turning the ball over and giving Connacht points.

Entertaining if slightly frustrating game. Job done at TBP win for Tigers. Connacht won't be too disappointed with a LBP, Carty was exceptional for them.

Puja wrote:

Banquo wrote:Great result for Connacht.

I lost signal watching it on my phone at 79 minutes, so you've just given me a frantic dash to the BBC website to see if they'd somehow managed to make up 9 points in 1 minute.

Good result for Leicester as well - bonus point win with a heavily rotated team. IBWT on the team selection again and each week he keeps proving that he deserves it.

Puja

soz

fivepointer wrote:Tigers have to thank their scrum and maul dominance for that. They were off key for a lot of that game, making errors that they havent made all season.
I do like Sam Warburton on commentary. Always fair and balanced, plus able to offer some real insight into a game.

Would disagree with you on that one. I find Warburton rather bland and dull, with not a great deal to say beyond the bleedin' obvious.

Bit harsh on Warburton but he did seem to not know much or sometimes anything about the players from Tigers. Fair enough he doesn't watch the league but he was struggling to talk about Reffell who's been name dropped by Pivac previously and is a former Wales under 20 captain and plays Warburton's position. Thought he might have done a bit more research pre game.

Committee stuff at Welford rd. The best players jumping ship ?
I've always liked Steve, something else is happening.

kk67 wrote:Committee stuff at Welford rd. The best players jumping ship ?
I've always liked Steve, something else is happening.

Two players have left, both to return closer to home. Ford there was rumours Tigers had tried to be cute with negotiations initially but no much rumours with Ellis. Genge actually gave an interview praising Borthwick before it was announced he was leaving.

With the cap coming down and the personal effects of Covid being felt I'd imagine there will be a lot of surprising moves. Tigers are likely to cut a few more to get under the cap as well, Brink is confirmed as back off to SA but has been a sicknote since he arrived and largely behind academy grads now as well.

Chiefs have post two international locks already with Baxter complaining the cap is making life tough for him. Sarries have lost Koch and rumoured to be losing the Vunipolas. Bristol are set to see Piatau and Afoa go. Sale are set to lose multiple SA internationals. It's happening all over the league.

FKAS wrote: Bristol are set to see Piatau and Afoa go. Sale are set to lose multiple SA internationals. It's happening all over the league.

Afoa is retiring, Hughes rumoured to be off, but CP was signed until 2022 (reported Dec 2019) and extended it in Aug 2020 - so he will be staying a while longer it seems. Semi is contracted to 2024.