RugbyRebels

The Leicester Tigers matchday squad to play Northampton Saints at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in the first of The Derby Day Double fixtures has been named.

Francois van Wyk will captain the team at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Monday evening, while Senior Academy Coach Matt Smith will lead the coaching team.

The matchday squad includes 14 players to have graduated from the club’s academy programme in recent seasons and all seven of the Senior Academy players who were part of the 2023 England Under-20s squad.

Nic Dolly will play his first game of the 2022/23 season, starting at hooker alongside van Wyk and Will Hurd in the front-row.

Lewis Chessum and Rob Carmichael are the second row pairing, while fellow England U20s forward Finn Carnduff is at blindside flanker.

Carnduff is joined in the back-row by Emeka Ilione and Sean Jansen.

Sam Edwards and Charlie Atkinson are the starting half-backs, with Joe Woodward and Phil Cokanasiga the centres.

Harry Simmons, Joe Browning and Kini Murimurivalu are the starting back three.

On an extended bench, including five forwards and four backs, are front-rowers Archie Vanes, Dan Richardson, Tim Hoyt and fellow forwards Joshua Manz and Simon Koroyiadi.

Meanwhile, the replacements backs are Sam Wolstenholme, Morgan Meredith, Hosea Saumaki and Jacob Cusick.

STARTING XV
15 Kini Murimurivalu, 14 Joe Browning, 13 Phil Cokanasiga, 12 Joe Woodward, 11 Harry Simmons, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 9 Sam Edwards; 1 Francois van Wyk (c), 2 Nic Dolly, 3 Will Hurd, 4 Lewis Chessum, 5 Rob Carmichael, 6 Finn Carnduff, 7 Emeka Ilione, 8 Sean Jansen

REPLACEMENTS
16 Archie Vanes, 17 Dan Richardson, 18 Tim Hoyt, 19 Joshua Manz, 20 Simon Koroiyadi, 21 Sam Wolstenholme, 22 Morgan Meredith, 23 Hosea Saumaki, 24 Jacob Cusick

15 George Hendy
14 Frankie Sleightholme
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Toby Thame
11 Courtnall Skosan
10 James Grayson
9 Callum Braley (c)

1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
2 Mike Haywood
3 Ed Prowse
4 Alex Coles
5 Emeka Atuanya
6 Karl Wilkins
7 Craig Wright
8 Angus Scott-Young

Replacements:
16 Callum Burns
17 Lewis Holsey
18 Osman Dimen
19 Alex Woolford
20 Brandon Nansen
21 Tom Lockett
22 Charles Rylands
23 Jake Garside
24 Tom James
25 Matty Arden
26 Archie Kean

Great to see Dolly back from injury, he's not played in about a year (if not more). Would be a great option to have for the run in. Some of the Tigers pack looks very young though and Saints have managed to get some more experience in there with ASY, Wilkins and Coles. That could prove a bit of a tipping point. Saints have certainly got the finishers in the back three and more experience at half back. Tigers will be hoping to edge the scrum and for the young talent in the centres to even up the backline battle.

Shame it's not televised really.

A few Saints backing up from playing for Bedford on Saturday. Atuanya the only starter for the Blues but…
Four Blues players in total.

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:48 pm...with Joe Woodward and Phil Cokanasiga the centres...

HE'S ALIVE!

Puja

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:49 pm 15 George Hendy
14 Frankie Sleightholme
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Toby Thame
11 Courtnall Skosan
10 James Grayson
9 Callum Braley (c)

1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
2 Mike Haywood
3 Ed Prowse
4 Alex Coles
5 Emeka Atuanya
6 Karl Wilkins
7 Craig Wright
8 Angus Scott-Young

Replacements:
16 Callum Burns
17 Lewis Holsey
18 Osman Dimen
19 Alex Woolford
20 Brandon Nansen
21 Tom Lockett
22 Charles Rylands
23 Jake Garside
24 Tom James
25 Matty Arden
26 Archie Kean

Alex Coles has really dropped down the pecking order post England.

Banquo wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 4:14 pm

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:49 pm 15 George Hendy
14 Frankie Sleightholme
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Toby Thame
11 Courtnall Skosan
10 James Grayson
9 Callum Braley (c)

1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
2 Mike Haywood
3 Ed Prowse
4 Alex Coles
5 Emeka Atuanya
6 Karl Wilkins
7 Craig Wright
8 Angus Scott-Young

Replacements:
16 Callum Burns
17 Lewis Holsey
18 Osman Dimen
19 Alex Woolford
20 Brandon Nansen
21 Tom Lockett
22 Charles Rylands
23 Jake Garside
24 Tom James
25 Matty Arden
26 Archie Kean

Alex Coles has really dropped down the pecking order post England.

Isn't he coming back from injury?

Puja

Puja wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 4:33 pm

Banquo wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 4:14 pm

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:49 pm 15 George Hendy
14 Frankie Sleightholme
13 Tom Litchfield
12 Toby Thame
11 Courtnall Skosan
10 James Grayson
9 Callum Braley (c)

1 Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi
2 Mike Haywood
3 Ed Prowse
4 Alex Coles
5 Emeka Atuanya
6 Karl Wilkins
7 Craig Wright
8 Angus Scott-Young

Replacements:
16 Callum Burns
17 Lewis Holsey
18 Osman Dimen
19 Alex Woolford
20 Brandon Nansen
21 Tom Lockett
22 Charles Rylands
23 Jake Garside
24 Tom James
25 Matty Arden
26 Archie Kean

Alex Coles has really dropped down the pecking order post England.

Isn't he coming back from injury?

Puja

Not really, he was fit and didn't even make the squad v LI a couple of weeks ago.

Eddie Jones, gone but not forgotten/forgiven.

26-14 at the break and now up to 45-14. Don't know how many changes Saints have made but the Tigers updates seem to suggest they've used quite a few of those early in the second half.

Puja wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 2:00 pm

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:48 pm...with Joe Woodward and Phil Cokanasiga the centres...

HE'S ALIVE!

Puja

Scored as well

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 8:15 am

Puja wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 2:00 pm

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:48 pm...with Joe Woodward and Phil Cokanasiga the centres...

HE'S ALIVE!

Puja

Scored as well

And had another from halfway disallowed for an unspecified reason (I only have the Tigers web commentary updates to go off).

According to the offy Atkinson was probably the star man, easily overshadowed Grayson for Saints. Chessum Jnr, Dolly, Woodward and Ilione also got good write ups though Ilione went off injured and it didn't look good which is a real shame. Murimurivalu sprinkled a bit of magic at times but Tigers scrum was in ascendancy and despite Saints competing hard at the lineout they struggled to disrupt. Rolling maul got more traction in the second half. Saints attack looked eye catching but their breakdown work and discipline was unsurprisingly shocking.

Hopefully one or both teams will put some highlights up.