La Rochelle Vs Tigers

[FKAS]

starting XV : Reda WARDI, Pierre BOURGARIT, Uini ATONIO, Ultan DILLANE, Will SKELTON, Paul BOUDEHENT, Levani BOTIA, Greg ALLDRITT (cap), Tawera KERR-BARLOW, Antoine HASTOY, Dillyn LEYDS, Jonathan DANTY, Ulupano SEUTENI, Teddy THOMAS, Brice DULIN.

The bench : Quentin LESPIAUCQ, Joel SCLAVI, Aleksandre KUNTELIA, Rémi PICQUETTE, Judicaël CANCORIET, Yoan TANGA, Thomas BERJON, Hugo REUS.

STARTING XV

15 Mike Brown [19]
14 Anthony Watson [18]
13 Dan Kelly [71]
12 Solomone Kata [10]
11 Josh Bassett [11]
10 Jamie Shillcock [16]
9 Ben Youngs [309]
1 James Cronin [25]
2 Julián Montoya (c) [50]
3 Dan Cole [316]
4 George Martin [72]
5 Ollie Chessum [51]
6 Matt Rogerson [13]
7 Olly Cracknell [32]
8 Kyle Hatherell [11]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Finn Theobold-Thomas [5]
17 Francois van Wyk [44]
18 Joe Heyes [135]
19 Sam Carter [10]
20 Jasper Wiese [69]
21 Tom Whiteley [20]
22 Handré Pollard [23]
23 Matt Scott [71]

Well Tigers are going to get absolutely stuffed in this one. La Rochelle have gone all out, have started to come into form after a slow start to the season and Tigers have reverted to playing without an openside which is normally a sure sign the opposition will play a lot of phases with the ball.

[FKAS]

They really have watered down the high tackle stuff now. Not long ago that was a stonewall red and now it's a yellow for making no effort to dip into the tackle. The only decision Tigers have had so far though they look fairly devoid of deas and the La Rochelle defence looks to have done it's homework. Doesn't help the backrow offer no threat at the breakdown.

Rogerson and Hatherall are playing like they've not met before.

[FKAS]

A cynical slap out of the 9s hands a metre from the line used to be a yellow card as well.

Tigers maul routine looks a bit rusty with poor ball transfer.

[Mellsblue]

The refs really are very anti Tigers in all these matches. Strange…
Skelton taking any decision making out of the ref’s hands whilst simultaneously being a human representation of how the first 30mins have gone.

[Mellsblue]

POWER as Clarkson would say.

[FKAS]

The La Rochelle maul skills being the key difference. They've nulified Tigers maul and scored two off the back of some neat work from their own.

Interesting to hear you think the ref is anti Tigers. Not so sure myself, looked to be a high tackle from Bassett before the penalty from which Tigers created their try. Perhaps he needs a bit more help from the TMO who seems to be largely having a sleep.

Jamie Shillcock getting caught going upright on a much more powerful player was not a good look led to that third try. If I was being harsh I'd say second as well but no one expects him to stop Skelton from a metre out.

[Mellsblue]

How many coffees for a tongue in cheek emoji?

[FKAS]

Tigers loosehead issues continue. Cronin looked good in the first half but La Rochelle are targeting him this half and he's crumbling. Cole just back from injury has gone off which won't help matters.

[FKAS]

Yeah I don't think there is a TMO for this game.

[FKAS]

Skelton is so good but some of his work at the breakdown is so dumb. That's an unnecessary yellow card and some more than once the ref was yelling at him to release and get out the way.

[Mellsblue]

Oscar nomination for Pollard.

[FKAS]

Oscar nomination for Pollard.

Let's see you get hit that hard by Dante and see how you feel.

I think the shoulder clips the jaw but the main damage is Dante headbutting Pollard's shoulder. Yellow at most I reckon.

[FKAS]

Shoddy from Tigers since La Rochelle have gone to 13. Hatherall with a knock under no pressure when one pass equals a try and then Brown fluffs a simple catch.

McKellar will be fuming.

[Mellsblue]

Oscar nomination for Pollard.

Let's see you get hit that hard by Dante and see how you feel.

I think the shoulder clips the jaw but the main damage is Dante headbutting Pollard's shoulder. Yellow at most I reckon.

Lol
This may surprise you but I’m not a pro rugby player…
If every player reacts like that to a big hit we’d have to play the matches at The Globe and it’d be difficult to know whether to label it a comedy or a farce.

[FKAS]

Oscar nomination for Pollard.

Let's see you get hit that hard by Dante and see how you feel.

I think the shoulder clips the jaw but the main damage is Dante headbutting Pollard's shoulder. Yellow at most I reckon.

Lol
This may surprise you but I’m not a pro rugby player…
If every player reacts like that to a big hit we’d have to play the matches at The Globe and it’d be difficult to know whether to label it a comedy or a farce.

Pollard sat up and could be clearly seen saying, "I'm ok". If he wanted to milk it he'd have rolled around holding his face.

Tigers once again showing their defence isn't enough without an openside to target the breakdown. Conceding against 13 was pathetic really.

[Mellsblue]

The only thing funnier than defending Pollard’s play acting is conceding a length of the field try vs a team that’s had to play/are playing* with 13

*it’s so one sided I’ve stopped concentrating

[Mr Mwenda]

Is my memory faulty but didn't teddy Thomas have a lovely head if hair at one stage?

Yawning gap in quality between the two teams from what I've seen.

[Mellsblue]

Biggest ever winning margin in the Champ Cup for LR. The only way it could be worse is if Northampton were the previous victims of this record… oh!

[FKAS]

The only thing funnier than defending Pollard’s play acting is conceding a length of the field try vs a team that’s had to play/are playing* with 13

*it’s so one sided I’ve stopped concentrating

No they were back up to 15 before he put in that piss poor crossfield kick. It was a show of frustration, our attack coach has been absent since the end of the PRC with a leave of absence that's never been explained and it shows badly. We desperately need to recruit someone in that role as the attack is painfully average against good teams and La Rochelle are a long way better than good.

Every time we play Cracknell or another bosher at 7 we suffer in defence and it's happened again. The opposition can just go through the phases until they eventually grind us down.

[FKAS]

Biggest ever winning margin in the Champ Cup for LR. The only way it could be worse is if Northampton were the previous victims of this record… oh!

Meh I've witnessed worse from us in Europe than losing badly away from home against the reigning Champions as they come back into their best form.

[Mellsblue]

Class from Kelly.

[FKAS]

Deserved try for Kelly. He's been our best back but that's really slim pickings. It's Kelly or Simmonds the rest were largely pants.

[francoisfou]

Ouff! Wasn’t expecting such an inept display from Leicester. Shall we say they’re saving themselves for next week to cement their qualification for the last 16?

[Mellsblue]

Biggest ever winning margin in the Champ Cup for LR. The only way it could be worse is if Northampton were the previous victims of this record… oh!

Meh I've witnessed worse from us in Europe than losing badly away from home against the reigning Champions as they come back into their best form.

Shows how far Leicester have fallen, bar the one successful season under Sullen Blunderbus.

[fivepointer]

That was pretty grim.

Tigers abject and not remotely competitive. LaR have power and class to spare it must be said.