Tigers Vs Sale - Friday Night

[FKAS]

STARTING XV
15 Freddie Steward [106]
14 Adam Radwan [7]
13 Solomone Kata [39]
12 Joseph Woodward [28]
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [43]
10 Handré Pollard [49]
9 Jack van Poortvliet [91]
1 Nicky Smith [19]
2 Julián Montoya (c) [73]
3 Joe Heyes [158]
4 Cameron Henderson [60]
5 Ollie Chessum [63]
6 Hanro Liebenberg [127]
7 Tommy Reffell [132]
8 Olly Cracknell [61]

REPLACEMENTS
16 Charlie Clare [119]
17 James Cronin [45]
18 Dan Cole [339]
19 Matt Rogerson [23]
20 Emeka Ilione [43]
21 Ben Youngs [333]
22 Jamie Shillcock [48]
23 Dan Kelly [96]

Harry Wells, who was injured in the club's last game, joins George Martin, Izaia Perese, and Ben Volavola as Senior Squad members unavailable for selection through injury.

Sale Sharks Starting XV:  

15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez (c), 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Arron Reed, 10. George Ford 9. Gus Warr, 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Tom Curry, 8. JL du Preez.  

Replacements:  

16. Tadgh McElroy, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. WillGriff John, 19. Hyron Andrews, 20. Ben Curry, 21. Dan du Preez, 22. Raffi Quirke, 23. Tom O’Flaherty.

Sale have been Tigers boogey team for a few seasons now. Not feeling especially confident for this one either, apparently Steward was an injury doubt earlier in the week feeling sore having some hard landings after being taken out in the air twice Vs Quins.

[fivepointer]

Big game.

Both sides settled and in good form. Could go a long way to settle who finishes 2nd.

[Puja]

I'm hopeful - that is a settled, balanced, and in-form Leicester side, who're only 2 players away from being full-strength (Martin and Perese). Sale are going to be a big test, but one that we need to pass, especially at home, if we have ambitions of challenging for the league. Front row battle is going to be absolutely crucial - Rodd/LCD/AOF vs Smith/Montoya/Heyes is pretty much as tough a battle as this league offers with current form.

Very interested to see Ma'asi-White and Woodward in a very high-pressure game - could be a playoff for a spot on tour in the summer.

Puja

[Banquo]

I'm hopeful - that is a settled, balanced, and in-form Leicester side, who're only 2 players away from being full-strength (Martin and Perese). Sale are going to be a big test, but one that we need to pass, especially at home, if we have ambitions of challenging for the league. Front row battle is going to be absolutely crucial - Rodd/LCD/AOF vs Smith/Montoya/Heyes is pretty much as tough a battle as this league offers with current form.

Very interested to see Ma'asi-White and Woodward in a very high-pressure game - could be a playoff for a spot on tour in the summer.

Puja

also radwan ,roebuck, ohc and carpenter...even Jonny Hill and Bamber

[Oakboy]

I'm no Leicester fan but I'll switch on looking forward to their backs, the English contingent especially. That's unusual looking back some decades.

[Mikey Brown]

Already feels like there are a few players desperate to show they're worthy of consideration here.

[TheDasher]

I'm hopeful - that is a settled, balanced, and in-form Leicester side, who're only 2 players away from being full-strength (Martin and Perese). Sale are going to be a big test, but one that we need to pass, especially at home, if we have ambitions of challenging for the league. Front row battle is going to be absolutely crucial - Rodd/LCD/AOF vs Smith/Montoya/Heyes is pretty much as tough a battle as this league offers with current form.

Very interested to see Ma'asi-White and Woodward in a very high-pressure game - could be a playoff for a spot on tour in the summer.

Puja

also radwan ,roebuck, ohc and carpenter...even Jonny Hill and Bamber

Is Hill to Racing92 confirmed?

[francoisfou]

I'm hopeful - that is a settled, balanced, and in-form Leicester side, who're only 2 players away from being full-strength (Martin and Perese). Sale are going to be a big test, but one that we need to pass, especially at home, if we have ambitions of challenging for the league. Front row battle is going to be absolutely crucial - Rodd/LCD/AOF vs Smith/Montoya/Heyes is pretty much as tough a battle as this league offers with current form.

Very interested to see Ma'asi-White and Woodward in a very high-pressure game - could be a playoff for a spot on tour in the summer.

Puja

also radwan ,roebuck, ohc and carpenter...even Jonny Hill and Bamber

Is Hill to Racing92 confirmed?

https://www.rugby-transferts.com/jonny- ... ue-205010/

Confirmed, albeit unofficially.

[FKAS]

George Ford is having a stunning game (again).

[FKAS]

Carley not reffing lineouts it seems. Sale blatantly sacked the maul but nothing given and the ball ends up in touch. Resulting lineout Tigers clearly hit before the jumper is on the floor and nothing either.

[Oakboy]

Cracking game! Lots of fine individual performances. Steward needs mentioning - he is a superb defensive FB. Ford's performance is close to perfection, apart from kicking to Steward. I'd love to know if that was planned. Sale would be out of sight already if Steward had cracked but he hasn't looked like doing so, making it an odd tactic, IMO. Somebody explain the thinking, please.

[Danno]

Curry off injured I heard?

[Oakboy]

Curry off injured I heard?

Right knee apparently.

[FKAS]

Raffi Quirke marched back twice for dissent and is on a final warning before a yellow card. Not going to impress Silent Backchat with that sort of thing.

[Mikey Brown]

Hilarious defence from Radwan there for RdP’s try.

[Mikey Brown]

Sorry. Pollard. Though Radwan did miss him too.

[Danno]

Raffi Quirke marched back twice for dissent and is on a final warning before a yellow card. Not going to impress Silent Backchat with that sort of thing.

He can't really be on the radar for the summer, he'll probably break in training anyways

[Epaminondas Pules]

Raffi Quirke marched back twice for dissent and is on a final warning before a yellow card. Not going to impress Silent Backchat with that sort of thing.

The first one he was absolutely right. Should have been a penalty to Sale. But if the ref doesn’t give you it then you have to keep quiet.

[FKAS]

Sorry. Pollard. Though Radwan did miss him too.

Comical tackling for him to pinball through.

Great second half from Tigers. Ilione was fantastic off the bench. Tigers rolling maul really came into it and Sale struggled, Hill getting sin binned in the final minute the culmination of the pressure in that area. No LBP for Sale is a real blow to them.

Ford was extremely good, Pollard not quite as good as Ford but still quality. A real ding dong between the two 10s. Woodward and Ma'asi-White both showing up fairly well. OHC gets man of the match for a brace of very well taken tries, could have had a hat trick if he didn't have a foot shaped like a fifty pence piece.

Good game that.

[FKAS]

Raffi Quirke marched back twice for dissent and is on a final warning before a yellow card. Not going to impress Silent Backchat with that sort of thing.

The first one he was absolutely right. Should have been a penalty to Sale. But if the ref doesn’t give you it then you have to keep quiet.

Refs aren't known for changing their mind post decision.

First one I'm not sure you could penalise Radwan. He makes the tackle and then Ma'asi-White tries to get up and go again so he has to hold on to the ankle to stop him. It should be a penalty against Ma'asi-White before the breakdown even happens. The tackle had been made, he didn't release the ball.

[fivepointer]

That was a good watch with plenty of ebb and flow.

Sale were cruising at one stage but the wheels came off quite spectacularly in the last half an hour when they lost all composure.

Ford simply majestic at times. Sale's starting props were very good. OHC did well. Ilione put in a terrific cameo. High time this guy started a game or two.

[Oakboy]

Curry off injured I heard?

Right knee apparently.

Commentary got that wrong. Hamstring according to DT's quote from Sanderson.

[Oakboy]

That was a good watch with plenty of ebb and flow.

Sale were cruising at one stage but the wheels came off quite spectacularly in the last half an hour when they lost all composure.

Ford simply majestic at times. Sale's starting props were very good. OHC did well. Ilione put in a terrific cameo. High time this guy started a game or two.

Am I the only one who can't get his head around why Ford runs with the ball so rarely? It's not like he's bad at it.

Sticking to being out on a limb, I still think Hill is our second best lock. I thought Chessum was excellent but Hill is simply a bigger presence and a better fit with Itoje.

[Which Tyler]

Am I the only one who can't get his head around why Ford runs with the ball so rarely? It's not like he's bad at it.

He's excellent at it; but he took A LOT of flack early in his career for being small, which means that if he runs with the ball and gets caught, he gets ragdolled until backup arrives. Specifically "unlike St Owen"
He's also lost a yard of pace over the last decade or so.

[Puja]

Am I the only one who can't get his head around why Ford runs with the ball so rarely? It's not like he's bad at it.

He's excellent at it; but he took A LOT of flack early in his career for being small, which means that if he runs with the ball and gets caught, he gets ragdolled until backup arrives. Specifically "unlike St Owen"
He's also lost a yard of pace over the last decade or so.

As above - he's never going to make a dent with physical force so any run only ends well if he makes at least a half-break. Plus the main virtue of his game is managing and directing the attack, so being buried at the bottom of a ruck is the worst result for him.

On Jonny Hill, I'm still unconvinced. He'll have games where he looks a worldbeater but it's not consistent. Add that to the occasional bouts of incredible stupidity and he's not worth crying over. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't have him back in the England squad if he weren't going to France, but he's behind Chessum and, while he'd be ahead of Martin now, he'd be behind a fit and in form Martin.

Puja