Saracens vs Leicester

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Sam-Harrison-miss-Leicester-Tigers-key-clash/story-15242608-detail/story.html

Latest news on the Saracens-Leicester clash - Looks like Sam Harrison will miss the crunch game against Saracens.

With Micky Young banned,Harrison injured and Youngs on England duty does this mean Grindal will start at scrum half?

With Cole with England,Castro injured and White banned for 1 week who will be playing at tighthead? Brookes?


Saracens have all their fearsome frontrow options intact. Gill,Stevens,Brits,Smit,Nieto and George are all available for selection.

Expect line ups in my opinion:

Saracens

1.Gill
2.Brits
3.Nieto
4.Kruis
5.Smith
6.Melck
7.Saull
8.Wray

9.De Kock/Spencer/Stringer
10.Mordt
11.Taylor
12.Powell
13.Wyles
14.Short
15.Goode



Leicester

1.Ayerza
2.Hawkins/Chuter
3.Mulipola
4.Slater/Kitchener
5.Skivington
6.Mafi
7.Salvi
8.Waldrom
9.Grindal
10.Flood
11.A.Tuilagi
12.Allen
13.M.Tuilagi
14.Agulla
15.Murphy

I know Wyles is a handy utility player but I didn't realise he could play two positions at once!

Sadly Grindal will be at 9 and the bench spot taken by a Notts loanee (probably ex-Tigers academy) or a Tigers academy player. Which should help Sarries no end.

Mulipola will play tighthead as Brookes is still injured. This will mean Sarries will get the nudge at the scrum but Tigers will have a much better carrying game as the man is a beast.

Oops Sam. I'll change that full back to Goode.

Never heard of Mulipola. Who is he and what's he like?

I am not at all worried about the Sarries pack. Missing some big names in the 2nd row and backrow but the frontrow will ooze experience.

Kruis and Smith handled Wentzel well against Wasps so I expect and hope Saracens will comfortably win their own ball.

With no Joubert I don't expect there to be too much threat on the Leicester lineout though.

I hope Nieto starts. He is by far our best tighthead.

Very nervous about the Saracens backline. Certainly in comparison to the Leicester one.Certainly they'll have their hands full marshalling the likes of Murphy, the two Tuilagi bros and Flood.

The two biggest losses are Hodgson and Barritt.

Mulipola is a 24 year old Samoan international prop, he can play both sides and was given a trial over the Christmas/January period and earnt a deal until the end of the season. He isn't a great scrummager but is a real monster ball in hand. He arrived at the club around the 22 stone mark and according to Cockers is now at his 'lean' weight of 20 stone. Looks a bit like a young Castro with his long hair and beard but is currently no where near the same class. Expect the scrum to struggle with him in it but expect metres to be made ball in hand.

The backline should be good but as seen in the second half against Exeter lacks any spark with Grindal at 9 so Sarries might be let off there. I think the Sarries lineout will do well as they have quality hookers to throw the ball in and decent jumpers, the Tigers lineout should be ok but I wouldn't expect it to be at it's best when missing Deacon, Parling and Croft so anything could happen. I do wonder whether Skivs will get benched so Kitchener and Slater can run the lineout (they combine much better) and then Woods might be able to come in at 6 instead of Mafi. That way we might lose some lock experience and a bit of height but gain a more natural lineout option in the 2nd row and have two opensides trying to disrupt the Sarries breakdown.

I'd expect Sarries to play it clever and try the tactical game looking for territory and challenging the Tigers lineout as opposed to trying to do to much carrying work.

Samoa international prop Logoviii Mulipola is given his first start in Aviva Premiership Rugby for Leicester Tigers in this Sunday's trip to Saracens.The 24-year-old tighthead is brought in due to the absence of internationals Dan Cole and Martin Castrogiovanni, and a one-week ban for Julian White.
Mulipola has made four appearances for the club this season, including starting the LV= Cup win over Harlequins, but makes his first league start at Vicarage Road this weekend.

Sam Harrison (ankle) and Alesana Tuilagi (knee) are ruled out after picking up injuries at Exeter Chiefs last Saturday, and are replaced by James Grindal and Matt Smith.

Manu Tuilagi, Toby Flood and Thomas Waldrom return from England's Six Nations preparations to resume their roles in the Leicester line-up.

Craig Newby, who captained Tigers in the Aviva Premiership Final against Saracens in May, is named among the replacements as he continues his return from injury.

Scotland Under-20s scrum-half Scott Steele is included in the matchday squad for the first time, joining England Under-20s fly-half George Ford among the replacements.

Leicester Tigers (v Saracens, Vicarage Road, Sunday 2.30pm)
15 Geordan Murphy (c)
14 Horacio Agulla
13 Manu Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Matt Smith
10 Toby Flood
9 James Grindal
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 George Chuter
3 Logoviii Mulipola
4 Ed Slater
5 George Skivington
6 Steve Mafi
7 Julian Salvi
8 Thomas Waldrom

Replacements
16 Rob Hawkins
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Ryan Bower
19 Graham Kitchener
20 Craig Newby
21 Scott Steele
22 George Ford
23 Scott Hamilton

Saracens make just two changes to their line-up with Schalk Brits and Neil de Kock starting the game after making a return from injury as replacements against Wasps last weekend. Matt Stevens is named on the bench after being released by England and Ben Spencer also returns from duty with England Under-20s.

Saracens
15 Alex Goode
14 Duncan Taylor
13 Chris Wyles
12 Adam Powell
11 James Short
10 Nils Mordt
9 Neil de Kock
1 John Smit (c)
2 Schalk Brits
3 Carlos Nieto
4 George Kruis
5 Hayden Smith
6 Justin Melck
7 Andy Saull
8 Jackson Wray

Replacements
16 Jamie George
17 Rhys Gill
18 Matt Stevens
19 Hugh Vyvyan
20 Will Fraser
21 Ben Spencer
22 Joel Tomkins
23 Michael Tagicakibau

I'm not sure that a Rabo game of this significance could have received less attention.

However it's game on. I reckon that the Sarries will win. This is an enormous test for the Tigers' resolve and if there is any vestige of the old dog they can and should win.

We'll see...

[ed First thing that I notice that Mr Nobody and his wife have brought the extended family along.]

Radio says no Flood...

ChequeredJersey wrote:Radio says no Flood...

Sky says he's in.

Radio is wrong.

Slater yellow carded for bringing a sarries player down in the air.

stupid yellow card, nato chucked their own player in the air!!

technically speaking, powell knocked that on.

nice catch from small.

Sarries doing some good chasing.

nobody else watching?

Listening

ChequeredJersey wrote:Listening

guessing you won't have to put up with Barnes then! having said that, Barnes made a compliment about leicester earlier. nearly spat my tea out!

looooooads of kicking at the minute.

3 - 0 to Leicester and slater back on.

Got a bloke with a lovely Welsh accent. Sound like Leicester did very well to come up ahead after the yellow

And sounds like Goode is off form with the boot

Just got in from work, looks fairly balanced Nathan - anyone stood out yet?

Nice to see Sarries benefiting from a ridiculous YC by scoring -3.

Hi Portnoy, how's Flood played so far?

PJHolybloke wrote:Just got in from work, looks fairly balanced Nathan - anyone stood out yet?

fairly balanced, lots of kicking. Nobody has really stood out yet.

never seen manu kick before, he hasnt got a bad boot.

Great line break from Murphy, thought he passed too early there.

Hi PJ. Floody's doink OK.

Strange thing is that Grindal is in danger of playing well.

pen to licester, nieto holding a player back.

Portnoy wrote:Hi PJ. Floody's doink OK.

Strange thing is that Grindal is in danger of playing well.

i'm sorry but theres still 60 odd minutes to go, he still has plenty of time to screw it up.

Tuilagi sounds lively

nice break from manu and then waldrom.

this is bringing back memories of last years final. sarries killing the ball constantly on their own line.

another pen against sarries on their own line.

Tuilagi is definitely playing himself into contention for England here, Lancaster will have some pretty tough choices to make.

I think he's ruthless enough to make them though, which will make a nice change to previous "buddy picks".

PJHolybloke wrote:Tuilagi is definitely playing himself into contention for England here, Lancaster will have some pretty tough choices to make.

I think he's ruthless enough to make them though, which will make a nice change to previous "buddy picks".

is that snoring i hear?

This thread is about this game, please keep it on topic.

de kock gets a try!

Bamm! Sucker punch from Sarries.

Britz also sounding good

ChequeredJersey wrote:Britz also sounding good

yeah he's playing well as he always seems to against the tigers.

murphey's making some good runs.

Sarries getting on the ref jubblies.

flood gets the pen, 9 - 7 to tigers.

flood wins the pen at the breakdown.

tigers are actually doing pretty well at the breakdown.

nathan wrote:

PJHolybloke wrote:Tuilagi is definitely playing himself into contention for England here, Lancaster will have some pretty tough choices to make.

I think he's ruthless enough to make them though, which will make a nice change to previous "buddy picks".

is that snoring i hear?

This thread is about this game, please keep it on topic.

Terribly sorry, I thought that was a comment about Tuilagi.

Youngsesq run from Grindle.... lol

PJHolybloke wrote:

nathan wrote:

PJHolybloke wrote:Tuilagi is definitely playing himself into contention for England here, Lancaster will have some pretty tough choices to make.

I think he's ruthless enough to make them though, which will make a nice change to previous "buddy picks".

is that snoring i hear?

This thread is about this game, please keep it on topic.

Terribly sorry, I thought that was a comment about Tuilagi.

dont play dumb, you know exactly what i mean with your "buddy picks"

It's Radio Leicester that I'm listening to, it's great listening to them talking about how dull Saracens are.

smit allowed to try and kick the ball whist off his feet.

Looks like Leicester are going to get the last word of the half, he *should* just about have the range....

and does!

10-12 HT