Heineken Cup Semi Finals

Team & Tactics - 0000hrs Sunday
Predictions - 2000 hrs Tuesday

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Leicester Tigers vs ASM Clermont Auvergne
Location - Twickenham
Weather - White Cloud, 10 degrees, 15mph North North Easterly

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Leicester Tigers

Manager – Sgt_Pooly

01. Thomas Domingo	09. Ben Youngs
02. Tom Youngs	10. Toby Flood
03. Dan Cole
04. Joe Launchbury	11. Digby Ioane
05. Richie Gray	12. Berrick Barnes
06. Willam Alberts	13. Manu Tuilagi
07. Sam Warburton	14. Christian Wade
08. Sergio Parisse(c)	15. James O'Connor

16. Bismark du Plessis 17. Alex Corbisiero 18. Martin Castrogiovani 19. Geoff Parling 20. Liam Gill 21. Karl Dickson 22. Jordan Turner-Hall 23. Rob Kearney

Tactics

Normal Tigers tactics....

Big carries from pack, drawing in opposition defence and unleashing backline. Look for Flood/Barnes to dictate tempo and Youngs to play on instinct.

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ASM Clermont Auvergne

Manager – Vern Cotter

01. Thomas Domingo	09. Morgan Parra (k)
02. Benjamin Kayser	10. Brock James
03. Davit Zirakashvili
04. Jamie Cudmore	11. Napolioni Nalaga
05. Nathan Hines	12. Wesley Fofana
06. Julien Bonnaire	13. Regan King
07. Julien Bardy	14. Sitiveni Sivivatu
08. Damien Chouly	15. Lee Byrne

Replacements: 16 Ti'i Paulo, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Clement Ric, 19 Julien Pierre, 20 Alexandre Lapandry, 21 Ludovic Radosavljevic, 22 Jean Marcel Buttin, 23 David Skrela.

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Northampton Saints v Racing Toulon
Location - Twickenham
Weather - Sunny, 9 degrees, 13mph North Easterly

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Northampton Saints

Manager – SirJohnnyEnglish

01. Soane Tonga'uiha	09. Lee Dickson
02. Dylan Hartley	10. Johnny Sexton
03. Paul Doran-Jones
04. Courtney Lawes	11. Chris Ashton
05. Andries Bekker	12. Gael Fickou
06. Stephen Ferris	13. George Pisi
07. Tom Wood	14. JP Pieterson
08. Kieran Read	15. Ben Foden

16. Steven Kitshoff 17. Richardt Strauss 18. Brian Mujati 19. Brodie Retalick 20. Calum Clark 21. Aaron Smith 22. Stephen Myler 23. Jamie Elliot

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RC Toulonnaise

Manager – Bernard Laporte

01. Andrew Sheridan	09. Sébastien Tillous-Borde
02. Sebastien Bruno	10. Jonny Wilkinson (k)
03. Carl Hayman
04. Bakkies Botha	11. Alexis Palisson
05. Nick Kennedy	12. Matt Giteau
06. Danie Russouw	13. Mathieu Bastareaud
07. JMF Lobbe	14. Rudi Wolf
08. Chris Masoe(c.)	15. Delon Armitage

Replacements: 16 Jean-Charles Orioli, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Davit Kubriashvili, 19 Joe van Niekerk, 20 Steffon Armitage, 21 Maxime Mermoz, 22 Frederic Michalak, 23 Jocelino Suta.

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Leicester Tigers
Manager – Sgt_Pooly

01. Thomas Domingo	09. Ben Youngs
02. Tom Youngs	10. Toby Flood
03. Dan Cole
04. Joe Launchbury	11. Digby Ioane
05. Richie Gray	12. Berrick Barnes
06. Willam Alberts	13. Manu Tuilagi
07. Sam Warburton	14. Christian Wade
08. Sergio Parisse(c)	15. James O'Connor

16. Bismark du Plessis 17. Alex Corbisiero 18. Martin Castrogiovani 19. Geoff Parling 20. Liam Gill 21. Karl Dickson 22. Jordan Turner-Hall 23. Rob Kearney

Tactics

Normal Tigers tactics....

Big carries from pack, drawing in opposition defence and unleashing backline. Look for Flood/Barnes to dictate tempo and Youngs to play on instinct.

ASM Clermont Auvergne

Manager – Vern Cotter

01. Thomas Domingo	09. Morgan Parra (k)
02. Benjamin Kayser	10. Brock James
03. Davit Zirakashvili
04. Jamie Cudmore	11. Napolioni Nalaga
05. Nathan Hines	12. Wesley Fofana
06. Julien Bonnaire	13. Regan King
07. Julien Bardy	14. Sitiveni Sivivatu
08. Damien Chouly	15. Lee Byrne

Replacements: 16 Ti'i Paulo, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Clement Ric, 19 Julien Pierre, 20 Alexandre Lapandry, 21 Ludovic Radosavljevic, 22 Jean Marcel Buttin, 23 David Skrela.

RC Toulonnaise

Manager – Bernard Laporte

01. Andrew Sheridan	09. Sébastien Tillous-Borde
02. Sebastien Bruno	10. Jonny Wilkinson (k)
03. Carl Hayman
04. Bakkies Botha	11. Alexis Palisson
05. Nick Kennedy	12. Matt Giteau
06. Danie Russouw	13. Mathieu Bastareaud
07. JMF Lobbe	14. Rudi Wolf
08. Chris Masoe(c.)	15. Delon Armitage

Replacements: 16 Jean-Charles Orioli, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Davit Kubriashvili, 19 Joe van Niekerk, 20 Steffon Armitage, 21 Maxime Mermoz, 22 Frederic Michalak, 23 Jocelino Suta.

Tigers ASM looks like a good match up

Thank god I'm not playing at their place!

I presume you meant not?

Leicester Tigers 25 Clermount 23
Northampton 26 Toulon 25

Tigers 33 - 32 ASM

Nothing in it at scrum time, but Clermont take the lineouts. Tigers can probably edge the breakdown. Huge carrying ability from both packs to build momentum. Youngs a dangerous runner on firm ground, but Parra will give him absolutely nothing and I think he and James will outplay Youngs-Flood. James will have to come off though as he hasn't played much recently, and that leads Clermont vulnerable late in the game. Frankly both backlines are devastating and will score tries if both teams look to play that way. Clermont are the better team in the starting 15s especially with no specific tactics from Tigers but Tigers are at "home" to even things up and win it with their bench, by 1. They are incredibly lucky it wasn't in France though

Saints 25 - 23 Toulon
Scrum goes to Toulon, and lineout is even. Breakdown is even and forward carrying power is also even. A bit more mobility in the Saints' pack though, and their HBs will get more attacking stuff happening in this weather. A bit more in Saints' backline too and though Toulon claw a bit back with their subs, I think Saints hold on at home.

Saints 24-24 Toulon

Real tough one to call this, if Saints had somebody other than Ferris who I'm struggling to rate they'd have snuck this. Just see it going to extra time and it going from there.

Tigers 34-32 Clermont
Good for Tigers being at 'home'! Feel that they have a little more in back row to take this game.

Saints 25-25 Toulon
Tough one to call here, I think Toulon would take the set piece but breakdown is fairly even, Ferris needs to make an impact irl though! We know Toulon will make their position count with Wilko but can see Saints getting over the gainline a bit. Going to have to follow Pooly and sit on the fence, this willl go to extra time.

Tigers 15- Clermont 21

Saints 28- Toulon- 35

Leicester Tigers 34 - 31 Clermont Auvergne

I think there is just a bit too much in key positions for Tigers which allows them to overcome the strongest French team for me. A classic game but too much quality sees Tigers win with style.

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Northampton Saints 29 - 27 Toulon

Such a close battle up front. But I think Saints have better technicians for particular roles. Therefore Saints get some decent upper hand in some key contests and will allow Sexton to boot and play Saints into the final.

Are these closed? Should I work out scores or are we waiting?

RESULTS:

Tigers 30 - 28 ASM

Saints 28 - 27 Toulon

Predo bonus:

Full: CJ, Pooly, Prop, Flux

Half: Driver, CF

Page: Flux

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