Quins vs Tigers in the Low Value Cup

Leicester Tigers vs Harlequins (The Stoop, Saturday January 28, 3.00pm)
15 Niall Morris
14 Scott Hamilton
13 Dante Mama
12 Andy Forsyth
11 Alex Lewington
10 George Ford
9 Sam Harrison
1 Boris Stankovich
2 Jimmy Stevens
3 Logoviii Mulipola
4 Calum Green
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Ben Woods (c)
7 Tom Armes
8 Ben Pienaar

Replacements
16 George Chuter
17 Ryan Bower
18 Jonny Harris
19 Joe Cain
20 James Doyle
21 James Grindal
22 Jeremy Staunton
23 Matt Smith

Harlequins
15 Ross Chisholm
14 Seb Stegmann
13 Ben Urdapilleta
12 Tom Casson
11 Tom Williams
10 Rory Clegg
9 Richard Bolt
1 Mark Lambert
2 Rob Buchanan
3 Tim Fairbrother
4 Pete Browne
5 Charlie Matthews
6 Luke Wallace
7 Will Skinner (c)
8 Tom Guest

Replacements
16 Nic Mayhew
17 Daryl Marfo
18 Will Collier
19 Tom Vallejos
20 Chris York
21 Sam Stuart
22 Charlie Walker
23 Ollie Lindsay-Hague

Not a single first choice player in either teams first 15 though you might be able to argue that the Quins tighthead is close to being that. Quins team is looking stonger and more experienced in key areas like the backrow, front row and half backs. Be interesting to see how Tigers 9,10,11,12 and 13 get on as all are academy products and all have represented their countries at age grade level (9,10,12 at England under 20s, 11 at England under 18s and 13 Namibia under 20s).

Whilst there isn't any 1st choice for Quins you could argue that Stegman, Williams, Lambert, Wallace & Guest are pretty close to being 1st choice. Quins have a far stronger side and with it being at The Stoop too I can see Tigers being handed a proper spanking - but in fairness the salary cap doesn't allow them to compete

but in fairness the salary cap doesn't allow them to compete

That and all the international call ups!

I'd rather those younger guys be given a go then us send down whatever is left of the first team. There's some exciting talent but they are liable to suffer a bit of a spanking. Should be a couple of interesting match ups along the way including Buchanan vs Stevens both of whom have England under 20 caps at hooker, ditto Forsyth and Cannon at 12. Ford vs Clegg in the battle of the 10s will be worth a watch. Wish we'd put out a better backrow to make things a little more interesting but both Pienaar and Armes deserve the chance to prove they deserve a shot at the first team.

Dante Mama is one of my current favourite Jeff player names. That Marmalade chap is number one though.

Ben Piennar in "yes im playing a game" shocker! One for the future ...eventually

Ben Piennar in "yes im playing a game" shocker! One for the future ...eventually.

Ditto Tom Armes. He was an up and coming flanker about the break into the first team when he played for us against South Africa in 2009. At least Green and Pienaar have been injured.

Quins team looks pretty good - all of the starting 15 have had good first team exposure, while there are lots on the Tigers side that I havent heard of before.
Should be a good game - shame i'm going to miss it.

Who haven't you heard of PDL?

Should be a good match, Quins team does look strong but none of those players are from the first XV, we just rotate well in some positions and give our youngsters lots of chances. Like wise Tigers have Hamilton, Stankovich and Kitchener giving plenty of experience.

Looking forward to watching Guest, Mathews, Wallace and Chisholm.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Ben Piennar in "yes im playing a game" shocker! One for the future ...eventually.

Ditto Tom Armes. He was an up and coming flanker about the break into the first team when he played for us against South Africa in 2009. At least Green and Pienaar have been injured.

10 years at the club, 22 starts and 9 subs between them.

That slary cap is killing us

At least Armes got on the pitch in a proper game this year, Pienaars not done that since last season. Obviously Armes is younger too, and maybe will start to increase his appearences, whereas Pienaar has been increasingly frozen out and gone back to being an occasssional LV player.

Well Pienaar did seem to be breaking into the team last season but then had that horriffic knee injury which ended his season in October 2010 and he's not really had a luck in since coming back about 12 months later. I think they both need to put out some big performances otherwise the management might start to look past them and too the next generation. I don't think Green has been offered a new deal as the club are waiting to see how he comes back from his back injury.

Like wise Tigers have Hamilton, Stankovich and Kitchener giving plenty of experience.

Kitchener is all of 21. I don't think he's that experienced. Stanko and Hamilton are good solid squad players so should provide support for the youngsters around them.

Look out for the Samoan international tighthead Mulipola as he is a real bullocking ball carrier and looks like a bigger but less hairy Castro, his scrummaging technique needs a bit of work but otherwise is a prospect. Lewington and Morris got 5 tries between them in the last A league game so fingers crossed they'll show up well and we'll see some wingers who know where the try line is coming into the first team to challenge the regulars.

I wouldve thought theres more first team squad players in the Tigers side than Quins, although their backrow is strong.

Tigers certainly cant say their bench is inexperienced!

Tigers certainly cant say their bench is inexperienced!.

Not sure, I've never heard of Cain or Doyle and Harris and Bower have about 2 AP games between them, though they have had a few LV Cup games. The others have a good deal more experience than the opposite Quins players though they are hardly inspiring.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Tigers certainly cant say their bench is inexperienced!.

Not sure, I've never heard of Cain or Doyle and Harris and Bower have about 2 AP games between them, though they have had a few LV Cup games. The others have a good deal more experience than the opposite Quins players though they are hardly inspiring.

The point be that Chuter just about covers both teams in terms of everything except usefullness in the last 2 years.

Well on paper the Quins side looks quite good. Given JTH's poor form (and, bizarrely, absence with England) I wonder if there is an opportunity for Casson to stake a claim for 1st team rugby.

Casson was looking good when JTH was out, he'd be too inexperienced to partner Hopper though.

Traditional LV under achievers Tigers get a good 9-19 win against a well regarded Quins side. 3 tries to 0. Sounded like a good game on the radio. Tigers defence, and some great flashes of play from the backs made the difference.

It was a very pleasant trip down to the Stoop and ball in hand the (very) young Tigers back line looked really dangerous. Far more so than the quins. Tigers back row, I felt, outplayed their more lauded Quins counterparts at the breakdown.

How was Ford? Should he be getting more Tigers time (can he with the academy game limit?) or should he keep getting loaned out to the championship?

LondonTiger wrote:It was a very pleasant trip down to the Stoop and ball in hand the (very) young Tigers back line looked really dangerous. Far more so than the quins. Tigers back row, I felt, outplayed their more lauded Quins counterparts at the breakdown.

seriously? our first team is a joke in that department! maybe cockerill should go all Lancaster on the side.
Still Ben Woods was the golden boy till his injury run, was he influential in this?

Ford looks about ready to step up for Tigers. He is still quite a small lad at 18, but he doesn't shy away from the tackles. Other than that he has all the attributes of a potentially world class flyhalf.

Should have a decent crack during the 6N. Probably off the bench though. With Staunton likely off next season, he should get good gametime next season too.

Harrison, Forsyth, Mama and Lewington also impressing in the backs.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:It was a very pleasant trip down to the Stoop and ball in hand the (very) young Tigers back line looked really dangerous. Far more so than the quins. Tigers back row, I felt, outplayed their more lauded Quins counterparts at the breakdown.

seriously? our first team is a joke in that department! maybe cockerill should go all Lancaster on the side.
Still Ben Woods was the golden boy till his injury run, was he influential in this?

Quins started with two 7s and along with Guest looked a little lightweight in and around the contact area. It was all a bit of a phoney war though - at times the under 12s match I saw my nepher play in Ealing in the morning had more ferocity.

HongKongCherry wrote:Whilst there isn't any 1st choice for Quins you could argue that Stegman, Williams, Lambert, Wallace & Guest are pretty close to being 1st choice. Quins have a far stronger side and with it being at The Stoop too I can see Tigers being handed a proper spanking - but in fairness the salary cap doesn't allow them to compete

Well I was spot on there! I doubt anybody will be asking me for the lottery numbers! Well done Tigers

HongKongCherry wrote:

HongKongCherry wrote:Whilst there isn't any 1st choice for Quins you could argue that Stegman, Williams, Lambert, Wallace & Guest are pretty close to being 1st choice. Quins have a far stronger side and with it being at The Stoop too I can see Tigers being handed a proper spanking - but in fairness the salary cap doesn't allow them to compete

Well I was spot on there! I doubt anybody will be asking me for the lottery numbers! Well done Tigers

36, 12 ......

Well done Tigers. Good to hear some young backs played well.

I was lucky enough to be sitting on the Press Bench at the Stoop yesterday, here's my match review:
https://www.606v2.com/t22810-lv-cup-harlequins-vs-leicester-tigers#905841