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Time for a Tiger: Bath v Leicester


Garvey: hard yards

By P G Tips
May 3 2016

It will be “Time for a Tiger” when Leicester visit Bath this Saturday. The city of Leicester may have turned blue this week as the men from the King Power stadium celebrate their first ever football title, but the Tigers will not wish to be outfoxed by their neighbours. The visitors’ place in the playoffs is assured, but they will want a win to prepare for their semi final. In the unlikely event that Wasps slip up the Tigers could edge above them and avoid Saracens. The more probable case is that they will still finish fourth, but need the confidence boost of a good win before a trip to Allianz Park.

This year Leicester have made good the promise given by Richard Cockerill at last season’s end. Having reinforced the coaching team with Aaron Mauger they have played a much more expansive brand of rugby than has been the norm at Welford Road for the past two decades. The pack remains fearsome, if less of a contributor than usual to the England squad, but it is in the backs where most opponents see the main threat. The power and pace of Goneva and Tuilagi is now supported by the arcing breaks of Betham and Veainu while they can also call on the flair and direct running of stalwarts like Tait and Thompstone.  Tigers have scored 51 tries this term, compared to only 37 in 2015- which was a more high scoring year for other clubs.

 

They will look to bring the same mix of power, tempo and tricks to the Rec as they have used in recent wins over Gloucester, Saints and Worcester Warriors. It looks as if they will be missing both Freddie Burns and Manu Tuilagi, but will still be able to call on the steadiness of Williams and thrust of Betham. No doubt they will be confident of avenging the heavy defeats they suffered at the Rec last year.

 

Bath, despite improvement against Tiger’s bitter East Midlands rivals last week, have less to be sanguine about.  Only one victory against teams in the top half of the table tell the story of this disappointing season. Mafi has departed, seemingly under a cloud and further departures are rumoured. For many fans the season cannot end quickly enough. So-what hope do Bath have? They have rediscovered the tryline – principally by Rokodoguni, but also through Jeff Williams, while the back row are starting to make both the hard yards and the turnovers needed. Bath’s defence has been surprisingly good for a ninth placed team-only three other sides have conceded fewer tries, while Leicester have conceded more than six of their rivals. Bath’s hopes would seem to lie with the loose forwards and wings – they will need the front five to contest everything and make a mess of Leicester possession.

 

The final piece of the jjgsaw is motivation- there is a strong recent record of home success against Leicester, particularly late season on dry grounds. Bath must be prepared to give it a lash to be in with a shout. In Anthony Burgess’s novel “Time for a Tiger” the central theme is the colonial policeman hero’s love affair with the beer advertised with that slogan. If both teams bring their best form, this could be an intoxicating encounter: but who will be drunk with success at the end?

 

Possible Teams;

Bath: Auterac. Webber, Wilson, Ewels, Attwood, Garvey, Louw, (capt) Denton,. Homer, Priestland. Banahan, Devoto, Joseph, Rokodoguni, Watson.
Replacements: Catt, Dunn, Lahiff, Garvey, Houston. Cook, Ford. Williams.

 

Leicester Tigers: Ayerza, Ghiraldini, Cole, , Barrow, Kitchener, Slater (capt), McCaffrey, Fonua. Youngs, Williams. Thompstone, Betham, Tait, Goneva; Veainu;

Replacements: Bateman, Genge, Balmain Croft, Evans, Harrison, Bell, Smith.

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Time for a Tiger: Bath v Leicester
Discussion started by Comeonmylovers.co.uk (IP Logged), 03/05/2016 19:07
Comeonmylovers.co.uk
Comeonmylovers.co.uk
03/05/2016 19:07
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016:05:15:11:32:42 by Stuart Anderton.

tigerburnie
tigerburnie
03/05/2016 22:52
Nice read, I don't see this as a dead rubber and will be disappointed if we don't go full blooded at the game, we will have almost two weeks before the play off semi. Sam Harrison is out with a busted nose, expect Jonno Kitto on he bench maybe.

Stopsy
Stopsy
05/05/2016 11:30
Many thanks PG Tips. I believe we are sending a "rotated" side down to Bath in order to preserve the troops for the Semi.

Shame in my opinion.

P G Tips
P G Tips
05/05/2016 15:04
Shame if so, Stopsy, but it has been a long season so some player rest is to be expected. Let's hope we see a good game.

PG

Stopsy
Stopsy
05/05/2016 19:27
Not the kind of good game you saw at the Rec against us twice last season I hope.

Have a good day and let's hope for better results for both teams next season but more importantly, happiness and health to all.

MESSAGES->author
joethefanatic
05/05/2016 20:50
I'd like to think we would have the good taste to win at least the *last* game of our 150th anniversary season. But I doubt we will. Tigers by 47 (just to prove a point).

... IMHO, of course.

Now in Honolulu

tigerburnie
tigerburnie
06/05/2016 09:20
If the word in the press is to be believed, it does seem we may send a somewhat "rested side", pity as I always looked forward to this fixture.

opti
Optimist
06/05/2016 09:25
"improvement against Tiger’s bitter East Midlands rivals last week" - i'd question that, unless our game-plan was full-on rope-a-dope. Playing without the ball, though, is not really a sustainable strategy.

The ferociousness of our defence does, though, make me believe that the players are willing to play for Mike Ford, and that at least gives a reasonable basis to think that he could turn things round next season.

ballsout
ballsout
06/05/2016 09:35
Cockerill probably bluffing I suspect. They've two weeks to prepare for Sarries and resting players isn't normally his style.

Stopsy
Stopsy
06/05/2016 12:29
A very rotated side picked as Cockerill said:

1. Genge
2. Leo
3. Balmain
4. Slater
5. De Chaves
6. Croft
7. Evans
8. Crane
9. Youngs
10. Williams
11. Catchpole
12. Roberts
13. Betham
14. Thompstone
15. Tait

Reps: Thacker, Mulipola, Bateman, Barrow, Pearce, Kitto, Bell and Worth

But I suppose we will see who takes the pitch.

ballsout
ballsout
06/05/2016 12:57
Expect Manu and others to miraculously be slotted in at the last second.

Yorkie
Yorkie
07/05/2016 15:37
As always, it proves that it knows nowt!! Bless.

http://www.jakehowlett.com/tuckshop/wrappers/chocolate/plain/yorkie-nutter.jpg

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