Recent matches:

18/8/07 (Welford Road) Tigers 59 – 5 Nottingham

28/8/06 (Meadow Lane) Nottingham 26 – 13 Tigers

Biarritz (away) w/e of 16^th August

This year’s pre-season jolly to France takes us to Biarritz Olympique, 2006 Heineken Cup Finalists. Packed full of French international players like Harinordoquy, Thiéry, Yachvili, Traille  & Couzinet they will want to continue their pre-season preparations following their game against Pau the weekend before. However they will be without Serge Betsen this season following his move to the bright lights of Wycombe and probably without Julien Dupuy, with unconfirmed reports saying he is on his way to Welford Road.

Like Tigers, Biarritz failed to get out of their HC pool last season & both sides they will be looking to do better this year. With Gloucester & Cardiff ahead of them in their pool this time it’s no easy task and no French team likes to lose to the English at home so expect a tough pre-season that may only be friendly in name!

Is it time for a rematch of the 2002 pre-season game against BOPB when we triumphed 14-13 in the Orange Cup I wonder?

Recent matches

9/1/05 (Welford Road) Tigers 17 – Biarritz 21

30/10/04 (Parc des Sports Aquil) Biarritz 23 – 8 Tigers

Ospreys (away) Saturday 23^rd August

There’s not really much I can say about Ospreys that isn’t already known thanks to our recent EDF Cup Final outings against them & our being drawn against them in this year’s Heineken Cup. This match forms part of Shane Williams’ Testimonial season & as such will probably feature strong line-ups from both sides.

Mike Phillips & Ben Lewis will be both unavailable however as they’ve recently undergone an ACL reconstruction & probably won’t be back until early October & mid November respectively. They will be joined on the Swansea sidelines by the Welsh Orange (though Charlotte’s 2^nd pregnancy shows that he’s not a Jaffa). Henson is still in plaster following keyhole surgery on his ankle ligaments & won’t be playing until the end of September.

However Nikki Walker, Lee Byrne & Andy Millward are all expected to be available for Ospreys pre-season following minor ops.

Recent matches

12/4/08 (Twickenham) Ospreys 23 – 6 Tigers

15/4/07 (Twickenham) Tigers 41 – 35 Ospreys

Western Force (home) Saturday 30^th August

Not having played Western Force before there’s no past history between our sides to look back on. In fact there’s not much Western Force history to look back on generally as they’ve only been in existence since 11:30am on 10^th December 2004 & didn’t play their first game until 10^th February 2006! Rock bottom in their first Super 14 season with one win all season meant that the only way was up the following year. 7^th in 2007 & 8^th in 2008 now means that they are seen as a safe mid-table Super 14 outfit.

Their tour to England is seen a development one as they will be missing their contracted Wallabies (such as Giteau, Cross & Sharpe) but they should not be taken lightly as they will still be a tough opposition for Tigers & a good chance for us to put into practice the new ELVs against a side that has been using them for a season already.

Coached by John Mitchell & no doubt with a few Wallaby caps in their tour party (including possibly Scott Staniforth & Drew Mitchell) they will pose a stiff challenge to Tigers & will want to end their tour on a high following crushing victories over Falcons, Saracens & Premiership new boys Northampton Saints.

Force also have a Tigers connection in Jon Welborn who was born in Perth & spent his last season back there in the 2006 Super 14 before retiring. They even named a local Perth schools cup in his honour when he retired!