By BrianC
September 8 2003

Our last Zurich Premiership game against Bristol was now four months ago. This Saturday the season proper gets underway as we travel to Leicester.

Leicester Tigers vs London Irish

Saturday 13th September, Welford Road, K.O. 3:00 p.m.

Last season we managed a rare double over them winning 27 - 7 in our home tie in November and, against all forecasts, beating them 19 - 20 in the second last game of the season. The later of these games was reported by many of those who were there to be one of the highlights of the season. It was in the end crucial to our premiership survival.

Leicester, having dominated English and European club rugby for the previous two seasons had, by their standards, a poor season last year, coming sixth in the premiership and being knocked out of the Heineken cup at the quarter final stage by Munster at Welford Road.

It is fair to say that some of the players who have been the backbone of the team over the past few years are nearing the end of their careers and that they are currently in a redevelopment phase. They lost their first pre-season game away to Perpignan then won the next two by the narrowest of margins away to Cardiff and Sale. They will be further weakened by International call ups in the run up to the World Cup. That said, given the strength in depth of their squad, it would be a very unwise person who underestimated them. Indeed they will probably go into this weekend as clear favourites in the bookies eyes.

London Irish go into this game after three victories in the pre-season games, the last of which over Ulster was particularly impressive. Memories of our last tortuous season have faded, the spirit in the camp seems to be particularly good. Various players have reported to us that their training has been particularly thorough. With Brendan Venters depature, Gary Gold is now head coach, Paul Hull who joined us from Bristol has replaced him as backs coach.

The team will be announced later in the week, it is likely that many of those who started against Ulster will form the line up. Ryan Strudwick and Paul Sackey who were both ruled out of that game through injury may well be back. Tofty, who at no. 10 brought so much to the back line during our last few games of last season and again against Ulster, looks sure to start again in that position perhaps with Barry playing alongside him.

One feature of the last couple of seasons that was missing from the Ulster game - I can't speak about Narbonne or Connacht - was the policy of replacing the front row shortly into the second half. It could well be that this policy has departed with the Doc. It's certainly something to keep our eyes on for the first couple of games this season.

The question now is, Can we make this three in a row? I think we can, in our new predictions league I'm one of the three people who has gone for us to win 21 - 24.

It's been a long close season, let the party begin!

C'mon IIIIIRRRRRIIIIISSSSSHHHHH!!!!!