Tigers’ True Colours?

When Leicester visit Bath in the first LV fixture on Friday night, will they show their true colours? The Anglo Welsh Cup is seen by some as a distraction from the more serious business of Premiership and European competition and, placed as it is in the international windows, is denied the presence of international stars. Most clubs make it a time for squad rest and rotation. Some less familiar faces could well front up at the Rec as a result.  There is a further reason for asking what stripes these Tigers will be wearing. There is a change afoot in Leicester. The club who dominated the English game for a decade, appearing in 9 successive Premiership finals, did so with a clear and simple style. This climaxed in a humbling of Northampton Saints in 2013, launching 6 Tigers onto that year’s Lions tour. Since that victory, Leicester have failed to reach a Premiership final in 3 seasons. At the end of the 2015 season, DOR Richard Cockerill admitted that a new tactical approach was needed: shortly afterwards, Aaron Mauger was named as the new Head Coach to bring more fluency to the attack.  The tension between the old and new approaches has been plain to see since. More expansive play has brought some thrilling tries, but the looser game has arguably exposed flaws and created vulnerabilities. Games have been lost which should have been won and Tigers are yet to hit the heights they are used to. The fact that Cockerills admission was made after a 7 try thumping in the Rec sunshine will have rankled. Will this Friday therefore unveil the new improved Tiger in all its ferocity?

Some of the fiercest will be missing of course. Cole, Genge and Youngs will be with England, JP Pietersen with South Africa, while Tuilagi and Toomua are injured, the latter out for the season. Quite a few younger players are likely to start and perhaps it is in them that the flame of the new, fifteen man Leicester burns brightest? To add experience, Ed Slater up front and Matt Smith in the backs could well be needed.

Bath’s injury list is shortening, but concerns remain in key positions: lock, loose forward, scrum half and centre. Depth here will be severely tested. Nathan Catt and Max Clark are back in training, as is Nico Matawalu who hopefully will be able to feature for Bath but not be needed by Fiji given his 12 months absence from the game. While the medical bulletins will largely influence selection there is speculation too that new signing Robbie Fruean could be ready to take his place in the backline. So far this season Bath have played with less abandon than in the Mike Ford era, but with only one defeat in 12 outings. It may well be Bath, therefore, who play the “percentage” game. Minor tournament this may be, but it is still Bath v Leicester before a home crowd. The players will want to “imitate the action of the tiger, Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood” for – make no mistake, their opponents will revert to type if backs are against the wall.

How this match will go is anybody’s guess, as is selection, but somehow I expect we will see a close and ferocious contest but with a few flashes of individual flair to provide a frisson. Home advantage and squad spirit should count: Bath to win by a score.

Possible Teams:

Bath: Lahiff, Van Vuuren, Knight, Charteris, Stooke, Garvey, G Mercer (Capt.), Z Mercer. Homer, Priestland. Williams, Bowden, Fruean, Brew. Hastings

Replacements:Obano, Dunn, Palma-Newport. Ellis, Douglas. Matawalu, Clark, Atkins.

Leicester:Brugnara ,Thacker, Cilliers,Wells, Slater, Leonardi, Evans

Hamilton. Harrison, Bryant. Brady, Smith, Roberts, Catchpole. Worth

Replacements: McGuigan, Balmain, Bateman, Lewis, Owen. Kitto, White, Yayawaya