Saints v Tigers 11th October 2025 - Teams Up

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:10:20:08:49:08 by Saint Ted.

what a team, should comfortably be winning but that's probably not what will happen. I am slightly suprised to see Todaro start over Litch but aprt from that it's probably as strong as possible

Two strong teams, historically rubbish at re-integrating our international so not super confident but we are owed one after last year! Great to see Tarek on the bench for Tigers.

Oops



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:10:10:12:16:40 by Stopsy.

As always with Tigers it will be a huge physical contest so our pack need to front up. If we don’t show up physically like last year then we lose. Get parity in the forwards then our back line and attacking threat is superior. I’m a lot more confident now our Lions are back (here’s hoping they are in the right head space).

I really like Cole’s at 6 but having the 3 locks starting and no bench cover is a slight risk. If Coles or Lockett get injured that means JJ playing the full 80….

Win this and we start to build momentum. Lose and that will be two home games squandered. So it really feels crucial beyond it being Tigers. COYS!!!!!

My only concern is that we're still lacking the kicking option from 15. I don't feel that Hendy offers that in the same way that Furbank and Ramm do.

Otherwise, my gut feeling says that the forwards are pretty on par with each other but our backs ought to have the edge. The replacements, on paper seem to favour us but this is the derby... anything can happy.

Reffell stands out as a problem at the breakdown and I don't feel that we have that similar threat, unless Hutchinson has another Gloucester game, until Pollock comes on.

I would be delighted to see Haffar put firmly in his place!

I've just seem the selection and my first thought was AWESOME. That is a great team. Let's hope they're in the right mental state, unlike last year.

It could go either way, Tigers missing a few starters, but no excuses, either team can cause an upset, home advantage could play a part, but Tigers can win at the Gardens so quietly confident of an away win.

Dingwall starting but Chick is still captain?

I wonder where Furbank sits in the Captain pecking order?

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Saint Maul

I really like Cole’s at 6 but having the 3 locks starting and no bench cover is a slight risk. If Coles or Lockett get injured that means JJ playing the full 80….

I mean we have the same number of locks in the 23 as we would have if Lockett started on the bench, so there doesn't seem to be an awful lot of difference to me

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St Stokey.
Dingwall starting but Chick is still captain?
I wonder where Furbank sits in the Captain pecking order?

Dowson has said before that when coming back from injury, he prefers players to be able to just focus on playing rather than captaincy, it's why DIngwall captained in cardiff. It might not be what's happening here though

I presume that unless there are any injuries we'd replace a second row (probably JJ) with Pollock and keep the starting back row on with Coles moving up into the row. I'd imagine that Kemeny would do a job there if push comes to shove?

I think keeping Reffell quiet will be absolutely key - we're prone to turnovers and don't look nearly as threating with slow ball. Chick is pretty key with things like that, he doesn't do as much eye catching stuff but just grafts all day long.

It's a derby though so all this goes out the window! Let's hope for another quick start in the first 40 and more leadership and some good subs to keep the second half from falling apart again!

Ilione is a significant jackal threat too

No ‘not considered for selection’ as per normal from Tigers.

My best guess :-
Martin, Carnduff, Henderson, T.Manx, L. Chessum, Thompson?, Woodward, Perese.

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tigersimon
No ‘not considered for selection’ as per normal from Tigers.
My best guess :-
Martin, Carnduff, Henderson, T.Manx, L. Chessum, Thompson?, Woodward, Perese.

Do you know the return prognosis for Martin - hopefully back in time for the Autumn internationals.

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Saint Maul

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tigersimon
No ‘not considered for selection’ as per normal from Tigers.
My best guess :-
Martin, Carnduff, Henderson, T.Manx, L. Chessum, Thompson?, Woodward, Perese.

Do you know the return prognosis for Martin - hopefully back in time for the Autumn internationals.

Shoulder Nerve damage out for at least first half of Season and definitely ruled out of AIs!

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tigersimon

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Saint Maul

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tigersimon
No ‘not considered for selection’ as per normal from Tigers.
My best guess :-
Martin, Carnduff, Henderson, T.Manx, L. Chessum, Thompson?, Woodward, Perese.

Do you know the return prognosis for Martin - hopefully back in time for the Autumn internationals.

Shoulder Nerve damage out for at least first half of Season and definitely ruled out of AIs!

Shame. Even with rugby being a very physical game, the physicality Martin brings is still a point of difference for him. Wilkinson suffered from the same issue from memory. Both are full on players. Hopefully it’s a short-term issue unlike Wilkinson’s injury woes.

Cracking team out. There 7,8 and 9 are our biggest threat tomorrow. Jvp looked like he was playing at his local park last year he ran riot plus reffel has always gave us problems . There 8 illone is some player who has big impacts on games. Match them up front tho I feel this game is ours .

They had their decent win last season. This team will do the business and I feel will be far more focussed. COYS

Good 1st half - 17-13

Coles looking good, as is Todero.

Feel for Hendy!

Have to say the ‘Oil Tanker’ is having an OK game for 🐯

A scrappy game with the odd sparkle. Hope Hendy recovers quickly

Well played Saints.

Congratulations Saints

Bloomin yes. Scrappy win but we will take that any day … really hope the injuries are nothing serious. We will need Furbank, Sleights and Ramm back as soon as possible please.

Great result
It will make work far more bearable next week

Heck of a difference with Alex zipping passes in front of Fin or other receivers
I think the speed caught a few out with running lines

Just out of interest which coach is responsible for the breakdown
Thought we were a half yard off sometimes

Overall very pleasing win
We have growing strength in depth
Which is great but bit worrying with amount of injuries
Let’s he nothing serious

The engine in Coles is unbelievable
He has to be the best 6 in England

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Deesaint
Great result
It will make work far more bearable next week

Heck of a difference with Alex zipping passes in front of Fin or other receivers
I think the speed caught a few out with running lines

Just out of interest which coach is responsible for the breakdown
Thought we were a half yard off sometimes

Overall very pleasing win
We have growing strength in depth
Which is great but bit worrying with amount of injuries
Let’s he nothing serious

The engine in Coles is unbelievable
He has to be the best 6 in England

Yes. He is like Laws, but different 😀 More of a work horse, less of a tackles machine.
.

Was not a great performance by saints . Feel we should of put that tigers team away. Belleau seems to turn eveeything to gold tho and how long untill todaro is wearing light blue? My god that boy is going to be good .

Nail biting stuff but a win is a win. Not quite sure why we kept putting up high balls for Steward to catch - he may not be a great full back but he is as good as they get under those.

Hendy & Freeman injured….hope not serious. Getting too regular for Hendy, he can’t seem to string more that a couple of games together.

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FatAlan
Hendy & Freeman injured….hope not serious. Getting too regular for Hendy, he can’t seem to string more that a couple of games together.

Hendys looked serious , freeman i think wont be serious

Freeman at least managed to walk off and walk over to the Rodber inaided after final whistle.

Hopefully we see Furbank and Ramm back soon

Just seen them singing shoe army vid. Freeman is fine .

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NGSB
Nail biting stuff but a win is a win. Not quite sure why we kept putting up high balls for Steward to catch - he may not be a great full back but he is as good as they get under those.

I also thought that was a strange tactic.

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Sans Culottes

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NGSB
Nail biting stuff but a win is a win. Not quite sure why we kept putting up high balls for Steward to catch - he may not be a great full back but he is as good as they get under those.

I also thought that was a strange tactic.

Maybe accept that he would win the ball in the air but able to tie him up so they were working with slow ball so we trust our defence against them running back static ball or want them to kick back to us with their best player in the air tied down at the bottom of a ruck?

Although it will be good to see Curtis Langdon back I thought we were generally well served by our hookers today.

A very good and entertaining bonus point win . Massive difference re last years poor home performance against tigs.Look forward to Newcastle away next week and the cheats at home the week after.

A scrappy game, but Saints took their chances well.

Tigers lineout is a massive concern for me! With Chessum, Wells & Liebenberg it should be so much better, especially with a lineout nause in Geoff Parling as HC!

Need to watch again to see if it’s Blamire’s 🎯 or a timing issue for the jumper!

A big shout-out to the substitute ref. I imagine he has not reffed a prem game before and it would be a big ask to throw him into a Saints- Tigers match. I thought he did very well.

Quite a lot of errors in the first half that will hopefully iron out as returnees bed in but we can look like a Rolls Royce in attack when we click. Equally, teams like Sale and Bath would have punished our error and penalty count in a way Tigers didn’t.

As said in the pre-game analysis gain parity against the Tigers pack and our backs and attack is superior. The amount of possession Tigers squandered near our line just trying to bulldoze us. Tigers are used to getting the edge in the scrum so hats off to Jaco. Helped by JJ (but it remained firm when he went of). They couldn’t get sufficient change from their driving maul so seemed to run out of ideas once plan A failed.

Many of our backs have been magnificent this season: Belleau was my MotM(twice cutting back in for his corner try when plenty of small players would try for the outside and get forced into touch, followed by that lovely kick and collect). Todaro has been a godsend with so many back 3 injuries; Hutch is playing his best ever rugby on both sides of the ball. Litchfield’s physicality. Then the quality of our returnees. It’s a huge credit to Vesty our backline continued to fire despite the injuries and positional challenges.

But savouring a victory over Tigers shouldn’t mask there are work ons:
- lineout (a downside of JJ not being a jumper - but it’s more than that as we still had Coles, Lockett and Chick)
- aerial contest - we keep losing this battle this season and at some point it will cost us if we don’t improve. Way too many times easy takes were gifted to the opposition whether on our or their kick for kicks intended to be contestable. Players running back were slow putting all the pressure on on the catcher in open space v Steward. They must have won 80% of contestables.
- slowness to the breakdown and ferocity of clearing out (Sale and Bath in particular are a step up)
- too many penalties - particularly offside and above mentioned breakdown (we were a little lucky not to get a yellow yesterday where discipline has cost us more dearly in previous games)

So whilst I’m basking in the after-glow of beating Tigers, if we want to be genuine challengers we’ll need to address these. But 13 from 15 points gives us the foundations. As I said in pre-season, this first five block is crucial - we have Newcastle away then Sarries home next.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025:10:12:09:52:38 by Saint Maul.

Just a short note on the lineout -

A theme is developing around JJ and his usefulness in the lineout as he is not a jumper.

In yesterday's starting 15 we had Coles, Lockett, Chick, Pearson. All good, athletic jumpers. All proven capable of doing the job.
Any of those lifted by JJ is going skyward, rapido!

Sub Munga for Lockett - ditto
Sub Graham for Chick - ditto
Sub Kemeny for Pearson - ditto.

I think that'll do once Robbie, Henry and Craig get their throwing arms and timing sorted we'll be purring again.

Great summaries gents! Saints trajectory is certianly upwards, and is out of sight compared to this time last year. So far our new signings are brilliant.

Anthony Belleau is simply a terrific pl;ayer, and went very well when he had to go to fullback, though wasn't tested much back there. His style of play seems to suit Saints to a tee. Give him a bit more time in the team and the attack will really hum along even better. Todaro is only 19, but played like a seasoned vet. And will continue to develop. If he keeps on like this Italy will have to call him into their squad. And Chick is exactly the type of guy a team can win with. Tough, leads from the front, and the team seems to work well with him. And JJvdM, the lock that looks like a prop, is a weird force of nature. His side of the scrum held up nicely, and I enjoy seeing him run into the defense. This can really pay off by sucking the opposing defense in, creating space.

I think our front row is improving and when/if Langdon comes back will be very good and even harder for a defense to handle. Coles played another very good game. Pearson is playing lights-out, just like the player we saw at London Irish. Fantastic. Dingwall and Hutch are such a good centre pairing and Hutch has developed into a complete player and Scotland would be nuts not to bring him into their squad.

Fin and Alex Mitchell have time to bed back in and, barring further injuries, should have great seasons. Just hoping Freeman gets back soon - a hip pointer can take some time, but no need for surgery. And there is no need to rush him back. Hendy looked like a knee and we won't know until the X-ray and MRI results are back.

Overall, certainly some work-ons, but for now very happy where we are.

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gascon saint
A big shout-out to the substitute ref. I imagine he has not reffed a prem game before and it would be a big ask to throw him into a Saints- Tigers match. I thought he did very well.

Yes not every ref has performed well in Saints/Tigers. I did feel that the first half was at a bit of a warm-up/rehearsal pace.

Just a word for Josh Kemeny .. he came on and was excellent! He looked really sharp and effective. It does pose an interesting question as to who our "best" backrow are.. Kemeny, Pollock and Chick, I would guess with Coles going up to lock.. ??? But, then, what about Pearson??

We definitely seem to have an "embarrassment" of riches this term!

Not to overlook Sam Graham

Oh blimey! yes ... Sam !!

Our backrow offers rotation to be fresh with all 6 (with ASY) not injured and say go and kill it when you are ok the pitch with more time to heal bodies if not playing every week. 7 if you include Coles at 6.

There was one occasion where we dealt with Steward well - you're not going to beat him in the air, so just hang back and hit him as soon as a toe hits the turf, absolutely nothing he can do about that.
I get that we very much want to put our game on the park each week regardless of opposition but surely some thought goes into little details like that?

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gascon saint
A big shout-out to the substitute ref. I imagine he has not reffed a prem game before and it would be a big ask to throw him into a Saints- Tigers match. I thought he did very well.

Has to be one of the best performances Luke Pearce has had reffing us*

😝

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LeicesterSaint
There was one occasion where we dealt with Steward well - you're not going to beat him in the air, so just hang back and hit him as soon as a toe hits the turf, absolutely nothing he can do about that.
I get that we very much want to put our game on the park each week regardless of opposition but surely some thought goes into little details like that?

Yes exactly as I said in a post above when people were asking why we kept kicking to him.

Let him win the ball and hit immediately also leave him pinned at the bottom of the ruck. They then have to run static behind the gain line ball or kick return with their best player to retrieve the ball pinned at the bottom of the ruck. Also a chance to counter ruck if they under resource. A pretty sound tactic.