Harlequins 9 Leicester Tigers 19: How to turn a bad week good again

With the capitulation against Ulster neatly abutting the departure of several of the club’s key players, it has been difficult for Tigers fans to see the positives over the last couple of weeks. The Heineken Cup campaign has gone up in smoke and the club’s convention of remaining tight-lipped on incoming players means that the pain of the departures of Billy Twelvetrees, George Skivington, Alesana Tuilagi and Horacio Agulla has been felt before the pleasure of the new arrivals.

(Courtesy of Sky Sports)

He's not the Messiah... he's a very naughty boy

Billy Twelvetrees is 23-years-old, the age where youthful potential starts to develop into established ability. At 6’3” and weighing just under 16st, he is the embodiment of the modern-day back, with the power to play crash-ball in the midfield but also the guile to create a line break. His pass puts most scrum-halves to shame and is as accurate as a sniper rifle. Though naturally a centre, he can also credibly call himself a fly-half with a better percentage success rate from the tee this season than the England fly-half and a huge boot from hand.

On the field he is a quiet, unassuming character; off it, interviewers reinforce that as they speak of an articulate, humble young man. He also has natural advantages: a rascal’s forename that sits next to an enigmatic surname; rugged good looks, and; wavy blond hair…

Source: Matthew Lewis / Getty Images (courtesy of Zimbio) 

Leicester Tigers 29 London Wasps 11: A game to forget but a result to remember

This game between the two domestic giants of the last decade, which used to represent the pinnacle of the English game, can be encapsulated in a small series of phases that occurred in the second half. Within the space of a few minutes Wasps threw an interception pass to their opponents, Leicester kick it out on the full, Wasps throw into the lineout was not straight, Leicester lost the resulting ball off the base of the scrum, Wasps knocked it on and then conceded a penalty at the scrum. Fluidity was to this game as hopes of keeping New Year's resolutions are to the rest of us: something to be aspired to but, realistically, never achieved...

Source: Getty Images (courtesy of Daily Mail)

Leicester Tigers 28 Sale Sharks 23: A victory that's better than it looks

In recent years, the inability to secure a bonus-point win over Sale Sharks would have been viewed as a disappointing result, but as Leicester Tigers found out on New Year’s Day, things have changed. Richard Cockerill’s side moved into the play-offs for the first time this season with a hard-fought 28-23 victory, but the last-minute drop-goal by Nick Macleod that brought Sale a losing-bonus-point muted the home crowd.

Source: Belfast Telegraph

Clermont Auvergne 30 Leicester Tigers 12: The French Top 14 humbles the Aviva Premiership

Leicester Tigers fans had started to get used to some regularity in their team’s performances after the turbulence of the World Cup period. A few things could be relied upon: the team’s bettered discipline; patient building of pressure through the phases, and; a true openside flanker tackling everything that moves. In losing 12-30 to Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, all things regular bowed to the superiority of Vern Cotter’s side.

Source: Daily Telegraph

Gloucester 14 Leicester Tigers 19: The resurgence continues

I mentioned in last week’s post that the battle of attrition against Ulster would be a good warm-up for the upcoming double header against Clermont Auvergne, but little did I realise that it could also act as a rehearsal for a pulsating and hard-fought 19-14 win at Kingsholm. From the statistics, this was a match that Gloucester really should have won, but a resolute team display and some individual moments of brilliance secured the four points for Leicester.

Source: Getty Images (courtesy of Daily Mail)