London’s a typically fiery sporting hotbed; In about 4 hours
two German sides will contest the Champions League final and Rugby’s
Premiership final is a hotly contested local derby. Leicester are the
undisputed semi-final kings of English rugby but they’ve won just three of
their nine recent finals, which will make them all the more desperate to deny
outsiders and local rivals Northampton for glory today at Twickenham.
Richard Cockerill’s side have been beaten to the top of the
table by Saracens, so brutally cut down in their semi-final, but all the
evidence points towards this being one of his finest vintages. No less than 6
Lions squad members were named from the Tigers earlier this month, and since March – coming off the back of losses to Harlequins at
the Stoop and Saracens when their Internationals were away – Leicester have
lost just one game domestically, and that in itself was a last gasp one point
defeat against Bath at the Rec in the knowledge that a home semi was assured
with a victory over London Welsh the following weekend, while they could easily
have turned over Heineken Cup winners Toulon at the Stade Felix Mayol in the
middle of that run.
It must come as no small comfort
towards Tigers fans that their best performance this season came when they took
apart Northampton 36-8 at Franklins Gardens, and much of that provides the
basis upon which they are 6 point favourites in some areas.
Saints were truly domain in the opening
20 minute period from which a Saracens side shorn of Charlie Hodgson could
never recover, but for all their ferocious physicality, their achilles heel
lies in the fact that when they are stopped at source – in the front row or set
piece – by a pack that’s equal or better than them – they can crumble in seconds.
Gloucester used superior skill to dismantle them at home, while Ulster went
along the same lines when strolling home 25-6 (albeit they lost a week later)
and Leicester when romping clear in the second half.
Saints have the personnel to pull this
off but Leicester’s pack, which includes Ed Salter and Geoff Parling at lock
and Dan Cole and Tom Youngs in the front row, to add to the blistering pace of
Tom Croft around Julian Salvi, can subdue them and seal a first title in three
years late on.
Advice
2 pts Leicester -3 on second half
handicap (4/5 Betfred)
No comments:
Post a Comment