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Report | Seven Tigers debut in Saints defeat in the Cup

Figure image

Leicester Tigers have been defeated 31-12 to Northampton Saints at Cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

Seven Tigers made their first appearance for the club in the Premiership Cup clash, Tigers now looking forward to taking on Coventry Rugby at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday, November 9.

First-half

Both teams had their opportunities early, Saints having a try ruled out and Tigers having sustained pressure inside the home side’s 22-metre area.

It was Tigers who would open the scoring, Malelili Satala taking a pop pass off Solomone Kata’s hip to score under the posts.

Jamie Shilcock converted to give Tigers a 7-0 lead.

Saints responded however and wrestled the ascendancy.

The home side’s first would come from a collected cross-kick from flanker Henry Pollock, and after Tigers scrum-half Tom Whiteley was sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-down, winger James Ramm gave Saints the lead.

George Makepeace-Cubitt converted the pair to make it 14-7.

Northampton added a third before half-time through Tom Litchfield, though the missed conversion meant Tigers were still within two scores at the break.

Second-half

The sides continued to exchange blows after half-time, the home side getting the better of the exchanges.

Saints attack, impressive throughout the game, created holes in Tigers defence and the home team were good enough to exploit, first through fullback George Hendy and then through replacement Ewan Baker.

The home side remained on-top, but Tigers would see encouraging performances from their academy players on debut, 18-year-old Charlie Bemand coming on at scrum-half.

Tigers would get the final points of the evening, centre Will Wand racing away from long-range to make it 31-12 and that’s how it would end at Cinch Stadium.

Match Details

HT ScoreHalf Time Score

NOR 19-7 LEI

FT ScoreFull Time Score

NOR 31-12 LEI

Attendance

Not available

Referee

Harry Walbaum

Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
31

Full Time

Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
12
Northampton Saints
T
C
T
C
T
T
C
T
KOHTFT
Leicester Tigers
T
C
T

Match Stats

Northampton Saints
Leicester Tigers
Possession
54%
46%
Territory
52%
48%
Penalties Conceded
10
14
Yellow Cards
0
1
Red Cards
0
0
Tackles Won
165/177 93%
160/204 78%
Scrums Won
8/8 100%
6/8 75%
Lineouts Won
15/18 83%
11/14 79%

Player Stats

Northampton Saints
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
TCDP
15George Pearson
14Malelili Satala-Navlivou1T
13Will Wand1T
12Solomone Kata
11Jack Kinder
10Jamie Shillcock1C
9Tom Whiteley
1James Whitcombe
2Finn Theobald-Thomas
3Tim Hoyt
4Come Joussain
5Tom Manz
6Matt Rogerson
7Emeka Ilione
8Kyle Hatherell
16Archie Vanes
17Archie Van der Flier
18Henry Mountford
19Lewis Chessum
20Sam Williams
21Charlie Bemand
22Charlie Myall
23Tom Threlfall

Commentary

TIGERS DEFEATED BY SAINTS

Defeat on the road, 31-12, in the opening round of the Premiership Rugby Cup. 

79

BACK OFF THE POSTS

The score remains 31-12 after Jamie Shillcock's conversion attempt comes back off the posts. 

One minute left on the clock... 

TRY | Will Wand

Some slick, quick handling from Tigers sees Will Wand into space and the centre pins the ears back to run it in and score in the corner.

DOUBLE DEBUTANTS

The Tigers bench is cleared with Charlie Bemand (scrum-half) and Henry Mountford (prop) the final two changes for the visitors.

THRELFALL ON FOR SATALA

A change made with ten minutes left in Northampton as Tom Threlfall joins the game.

69

TIGERS KEEP FIGHTING

Despite the deficit, the visitors aren't giving up as is shown with back-to-back try-saving efforts in cover defence. 

MYALL ADDED TO ACTION

Charlie Myall is on in place of Solomone Kata in the Leicester backline with just under 20 minutes remaining.

60

THE HOUR MARK

On the hour mark, the conversion attempt fades away to the left of the uprights and Northampton's lead remains 31-7.

TRY | Ewan Baker

Saints swoop on a loose ball in the middle of the field before finding space down the left, with some quick hands, and it's replacement back Ewan Baker who gets across for the try.

TWO CHANGES TO THE PACK

A double change in the tight five for Tigers with Archie van der Flier (prop) and Lewis Chessum (lock) brought on from the bench to replace James Whitcombe and Tom Manz.

CON | George Makepeace-Cubitt

The Saints lead is stretched to 17 points, after 55 minutes, after a successful conversion from George Makepeace-Cubitt. 

TRY | George Hendy

The home side finally find a way through after owning most of the ball in the opening 15 minutes of the second-half and it's fullback George Hendy who crosses for Northampton's fourth.

WILLIAMS ON AT THE BASE

Sam Williams is on in the back-row to replace Emeka Ilione.

CHANGE UP FRONT FOR TIGERS

Archie Vanes is brought on, at hooker, in place of Finn Theobald-Thomas, who is helped from the field by medical staff with a leg injury.

SECOND HALF GETS GOING

The second chapter of tonight's story gets going with the home side, leading 19-17, getting the game back underway.

BEHIND AT THE BREAK

Tigers head into the changing rooms down by twelve, 19-7, at Northampton. 

37

CONVERSION MISSED

The score remains at 19-7 approaching the break with the kick going wide for Saints.

TRY | Tom Litchfield

The home side have a third after again finding luck down the left in attack and it's Tom Litchfield who gets the score to make it 19-7 with a kick to come.

WHITELEY RETURNS

We are back at 15 v 15 with Tom Whiteley's sin bin coming to an end.

30

HALF AN HOUR DOWN

Half an hour gone in Northampton and the difference is just seven after an open, entertaining game so far!

CON | George Makepeace-Cubitt

George Makepeace-Cubitt makes it a seven-point, 14-7, lead for Saints after 25 minutes in Northampton.

TRY | James Ramm

Saints take advantage of their overlap almost immediately and, with quick hands to the left, find space and James Ramm runs it in for the home side's second.

YELLOW | Tom Whiteley

Tigers are down to 14 for the next 10 minutes after Tom Whiteley is shown a yellow card for an intentional knock-on. 

CON | George Makepeace-Cubitt

We are level, 7-7, after 16 minutes in Northampton after a conversion for George Makepeace-Cubitt. 

TRY | Henry Pollock

The home side are on the scoreboard, through Henry Pollock, after a cross-field kick bounces up and into the hands of the back-rower, who runs it in under the sticks to score.

13

EXCITING OPENING

Both sides showing a willingness to attack tonight with an entertaining and exciting start to this Cup clash under lights. 

CON | Jamie Shillcock

Jamie Shillcock converts to make it a seven-point lead for Tigers after ten minutes. 

TRY | Malelili Satala

Pressure pays off for Leicester who, after three successive penalties deep inside Northampton's half, break the Saints defence and score the first try of the match through Malelili Satala.

7

TMO TIME ... AGAIN

For the second time in the match, the TMO is on the job after George Pearson crashes over for Tigers. 

But, it's held up on replay evidence. No try.

4

FOUL PLAY FOUND

The TMO judges contact on Will Wand as "high" and the Northampton opening score is rubbed out. We are heading back for a Tigers penalty on halfway.

4

HEADING TO THE TMO

A mistake from Tigers near halfway is swooped upon by the home side, who move it through the hands to the left quickly, and get across the chalk with scrum-half Archie McParland dotting down.

But, we're heading back for a potential high shot from the home side a few phases earlier...

UNDERWAY IN NORTHAMPTON!

Jamie Shilcock gets the game - and our Premiership Rugby Cup campaign - underway in Northampton!


Opposition Lineup

Starting XV

15
George Hendy
14
Mitieli Vulikijapani
13
Tom Litchfield
12
Charlie Savala
11
Tom Seabrook
10
George Makepeace-Cubitt
9
Archie McParland
1
Tarek Haffar
2
Craig Wright
3
Luke Green
4
Chunya Munga
5
Gavin Thornbury
6
Fyn Brown
7
Angus Scott-Young
8
Henry Pollock

Replacements

16
Nathan Langdon
17
Emmanuel Iyogun
18
Sonny Tonga'uiha
19
Will Spencer
20
Josh Kemeny
21
Jonny Weimann
22
Ewan Baker
23
James Ramm

Team News | Seven Tigers named for senior debuts against Saints

Figure image

Leicester Tigers have named their squad for round one of the Premiership Rugby cup against Northampton Saints tomorrow night (Friday) at 7.45pm at Cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

An exciting Tigers group could see as much as seven players make their senior competitive debut for the club, including the back-three of George Pearson, Jack Kinder and Malelili Satala.

Côme Joussain, Tim Hoyt and Will Wand will make their first starting appearances for the club, with Matt Rogerson captaining the team from blindside flanker.

Senior Academy coaches, Matt Smith and Neil Fowkes, will lead the Premiership Cup programme.

“It’s fantastic to see so many of the club’s young players getting their opportunity in the Cup,” Smith said.

“The boys have got lots of experience around them, so their job is to just bring the level of effort and physicality required at senior level.

“Any East Midlands Derby means a lot to this club so it will be fantastic for them to experience that tomorrow night.”

STARTING XV

15 George Pearson *

14 Malelili Satala *

13 Will Wand [4]

12 Solomone Kata [20]

11 Jack Kinder *

10 Jamie Shillcock [32]

9 Tom Whiteley [31]

1 James Whitcombe [51]

2 Finn Theobald-Thomas [11]

3 Tim Hoyt [2]

4 Côme Joussain [5]

5 Tom Manz [8]

6 Matt Rogerson [18]

7 Emeka Ilione [25]

8 Kyle Hatherell [22]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Archie Vanes  [14]

17 Archie van der Flier [1]

18 Henry Mountford *

19 Lewis Chessum [9]

20 Sam Williams *

21 Charlie Bemand *

22 Charlie Myall [1]

23 Tom Threlfall *

*Leicester Tigers senior debut

posteamteam namepldwdlfadifftftatblbpts
1
Northampton Saints
Northampton SaintsNOR33008151301382014
3
Leicester Tigers
Leicester TigersLEI31021019381515105
Form Guide
Form
WLWWW
Last Match
Beat Coventry 19-10
Past Meeting
Won 31-12
Form
Last Match
Past Meeting
Form
WWLLW
Last Match
Beat Nottingham Rugby 70-29
Past Meeting
Lost 12-31

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