More Irish come to the Madstad
The Christmas fixtures come thick and fast for all the premiership sides, and nothing like a fecking visit from the Tigers to get the lads more pumped than Swedish nymph. London Irish, with the smallest squad in the AG premiership will need to summon some sort of fecking resolve in the face of a rampant Leicester outfit.The Irish have yet to set the world alight after the heroics of the previous campaign, and are currently as friggin consistent as a fecking hormonal housewife’s mood swings on Christmas Day. A friggin hugely impressive mullering of the Saints was followed by an inept performance in Cardiff. One feck of a bonus point win over Ulster was followed by a friggin schoolboy errored outing in Belfast. Fecking up and down like a whore’s draws has been the friggin results cycle.
Finally the freakin Friday night voodoo spell was broken, all be it in an affair as tight Michael Holmes' ring as he hurtled to earth in New Zealand after his parachutes fecking failed. An away day scrapping at bottom side Wuss, although deserved, is not the kind of performance that will get the Tigers plopping themselves.
As for Leicester, well these feckers propelled themselves to the top of the league to become a far better Christmas number one than that fecking X Factor shoite. Richard Hill’s rotation policy saw an under strength Brizzle side receive a right royal fecking at hands of a home side who are in a rich friggin vein of try-scoring-for-fun form.
The ‘Bigger Picture’ was Hill’s view! Well if his selection disrespected Tigers, the reward fecking issued in their defeat should also be backed by punishment from the Premiership for robbing the paying punters of a real game.
Nothing in this win should be taken away from Leicester, as they will feck most comers of all abilities at Welfare Road. Play what you see and continue the on slaughter to the summit of the English game.
Irish felt this last time the two sides met, when an international player denied Tigers gave the Exiles the good news. Horak’s blunder provided his former employers one feck of a gift, as yet more misery up North was felt by the visitors that day.
The St Stephen’s day confrontation is yet another fecking defining game for both sides, as cementing position and creating momentum for the run in gathers pace. For Irish, the gap to top 6 is starting to look as huge as a well hung Donkey, with Heiny Cup places up for the friggin taking.
Leicester will look to secure their place on top and secure at least top 4 quickly to allow sights to be re-positioned on extra-curricular shiny ting gathering in HC and EDF competitions. They have one feck of an immense squad to push for triple glory, which was demonstrated during the Autumn Internationals. There returning star men had a real fecking fight to claim a starting berth after the so-called squad men had taken opportunities to shine.
This has provided Pat Howard a real selection headache that ibuprofen has not a fecking chance to ease, but who the feck would want it ridded! He now has players competing in all positions, with those selected feeling the breathe of his competitor on the back of his neck. This has afforded the former Champions a position of strength as nearly two sides of premiership quality are available. Fecking ideal during this fixture silly season!
Looking at the 2 selections, it is fecking unreal as there are more Murphy’s than will be served in Cork of a Saturday night, with most in the Leicester Irish side! The sooner them fecking Midlanders start investing in the English game, rather Ireland’s, the more chance the RFU will have of retaining the World Cup! (Tongue firming fecking rooted in cheek!!).
The team for Irish shows real depth and can play to any given game plan. A freakin front row that would be best placed in the care of Her Majesties Prisons, is as feisty as the birds sort after in Mosh on St Nicholas Place in downtown Leicester. The second row partnership will be in the faces of their opposite numbers, and both love banging in the tackle, but not in a homo way.
In the back row, pace and passion is there for all to see, and the so called ‘streetwise’ shenanigans will be played to the max. Each of these 3 must have fecking 2 pairs of hands at their disposal, as the fecking volume of these seen in a ruck from Tigers do not actually compute to the hands available!
The half backs will be a real pain in the fecking ass for the home side all day. Ellis will look to break at every opportunity, and Goode can vary his game with a fecking bomb of a boot as his back up.
With ball secured, won or battled for by the fat feckers, and delivered to the two outstanding half backs, the gurls will be looking to score from any phase, and by feck they have that ability. First up tackles and slowing the ball must be the mission statement of the Exiles to allow them to compete.
Brain Smith has a few selection worries ahead of this match, with doubts over a few major fecking resources. If he can get these feckers off the physio table and on to the paddock, the Exiles will have the fellas to give this one a real fecking lash.
The Irish pack is as heavy and brutal as most and will friggin compete in the tight, loose and the tunnel if required. The set-piece, as ever will be key, and any gains on oppo ball will give opportunities to inflict points on the Tigers. A poor return on the 5 pointers needs to be addressed, but retaining the defensive shape that has resulted in as mean a defence as the top 4.
In the back 3, pace and verve are there to be fecking utilised, however, the Leicester lads need to be friggin put to the ground at ever break. Take the points when offered, compete all over the fecking paddock, and get right in the faces of some temperamental individuals could deliver a festive frolicking at the Madstad.
London Irish
15. Delon Armitage
14. Topsy Ojo/Dominic Shabbo
13. Dominic Feau'nati/Nils Mordt
12. Seilala Mapusua
11. Justin Bishop
10. Barry Everitt/Shane Geraghty
9. Paul Hodgson
1. Neal Hatley
2. Danie Coetzee
3. Faan Rautenbach
4. James Hudson
5. Bob Casey (captain)
6. Kieran Roche
7. Olivier Magne
8. Phil Murphy
Replacements
16. Tonga Lea'aetoa
17. David Paice
18. Nick Kennedy
19. Steffon Armitage
20. Aidan McCullen
21. Richie Rees
22. Michael Horak
Leicester Tigers
15. Geordan Murphy
14. Alesana Tuilagi
13. Tom Youngs
12. Ollie Smith
11. Johne Murphy
10. Andy Goode
9. Harry Ellis
1. Alejandro Moreno
2. James Buckland
3. Martin Castrogiovanni
4. James Hamilton
5. Ben Kay
6. Brett Deacon
7. Lewis Moody
8. Martin Corry (captain)
Replacements
16. George Chuter
17. Michael Holford
18. Leo Cullen
19. Tom Croft
20. Frank Murphy
21. Paul Burke
22. Sam Vesty
--Master Scribe