Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons Digital Matchday Programme (10-04-2021)

LEICESTER TIGERs

VERSUS

NEWCASTLE FALCONS

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP SAT U R DAY, A P R I L 1 0, 2 0 2 1 K I C K- O F F 1 2 .3 0 P M

THE UK HAS LEFT. THE FT HASN’T. Stay connected to what matters in Europe with the Financial Times Read more at ft.com/europe

03

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

THE TEAMS

LEICESTER TIGERS

NEWCASTLE FALCONS

S TA R T I N G X V -

FREDDIE STEWARD

T P C D

15

T P C D

TOM PENNY

-

-

GUY PORTER

T P C D

14

T P C D

ALEX TAIT

-

MATÍAS MORONI

T P C D

13

T P C D

GEORGE WACOKECOKE

-

ARG SCO

MATT SCOTT

T P C D

12

T P C D

LUTHER BURRELL

ENG

FIJI

KINI MURIMURIVALU

T P C D

11

T P C D

BEN STEVENSON

-

-

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

T P C D

10

T P C D

JOEL HODGSON

-

RICHARD WIGGLESWORTH (C)

T P C D

9

T P C D

MICHAEL YOUNG (C)

-

-

LUAN DE BRUIN

T P C D

1

T P C D

TREVOR DAVISON

-

-

CHARLIE CLARE

T P C D

2

T P C D

GEORGE McGUIGAN

-

-

JOE HEYES

T P C D

3

T P C D

LOGOVI’I MULIPOLA

SAM

-

CAMERON HENDERSON

T P C D

4

T P C D

GREG PETERSON

USA

-

HARRY WELLS

T P C D

5

T P C D

MARCO FUSER

ITA

ENG

GEORGE MARTIN

T P C D

6

T P C D

SEAN ROBINSON

-

-

TOMMY REFFELL

T P C D

7

T P C D

WILL WELCH

-

-

HANRO LIEBENBERG

T P C D

8

T P C D

PHILIP VAN DER WALT

-

TOM YOUNGS

T P C D

16

T P C D

JAMIE BLAMIRE

-

ELLIS GENGE

T P C D

17

T P C D

KYLE COOPER

-

DAN COLE

T P C D

18

T P C D

MARK TAMPIN

-

TOMÁS LAVANINI

T P C D

19

T P C D

WILL MONTGOMERY

-

-

JASPER WIESE

T P C D

20

T P C D

CALLUM CHICK

-

JACK VAN POORTVLIET

T P C D

21

T P C D

LOUIS SCHREUDER

GEORGE FORD

T P C D

22

T P C D

BRETT CONNON

-

DAN KELLY

T P C D

23

T P C D

JOEL MATAVESI

-

ENG

R E P L AC E M E N T S ENG / LIONS ENG ENG / LIONS ARG

ENG -

M AT C H O F F I C I A L S Referee: Mr Romain Poite (FRA) Assistants: Mr Wayne Barnes (ENG) & Mr Craig Maxwell-Keys (ENG) TMO: Mr Denis Grenouillet (FRA) Citing Officer: Mr Ciaran Scally (IRE) A N Y L AT E C H A N G E S W I L L B E C O N F I R M E D O N T H E W E B S I T E

SAF

DAVID HAYE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30

SIMON WESTON MONDAY, MAY 24

LEICESTER TIGERS

BUSINESS CLUB

SPONSORED BY MATTIOLI WOODS Leicester Tigers’ Business Club is back at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, giving you the opportunity to connect with local and national businesses.

Sponsored by Mattioli Woods, the Business Club has two remaining in-person networking lunches.

Our first in-person event kicks off on Monday, May 24 with guest speaker Simon Weston starting at 12.00pm.

The following Business Club will take place on Wednesday, June 30 with guest speaker David Haye starting at 12.00pm.

A Business Club membership includes: • One place at each of the remaining two networking lunch events • Two-course meal for each lunch event • Member option to invite up to two new business introduction guests for each event • Networking opportunities at every event • Listing on the Business Club event page • Priority booking for other club events

Membership Price

£100pp + VAT

Sponsored By

To book your place, call our team on 0116 217 1215 or email sales@tigers.co.uk www.leicestertigers.com/businessclub

05

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS CONTENTS 3 TEAMS 7 CHALLENGE CUP MESSAGE 9 WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN 10 STEVE BORTHWICK’S NOTES 12 CLUB NEWS 14 EUROPEAN CUP LANDMARK 16 EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP GUIDE 18 MATCH PREVIEW 23 MEET THE OPPOSITION 28 TIGERS TALK WITH GUY PORTER 37 FROM THE BOARDROOM 42 TIGERS PLAYING SQUAD 50 FULL FIXTURE LIST 52 PLAYER STATS 55 TIGERS MATCHFILE 57 JUNIOR TIGERS CLUB 59 THE STAT PACK 61 COMMUNITY TEAM 62 THE TIGERS FOUNDATION 65 ON THIS DAY 66 MATT HAMPSON FOUNDATION 69 TIGERS FANZONE

LEICESTER FOOTBALL CLUB PLC Telephone 0116 319 8888 www.leicestertigers.com Facebook.com/LeicesterTigers Twitter @LeicesterTigers instagram.com/leicestertigers Executive Chairman: Peter Tom CBE Chief Executive: Andrea Pinchen Head Coach: Steve Borthwick Directors: Petar Cvetkovic,

Duncan Green, Ben Kay MBE, Fintan Kennedy, Tom Scott Company Secretary: Mary Ford Life Members: Garry Adey, John Allen, Bob Beason, Paul Dodge, Matt Hampson OBE, Dusty Hare MBE, Roy Jackson, Martin Johnson CBE, Ian Smith, Peter Wheeler Club Statistician/Historian: Stuart Farmer Child Protection Officer: Matt Johnson

ROLL OF HONOUR European Champions: 2000-01, 2001-02 English Champions: 1987-88, 1994-95, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2012-13 Zurich Championship Winners: 2000-01 Cup Winners: 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1992-93, 1996-97

Anglo-Welsh Cup Winners: 2006-07, 2011-12, 2016-17 Premiership ‘A’ League Winners: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2010-11 Premiership U21 League Winners: 2002-03 Premiership Academy U18 League Winners: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 (joint)

Photos © Pressesports

WE ARE RUGBY

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

07

EPCR CHAIRMAN

WELCOME MESSAGE Last weekend, we were treated to high-class rugby across the continent as the European Rugby Challenge Cup returned with some brilliant attacking play, high drama, thrilling comebacks and plenty of compelling contests.

The points tally started to rack up once Zebre Rugby Club stormed into the lead against former tournament winners and 1998 European champions Bath Rugby on Friday, before a thrilling turnaround to give them one of five berths in these quarter-finals for clubs from the Gallagher Premiership.

There would be two sizeable swings in fortune in Anglo-Welsh matches too, as London Irish and Northampton Saints prevailed over Cardiff Blues and Dragons respectively in high-scoring contests.

The Round of 16 was certainly unpredictable with four away wins from eight matches in the Challenge Cup, where a total of 522 points were scored at an average of over 65 per match during the weekend.

We are all set for plenty more entertainment this weekend, which also hails a landmark for the club game in Italy as Benetton Rugby become its first representatives in a European quarter-final. Having already won in France against 2017 winners Stade Français Paris during the Preliminary Stage, their win over Agen brings them to a last-eight date with Montpellier, who lifted this trophy back in 2016.

The draws for the final four of both European club rugby tournaments will take place live on BT Sport this Sunday (April 11) and ordinarily, the combatants would be eyeing up spots in Marseille for Finals Weekend on May 21-22. Only these are not ordinary times. We deeply regret the need

to postpone the Stade Vélodrome showpiece for the second consecutive season and the inconvenience that it has caused to many fans who had snapped up tickets in anticipation of an event to savour.

As with each of its matches and events, EPCR operates to the numerous different local authority directives and guidelines - as well as its own robust Covid-19 protocols. The health and safety of all concerned is our obvious priority and in doing all we can to ensure that, we are grateful to the shareholder leagues and unions for their support.

Speaking of support: we cannot wait to welcome fans back to stadiums across the continent! Whilst that has not been possible, the importance of high-quality television coverage is illustrated in much higher definition. Easter weekend saw another enormous undertaking from our domestic broadcast partners BT Sport, beIN SPORTS, France Télévisions and Sky Italia, as well as a host of linear, OTT and streaming solutions worldwide.

As well as sharing the journey with them, we also appreciate the backing of official partners Tissot, the Financial Times, Gilbert and Kappa.

Yours in Rugby, Simon Halliday, Chairman, EPCR

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

09

Peter Tom CBE

CHAIRMAN Opening words from the Chairman of the Leicester Tigers.

Welcome to matchday and to our third successive game at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

Today we welcome the players and officials from Newcastle Falcons in the quarter-final of the European Challenge Cup, just a fortnight after the two teams met here in the Gallagher Premiership.

Both sets of coaches will no doubt have studied that last meeting closely and their teams will run out feeling some confidence following Round of 16 triumphs last week, so we should be in for an entertaining afternoon.

As Steve said immediately after the game last Saturday, there were a lot of positives to take out of the victory over Connacht on their first-ever visit here.

Connacht have had a strong run of performances and results away from home and had targeted a run in the Challenge Cup, but a young and largely inexperienced Tigers team came through to secure a very good win and a place in the last eight.

I’m sure those players will have learned a lot from the game, in particular from their response to the period when Connacht fought their way back into it during the second half before we came through to confirm the win.

Games like that can only help the development of strength across the squad and I’m sure you’ll join me in sending congratulations to Nic and Will who made their debuts in that game.

As well as a development opportunity for our young

his teenage years. It was also a first Tigers appearance since January for Ben Youngs and it was great to see him back and playing so well as captain on the day, having dealt with the mental and physical challenges of a long international campaign with England.

Ben Youngs captained the side on his Tigers return

players, it was also a big evening for the more experienced members of the squad in helping to guide them through it.

The likes of Luke Wallace and Matías Moroni were important in that, while Charlie Clare is enjoying good form since returning to the club where he played as academy captain in

Steve described the game as another step forward and, alongside Aled and the other coaches, he continues to drive that on a daily basis.

As ever, I thank you on behalf of everyone at the Tigers for your support and hope we have some more big days to share in the remainder of the season.

10

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Head coach Steve Borthwick

FROM THE TOUCHLINE

Every day is a selection day. You turn up, prepare well, train hard, show you are a great team man and show you want to get better, want to help the team get better. I want competition throughout the squad and the highest standards of player. I want every player better and every coach improving as well. That is what we are trying to do.

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

CLUB NEWS

Partner challenge Tigers players are going ‘Head to Head’ in a new LTTV series featuring challenges set by club partners.

Featuring tiles, a concrete mixer truck, tag rugby, obstacle course, line-out throws, movie quotes and a dog named Lola, you see which Tigers can earn their stripes each week.

Over the next two months, the club will share episodes every Wednesday at 7.00pm across the club’s website, YouTube and social channels.

The series began this week with club main partners Topps Tiles providing a challenge for Jasper Wiese, Hanro Liebenberg, Harry Wells and Calum Green so take a look and see how they got on then check out a new episode every Wednesday.

Keep an eye out for previews and trailers of each challenge as well as an opportunity for supporters to win prizes, courtesy of our club partners.

Share, like, retweet, comment and re-gram the Head to Head series to get involved.

European semi-finals The winners of today’s game will go into the European Challenge Cup semi-final draw tomorrow.

The event from BT Sport’s studios in London will be broadcast live on BT Sport at 5.00pm (depending on the finish in the game between ASM Clermont Auvergne and Toulouse) and live streamed on epcrugby.com, with the Challenge Cup draw first, followed by the Heineken Champions Cup draw.

The draws will be ‘open’ with no restrictions regarding league affiliation or nationality, with

the first clubs drawn in each semi-final having home advantage.

Matches will be played on the weekend of April 30-May 1/2.

Dates, times and TV coverage will be announced as soon as possible after the draws.

The venues for the finals will be decided by tournament organisers EPCR at a later date.

After consultation with the local authorities in France, EPCR concluded that in order to reduce cross-border travel and minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission, flexibility was required regarding the choice of venues for the finals this year.

The 2022 Finals will be in Marseille, with London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosting in 2023.

Open for business The Club Shop at the stadium re-opens to visitors from Monday (April 12) in line with the next step of government guidance.

We will be using the shop unit in the Robin Hood Stand as construction work continues on the hotel in front of the Holland & Barrett Stand.

Parking is available in the Crumbie car park.

Online services remain available all day, every day, with the option to use the Click and Collect service at the stadium shop.

Shop opening hours are 10.00am-4.00pm Monday-Saturday. The shop will be closed on home matchdays when access to the stadium is restricted and on Sundays.

Masks must be worn and social distancing measures are in place.

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

T IGE R S TA L K

Rewind & replay

With a very special anniversary approaching, we want to hear from supporters who cheered Tigers to victory in the stadium or back at home so we can all enjoy the memories of Paris 2001...

Even at this distance, we all have vivid memories of the victory over Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup Final almost 20 years ago.

Whether your recollections involve the tries from Leon Lloyd and Neil Back, the decisive late break by Austin Healey, Tim Stimpson’s winning kick or the friends and family who shared your support for the team either in the stadium or from further away, Tigers want to hear from you.

Healey describes the game as the most important he ever played in, recalling “a hot, sunny day in Paris in front of thousands and thousands of Leicester Tigers fans”.

John Griffiths, from the Tigers Away Supporters Club, was central to the travel plans of many of those supporters, though admitting that he had originally planned on booking just a couple of coaches for the trip.

“On the day tickets went on sale I arrived home from work to be told that my answerphone was full,” John recalls.

“The phone was ringing as I walked in the door, I picked it up and sat at the bottom of the stairs as

I took name and phone number and gave payment details. As I replaced the phone, it immediately rang again. This was continuous for about three hours.

“I then had to find accommodation for about 500 people for a price that fitted with the trip I had already sold.”

Once the travelling fans arrived in Paris, the Eiffel Tower became a Tigers focalpoint on matchday morning with hundreds of fans gathering there in club colours before making their way to the Parc des Princes.

Bars and restaurants filled with green, white and red in the build-up to kick-off and then, of course, there was the match itself, with the travelling Tigers making themselves known in the bright sunshine at a stadium just yards away from Stade’s front door.

Mick Phipps was among the supporters unable to make the trip, due to work commitments, but remembers watching coverage of the tense last few minutes “on a small black-and-white TV sat in the car park”.

We have also heard from other fans based around the world who nevertheless were there in spirit as

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

T IGE R S TA L K

Tigers captain Martin Johnson lifted the trophy for the first time and the celebrations could begin.

Everyone has a special memory of an incredible day, which is why we would love to share them with the rest of the #TigersFamily.

We’d also like to see some of your photos from a weekend in Paris as we approach this anniversary of a remarkable day in the club’s history.

You can send your stories and photos by email to programme editor Gary Sherrard at gary.sherrard@tigers.co.uk or marked for his attention by emailing tigers@tigers.co.uk.

A 20th anniversary dinner to mark the 2001 European title win is being staged at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Friday, June 25.

The date has been moved back from May to allow guests to attend in line with the government roadmap out of Covid-19 and tickets are available to book now.

Players past and present will be there to talk about it in an event hosted in partnership with Switch the Play Foundation, a charity founded by Heineken Cup hero Leon Lloyd, which is dedicated to supporting all sportspeople to successfully transition into life outside of sport.

See the Tigers website to book your place.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS 2000/01

20TH ANNIVERSARY EVENING FRIDAY, JUNE 25 - 7PM PREMIERSHIP SUITE MATTIOLI WOODS WELFORD ROAD

£125 + VAT pp £1200 + VAT for a table of 10 TO BOOK:

LEICESTERTIGERS.COM/EVENTS

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

‘What If’ IN THE EVENT OF A DRAW If scores are tied at full-time, then 20 minutes (two periods of 10 minutes) of extra-time will be played.

If scores are still level after extra-time, the winners will be the team which has scored the most tries.

If the teams are level on points and tries at the end of extra-time, then the winners will be determined by a place-kicking competition.

PLACE-KICKING COMPETITION • Each team will be asked to nominate THREE goalkickers from the players on the pitch at the final whistle.

• No substituted or dismissed player will be permitted to take part.

• The end at which the competition takes place will be determined by toss of a coin.

• The team to kick first will also be determined by a toss of a coin.

• Each kicker will have two kicks from designated positions.

• If the teams remain level, the competition will continue on a sudden-death basis.

The three players from each team kick in the order and from the positions set out below: • • • • • • •

Kicker 1 from Team A first to take his kick from Position 1, on the 22-metre line in a central position.

Kicker 1 from Team B as above.

Kicker 2 from Team A from Position 2, at the junction of the 15-metre and 22-metre lines on the right side of the pitch.

Kicker 2 from Team B as above.

Kicker 3 from Team A to take his kick from Position 3, at the junction of the 15-metre and 22-metre lines on the left side of the pitch.

Kicker 3 from Team B as above Kicker 1 from Team A to take his kick from Position 4, on the 10-metre line in a central position.

• • • • •

Kicker 1 from Team B as above Kicker 2 from Team A to take his kick from Position 5, at the junction of the 15-metre and 10-metre lines on the right side of the pitch.

Kicker 2 from Team B as above.

Kicker 3 from Team A to take his kick from Position 6, at the junction of the 15-metre and 10-metre lines on the left side of the pitch.

Kicker 3 from Team B as above.

After each of the three nominated players from each team has taken his two kicks, the referee will declare the winning team based on the number of successful kicks.

If there is an equal number of successful kicks, the competition continues on a ‘sudden death’ basis. All kicks will take place from Position 4 in the following order: · Kicker 1 from Team A then Kicker 1 from Team B · Kicker 2 from Team A then Kicker 2 from Team B · Kicker 3 from Team A then Kicker 3 from Team B The competition will continue until one player succeeds and the player from the other team taking the corresponding kick misses.

•

•

•

Once a player has positioned the ball on the kicking tee, he must take the kick within one minute. Should he take longer, the referee shall declare the kick unsuccessful.

Whether or not the kick is successful is the sole decision of the referee, who may at his sole discretion rely on the assistance of his assistant referees.

If a selected kicker becomes injured, he may be replaced by another player who was on the pitch at the end of extra-time.

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

THE BIG MATCH Tigers welcome Newcastle Falcons in the last eight...

Just two weeks after their fixture at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in the Gallagher Premiership, Tigers and Falcons meet again, this time with the prize of a place in a European semi-final for the winner.

That Premiership meeting went in favour of Tigers with tries from Hanro Liebenberg and Charlie Clare, combined with the kicking of George Ford who contributed 16 points in his first appearance since the Six Nations.

The two clubs were previously due to meet in Round 4 at Christmas but the game was cancelled due to a Covid outbreak and the Tynesiders given four points to Tigers’ two.

Tigers have lost just once in the last five games - at Exeter - and are attempting to reach a ninth European semi-final after making the last four in the Challenge Cup at the first attempt in 2019-20.

The teams have met five times in knockout matches, dating back to the Tigers versus Gosforth games in the John Player Cup. Overall there have been 61 previous meetings with Leicester winning 45 to 13 and three games drawn. The Falcons are chasing a first win over Tigers since the Premiership clash in April 2018.

Referee is French official Romain Poite, who was in charge of Harlequins against Ulster in the Round of 16 last week.

MOST RECENT MEETINGS 2020-21

2018-19

2018-19

2017-18

2017-18

FROM BOTH SIDES Born in Nuneaton, scrum-half James Grindal joined Tigers straight from school with half-back partner Andy Goode and made his debut as a 19-year-old in 1999 during the club’s four-year reign as Premiership champions. He made 29 appearances before being signed by Rob Andrew at Newcastle in 2002 soon after Tigers’ second European Cup win. Grindal spent seven years there, playing more than 150 times, including a Powergen Cup win in 2004, and gained England Saxons honours before returning to Leicester in 2009. After being involved in two more Premiership Finals and another 59 games, he moved on to Bristol.

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

19

ELSEWHERE IN THIS ROUND BATH RUGBY v LONDON IRISH

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS v MONTPELLIER v ULSTER RUGBY BENETTON RUGBY

The opening all-Premiership clash of the weekend is at The Recreation Ground on Friday evening, where 2008 tournament winners Bath host a London Irish team playing in their 99th match in the tournament.

Northampton and Ulster will go head-to-head for the first time in the Challenge Cup in a Saturday evening fixture, though they have previously met four times in the Champions Cup with the score level at two wins each.

Irish were losing finalists in 2006 and top seeds coming out of the abbreviated preliminary stages this season before beating Cardiff Blues last weekend despite being 12 points behind and down to 13 men at one stage. Jarrod Evans landed a drop goal with just three minutes remaining to put the Blues in front, but Curtis Rona then beat the visiting defence under the posts for a vital try which Paddy Jackson converted.

Both teams are previous Champions Cup winners, while Saints also lifted the Challenge Cup in 2009 and 2014.

Bath also had to come from behind - at one point from 14 points down - to beat Zebre in Parma in the Round of 16 after moving into the Challenge Cup from the Champions Cup pool stages.

Former Munster, Connacht and Leicester scrum-half Frank Murphy is referee.

Northampton’s Teimana Harrison topped the tournament’s tackle charts last weekend with 25 in the dramatic win against the Dragons.

Saints had to come from 19 points down to earn a 43-39 victory at Rodney Parade with wing Taqele Naiyaravoro touching down twice - including one in the final 10 minutes - and Tom Collins completing the turnaround with another late score.

Ulster ran in eight tries in a convincing victory over Harlequins at The Stoop to reach the last eight, with full-back Michael Lowry making the headlines with a 50-metre solo score.

The only quarter-final without Gallagher Premiership representation is at the GGL Stadium on Saturday evening, with 2006 Challenge Cup winners Montpellier looking for the chance to replicate that form despite a challenging season in the Top14.

Benetton Rugby are the first Italian club to reach the quarterfinals of either the Challenge Cup or the Heineken Champions Cup. They played Montpellier twice in the Champions Cup during the 2013-14 season, losing on both occasions.

Montpellier beat Glasgow Warriors 26-21 in the Round of 16 last weekend, with fly-half Alex Lozowski scoring 16 points.

Benetton, who have not won a Pro14 fixture all season, beat struggling Agen 29-16 with tries from Dewaldt Duvenage, Monty Ioane, Ignacio Brex and Edoardo Padovani.

Karl Dickson, referee when Leicester Tigers met Newcastle Falcons in the Gallagher Premiership two weeks ago, is in charge of this one.

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP TODAY La Rochelle v Sale Sharks ������������ (4.00pm local/3.00pm UK time) Exeter Chiefs v Leinster Rugby ����������������������������������������� (5.30pm) TOMORROW Bordeaux-Bègles v Racing 92 ��������������(1.30pm local/12.30pm UK) ASM Clermont Auvergne v Toulouse �(4.00pm local/3.00pm UK)

KEY DATES Semi-final draws: Sunday, April 11 Semi-finals: April 30-May 1/2 Challenge Cup Final: Friday, May 21 Heineken Champions Cup Final: Saturday, May 22

LEICESTER

SEASON 2020/21

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

T O D AY ’ S O P P O S I T I O N

NEWCASTLE FALCONS FIRST MEETING WITH LEICESTER 1969 AS GOSFORTH RFC

PREMIERSHIP CH A MPIONS 1990 K N O C K O U T C U P W I N N E R S 1 9 7 6 , 1 9 7 7, 2 0 0 1 , 2 0 0 4 RUNNERS-UP 1981, 1999, 2010

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP RECORD

117 78 39 6 PLAYED

WON

LOST

QUARTERFINALISTS

5

SEMIFINALISTS

99 97 58 317 16

v CROSS KEYS 2000-01 15 TRIES

v EL SALVADOR 2007-08 15 TRIES

MOST APPEARANCES MICKY WARD

MOST POINTS JONNY WILKINSON

MOST TRIES JAMIE NOON

1996-97

1997

1997-98

ADOPTED BLACK AND WHITE COLOURS IN FIRST SEASON AS NEWCASTLE FALCONS

JONNY WILKINSON SIGNED FOR THE CLUB STRAIGHT FROM SCHOOL

WINNERS OF THE ALLIED DUNBAR PREMIERSHIP IN FIRST TOP-FLIGHT SEASON

24

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

SQUAD 2020-21 – BACKS – Pos / Honours / Age / Last Club TOM ARSCOTT W

-

BEN STEVENSON 33

Rouen

32

Warrington

LUTHER BURRELL C

England -

22

Academy

W

Australia

33

Bath

GEORGE WACOKECOKE 21

Jaguares

BRETT CONNON FB

-

COOPER VUNA

MATEO CARRERAS W

C

W

-

25

-

32

Bath

33

Academy

MICHAEL YOUNG 24

Academy

35

Toulouse

SH

-

TOBY FLOOD FH

England

JOEL HODGSON FH

-

ONE TO WATCH ALEX TAIT

28

Yorkshire Carnegie

29

Doncaster

24

Redruth

FB

-

PETER LUCOCK C

-

JOEL MATAVESI FH

-

CAMERON NORDLI-KELEMETI SH

-

21

Academy

29

Jaguares

32

Leicester Tigers

26

Harlequins

23

Academy

MATIAS ORLANDO C

Argentina

GARETH OWEN C

-

TOM PENNY FB/C

-

ADAM RADWAN W

-

LOUIS SCHREUDER SH

South Africa

30 Sharks

SAM STUART SH

-

26

Richmond

Brother of former Falcons and Tigers favourite Mathew, he scored a hat-trick on his club debut in the Challenge Cup back in 2008 and the former England Under-20s cap made his 250th appearance at Leicester last month.

25

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

– F OR WA RDS – Pos / Honours / Age / Last Club ONE TO WATCH

RODNEY AH YOU P

Ireland

32

Ulster

31

Worcester

DARREN BARRY L

-

WILL WELCH Fl

-

30 Academy Grandson of former Tigers prop Rex Skelton, Welch was appointed Falcons club captain at the age of just 22 and led them for seven seasons. A former England age-group representative at three levels, he passed 200 club appearances in 2017-18.

JAMIE BLAMIRE H

-

23

Academy

25

Durham University

24

Academy

25

North Harbour

32

Sharks

ADAM BROCKLEBANK P

-

CALLUM CHICK BR

-

CONNOR COLLETT BR

-

KYLE COOPER H

-

MIKE DANIELS P

-

WILL MONTGOMERY 28

Nottingham

TREVOR DAVISON P

-

28

Blaydon

MARCO FUSER L

Italy Scotland

30 Treviso

Argentina

Jersey Reds

Scotland

Jaguares

22

Edinburgh

-

32

Jersey Reds

-

29

Jersey Reds

-

Gloucester

L

USA

30 Bordeaux-Begles

L

-

30 Randwick

L

-

28

Exeter Chiefs

H

-

25

Bedford

BR

-

29

Ealing

BR

-

31

Sharks

34

Glasgow

28

Academy

JOHN WELSH 27

Leicester Tigers

TOM MARSHALL BR

34

PHILLIP VAN DER WALT

GEORGE McGUIGAN H

Samoa

MARK TAMPIN

CHARLIE MADDISON H

P

ROBBIE SMITH

SAM LOCKWOOD P

Academy

TOBY SALMON

21

JOHN HARDIE BR

21

SEAN ROBINSON 28

SANTIAGO GRONDONA BR

-

GREG PETERSON

GARY GRAHAM BR

BR

LOGOVI’I MULIPOLA

P

Scotland

MARK WILSON 21

Academy

BR

England

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28

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Guy Porter

T IGE R S TA L K

GOOD GUY It is less than 10 months since Guy Porter returned to England from Australia to begin a new adventure in the land of his birth...

For the Porters in Australia, following their son in action on the other side of the world means keeping some antisocial hours. But it is good to know there is that level of committed support from such recent additions to the #TigersFamily.

“They’re not really huge rugby people,” says Guy, who scored his first try as a Tigers player in the European Challenge Cup win over Connacht last weekend.

“But they’re enthusiastic and right behind the Leicester Tigers now, and it’s awesome to have that support from home.

29

30

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

T IGE R S TA L K “They’ve done some really early morning and some midnight wake-ups, which I’m sure ruins their sleep schedule for the rest of the week, but they always let me know that they’re up, and it’s nice having them tune-in back home.”

Guy only arrived in Leicester last summer and the year-long lockdown means his experiences beyond training and playing are unusually thin. But the nature of the Covid-affected rugby programme means he has packed an awful lot into the last nine months, capped with that try in a Round of 16 win over Irish visitors as Tigers moved into this afternoon’s quarter-final against Newcastle Falcons.

“I’ve not really had a chance to step back and reflect because it has been flat-out,” he says.

“But I’ve really enjoyed that.

“That was something about coming here - the amount of rugby and being in a programme

having a clear direction on how to improve - and I’m really enjoying being part of that in a whirlwind eight or nine months.”

Born in London as the youngest in a family of four sons, Guy had just started to take his first steps in minis rugby when he moved to Australia at the age of seven.

After developing through junior rugby there, he had five seasons with Sydney University, celebrating back-to-back Shute Shield triumphs including lifting the trophy as captain in 2019, before earning a move to the Brumbies in Super Rugby.

He had also played at Sydney Stars and Sydney Rays in Australia’s National Rugby Championship, as well as representing the NSW Waratahs Under-20s, before the return to England last summer and a move to Tigers.

That experience is part of the blend in a Tigers camp with

players from other parts of the world working alongside a strong core of players who have come through the academy system at the club or arrived from elsewhere in English rugby.

“There are some experienced guys and guys from different corners of the world and also different insights, so there are always good conversations,” Guy says.

“And guys who are responsible for their own areas talk a lot for that, so it’s really good during the week when you have that level of detail discussed among the group so they’re on the same page.

“You’re learning something every week, training with a new guy or a different guy, seeing how they approach the game, their strengths and how you can feed off them.

“That’s another challenge but it’s something I enjoy in a team where there are different guys stepping up week to week, and getting to interact and play with different personnel.”

Steve Borthwick says the players and staff are working hard to build key relationships throughout a squad which is being reshaped, while also pursuing a journey towards a level demanded by everyone who supports the team.

Those relationships can only come with time spent together, in training and playing as well as off the field when Covid restrictions allow.

“With the nature of this season, it has been week in week out, but there have been lots of opportunities to get different combinations,” Porter says.

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

31

T IGE R S TA L K

“That was a new back three [against Connacht]. I hadn’t been in a back three with Harry and Zack before, but we’re pretty consistent in how we want to play, we have good clarity between us and that makes it easier to roll out from the training pitch to the game.

“I think whoever is not in the 23, or might not be in it for any game, has a real onus on making sure they are across how the team is playing and a responsibility so, come the weekend when anyone gets an opportunity, whatever it is, we are all on the same page and moving in the same direction.”

Porter made his debut against Bath last August and is now up to 15 first-team appearances, playing at both wing and centre.

A first try in Tigers colours was a big moment for the 24-yearold, especially as it played a key role in the momentum swing against a Connacht side with ambitions to go much further in this European tournament.

“It’s a big moment for any player with your first try for the club, it’s always special,” he said at the final whistle.

“It has been a few games now so it is nice to get a first one.

“It was Matt Scott’s try to be fair, he made a great pilfer and I just had to run it in.”

There might have been a double celebration too after a length-of-the-field break which ended with a scoring pass for Matías Moroni to claim his first for the club.

“We were down a man but still wanted to be aggressive in defence,” Guy adds.

“Matías led us up pretty well there and I managed to grab loose ball. And he helped me out to get there in the end!

“He was pretty quick, the fella chasing me, and I thought Matias hadn’t scored a try either!”

Back home Down Under, the alarm will be set for more of the same in the remainder of the season.

Proud to support Leicester Tigers

DAVID HAYE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30

SIMON WESTON MONDAY, MAY 24

LEICESTER TIGERS

BUSINESS CLUB

SPONSORED BY MATTIOLI WOODS Leicester Tigers’ Business Club is back at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, giving you the opportunity to connect with local and national businesses.

Sponsored by Mattioli Woods, the Business Club has two remaining in-person networking lunches.

Our first in-person event kicks off on Monday, May 24 with guest speaker Simon Weston starting at 12.00pm.

The following Business Club will take place on Wednesday, June 30 with guest speaker David Haye starting at 12.00pm.

A Business Club membership includes: • One place at each of the remaining two networking lunch events • Two-course meal for each lunch event • Member option to invite up to two new business introduction guests for each event • Networking opportunities at every event • Listing on the Business Club event page • Priority booking for other club events

Membership Price

£100pp + VAT

Sponsored By

To book your place, call our team on 0116 217 1215 or email sales@tigers.co.uk www.leicestertigers.com/businessclub

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

37

Andrea Pinchen

FROM THE BOARDROOM

Tigers chief executive officer Andrea Pinchen welcomes back local rugby to the community following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Monday, March 29 marked a huge moment for the rugby community as clubs and groups were once again able to take part in organised outdoors sports.

It seems strange that a sport so entwined with our city is only now welcoming some of the first training sessions of the year.

Seeing some of the photos of youngsters, players and coaches at local rugby clubs across social media has been so enjoyable and a sight we have sorely missed over the last year or so.

While the Tigers’ work in the community never stops, restrictions around school access and social distancing have meant that we’ve had to adapt.

We have still been able to support schools alongside

our club partners from the Nottingham Building society and the Leicester Tigers Foundation staff have also been visiting schools across city and county, delivering practical tag rugby lessons and wellbeing workshops.

This week also saw the much-anticipated return of our Leicester Tigers Rugby Camps with more than 200 youngsters joining our team of community rugby coaches during the Easter school holidays for sessions at Brooksby Melton College.

Boys and girls aged from under-9s to under-16s took part in the camp over four days, which included morning and afternoon sessions with coaches at the college’s excellent sports facility. Seeing so many

happy faces and youngsters out running around on a rugby pitch marks a big step forward for us and we can’t wait to get even more booked in.

A huge thanks goes to the Tigers community team who have all played a huge part in ensuring rugby remains accessible for all across the county.

SUPPORT YOUR CLUB

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40

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

CLUB PARTNERS

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

OFFICIAL PAR TNERS

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41

42

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

THE

TIGERS TEAM T H E M A N AG E M E N T T E A M

STEVE BORTHWICK Position: Head Coach

ALED WALTERS Position: Head of Physical Performance

BRETT DEACON Position: Assistant Coach

SIMON BARBOUR Position: Head of Analysis

TERESA CARRINGTON Position: Team Manager

MIKE FORD Position: Assistant Coach

43

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

SAM ASPLAND-ROBINSON

RYAN BOWER

CYLE BRINK

CHARLIE CLARE

Position: Wing

Position: Prop

Position:

Back row

Position: Hooker

Born: 03/01/97

Born: 25/02/91

Born: 16/01/94

Born: 16/12/91

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.86m /6ft 1in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Weight:

94kg/14st 8lb

Weight:

108kg/17st 2lb

Weight:

114kg/18st 5lb

Weight:

110 kg/17st 4lb

ACADEMY GRADUATE

ACADEMY GRADUATE

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

JORDAN COGHLAN

DAN COLE

LUAN DE BRUIN

Position:

JOAQUIN DIAZ BONILLA

Back row

Position: Prop

Position: Prop

Position: Fly-half

Born: 30/10/92

Born: 09/05/87

Born:

13/12/93

Born: 02/04/89

Height:

1.95m/6ft 4in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height: 1.78m/5ft10in

Weight:

113kg/17st 11lb

Weight:

123kg/19st 5lb

Weight:

125kg/19st 11lb

Honours: England/Lions

Weight:

80kg/12st 8lb

Honours: Argentina

ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

44

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

NIC DOLLY

GEORGE FORD

ELLIS GENGE

CALUM GREEN

Position: Hooker

Position: Fly-half

Position: Prop

Position: Lock

Born: 11/06/99

Born: 16/03/93

Born: 16/02/95

Born: 15/07/90

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.78m/5ft 10in

Height:

1.86m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.93m/6ft 4in

Weight:

98kg/15st 6lb

Weight:

86kg/13st 7lb

Weight:

117kg/18st 6lb

Weight:

119kg/18st 12lb

Honours: England

Honours: England ACADEMY GRADUATE

ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

ZACK HENRY

JOE HEYES

WILL HURD

JAKE KERR

Position: Fly-half

Position: Prop

Position: Prop

Position: Hooker

Born: 01/10/94

Born: 13/04/99

Born: 29/06/99

Born: 13/04/96

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.93m/6ft 4in

Height:

1.86m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1in

Weight:

89kg/14st 0lb

Weight:

126kg/19st 12lb

Weight:

121kg/19st 1lb

Weight:

105kg/16st 7lb

Honours: Scotland ACADEMY GRADUATE

45

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

TOMAS LAVANINI

NEPHI LEATIGAGA

SAM LEWIS

HANRO LIEBENBERG

Position: Lock

Position: Prop

Position: Lock/Flanker

Position:

Born: 22/01/93

Born: 09/12/93

Born: 27/04/98

Born: 10/10/95

Back row

Height:

2.01m/6ft 7in

Height:

1.93m/6ft 4in

Height:

1.95m/6ft 5in

Height:

1.97m/6ft 5 in

Weight:

130kg/20st 7lb

Weight:

149kg/23st 6lb

Weight:

110kg/17st 4lb

Weight:

110kg/17st 4lb

Honours: Argentina

Honours: Samoa ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

DARRYL MARFO

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

JULIÁN MONTOYA

MATIAS MORONI

Position: Prop

Position: Fly-half/Centre/Full-back

Position: Hooker

Position: Centre/Wing

Born: 01/11/90

Born: 13/03/97

Born: 29/10/93

Born: 10/07/91

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.80m/5ft 11in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Weight:

112kg/17st 9lb

Weight:

89kg/14st 0lb

Weight:

113kg/17st 11lb

Weight:

83kg/13st 5lb

Honours: Scotland

Honours: Argentina

Honours: Argentina

46

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

KINI MURIMURIVALU

NEMANI NADOLO

JORDAN OLOWOFELA

GUY PORTER

Position: Full-back/Wing

Position: Wing/centre

Position: Wing/full-back

Position: Centre/Wing

Born: 15/05/89

Born: 31/01/88

Born: 17/04/98

Born: 23/01/97

Height:

1.75m/5ft 9in

Height:

1.96m/6ft 5in

Height:

1.88m / 6ft 2in

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1lb

Weight:

83kg/13st 5lb

Weight:

120kg/19st 5lb

Weight:

92kg / 14st 7lb

Weight:

95kg/15st 1lb

Honours: Fiji

Honours: Fiji ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

HARRY POTTER

TOMMY REFFELL

MATT SCOTT

HARRY SIMMONS

Position: Wing Born: 15/12/97

Position: Flanker

Position: Centre

Position: Scrum-half

Born: 27/04/99

Born: 30/09/90

Height:

Born: 25/11/97

1.85m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.84m / 6ft 0in

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1in

Weight:

Height:

1.81m/5ft 11in

89kg/14st 13lb

Weight:

103kg / 16st 3lb

Weight:

101kg/15st 12lb

Weight:

90kg/14st 2lb

Honours: Scotland ACADEMY GRADUATE

ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

47

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

JACO TAUTE

KOBUS VAN WYK

LUKE WALLACE

HARRY WELLS

Position: Centre/Full-back

Position: Wing

Position: Flanker

Position: Lock

Born: 21/03/91

Born: 22/01/92

Born: 02/10/90

Born: 29/09/93

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3 in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.96m/6ft 5in

Weight:

108kg/17st 0lb

Weight:

98kg/15st 6lb

Weight:

100kg/15st 11lb

Weight:

110kg/17st 5lb

Honours:

South Africa ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

BEN WHITE

JASPER WIESE

RICHARD WIGGLESWORTH

GEORGE WORTH

Position: Scrum-half

Position:

Back row

Position: Scrum-half

Position: Centre/Full-back

Born: 27/05/98

Born: 21/10/95

Born: 09/06/83

Born: 08/10/96

Height:

1.81m/5ft 11in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3ins

Height:

1.75m/5ft 9in

Height:

1.86m/6ft 1in

Weight:

87kg/13st 11lb

Weight:

116kg/18st 5lb

Weight:

83kg/13st 1lb

Weight:

95kg/14st 13lb

Honours: England ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

48

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

BEN YOUNGS

TOM YOUNGS

Position: Scrum-half

Position: Hooker

Born: 05/09/89

Born: 28/01/87

Height:

1.79m/5ft 10in

Height:

1.75m/5ft 9in

Weight:

88kg/13st 12lb

Weight:

104kg/16st 5lb

Honours: England/Lions

Honours: England/Lions

ACADEMY GRADUATE

ACADEMY GRADUATE

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

To sponsor a player or to receive more information on sponsoring a player please email Sales@tigers.co.uk

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

49

D E V E L O P M E N T S Q U A D

OLLIE ASHWORTH Position: Back row Born: 21/05/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

JOE BROWNING Position: Wing/Centre Born: 14/04/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

OLLIE CHESSUM Position: Back row Born: 06/09/00

OSMAN DIMEN Position: Prop Born: 30/09/98

SAM EDWARDS Position: Scrum-half Born: 14/06/02 ACADEMY GRADUATE

CAMERON HENDERSON Position: Lock Born: 13/01/00

EMEKA ILIONE Position: Back row Born: 20/03/02 ACADEMY GRADUATE

DAN KELLY Position: Centre Born: 16/01/01

HENRI LAVIN Position: Back row Born: 05/07/00 ACADEMY GRADUATE

JONNY LAW Position: Scrum-half Born: 19/12/00 ACADEMY GRADUATE

TOM MANZ Position: Lock Born: 09/07/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

GEORGE MARTIN Position: Lock Born: 18/06/01 Honours: England ACADEMY GRADUATE

JACK ROWNTREE Position: Prop Born: 06/05/02 ACADEMY GRADUATE

KIT SMITH Position: Back row Born: 29/09/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

THOM SMITH Position: Back row Born: 02/12/1999 ACADEMY GRADUATE

FREDDIE STEWARD Position: Full-back Born: 05/12/00 ACADEMY GRADUATE

JACK VAN POORTVLIET Position: Scrum-half Born: 15/05/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

ARCHIE VANES Position: Hooker Born: 16/09/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

JAMES WHITCOMBE Position: Prop Born: 20/11/00 ACADEMY GRADUATE

50

T

C

P

D Pos

FORD

DEFENCE D

ENEVER

P

DOLLY

C

DIAZ BONILLA

T

DE BRUIN

Result

COLE

HT

COGHLAN

ATTACK Att

CLARE

Opponents

CHESSUM

v

BRINK

Date Comp

BOWER

SEASON STATS 2020-21

ASPLAND-ROBINSON

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

NOVEMBER 2020 Sat 21

GPR

H

Gloucester Rugby

-

22-08

● 38-15

4

3

4

-

2

1

1

-

2

Sun 29

GPR

A

London Irish (Sun 4.15)

-

03-13

● 09-22

-

-

3

-

1

1

5

-

6

5

5 6

DECEMBER 2020 Sat 5

GPR

H

Exeter Chiefs

-

08-22

● 13-35

1

1

2

-

5

5

-

-

8

Fri 11

ECC

H

Brive (Fri 7:45)

-

14-06

● 39-17

4

2

5

-

1

-

4

-

4

Sat 19

ECC

A

Bayonne (8pm)

-

17-13

● 28-20

3

2

3

-

2

2

2

-

4

Sat 26

GPR

A

Newcastle Falcons (2pm)

-

-

C-C

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

5

9

10

JANUARY 2021 Sun 3

GPR

H

Bath Rugby (Sun 3pm)

-

14-06

● 36-31

3

3

5

-

3

2

4

-

7

Sat 9

GPR

A

Northampton Saints (4.30pm)

-

-

C-C

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Fri 15

ECC

H

Bayonne (7:45pm)

-

-

C-C

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

W/O 22

ECC

A

Brive

-

-

C-C

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Fri 29

GPR

H

Sale Sharks (7:45pm)

-

08-10

● 15-25

2

1

1

-

3

2

2

-

9

8

21

FEBRUARY 2021 Sat 6

GPR

H

Worcester Warriors

-

13-03

● 36-31

5

5

2

-

3

3

1

-

Sat 13

GPR

A

Harlequins (4.00pm)

-

17-30

● 24-37

3

3

1

-

4

4

3

-

8

Sat 20

GPR

H

Wasps

-

14-03

● 27-08

3

-

4

-

1

-

1

-

8

Sat 27

GPR

A

Bristol Bears

-

03-14

● 03-17

-

-

1

-

2

2

1

-

9

5

3

MARCH 2021 Fri 5

GPR

H

London Irish (7:45pm)

-

14-03

● 27-08

3

3

4

-

4

2

2

-

8

Sat 13

GPR

A

Gloucester Rugby

-

15-07

● 20-14

3

1

1

-

2

2

-

-

7

5

Sat 20

GPR

A

Exeter Chiefs

-

12-28

● 31-47

5

3

-

-

7

6

-

-

8

5

Sun 28

GPR

H

Newcastle Falcons

-

16-00

● 26-12

2

2

4

-

2

1

-

-

7

5

Sat 3

ECC

H

Connacht Rugby (8pm)

-

24-11

● 48-32

7

5

1

-

4

3

2

-

-

10

Sat 10

ECC

H

Newcastle Falcons (12.30pm)

TOTAL

48 34 41 0 46 36 28 0

APRIL 2021

Sun 18

GPR

A

Bath Rugby

Sat 24

GPR

H

Northampton Saints

W/O 30

ECC

Semi-finals

May 2021 W/O 7

GPR

A

Sale Sharks

W/O 14

GPR

H

Harlequins

Fri 21

ECC

W/O 28

GPR

A

Worcester Warriors

Final

JUNE 2021 W/O 4

GPR

H

Bristol Bears

W/O 12

GPR

A

Wasps

W/O 18

GPR

Semi-finals

Sat 26

GPR

Final at Twickenham GPR ECC PRC

Gallagher Premiership Rugby European Challenge Cup Premiership Rugby Cup

16

1 5

13

5

2

6

Started match 5

3

13

5

9

12

9

16 5

5

0

2

5

Used as a replacement 5

5

5

4

5

5

5

Bench (not used)

13

5 5

5

5

5

10

5

5

5

5

10

5 5

5

5

Points scored in a match

3 5 5

8

5 5 5

5

5

5 5

5

5 5

PENALTY TRY

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

T.YOUNGS

B.YOUNGS

WORTH

WILLIAMS

WIGGLESWORTH

WIESE

WHITE

WHITCOMBE

WELLS

WALLACE

VAN WYK

VAN POORTVLIET

TAUTE

TAUFUA

STEWARD

SMITH

SIMMONS

SCOTT

REFFELL

POTTER

PORTER

OLOWOFELA

NADOLO

MURIMURIVALU

MORONI

MONTOYA

MARTIN

MARFO

McPHILLIPS

LIEBENBERG

LEWIS

LEATIGAGA

LAVANINI

KERR

KELLY

HURD

HEYES

HENRY

HENDERSON

GREEN

GIGENA

GENGE

FORD

51

52

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

PLAYER STATS 2020-21

NAME Sam ASPLAND-ROBINSON Ryan BOWER Cyle BRINK Ollie CHESSUM Charlie CLARE Jordan COGHLAN Dan COLE Luan DE BRUIN Joaquín DÍAZ BONILLA Nic DOLLY Blake ENEVER George FORD Ellis GENGE Facundo GIGENA Calum GREEN Cameron HENDERSON Zack HENRY Joe HEYES Will HURD Dan KELLY Jake KERR Tomás LAVANINI Henri LAVIN Jonny LAW Nephi LEATIGAGA Sam LEWIS Hanro LIEBENBERG Darryl MARFO

APPS 1+2 8+4 2+2 3+9 10+3 7+3 2+3 0+1 0+1 2+1 2+1 1 11+2 4+2 12 6+10 0+1 5+4 0+2 9+2 5+8 12 -

STATS 2020-21 TRIES 2 1 5 1 1 1 2 1 2 -

PTS 10 5 25 23 47 5 5 108 10 5 10 -

APPS 8+6 4+9 8+4 5+2 7+18 7+4 196+59 7+3 2+3 0+1 4+2 83+16 60+20 16+29 43+11 6+5 17+3 25+37 0+1 7+5 15+31 26+4 0+1 0+2 9+33 10+11 25+2 -

TIGERS TOTAL TRIES 2 1 6 1 3 8 7 1 1 3 1 2 2 1 1 2 3 -

PTS 10 5 30 5 15 23 947 35 5 5 15 139 10 10 5 5 10 15 -

53

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

NAME Johnny McPHILLIPS George MARTIN Julián MONTOYA Matias MORONI Kini MURIMURIVALU Nemani NADOLO Jordan OLOWOFELA Guy PORTER Harry POTTER Tommy REFFELL Matt SCOTT Harry SIMMONS Thom SMITH Freddie STEWARD Jordan TAUFUA Jaco TAUTE Jack VAN POORTVLIET Kobus VAN WYK Luke WALLACE Harry WELLS James WHITCOMBE Ben WHITE Jasper WIESE Richard WIGGLESWORTH David WILLIAMS George WORTH Ben YOUNGS Tom YOUNGS

APPS 1+8 3+3 3+1 10 7+3 4 7+3 4+1 8+5 11 2+1 13+1 2+2 6 3+8 10 1+5 10+6 0+4 2+7 10 9 2+1 10+3

STATS 2020-21 TRIES 1 3 1 2 2 1 3 1 1 2 2 3 4 1 1 4

PTS 22 5 15 5 10 10 5 15 5 5 10 10 15 20 5 5 20

APPS 3+14 5+4 3+1 10 10+3 9 30+11 11+4 9+2 25+16 17 10+15 5+5 21+5 11+7 16+2 6+10 11 6+8 60+55 0+4 27+44 10 9 3+1 41+21 204+51 164+43

TIGERS TOTAL TRIES 1 1 3 1 2 4 6 1 2 6 2 2 3 3 2 2 1 6 6 4 1 1 3 38 21

PTS 49 5 15 5 10 20 30 5 10 30 10 10 18 15 10 10 5 30 30 20 5 5 25 210 110

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55

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

– LAST TIME OUT – LEICESTER TIGERS 48-32 CONNACHT RUGBY Saturday April 3 2021 / European Challenge Cup Round of 16 Attendance: Closed doors / Referee: Mr Adam Jones (Wales) LEICESTER TIGERS 15 Zack Henry 14 Harry Potter 13 Matías Moroni 12 Matt Scott 11 Guy Porter 10 Johnny McPhillips 9 Ben Youngs (c)

T / 2C T T P /3C

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Luan De Bruin Charlie Clare Joe Heyes Cameron Henderson Tomás Lavanini George Martin Luke Wallace Jasper Wiese

Tigers earned a place in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup with seven tries in victory over first-time visitors Connacht Rugby.

Despite falling behind early on to a converted Kieran Marmion try, Tigers bounced back with four scores in half an hour to lead 24-11 at half-time on a rollercoaster evening at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

Charlie Clare touched down first from a maul to set the ball rolling and then Guy Porter, Matias Moroni and Zack Henry all added their first tries for the club before a Jack Carty penalty on the stroke of half-time gave the visitors something to hold on to in the second period.

They quickly built on it, too, with a try from Eoghan Masterson before Alex Wootton’s try brought the score to 27-25.

Carty then missed a penalty which would have given Connacht the lead on the hour but, despite Clare’s second score, the visitors came back again and trailed by just two points inside the last 10 minutes thanks to a try from Paul Boyle.

Harry Wells then forced his way over for Tigers to provide

2T

T

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Nic Dolly James Whitcombe Will Hurd Harry Wells Tommy Reffell Ben White Dan Kelly Freddie Steward

some breathing space and Jasper Wiese crashed over from the base of a scrum to put the outcome beyond doubt, with Johnny McPhillips also denied a solo score as he was held up under the posts after a 40-metre break.

NOTEBOOK… First tries for Porter, Moroni and Henry… Debuts for Dolly and Hurd… Youngs and Martin start

T

CONNACHT: Porch, Wootton, O’Brien, Daly, Healy, Carty, Marmion; Buckley, Heffernan, Bealham, Dillane, Thornbury, Masterson, Oliver, Boyle (c).

Reps: Delahunt, Duggan, Robertson-McCoy, Dowling, Papali’i, Blade, Fitzgerald, Sullivan.

for first time since Six Nations…

Henry’s second start at fullback… Clare takes over as top scorer with his fourth and fifth tries of the season.

QUOTE...

“I was excited to get back and contribute. I’m really proud of the boys. It’s an absolute privilege to captain the team.”

Ben Youngs

Proud sponsors of the Junior Tigers Club

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

57

Matchday mascot

Supported by

Supported by retailers NEXT, the Junior Tigers Club is THE place for young fans to celebrate their support of Leicester Tigers.

Junior Membership is available now.

Sign up at www.leicestertigers.com/jtc

A very special #TigersFamily welcome to today’s virtual matchday mascot, Keir Barrell, who is just seven weeks old!

Keir’s family have assured us of their support even though they cannot be inside the stadium today as we look forward to welcoming you and Keir as soon as the turnstiles open again.

A draw is held to find our virtual mascot for each home game among purchasers of Junior Tigers Club membership. Junior membership is £35 and includes free bobble hat and goodie bag.

5 to Tackle 1. Which team did Tigers beat in the European Challenge Cup last weekend?

2. Who scored the opening try for Tigers in that game?

3. In which country was back-rower Jasper Wiese born?

4. Which Premiership team plays home games at Kingston Park?

5. Which Premiership team won the European Champions Cup last season?

Did you know?

Recent signing Will Hurd was born in Ashby-de-laZouch and took part in Tigers Rugby Camps and the Prima Cup as a young player with Ashby RFC.

Picture puzzle Who is this player at the back of a ruck in training?

Answers: 5 to tackle: 1 Connacht Rugby, 2 Guy Porter, 3 South Africa, 4 Newcastle Falcons, 5 Exeter Chiefs.Picture Puzzle: Ben Youngs

Two significant accolades have already headed to TOP 14 clubs this season, with Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse) and Alivereti Raka (ASM Clermont Auvergne) landing Champions Try of the Round for the two December weekends.

South African Kolbe displayed exquisite footwork and impressive speed with the first of his two tries in the opening round win for the four-time winners away to Ulster Rugby, earning the praise of beIN SPORTS’ Rodolphe Pires as well as approval via the fan vote on HeinekenChampionsCup.com.

One week later, BT Sport’s Ugo Monye joined forces with the public to give Raka the nod for his scintillating score in Clermont’s defeat to Munster Rugby at Stade Marcel-Michelin.

For the fifth consecutive season, the Champions Try of the Round activation is launched on the Monday after each match round, with Try of the Season opening immediately after Finals Weekend.

Juan Imhoff won the annual award in 2019/20 for his critical score in the semi-final win for Racing 92 over Saracens. Previous tries of the season had been scored by Nick Abendanon (2016/17), Tadhg Beirne (2017/18) and Maxime Médard (2018/19).

Enjoy some high-calibre rugby and HAVE YOUR SAY in the winner!

EP C RUGBY.COM / TOT R

59

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Charlie Clare scores in three successive games in a first-ever meeting with Connacht

It was entirely appropriate that a first-ever competitive meeting with Connacht last week - the teams had previously only met in a pre-season game during 2005 - should bring up some historic moments for the players involved.

Tigers statistician and historian Stuart Farmer points out that when Charlie Clare drove over from a maul midway through the first half, he became the first forward since Tom Croft in the 2012-13 season to score a try in three successive games.

International back-rower Croft scored in a 26-27 defeat at Bath in April 2013 and then in a bonus-point win over London Irish - the tries coming coincidentally in the 14th minute of each game - and also in the Premiership semi-final win over Harlequins in the runup to the club’s most recent Premiership title.

They were also his only scores in 12 club appearances during that season. The last front-rower to achieve this feat was Derek Jelley, playing as tighthead prop in games against Loughborough Students and then London Irish and Exeter in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Cup in 1997.

That 71-7 win over the Students is also notable for a hat-trick

by Geordan Murphy, just a week after his debut against Rotherham, and the treble by Fijian forward Marika Vunibaka in his only appearance for the club.

Clare, of course, can still claim to have gone one better than both Croft and Jelley as he scored four times in the three games, following up Gallagher Premiership tries against Exeter Chiefs and Newcastle with a double in the win over Connacht.

Also during the Challenge Cup game last week - in a new Round of 16 stage - Guy Porter, Matias Moroni and Zack Henry

Stat Pack SOME OF THE FACTS AND FIGURES BEHIND THE HEADLINES...

all scored their first tries for the club. For Henry, it was even more memorable as it came on the day he received his players’ tie after his 20th club appearance.

This is the first time three players have claimed maiden tries in the same game since an AngloWelsh Cup tie against Saracens in November 2012. On that occasion the honour was shared by academy graduates Joe Cain and Harry Thacker, plus Irish back-rower Michael Noone.

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LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

61

LEICESTER TIGERS

COMMUNITY TEAM SUPPORTING TIGERS’ COMMUNITY PROGRAMME

More than 200 young players have taken part in the first Leicester Tigers Rugby Camp in more than a year, following the government’s easing of lockdown restrictions.

The club suspended its usual schedule of Tigers Rugby Camps last May, in line with many of its other community projects, due to the impact of the pandemic and in the interest of safety and welfare of all coaches, staff and young players.

But last week we reached a fresh start for the rugby community as clubs and groups were once again able to take part

in organised outdoors sports from March 29.

Following guidelines from the government and RFU, Tigers put together a series of coaching sessions after the Easter weekend to get young players back on the pitch, physically active and reintroduced to the game in a safe and progressive manner.

Girls and boys in age-groups from under-9 to under-16 took part in sessions over four days based at Brooksby Melton College and, while we all enjoy the fun of being back out on the grass, everyone’s safety and enjoyment remain our primary

concerns, with precautions in place to ensure a safe and positive re-introduction to rugby while still minimising any risks associated with the Covid virus.

Thank you to all of the young players and their parents who supported this first Tigers Rugby Camp of the year.

The community team is now working on confirming plans for an extended programme of Tigers Rugby Camps during the summer and look forward to meeting young players from all over the region to help improve their skills and understanding of the game.

62

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

LEICESTER TIGERS

FOUNDATION NEWS

As work continues on the hotel adjacent to the Tigers stadium, we can now provide an update on plans for the Foundation Monument.

The last 12 months have been particularly testing for the Leicester Tigers Foundation, with the impact of a year-long lockdown including suspension of its operations in the community and cancellation of its many fundraising events.

Now, though, there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel with a fresh start to a number of its activities in education and inclusion within our community.

Also, among other plans, the Foundation can provide an update on proposals for the Monument on the main

reception side of Mattioli Woods Welford Road and the new plaza area in front of the hotel which is springing up there.

Due to a lack of funding and the impact of Covid-19 on finances, we have had to make some changes to the original plans but, after the board of trustees took advice from monument visionary and sculptor Harvey Gardiner, we now have a solution that all agreed would be deliverable in the proposed timescale and still do the project the justice it deserves.

The design will now see one giant bronze tiger head - raised approximately 18 feet high standing proudly on a new Tigers Plaza in front of the hotel.

This change in design will allow us to complete the project in

good time and not only honour the 51 former players who lost their lives in conflict, but also enable the Foundation to show the names and messages from everyone who made it possible on quality plaques in keeping with the Monument design.

Foundation trustee Chris Rose said: “With regards to seeing the Monument erected, we are still within the hands of our supportive building partners, Marshalls, who have kindly agreed to create the foundations and services needed while working on the hotel plaza.

“With all work currently on track, it is estimated that this will be complete by the end of summer 2021, although given the working environment and unpredictable nature of life at present, we are aware things can still change.”

This will mean that we can plan to have the monument in place very soon after completion of that work.

What the Foundation would really love to see is it standing proud and ready for a Remembrance Day fixture in November 2021 and we will review and communicate that outline plan on a regular basis.

The Foundation sends its thanks to everyone who has supported plans for the monument from the very beginning for their generosity, patience and co-operation while also looking forward to seeing a wonderful tribute to the people it stands to represent in the very near future.

YO UR ACCE SS TO T HE HE AR T O F EURO P E AN RUGBY H A S NE VER BE EN BE T T ER

C H AL L E NGE C U P R U GBY.COM

#CH A LLEN G E CUP RUG BY

65

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Tigers History

APR

ON THIS DAY 1909: Tries from new England cap Percy Lawrie and Christopher Gimson, who also kicked a conversion, earned an 8-8 draw at Cardiff in front of a 10,000 crowd.

1939: Bill Bottrill and Wilfred Young, in his final game for the club, were the scorers in a 10-3 win at Plymouth Albion on the Easter tour.

1919: Percy Lawrie scored

two tries, two conversions and a penalty in a 24-3 win at Plymouth Albion, the third game in a four-day tour. Eight of the team played in every game.

twice in a 19-3 win over Canadian Forces at Welford Road in the post-war season.

Gilbert Wilkins, a lieutenant colonel in his debut appearance, was also on the scoresheet.

1923: The players had a day

off - or at least returned to their normal working lives - after a period of six games in 10 days, including trips to Bristol, Llanelly, Aberavon and Bath in a five-day period.

1926: Ewart Farndon and Ted Flewitt shared four tries in a 28-16 defeat at Birkenhead Park.

1928: International prop Tony Novis made his debut in a defeat to Bath, just 24 hours after a 15-15 draw away to Devonport Albion.

1937: A very young Tigers side supplied an uplifting finish to a disappointing season - and worst set of results in nearly 50 years - when JR Preston scored twice in an 11-3 victory against Bristol in the penultimate week of the campaign.

1950: George Cullen scored

1954: Tigers beat Nuneaton

13-3, with John Shuttlewood, Ron Smith and David Hazell the scorers.

1965: In the second of six successive away games, Tigers lost 15-3 at Newport.

1971: Graham Willars scored

the only try in a 14-8 defeat away to Liverpool.

1976: Tigers booked a place

in the following season’s National Knockout Cup with a 14-6 win over Kettering in the Midlands qualifying competition. Ray French and John Reeve scored the tries.

1981: In the first leg of a Welsh treble, Tigers lost 25-6 at Pontypridd before heading home to record back-to-back wins over Neath and Pontypool.

10 1982: The 18-year-old Dean Richards made his debut and his only appearance of the season in a 25-14 win over visitors Neath.

Mike Poulson (2), Brian Hall and Nick Youngs scored the tries.

1993: Dean Richards was

among the scorers in a 28-6 win over Northampton Saints in the semi-final of the Pilkington Cup in front of a sell-out crowd. Neil Back and Laurence Boyle added the others to set up a final against Harlequins at Twickenham.

2016: Tigers beat Stade

Francais for the second time in the season, this time in the quarter-final of the European Champions Cup. Vereniki Goneva (2), Manu Tuilagi, Mike Fitzgerald, Telusa Veainu and Freddie Burns shared the tries in a stunning 41-13 victory to book a date with Racing 92 in the last four.

66

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Matt Hampson

FOUNDATION Update from one of the club’s official charities...

HAMBO JOINS HARRY POTTER DUO Matt Hampson has joined Harry Potter actors and Foundation supporters James and Oliver Phelps for this week’s episode of their ’Normal Not Normal’ podcast.

James and Oliver talk to a star-studded selection of friends, colleagues and personal heroes on their weekly podcast to find out what “normal” means to them and, actually, what does “normal” mean anyway?

The Phelps brothers, best known as Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter films for a decade, chat to Hambo about the Foundation and his incredible story.

You can listen wherever you usually get your podcasts or by following this link https://podfollow.com/ normalnotnormal

LAST SPACES FOR VIRTUAL LONDON MARATHON The Foundation has a few spaces left for this year’s Virtual London Marathon, taking place in October.

You’ll receive your runner number and t-shirt in the post and you’ll run your own race close to home alongside the main event.

If you’re up for the challenge and want to support the Foundation and get fit at the same time, please contact Abbie by emailing abbie@hambo.co.uk

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2016

2017

2018

The expanded knockout stages of both the Heineken Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup are critical, with clubs having no margin for error in their quest for glory. These two April rounds will also go a long way towards defining the list of 15 nominees for EPCR European Player of the Year, which will be announced after the quarterfinal matches.

Sam Simmonds won the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy last season as Europe’s standout player. The Exeter Chiefs star dotted down for his eighth try of the campaign in the thrilling final victory over Racing 92 to seal the prestigious accolade and he was in no mood to let up on that form when he got 2020/21 off to a flying start with a try against Glasgow in Round 1 at Sandy Park.

More than 20,000 votes were cast last season through HeinekenChampionsCup.com and the opinions of the fans will again be canvassed this time, combined with the expertise of a prominent panel of pundits working on the tournaments who will deliberate until the conclusion of Finals Weekend to determine the winner.

The 15 nominated stars of the global game will then be trimmed down to just five candidates after the semi-finals, at the start of May.

2019

2020 EPCR European Player of the Year Past Winners

1995-2010 Ronan O’Gara 2011 Sean O’Brien 2012 Rob Kearney 2013 Jonny Wilkinson 2014 Steffon Armitage 2015 Nick Abendanon 2016 Maro Itoje 2017 Owen Farrell 2018 Leone Nakarawa 2019 Alex Goode 2020 Sam Simmonds

69

LEICESTER TIGERS v NEWCASTLE FALCONS

FanZone LEICESTER TIGERs

VERSUS

NEWCASTLE FALCONS

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP SAT U R DAY, A P R I L 1 0, 2 0 2 1 K I C K- O F F 1 2 .3 0 P M

PROGRAMME CREDITS

Big deep breath…

Professional rugby is a tough old way to earn a living - just ask prop Joe Heyes who looks like he felt the full force of his Connacht rivals during the game here last Saturday.

Cover star: Luan de Bruin Editorial: Gary Sherrard, Phil Warrington & Sam Williamson Photography: Dave Wainwright, Malcolm Couzens, Geoff Sellars & James Baylis for Tiger Images and the team at Getty Images Design and Production: Ignition Sports Media

BIRTHDAY WISHES

Happy birthday to our season ticket holders celebrating today...

• Amos Barber • Adam Brewin • Andrew Briggs • David Brunning • Victoria Burns • Simone Cafferty • Charles Cook • David Cooper • James Cooper • Olivia Deacon

• Angela Duxbury • Nicola Ehlen • Neil Fahey • Ian Grogan • Brian Hill • Joe Holmes • Chris Johnson • Ann Lowther • Neil McCorquodale • Bethan Moore

• Matt Murrant • Christopher Penney • Valerie Rhodes • Olwyn Richardson • Alessio Skyba-Lewin • David Smith • Steven Smith • Martin Towers • Alex Warner

Also, a very Happy (shhhh-th) Birthday this week to team manager Teresa Carrington from everyone at the club!

M

Y

Y

Y

Challenge Cup_Portrait_176x246mm_170x240mm_5mm Bleed_UK.pdf

1

23/11/2020

15:36

OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER

TISSOT supersport chrono.

T I S S OT WATC H E S . C O M