Time for Action

We've heard a lot of talk this season from the likes of Geoff Parling and Toby Flood about living up to our past in Europe and creating some new memories.

Well now it's time to shit or get off the pot.

Talk is cheap.  Anyone can talk about how they great they are.  I'm amazing.  There you go.  Anyone can do it.

Actually doing things, really achieving what is hard to accomplish, that is what sets a good team apart.   Last week we actually did some things against Montpellier.  We didn't talk about doing things, we did them.  We got a bonus point, 4 tries, 5 points.  The first time in 5 years we welcomed a French team to Welford Road and came away with all the points.  

Now we have to back it up.  Now we have to win in France.  Crossing La Manche is not a happy hunting ground for the Tigers.  It used to be.  In the halcyon days that people like me wank on about and winds Parling or Flood up.  Ah, those were the days.  Pau.  It must have been good, the people that went never bloody shut up about it.  We won 7 out of our first 12 games in France.  We had the best record of any traveling side in France then.  

Now we haven't won in France for 7 years, not since monsoon like conditions in Bourgoin, December 2006.  We were relatively disappointed to not get a try bonus point that day.  Arrogant and insufferable we must have been.  Like Leinster fans now I suppose.

We've only got 2 losing bonus points in those 7 seasons too.  It's not like we've been close.

But winning in France shouldn't be such a big issue.  Ulster have done it.  Harlequins have done it.  Even bloody Connacht have done it.  

Only Marcos Ayreza and Louis Deacon have won in France.  Both start on Sunday.  Tigers make only 2 changes from last week.  Niall Morris returns on the wing and Thomas Waldrom rotates with Jordan Crane at 8.  They should travel full of confidence.  They should travel full of desire. 

We've bought into this idea that Welford Road is our fortress, it inspires us but as Pat Hoard used to say its only a patch of grass.  

It's time to stop talking about living up to our history, to stop talking about creating new memories and burring old ones.  It's time to win.

We were better than this lot last weekend.  Let's make sure we are still better than them on Monday.

 
Leicester
15 Scott Hamilton
14 Niall Morris
13 Vereniki Goneva
12 Dan Bowden
11 Miles Benjamin
10 Toby Flood (c)
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Julian Salvi
8 Thomas Waldrom
Replacements
16 Neil Briggs
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Ed Slater
20 Jordan Crane
21 David Mélé
22 Matt Smith
23 Ryan Lamb


Montpellier
15 Pierre Berard
14 Lucas Dupont
13 Anthony Tuitavke
12 Wynand Olivier
11 Yohann Artru
10 Enzo Selponi
9 Benoit Paillaugue
1 Yvan Watremez
2 Mickael Ivaldi
3 Nicolas Mas
4 Robins Tchale Watchou
5 Thibaut Privat
6 Alexandre Bias
7 Mamuka Gorgodze (c)
8 Alex Tulou
Replacements
16 Thomas Bianchin
17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga
18 Paea Fa'anunu
19 Johnnie Beattie
20 Mickael Demarco
21 Eric Escande
22 Thomas Combezou
23 Anthony Floch