Tigers take Sandy Park Spoils

Leicester secured their 3rd straight win at Exeter's Sandy Park to share an early lead of the Premiership table.  Tigers won 24-20 after tries from Anthony Allen and Ben Youngs plus 11 points from Freddie Burns and a final penalty from Owen Williams.  Exeter lead 17-13 at half time through scores from Dave Ewers and Haydn Thomas.

Tigers were down a man early after the ludicrously harsh yellow card for Vereniki Goneva's allegedly high tackle.  Goneva's arm clearly makes contact under the collarbone, possibly slipping up to justify a harsh penalty, but by no means over the shoulder to warrant a yellow.

Exeter were by far the better side in the first completely deserving their 4 point half time lead.  Exeter out enthused Tigers, raising the tempo and fly into everything.  Tigers seemed heavy legged and negative in contrast.

Both Exeter tries came after poor control at the base of the scrum from Barbieri; Dave Ewers twisted out of Geoff Parling's tackle for the first score whilst Goneva was still in the bin with Thomas spinning out of Balmain's challenge for the second.

In between Tigers had struck back to level the score with Anthony Allen try.  Following a pin point kick to the corner Tigers pack drew a maul penalty from the Chiefs; with advantage Freddie Burns took the ball level with the left hand up right, leaned back and dithered deliberately to draw the defence closer, and slotted a delicious grubber kick between the posts for Anthony Allen to snaffle for his first try since March.

Dave Ewers breaking his bind from a scrum quickly gave Burns the chance to avenge Thomas' score.  A late flurry of penalties saw Steenson nail another kick after Salvi was ruled to have not released in the tackle, then at the first ruck from the kick off an Exeter were off side from the kick ahead and Burns gave us the half time score of 17-13 to the hosts.

Tigers were much improved in the second half, controlling the territory and raising the physicality levels.  Almost immediately from the kick off Tom Youngs counter ruck forced Haydn Thomas off his feet in the ruck.  Burns was cool under pressure to reduce the arrears to 1.

Burns was again to the fore with two excellent raking kicks pinning Exeter back into the corners.  From the second Kitchener raised his giant paw to claim the throw in and Tigers set the maul.  With another penalty advantage Ben Youngs organised a drive with Leonardo Ghiraldini driving the half back over.  Burns sole blot on his copy book was the missed simple conversion.

But Tigers had the lead for the first time after almost an hour and bitterly hung on to it.  

Gareth Steenson clawed back 3 points when Julian Salvi was ruled off side, after turning down a shot at goal minutes earlier, but it was in vain as Tigers dominated the final 10 minutes to snuff out any chance of defeat.

Jamie Gibson was only denied a fantastic turnover by a Exeter player holding on; Burns found a great touch only 5m from the line and Tigers pack rumbled forwards again.

Only Dave Ewers despairing lunge from the side prevented a try and there was a serious case for a penalty try, if a scrum was marching forward like that I doubt the referee would not storm under the posts.

Tigers took the lineout again but could not replicate the drive; the forwards were more than content in rumbling around the fringe and when Exeter conceded a central ruck penalty Owen Williams was more than happy to slot the 3.

Exeter had some decent territory in the final throes but that was snuffed out with debutant Riccardo Brugnara earning a penalty by forcing Moray Low to stand up in the scrum.

From that line out Tigers ground the clock down and secured the early season win that might prove vital in the final reckonings.

Awesome Foursome Line Up For Quins Test

Champions Leicester Tigers travel to Harlequins knowing that a win will secure themselves a place in the play offs for the 10th straight year.  A win will also put Tigers above Northampton and into position for a home semi final, for 48 hours at least.

Despite recording a maximum 5 points in the win against Wasps Richard Cockerill makes 5 changes to his starting XV.  The entire front row swaps over as Marcos Ayerza and Logo Mulipola start at prop with Stankovich and Balmain going onto the bench.  Neil Briggs makes his first start in 3 months as he is preferred to Rob Hawkins as hooker.  Tom Youngs is rested in line with EPS requirements.

In the backs former captain Toby Flood is reunited with Ben Youngs, Anthony Allen and Manu Tuilagi.  The awesome foursome have not played together in almost a year, the last time the quartet all started was against Northampton in last year's victorious play off final against Northampton.  Domestically they have lost only 1 of their 15 games together.

Owen Williams is unlucky to miss out but Cockerill has commented that after 6 straight starts he feels the young player needs to rest and mentally recuperate from some tough atmospheres.

Harlequins have become a bogey side for Tigers.  Quins failed to beat Tigers in 14 straight games from 2003 to 2010; but in the last 6 games the Londoners have won 5.  Tigers sole win was last year's Play Off Semi Final at Welford Road. 

The league meeting earlier this season was scarred with controversy; Julian Salvi received his only ever yellow card for the club on Tigers 2nd penalty of the match and Quins scored two tries, including one ruled fair on the controversial "momentum" interpretation of a forward pass, during those 10 minutes.  The referee that day was Tim Wigglesworth and fresh from his contentious refereeing of the fierce Gloucester-Bath derby the RFU have once again turned a deaf ear to controversy.  

Harlequins tactics of deliberately holding defenders down off the ball was highlighted by BT Sport this week, hopefully Wigglesworth was watching as without a keen eyed referee teams are helpless against the cynicism of the Harlequins machine. 

Harlequins name an unchanged side from the one which secured their own bonus point win away to Sale.  Full Back Mike Brown has been gaining rave reviews for his England performances whilst Nick Evans looked back to his best against the Sharks. 



Leicester
15 Mat Tait
14 Blaine Scully
13 Manu Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Toby Flood
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Neil Briggs
3 Logovi'i Mulipola
4 Ed Slater (c)
5 Graham Kitchener
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane
Replacements
16 Rob Hawkins
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Geoff Parling
20 Pablo Matera
21 David Mele
22 Owen Williams
23 Niall Morris
Harlequins
15 Mike Brown
14 Ollie Lindsay-Hague
13 Tim Molenaar
12 Jordan Turner-Hall
11 Sam Smith
10 Nick Evans
9 Danny Care
1 Joe Marler
2 Dave Ward
3 Kyle Sinckler
4 Charlie Matthews
5 George Robson
6 Luke Wallace
7 Chris Robshaw (C)
8 Nick Easter
Replacements
16 Rob Buchanan
17 Mark Lambert
18 Paul Doran Jones
19 Tom Guest
20 Maurie Fa'asavalu
21 Karl Dickson
22 Ben Botica
23 Ross Chisholm

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
Touch Judges: Andy Watson & Roy Maybank TMO: Sean Davey

Perfect 10

A try from Anthony Allen and 17 points from the boot of Owen Williams secured Leicester the victory over Northampton in the 230^th meeting between the sides.  The win made Tigers undefeated in 10 games against their southerly neighbours, tying the record set between 1983 and 1990.
 

Northampton has a mental block about playing Leicester.  In the whole of 2013 they only failed to win 5 domestic games and 3 of them were Leicester.  They haven’t beaten us since September 2010 and even with a 2 man advantage at the end let it slip through their grasp.  Northampton’s kickers missed 10 points whilst Owen Williams was a perfect 6/6. 

The first half was when Tigers gouged their advantage.  Dominating not so much possession as territory it meant that when the Saints erred it was within Williams’ scope to eek the lead out further.  The second half was scrappy with Saints unable to harness their passion and drive.

Tigers were fast out of the blocks.  The first half hour was a pitched battle of bloody intensity as Tigers’ forward carriers battered at the Northampton gates.  Hooley opened the scoring after Goneva failed to roll away.

Tigers were hammering away at the Northampton line.  The temperature was rising.  Tom Wood’s deliberate knock on was deemed only accidental by referee Wayne Barnes and Tigers had a 5m scrum. 

And what a scrum.  The packs were fired up, straining at the leash like murderous dogs waiting for the call of “set”.  The first one is reset.  The second one stands up.  Then Northampton pile through.  As the bodies come up Tom Youngs’ face is covered in blood.  He’s seething.  He says his been bitten.

No evidence is forthcoming and they go again.  Straining every muscle and every sinew it’s a dead heat.

Tigers play.  It goes left three phases then back right through Tuilagi and Crane.  Ed Slater runs a powerful line from Ben Youngs’ shoulder, ripping through three tacklers to within an inch of the line.  Northampton sense the danger; Phil Dowson attempts to kill the ball.  He can’t.  There’s an overlap.  George North is tempted out of the line by Ben Youngs’ magnificent 25 yard floated pass and Anthony Allen is over unmolested in the corner.

Owen Williams starts his perfect day with his most challenging kick, from the right hand touchline he starts it wide right and draws it just inside the right-hand upright.

Burrell is caught holding on in his own half then Kahn Fotuali’i fails to release the man in tackle, Williams slots the 40m penalty each time to stretch the lead to 13-3.

Northampton lost captain Hartley and prop Ma’afu before halftime, Hartley injuring his shoulder attempting to ruck Jamie Gibson.

At the same time as Hartley was leaving the field Hooley spooned a penalty kick wide right.

Northampton denuded of their captain came back into the match strongly.  Ben Youngs failed to deal with a chip through and Louis Deacon did magnificently to track back and hold Calum Clark just short.  When the ball went wide Dowson looked like he had the easiest of run ins, only to falter, that mental block again, and check his run inside.

The pressure was not relieved though; Northampton had a 5m line out.  2 minutes left before halftime and with the drive being repelled Kahn Fotuali’i took the ball and ran.  Using referee Barnes as a shield he escaped Owen Williams and ran through Anthony Allen for the score.

The second half was a cagier, scrappy affair.  The first 20 minutes of the second quarter especially.  Tigers often gained good territory but through mistakes and Northampton’s excellent defence always came up empty.  Kicks were to the fore as both teams only wanted the ball in the opposition half.

Hooley had a kick at goal following a high tackle, but again he pushed it wide.  Williams in contrast slotted his attempt from a similar spot following a scrum penalty.

With Hooley hooked James Wilson was tried at fly half.  He had no troubles slotting a penalty, after Marcos Ayerza made no effort to release a tackled man, to get within a try of the lead with 20 minutes remaining.

And Northampton went for it.  Perhaps too much.  With confidence flowing through their veins and memories of a vivid counter attack to score in last year’s final they played from their own 22.  And for a while it looked like working.  Stretching the Tigers defence.

But they counted not for Ed Slater.  The Milton Keynes Mammoth had other ideas.  Tackling George Pisi he slammed him to the floor, rising and releasing his man like a swimmer gasping for air he dove again to go for the ball.  Pisi hung on.  Barnes blew his whistle.  Williams slotted his kick plum centre.

Panic suddenly set in.  From the kick off there was no one home to claim Ben Youngs’ box kick; Dowson eventually capturing it on the rebound before the Saints were driven back into touch in their own half.  Nervous and itching to get in a good hit their entire backline was caught offside at the lineout.

Williams again.  Lead stretched to 11 points.  2 tries were not longer enough; the Saints would have to find their kicking boots too.

Tigers made their subs with 10 minutes left.  Trying to save fuel for the decisive trip to Clermont this weekend.  Northampton’s own sub Lee Dickson raised the pace to run the Tigers defence ragged.

But still they could not crack the defence.  It took two yellow cards gifted from Wayne Barnes before they could break down the epic defence. 

The first was for Ben Youngs.  Youngs kicks through, Tigers muff the catch and North breaks.  To my eye he gets back to his feet and competes fairly for the ball, arguably winning a penalty for holding on.  But Barnes saw no release of the man and also saw fit to put Youngs in the bin.

Buoyed by the man advantage the Saints played wide.  Tigers thought they had the choke tackle and piled men into the maul, but Dickson showed ferocity to dig the ball out.  With 7 Tigers men in the tackle plus the man in the bin Tigers were severely underhanded and the Saints scented blood.

Fotuali’i, now at fly half, throws the miss pass to Samoan test winger Ken Pisi, 10 yards out and the line at his mercy.  Surely he’s in at the corner?  Surely?  But no!  Adam Thompstone is flying in like a man possessed to knock him off balance and Scott Hamilton sweeping round a full 30 meters from behind the ruck is there to bundle him into touch a matter of millimetres from the line.

Just 2 minutes after the first card and Barnes is reaching for another.  Goneva, the mild mannered Fijian, is fingered this time for, of all things, a dangerous tackle. 

Goneva attempts to dislodge the ball with a swinging arm, and gets a good piece of the ball.  A lesser player than George North would have fumbled it.  But he holds on.  With that penalty given Dickson taps it quickly and goes again.  Goneva leaves him go the ten meters then seeing the pass already gone dives over him.

As Fotuali’i's cross kick comes to nothing Goneva is binned.  Madness.  And the Saints fans have the audacity to claim Barnes favours Leicester.

With the two man advantage the try was inevitable.  Tigers simply could not cover all the bases.  They manfully dealt with the driving maul but as play went centrally then back towards the touchline Tigers were a man short and Ethan Waller dove in for the score.

Crucially Wilson missed the conversion and Saints still needed the full fat 7 points for victory.

Tigers will be disappointed they let Saints get as close as they did.  Locked into the Saints half and with the ball Tigers should have seen it out.  But with 30 seconds of the game remaining and for the first time all match Barnes decided that Kitchener had gone off his feet to win a ruck.

I do not for one minute contest that Kitchener was off his feet.  He clearly was.  But so was every player for at least half the rucks all match.  Rugby is a hard game for players at the best of times, there is no need for refereeing inconsistencies to make it harder.

So less than 30 seconds left and the Saints had the ball on the 22.  They needed a try and a conversion to secure victory.  Off the top they run a wrap around off the inside centre, Burrell fumbles the ball, backwards according to Barnes, North sweeping behind gathers and chips in one motion.  Pisi is at full pelt whilst Manu and Hamilton have to turn.  The after burners come on for Tuilagi.  He storms past Hamilton to take the ball in front of Pisi.

The ball slips out of his grasp into touch.  10 seconds left.  The Saints are too slow to form the lineout and to the relief of the Tigers full time is called.

Island Power Tigers to Victory

Tigers secured a second consecutive bonus point victory defeating Exeter 45-15 at Welford Road.  Tigers crossed the whitewash 6 times showing terrific power, pace and execution.  Vereniki Goneva was to the fore again, and afterwards Richard Cockerill hinted that his move away this summer might not be a lost caused just yet.  

To go with that potential fillip the fans received a huge boost as Tom Croft played a full part in the game’s warm up.  It had been said he would act as water boy in this match but to take contact in the warm up is a huge boost.  Clermont may be too soon but the Premiership play offs surely beckon.

Tigers were in fine form without Croft though as Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Allen re-united what is Tigers most selected centre partnership in League history; the pair last lined up together in May’s Twickenham Final. 

Tigers played into the wind in the opening period and used the conditions to great effect.  The wind held up Ben Youngs’s box kicks and Owen Williams’s garryowens allowing Tigers chase to put the Exeter catchers under great pressure.  Tigers’ forwards played well, breaking tackles in attack and driving them back in defence; Ed Slater really sets the tone with this side; his raw energy and passion drives the side forward.

Exeter opened the scoring with a penalty after Tigers had made the early play.  Referee Dean Richards had an odd, old fashioned, interpretation of the maul that took Tigers some time to understand.

It was Tuilagi though who crossed the whitewash first as Tigers gained the lead they would never relinquish.  Jamie Gibson blocked Exeter’s attempted clearance to gain the turnover in the attacking half; Ben Youngs quickly freed Tuilagi who brushed off Jack Nowell’s attempts at a tackle.  Turning it back inside Tuilagi secured possession before Tigers went right though Crane.  Ben Youngs was quick to the breakdown and found Allen running tight to ruck; he drew in two Exeter defenders before off loading to Goneva.  The Flying Fijian committed the last man to give Tuilagi the easiest of run ins for his first try of the season.

Owen Williams’s conversion was good but the touch judges bafflingly missed it.

Tigers were straight back onto the attack with Hamilton and Tuilagi making impressions up the right hand side.  Tigers were attempting to get outside Exeter’s rush defence with mixed results when Williams found Goneva running a deep outside arc.

The Fijian magician was through the hole and, carrying the ball in one hand, committed three men before bringing a bullocking Mulipola back on a switch towards the posts.

Jack Nowell had no chance to stop the 20 stone of prime Samoan beef as he strode through the Cornishman’s tackle to score under the posts.

Williams had no problem with the conversion, and this time the touch judges agreed.

A deliberate knock on, no yellow this week, gave Williams a chance for the penalty.  The Welshman missed by the slimmest of margins as the ball drifted to strike the left hand upright.  It mattered not though as Tigers claimed the bouncing ball and earned Williams a quick chance at redemption.  Second time around he was perfect.

Exeter responded well; though Ben White was lucky to gain the penalty for Crane holding on the floor rather than give one away for failing to release a tackled man.  From that decision Exeter scored from a driving maul.  Tigers looked to have stopped it twice, but Richards’s old fashioned interpretation gave Exeter another go that let hooker Jack Yeandle take advantage.

As with the first try Tigers struck back immediately.  Regaining the momentum is a crucial part of the game and always makes the game feel more comfortable. 

Jordan Crane made a powerful surge through the middle, offloading to Julian Salvi for the crucial extra yards.  With quick ball Ben Youngs showed to go right before turning back left.  Exeter's defence was at sixes and sevens, Goneva came onto the ball at pace.  Slaloming through the would be tacklers he beat 4 men to go under the posts after receiving the ball 30 yards out.

The new big screen showed the moves and the crowd was wowed by the Fijian’s footwork.

Its next use saw Exeter Captain Dean Mumm get a yellow card; his high tackle on Owen Williams received the expected outrage from the Tigers faithful.  Whilst Mumm was missing Tigers piled on the pressure.  With another advantage Vereniki Goneva scored again as he powered through Exeter’s defence from Ben Youngs’s pop pass.  But referee Richards was not happy.  Eskewing the TMO he ruled it out for a tight forward pass.

Williams slotted the penalty for a half time score of 25-10.

Some good old fashioned scrum power saw Williams get another chance early in the second half; Tigers were patient when looking for the bonus point and the Welshman put Tigers 18 points clear.

The bonus point was secured just 6 minutes later.  Owen Williams cleared a penalty from one 22 to the other to set up the line out.  Jordan Crane claimed cleanly at the tail before Anthony Allen was freed into the midfield straight away. 

Quick ball and Owen Williams had it again, Tuilagi used as a dummy to draw the men in, allowing Scott Hamilton to roam in the open spaces.  Hamilton feeds Thompstone straightening for the final flourish.  Bonus Point secured the intensity drops as Tigers use 7 of their 8 subs in the next 10 minutes.

Ed Slater forced a 5m lineout with a charge down of Henry Slade’s desperate clearance.  Good pressure from Tigers in the lineout forced the knock on and Tigers scrum.  A big push on the loosehead side from the freshly introduced Boris Stankovich gave David Mele the short side and the Frenchman gladly took the ball with the line begging.

Ten minutes later and it was Mele snipping again for the try.  A quick tap from Mele saw Waldrom just short but with quick possession the Catalan half back could weave his way through the defence for the try, with only a hint of a fumble on the grounding.

Mele’s third try of the season eclipses his total in 130 games over 7 seasons of rugby with Perpignan.

A third try bonus point win of the Premiership season in the only three games that Manu Tuilagi has started are a testament to the man’s influence on our play.  Away trips to Northampton and Clermont are next to come.  If Tigers can play like this in those two fixtures then who knows what this season, so blighted by injuries, might still yield?

AA gets 100th Call Out

Anthony Allen is set to make his 100th start for the First XV, as he is recalled to replace Dan Bowden in the centres.  Tigers make 7 other personnel changes along with several positional switches as they search for their best side to send to Ulster in two weeks.

In the back three Niall Morris comes in at full back and Blaine Scully moves to wing.  Thompstone is retained on the left wing whilst Vereniki Goneva moves to outside centre in place of the injured Manu Tuilagi.  Allen plays 12 as Flood and Youngs continue at half back.

The pack sees 4 changes as Tom Youngs and Dan Cole are recalled to the front row, Logovi'i Mulipola switches back to loosehead after starting on the otherside last week.  Louis Deacon is recalled at Lock as Ed Slater moves to 6 to accommodate him. 

Julian Salvi regains his mantel at 7 from Jamie Gibson who is on the bench.  Jordan Crane and Geoff Parling keep their shirts from last week.

Owen Williams is again preferred to Ryan Lamb on the bench whilst the form of Bowden gets some reward as he is retained in the match day 23.  Sam Harrison could make his seasonal debut as he replaces David Mele on the bench.

Exeter make one change from the side which last week won away at London Irish.  Zimbabwean number 8 Dave Ewers has recovered from a hamstring injury and replaces Ben White in the starting line up.  

Exeter still start with 7 of the side that won the championship in 2010, including both half backs: Coventry's Haydn Thomas and Ulster's Gareth Steenson.  Steenson is joined by one of the Chief's newer singings a fellow Ulsterman Ian Whitten.  

Tigers fans will remember Welshmen Phill Dollman, who scored 2 tries at Welford Road as Exeter roared to a half time lead in 2010,and Tom James who scored the last minute try for Cardiff Blues to force extra time in 2009's Heineken Cup Semi-Final.  James had a kick to win the penalty shoot out that day, taking Cardiff's 5th kick, but put it wide allowing Hamilton to equal the scores and Jordan Crane to eventually send us to our 5th Heineken Cup final.

Sunday's referee will be Tim Wigglesworth from Hull.  Wigglesworth has refereed 3 out of the last 4 clashes between the two sides including both of last season's encounters.  Given that at the time Exeter certainly felt hard done by after his performance in this fixture last March his appointment is unnecessarily controversial.  

This is typical Premiership Rugby.  It is a pressure that the referee could be feeling and is completely avoidable.  It is also, for me, not good practice to appoint only one referee for any particular fixture so often.  For instance Exeter could feel that some of Wigglesworth foibles help Leicester and hinder them.  A mix of refs avoids this.  

Exeter will go into this game full of confidence after winning 3 of the last 5 fixtures between the two sides including 2 out of 3 games down at Sandy Park.  

Tigers will be looking to use their heavy-jumbo formation to batter the Chiefs midfield, especially the 10-12 channel between teenager Sam Hill and fly half Steenson, then unleash the pace and power of the "Back Four" of Goneva, Thompstone, Scully and Morris.  It is a muscular back line but will be missing the irreplaceable Manu Tuilagi.

Tigers will be looking for a win so that we can protect our vital half backs against Northampton next week in preparation for the trip to Ulster the week after.

Leicester Tigers
15 Niall Morris
14 Blaine Scully
13 Vereniki Goneva
12 Anthony Allen
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Toby Flood (c)
9 Ben Youngs
1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon
5 Geoff Parling
6 Ed Slater
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane
Replacements
16 Neil Briggs
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Graham Kitchener
20 Jamie Gibson
21 Sam Harrison
22 Owen Williams
23 Dan Bowden

Exeter Chiefs: 
15 Phil Dollman
14 Ian Whitten
13 Jason Shoemark
12 Sam Hill
11 Tom James
10 Gareth Steenson
9 Haydn Thomas
1 Brett Sturgess
2 Jack Yeandle
3 Hoani Tui
4 Dean Mumm (c)
5 Damian Welch
6 Tom Johnson
7 James Scaysbrook
8 Dave Ewers
Replacements
16 Chris Whitehead
17 Ben Moon
18 Carl Rimmer
19 Tom Hayes
20 Ben White
21 Dave Lewis
22 Henry Slade
23 Matt Jess


Exeter Kit:

Leicester Kit:

TV: BT Sport1HD, Sky 413, Virgin Media 549, 1PM (Kick Off: 2 PM)

Tank dropped but 6 others retained

England have responded to their loss to Australia by dropping Thomas "the Tank" Waldrom alongside Charlie Sharples and Tom Johnson.  Anthony Allen is again cut loose as England refuse to play the awesome foursome of Youngs, Flood, Allen and Tuilagi internationally despite their domination of domestic rugby.  

England have only picked one winger, Saracens Chris Ashton, so one of Jonathan Joseph, Mike Brown or Tuilagi will play on the wing.  It seems Lancaster is determined not to play a coherent back line at any point in his reign.
Wasps James Haskell has been called into the 24 man squad and looks set to feature.  This alters the balance of the Tigers v Wasps match significantly as now Wasps are missing both their first choice locks and a flanker, when they were probably only anticipating losing Palmer, whilst Tigers have Waldrom available again for selection.  

Though that is a selection headache Cockerill probably could have done without as JC was lined up to play the next two weeks.  

Retained in the squad are the 6 other Tigers that have featured in the past two test matches.

England squad:
Forwards
Mouritz Botha (Saracens)
Alex Corbisiero (London Irish)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
James Haskell (London Wasps)
Joe Launchbury (London Wasps)
Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby)
David Paice (London Irish)
Tom Palmer (London Wasps)
Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers)
Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)(c)
Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
David Wilson (Bath Rugby)
Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
Backs
Chris Ashton (Saracens)
Brad Barritt (Saracens)
Mike Brown (Harlequins)
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Owen Farrell (Saracens)
Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Goode (Saracens)
Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)
Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers)
Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)

The following 11 players have been released back to their clubs.
Anthony Allen (Leicester Tigers)
Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints)
Phil Dowson (Northampton Saints)
Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs)
Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
Ugo Monye (Harlequins)
George Robson (Harlequins)
Charlie Sharples (Gloucester Rugby)
Jordan Turner-Hall (Harlequins)
Thomas Waldrom (Leicester Tigers)

Youngs and Allen free for Derby Day

Stuart Lancaster has deemed Ben Youngs and Anthony Allen surplus to requirements and has released the pair back to Tigers.  This will almost certainly mean they feature against Northampton this Saturday.  Also set to feature is Phil Dowson of Saints who also been released, whilst Tom Wood, Lee Dickson and Ben Foden have been retained and Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes are out injured.

Nuneaton net Tony the Tiger

Tigers and England centre Tony Allen has joined National 3 Midlands side Nuneaton as a backs coach.  The stylish centre has committed to coaching the amateur side on Tuesday and Thursday nights, international commitments providing.  His first session was last week and is said to be settling in well.