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photography Gallery | Tigers vs Saracens December 16, 2023 at 6:00 p.m Picture of picture Picture of picture Picture of
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pictures of Leicester Tigersand#039; Allianz PWR match against Saracens Rugby news Report | The Tigers start
brightly but fall to classy Saracens December 16, 2023 at 6:00 PM Stanley
Buckley Picture of picture A tottering start for the Tigers saw the home side
dominate the opening 30 minutes of the match, dominating play and scoring
some well taken tries. However, the visitors showed their class, fighting from
the back and taking firm control in the second half to beat Mattioli Woods at
Welford Road. Natasha Jones knocks us down and the Tigers win the ball right
back after the snap. A strong attack sees Sarah Nicholas pass from the back and in her first start for the club, the center
makes a great winning line a meter early before the ball is cleared. Saracens recover and then clear well from their
first phase, but Tess Fury’s big tackle is done, allowing full-back Amanda Swartz
to score a crucial early conversion, roared by the home bench and beaten on the halfway line. Then, just minutes into
the match, the Tigers take their first try, an absolute roaster. A transfer straight
from the training ground gets Keia Mae Sagapolu Sane one-on-one, but instead of picking it up, she hits a nice no-look pass
that sends Meg Jones sprinting. Red Rose pull to 22, explore options and pick out Francesca McGhie on her shoulder,
Scotland winger accelerates and hits under the posts. However, Saracens responded almost immediately, winning
the ball back to the Tigers 22 and punting for a touch, after which the lineout was intercepted. However, the Tigers are
here to play today and a big win will halt Saracens’ momentum. Captain Natasha Jones throws a big dummy at the rushing
defense and flies into space. Kasolo covers well but Jones offloads to her
counterpart Meg Jones who attacks again. He gets out of the 22 and then the Tigers fly into a phase play. Scotland’s
Lisa Cockburn and Elis Martin crashed straight over the line before Tahlia Brody
thundered over to occupy the Sarries defence. Phases come and go, with Tess
Feury going close before winger Morgan Richardson takes matters into his own
hands, hitting a lovely screen and about to create space before slotting home his
first Premier League point. . Saracens have reacted quickly and are clearly
aiming to make a statement by selling World Rugby XVs 2023 Player of the Year
Marlie Packer. The Red Roses captain immediately raises the focused intensity
and loudly demands a change of mentality and that his side “wake up”.
And the three-time champions, the most successful team in Premier League
history, return to action, with Packer himself diving after a driving
breakdown. The Tigers seem to be firing
straight back, with some nice tackles allowing the likes of Cockburn, Brody
and Keia Mae to build powerful meters up the line and continue to question
opposition defences. However, Packer was relentless from the start and the
World Player of the Year overcomes a huge turnover to curb that momentum.
Saracens wasted no time in bursting forward and a number of clearances
allowed outside center Sydney Gregson to touch down, although a consistent
hard-working Tigers covered the backs and the visitors took the lead for the first
time in the match. They look set to get
another when Packer breaks through after a wide rally but Eva Donaldson
makes a great cover and the ball is well held. However, the 22 removal was
downloaded and the emphasis immediately returned; although McGhie
collected it, he made contact and Saracens are ten yards out. It stops well
at first, but then Sarries get enough grunt and Bryony Field hits a corner. A poor
midfield area sees a breathless first half, back-and-forth ends in the final minutes.
Half time score: Leicester Tigers 12:22 Saracens In the second half, the visitors
turn the tide and start putting down the marker, scoring several tries in a row.
The Tigers are doing everything they can to get back into the game, refusing to lie
down. Between the second and third tries, the visitors scored in the second
half, with the Tigers continuing their constant attack, the forwards providing
plenty of forwards and the backs looking
for space. A soft kick by M Jones leads to the ball allowing the Tigers to win a
penalty. The ball is handled and the rolling Maula heads straight for the
Saracens line. But with the home side starting to jump, Canadian captain
Sophie de Goede rips the ball away and makes a big break, fly half, kicks and
quick hands follow to give the visitors an almost certain try. at the other end of the
target after a few seconds. From there, Saracens were firing on all cylinders,
triple champions in their career and scoring at will, with a total of six tries in
the second half, meaning they turned a very competitive match into a heavy
defeat. The Tigers continued to fight for buckets and got their reward a few
minutes later when USA’s Tess Feury scored on a corner kick. In a great
reward for their patience, the Tigers left the field standing just a few minutes
later, despite the point difference. As Fran McGhie pointed out in the post-match chat, there were many positives from the performance, particularly in a
torrid first half where the Tigers held the lead for the first half hour. Congratulations to the visitors,
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