Leicester Tigers v Worcester Warriors Premiership Preview
Leicester Tigers face a crucial home clash with Worcester Warriors in the Gallagher Premiership on Saturday as only one place and four points separate the two sides. The Tigers will be happy to be back on home soil too, as their recent form at Welford Road has been excellent. A 31-18 victory at the beginning of January was followed up by a fantastic 18-9 triumph over Wasps.
The away form has been poor though, hence why the side will be delighted to be in front of their own fans once again. When playing at Welford Road, Leicester Tigers have only lost one match since October, which was a defeat to Exeter in late December. This is a contest that they will feel confident about too, as Worcester Warriors have lost their last four matches in a row.
That being said, Geordan Murphy’s side will be wary of an opponent that has appeared to have their number over the last couple of seasons, with Worcester winning the last five head to head meetings in all competitions. The last time the Tigers were victorious in this fixture was a 34-5 win at Sixways back in March 2018.
Though Leicester are still missing five players that have been retained in the England squad in the form of Ellis Genge, George Ford, Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs, there was some good news coming out of the Tigers’ camp this week with the announced signing of Zack Henry. The fly-half will join up with the squad for the 2020/21 season and looks to be a great prospect for the future. The club also announced renewed terms with exciting Tigers Academy graduate Tom Hardwick, who has operated in both the No10 and No12 jersey so far this season.
Leicester Tigers v Worcester Warriors
27th February 2020
Where: Welford Road
When: Kick Off 3pm
Referee: Adam Leal
Assistant Referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys & Roy Maybank
TMO: David Grashoff
Word From The Tigers Camp - Kyle Eastmond
LeoVegas were delighted to speak exclusively to Leicester Tigers player Kyle Eastmond ahead of Saturday’s game at home to Worcester Warriors. Here is what he had to say:
LV: How would you sum up 2020 for the Leicester Tigers so far?
At times it has been disappointing, because we see the work everyone puts in and we know that some parts of the game have improved, but we haven’t really transferred all of that on to the pitch. Our home form has been good recently and I would never question the spirit and resilience of this group of players. Now we want to transfer all of that good work into an 80-minute game and we’ll definitely be a team to be reckoned with.
LV: How important is it for the squad’s leaders to step up in this Six Nations period?
I think it’s crucial that the leaders show the way in this part of the season. You can lean on the experiences we have had and find the answers. But for me I don’t think that changes from any week. There might be responsibility when the internationals are away but you have that responsibility every week when you wear the shirt. You have to put your own qualities on show every week, every day, every training session.
LV: Do you think the second-half comeback against Wasps in the last home game showed the resilience and determination of the team?
It was awesome. Like I said, you would never question this team and that was just proof of the resilience we have. In those conditions, everyone battled hard and we got back into the game and won it. There were times in that game where if we didn’t have those qualities we would have been beaten. But the guys showed that the spirit and resilience is there and it is up to us to transfer the qualities on the other side of that into big performances and wins.
LV: What type of test do you think Worcester Warriors will pose?
They’re a good team, they’ve had a good record against us in recent seasons. They’re going to challenge us defensively with the way they want to play. We respect them and show them respect in the way we have prepared this week. But ultimately it is about us, about Leicester going out and forcing ourselves on to the game and giving us the best chance of getting that win.
Leicester Tigers Form
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In the Gallagher Premiership, Leicester Tigers form has been patchy but things are definitely looking a lot better than they were at the beginning of the season. Some crucial wins have given the squad a bit of confidence and with no threat of relegation the players can play with a bit more freedom in the attempt to put a solid run together.
Head To Head - Leicester Tigers and Worcester Warriors
As mentioned, Worcester Warriors have been somewhat of a bogey team for Leicester Tigers in the last couple of domestic league seasons.
Last 5 Premiership Games:
Leicester Tigers Wins: 1
Worcester Warriors Wins: 4
Current Rugby Betting Odds
In terms of the Leicester Tigers betting odds for the match, Leicester Tigers go into the match as favourites thanks to their solid home form.
The Regular Time Market has the “Dead Heat” rule applied, which has online betting odds divided by 2 in case of a draw.
The Regular Time 3-Way market has a separate option for the draw.
Here at LeoVegas, we also offer handicap markets for the match too.
Leicester -6.5 Handicap: 10/11
This market means that Worcester Warriors will theoretically begin the game with a 6.5 point advantage, and this the bet would pay out as a winner if the Tigers win the game by 7 points or more.
Keep an eye on the LeoVegas Sports blog throughout the rest of the season, as we bring you all of the Rugby betting tips and previews for each Leicester Tigers match.
LeoVegas, proud partners of Leicester Tigers.
*All odds correct at the time of writing.