That Newcastle away game is huge for them. A lot riding on that.

The thing I can't get my head around is how they just don't have a pack any more. That's been their entire game for as long as I can remember - stick it up the jumper for 60 mins - pick and gos, rolling mauls, brutal rucking and tight defence. Now, when I look at their pack, there are very few players in there that would make it into Quins' pack for instance.

Look at the respective packs from this weekend just gone:

Quins

1 Marler
2 Elia
3 Sinckler
4 Symons
5 Horwill
6 Clifford
7 Robshaw
8 Dombrandt

Tigers

1 Genge
2 Youngs
3 Cole
4 Spencer
5 Kitchener
6 Williams
7 O'Connor
8 Thompson

Now, completely removing my Quins specs briefly...

The only arguments I think a neutral could make would possibly be:

Genge > Marler
Youngs > Elia
Spencer > Horwill

Obviously I disagree on the Genge/Marler one (although they're very different LHs so it's hard to compare anyway). Even if you take the above as being the case, I can't remember a time in years gone by that you'd look at a Tigers pack and feel sorry for them - usually you'd be green with envy. And I'm sorry but that back row is hands down the worst in the Prem. By a long, long way. They don't have a Prem quality blindside or number 8. Guy Thompson is their best performer in that unit and he's been moved out of his best position because they're just so low on quality there. Astounding to see Tigers lacking so much in the forwards. Just can't get my head around how that's happened.