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Tigers Kick-off French Tour

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Leicester Tigers slipped to a narrow 29-28 defeat at the hands of Heineken Cup qualifiers, Castres, on Thursday night. The French side scored the decisive try with less than two minutes left on the clock, after Tigers' blend of youth and experience had turned in a promising display.

Pat Howard's side scored four tries, as they showed their intention to spread the ball wide and play an exciting brand of rugby. England scrum half, Harry Ellis, touched down twice, whilst there were also tries for young full back, Matt Smith, and the returning Henry Tuilagi. All Tigers' replacements were given valuable game time ahead of what will no doubt be a demanding season.

Despite the defeat, Tigers coach, Andy Key, believes there were a number of positives to come out of the match.

"Pat Howard said all along that the result wasn't the most important part of the exercise," said Key. "It was far more crucial that we put in a decent performance, started to gel as a side, and were willing to try a number of different things under playing conditions. Yes, a win would've been nice, but we're not overly disappointed with the result."

Key, who still has a major role within the academy set-up, feels the performances of the more inexperienced members of the Tigers squad is one reason to be cheerful.

"The young lads stepped up and showed that they were capable of mixing it with top players under difficult circumstances and in an alien environment. They'll have learnt from the experience, and that can only be good for the future of the club as a whole. It was a good, competitive game, under typically French conditions, and I'm sure it will prove to be a positive part of their development."

Regular updates on Tigers' tour of France will appear on this website.