It's been a while, but Tigers are back at Twickenham this weekend. Okay, it's not in a Cup Final, but the stakes are high nonetheless.
Fourth-placed Tigers face fifth-placed Bath who opted to move their 'home' game in Round 19 of the Aviva Premiership season to national HQ instead of playing at The Rec.
The game will be played in front of a reported gate of more than 55,000 with two old rivals back on the biggest stage of all.
Ben Youngs has described Saturday’s game as a “play-off for a play-off” which hits the nail right on the head. A victory for Tigers would open a sizeable gap on fifth place with just three fixtures remaining, while defeat would bring everything back together and have nerves jangling in both camps.
Saturday represents a first visit to HQ since the Premiership Final win over Saints in 2013 and the absence has undoubtedly made the heart grow fonder. A generation of Tigers fans got used to the annual pilgrimage with nine successive Finals there, but without an appearance in the last three seasons, there will be many who have not experienced a Twickenham day out.
Among the players too, there is a group who have missed out on the experience.
Key men including Freddie Burns, Owen Williams, Telusa Veainu, Dom Barrow, Mike Fitzgerald and Harry Thacker have all been involved in a European Cup semi-final with Tigers but have not yet played at the home of the national game in our club colours.
They’ll be looking forward to it just as much as the fans who make the return to our traditional second home this weekend.
.
Fourth-placed Tigers face fifth-placed Bath who opted to move their 'home' game in Round 19 of the Aviva Premiership season to national HQ instead of playing at The Rec.
The game will be played in front of a reported gate of more than 55,000 with two old rivals back on the biggest stage of all.
Ben Youngs has described Saturday’s game as a “play-off for a play-off” which hits the nail right on the head. A victory for Tigers would open a sizeable gap on fifth place with just three fixtures remaining, while defeat would bring everything back together and have nerves jangling in both camps.
Saturday represents a first visit to HQ since the Premiership Final win over Saints in 2013 and the absence has undoubtedly made the heart grow fonder. A generation of Tigers fans got used to the annual pilgrimage with nine successive Finals there, but without an appearance in the last three seasons, there will be many who have not experienced a Twickenham day out.
Among the players too, there is a group who have missed out on the experience.
Key men including Freddie Burns, Owen Williams, Telusa Veainu, Dom Barrow, Mike Fitzgerald and Harry Thacker have all been involved in a European Cup semi-final with Tigers but have not yet played at the home of the national game in our club colours.
They’ll be looking forward to it just as much as the fans who make the return to our traditional second home this weekend.
.
