August 4 was indeed a super Saturday, as it was the last one before Leicester Tigers return to action.
Not for one second forgetting the achievements of Mo Farrah and Co, but it seems like an eternity since the journey home from Twickenham at the end of May, and not just because it seemed further coming home empty-handed than it had on the hopeful south-bound leg.
A sizeable contingent of Tigers on the England tour – the usual suspects plus added Anth Allen, Graham Kitchener, Tom Youngs and now-officially-one-of-ours Thomas Waldrom – kept The Tig’s rugby quota satisfied into June.
But there is always an empty feeling approaching the weekend without a Tigers fixture.
That feeling is about to replaced by pre-match excitement as we build up towards the real kick-off with a trio of pre-season fixtures.
Jersey are one of the most upwardly-mobile rugby clubs in the country – as you’d expect from the island’s economic profile – and with a Championship season on the horizon they should provide a good workout for the Tigers in their summer opener.
Ulster provided one of the harshest lessons of last season and, while the return to Ravenhill next week is not another Heineken Cup occasion, there is bound to be a bit of an edge to it as two proud clubs enter the last 14 days before their league seasons commence.
Then it’s Nottingham at Welford Road on August Bank Holiday weekend and onwards into the new Aviva Premiership season.
Super Saturday was the last Tigers-less weekend of 2012. Bring it on.
