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Leicester Tigers to field heaviest pack in Premiership history against Saracens

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Leicester Tigers are set to field what is almost certainly the heaviest pack in Gallagher Premiership history against Saracens this weekend.

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No.8 Sione Kalamafoni (120.8kg) heads up a truly enormous Tigers forward unit for Round 13, with Geordan Murphy’s side presumably looking to outmuscle their London opponents. The Tonga international captains Tigers and is joined in the back row by Harry Wells (119.8kg) and relative minnow in Tommy Reffell (98kg) – who’s the only starting forward to weigh less than 119.8kg (18 stone 12Ibs).

Tigers are also changing up their tight five; Nephi Leatigaga (149.1kg), Tatafu Polota-Nau (120.4kg) and Joe Heyes (124.7kg) combine in the front row, while Will Spencer (124.75kg) and Joe Batley (120kg) combine in a heavyweight engine room.

The total weight of the pack is 978.35kg, which works out at an average of 122.3kg (19 stone 4Ibs). That’s just over a kg lighter per man than the 123.8kg Tyson Fury weighed in at for his second fight against Deontay Wilder.

It could get heavier during the game if Murphy decides to replace the 98kg Tommy Reffell with 111kg Ifereimi Boladau. The pack would then come in just shy of a tonne at 991.35kg, which works out at 124kg a man.

Calum Green (119kg) returns from a facial injury to take a place alongside Greg Bateman (118kg) and Dan Cole (123kg) among the replacements.

For comparison, Leicester Tigers’ 978.35kg pack is 16kg heavier than France’s 962kg pack at last year’s Six Nations, which is widely thought to be the heaviest pack ever fielded at international level.

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It is however shy of the one tonne plus pack Toulouse fielded in the Top 14 in 2017.

*All weights taken from Leicester Tigers’ website.

Leicester Tigers (v Saracens, away, Saturday 1.00pm)

15 Telusa Veainu

14 Jonah Holmes

13 Joe Thomas

12 Kyle Eastmond

11 Rory Hughes

10 Johnny McPhillips

9 Ben White

1 Nephi Leatigaga

2 Tatafu Polota-Nau

3 Joe Heyes

4 Will Spencer

5 Joe Batley

6 Harry Wells

7 Tommy Reffell

8 Sione Kalamafoni (c)

Replacements

16 Jake Kerr

17 Greg Bateman

18 Dan Cole

19 Calum Green

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20 Ifereimi Boladau

21 Harry Simmons

22 Tom Hardwick

23 George Worth

WATCH: Jim discusses the ramifications of the Six Nations going behind a pay wall and no longer being shown on free to watch TV.

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J
JW 22 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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