Leicester Tigers player ratings: England forward has ‘beast of a game’ while Freddie Steward ‘rock solid’ in all departments
Freddie Steward was solid for Leicester Tigers.
Following a 45-31 loss to Northampton Saints in the PREM Rugby semi-final at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday, here’s our player ratings for Leicester Tigers.
The backs
15 Freddie Steward: A real power play as he battled his way over the whitewash on 13 minutes in a bright start. He built on that by being busy in back play and also commanded the skies. Later in the game Steward did unbelievably well to stay in-field under pressure on his own line but despite a rock solid outing he was just edged by his opposite number, the silky smooth George Furbank. 8
14 Adam Radwan: Not his best outing by any stretch of the imagination. Frustrating handling errors that might have turned into points proved costly as he struggled to impact proceedings. 4
13 Will Wand: Had a couple of solid carries but unusually quiet as his opposite number stole the headlines with a first-half hat-trick. Replaced on 58 minutes. Shouldn’t take away from a fine PREM season. 5
12 Orlando Bailey: Similarly quiet in the first half but when he finally got a sniff on 48 minutes he took it, slipping the tackle of Tommy Freeman to score a much-needed try that brought his side back into the conversation. Other than that though there was little to report. 6
11 Ollie Hassell-Collins: Was a bit out of sorts last week but his finish for the try on 35 minutes was outstanding as he had plenty to do. Billy Searle put it on a plate for him for his second try on 70 minutes and Hassell-Collins topped that brace off by being solid in the air tonight. 7
10 Billy Searle: His first game back after a stint out with injury and there was understandable rust early on. An awful first conversion attempt was put to one side with a successful effort soon after but then he made a Horlicks of collecting a Saints grubber through that resulted in Tom Litchfield crossing. Then came his class as an amazing kick pass to Hassell-Collins for his try on stroke of half time was backed up by another pinpoint kick for his scoring wing again on 70 minutes. 7
9 Jack van Poortvliet: Made a conscious effort to kick for territory at the base early on and did it well. While Henry Pollock did skin him early on at the Gardens, defensively Van Poortvliet did not stop putting his body on the line in a tenacious shift. 6
The forwards
8 Joaquin Moro: All-action and nuggety, as he has been all season. It was a great battle with Pollock early on and one there was no shame in losing. 13 tackles and 12 carries are honest numbers. 6
7 Tommy Reffell: A nuisance at the breakdown at times and was unlucky not to win a penalty in that area on 27 minutes. He did, however, get his reward barely a minute into the second half and chipped in defensively with 17 tackles on the night. 6
6 Hanro Liebenberg: Provided the perfect response to Saints’ early try as he powered over from a short carry. Such an important cog in the Tigers pack as he toiled away all evening, finishing with a game high 19 tackles and threw in a lineout steal for good measure. He’ll be a big miss next season. 7
5 Ollie Chessum (c): The worst possible start as he let the kick-off go through his hands but more than made up for that with a smart offload before contact that led to Steward’s try. While his numbers don’t jump off the page it was hard to miss Big Red’s influence around the field. 6
4 George Martin: A beast of a game. Martin was a real presence in the carry, notching 13, as he continued his solid combination with Chessum. Threw his weight about defensively too with Freeman feeling his full force on 65 minutes. A shift that will please the watching Steve Borthwick no end. 8
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3 Joe Heyes: Solid in the set-piece but was slipped by Fin Smith before he assisted the Freeman try. Heyes won a crucial scrum penalty on 25 minutes in his own 22 and furthered his cause with 13 tackles in an impressive outing. 7
2 Jamie Blamire: Beaten on his outside by Litchfield for his second minute try which he won’t want to see again. His nuts and bolts were solid but it’s fair to say Blamire has had much more impactful games this season in a Tigers shirt. 5
1 Nicky Smith: His final outing in a Tigers jersey before his move to Sale Sharks and it was solid enough from the Welshman. Couldn’t quite get the dominance he would have wanted on Elliot Millar Mills in what was a fairly even battle. 5
Replacements: Some over eagerness from Archie van der Flier gifted possession to the Saints while Solomone Kata and Izaia Perese didn’t provide the injection of gainline success Geoff Parling was hoping for in the latter stages. 5
READ MORE: Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers: Result, match stats, scorers, line-ups