It could be a long afternoon against the Premiership’s form team

ANOTHER away game (much like Harlequins a couple of weeks back) where Leicester fans should be thinking about the performance rather than, necessarily, the result.

Bristol stand top of the Premiership and, even with a blip against London Irish where they figuratively took their foot off the gas after achieving a try bonus point at around the half hour mark and then surrendered a draw to their opponents, are the form team.

Bristol might complain about an injury crisis, but their squad has apparently been built with

Saracens-like frugality in what their high-profile signings are being paid, and multi-millionaire owner Steve Lansdown can be well pleased with his staff at the club.

Additionally, Pat Lam has been building the style of play for three years and Bristol are, whatever else, further down the road of their ‘journey’ than the less well-financed Tigers. Meanwhile, Leicester’s first choice back row has been heavily affected by last week’s issues with red cards.

Wiese was, I’m sure he would agree with hindsight, stupid to add to his already chequered disciplinary record and arguably got off lightly with a four-week ban.

Liebenberg, given the current interpretations, also did well to only miss the next two weeks, although at some point one would hope the authorities look again at whether a player leaping forward in the air with no chance of collecting the ball also has a duty of care to those below him. Meanwhile, George Martin will almost certainly collect his first cap from the bench for England against Wales.

This and other factors means that the Tigers field a muchchanged line-up in Bristol.

It’s hard to shake the idea that Steve Borthwick, much as he always sends out a team to win, doesn’t think this is a match where there will be much return for Leicester. Unless there are more injuries than we are aware of, the team is not only weakened by the necessity of suspension, but also by selection. The front row is what we have come to recognise as the second choice while de Bruin and the excellent Montoya are rested from even a place on the bench.

The rest of the forwards are similarly compromised.

In the backs, Freddie Steward, Richard Wigglesworth and Zack Henry are rested.

Opportunities for some of the new faces is definitely a good thing, but in the short term it’s difficult to foresee anything other than a long afternoon for the Tigers and their fans.

THERE is no luck behind Leicester City’s rise into the Premier League’s top four, says Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

In his assessment of City ahead of tomorrow’s clash, the Gunners boss praised the club’s smart recruitment and the development of the players under Brendan Rodgers, saying they “totally deserve” to be third in the table.

City sit 15 points clear of Arsenal ahead of the clubs’ meeting, albeit it was the north London side that enjoyed greater success in Europe this week, beating Benfica 3-2 in their ‘home’ leg in Greece to make the last 16, while Rodgers’ men were knocked out by Slavia Prague.

“They’ve been really consistent in the league,” Arteta, above, told his pre-match press conference.

“I think they’ve done a lot of good things, there’s not any luck or anything like that in how they’ve developed as a team.

“Obviously they have a really good manager, a great coaching staff and they have made a lot of good decisions in the last few seasons.

“They have built a way of playing which is completely suited to their recruitment policy they have, and with a bit of time the quality that they had already in the team – plus some young talents that they have recruited and experienced players they already have – they have a really good mixture.

“I think they totally deserve the position they are in at the moment.”

With the Premier League heading towards its run-in, the contenders for the end-ofseason awards are starting to be considered, and Arteta believes Rodgers should not be overlooked for manager of the year.

The Spaniard said: “Obviously what Manchester City are achieving at the moment is phenomenal.

“It’s unprecedented and that has to be rewarded but as I mentioned before, what Leicester have done in recent years, what they have already achieved this season, with the level of consistency that they’ve shown in the Premier League, I think (Rodgers winning the award) is something to consider.”