Tigers hoping to put on a performance against Harlequins worthy of rugby’s HQ

LEICESTER’S improved but ultimately fruitless performance against Exeter has left me confused.

Granted, the West Countrymen fielded a 15 that wasn’t near to first choice, but there were times in the first half when Leicester’s attack looked close to unstoppable.

The backs had discovered the magic of keeping the ball in hand, the supporting runners led to good things and George Ford is a potent attacking threat when given clean ball and licence to play.

We then moved to the second half, where the Tigers were beaten 0-17 and barely made it into the visitors’ half.

Kicking the ball away returned as the normal tactic and long before the end the inevitable defeat was staring us in the face.

When Geordan Murphy took over he admitted that the tactic of kicking the ball away was a consequence of the club’s failure to have an effective pre-season as a result of the unexpected absence of then head coach Matt O’Connor, and the resulting lack of fitness.

While galling that was understandable. What is less understandable is the fact that the team are still doing it, and that they are continuing to not so much fade as collapse in the latter stages.

Will the real Leicester Tigers turn up for the full 80 minutes at Twickenham against Harlequins?

Meanwhile, Harlequins have continued their tradition ofW inconsistency.

Last season thay appeared to be nailed on for a play-off spot until an awful run left them in fifth place, and this season has also been up and down. They sit in sixth, with potential to go either way.

Meanwhile Leicester’s focus has to be, even at this early stage, avoiding relegation.

Over the last five years, the lowest points scoring survivors have been Newcastle in 2016 with 27 points.

That was an unusual year, featuring two very poor teams. This year might be similar because Saracens have to make up their 35 point deduction for cheating the salary cap, but that still leaves the Tigers needing at least another 23 points as a best case from their remaining 16 games.

On current form, unless they can play for the whole game, I am already struggling to see where those points are coming from, particularly with a quota of games during the Six Nations and consequent England rest periods.

Perhaps Steve Borthwick will turn things round, but the chances are he will have to do it very rapidly if his arrival is after that Six Nations period.