Leicester Tigers vs Leinster Rugby Preview
The European Rugby Champions Cup continues this week and Leicester welcomes top-of-the-table Leinster to town. The Irish side is the only team in pool four to win every game so far, and they sit five points ahead of second place. Leicester is level on points with the Stormers in second but has an inferior point difference. Saturday’s match on January 20th is of great importance for both sides.
The match will take place at the Welford Road Stadium in Leicester at 3:15 pm. Leicester enters the final group stage round on the back of an enormous defeat to Stade Rochelais. The English Premiership side lost 45-12 last weekend, and another defeat like that could take them out of the ERCC. Leinster have been virtually unstoppable this season and have only lost one in their last ten games. With home support, the Tigers are hoping for a result to guarantee they continue in this competition.
Leicester Tigers vs Leinster Rugby Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The two famous rugby clubs have only met a handful of times in recent years. Since 2007, they have faced off six times in the European Rugby Champions Cup. In recent years, the Irish side has tasted victory more consistently. Leinster has picked up five wins, including the last four in a row. Leicester has only won this fixture once, and that was back in 2008.
The most recent match was in April 2023 at the Aviva Stadium. Leinster came out strong with a Gary Ringrose try inside the first two minutes. Ringrose was on the board again in the first half, helping the home side lead 17-10 at the break. At the start of the second half, the referee sent Caelan Doris to the sin bin, reducing the home side to 14 men. Somehow, Leinster stayed on top even with a disadvantage, including a Gibson-Park try. Charlie Clare went to the sin bin on the hour mark for Leicester, giving a penalty try to the hosts.
The second half continued with tries raining in for both sides. Penny got a score with 62 minutes played before Leicester finally responded. Olly Cracknell got the away team off the mark in the second period, but the Irish side was too hot to handle. With six minutes to play, Mike Brown got Leicester’s second yellow card of the evening. Even though the English side scored a try one minute after the sin bin, Leinster had the last laugh with a McKee try just before full-time. The game finished 55-24 with nine tries and one penalty try.
The last time the Leicester Tigers were the hosts, the match finished a lot closer. The two met in the ERCC quarter-finals in 2022, but it was Leinster who started the brighter. Johnny Sexton got the first points of the match from a penalty within three minutes. It did not take long for the Irish to score some tries, with van der Flier and Henshaw scoring inside the first 20 minutes. The home side offered almost nothing before halftime. Leinster went in at the break as the worthy leader by 20 points to zero. Leicester responded in the second half with tries from Ashton and Dolly, but it was too late. At full-time, the score was 14-23 in favour of the Irish.
Looking at the recent form of both teams, Leicester is hoping to bounce back after a humbling defeat in France. Last week, they faced Stade Rochelais in a game that finished 45-12. The French side led the first half, even with a yellow card to Ultan Dilane. In the second half, it only got worse for Leicester, who could not take advantage of two additional yellow cards to La Rochelle. Will Skelton and Jonathan Danty went to the sin bin two minutes apart. But, the English side only managed one score in the second half, right at the end of the match.
The Irish side lost their first match since the opening day of the United Rugby Championship on New Year’s Day to Ulster. However, they bounced back with an emphatic win over Paris. Leinster dominated the first half 17-0 and got 43 points on the board before the French side could reply. The Irish club was seconds away from a rare clean sheet when Joris Segonds got a consolation try for Paris in the 80th minute.
Leicester head into this contest as the underdog both historically and looking at current form. However, it’s the English side that needs the result the most. Leinster have all but sealed the top of the table, giving them a favourable draw in the next round of the competition. The Tigers need points this weekend to avoid slipping down to fourth in pool four.
Leicester Tigers vs Leinster Rugby Predictions
When betting on the European Rugby Champions Cup, one team usually looks the more dangerous. Currently, Leinster is the choice favoured by the bookies with odds of 2/7. A €20 wager on the away side will return €25.71 if they remain undefeated in the ERCC group stage. The Tigers are the underdog this week. Placing the same value bet on the English side returns €76 if they can pull off a miracle. A draw does not seem likely this weekend, and the 23/1 odds reflect that.
Our prediction for Leicester Tigers vs Leinster Rugby is a victory for the Irish. Leinster has consistently scored well throughout the entire season, and even when they performed poorly, they secured victories. While Leicester needs to win to secure third or even second place in the division, it just does not seem likely this weekend. Leinster are looking like the real deal this season, and are the favourites to go on and win the entire competition. If you were considering betting on this rugby union game, it looks like Leinster could run away with it.
Betting on Leinster is the most obvious option this weekend. They have been immense in the cup and in the URC this season, including one defeat in their last ten games. The only ray of hope for Leicester is that defeat came on the first of January 2024. Maybe the Irish side is showing cracks that the Tigers can exploit. However, as the English side lost 45-12 last game, it seems unlikely that they can pull off a shock result against Leinster.
If you look at the last few games, both sides have been involved in matches with multiple yellow cards. Live betting is always tricky to get right, but a yellow card can drastically affect the result of a match. Anyone considering a live bet this weekend should look into players entering the sin bin. Leicester needs to win this match to secure a favourable spot in the next round. The players could get carried away with dangerous tackles or risky plays.
Leicester Tigers vs Leinster Rugby Betting Tips
Betting on the ERCC is always exciting, but this week could be the best one yet. This is the final group match before the knockout stage of the competition, and teams need to finish strong. The higher up the group a club finishes, the more favourable the draw in the next round. This includes playing a weaker team from another pool or securing a home advantage for the next match.
When betting on rugby matches with a clear favourite, it makes sense to look at other options besides the outright match winner. One of our favourite markets is the total number of match points scored in the game. At Novibet, you can bet on whether the total points scored will be an odd or even number. You can also place this bet on the halftime score or which period will see the most points. Bets like these offer better returns than wagering on Leinster to win the match.
If you want to bet on Leinster winning the game, there are ways to increase your returns. The handicap bet is an excellent way to increase the amount of profit you could win. Betting on Leinster to overcome a 15-point handicap has odds of 19/10. That means a €10 wager will return €29 if the Irish side defeats Leicester by 15 points or more. You can also look into the winning margin for this match. Selecting Leinster to win the match by one to seven points has odds of 14/5.
Anyone looking to join a sports betting site this week will receive a welcome bonus. This fixture is an excellent opportunity to use your bonus. You can play it safe by betting on Leinster to win the contest by any margin. Or you can go for higher returns and choose a more precise wager. Whatever you choose this weekend, remember the big cup games are yet to come. Once the knockout stage of the ERCC begins, the must-win games come thick and fast.
Ready to tackle the Tigers. 😤 💪#LEIvLEI #FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/8TvV1gqCZW
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) January 17, 2024
Leicester Tigers Team News and Lineups
Leicester Tigers face a challenging weekend as they will be without several key players for their upcoming clash against Leinster. George Martin, the impressive young lock, has a minor knee injury and will not feature this weekend. Plus, the squad will also miss the talents of outside-back Anthony Watson and scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet, further testing Leicester’s resilience.
- Leicester Tigers Predicted Lineup: J. Cronin, J. Montoya, D. Cole, C. Green, O. Chessum, H. Wells, H. Liebenberg, T. Reffell, J. Wiese, B. Youngs, H. Pollard, M. Brown, D. Kelly, J. Bassett, and J. Shillcock.
Leinster Rugby Team News and Lineups
Despite their current form, a few injuries plaguing the team could affect their chances at victory this weekend. Leinster Rugby’s head coach, Leo Cullen, recently provided an injury update before their Saturday game. However, the team has some positive news as James Ryan emerged unscathed from the clash against Stade Français and is available for selection this week. However, concerns remain over Ciarán Frawley, who sustained a rib injury during the same match. Michael Milne has a calf injury sustained in last week’s game and will not be available to play.
- Leinster Predicted Lineup: A. Porter, D. Sheehan, T. Furlong, J. Ryan, J. Jenkins, R. Baird, J. van der Flier, C. Doris, J. Gibson-Park, S. Prendergast, J. Larmour, R. Henshaw, T. O’Brien, J. Larmour, and H. Keenan.
