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Harry Potter: Table points count for 'bugger all'
By Chris Jones
Harry Potter helped Leicester Tigers finish top of the Gallagher Premiership table but typical of a player who spent his formative years in Australia he insisted the achievement meant "bugger all" when it comes to the home play-off semi-final with arch rivals Northampton on Saturday.
Potter, who was born in Wimbledon, has made 28 appearances in all competitions and delivered another solid performance as Leicester battled to subdue Wasps 20-10 to finish the season unbeaten in the league at home. Leicester also created history as the first team to lead the Premiership table after every round of the season. Potter said: “It is nice to finish top but it is going to mean bugger all. You could say we are close (to the title) but at the same time it is a long way to go.
“Finishing seven points clear at the end of the regular season isn’t any comfort but it does give us some satisfaction after a long old season and while it is a nice little achievement it won’t mean anything in a very short period of time.
“Mattioli Woods Welford Road is a great place to play and it will be pumping next weekend and if that gives us a little more momentum then we will take it and with 24,000 people the atmosphere will be something else and I am looking forward to playing in front of it.”
Tigers completed the double over Northampton in the regular season but with Dan Biggar pulling the tactical strings for Saints, this will be a ferocious encounter between two in-form teams. Potter, who scored seven Premiership tries, is taking nothing for granted and added: “We have got finals rugby coming up against Northampton who are a very good team. It is doubly good being an East Midlands derby and a semi-final and we know how dangerous they are with ball in hand and there are a lot of threats they will pose but we are home.
“There was pressure against Wasps but no doubt it will be a step up next weekend and we need to go to another level. We have to be at our best against Northampton and have attack it like we have done the whole season and hope for the best.
“Northampton are very dangerous and switch from defence to attack and move the ball really well and they can also play good finals rugby and that will offer different threats.
“Wasps turned the screw on us and we are happy with the win, It was a bit like finals rugby with a few big moments that were key and we managed to pull it off. We didn’t know if having a week off without a game was going to be a good or a bad thing but being such a long season it is nice to have time off. But we worked hard in the week and this win was good preparation for the semi-final.”
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Latest Comments
You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.
The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.
Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.
There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.
I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.
When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.
You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it
Go to commentsThe main difference is that it was waaaaaay easier back then while the quality at the top end on the world rankings is much closer. One mustn't forget how Bryce Lawrence tactically decided to completely ignore refereeing the breakdown which opened the door for an Aussie win against SA at NZ home World Cup.. farcical. The other difference is that NZ won one (well - two) on home soil whilst the Boks won both away from home on the bounce having to play the top 4 sides to get there.. toughest route to glory.
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