Event of the Day: Leicester Tigers versus Newcastle Falcons
Our event of the day is the Aviva Premiership Rugby clash between Leicester Tigers and Newcastle Falcons at Welford Road in Leicester. The opening game of the league’s penultimate round of the regular season sees the Tigers in fifth place in the table with 57 points, while the Falcons have 59 points in fourth position – that fourth spot results in the last of the playoff spots, so this is a fixture of huge importance for both sides. Leicester slipped to a 27-21 home defeat to Northampton Saints two weeks ago, the defeat coming on the back of five consecutive victories in the competition. Newcastle turn their attention to Premiership Rugby following a semi-final exit from the European Challenge Cup with a 33-12 loss away to Gloucester. However, they have five triumphs from the last six duels in the domestic top flight.
The Tigers however have 14 wins from the last 15 encounters in the Premiership with Newcastle, with the Falcons win coming in February 2016, 26-14 at Kingston Park. Leicester’s fly-half and England international, George Ford, has scored 133 points so far this season in the league, which is fourth-most in the league. Manu Tuilagi returns for the Tigers after a month out due to a pectoral injury. The visitors’ wing, Vereniki Goneva from Fiji, shares the third spot overall on the league try scoring chart, with 11 tries scored. It’s going to be a thrilling match at Welford Road with both sides desperate for a playoff spot.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the fifth day of the ATP Tour’s Barcelona Open at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona. Second-seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria faces fifth seed and home player Pablo Carreño Busta in the quarter-finals of the singles tournament. It’s Day 2 of the 2018 NFL Draft at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington. In the MLB, the San Francisco Giants clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers at AT&T Park in San Francisco. In the County Championship Division One, there’s the opening day of the match between Somerset and Yorkshire at the County Ground in Taunton. It is the individual time trial between Ollon and Villars-sur-Ollon on Day 4 of the Cycling Tour de Romandie. In the Scottish Premier League, Aberdeen host Hearts at Pittodrie in Aberdeen. The World Championship in snooker continues at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. It’s Day 2 of the 2018 European Judo Championships at the Tel Aviv Convention Center. In the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Nashville Predators start their second round series versus the Winnipeg Jets at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. In the NBA Playoffs, the Indiana Pacers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. In Super League, Castleford Tigers face Wakefield Trinity at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle in Castleford. It’s the second day of the Volvo China Open in Beijing.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photo by Premiership Rugby
***Due to a wet outfield, the first day of the match between Somerset and Yorkshire has been cancelled.***