English Rugby / Ralph Ellis / 26 September 2008 / Leave a comment

Ralph Ellis admits that on paper a win for Leicester Tigers at home to London Wasps looks pretty much nailed-on. But sports doesn't always work like that does it?

It looks like the simplest bet of the week. There's Leicester Tigers, top of the Guinness Premiership with three wins out of three at home to London Wasps, second from bottom with three defeats. No wonder it's as short as [1.45] to back the home win in tonight's televised game. Bitter experience, however, tells you that nothing is ever quite so easy.

That's because even Leicester captain Martin Corry is admitting that the Tigers have been less than convincing in their games so far. The veteran is due to return to the team from injury at Welford Road tonight but even that doesn't necessarily mean a guaranteed win.

Corry is telling Steve Bale in this morning's Daily Express that the club are still suffering from going through three head coaches in as many seasons, with Heyneke Meyer from South Africa the latest to take charge after the sacking of Marcelo Loffreda. "We are developing a style and a pattern of play which doesn't just happen," says the skipper, who will be 35 next month. "It takes a lot of work and it's all the more important if we can pick up wins while we are working and developing."

That's a sign that Wasps, who are themselves changing after losing their talisman Lawrence Dallaglio, could have decent chances of scoring their first victory tonight. It's happened before. As Bale points out, the champions went to Welford Road last season and won a week after they had been conclusively beaten by Leicester in the Anglo-Welsh semi-final, which means recent form may count for little.

Wasps will also shuffle round their own side tonight, with Josh Lewsey switched away from full back where he's had such a bad time in the opening matches. That could give coach Ian McGeechan a double benefit, with Tom Voyce strengthening the defence and Lewsey's pace and running used where it can be of most benefit in a more attacking role. Of course what Wasps really need is to get Danny Cipriani back into their side, but that's unlikely to happen until they play Bath on Wednesday. So meanwhile Jeremy Staunton will be the third number ten in four games. It all makes for a much tighter encounter than the odds suggest and Wasps are good value at [3.35] for a win.

As McGeechan's fellow coach Shaun Edwards says: "A match like this one gets the blood up. Sometimes that's the best thing when things have been going against you."

It's a good night for backing the outsiders in the Guinness Premiership. Bottom club Bristol bring former England hooker Mark Regan back into their squad to go to Newcastle. And the veteran is warning that his side have the experience to stop Jonny Wilkinson dictating the game. "Wilko is always their key man and that's why we have to nail him," he says. Given the gloom at The Toon, things aren't a lot better with the rugby side who got hammered 44-14 by Saracens in their last outing, and it's hard to justify their position as [1.61] favourites for this game.

Five things you might not know about Leicester Tigers

1.Formed in 1880, the club at first played in an all black strip before wearing their famous scarlet, green and white for the first time in 1891

2.They won the Midlands Cup every year from 1898 to 1905, then dropped out of the competition "to give other teams a chance"

3.Their Tigers name comes from an association with the Royal Leicestershire Regiment which received the nickname after serving in India

4.Their stadium, the club's home since 1892, is famously known as Welford Road. However the official address is Aylestone Road

5.They are one of only four teams never to have been relegated from rugby's top division and have never finished below sixth