In a new series, Martin Crowson examines five issues from the latest Leicester Tigers game

1 Northampton Saints' fans have created an atmosphere at Franklin's Gardens that is now a serious threat to the belief that Leicester Tigers' Welford Road ground is the most intimidating in the league. The challenge has been laid down.

There may not be anywhere near as many people in it but it is compact, excitable and when people sing, the whole ground joins in.

A fantastic place to watch rugby and I hope their threats to move to Milton Keynes because of the local council's alleged foot-dragging on agreeing their redevelopment plans, is just a ploy to kick them into gear.

2 George Skivington faces one of the biggest tests of his career in the coming weeks, leading a Tigers line-out on the back of a few weeks' practice. The set-piece was all at sea at Northampton on Sunday. That was certainly not all down to the former Wasps man but with Geoff Parling, Richard Blaze and Louis Deacon out injured, Skivington will stay in a role that most new signings in his position would have months to get used to.

Steve Mafi and Ben Gulliver will bolster the ranks but they are even greener to the myriad of line-out calls

3 There will be few people named in the match-day squad of 23 players who will not see any game time this season. The new interpretation of the breakdown laws has created a game played at breakneck speed and players on both teams were blowing out of their backside long before the final whistle at Franklin's Gardens.

4 The extent of Toby Flood's knee injury is crucial. If he is out for any length of time, Tigers will have to rely on Jeremy Staunton to start with either Billy Twelvetrees playing out of position or 17-year-old George Ford as back-up.

5 Just so I can say I have written this, at Welford Road this Saturday, 10th-placed Leicester Tigers host second-placed Exeter Chiefs. Weird. Good job it is a marathon not a sprint.