By Chris Chaplin
December 4 2002

I sit here in a very sunny Gloucester resplendent in my beret and striped T shirt with a string of onions around my neck as I try to get into the Gallic mood to look at the upcoming trip by Tigers to Beziers. Firstly let me confess I am not exactly an authority on Beziers (or much else come to that). I know the place is in the Rugby triangle in South Eastern France and that it is an area full of passionate French rugby supporters, so both the team and those of us fortunate enough to be there can expect a warm welcome. The locals say that without rugby there is no Beziers.

The town is twinned with Stockport, was the scene of a massacre in 1209 and a pitched battle between Gloucester RFC and Beziers in the pre-season of 2001/2 when Glaws were hammered 47 - 7. Although on that day they were without Vickery, Paramour, Fanaloua and Azam with Trevor Woodman being sent off, the Cherry and Whites thereafter having to play with 14 men and understandably being out muscled in the scrum.

Beziers had a Tykes type last minute escape from relegation at the end of last season when their President gave the FFR some unspecified reassurances as to the club's financial well being in spite of their having lost their sponsor and £150k - how very French, how very European!

Stadium de la Mediteranee is an international venue having hosted RWC fixtures as well as the HEC semi-final between Munster and Castres.

Beziers have three current internationals in their regular starting line up; Mignoni and Privat, the latter being injured at present, there is also one Senor Gonalso Quesada, Beziers very own Goldenboot. Many will recall his kicking six penalties when England beat the Pumas last Summer. So Tigers will need to watch their discipline with the Argentinian waiting to kick us to death given the chance.

In the last HEC fixture against Neath Quesada was again in action kicking all of the home sides' 21 points while Neath's Fijian Flanker, Alfie Mocelutu, scored the only try of the match, the other, by Neath's Jones, being controversially disallowed for a double movement by the Italian referee of the day Mr Salera, who by all accounts was overwhelmed both by the occasion, the home support and the strenuous pressure placed upon him by the home team. This weekend Alan Lewis will be in charge and as he is an experienced official the same fate should not befall him - we hope. The other Beziers HEC fixture was away to Calvisano when the French prevailed by 32 points to 16.

So thus far a less than inspiring win over the pool's whipping boys and a very lucky win against Neath who nevertheless dominated the Beziers pack throughout.

Beziers have still to visit both Neath and Tigers and have Calvisano still to visit them so this weekend's tie is crucial, for if they lose to Tigers they are likely to secure only two further points and finish the pool stage with 6 points. Tigers on the other hand have Beziers and Neath still to play at Welford Road and are away to Calvisano which should produce six points. Neath have two games against the Italians and Beziers at home, another six points and a potential total of 7. So unless Beziers prevail on their home turf against us they could well fail to finish in the top two of the pool. So this is real make or break for Beziers European aspirations.

The question is of course can Tigers win their most difficult pool fixture following their horrid performances over the last two weekends when the return of four internationals made no discernible difference.

Well from what I've read it seems unlikely that a Tigers pack, albeit without Backy and MadEye, should fail where Neath succeeded and there may be some scores to come from this department, provided Deano does not have one of his "mix 'em up" aberrations and plays Corry at 8 rather than the flank and reinstates Balding at 6, who I feel has done well since returning from injury, with Josh of course at 7. These three, including, as they do, within their number a current British Lion and an All Black Legend will be the key to our success if we pursue a policy of forward domination as surely we must.

Elsewhere in the pack you have no need of comment as to the lock pairing, another British Lion and one of the brightest young stars in Mr Woodwards' firmament.

In the front row I worry at Franck starting with his Gallic temperament against his compatriots and with Mr Lewis' famous prodigious whistle in evidence Quesada could get some early kicking practice. I'd start with Garf and Perry who has been a real star as far as I'm concerned. So go for grunt is my view with West restored at Hooker.

Easy part done.

The backs and half-backs: again easy part first as we must surely presume that the ill starred experiment of the Saints game will not be repeated and Stimmo and Geordan will take their rightful field positions at 15 and 14 respectively.

The French, being French, will have some flair knocking about in their back division and if they do get some decent ball, especially from turnovers, which will come if Tigers' efficiency at the breakdown does not improve, they will have a chance to strut their stuff and we need players in their right positions and defending the blind side this week please chaps.

Getting tricky now - well not really. Oz must start at 9 and if Vesty is fit he should get a run out, otherwise McMullen should have another chance, at least Beziers won't have been able to watch him on video. A centre pairing of Gelderbloom and Ollie would not let us down in defence and bring some much needed thought and guile to our back play, speaking of which, this must surely be the time for Raynor to get a start in favour of Fred who is just not himself at present.

I think that with forward dominance, which must be a given if the Neath/Beziers game is any barometer, the fourteenth back line combination of the season may just succeed where the other thirteen have not and could produce the most important win this term both for the prosecution of Tigers' European campaign and the rebuilding of confidence after the debacles of the past two weeks.

If Deano and his coaching team persist in merely tinkering (that ominous word again) or needlessly playing key players out of position (q.v.: Stimpson., Murphy and Corry against Saints) then we shall lose - sorry but we will. Mind you even if that were to be the case the single point secured at the Gnoll in the rain would then be crucial if everyone beats Calvisano twice (likely) and wins their home ties (also likely) as we would finish with nine points while Beziers and Neath would have amassed 8 and 7 respectively.

A win is what's needed though and this is the weekend that we find out what we're made of.