By Chris Chaplin
September 8 2004

While the Tigers’ multitude of supporters will be responding to the call of “Smoke On The Water” on Saturday rather than the call of a bearded cleric atop a minaret this first home fixture of the season will be greeted with no less fervour at Welford Road as the faithful welcome back their heroes.
It is to be hoped then that this exultation is not as short lived as twenty-two players in the colours of Leeds Tykes and their travelling support will wish.

Leeds opened their own Premiership campaign with a dull loss at home against one of last year’s high flyers, the Cherry and Whites from down Gloucester way.

Of course I didn’t see the fixture but have read the reports and heard those of friends, neighbours and colleagues who seemingly made up a significant proportion of the miserly 4079 souls who were tempted to Headingley on a beautiful early Autumn day.

Given the efforts that the Leeds club have put into promoting Union it is surprising that such a small number turned out on the first day of the new season when hopes are running high, there is a match against good opposition in prospect and particularly all on such a superb day. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon?

Although having said all that it does seem those that did attend had scant reward for their efforts as far as quality of play is concerned but it has to be said that they would have fared little better had they watched any but the game at Franklins Gardens, as all were scruffy, lack lustre, disorganised affairs which left me wondering whether the players realised pre-season was over!

Phil Davies up at Headingley had a busy close season with, by my count, nine players leaving the delights of Yorkshire for destinations as diverse as Agen (Persico) and Bristol (Matt Salter) I think I know who’s got the best relocation there!!

Such have been the changes at Leeds that when looking at the side that started against Gloucester compared to that which visited Welford Road last Christmas only the try scorer on the day, Matt Cardey, centre Andre Snyman and prop Matt Holt survived to participate in last Sunday’s starting line-up.

Departures rather than arrivals were very much the order of the day at Welford Road in the close season and during the equally down at heel performance from both Sale and Tigers that was endured at Edgeley Park and on TV while just a brief vignette was provided of one of the Tigers’ new boys, Seru Rabeni.

It would seem that back up at Headingley even with Ollie Azam renewing his acquaintance with Steve Lander’s yellow card and the Gloucester pack being reduced to 14 men the Tykes could not get themselves on to the front foot in the scrum against what was otherwise Gloucester’s second choice front row, although if erstwhile club captain Mike Shelley is restored to fitness Phil Davies will expect an improvement in the engine room come next Saturday.

At Edgeley Park meanwhile referee Pearson not only ignored Woodman driving in to the side of stand-in tight head Darren Morris but penalised Morris for standing up as a consequence!

Things stabilised once Julian White made his entrance and firmly put Woodman in his place where the officials would or could not and I think that with Rowntree, Chuter and White on parade it must be expected that the Tigers will go well in the scrum, even with the admirable Mike Shelley restored although with Kerr on parade Tigers will need to be aware of the Scot’s ability to sprint and score the odd try, as both they and the American Eagles will know to their cost especially with his being on the score sheet again last weekend.

Doubtless Regan will replace Rob Rawlinson but whether converted hooker Australian Matt Holt will be fit to start is currently in some doubt, in which case with new signing Gerber not yet available it could be a start for ex academy prop Cusack.

Worryingly for Leeds the introduction of Regan last Sunday from RFU imposed purdah after 44 minutes seemed to make little difference with his well known propensity for missing his target in the line out scarcely aiding a poorly performing Tom Palmer, who with the ex Pau returnee Chris Murphy, must surely have been seen by Leeds as something of an ace in the hole at the set piece.

Palmer was cruelly denied his place in the England set up by injury and with the accomplished front jumper Murphy they were expected to give the Gloucester arch ball stealer Alex Brown and his partner Adam Eustace a run for their money but it was not to be.

Although I thought that Johnno’s game seemed to reflect his bafflement at the lack of application by his colleagues he was secure in the line-out and it was good to see Ben Kay back to something approaching his old self although it is understandable that the increasingly impressive Louis Deacon is to get a start with Kay on the bench.

The Leeds duo will need to improve by 200% on last Sunday’s performance if they are to challenge the Tigers’ pairing as the main jumpers. While on paper they have the capability to do so it’s hard to imagine them getting much change out of Johnno and Deacon in front of the Welford Road crowd.

So as far as the front five is concerned then I expect Tigers to best the Tykes tight set-up in all departments.

Up at Sale the Tigers largely inexperienced back-row did not function with even the indomitable Martin Corry looking to be wearied by having to carry the load almost single handed. Now don’t get me wrong here Will Skinner and Brett Deacon have potential, especially the former but such a pairing being forced on Tigers against Chabal and Jason White had a predictable outcome with Ellis and Goode getting scant protection, seeing Tigers turning over ball, missing tackles and generally being beaten in all departments and operating way, way off the pace set by the Sharks’ loose forwards.

However with the good news that Neil Back is returned to fitness and with both Henry Tuilagi and Skinner on the list of possible replacements I think Tigers will be able to press home an overall advantage in the pack.

There was certainly no lack of experience in the Tykes’ back row last Sunday with Pierre Uys newly signed from Western Province, boasting a single Springbok cap, teaming up with ex Celtic Warriors’ Richard Parks, who has been capped four times for his native Wales, and fellow Welshman and nine time capped Alix Popham.

Now I don’t know much about Uys as I’m not a devotee of Super 12 but on paper he has plenty to offer as do his Welsh sidekicks but as was the case with the Leeds’ locks last weekend the trio were seen to be quiet letting Balding (remember him) Forrester and Jake Boer gain an attacking advantage for their half-backs who too were below strength with Gomersall also sidelined by the RFU.

Word seems to be that Leeds’ long serving #8 Dan Hyde should be available for Saturday and if so this abrasive and talented player, who’s scored nine tries during his 59 premiership appearances for Leeds since arriving from West Hartlepool and during which time he’s also picked up four Yellow Cards, will pose the same kind of threat as did Chabal last weekend.

Tykes also have the excellent youngster, England Under 21 player Jon Dunbar, surprisingly captured from Falcons, in the wings although I don’t seem to have heard much of Irishman Colm Rigney who played for almost all of the second half of last season after serving a nine match ban.

Behind the pack the loss by Leeds of the talented Clive Stuart-Smith to Worcester has seen the recruitment of Mark McMillan from Glasgow and while the rather journeyman like Dickens featured largely in the Leeds pre-season campaign he had to be content with a second half arrival against Gloucester. McMillan is a Scottish Under 21 player and will be looking to make a name for himself in the ZP to aid his claim to Redpath’s jersey and will probably form an all Scottish half-back pairing to start against Tigers with either Duncan Hodge or Gordon Ross at fly-half.

Hodge took a bit of a knock against Gloucester but in any event of the two my personal preference has been for the more experienced and creative Ross who I’ve always felt has more tricks up his sleeve including the collecting of a couple of Yellow Cards.

Harry Ellis did not have a good day at the office at Edgeley Park receiving minimal protection, from either the referee or Tigers own back-row, against the threatening presence of Chabal so he had some excuse there but where he was also exposed was by the close attention of Bryan Redpath, the young Tigers’ #9 losing his composure and trying to force matters.

In spite of this Andy Goode reacted well to his share of the pressure and while his attacking options were severely limited he had a wonderful afternoon with the boot.

If Ellis can get his game going then I see Goode possibly being a match for either the of Leeds’ fly halves but especially were Hodge to participate who Andy bossed during their last meeting at Welford Road, when Jaco was at Full Back on the day the then newly returned Goode starting at #10, and of course until Stimpson is fit Leeds do not have the equal of what is turning into our very own Golden Boot.

The contest between Andre Snyman, the most capped Springbok centre of all time, and Daryl Gibson looks set to be a bruising encounter.

In the last meeting between the two sides I thought Snyman looked very useful early on and indeed he came very close to scoring a try until Jaco hauled him down at the death but as his role became more and more one of defence he drifted out of the game and as we know Tigers went on to triumph 39-11.

Interestingly I understand that Henry Paul was able to give the ex-Springbok plenty to think about last Sunday and I think Daryl, who was injured last time following his participation in the ill starred England vs New Zealand Barbarians game and gave way to Freddie at 12, could emulate his erstwhile colleague and find a way past in the 12/13 channel and get over the whitewash again.

Having said that riches could wait in the 12/13 channel for Tigers so could they for Leeds if the missed tackles that allowed Cueto and Baxendell such joyous try making and scoring incursions last week are repeated.

Tigers defence was generally poor and redolent of a flock of disorganised chickens who, at the sight of Cueto, Baxendell and Robinson, reacted as would the feathered variety, by flapping their wings as the fox fell upon them and ripped them asunder.

I must say that of all the signings made by Phil Davies I thought that of Chris Bell from Quins to be one of the best, bringing pace and running lines into the attack. This young man is very talented and pacey but on occasion found wanting in his defensive alignment when at the Stoop so this again points to attacking the 12/13 and particularly the 13/14 channels.

From Tigers’ perspective, and while I am sorry that Lloyd is injured, I am delighted to see Ollie Smith in his rightful place as the starting outside centre. I thought that the midfield looked tighter once Ollie came on against Sale and there is no doubt in my mind that if the club would let Smith and Gibson develop an enduring relationship at centre it would serve Tigers well.

On the flanks Leeds have a precocious new talent in young Tom Biggs who I hear has pace to burn and a heart as big as Roundhay Park. Still plenty to learn apparently, but one to watch.

Partnering him last week was veteran David Rees who must be pleased to be back in his favoured wide berth and still able to keep his colleague, Argentinian International, the tricky Diego Albanese, on the bench.

Wily and vastly experienced the ex England winger may have lost a bit of his old pace but he’ll open up a defence like Bill Sykes did Londoners’ pockets in days of yore and by the time his opponents have spotted what’s occurred Rees will have Chris Bell or the speedy New Zealand born, but Welsh qualified, Matt Cardey, who scored the Tykes’ only try when last the sides met, away for a try.

Not perhaps the most secure of #15s around Cardey nevertheless provides some worthwhile attacking options when Rees and the centres have done their stuff. Doubtless either Stimpson or Balshaw will be preferred once they are available although if past performances from the latter are anything to go by Cardey could soon find himself back as first reserve behind Stimmo.

Tigers’ back three, Geordan Murphy aside, who might as well have taken a paperback to read last Sunday so little ball did he see, was imprecise and careless for the most part. I’m also pleased that Seru Rabeni has been given a start partnering Healey on the other flank which provides a good combination of guile and power. It will also be interesting to see what Alex Tuilagi makes of a full on ZP match if he gets a run out!

The result? Well a loss at Welford Road this early in the season would be as disastrous as it is unthinkable.

With Backy returned things should be much better, especially at the breakdown and around the tackle area, and we must hope that the handling and creativity in the backs will be similarly improved.

On balance then a first home win of the season for Tigers.