MJ Rules - OK


Cozza

By Ian Birks
November 7 2004

Martin Johnson had a couple of points to prove in this match against Gloucester; first that he is still a team player after being criticised for going to the Far East prior to the Biarritz game and second, that he is still a winner!








Gloucester ran out at Welford Road as the last English team to have won at Leicester, and hey were determined to make it two in a row. After a concerted start, Paul kicked he first three points of the day when Leicester were penalised for not rolling away in only the third minute of the game.

Two minutes later, Gloucester expected Rabeni to sit out 10 minutes in the bin for taking Goodridge out in the air after he chased a perfectly weighted kick by Goode.

Tigers continued to soak up some good pressure from the visitors when an inch-perfect kick from Vesty from Leicester's 10m line landed just in field for a Gloucester throw on their own 5m. Gloucester dealt with he immediate threat and kicked the home side back to within 10m of halfway.

Loose play from Gloucester resulted in a Tiger's scrum; the flattest of passes from Goode to Rabeni saw the big centre spin out of a tackle by Paul and Seru was through Gloucester's flat defensive line to race in from the halfway line in the 11th minute. Goode converted and the score moved on to 8-3.

A further infringement by the visiting side five minutes later gave Goode the opportunity to slot another 3-pointer. This was cancelled out on the stroke of half time by Paul who converted a penalty when Hipkiss was adjudged to have held on in the tackle. The score at the end of the first period 10-6.

Leicester came out in the second half looking like a team ready o take the game to Gloucester. New boy, Varndell got to within 10m of the opposition line when he go on the end of a high kick from Goode. Gloucester were given a scrum when Leicester knocked the ball on, but were themselves penalised for handling the ball in the scrum. Goode kicked a further 3 in the 44th minute taking the score on to 13-6.

Leicester continued to turn the screw; interplay between Gibson and Rabeni resulted I the ball being thrown out to Hipkiss, but the over-head flick-on was given as a knock on and the try was not allowed.

Leicester were the next to score when Johnson stole a Gloucester line out. The Tigers captain was involved again as he ran through the Gloucester defence only to pass to Alex Tuilagi waiting on his shoulder. Alex dived over to bring the score up to 18-6, the conversion was missed by Goode.

The following 10-15 minutes saw Gloucester fight back in familiar style. Strong forward play from Boer, who made a couple of telling runs towards the Tiger's line combined with accurate passing along the back line resulted in the visiting side getting o within a couple of metres of the try line. A penalty to Gloucester was reversed after Eustace was spotted by the touch-judge going in with his feet at a ruck.

Fanolua ran the ball back out of the Gloucester 22 and would have Forrester would have scored a try but for some last ditch tackling.

Leicester piled o the pressure yet again as Johnson crashed through almost getting to the try line. Goodes cross field kick did not find its mark, but Leicester ended up with a 5m scrum.

Goode slotted a further penalty in the 70th minute: 21-6.

Despite the score-line, Gloucester, characteristically, did not give up. A strong move by the visitors through the mid-field ended when Garvey tried to pass out of the tackle straight in to the arms of Alex Tuilagi who raced down the 5m channel from the half way line to stumble over the white wash Goode converted and the score line moved on to 28-6 with 75 minutes gone

Again, relentless pressure from the visiting side took them to within 5m of the try line. A chip through by Davies was collected, dotted down and the score converted by Paul.

And so it ended with a victory for Leicester Tigers by 28-13, but more critically at this stage in the premiership competition, four points for Leicester while denying Gloucester the losing bonus.


My MoTM - Martin Johnson, the man for whom the t-shirt slogan "Pain is just weakness leaving the body"; was made! Quite simply,today he was immense!

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