By apb on 31/12/2003
December 31 2003

With a fairly unsurprising New years Honours List showing 31 new gongs for rugby players, plus several more for administrators, back-room staff and coaches, rugby is still in the grip of a publicity tidal wave, the like of which we haven't seen in living memory if at all.

But there will be a great test of that flow of interest when Leeds head on down the M1 to meet Saracens on New Years Day. Several factors mitigate against a great turn-out, as well as a great spectacle. Firstly, its new years day. How many people wil still be gingerly holding on to furniture as they walk around at three in the afternoon, as a result of the previous nights "festivities"? How many people - many of whom are normally dyed in the wool rugby fans - would say to themselves "sod it, the game's on Sky, I'll just slump here in my chair and wait for the pain to subside...."?

And of course, that's even assuming there will actually be a match. At the time of writing, its snowing pretty heavily here in West Yorkshire, and if those photogenic people at the Met. Office are correct, the same will be true pretty much everywhere in the country. Worth a long trip on the off-chance? I can't see there being the seasons biggest gate at Watford tomorrow afternoon....

Tykes

And so to the match itself. What can we expect? Well, good news for the Tykes is that Ronnie Regan MBE and Tom Palmer get a start in the pack this time. With the criticism against the pack at the Leicester game still ringing in their ears, the Tykes will want to get this part of their game right once and for all. Interestingly, the pack also contains a start for Colm Rigney, recently returned from a nine-week suspension for stamping at No. 8, with Ponton and Salter getting the nod in the back row. Changes too in the backs, with Liam Botham coming back into the side at winger, with Christophers on the other side and the now incumbent centre parnership of Snyman and Davies continuing. Cardey gets a deserved start as full-back, meaning there's no place for Dan Scarbrough.

Scarbrough has come in for a bit of criticism from the fans this season. Some people view the talk of England call-ups and his narrowly missing the world cup thirty as having somewhat gone to his head. Others cite his form - playing roughly alternately at full-back and winger - as being somewhat off the boil from his previous high-standards set last season. However, the boy has still managed to notch up numerous tries this season, and is right up there with the ZP's leading scorers, so perhaps we judge him harshly. However, its the 22 shirt for him tomorrow, and he will know better than anybody what he has to do to reclaim the starting berth. Still, he may take some comfort in knowing that he's one of only two backs named on the bench, with Cusack, Holt, "Little" Murph, Hyde, Persico, and Walsh making up the rest of the replacements.

Notable absences from the Tykes line-up are Clive Stuart-Smith and Diego Albanese. Talk of up to nine of the first team afflicted by the 'flu can only mean that these lads are hit by the bug, which give Ryan Walker another opportunity to shine at scrum-half. Walker certainly impressed me when he played at Headingley earlier in the season, and it can only be a good thing that Walker, CSS and Dickens all now have to fight for a place.

Saracens

And the opposition? Well, Richard Hill MBE will be absent, having to get an operation on his broken nose, broken in a "friendly", "celebration" match at Twickenham that Sir Clive has vowed will never be repeated while he's in charge. Good news for the future, but bad news indeed for a Saracens side that's struggling in 11th place in the ZP. That being said, with a calamitous defeat for the Tykes last week, and an encouraging (if losing) display against the runaway title favourites for the Saracens, it gives a fairly intriguing slant to the match which, were it not for the dreadful results of the Rotherham Titans, would be considerably more worrisome.

Phil Davies has gone on record as saying that Thomas Casteignede and Kyran Bracken will be a handful tomorrow - two top class backs who can split open defences at the blinking of an eye, and I particularly worry about Richard Haugton who to me always looks like he can do something sensational. The Tykes will need to watch out for him!

Predicition

Its another one of those "toss a coin" jobs - both teams want, nay, need the win to maintain contact with the top nine in the ZP. Both teams come into the game off a defeat. Whereas Leeds have bolstered their pack and should improve 1000% on last weekend's performance up-front, Sarries have lost one of their talismanic players in Hill. The back lines of both teams promise great excitement and commitment, and it is difficult to favour one over the two. Perhaps with Both on the wing in front of Haughton, Sarries may just have the edge. Coupled with home advantage and another freezing day for the game, its going to be extremely tight.

Going on gut feel, however, I think the Tykes are due a good performance all around the park, and while I wish I was there to witness it, I think the Leicester game may have been the kick in the pants the team as a whole needed. With the wind behind us, it could be a hatful, so I'll say Sarries 15 Tykes 38, and COME ON YOU LEEDS!

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