Leicester Tigers
Just Hanging Around?
By ChrisC
May 6 2010
As I write this on Wednesday things are most uncertain about what the end of the week will bring. Will we see a team capable of leading us to the Promised Land with all its rewards or will it be some compromise set up with lack of leadership, determination and nothing to play for knowing it’s a team unlikely to last for long.
I should say of course that I’m talking about the General Election – or as it’s now known the “E Factor”.
But I could equally be considering the Tigers’ team for Saturday when Tigers, having already secured the League Championship, (oed: Athlete that has defeated all competitors) have nothing to play for as they are already first seeds for the little knock out competition that we have at the end of every season.
Saracens on the other hand will be bursting their guts to avoid another trip to Franklins Gardens on the basis that lightening doesn’t strike twice in the same place so as to enable them to achieve another win there and they will want to do all they can to capitalise on any slip ups by Saints down in Reading so as to get the Saints down to Vicarage Road, or Wembley, or wherever they laager, so it’s hard to expect that they’ll field anything other than the full monty against Tigers.
It is something of a groundhog day for me watching Sarries this season as the modus operandi used by Brendan Venter is very similar to that he used when in charge down at London Irish; initially try to bore the other side, and all the hapless spectators, to death with stolid, kick chase and then just when everybody has dozed off spring the surprise that his South African centred team, with the odd import that’s included for the sake of appearances, can actually play good rugby.
He did leave it a bit late to take the handbrake off this time as the competition overtook Sarries who still had the wet tyres on and had yet to try fourth gear but now it’s released, the tyres are racing slicks and the Sarries have been playing some great stuff, so much so that even Venter has stopped moaning and whining about the unfairness of it all, other teams, match officials, the laws, the weather, in fact everything really, although I see he congratulated Chris White on his management of the game when Sarries won at Franklins Gardens. We can assume then that the random penalty awards, that is such an endearing feature of Mr White’s officiating, went in Venter’s favour!
Presumably Venter is also pleased with the powers that be that he was allowed to make the signing of duPlessis from Nottingham, even though the transfer window had closed, due to injuries to his props while Tigers’ have been denied the same largesse by the RFU – looks like another attempt to frustrate Tigers in the end of season knock out cup as due to injury they are down to just two hookers in Chuter and Duffey. I struggle to see the difference between the two scenarios other than the name of the clubs.
I have seen the bad and the good of Sarries and while the bad was very bad the good is very good.
In the pack they have some grunt with the wunderkind Schalk Brits getting plenty of column inches and having the TV pundits in grave danger of needing a change of underwear when the South African plays, so excited and overwrought do they become.
Brits is certainly eye catching in his loose play with a personal try count of five in the Premiership telling its own story and he tackles like a dump truck. I’m less certain about his set piece work though and the Sarries lineout has gone awol at times missing the technique and influence of the much, and unfairly to my mind, maligned Steve Borthwick, so perhaps that’s why poster boy Schalk has just the three caps for his country.
I think that a full strength combination of Castro, Chuter and Ayerza would be a little too much for the likely Sarries trio of young Welsh tyro Rhys Gill, duPlessis and Brits in the scrum but without doubt what they lose here would be compensated for by Brits in the loose and I guess Tigers will therefore do what they can to keep him fully occupied in the claustrophobic confines of the tight.
A second row of Hugh Vyvyan, who must be about 110 years old as he seems to have been around forever, and Mouritz Botha looks the most likely second row pairing with the continued absence of Borthwick and with the terrifying Nabimian Jacques Burger – a seriously scary looking individual – not at all the kind of rough boy that my Mum would have let me play with, joining with a strong contender for my #8 of the season, Ernst Joubert and that rare thing these days a genuine English openside, with Andy Saull being exactly that. I like this lad a lot and it’s great to see him using his craft, the competition between him and Moody on the floor will be great to watch, always assuming that it doesn’t turn into the lottery that match officials can make this key area.
The Sarries pack is very mobile indeed and the potential for them causing mayhem in the loose led by Burger, will need to be well policed by my Tigers’ first choice back row trio of Croft, Moody and Crane, who can themselves rock it up in the loose given half a chance, so it will come down to which tight five gets possession and my bet is that a first choice Tigers quintet would get the better in this department but whoever does the business here in the set piece will be able to unleash their own dogs of war – could be fantastic.
Behind the pack we shall pretty much know how the opening exchanges are going to go when we see who starts at Fly-half for our pals from Watford. If it’s putative referee Glen Jackson then we’ll see the back line and the loose forwards roaring about the park feeding off loads of lovely flat ball that he’ll provide from good service from ten time Springbok Neil deKock, who is as crafty as a wagon load of monkeys, however he will have Ben Youngs snapping at his heels at the back of what could be a retreating pack, if my reading of the tight five is correct, at scrum time and of course assuming that the match officials know what they’re doing in this theatre of war and that’s a very big if.
However if Hougaard turns up then the Tigers’ back three could end up needing to see a chiropractor to fix the crick they’ll have in their necks from watching high balls come down if the ex Tiger (yes he really was at Welford Road but if you blinked you might have missed him such was his lack of enthusiasm once his mentor had disappeared back to South Africa even when he managed to overcome injury) as he sits in the pocket and merrily pops away with his Howitzer boot.
Actually, and notwithstanding the Sarries guerrilla forces bearing down on them, I think that strategy would suit Tigers just fine as Tuilagi, Hamilton and Murphy like nothing better than a bit of free ball to run with..
Toby Flood will stand flat as usual and if his game management is as good as it has been since his return from injury it should stand Tigers in good stead and let their own loose forwards, in concert with Parling, run amok. It will though be of even greater importance than ever that neither side provides any loose or turnover ball to their opponents as that way lays disaster so Tigers need to be quick and accurate at the breakdown to combat the talents of the Sarries where they have real power and talent with Saull, Burger and Joubert especially impressive.
I expect to see the Durban born Brad Barritt at 12 providing his own brand of crash and bash and likely facing the more silky skills of Tony Allen. Barritt tackles as if his life depended on it and he’s a big old unit. Going forward he’ll be a handful but maybe Allen will be able to be that bit too nimble when the tables are turned and we may see the redoubtable and ultra physical Matt Smith stand at inside centre when in defensive mode.
At outside centre expect young Adam Powell to be in place, he can run some nice lines, is pacey and will test the 13/14 channel where Smith and Hamilton will have to be decisive and accurate.
With just one try in eight premiership appearances he and Barritt (two tries from twenty premiership starts this term) are not try scoring machines but they punch great big holes for the fast boys to do the business.
Speaking of fast boys; Michael Tagicakibau is pretty much certain to start I’d have thought as scoring tries is in the family DNA and he’ll appear anywhere in broken play although surprisingly in ten premiership starts he’s managed only one try, but in his defence he didn’t see much ball in the early part of his time when any player wearing a shirt with a number greater than 10 on the back didn’t used to change out of his street clothes and brought along a book with which to while away the eighty minutes on match day so rarely did they see the ball. There’s a rumour that there’s a special library at Vicarage Road stocked with lots of Wilbur Smith novels.
On the other wing probably Yankee Chris Wyles, capped 20 time for the USA, will be difficult to stop from deep and Alex Tuilagi would have to actually get the American flyer firmly on the deck, here again due to the playing style employed by the good Doctor there has been a paucity of tries for the talented winger with just two to his name in the Premiership this season.
The Tigers’ pairing of Tuilagi and Hamilton would need to get off their wings in attack and target the centre channels as the Sarries defence will be ready for them out wide and in defence they’ll have to work hard to contain the hordes roaring across the Leicester veldt toward them like careering Wildebeests.
In Paul Gustard Saracens have a superlative defence coach and are well organised so only quick, accurate ball will undo them.
At full back Sarries have one of the brightest young talents in Alex Goode.
I first became aware of him when he played in the Help For Heroes game when he was a real star and since then he’s not disappointed.
Since Venter has let him loose he has been mightily impressive and is, to my mind, the best English qualified full back around, although I am left to wonder if his future doesn’t lie at Fly Half.
He has a great kicking game, wonderful vision, lovely soft hands, pace and when he has the ball he, like is opposite number, Geordan Murphy, looks silky smooth and as if he has all the time in the World. It seems that when these two have the ball in hand everybody else is in a different, slower time continuum.
OK he can sometimes just push his chances too much but if you don’t try...... A real talent – come on Johnno give the boy a chance this Summer! Sarries back three next year of Goode, Cato and Strettle could be quite something.
Geordan will be looking for ways to pick the lock on the Sarries’ defence like an Irish Fagin and much will depend on the shape he gives the Tigers’ attack though the centre channels where the best rewards will be found in the initial stages to get the Sarries’ loose forwards tied in.
Could be a good one – unless Cockers takes the view that a coalition of second choice players will do on the day and to hell with the home record, after all it’s got to go sometimes and Tigers will be in the cup home to Bath or Wasps anyway.
If it’s a full strength team from Tigers then the home team by seven if not then maybe a long awaited win ay Welford Road for the Fezheads.
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As always, really builds the anticipation of the game. Great preview, thanks.
"full strength combination of Castro, Chuter and Ayerza"
Some may disagree with this as George has lost some of his shine this season and Muffin has been our stand out hooker imvho. But with the "old" welsh person injured, Chutes needs to rediscover his international form of old pdq!
The choice between fan favourite Castro and young pretender Cole in the starting XV will be a discussion/disagreement point for seasons to come (I very much hope as it'll mean they're both still at the club). By very slight margins, I think Cole is better in the scrum and Castro is better in open play and so prefer him as the impact sub to come on and run around for the last half hour when the opposition forwards are tiring/being replaced by inferior models. May even run in some more intercept tries from "100 metres"!! (His distance, not mine and are you going to argue the point with him!!!)
About Mr Brits, the TV guys so seem to have found a new poster-boy. But it seems not to have gone to his head yet though! His main limit in Bok caps was due to one John Smit, though his throwing can't have helped!
Jackson was confirmed as starting in the Evening Standard yesterday, so your necks should come through unscathed! Worth watching to see how much Goode steps in at first receiver though, he sees his own future at fly half though next year will be the real guideline on if he can make it.
Should be a great game!
With the Leather all around (them)
And the sweat is getting steamy
But their eyes are on the ground
Really increases the excitement about the game. Will be good to visit Welford Road again and sit in the much anticipated and talked about Caterpiller Stand.
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RE bringing in Du Plessis; I think the reason it was allowed (don't hold me to it in a court of law) was because he had actually signed for us previous to the dead-line, with the intention that we would bring him in for the 10-11 season. Then we got short of props and brought him in early. We didn't get short and then go looking for a new prop from scratch.
Saull is very much looking forward to the match up with Moody too. If you look on our supporters association website you can see what some of the boys think about playing you.
All the best & see you Saturday.
hope your team doesnt play as well as you write
hang on...............
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