By ChrisC
April 19 2011

Dumb and Dumber.                                              I had to rewrite this piece as my original theme was surpassed as I had, having watched both of this Friday’s teams play in their most recent fixtures, a new and more apposite one to that I had witnessed.   Of course I’m not speaking of the 1994 film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in which their hapless characters look to help out heroine Mary Swanson rescue her kidnapped husband but the displays of ineptitude by the respective home teams at Kingston Park and Welford Road.

I can’t assign the film’s characters Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne to any particular players or team so collective were their efforts to lose valuable points. 

In the Premiership on Friday evening Newcastle, having got into the last minute or so of the match all square, pressed the self destruct button and as was the case at the end of the first half the previous week’s match against Leeds when they let their fellow strugglers back into a game that Falcons were well on the way to winning by trying to play their way out of their 22. Falcons did the same thing on Friday instead of just clearing their lines and paid the price as their opponents scored a decisive try on the stroke of full time, denying Falcons the draw. 

Newcastle never looked like scoring a try but Saint’s indiscipline and the boot of Jimmy Gopperth kept them in contention until the last seconds. 

The following day at Welford Road Tigers conspired to provide a team largely of young second streamers from Gloucester with an honourable draw, honourable for the visitors that is! 

Tigers were slack and haphazard in defence and played some exceptionally dim witted rugby with Staunton’s unnecessary pass,  the clock having entered the last few seconds of the match, giving the ever excellent, and largely unmolested, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, who was central to the good things that Gloucester did,  the simplest of interceptions and a clear run to the Tigers’ line. 

After a stolid first half in attack Tigers put in a good second half with Alex Tuilagi to the fore but playing with the stupidity and defensive laxity they did on Saturday Tigers will not win the league or the end of season play off competition let alone get anything at Kingston Park on Friday. 

Tigers now have just a two point lead at the top of the table with Saracens drawing ever closer, their win at Exeter gleaning them four points to the three that Tigers got at Welford Road. 

At the outset on Friday Falcons took the match to their high flying, star studded visitors with Jonny Golding, Matt Thompson and ex Saint;  Euan Murray being in the vanguard of some magnificent mauling against which Saints had no answer other than to give away two penalties so that Falcons were 6 points ahead after 8 minutes and they also got the better of the early exchanges in the tight.  

I can’t see any reason why Alan Tait would want to change this starting trio although after that frenetic first twenty minutes the Saints’ pack in the main took control. 

Martin Castrogiovanni had, for me at least, a Man of The Match performance against Gloucester while second string Rob Hawkins built on his try scoring cameo appearance in Dublin with a good performance which was enhanced by a very poor period from #2 incumbent George Chuter. 

Boris Stankovitch meanwhile left his brain in the changing room as he dived off his feet in full view of Mr Clancy to concede a penalty and then a short while after committed the cardinal sin of turning his back on a penalty kick permitting Gloucester’s Freddie Burns a free run through which led to a try.  Stankovitch did give young Harden a tough time in the scrum but I’m sure we’ll see the much missed Marcos Ayerza back on the loosehead with, I hope, Castrogiovanni and Rob Hawkins. 

Tigers will need to be on their mettle here as both amongst the best sides at securing their own ball at scrum time both being very parsimonious. 

I have no doubt that Falcons will burst out of the traps again next Friday and Tigers will have to be very much aware that one of their all too often slow first 20 minutes could see them nine points behind before they wake up. 

Otherwise I expect a similar scenario from the hosts as that acted out against Saints to unfold. 

At lock the ever dependable James Hudson was sidelined for the Saints match with Londoner Tim Swinson joining with regular, Kiwi Andrew van der Heijden, in the engine room for the home side.  

Van der Heijden made one crunching tackle on Tonga’uiha which lifted the big Saints’ prop off the ground and drove him backward, one of those tackles that bring an involuntary wince to the spectator, much as did Castrogiovanni ‘s on Morgan last Saturday. 

The Falcon’s line out work was sound enough and if Hudson is back mobility around the pitch can only be enhanced.  

Tigers welcomed back George Skivington who, with Steve Mafi, was solid in the line out until George Chuter appeared and then things went awry, which is why I’d prefer to see Hawkins given another start.  Mafi and Skivington were again both much in evidence in loose play.  It does concern me though that we are not seeing Croft winning opposition ball as used to be the case.  

However if Hudson, who is second in the lineout steals stat, is restored then I’d expect to see the more experienced Tim Swinson on the blindside, who would also bring additional options in the line out, which Falcons will need as they are the worst team in the Premiership for securing their own lineout ball. 

The back row for Falcons hinged on Ally Hogg, the Scottish 48 time capped international was simply superb and at times I thought I was watching ex Falcon Martin Corry in his pomp, although the Scot does top the penalties conceded stat when going forward, so it seems he does not always have adequate support when he barnstorms off up field. Last Friday the Scot showed why he, with Craig Newby, is right there in the most tackles made stat. Hogg was joined by ex Kendal RFC player Mark Wilson on the blindside with Falcons’ academy product Willy Welch on the open side as I assume that Brent Wilson is injured but if this trio plays against Tigers they’ll give nothing away.

In any event the work of the Falcons pack around the breakdown and tackle area was good and it was odd that Saints’ kept battling away to get through there even though they weren’t getting much success. 

The frustration led to Dowson seeing red but not a Red Card which he should have done after a dangerous hit on Gopperth, although Clark did get a compensatory yellow which looked a tad harsh but it is a measure of the visitors frustration that two of their back row lost their collective rags in attending to the Falcons’ fly half.  To add to the somewhat, and not for the first time, esoteric refereeing by Greg Garner, Mark Sorenson, having spear tackled Swinson got away with just a penalty, odd, very odd. 

Craig Newby didn’t start for Tigers and how his organisation and tackling around the breakdown was missed, so for my money he’ll have to be flogged over the finishing line.  Tom Croft was also below his best and is not the stuff of captaincy, yet anyway, so again this indicates a final push from the Kiwi. 

Thomas Waldrom signed up for the unannounced Barbarians match that we saw at Welford Road and while he showed some lovely running lines in attack he somewhat neglected his defensive duties which he needs to concentrate on even though with Crane seemingly having incurred another injury he’ll be sure to start against Falcons and play through until the fat lady sings. 

I think that with Newby and Croft the Tigers’ could well get an edge at the lineout but they must sharpen up around the breakdown and tackle area where Falcons are very efficient at securing their own ball although they do not turnover opponents’ ball  with the same alacrity. 

Leicester bound Micky Young was on sick leave so young Chris Pilgrim got the scrum half berth last week and a good job he made of it in the main.  The youngster doesn’t pose the threat of Young but on the other hand he is a very steady influence and doesn’t engage in the do or die efforts that have been such a feature of the new Tiger.  When they come off it’s great but my word he can give away penalties and possession. 

Ben Youngs seemed to be more settled.  He made a wonderful long pass to put Scott Hamilton in for a try and his box kicking has obviously had some beneficial attention so he looked altogether more composed behind the scrum but at the breakdown he still looks hesitant and if he’s trying to remember something,  I wish I knew what was going on with the youngster.  He also seems to have resigned from his role sweeping behind the defensive breakdown which was mightily effective and led to a superb score down at Bath.  As a consequence the Tigers defence looks shallow, especially when at 7 points ahead, in the opponent’s 22 and in the last minute or so of play nobody is out of the attacking line watching for the turnover. 

Newcastle should give Kiwi Jimmy Gopperth the key to the city, or at least Kingston Park, as for the second year running he has been instrumental in his club avoiding the prospect of playing Division One rugby once again being the league’s top points scorer and goal kicker.  

He gave an all singing, all dancing display against Saints although he does kick more than any fly half other than Ryan lamb but is deadly with the boot both off the tee and in open play and he also made two incisive breaks that split the Saints’ defence asunder, which had the visitors’ defence been as lax and shallow as was that of Tigers against Gloucester, would have led to two certain tries. 

On the debit side however he does miss a lot of tackles as his place as second in the stat demonstrates with only Falcons’ old boy Dave Walder having a worse record and like Ben Youngs his passing is not always the most accurate with Youngs and Gopperth having the unenviable privilege of being first and second in the Bad Passes stat. 

If Micky Young is back then it’ll be interesting to see him head to head with the player fighting with him for the Tigers’ #9 shirt next season.  The competition will be good for the England scrum half as he’s had too little of it at club level.  If Pilgrim starts again then he may find Youngs a bit too hot to handle and Flood will need to be on his mettle against Gopperth who’s been outstanding this term and who will exploit that space that, with Youngs no longer sweeping, is invariably available behind the breakdown.  If Young is back then it’ll be an absorbing and pretty much equal contest. 

Toby Flood does not look fully fit to me, he is pained of demeanour and when he tries to perform his usual Casper the Ghost trick of getting through the opposition’s 10/12 channel he’s just half a second too slow.  

Whether it’s timing, whether it’s fitness, I don’t know.  He did get some success though and on occasion got his backline purring with some notable support from Waldrom.  It’s to be hoped that he will do so again on Friday but he just doesn’t look right and while his kicking from tee was back to standard that little, England coach inspired, dance he’s started to do puts him in grave danger of being charged down on conversion attempts. Once again though he and his colleagues decided to kick to the opposition backs instead of getting the ball into touch as deep as possible in the other half of the field, it’s aimless and dumb and I don’t get it. The inside ball is used far too often and as Saints found out there’s not much doing near to the Falcons’ pack. 

However in defence there is a  vulnerability around Gopperth and I’d expect to see Alex Tuilagi and Waldrom down his channel to exploit this and also put the Kiwi off his game, which if successful will give Tigers a real advantage as the Falcons’ strategy is predicated on Gopperth’s boot and a strong set piece and mauling game. 

Falcons are not a big ball carrying team doing so less than any other nor do they make many clean breaks having made less than any other team on just 29 whereas Tigers have made 84. 

In the inside centre berth for Falcons I expect to Luke Eves to start instead of young James Fitzpatrick. Eves will be best remembered for his exploits for Bristol where he scored ten tries in just 59 appearances for the West Country side, he’s a big classy player and he’ll almost certainly be linking with Tongan Tane Tu’ipulotu. 

 There has though been a marked lack of penetration by the Falcons’ midfield for a while now and the team has beaten fewer defenders than any other whereas Tigers top the pile, which is the same picture when looking at the metres gained by the respective sides. 

Billy Twelvetrees got his chance in the #12 shirt as the estimable, Players’ Player of The Year; Tony Allen got a well deserved rest.  Twelvetrees scored a try, tackled well, ran some good support lines and employed his prodigious boot to great effect so in attack he was excellent however defensively, his personal commitment aside, his alignment was awry and he just does not yet have the ability to organise a defence in the way that incumbents of the #12 shirt are required to do in the recent tradition of such luminaries as Daryl Gibson and Aaron Mauger at who’s feet Allen learned his craft. 

Tony Allen has that organisational ability and for that reason to my mind the ex Gloucester centre must be restored to bring order to the Barbarian Tigers of last week but Twelvetrees must be on the bench and get some game time otherwise he’ll not develop his talent as he should. 

Manu Tuilagi as usual was a handful in attack but Gloucester’ centres  ran rings around the Tigers’ duo with Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu repeatedly escaping and causing chaos, with Manu Tuilagi still drifting inward and Twelvetrees being similarly tight in the 12/10 channel Allen is needed to keep Tuilagi junior, literally, on the straight and narrow and properly align the defence. 

I mentioned earlier that Saints plugged away around the Falcons’ fringes without much success and for too long ignored the opportunities that exist against Falcons out wide, where Springbok Gcobani Bobo has a marked propensity to drift in field leaving an open channel for the attackers and with quick ball there’s plenty of scope for tries to be scored. 

Bobo also has an innate need to make the big tackle and will come out of position to do it, as Chris Ashton found out when the South African almost cut him in half with a technically perfect bone crunching tackle, although the England winger got his revenge later on when, with three minutes left on the clock, Newcastle turned the ball over in their 22 and out it went to Ashton and over he went for a match winning try, down that self same channel while Bobo was infield looking for trouble. 

It would not surprise me therefore to see Ex Leeds player Rob Vickerman return at outside centre and for Tu’ipulotu to move to the wing to strengthen that area. 

With Rikki Sheriffe, signed recently from Bradford Bulls, not in last week’s match day squad I assume that Alex Tait will continue playing out of position on the other wing while at full back another product of the Falcons’ academy, Tom Catterick will be similarly out of his preferred slot at fly half providing the last line of defence, unless Manning is fit in which case I guess he’ll be back and adding to the Falcons’ aerial armoury.. 

Alex Tuilagi, while deciding to exercise the no defending option last weekend, was in top form in attack and scored a hat trick against a Gloucester side who had chosen the same option and in his current mood, with little brother joining him in a sibling conspiracy to terrify the opposition, I think that given the space likely to be provided out wide by the Falcons’ defence there may be some more scoring to be done if the ball gets to them quickly. 

Horacio Agulla is fast cementing his starting spot making some telling breaks and being robust in defence although at times, due to him following the usual coaching diktat to hold the wide position in defence and force the attacker inside where your #12 should mop him up,  Manu Tuilagi was missing on other business, so the other requirement for a defending winger to trust his inside colleague led to plenty of space for the Gloucester attack and while the Falcons do not have the most dynamic or penetrative of attacks they’ll welcome a big hole to run through. 

 I expect though to see the Argentinian international  Tiger keep his place this week and return alongside Scott Hamilton, who I hope will be judicious in his use of the kick chase as although he executed the tactic well on one occasion last Saturday enough is a good as a feast. 

Tigers absolutely must win this match as they haven’t won their last three encounters with a loss and a draw at Welford Road and another loss in Dublin to show for their efforts. 

On paper this top versus joint bottom clash looks a no brainer but that’s what the pundits said about the Saints match!! 

The weather for Friday is set fair with a largely sunny day and temperatures of 19 degrees so it will not be a gloomy wet Friday evening in the North East and Tim Wigglesworth has charge of the whistle so the match has a more experienced Premiership referee than either of last week’s encounters. 

Tigers could win.  Tigers should win and win well but they’ll need to get their sensible heads back on and look to get down from their lofty position as the team missing the most tackles and stop turning over ball if they’re to hold on to top spot in the league, as I expect Saracens to beat a match worn Gloucester at Vicarage Road. 

Smart Tigers to win.  Dumb Tigers to lose. Their choice! 

Doh!!

Newcastle v Tigers Match Preview

Discussion started by TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk , 19/04/2011 18:20

TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk
19/04/2011 18:20

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:04:28:19:22:00 by TigerChick.

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ka ora ka mate
20/04/2011 12:30

If I were in the clique I would praise this diatribe and it's insight to the heavens, but since I am not I will sulk in the corner like the Grumpiest of seven dwarfs - so there

'Profit Motive' .. the Vaseline of genocides.

'Reality' .. the new cynicism

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Johns
20/04/2011 14:10

Another outstanding preview by our resident on the south coast.

Many thanks Chris, what are we going to do in the summer when Tigers take a rest?

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Rich W
20/04/2011 14:20

Couldn't argue with any of that Chris - damnit!

Thanks mate!

...

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Stopsy
20/04/2011 14:29

Thanks again Chris

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IDLETIMES
21/04/2011 11:52

Another brilliant piece Chris, does 6.00pm.count as a Fri. night game in. Newcastle?. If not we should win.

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Tiger in the Bath
21/04/2011 17:29

Excellent Chris thanks. You could have used inane for inate about Bobo's desire to get the big tackle in I think

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Yorkie
22/04/2011 11:16

Can you write a bad preview please Chris? You know, just to break the boring predictability that your ramblings will so good!!

And thanks.

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