Leicester Tigers
Newcastle v Tigers Match Preview
By ChrisC
September 12 2011
So To Winterfell. Winterfell is the home of Eddard Stark, hero of the first book in R R Martin’s; A Song of Ice and Fire and is a bleak, ice bound forbidding place within the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. As a Londoner, born and bred the “North” was a mysterious place somewhere past the bastion of the North Circular Road built, as every Londoner knows, not to ease traffic around the Metropolis but to act as a redoubt against the northern tribes.
By the early 1960s though “Coronation Street” and “Z Cars” were on our black and white TV screens showing us what the North was like and, ensconced, as I was, in the capital, I didn’t much like the look of it, as it seemed much as Winterfell did, cold and unforgiving.
So it was not until I acquired some relatives by marriage, who lived to the north of Newcastle upon Tyne, that I ventured very far up the asphalt river known as the A1, which mysteriously rose near Archway in North London and wound its way northward with signs to “Hatfield and The North” proclaiming the first staging post on the long journey to the hinterland.
I had once been to Wolverhampton to see Tottenham vs Hotspur Wolves but had used the newly constructed M1, which sort of ran out of puff around Northampton and veered off toward Daventry before it completely lost interest and dumped us into the wilds of Warwickshire.
Newcastle was a different kettle of fish altogether though, my newly acquired relatives were consumed with the growing of prize leeks and when I first visited there was something akin to a Yardie turf war going on with rivals accusing each other of late night sabotage of the monster plants, to the extent that overnight patrols were mounted to guard the prize vegetables. I did venture that the plants would make a great meal but this was met with a shocked stare – “you canna eat these bonny lad, not after what we feed ‘em!”
The other shock to my soft southern system was the introduction to the delights of the Working Man’s Club. Used to a few pints of Watneys Red Barrel I was unprepared for the historic amounts of strong Federation beer consumed at these smoke filled, testosterone packed venues. I tried to keep up with my hosts but overwhelmed by the sheer speed and volume of consumption I faltered quickly enough for my hosts to shake their heads in pity before carrying me home, my last recollection before oblivion is of four untouched pints being arrayed before me on the soaking wet, cigarette butt strewn table.
I have been to the North East many times since and like it very much, the coast is especially beautiful but my goodness it’s windy a climatic predilection for which Kingston Park, where Tigers visit this Saturday, is famous. The in-stadium hot tub keeping alive the reputation of Newcastle as being a party town. They even have a club called Tiger, Tiger!
Since Newcastle Falcons won the inaugural Premiership, by a single point from the Nigel Wray backed Saracens, when, due to the foresight and cash of Sir John Hall, who sought to create a cross sport behemoth in the North East before eventually giving up, the North East club caught everybody napping at the dawn of the professional era, league successes since those opening days have been as thin on the ground as virgins at the court of King Robert Baratheon.
In spite of the efforts of subsequent owners, management and players it has proved impossible to create much demand or a great appetite for professional rugby union in an area dominated by soccer. With just 3250 souls attending Kingston Park on the first day of the new season, a 38% drop from the same match last year and a 37% drop on the opening home game against Wasps in 2010, it must be in serious doubt that a viable business exists for Newcastle Falcons.
With some sixteen players leaving and just eleven arriving the Falcons’ playing squad has shrunk and it seems that the policy of recruiting a “big name” in an attempt to garner support has been abandoned, the days of Carl Hayman, Matt Burke et al have seemingly passed.
Against Bath it seems that the Falcons’ tactic was to kick the ball at every opportunity which didn’t work out too well against the visitors’ attack but down in Devon tactics seemed to have changed to see the ball kept in hand which got Falcons into the home 22 where they battered away at the Exeter line, just a siege cannon from Westeros was missing in their endeavours, but they couldn’t break through.
So Falcons succumbed to their second defeat of the season and ninth in succession being overwhelmed 32 points to 15 by the tormentors of Tigers in the first match of the season. Exeter Chiefs are now proudly atop the Premiership by taking their chances during the World Cup period, and put four tries past Falcons although the visitors did manage two of their own to add to the work of Jimmy Gopperth while Exeter successfully chased a try bonus.
Falcons are barely troubled by the demands of the World Cup, only Euan Murray away with Scotland, making them the least affected of any Premiership club, so it would seem, on face value at least, they have a good opportunity to get some clear blue water between them and the relegation zone ahead of the legions limping back from across the Narrow Sea.
The reality is somewhat different however with the Kingston Park club at the bottom of the Premiership without a point to their credit and so they go into this bottom of the table clash with Tigers, who have also failed to get a “W” thus far, although they do have two losing bonus points to their credit, seeming to be looking at another long season of survival ahead of them.
Thus far Falcons have managed to score two tries while conceding five whereas Tigers have scored five but conceded seven and so the question is whether they can shore up their defence.
Admittedly up at Kingston Park Tigers are not going to come across another Christian Wade, who I highlighted in last week’s piece, but the defence looks porous and horribly disorganised at times.
Down at Adams Park the heavily depleted Tigers made the best of a bad job by running Wasps, who are also barely troubled by World Cup demands, close, and at one point looked as if they could have pulled off a stunning victory but young Christian Wade put pay to that and Tigers had to make do with a consolation point for finishing just six points adrift, a case of Tigers 29 Christian(s) 35.
The Tigers front row is looking underpowered at the moment with their first four choices absent and young Kieran Brookes struggled against that famous non- scrummager; Tim Payne while Boris Stankovitch stood four square on the open side and George Chuter went about his business but looked sluggish in the loose, the Wasps front row having the edge, bringing Bucknall to the coal face made no real improvement that I could see. Tigers must hope against hope that the Nemesis of so many loose heads, Julian White, is recovered from his knee operation and can, this season, muster what is surely a last hurrah.
However, Richard Cockerill is nothing if not obstinate and so I can’t see him denying the, thus far unimpressive ex Falcon Brookes, the opportunity to confront his old team mate; Scot Grant Shiells and if Tigers are correct in their estimation of Brookes then he’ll need to prove the point against his erstwhile team mate.
Stankovitch is the default at loosehead and will scrummage until hell freezes over and he’ll be facing new signing; South African Ashley Wells late of the Griquas.
As one of the few senior players left at Tigers George Chuter is likely to be preferred to Rob Hawkins, although the time must surely be nigh for the ex Bath man to get a string of starts as Chuter is looking somewhat off his best form, and face Falcons’ stalwart and sometime Saxons hooker; Rob Vickers who has made 63 Premiership appearances for the North East side.
The Tigers’ trio will have do much better against Falcons than they did against either Wasps, who’d been decimated by Saracens the previous week, and Exeter and they will need to do so to give some much needed go forward ball at scrum time.
Jon Golding has not thus far made an appearance for Falcons so I can only think he’s injured but if he comes into the equation and from what I’ve seen thus far, the pendulum would swing firmly toward the home side.
George Skivington and Ed Slater went well against Wasps’ revitalised line out but then new signing Kitchener came on and it all went decidedly pear shaped, it was as if he’d never met Chuter before, so poor was their understanding.
It also seems that there has been a surrender of copyright over the rolling maul with Tigers using the product in a chaotic display of the art.
I expect the superb James Hudson, late of London Irish and manfully loyal to his new club, to be joined by Tim Swinson, although if there’s a rotation policy afoot we may see Andrew Van der Heijden, the Kiwi, in any event the Falcons’ lineout has always been pretty stable and will give the Tigers’ locks a run for their money.
Tigers’ go-to man has been Steve Mafi and I expect to see him retain the blind side berth and help Tigers get parity at the line out and I hope that Chuter and Kitchener have been introduced during this week’s training.
Cumbrian Mark Wilson looks set to oppose Tigers’ Tongan dynamo while Julian Salvi, who initially played out of position against Wasps but still put in a fine scavenging and defensive performance, will be lining up opposite local youngster Will Welch. The Falcons’ breakaways have a callow look to them but have Kiwi, Richard Mayhew, newly arrived from Esher after his putative move to Wasps fizzled out, to give them some go forward. Of course the home side also have the excellent Ally Hogg to call to the fray, who is a wonderful carrier but does give away penalties.
I hope that we’ll see Salvi back at open side with Thomas Waldrom at #8, in which case I can see the Tigers’ trio getting the upper hand and getting some decent quick ball to the Tigers’ half backs.
Micky Young has yet to get a start with Grindal, for some reason, being preferred to the latest signing from the Falcons’ back division. I fail to follow Richard Cockerill’s thinking here as Tigers badly need the pace that Young can bring. If Young is not to play a major part during this World Cup period why sign him in the first place? Grindal and Harrison are still at Tigers and to keep Young on the bench until the final quarter seems nonsense to me while the worthy, but pedestrian, Grindal continues his slow service to Ford, Grindal surely being one of the most predictable scrum halves in the Premiership. As England have found the presence of a scrum half who keeps the opposition breakaways honest and thinking about what’s to happen next is invaluable.
Alan Tait, having signed Jordi Pasqualin from Gloucester, has started with Chris Pilgrim thus far this term and if he starts again he’ll probably partner Newcastle’s saviour on so many occasions, Jimmy Gopperth. Pasqualin can be a real live wire so it can only be a matter of time before, like Young, he gets to play a greater part in proceedings and for the same reasons.
Gopperth’s boot is the stuff of legend at Kingston Park but in truth he brings little else to the party not being the most creative of fly halves whereas George Ford, preferred to Jeremy Staunton against Wasps, showed some lovely touches and made Tigers’ second try with a break from that rarity; quick ruck ball.
If only the young man can get more service of that kind then we’ll see his whole box of tricks and it was good to see him keep the ball in hand more and his confidence grow. I’ll not labour the point but a spine of Waldrom/Young/Ford must be tried and have it move the ball away from the struggling scrum. It’s disappointing, although not entirely surprising, that with 50% of the first choice pack on RWC duty the pack is stuttering and it’s just plain dumb to pretend that Tigers can play as if they weren’t missing.
Ford was aggressive in defence and seemed determined to answer his doubters who question his defensive credentials. The only problem was that his enthusiasm left Tony Allen horribly exposed at times and the star centre had some stern defensive duties to perform. Meanwhile Billy Twelvetrees let Manu Tuilagi know that he needn’t thing he’s just going to waltz back into the #13 shirt when he comes back from New Zealand.
The newly be-helmeted Twelevtrees had an excellent match, his kicking was peerless, his defence solid, other than when having to try and catch jet propelled will of the wisp Christian Wade, and he took his two tries with great aplomb, the second, like the Mondeo, produced by Ford, a real gem.
Falcons started new signing; Samoan Jamie Helleur, against Bath in the opening defeat to Bath but reverted to the more home spun talents of James Fitzpatrick to partner Luke Eves against Exeter with Fitzpatrick crossing the whitewash, so it would seem to make sense for Alan Tait to stick with Fitzpatrick, who joined from Blaydon (of races fame), and stalwart Eves, who many will remember best from his time at Bristol.
Allen and Twelvetrees are certainly the more dangerous duo and if they can get some front foot ball from their half backs then I can see them causing the home side all sorts of problems but if Falcons’ keep the ball in hand they will ask defensive questions themselves of that there is little doubt, so Tigers must have some answers prepared.
On the wing Tigers continue to try to start new signing, and another ex Falcon; Matthew Tait, but he keeps bringing in a sick note, so maybe this week we’ll see him at last and facing younger brother Alex.
Matt Smith got a knock at Adams Park so it may be that Niall Morris will step in again, here again we have a player pressed into earlier service than was probably expected but he’s done well . The Irishman has belied a patchy pre season by providing two good performances thus far and he’ll, perforce, join Scott Hamilton who continues to play his unfussy brand of rugby and so much the better for that in these difficult days.
Falcons will probably have top scorer; Luke Fielden on the wing. I rather like Fielden, another unfussy player who can produce tries from the most unpromising of circumstances and he’ll likely be supported at full back by new signing; South African Greg Goosen who’s newly arrived from La Rochelle having previously plied his trade with Racing Metro and is a great back up kicker if Gopperth’s pragmatic approach is deemed inappropriate and it seems that the South African was instrumental in the large dollops of territory his side gained at Sandy Park.
If Tigers can get some quick ball through to their fly half then I expect to see Tigers win but if they let themselves get drawn into an attritional battle, as they did against Exeter, then it could be another tricky day at Kingston Park, where in any event Tigers don’t have a good record, with another loss seeing them at the bottom of the league and the prospect of Saracens the following week offering no respite.
Tigers worst start to a season was back in 2002/3 when they lost two of their three opening fixtures with a loss away at Leeds, followed by a thumping 30-6 win at home to Quins before they lost the third game away at Sale. In that season they finished in their lowest ever league position of sixth so it is so important for them to get a “W” in their form line if, by the time November comes, they are not to be too far adrift to make an impact of the right kind this season.
On balance though I expect to see Tigers record their first victory of the season in this first “must win” game, for with the fixtures ahead of them, before the cavalry comes back from down under resembling the Knights of the Night’s Watch guarding the Kingdom against the Others, wins look hard to find.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011:09:22:13:07:53 by Stephen Bath.
Thoroughly agree, this is a huge match. We can't afford to lose another before the Sarries match.
See the "New sites for live rugby links" thread.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:09:12:22:46:55 by Tiggs.
Link Here
Thanks Chris - another great preview - and kudos to you - never thought I'd read a rugby article that so brilliantly referenced GoT! Well played Sir!
I wonder if the reason Young has not been starting is that his injury in pre-season set his preparations and fitness back to the extent that he is only now approaching being ready for 80 minutes. I hope so - and hope we see him this week. It seems too good an opportunity to be missed to launch him against his former club and to bring any inside knowledge to bear. Unless of course, he has just not impressed in training?
On Chuter my feeling is that Allen or Hamilton should take the captaincy (with Skivington leading the forwards) and Hawkins starting. Chutes can then come on towards the death to bring experience and leadership when we have seemingly needed it most of late.
Oh and - 'Winter is coming!'
...
Yes Winter is coming and so, next year, is a second series of GoT.
As usual I think you're being harsh on Allen but anyway the whole thing looks a bit harem scarum at the moment and maybe Salvi could do the job - somebody has to pull the side together - it's not a bad side on paper although as we agree (this has happened before I think!!
) Young and Hawkins would add to the whole. I'm not sure you can select a captain on the basis that as an open-side he's close to the action. That, I would venture, is the very least one would expect of him. That he is voluble strikes me as a much better reason.
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I sometimes despair of so called "managers" I encounter and have encountered - individuals who couldn't "manage" their way out of a paper bag.
Tony Allen, and as I speak as somebody who first saw him as a kid at Kingsholm (him not me!
) I think he's matured wonderfully since he's been at Tigers.
Against Wasps I saw him as a calming influence on his talented colleagues either side of him and when their youthful exuberances caused problems he was there in close support, which is wonderful for a young players as it let's them play without fear - so I can't agree with James that he's not stepped up to "the plate" it's just a different "plate".
...
I also thought he was poor against Exeter, completely dominated by a pair of physical centres, much like Perpignan last year.
Chuter hasn't been playing well but Hawkins didn't really impress off the bench against Exeter, I'd rather wait untill Youngs is more at home and give him a go. He could be world class, Hawkins will never be more than a decent prem player.
But against Ex - as I say - he was my motm - he went as well as anyone against their big carriers and he carried well himself - probing for space and keeping the ball alive - especially in the second half.
So - no easy ride - in my opinon he did well in the one game I've seen this term. The point of my initial comment on that was that it was my opinion. I didn't comment on the other though Chris' view differs, it seems, from yours.
...
Quote:SK88
....he also gave away 6 points in the second half
True but I've taken the trouble to go back and look at both incidents.
In the first the ball had actually been cleared from the breakdown and Allen got a push from behind and stumbled into Berry and knocked the ball out of his hand - not Allen's fault and a harsh call from Mr Small.
In the second Allen was perfectly positioned but Berry pulled him, by his shirt, around to the side and into the ruck - another harsh call.
There again I agree with Cockers wanting to minimise the risk of further injuries and so only having three games. The first choice players only played half a game against Nottingham and may be a full game would have helped with the bonding.
There were improvements at Wasps with the team working better for each other. This week I would like many here to see Hawkins and Young start and hope that Tait will be fit.
This really is a must win game, a fine calm sunny day would help us no end.
Rich I didn't say he was the solely responsible player for the loss but given how you blamed 12trees allegedly suspect defense after Agulla missed a tackle in the gloucester game I thought it was bizaree how Allen was, seemingly, getting away with what was a poor performance when others get it in the neck.
I must say that had the "bulwark" not done such a good job then things could have unravelled very badly - are you sure he wasn't solely responsible for all 35 points?
As I've said eleswhere I thought that Andrw Small had a decent game but the laws surrounding the ruck are amongst the worst and too often applied without common sense and seemingly without the referee ever having played the game.
I can't imagine how a player, correctly positioned and playing the ball on being pulled into an offside position can be expected to instantly release the ball as some of the less empathatic officials require.
Quote:Rich I didn't say he was the solely responsible player for the loss but given how you blamed 12trees allegedly suspect defense after Agulla missed a tackle in the gloucester game I thought it was bizaree how Allen was, seemingly, getting away with what was a poor performance when others get it in the neck.
I don't actually recall that incident but if I made an error in identifying a player that isn't the same thing as observing that I thought another player played well against Ex - nb not Wasps. I explained that I didn't see the Wasps game so couldn't comment on those individual incidents. If I [wrongly] identified a defensive error by 36 that isn't the same thing as suggesting he has suspect defence - I've never that I can recall thought that Billy's defence was suspect as a whole. In fact I've generally thought his defence solid. That he might make an error from time to time doesn't seem contentious. The same might be applied to Allen - generally solid and well organised - capable of occasional error...
I'm really struggling to see how you can tie these things together.
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We've conceeded 30+ points in both games, I don't think anyone can be said to have a had a good defensive game in such circumstances.
You're trying to put words into my mouth!
And your last comment is nonsense - of course someone might be said to be having a good game in those circumstances - it might be that their excellence kept the scores conceeded down!
...
Secondly he let Ford slip inside him for an easy second try.
Oh yes he missed 4 kicks tut tut
As for Wade's second try, poor clearance from Ford, Chuter way off the pace all game and a woeful effort from your number 7
And Mickey Youngs apparently a lot quicker than Grindall, but 10 yard start on Wade and nowhere.....
Last season some waspy folks just liked finding scapegoats it's so easy to do.......
Basically he's a poor mans Andy Goode, more errors and less moments and genius.
I imagine not many wasps fans would argue if I said he was a poor mans King.
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