Leicester Tigers
Bath v Tigers Match Preview
By ChrisC
September 26 2011
Sugar, Sugar - Newly married with a mortgage and hard up after years of saving for the 30% deposit that the Halifax Building Society insisted we had toward our first home, my new wife and I, with two close friends who were in the same financial straits, decided that we should have a holiday.
Some more saving would have to be done, these were the days before credit cards so my pal, then an accountant with the Ford Motor Company, was tasked with getting a plan together for two years hence – these were also the days before the “I want it now” society, it being the “I’ll have it when I can afford it” society. Even mortgages were viewed with trepidation and Hire Purchase was the work of the Devil.
The only criteria the girls set for the odyssey was that it had to be to somewhere with guaranteed sunshine, which rather ruled out the UK.
After much calculation it was decided that we would go camping near St Tropez, the girls approved and we lads were much encouraged by the prospect of seeing the French nymphets we’d heard so much about and viewing their topless sunbathing.
So off we duly set in my pal’s Lotus Cortina, they were also the days before penal tax rates on company cars, with a borrowed tent, provisions and high hopes – it wasn’t exactly Cliff Richard’s “Summer Holiday” but close!
After crossing the Channel on the new fangled Seaspeed Hovercraft, which leapt from wave to wave like a startled frog and operated on the basis of an ersatz airline with “flights” and stewardesses, although on our crossing it was so rough that they lost their red bowler hats and we lost our breakfasts!
After staying in a rodent infested hostel, (never let an accountant arrange the accommodation), we arrived at the camp site, erected the tent (we should have practised) and while the girls got on with tea we lads, exhausted by the ordeal of thrashing down the autoroutes in a car which, while very rapid, always smelt suspiciously of petrol, repaired to the beach bar where, to our delight, the aforementioned nymphets could be found disporting themselves, with two cold beers in hand and such a wonderful view it didn’t get any better than this we thought and actually it didn’t as it rained that night, the tent leaked and we discovered that we’d pitched in the middle of a rainwater run off!
On the radio in the bar that warm Summer evening was the Archies’ Bubblegum music hit “Sugar Sugar” which was popular in France at the time and even when I hear it now, all these years later, I am transported back to those wonderful sunny days, which stumblingly brings me to the subject of Sugar – daddies that is!
In my last piece I expressed my concern, as a rugby supporter rather than a Tigers’ supporter, at the involvement of Johann Rupert at Saracens where, to me at least, the actions taken and being taken by the South Africans firmly in charge at St Albans do not quite stack up or serve the interests of the wider game.
This week Tigers face another club where a rich individual is the owner, although here I have little concern as to the motivations behind that ownership.
Bruce Craig’s reputed £330m fortune, while dwarfing the £190m of erstwhile owner and greeting card magnate Andrew Brownsword, from whom Craig bought the club when Mr Brownsword decided he couldn’t, after all, be “forever friends”, is not in the same league as Mr Rupert with his reputed $3.8 billion fortune but the Bristolian multi millionaire is still a very wealthy man, more importantly he’s a rugby man having played at a high level, being an England trialist at Under 19 level before he broke his leg and then this staunch Francophile played scrum half for Racing Club de France (now absorbed by Racing Metro). So his rugby bona fides are impeccable, added to which he’s a local boy made good, hailing from Bristol where he was also educated before going to Loughborough, studying Physical Education, Sports Science and Management.
I don’t therefore have the sense that Mr Craig is investing in Bath as a pure business venture, although obviously if Bath were to make a bit of money I’m sure he wouldn’t complain, but has a plan that stems just as much, if not more, from his love for the game and the area of his birth.
Bruce Craig is ambitious for Bath and I like the way he’s also investing in infrastructure and not just signing rafts of foreign players. I hope though, as a major driver of the coming Marquee Player scheme, that he doesn’t go the Nigel Wray route and just sign “names” but with the signings of Louw and Donald already in the bag I guess the jury is out.
In common with many clubs Bath have seen a reduction in home attendance this season with 10,085 at The Rec., for the opening match against the holders of the Champions’ cup; Saracens, down from 11005 for the opening match of the 2010/11 season against London Irish, but as Saracens have sparse support at home and almost none when away, the missing 920 can be easily explained and that is, I think, an underlying good turnout from a club with a strong home support. A real benchmark will be how many watch the visit of Tigers, last year it was 12,200.
Last weekend what’s left of Tigers’ squad met the aforesaid Saracens and suffered a humiliating defeat. The Tigers’ performance generally lacked both intensity and organisation and more injuries look to have occurred. Mr Garner, once again in the running for worst performance of the year, didn’t help matters but in truth even if he’d had a performance half way acceptable it may have reduced the losing margin but that’s all.
Bath meanwhile had the dubious pleasure of a trip up to Kingsholm to confront a Gloucester side smarting from another real stuffing by Quins at The Stoop and came away with nothing to show for their trouble other than two penalties from Sam Vesty.
The problems in the Bath front row continue, not helped by Lee Mears and Davie Wilson mainly warming seats in New Zealand. Bath also have Banahan away and Louw and Donald have yet to play for their new team, while Lewis Moody, as Tigers’ supporters know, plays little club rugby anyway seeming to be either injured or on international duties. In the thirteen years since he came on the scene in the 1997/8 season he’s started in just 54 Premiership matches. Of course when he does play he can have a dramatic effect.
I watched Bath play Exeter and once again was impressed by the pace at which they play and their ability to take the ball to the tackle, such a contrast to Tigers who against Saracens, with Allen off injured from early on, played their attacking rugby well behind the line for much of the game and asked few questions of the Saracens defence until Morris went over when, for once, they took the ball up flat with quick ball and committed the visitors’ defence. It’s true that Tigers scored two further tries but by then Saracens had, with the match won, dropped off in their intensity.
So Tigers enter the next round of this benighted competition having, level with Quins, scored the most tries of any team in the Premiership, crossing the whitewash on 11 occasions – there’s a problem though; they’ve conceded 16 tries, the worst in the competition and 55% of the total tries they conceded in all of last year’s Premiership! So defence continues to be the issue.
For some reason, maybe related to his troublesome shoulder, David Flatman continues to delay taking his bind and by turn concedes penalties and gives his opponent the chance to gain momentum however against Gloucester the veteran loose head was replaced by Nathan Catt but still the Bath pack was in trouble.
Against the seriously depleted Tigers’ front row I expect to see a return to the Flatman/Dixon/Bell front row if they are all fit as neither Dixon or Flatman featured in the match day squad at Kingsholm but otherwise it’ll be the little used Tynesider Ross Batty and that perennial replacement, the ever reliable Bristolian Nathan Catt. The whole anchored by the double centurion, Norfolk born, Duncan Bell who is an understandable cult figure down at The Rec., having been there since the 2003/4 season after his move down from Sale where he debuted back in 1997/8 in the old Allied Dunbar at the dawn of professionalism.
Quite what front rows Tigers will have on parade is in little doubt as the options are so limited other than at hooker where Tom Youngs made an impressive debut against Saracens and looked ready for the battle. The loose head, opposite Bell, will be Stankovitch who looked out on his feet on Saturday with Bucknall and Holford vying for the starting tight head berth. Tigers did manage to get some semblance of respectability at the scrum but around the fringes the defence was once again a horror story.
Bath’s line out last term was also a Hammer Pictures production and they have recruited Ryan Caldwell from Ulster and Dave Attwood, the sometime England lock from Gloucester to bolster their resources but he got a rude awakening at Kingsholm when the home side dominated the line out with their driving maul.
Tigers had new boy Graham Kitchener making his starting debut alongside Ed Slater and they had a disrupted afternoon against Botha and Borthwick with Kitchener yet to display his promise. There is a rumour that long term absentee Geoff Parling could be fit for the trip down to the West Country and how his calm dominance of the set piece is needed. If either Parling or Skivington are available to partner each other or Slater then this may be an area, with Mafi in close attendance, where some advantage may be found as I think the scrum may be close.
In the Bath break away trio I continue to be impressed by Carl Fearns. I liked him when he was a bright light in the grim Sale side of 2010/11, he’s a real dog at the breakdown and has great pace. Guy Mercer will probably continue to deputise for the missing Moody accompanied by ex Saracen Ben Skirving who is a tremendously physical #8 but does attract the interest of match officials.
In the back row Tigers again have no real options and so I expect to see Steve Mafi join with Ben Woods and the impressive Julian Salvi, who I’m sure will look forward to renewing old acquaintanceships down at The Rec.
Mafi and Woods dropped off tackles against Saracens and should have been mortally disappointed with this aspect of their play.
If they make their tackles then I think they are an attacking force to be reckoned with but if they fail to defend against the likes of Fearns then he’ll have a field day.
At half back I was impressed with the pacey Scot; Mark McMillan against Exeter until he gave way to Claassens who will probably start against the Tigers and look to exploit the ponderous work of Grindal at the base of the scrum and the breakdown. I remain mystified why, after making a series of good showings from the bench, Mickey Young doesn’t get a start. The whole pace of Tigers’ attack goes up by leaps and bounds once the ex Falcon comes on and yet Grindal continues to get the nod in a style mismatch with Ford.
If Grindal starts again then I expect Claasens to be all over him like a cheap suit however with Young the ball would be cleared with speed and deny the experienced South African the chance to make trouble.
Until such time as Donald makes an appearance Sam Vesty will continue to deputise and do so very well. His kicking was less than perfect at Kingsholm but then young Tom Heathcote’s was no better on his Premiership debut, so Tigers’ old boy Vesty will continue to try and demonstrate what a mistake it was to let him go. I like the way takes the ball to the tackle line and his defence is still as admirable as it was when he was at Welford Road.
I don’t expect Richard Cockerill to break faith with George Ford, although the lad did look green opposite Charlie Hodgson last week as would be expected but whether Cockerill will batten down the hatches with Grindal and Staunton or continue to expose the youngster to Grindal’s invertebratelike service remains to be seen. If he does, then expect more of the same with Tigers playing too far behind the advantage line to threaten and giving Claassens and Vesty carte blanche going forward and a sacrificial offering of Ford to Skirving.
Tigers’ problems will be exacerbated if Tony Allen is absent with the injury sustained early on against Saracens as the ex Gloucester inside centre holds the defensive pattern together, in so much as a defensive pattern exists of course, and is able to perform alchemy in conjuring up some go forward from the snail slow ball delivered to him, which usually arrives with the opposing defenders. If Allen is injured then Twelvetrees will presumably move to his coveted position and get to wear the #12 shirt.
Let’s hope that the young man acquits himself better there than he has thus far wearing either 10 or 13 on his back. He is a popular player and is a dashing figure with an exotic name but for me he has yet to really claim a position as his own and his defensive alignment is really poor.
If Twelvetrees is indeed at inside centre then I expect that Matt Smith will move to partner him and try to bring some order to the defence – my God it needs it.
If the Tigers’ centres do not fulfil their task then Danny Hipkiss will reckon his Christmas has come early and decimate Tigers with his customary strong running which can break the most resolute of defences and there are many word to describe the Tigers’ defence of late but resolute is not one of them.
Ben Williams impressed against Exeter but again was one of those missing from the match day squad at Kingsholm which saw Hipkiss move to inside centre, which is not ideal for the ex Tiger for as Tigers’ supporters know he does not relish passing the ball once he gets hold of it but if Williams is there I can see all sorts of problems for Tigers in the centre if Allen is hors de combat.
Out wide Tom Biggs is relishing his time at Bath and has even grown his hair. I’m not sure whether he’s performing in a Simply Red tribute band or masquerading as Cabbage Patch Kid; Emory Anthony but it’s certainly an eye catching look. Very fast, as has always been the case, he also now tackles like a miniature dump truck so he’s a far more complete player than hitherto. All being well for Bath I expect to see Aussie Matt Carraro out wide. He’s a good player but largely unsung outside of Bath, he’s the type of player every club needs, in the Matt Smith mould, staunch club men to their bootlaces. I much prefer Carraro to the rather statuesque Jack Cuthbert who is big and fast going forward but if the ball’s put behind him he looks like Pachyderm in retreat.
Niall Morris has made a good start for Tigers continuing to take his try scoring chances and given that it seems Matt Tait could be injured again I’d bet the Irishman will start and if Smith is dragooned into the centre then Andy Forsyth looks most likely to fill the spot out wide.
At the back Nick Abendanon will cause any defence problems but if Tigers’ efforts are no better than hitherto this season then he’ll be fighting Dan Hipkiss for the Santa costume. One of the burning questions for Tigers’ supporters, amongst “what’s happened to our defence”, is “what’s happened to Scott Hamilton”.
The Kiwi has been Mr Dependable since joining Tigers but is now missing tackles, dropping the ball running up blind alleys and kicking aimlessly, although to be fair the absence of a credible chasing game from Tigers makes much of the kicking look aimless and Ford and Hamilton must kick shorter or find touch and not give it to Abendanon in space.
Otherwise I’d like to see Hamilton moved to the wing with the solid looking Morris going to full back.
I don’t think there’s any question that if Tigers’ defence hasn’t been shored up this week then Tigers could get another drubbing at a place where it’s always hard to go and win in the best of circumstances.
I think Tigers will get better set piece ball as it’s an area where the hosts are still having problems but there’s no sugaring the pill. I think it’ll be another defeat for Tigers but if it is then I hope one with more Tigerishness on display than we saw last Saturday.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:10:03:20:48:25 by Stephen Bath.
The midfield options will depend on injuries, if all fit I'd be tempted to completely change it and put Allen and tait together with twelvetrees or Staunton at fly half, no slight on Ford's effort but just to try something different.
I hope the parling rumour is correct.
I have pointed out that Manu's defensive alignment is poor in the past and that Ford's has been poor as well. That other players dropped off tackles and were poorly positioned and that Scotty is off form - does that make me anti those well or is it just 12Ts that mustn't be held accountable.
As for defence. I know you like to make routine anti Allen rants but may I just point out that ahead of last Saturday Tigers had conceded 10 tries in three matches played (just over 3 per match on average) which is bad enough - but we conceded another 6 last Saturday, almost twice the average - the starting team on parade was little changed in the backs with just Smith in for Forsyth so what was the missing defensive factor? Allen.
In his excellent piece Mike also points out a flaw in 12Ts performance, is he also "anti 12Ts? How about his Japanese companion who agreed with him, was she a visiting anti from overseas?
For the record (again) I'd like to see 12Ts stake a really strong claim to a position. For my money we are becoming (have become looking at last Saturday)too dependent on Tony Allen and we need another proper 12 to be pushing him all the way, which is why last season I was repeatedly calling for 12Ts to be given more time off the bench at #12. I guess that next Saturday he'll get his chance to show what he can do - I hope he does really well and that Allen can't get the shirt back.
I also hope young Ford does well, although I'm a fan of Staunton, as we are too dependent on Flood if we want an expansive gameplan.
#13 has competition with 12Ts., Tait and Smith all after the shirt, it's at 12 where we are vulnerable so good luck to 12Ts
Finally James, as Mike says, if you'd like to write a preview just say and I'll be pleased to cede the job or even write your own article on why 12Ts should be playing at? Well wherever you think he should.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:09:27:10:21:19 by ChrisC.
I rather like Duncan's idea of an (if fit) Allen/Tait mid-field but I would be tempted to leave Ford at 10 (and give him the goal-kicking) inside them as Bath don't poseess the juggernaut defence of last week's vsistors and the prospect of us prospering by playing attacking rugby is the more likely. Whilst I undeniably agree on Grindall/Young I still wonder why Cockers is selecting as he is. Unlike some of our more - hmmm - splenetic posters I chose to work on the basis that Cockers has reasons for his decisions and is rather too professional to be simply selecting his mates. I may be wrong but I somehow doubt it. On this basis I can only reiterate that eith Young has not yet fully demonstrated fitness and integration after his disrupted pre-season or, more likely imo, he isn't showing it on the training field. I have to say though that his case is becoming the more pressing each week and given the likely open nature of this week's game he seems the better option to me.
As for 36 - I'm afraid that having been given his chance thus far this season - albeit in difficult circumstances - he has struggled to impose himself consistently.
On our defence - I know that John and I have said this before - but why oh why haven't we got a defensive coach? I'm not talking about a tactical svengali - jJust someone to co-ordinate sessions and run the drills. Someone like Cozzer.
...
I think Coz would be ideal a great defender in his own right, and just the kind of bloke to oput some steel into the Tigers defensive organisation.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:09:27:10:47:43 by ChrisC.
...
Carl Fearns has impressed since joining and having lost a stone since last season is moving quicker. As still only 22 should improve even further and looks to be a great signing.
Salvi was great in his season for us, fast and smart - has a great 22 drop out which is worth waiting for. Looking forward to his return. No Rob Hawkins ?
The absence of the Tuilagi brothers should give Nick Abendanon some space to run and give us a good opportunity to reverse last seasons drubbing.
Whether Cockers felt the game was gone so give Youngs experience or whether he's now ahead of Hawkins we don't really know.
I think our only position completely unaffected by injury or call-ups.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:09:28:18:47:09 by ChrisC.
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