Leicester Tigers
Aironi v Tigers HC Preview
By ChrisC
November 7 2011
Strictly Rugby At my age I’m easily confused when it comes to names so for a moment I thought that next weekend Tigers’ were playing a team led by that Russian minx Aliona Vilani from Strictly Come Dancing, after all she comes from Russia and Russian players are all the thing at the moment.
But sadly no, it’s Aironi that Tigers meet in the first the round of this season’s Heineken Cup which is a great shame as Aliona could show our boys a few moves which would have been an enjoyable experience and one that’s badly needed.
So that I could have exclusive use of the big flat screen HD telly to watch rugby at weekends the trade off was that in the early evening Strictly Come Dancing would be given pride of place in our Autumn/Winter viewing schedule.
The one concession I got, in negotiations more complex than those to save the Euro, was that the programme was to be watched through the offices of SKY+ so that exposure to professional Northerner; Tess Daly, could be minimised (I wonder if she sits at home with her equally untalented husband Vernon Kay so they can better practice retaining their accents and “realness”) as well as the worst excesses of the pap that pours from the TV before and after the dancers strut their stuff.
Our high-tech TV also has various sound options with which, by careful adjustment, I can, when life deals the blow of SKY Sports being the broadcaster of the live rugby, reduce the inane burblings of Stuart Barnes and Miles Harrison to the irrelevance they deserve while still being able to hear some of the crowd noise. I’ve long since used SKY+ to watch Rugby Club which I now manage to see in about ten minutes, it’s a programme rendered largely redundant if you have ESPN with their far superior highlights show but if it’s self satisfied pontificating that’s your bag then Rugby Club’s the place to be.
As far as Strictly is concerned my wife is pretty hard core and also watches the spin off show every evening hosted by Zoe Ball who, when on the radio, speaks so fast she makes my ears bleed and my head spin.
And while, by reading the paper or watching newly applied paint dry, my exposure is limited to the full effect of the high camp ridiculousness of Strictly I do worry that there may be an equivalent to passive smoking and that subliminally my brain is being turned to mush – which of course would explain an awful lot!
Strictly Come Dancing first started as an altruistic vehicle for the Children in Need charity but the BBC, quick (for once) to spot a ratings winner, surreptitiously shuffled away from the concept of charity (other to themselves of course) and the premium rate calls to vote for the amateur participants in the programme instead now goes into the grasping and insatiable maw of the BBC. I read that the Corporation is currently paying the “celebrities” who appear on the show a minimum £50,000.00 in appearance money – says it all really.
On the subject of charity, last Saturday saw a plethora of charitable giving at Welford Road, first referee Dave Pearson was imbibed with such altruism that in spite of London Irish committing foul after foul (the final count was 19 as compared to Tigers’ 6) just one Yellow Card was dispensed whereas at one point they should have been down to twelve players so persistent was their cheating.
Tigers’ pack obliterated their opponents but the double whammy of a very makeshift centre pairing and the reappearance of the defensive disaster that has so characterised Tigers’ season meant that on the rare occasions the visitors had the ball in the open spaces of Tigers’ half they looked like scoring, whereas the combination of Tigers’ inexperienced centres and London Irish being permitted to be permanently offside, with minimal sanction, meant that there was no real attacking penetration by Tigers other than from the forwards.
As I said in my preview; a win would come from ten man rugby but once changes were made that prospect withered – Tigers had shot their bolt and had too little to show for their efforts.
Next weekend Tigers travel to Italy (where, incidentally, the roots of Strictly’s professional dancers Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace may be found – oh dear the mush is starting to show) to play Rabo Pro12 side Aironi and will once again, as they did after last season’s equally dumb draw against Gloucester at Welford Road, be rueing another one that got away having escaped from the bag in which the match was just faintly wriggling in their grasp.
Against London Irish the starting Tigers’ front row trio were magnificent but with the arrival of Rautenbach and Lahiff facing the tiring Tigers’ forwards and Cole not having the same impact as Castrogiovanni the dominance ebbed. I was somewhat concerned how much things deteriorated once Cole appeared, he just does not look the player he was before being subjected to the England“experience”.
Aironi are firmly rooted at the bottom of the Rabo Pro12 league having just lost at home to Glasgow, who beat them by 18 points to 6, the scoring coming from the boot of Duncan Weir for Glasgow and Naas Olivier for the hosts. So they too are struggling.
Castrogiovanni should start against his adopted countrymen although if the rotation policy, presumably designed to keep Cole sweet, is not to be abandoned then theEnglandtight head will get the nod. If Chuter is to keep his spot then Richard Cockerill needs to be more aware of when the old warhorse is tiring and not endlessly flog him into errors, especially when the excellent Tom Youngs is chomping at the bit – it makes no sense.
I expect that the home side will continue the Argentinian motif with international loose head Matias Aguero, who has 17 caps for his country, joining the vastly experienced Venetian; Fabio Ongaro who himself has 80 international caps at Hooker and will be remembered as a stalwart of the Saracens’ front row until he left at the end of the 2009/10 season. Possibly completing a very experienced, all international, front row could be Fabio Staibano who has a relatively modest 9 caps and joined from Castres.
The Aironi pack will present a far sterner challenge than either Sale or London Irish and it would be unwise to think that Tigers will achieve anything like the dominance they have over the past two weeks.
In the second row Geoff Parling should have been Man of The Match so influential and dominant was he and I can see no logic other than to start him again in harness with Louis Deacon who does not seemed to have been engulfed by the England influence and was excellent on his debut after the World Cup fiasco. Tom Croft is back to his best at the lineout and they make a formidable trio, ably assisted by Julian Salvi who will hopefully have recovered from the head injury he picked up last time out.
Another familiar face from his time at Gloucester will be 88 time capped and erstwhile Gloucester and national skipper Marco Bortolami. Those who recall him when based at Kingsholm, and before that at Narbonne, will know he can be a force of nature both at the set piece and in the loose and he will give the Tigers’ lineout problems. He could well be partnered by South African Quintin Geldenhuys, 25 times capped for his adopted country and Aironi’s captain in their debut season if so he would complete an experienced international front five well capable of threatening Tigers.
The Tigers’ back row played with wit and intelligence against London Irish and, in spite of Mr Pearson permitting their opponents to be off side at almost every break down, gave a good account of themselves, although I still have concerns about the coaching commitment around the tackle area. Thomas Waldrom again carried tirelessly all afternoon but was usually short of support – a recurring theme in a rag, tag and bobtail team performance.
The hosts have had Josh Sole another “pasta kiwi” 47 time capped for his Italy, usually a #8, at blindside as well as Nicola Cattina, the latter more familiar to many on the open side but who looks to be installed at #6 at the moment and by all accounts doing a good job, so making space for another international; Simone Favaro in the #7 spot. At #8 I expect to see ex Munste rplayer Kiwi Nick Williams for whom he scored four tries and who’s already scored five tries for Aironi this term and is a real danger man. So here again an experienced and dynamic trio completing an already impressive pack and likely to be a real handful at the breakdown, especially if Tigers haven’t got themselves organised at last.
Behind the scrum young Sam Harrison continued his education and continues to improve with every game. I like that he is trying to expand his influence, he needs to walk before he runs but credit to him and when, for some reason, best known to Richard Cockerill, he was replaced by Grindal all the pace went out of the Tigers’ attack. He was slow with a clearing kick which led to the levelling try for London Irish but he was given precious little protection by the forwards and horribly exposed to the on rushing opposition locks.
Yet another international; Tito Tebaldi, with 14 caps to his name, has been sharing the scrum half spot with another Kiwi, young Tyson Keats, but I reckon the sparky and experienced Tebaldi will be looking to put Sam Harrison through his paces and the young Tiger could find his hands full. So I hope that Cockerill will relent and the now fit again Young will at least get a bench spot rather than omit him in favour of a player approaching the end of his career. It makes no sense.
South African fly half and late of Western Province; Naas Olivier is a rich source of points from his boot for Aironi as was the case when he was back home in the Rainbow Nation. He’s scored 59 points for his Italian employers from just six starts and two appearances from the bench so Tigers will have to be careful to keep their discipline and keep him under close control around the tackle area.
Flood tried to inject some pace into the Tigers’ back line but, without experienced centres running off him, too often he was forced to take the move a metre too far through lack of support which still didn’t arrive. Sadly for the England fly half his kicking, once as reliable as a Swiss watch, is now suspect, his missed kicks, from field positions where an international kicker should not fail to nail the points, ultimately being the difference between the sides.
Jeremy Staunton was brought on to replace Matt Smith and compounded Grindal’s error by having his own kick charged down by Garvey and then grounded. I would like to see George Ford at least on the bench next week and indeed even given a start with Flood moving to 12 as he is an experienced inside centre and with Ford would be an interesting combination, also the kicking options would multiply. It seems terribly short sighted to let Ford, widely acknowledged as being one of the great burgeoning talents, languish in the stands while Staunton, no longer “Mr Reliable” and in the twilight of his career continues. It makes no sense.
Matt Smith works like a navvy at trying to adjust to the #12 shirt but while he made some hard yards and his defence in his channel is good his workmanlike exertions are hamstrung by the otherwise excellent but horribly out of position Horacio Agulla, who scored a nice opportunist try following good work by Harrison and Tom Croft. Coaching players to operate out of position is one thing but in a pivotal, technical position as is inside centre so much is instinctive, which is why Tony Allen is such a key player and so sorely missed following his attempt at being a latter day Barry Bucknell (any whippersnappers reading this should Google him to find out who he was!!).
Just think; with a Ford/Flood/Smith combination we could have an accomplished fly half at fly half, an accomplished inside centre at inside centre and an accomplished outside centre at outside centre – this is radical stuff I know but makes sense.
Gabriel Pizzaro, who also hails from Argentina, looks to be the likely starter at inside centre and this tough hombre will be a stern test for the Tigers, especially if Matt Smith is the latest to join the ever growing list of injured centres on the treatment table at Oval Park and safe in the knowledge that Flood will almost certainly not, pro tem, be moved to a position where he has both club and international experience.
Partnering the robust South American I expect that the real class act of the Aironi back division will be deployed; Andrea Masi. What a star this guy is; strong, fast, lovely hands and, with 64 caps for his country, great top class experience and named Player of the Tournament in the 2011 Six Nations. Nick Mallett tried him at fly half but that was a waste of such a talented centre. Mallett, to his credit, realised it made no sense.
There is something very seriously wrong with the coaching of defence at Tigers. Whenever the ball gets to the opposition backs, regardless of the opposing team, my sphincter tightens with involuntary dread as Tigers’ defence routinely wobbles, panics and opens like the Red Sea. This is not some new phenomenon to be routinely explained away by the increasingly besieged Richard Cockerill as being “something to work on” but has been a problem since the middle of last season and it still ain’t been fixed.
If steps have not been belatedly taken and the ball gets to Masi in space then I fear the worse for Tigers as he’ll run them ragged as he showed when he scored a lovely try against France.
I am a great fan of Scott Hamilton but I fail to see why Niall Morris, one of the few players (along with George Ford) to come through the World Cup period with any credit, doesn’t get a starting spot as Hamilton isn’t sparking when he does get the ball. It’s almost as if Cockerill writes the team sheet two weeks in advance and refuses to change it unless forced to do so by injury, form doesn’t seem to figure in his selection, maybe he’s setting out his stall to coach England after all!
Alex Tuilagi is being used in too predictable a fashion in a painfully predictable attack these days and opposition defences are increasingly deploying multiple tacklers as he approaches from deep. Given the problems at centre I again say that if the “playing players in position” concept is not to be adopted he should be tried in the 13 shirt to replace his sibling, his power would be much better deployed closer in as out wide there’s nothing doing and Agulla could then return to doing what he does best – be a winger. He is great in that role and I like his pinball tactic when tackled but he lacks the raw gain line breaking power needed at 13 and that the Tuilagis have in abundance.
Will it or the “players playing in position” option be tried? “Duck!! – Pig approaching at 2000 feet” of course not, after all everything is so rosy isn’t it and the last thing needed is fresh, let alone innovative or lateral thinking?
Geordan Murphy is doing his best to bring the ball up albeit at reduced pace but has little support and is almost always obliged to resort to a hopeful and usually fruitless kick chase. The Irish veteran has all the guile and a wonderful rugby brain but he needs more support and hopefully the veins that were standing out on his brow with frustration at the ineptitude of Mr Pearson on Saturday will have subsided or otherwise he’ll be on Prozac!
The Aironi back three has a settled look to it with Venditti and Sinotti looking like candidates for setting up camp outside St Paul’s so established do they appear.
Giovanbattista Venditti at 6’3” and weighing in at 17st 8lb is a big, fast unit and will be giving his opposite number plenty to think about while Kiwi Sinotti (or Sinoti Sinoti Toomaga to be accurate) will be known to Alex Tuilagi as he’s been capped for Samoa. Lighter and trickier than his colleague he makes a good combination with the big, hard running Venditti and if Masi has the ball these two will cause mayhem through what passes for Tigers’ defence.
The last line of defence for the home side looks likely to be the ever present Ruggero Trevisan who’s big boot will be engaged for any long range chances at the uprights and in pegging Tigers back..
Ordinarily it would be thought that a half decent display by Tigers would secure the almost obligatory five points from a match against an Italian struggler but I have to admit my confidence is badly shaken and I am now SO tired of Richard Cockerill’s endless platitudes for failure.
Looks like another afternoon watching between my fingers and suddenly the quid pro quo of rugby for Strictly doesn’t seem such a good deal!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:14:19:26:40 by Stephen Bath.
A great effort as always.
I hope Twelvetrees is fit to fill the hole at 12. If not, i think last week's starters are as good as we've got. I like the Ford idea but is away in the Heineken Cup the time to experiment?
Aironi's pack sounds good on paper but i'm hoping we will be able to gain the upper hand as per the last two weeks.
I may utterly disagree with you on Ford, but apart from that we concur mate
And please tell - how DO you set up your TV to drown out the Barnes/Harrison rubbish while still keeping the crowd noise? I always suffer the commentary because the deadly silence seems (just marginally) worse!!
">Aironi v Tiggs advert.
Coops
WTF
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:08:19:20:53 by CooperMan.
Coops
WTF
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