By ChrisC
March 25 2013

Time Pieces.                                          It was a sad day this week when, upon the demise of my last piece of equipment capable of playing music cassettes, I bade a final farewell to the rump of my collection of those infuriating forerunners of CDs that used to regularly come unravelled and, in the days when cassette players were common equipment in cars, involved a high degree of dexterity with a pencil to free up the jammed mechanism and, if luck was with you, enable you to wind the tape back into the cassette, although the artiste concerned thereafter often sounded as if he (or she) had been on a good night out so slurred was the delivery.

There was one recording that I was particularly sad to see leave me; a compilation of some classic Eric Clapton tracks called “Time Pieces”. The title of the cassette and the longevity of Clapton’s music made me wonder how many later “big acts” will be remembered by their fans as my generation do Clapton et al half a century later.

The first time I saw “Slowhand” was when he was with the Yardbirds and, shortly after I started work, I went to the old Crawdaddy club where they were playing, although I’d gone there to see the resident band, newcomers; the Rolling Stones, who’d moved to pastures anew.

I saw Clapton again later when he’d left the Yardbirds to form the first “supergroup”; Cream, with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. That was at the Upper Cut club in East London’s Forest Gate. It was owned by ex British heavyweight boxer Billy Walker with his brother George and was a very sophisticated venue for its time, attracting many of the major stars from here and the USA, the most electric of which was (then Little) Stevie Wonder who had a quite extraordinary presence.

I only ever saw one live act as remarkable; Chuck Berry - who I saw at the old Hammersmith Odeon. When he started singing there was an almost involuntary surge of people from their seats to the front of the auditorium, there was dancing in the aisles and on the seats. It was an unforgettable night.

If there’s still radio in another fifty years time I wonder if the music of more recent “big things” will be regularly played and feature in film scores of the day. Will the backing track they form to people’s lives today be relived then as those of Clapton and his contemporaries enable me to mine now.

You’ll be wondering (OK you won’t!) why I’ve meandered off down this particular backwater of the river nostalgia.

I avoid those silly interviews with rugby players that chronicle the minutiae of their lives; favourite pizza, favourite music, which team mate would you most hate being stuck in a lift with – you know the sort of thing, in the course of researching this piece (oh yes there’s research going on) I stumbled upon an interview with Ben Foden and I gather he’s married to somebody from a pop group, which on investigation I see is “The Saturdays”, and that got me wondering about the longevity of today’s musicians. So its rugby related – well sort of!

And just to get perfect synchronicity I recalled there was another female pop combo called “All Saints” which dominated the charts for a while back in the late nineties and early noughties – see what I did there?

Jim Mallinder has, in the past, been criticised for being indecisive in his selections but of late, blessedly unconstrained by injury, he’s been very consistent, especially behind the scrum where had Waldouck and Tom May not swopped places, with the talented ex Wasp getting the inside centre berth, Saints’ back division would have been unchanged since they visited Sixways, four matches back, when they won by twenty-seven points to the Warriors’ eighteen and following which they had consecutive Premiership victories against Bath and London Irish. 

In the first half the spectators at Adams Park, seeking refuge from the biting cold of The Streets of High Wycombe saw a display that truly was All Saints aside from a well taken try by Tom Varndell when he Busted through the Saints’ defence while Wilson followed Dowson into a midfield fracas and was unable to recover his unattended flank.

Saints selected just one club from their bag, that of the rolling maul, but it was a mightily effective one. First Mr Rose peremptorily awarded them a penalty try, then Dickson dived over for a close range score after his forwards had battered their way to within inches of the Wasps’ line. The Saints’ scrum half then took on the role of a Crazy Frog in declaring Hartley’s score from identical circumstances. In fact only Dickson, seemingly blessed with X-Ray vision, and Hartley proclaimed the triumph and Mr Rose was driven to consult the TMO, asking if there was any reason he should not award the try. As there was no definitive view of the ball being grounded the correct reply would normally have echoed from on high; “yes, the reason is that I can’t see the ball being grounded”. But the TMO decided otherwise and the try was given. 

 Now I’d bet that the try was scored but either there’s a protocol for the TMO or there’s not. The raison d’etre for this benighted involvement of the TMO is supposed to remove “guesswork” all that happened here is that the TMO made the guess instead of the referee.

Mr Rose, unlike Mr Wigglesworth later at Sandy Park, was to brook no hint of infringement in defending the rolling maul but blissfully ignored stamping, punching, crooked throws at the line out, players sealing off at the ruck and of course binding and scrum put ins were the usual free for all as was standing up in the scrum, a good Example of the famed RFU “randometer” method of officiating. Players flying into rucks off their feet was also largely waved through with one instance where Mujati’s Exocet impression went unpunished with the sequence of play evolving into Saints’ final, and bonus point, try from Christian Day– again from close range mauling work which had been much less effective in the second half once the hosts got their body angles lower and drove into and under the advancing Saints.

Later the same afternoon, while a blizzard was still raging here in the Peak District, Tigers were at a cold and blustery Sandy Park. Tigers fielded a strong team emphasising the importance for Cockerill’s charges to get on a winning run after the stumbles of the Six Nations’ period, in spite of which they’d retained third place in the Premiership.

Tigers prevailed in the forward exchanges against the Chiefs with a solid set piece but their attempts at executing the rolling maul were largely frustrated by the match officials taking a laissez faire approach to defensive tactics, at odds with that of Mr Rose shortly before – consistency of interpretation now largely a matter of Hear’ Say.

In truth the Chiefs played in a classic Sandy Park style and while they didn’t much look like breaching the Tigers’ Blue/grey defensive wall, the visitors looking the more dangerous, but due to their own inaccuracy and the obdurate home defence The Wanted try never came.

However victories down in Exeter are always hard won with only Northampton and Tigers coming away with Premiership victories from Sandy Park so far this term. Saracens, Quins, Wasps, Bath, Worcester, Sale and London Welsh all heading back up the M5 on the losing side.

It was a victory that took Tigers to second place in the Premiership, just a single bonus point win behind the leaders; Saracens who played with the efficiency of a Panzer division in despatching Quins. Hard to see the Enigma that is Saracens slipping up and failing to win the, admittedly mythical other to aficionados, league title this term.

Coincidentally the two teams to have prevailed at Sandy Park meet next Saturday evening at Franklins’ Gardens in the local derby that has a sense of Mis-Teeq to surpass all others.

With the East Midlands weather not looking likely to break out of the current cold Snap before the Easter weekend I reckon it’ll be another forward orientated battle in Northampton with Racing Metro bound Tonga’huia pretty much nailed on for the loose-head berth opposite Dan Cole who went well at Sandy Park and is now a solid first choice ahead of the waning star that is Martin Castrogiovanni. 

 The Italian behemoth looks distracted and unhappy with himself, his demeanour not helped by the bizarre penalty given against him in the final stages at Sandy Park when Mr Wigglesworth dug deep into his lexicon of offences to discover “throwing feet back in the scrum” otherwise known to us lesser mortals as slipping in the mud. Maybe the referee would be better employed reading Scouting For Girls and Castrogiovanni concentrating on the task at hand rather than thinking about the riches that await him in France.

The secret against Saints’ 131kg Tongan loose-head is to make him scrummage low, he likes nothing better than to get away with standing up (as he so often does) and engaging the opposing tight-head in a chest to chest pushing contest where there is usually one winner – Tonga’huia.

The battle between Hartley and Tom Youngs promises to be “entertaining” with nothing much between them, while on the loose-head Tigers look pretty certain to deploy Marcos Ayerza to face Londoner Tom Mercey who was impressive last weekend. Unlike others the youngster has patiently waited his time. With Mujati also headed across the Channel and Doran-Jones off to the bright lights of south west London, Mercey will surely get many more starts next term. The Saints’ scrum certainly looked less secure when he was replaced by “Exocet” Mujati in the second half at Adams Park.

If the match officials oblige Mr Tonga’huia to remain engaged and with his back in the horizontal then the Tigers’ front row could get an edge. In the loose though Tigers know that, through their on-field surrogates, Dorian West and Richard Cockerill will be renewing their none too friendly rivalry and rolling mauls will be order of the day, so Tigers need to spend plenty of time at Oval Park perfecting their defence thereof. Stop them early by driving in low and hard.

With Kiwi Sorenson off to join Bristol ex Shark Christian Day has had a run of starts lately and played well and with one of his Partners in Kryme; Courtney Lawes they got stuck into the hitherto inviolable Wasps’ line out. It’ll be interesting to see how the England second row colleagues match up when Lawes faces “Professor” Geoff Parling, who didn’t look to be suffering any ill effects from his exposure to England in producing a “Man of the Match” performance. Ed Slater deservedly kept his place and once again put in a good shift in the tight and the loose and must surely be retained. 

Nothing to choose between the likely pairings for me, even at the line out as, with Mallinder having included the spectacular Samu Manoa on the blind-side of late, the third jumping option of Tom Croft is thus parried but it remains to be seen if it’s negated. 

Speaking of Tom Croft - it’s good to see him in good fettle and heart and pleased to be back playing club rugby, he’ll be the usual threat in open play and when opposing Manoa at the set piece.

Julian Salvi also fell foul of Mr Wigglesworth’s new affection for the more obscure laws and in his eagerness to show off his knowledge applied them “willy-nilly” but without Scaysbrook Tigers’ resident Aussie wasn’t given much trouble – other than by Mr Wigglesworth. 

The ubiquitous Phil Dowson has been in the Saints’ #7 shirt of late, although he’s equally at home for his club anywhere in the back row, but with Tom Wood fit and free I wouldn’t be surprised to see the England international back on the open-side for Saints. However that presents a conundrum for Mallinder. Does he move Manoa back to lock to make way for Dowson on the blind-side? Does he instead continue the successful use of the American Eagle there and replace the dynamic, but Yellow Card prone, G J van Velze? Spoilt for choice is our Mr Mallinder. I rather expect that it’ll be the South African that makes way.

Jordan Crane got the start against Exeter and while he carries endlessly he does so sideways too often for my taste so I’d like to see Waldrom’s more direct style employed next weekend.

Too close to call the battle of the packs who I suspect will be saying to their colleagues in the backs “no Girls Aloud”.

I sense a more mature Ben Youngs these days and prefer his demeanour to that of the histrionic Lee Dickson who make my teeth itch with irritation when he shouts and screams, jumps up and down and cuddles all and sundry. I find myself screaming “just get on with it”!

Both will have to be on their mettle as neither will get an armchair ride and they are closely matched.

Stephen Myler presumably got his brief from Mallinder: “kick your points and get territory” it suited the ex Salford City Red to a tee and he was peerless. I suspect he’ll be told “same again” next weekend and be preferred to the more flamboyant Tigers’ bound Lamb.

Toby Flood meanwhile was also perfection from the tee although it’s hopelessly off message to call the Tigers’ #10 “ice man”, “Mr Unflappable” or any of the other witless soubriquets doled out by the witless media hacks to another England fly-half of our acquaintance.

However Flood was, for some reason, standing so far away from Ben Youngs that at one stage I thought of calling FedEx to deliver the ball. This odd alignment, which saw Flood where Tony Allen should have been, made the whole Tigers’ midfield cramped. His runners thus had difficulty running lines onto the ball and when they did Flood mostly ignored them and took the ball to ground for another dose of randomisation. It was odd not to see Flood on the gain line and frankly trying too hard. He looks fed up after the England experience and he has indeed been ill used by Lancaster but needs to put it behind him and maybe get some Prozac so his aura is improved for the visit to Northampton.

This compression of the backs meant that set plays were truncated and with Mr Wigglesworth seeing decoy runners as crossing the Tigers’ attack lacked Snap.

I can’t comment much on Saints’ backs as their team produced the epitome of ten man rugby however I much prefer to see the copiously talented Dominic Waldouck at outside centre and were it my call I’d deploy the hard running, evergreen Tom May to attack Tony Allen who may well still contain him and it runs the risk of Allen shimming through between May and Myler but it just seems a happier fit. It would also enable the ex Wasp, who injuries surely prevented full international recognition, to bring more variety than does the battling Pisi who’d doubtless find himself in an arm wrestle with Tuilagi who, like the rest of the Tigers’ backs, tried to relieve the claustrophobia by wandering abroad to find the ball down at Sandy Park with the Tigers’ attack losing cohesion as a consequence. If Tuilagi loses his defensive radar then Waldouck is the man to punish the indiscretion.

In both matches the outside backs saw little ball and young Jamie Elliott, who’s being belting down the wing like an Atomic Kitten, scoring seven tries in all competitions, was all but ignored out in the frozen reaches with Kiwi James Wilson’s notable contribution the missing of Varndell.

I don’t expect many changes in the respective back divisions next Saturday with Thompstone hoping to be granted more space in which to work and Niall Morris looking to put some suspect kicking behind him (not literally!). With Saints’ tending to defend quite narrowly at times there may be space out wide if the ball is delivered with alacrity.

I don’t see Jim Mallinder changing his full back as Ben Foden looks to be getting back in the swing of things but I do hope that Richard Cockerill ceases to impersonate Nero while watching Matt Tait burn in the #15 shirt. I’m starting to feel really sorry for the lad as he tries to be the ultimate square peg in a round hole. He’s not a renowned Spiller of the ball but his catching under high kicks is fragile, his defensive kicking is at best conservative and even his instinctive running game is suffering as his botching of the only real try opportunity against Exeter bears witness. 

The vast majority of Tait’s one hundred and forty club starts and his nineteen at international level have been at outside centre with very few appearances on the wing and at full back. I cannot conceive why Cockerill persists with this hugely talented player in a position for which he is evidently not suited. Cockerill’s obduracy over this is bad for the team and bad for the player who has five international tries and thirty-two from his club appearances to his credit. 

The lad looks haunted. What a criminal and cruel waste of talent. His confidence is low and it shows so I hope Murphy is fit to play.

So come the weekend what’ll be the outcome of the Eternal battle for East Midlands’ bragging rights? Who’ll emerge as Destiny’s Child? It’ll be a very close, forward orientated match I reckon and I’ll have to go with home advantage in such a tight contest.

But if Tigers manage to pull it off they’ll feel they’re knocking on heaven’s door...

Northampton Saints v Tigers Preview

Discussion started by TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk , 25/03/2013 19:45

TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk
25/03/2013 19:45

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:04:02:10:37:05 by Tiggs.

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Duncan Keene
25/03/2013 20:20

Majestic! A Nirvana of a preview hopefully the players will now be liberated from their international malaise.

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Stopsy
25/03/2013 21:21

Many thanks Chris, will it be this weekend that Richard and Matt pull the lever that suddenly shortens the gap twixt 9 & 10 and gets the decoy and support runners on track... or is is a tad early in the season to reveal our hand?

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ballagher
25/03/2013 21:57

Chris C - I don't think I've ever bothered to read another side's match preview apart from yours when Tigers play Saints (and if I'm honest that's sometimes because I've offered to write the Saints version and I'm looking for inspiration). But this is another classic - a symphony no less.

Actually I disagree with a couple of your points (eg. the TMO decision) but I love your analogy with golf.

I can hear Peter Alis now: "So Hartley is a long way from the green. Yes he's gone for his driver to get him there." "Now - Dylan finds himself in a tricky little sand bunker. Ah yes young man. He's chosen his driver again." " Just a tap in required now. And it's the trusty driver again. And whyever not sir".

I usually fancy Saints against the Tigers (gawd knows why) especially at home (though, of late, no knowing why) and yet I can't see it this weekend. Maybe it's because Saints are on a winning run and I'm too used to the rollercoaster.

Anyway - may the best team (that are playing at home) win.

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Purebob
26/03/2013 07:05

Fine report Chris. I agree that the weather will be a factor as we won't be playing on Supergrass like Sarries.

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Wilts Tiger
26/03/2013 09:37

Chris C: I have a digital copy of the Eric Clapton Timepieces Album, if you wish I could send it to you

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Tiggs
26/03/2013 12:14

Leicester have won their last six encounters with Northampton in all competitions since the Saints' 27-19 win at Franklin's Gardens in the Premiership in the opening round of the 2010/11 season.

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Johns
26/03/2013 14:04

Thanks Chris, another brilliant preview.

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StBleach
26/03/2013 19:51

Excellent preview and well thought out..

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odd-shaped vagaries
27/03/2013 13:27

while a blizzard was still raging here in the Peak District

No snow here

... I could resist, but hey


Thanks for yet more sterling stuff, Chris

... right, back to the pool

'Lions led by donkeys' .. Lest we forget

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Yorkie
28/03/2013 09:27

Thanks Chris.

Surprised no-one's suggested a competition to count all the group names subtly included?


Has Geordan still got his pop star girlfriend?

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