By ChrisC
October 14 2013

Count Your Blessings                                                                 Whenever I moaned to my mother about something or another she would wag her finger at me and say “count your blessings my boy, there’s always someone worse off than you” and, suitably admonished, I’d sulk away nursing my grievance for a few minutes while railing against the injustice of life before considering my good fortune.

“Mustn’t grumble” was another homily widely used by her generation who’d endured the privations of mass unemployment without the safety net provided by the welfare state and, in my parents’ case, the immediate aftermath of the First World War as well the horrors visited upon the citizenry during the Second. 

They were a stoical bunch and when they were asked how they were they invariably responded that they “mustn’t grumble”. 

I felt a bit like that myself after this weekend’s opening round of the doomed Heineken Cup. 

I’d have been delighted had Tigers managed to pull off an unlikely win at Ravenhill but the losing bonus point they secured puts the outcome firmly in the “mustn’t grumble” category. Ulster failed to collect a try bonus or deny Tigers their consolation prize, while Montpellier failed to collect a try bonus against Treviso. So that solitary point Tigers brought back from Belfast could well prove pivotal in deciding the winner of Tigers’ pool. 

Mr Poite rather lost the plot especially at the breakdown where Salvi was wrongly penalised as his tackle/release and challenge was according to the text and law books and again later when Tigers were penalised for holding on, even though the competing Ulster player had entered from the side of the ruck.  And why Poite didn’t trouble himself to investigate why the touch judge in the second half had such a different view of Dan Cole’s scrummaging to that in the first is a mystery. 

In Italy Montpellier seemed to be in control throughout and able to increase their intensity at will.  Both teams were profligate in squandering scoring opportunities but whereas I felt that each botched effort from Treviso could be their last it seemed that Montpellier had a bottomless chest of treasure on which to call as they played with careless insouciance.  They may still rue failing to collect that bonus point or in Ulster’s case denying Tigers theirs. 

I certainly counted my blessings and appreciated all the more the advent of BT Sport for my weekly dose of rugby union. Subjected to the execrable commentary of Miles Harrison, who never lets a moment of silence intrude on his self regarding witterings and of Stuart Barnes, whose inanities and sycophancy when faced with the wonder that he sees in Irish teams, sends me scurrying for the sick bag. 

BT’s coverage is by no means perfect and I still prefer that previously provided by ESPN but although, after his offerings on BBC, I viewed with dread the inclusion of one Lorenzo Bruno Dallaglio in the BT team, I have been pleasantly surprised by his even and insightful commentary. Matt Dawson has though been a terrible disappointment especially as he has plenty of media experience. 

I also counted the benison of not being a Quins’ supporter as they played as badly as I can remember for a long time when they went down to Scarlets at the Stoop.  It was a bit like watching a slow motion car crash as the London side stumbled and fumbled their way to what could yet be a decisive failure and I have to confess to some uncharitable schadenfreude as I witnessed the travails of Munster at Murrayfield, which surely had Stuart Barnes on redial for the Samaritans. 

Treviso travel to Welford Road this week while Ulster make their way to Stade Yves-du-Manoir for what will be a tricky encounter for the Irish provincial side. 

Tigers’ pack had their Irish opponents on Farl for the most part and while elsewhere the Treviso eight manned the redoubt with great courage the Montpellier scrummaging machine wore them down. 

Veteran Michele Rizzo, whose pedigree goes way back to the days of Petrarca, has started every match for Treviso this term making the open-side shirt his own. The venerable Rouyet, able to play on either side of the front row, now increasingly a bit part player. 

With Leonardo Ghilardini injured and not making an appearance since Treviso’s opening match against Ospreys, when the international hooker picked up a Yellow Card for his trouble, Enrico Ceccato, who also plays Super 10 rugby for Mogliano, is likely to again be preferred to young Giovanni Mastri. On the tight-head it’ll probably be Lorenzo Cittadini who, with his international experience, including some in the last World Cup, will have the burden of holding the Treviso front row together while coping with the attentions of Mulipola who was again quite splendid in Belfast. 

We’re told that Ayerza has been engaged with matters of parturition after his international duties came to an end and it remains unclear when he’ll return but as the start of the Autumn Internationals nonsense is just a couple of weeks hence I wonder if we’ll see him until that diversion is also over? 

Mulipola, with Dan Cole, is putting in some unremitting toil and I do wonder why Stankovitch hasn’t been deployed to do some of the heavy lifting later in proceedings. With Cole likely to be starting next time as well, for there can be no slip ups against Treviso with a five point victory mandatory at Welford Road, and as plans for Schuster to support Cole have obviously gone awry why is Balmain being held back even when at Ravenhill Cole looked to be running on empty during the final quarter after Ulster had themselves released the fresh legs on their bench. 

Tom Youngs at least gets some respite with Briggs getting game time and while the necessity of the right result precludes Cockerill from not sending the first choice front row over the top again I hope that if Treviso’s resistance falters as it did in Italy then the reserves will be used as Cole and Youngs are soon to be surrendered into the none too gentle embrace of England whose record on player welfare isn’t stellar. 

Treviso’s skipper, current Italian international lock Antonio Pavanello, will probably resume his customary place in the #4 shirt and if fit he’ll probably be partnered with young twenty-two year old Mario Fuser who’s been capped at Under 23 level on five occasion and already having a full international cap won during Italy’s trip to Canada last year.  They looked a very useful pair against Montpellier and gave the French problems at the line out as well as being very influential and mobile at the tackle area. 

Geoff Parling, also soon to be England bound, will surely start and on this occasion I’d rather like to see the more athletic Kitchener paired with the British Lion.  Tigers will need to play with great pace, try to run the Italian pack ragged as quickly as possible and attempt to bring forward their usual last quarter slump in energy and intensity. 

There will be no point in engaging in an arm wrestle with the Azzurri, pace is the answer to secure victory as when Montpellier set aside their Pastis and Gaulois and got to matters in hand Treviso struggled to contain them. 

If Treviso’s big ball carrying Fijian Vosawai is still injured I expect that Simone Favaro will continue on the blind-side for the visitors with current Italy #8 Roberto Barberi taking the ball up. 

Alessandro Zanni , who plays at #6 for his country but is usually to be found on the open-side for Treviso, will be locking horns with Julian Salvi.  The Treviso back row looked quick and aggressive at the breakdown when they took on Montpellier and Tigers will need to address this issue. 

I am concerned that the Tigers’ back row looks, aside from Salvi, to be lacking pace from, and speed to, the breakdown.  For this reason, while Slater has gone pretty well in the absence of Mafi and Croft I’d be tempted to give Waldrom a run out on the blind-side to inject pace.  I think it unlikely that Crane won’t start even though he seems to have gone off the boil in the last two weeks, and Waldrom’s inclusion at #8 would allow Slater to continue aiding the line out.  Kitchener’s presence would also aid the requisite rapidity to proceedings. 

I think the set piece will go Tigers’ way but unless pace is introduced at the breakdown there could be more problems thereabouts. 

The Treviso scrum half shirt has been a bit like a trip to the late lamented “Pick ‘n’ Mix”.  Semenzato’s had a go, so has Gori and last Saturday’s incumbent; South African Tobie Botes has had a couple of starts. 

If ex Aquila, Leeds and Bourgoin fly half; Alberto Di Bernardo is still injured Botes will probably get the nod for his kicking prowess. If Di Bernardo is restored, but young current Italy #9 Gori is still crocked, Semenzato may well get the gig.  Certainly without the half back duo of Gori and Di Bernado the Treviso back line lacked much in the way of concatenation and such promising moves as they concocted fell apart with fumbles and general clumsiness. 

Their new signing; Matt Berquist was not around so I guess he’s also injured but if he is again fit they’ll benefit from the experience he gained in Super 14 with the Highlanders and latterly Crusaders before spending a season at Leinster and another at Biarritz, neither excursion seeing him with much game time.  The Kiwi can kick and so his availability, like that of Di Bernardo, would broaden Franco Smith’s options. 

But if Aussie Luke McLean is drafted in again from his usual back three slot as cover to a position where he has experience in Super 10 and he’s as slow with his clearance kicks as he was last weekend, Tigers, with some additional pace in the breakaways, will find there could be opportunities to crash through. 

Tigers have options at scrum half but after a much improved performance from Ben Youngs in Belfast, which saw his clearance work sharper, I’d expect him to start and for Toby Flood to again benefit from this improved service, although he’ll not want to get too close to the Treviso breakaways if there’s any backsliding from the British Lion who I think will be operating behind a pack in control of proceedings, all that’s needed is a quantum improvement at the breakdown. 

With Flood more confident to lay up on the gain line the mid-field congestion we saw for the first hour or so against Saints disappeared and gave Dan Bowden room to play, which he did, and well at that.

Tony Allen may or may not be fit but regardless I’d still like to see Bowden get another start, especially against a sometimes dissonant Treviso midfield that could see the lubricious talent of Goneva cause mayhem. 

Bowden’s tackling has been good and I think that he gained an unjustified reputation for being a “revolving door” due to his being run over by Alex Tuilagi which is hardly a crime, were it to be so the gaols would be even fuller than they are and unless the Treviso backs are dramatically more threatening than they were against Montpellier Allen’s role as defence captain is an additional mantle that can be born again by Toby Flood pro tem. 

For Treviso’s part I expect to see current Italy inside centre Alberto Sgarbi continue for them in his preferred inside centre position.  Sgarbi is a tough and uncompromising centre who’ll try to bulldoze through Bowden’s channel and if he makes it we may see the talented youngster Michele Campagnaro, who’s equally at home in the back three or the outside centre berth where he’s played his international age group rugby and scored a couple of tries and drop goal in the process, asking questions of Tigers’ defence.  If injuries elsewhere force him into the back three he’ll be dangerous but needing to calm himself when opportunities come his way. 

Another youngster on parade last weekend was Luca Morisi, who stood in for Campagnaro at outside centre and boasts a couple of full caps. Morisi also looked a rapid prospect who’ll need stopping by Goneva, another whose defensive work has improved out of recognition.  So there’s some good young talent available to the departing Smith. 

The problem they have, and it’s an age thing, is lack of patience.  Against Montpellier they’d build the phases, get into a half decent place and then kick the ball away for Montpellier to either hoof it up field or launch a counter attack. 

If injuries permit elsewhere Treviso could have a back three of Luke Mclean,  Brendan Williams and Ludovicio Nitoglia, whose international career may be long behind him but the twenty-nine year old still has pace and plenty of nous.  Not a try scorer but can set up some good positions and is solid in defence.  

It was good to see veteran thirty-four year old Aussie full back Brendan Williams. Amazingly he’s been with Treviso since the 2003/4 season when he ventured north again from the Waratahs where he’d had a season after leaving Petrarca for whom he played on the left wing in the 2000/01 Heineken Cup.  He was dangerous against Montpellier and ran some very good lines coming from deep showing all his experience, although sadly his colleagues weren’t on his wavelength most of the time. 

It was equally rewarding to see Miles Benjamin get his first XV debut for Tigers after such a long absence. He really is an elegant runner and I was reminded why I was so pleased to hear he’d signed from Worcester all that time ago.  With Thompstone, who had another good match albeit one devoid of chances for him to get on the score sheet, we have wingers who’ll chase kicks and  rewards will come from such positivity.  True Benjamin looks below top game fitness but it’ll not be long coming and he looked good in concert with Goneva. 

Niall Morris will be kicking himself for missing the cross field kick that saw Bowe score his try although I was surprised that the TMO was not consulted as to Bowe’s position when Jackson made his laser guided kick.  Normally such scores are checked but not this time. Morris has looked a little distracted times of late, which seems to have coincided with his involvement in the Ireland set up.  Maybe just a coincidence and perforce he’ll continue. 

Tigers should win and win comfortably but they must take no chances and if they don’t get the essential five points I’ll be grumbling!

Tigers v Treviso HC Preview

Discussion started by TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk , 14/10/2013 19:43

TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk
14/10/2013 19:43

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:10:22:12:50:55 by Tiggs.

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Tiggs
14/10/2013 22:35

Many thanks Chris.

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Stopsy
15/10/2013 07:35

Many thanks Chris.

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S4llyC
15/10/2013 10:22

Cheers Chris - hope we can get maximum points and an 80 minute quality performance out of this one - and then build from there with the return of 'Matchday Cockers'.

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Rich W
15/10/2013 10:45

Thanks Chris.

Can't argue with much of that - though I don't see much tinkering the back row as likely.

Surely Matt Tait must now be appraoching fitness? Late September has become mid October.

...

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ChrisC
15/10/2013 10:50

Nor do I Rich (tinkering with the back row that is) I'm still worried, with the absence of Croft and Mafi, about the lack of pace with Crane and Slater in harness.

I don't really know what Waldrom has done wrong.

Yes Tait does seem to be late making an appearance and do we know what the prognosis is on Mafi?

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Rich W
15/10/2013 11:10

I know what you're saying but I'm not sure that Waldrom is quite the answer to that. I don't know he's done anything wrong.

Who knows on Steve!

All in all some returnees from injury would be a blessing!

...

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Johns
15/10/2013 11:39

Thanks Chris, it will be an interesting game and who knows if any of our injured will be fit?

OTY has been magnificent seeing off the challenge from our nearest and dearest and cements his England shirt, I just hope that he does not do to much and become fatigued. We need to look after him.

Perhaps Cockers can spring a surprise on Friday with a fit Mafi, well we can dream.

Perhaps if all goes well we can let Williams stretch his legs for a longer spell in the second half.

Five points is an absolute must.

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odd-shaped vagaries
16/10/2013 12:41

The benison of seeing Treviso hung, drawn and farl - ed might be our wish, but to expect it is premature, methinks

They are a dogged crew and worthy of respect, hence they must be drawn before they'll be hung, and the spoils might, indeed, only be four

I rather hope we can take them to pieces as we would a pizza .. the points may be thinner, but there's more of them .. though it will require a sharp edge and a good eye - tie

'Lions led by donkeys' .. Lest we forget

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seventyeight
16/10/2013 16:01

Thanks ChrisC for the informative guide to all things Benetton.

And I think I agree with OSV, directly above this post.

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ChrisC
16/10/2013 17:11

Quote:

osv
......they must be drawn before they'll be hung,....

Blimey drawn first eh. Never realised you were so vicious

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odd-shaped vagaries
17/10/2013 10:57

vicious? yeah! killer!

'Lions led by donkeys' .. Lest we forget



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:10:17:11:07:41 by odd-shaped vagaries.

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odd-shaped vagaries
19/10/2013 11:50

Well, the lads ultimately gave us pizza when farl looked to be the only item on the menu

Well done them, though my cardiologist wants a word

'Lions led by donkeys' .. Lest we forget

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Tiggs
22/10/2013 12:50

Many thanks Chris !

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