By TigersTart
August 28 2003

Friday night games are always superstitious. The old wives tales come out! Tigers don't play well under floodlights or it upsets the players' routine playing on a weekday.

Cardiff Blues v Tigers

By TigersTart

Tigers travelled away to Cardiff on Friday 22nd August in the second of three pre-season warm up games, having lost to Perpignan the previous Friday 34-6.

At 19-0 down going into the second half, it seemed like the evening curse had struck but an inspired substitution brought an injection of strength and speed into the back line. Winger John Holtby and flanker Henry Tuilagi combined together to put Holtby through for two quick tries that quietened the Cardiff crowd. Myring's accuracy and replacement Tim Taylor's sweetly struck drop goal added the necessary points to sneak victory.

During the summer, Tigers had seen a number of players leave the club and members of the successful U21 Championship winning side step up into the senior squad. With a contingent of players out with the England squad, Leicester looked to combine match practice with the younger players to work on their game plan for the pending season. Josh Kronfeld took the helm, whilst Neil Back is on England/World Cup duty.

Cardiff kicked off the first half and took a hold of the game. The touch judge blew up for a Tigers mistake, which gave Cardiff an advantageous lineout. The Welsh side threw the ball wide and winger Dean Dewdney was cover tackled by his opposition Luke Myring, but he jinxed around the Leicester winger to score in the corner. Fly half Nick Macleod added the conversion. Tigers won their lineout, spun the ball through Leon Lloyd and Sam Vesty, who opted to kick over the defensive line but flanker Jim Brownrigg charged down the kick, and ran into score. Within 8 minutes, Cardiff were 14-0 up.

Tigers sought to gain possession and territory over a dominating Cardiff. From Leicester’s lineout, Will Johnson drove and Harry Ellis, who was fast and probing all evening, fed the ball wide through Vesty and Lloyd. In the 10th minute, Cardiff stole Tiger's ball at a lineout, but the Leicester pack fought to regain possession and new signing Darryl Gibson eased pressure by kicking to touch. Later Tim Stimpson made a darting run from deep, passing inside to Kronfeld and Lloyd, who sped down the wing but was tackled. After repeated recycling, Vesty showed vision as he produced a grubber kicked to test the Cardiff retreating defence.

The Welsh came close to two other scores in the first half. In the 18th minute, winger Jonny Vaughton had made good ground but he dropped the ball just short of the line. In the 20th minute, Vaughton couldn't hold the pass. In between that Tigers putt together some good moves, as Adam Balding drove hard from the base of a scrum and Stimpson cleared the line. In the 24th minute Vesty put together a solo effort, as he was through the Cardiff defensive line and darted inside to wait for support. Two minutes later another back was showing his skills, as Yomi Akinyemi came onto his opposite wing to take a pass.

Cardiff continually probed Leicester. Captain Andrew Lewis made a charge through a gap and the Welsh had a beneficial lineout but both times, possession was lost. Cardiff profited from Ellis being sinbinned for obstruction, as in the 30th minute, scrum half Richard Smith was on hand to receive a scoring pass from flanker Nathan Thomas. The Welsh crowd disagreed with the referee's decision after a brawl, as Lloyd was penalised but Cardiff felt he should have been binned. Cardiff cleverly took a lineout throw in at the front but Tigers doggedly turned over possession, Myring playing NO.9 and Vesty kicking to touch.

Tigers ended the first half a stronger team, putting together long periods of play. Leicester knocked on clean possession after a clever period of play resulting from the pace and vision of Ellis's break. Balding's pick up from the base of the scrum and the team's ability to clear their line under pressure were particular areas to note.

Within 14 minutes of the second half, a double substitution had brought the power to the Tigers side to drastically narrow the score. Winger John Holtby latched onto a pass in the 49th minute, weaved around the defence to score. Myring's accuracy with the boot, underpinned by his contribution as kicker to the U21 Championship last season, brought the conversion. Holtby hardly had any time to catch his breath, as 5 minutes later; he stretched his legs to score in the corner, after great build up work by Leicester's pack, in particular Henry Tuilagi.

Tigers produced an awesome performance in the last 40 minutes, starting from a lineout and Gibson charging though the mid field and Ellis charging down a Cardiff kick. Between Tigers two crucial tries, Cardiff fly half Macleod replied with a penalty and the Welsh were nearly over but flanker Brownrigg outpaced his support. Leicester were stronger in defence and strung clever periods of play together in a tough and probing game, that ran until the final whistle.

In the 70th and 73rd minute Myring's long-range accuracy with the boot closed the gap on Cardiff, as it narrowed the score to 22-20. Leicester pushed forward through Tuilagi. Cardiff fluffed clearing their line, and Tigers had an advantageous lineout. Tall lock James Hamilton caught the ball and it was spread wide, where Tim Taylor, substitution at NO.10, saw the opportunity to drop a goal making the score 22-23 in the 76th minute. With time running out and a narrow score line, Cardiff pressed hard out wide, but Tigers defended till the end.

At the end of the game, Kronfeld picked up the bmibaby Challenge Cup Trophy and the team showed their appreciation to the travelling supporters. So many strengths can be taken from this display, in particular how well the younger lads positively contributed to the game, as their greatest baptism of fire will come in the Premiership.

Ellis came back from injury to put in a sterling performance, harassing the opposition and providing quick ball. Kronfeld put all of his enthusiasm into sharpening his captaincy skills, proving players with positive feedback. Balding put in a combative display at NO.8 and Myring, switched to wing, showed off his kicking skills to a wider audience. Freddie's brother, Henry, showed why strength runs in the family and Taylor, a replacement, excelled in handling.

If Tigers can draw on the strength and determination that saw them turn around from 19-0 down to win 22-23, then the squad looks like they are set for an assault on the League without the England squad members. When the internationals return, there is going to be greater competition for places, which will make selection interesting.

Scoring sequence:

2 mins Cardiff try Dewdney 5-0

Cardiff con Macleod 7-0

9 mins Cardiff try Brownrigg 12-0

Cardiff con Macleod 14-0

30 mins Cardiff try Smith 19-0

49 mins Tigers try Holtby 19-5

Tigers con Myring 19-7

52 mins Cardiff pen Macleod 22-7

54 mins Tigers try Holtby 22-12

Tigers con Myring 22-14

70 mins Tigers pen Myring 22-17

73 mins Tigers pen Myring 22-20

76 mins Tigers drop goal Taylor 22-23

Date: Friday 22nd August 2003

Time: 7.05pm k/o

Weather: warm with cloudy threatening skies

Crowd: 450

Ref: Hugh Watkins assisted by James Jones and Leighton Hodges

Man-of-the-match: John Holtby for his two match winning tries but equally so, Harry Ellis for an all-round performance

Sin-bin: 28 mins Harry Ellis (Tigers)

Tigers team:

15 Tim Stimpson

14 Yomi Akinyemi

13 Leon Lloyd

12 Darryl Gibson

11 Luke Myring

10 Sam Vesty

9 Harry Ellis

1 Michael Holford

2 George Chuter

3 Ricky Nebbett

4 Tom Ryder

5 Louis Deacon

6 Will Johson

7 Josh Kronfeld (CAPT)

8 Adam Balding

Reps: 16 James Buckland (78 mins on for 2 Chuter), 17 Darren Morris (69 mins on for 1 Holford), 18 James Hamilton (69 mins on for 4 Ryder), 19 Henry Tuilagi (47 mins on for 8 Balding and replaced 78 mins by 7 Kronfeld), 20 Tom Tierney, 21 Glenn Glederbloom, 22 Tim Taylor (40 mins HT on for 10 Vesty), Will Skinner (75 mins on for 7 Kronfeld), John Holtby (47 mins on for 14 Akinyemi) and Dan Hipkiss.

Cardiff team:

15 Donavan van Vuuren

14 Jonny Vaughton

13 Nick Walne

12 Matt Allen

11 Dean Dewdney

10 Nick Macleod

9 Ricahrd Smith

1 John Yapp

2 Andrew Lewis (CAPT)

3 Kenneth Fourie

4 Dan McShane

5 Andy Moore

6 Jim Brownrigg

7 Dan Baugh

8 Nathan Thomas

Reps: 16 Ben Evans, 17 Thomas Rhys Thomas (56 mins on for 2 Lewis), 18 Chris Stamatakis (64 mins on for 5 Moore), 19 Robin Sowden-Taylor (65 mins on for 7 Baugh), 20 Nick Robinson (31 mins on for 15 Van Vuuren), 21 Pieter Muller (55 mins on for 12 Allen), 22 Lee Abdul (25 mins on for 14 Vaughton).