Saracens
Preview: Sarries-Tigers
Related to Andy?
By Tightarse
September 30 2010
And so, just four months after their epic battle at Twickenham, Sarries entertain Leicester Tigers on Sunday afternoon at Vicarage Road.
Both sides have shown their renowned strengths – and weaknesses already this season and yet form so far really offers little if any indication of how this match will go on Sunday.
Leicester’s Dan Cole is hoping for winter as a 6-year old hopes for Christmas. Cole will come into his own as the game slows down in heavy, clogging pitches and he can show his propping skills to all those who feel Castrogiavanni should be playing second fiddle to the Englishman. Cole started last week and will probably start again also on Sunday, with Julian White sub.
Much was being made about the sheer dominance of Northampton’s pack for the first 20 minutes last week, before Sarries mashed them for the next hour. Even Ben Kay’s anxiety about replacing Nieto with Petrus du Plessis was shown to be misplaced as the domination continued seamlessly. Petrus, who rumour has it makes Gavin-the-tart Henson look butch, is also hungry to reconcile his battle with Ayerza from Twickenham.
Hougaard showed what a great kicker he really is and if that had been Wilkinson, the establishment press would have been drooling. But what a great fight back from the mauling the Sunday Times Stephen Jones inflicted upon him after Quins at Wembley, last April.
So Leicester finally hit form last weekend with a slaughtering of Leeds and so will be buoyed by that result and keen to give Sarries a lesson in scrumaging and line outs. ESPN’s Austin Healey – the punter who hates scrums and line outs - will probably disappear for a few hours, no doubt to thicken his hair whilst practicing his whining, whingeing tones. He really is a gobshite! Does anybody like him? (Oh Christ, and now he’s on the official website). Imagine playing against that? I bet even the referees wanted to chin the smug little rat. Anyway, where was I?
Rumour has it that there will be changes again this week, as Venter promised, but he must be taking some pleasure from the pack. Carstens has been thrust in to the limelight and Matt Parr (once of Leicester) won’t let the boys down. There was a rumour that Parr was targeted by Bayern Munchen Rugby on Monday, but nobody will elaborate any further!
Borthwick is looking solid again and will be causing Leicester’s coaching team some concern. Kelly (the awsome singer) Brown (I watched him and his badger eyebrows entertain Leeds), is also starting to find his feet.
Jacque (scrapyard) Burger had an immense game and what a kick for touch! He should be starting again. The Namibian is truly fearsome, yet - I’ve only heard this on a grapevine – is a very nice man. I’d love him to man mark the likeable Healey. So to the backs. Chris Wyles has just assumed authority at fullback and may even make it tough for Goode to play there again - even if he wants to.
Barritt is also entering a rich purple vein of form. I think he broke every first tackle last week and is looking every bit like an international player.
Neil de Kock was just the lubricant of the grinding wheels, but he did it so well. He has to do it again, this time against a far more ruthless opposition, and no doubt he will, when he comes off the bench on Sunday.
Leicester are the benchmark and even with two defeats already this campaign, like real vampires, you just know they won’t die, and at the end of the season they will be firing on all cylinders. But Tigers, despite the recent mythology, don’t have a divine right to win these games – granted neither do Sarries. But hard work, organisation, concentration and no little class will be enough to see the boys home, but again it will be tight...very tight.
Sarries to prevail, driven on by a noisy and drum-beating following by 8 points.
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Stumbleupon30/09/2010 00:35
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010:10:07:12:23:47 by Kat..
Now fixed (meeting ended early)
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:09:30:08:24:40 by TonyTaff.
In the final Tigs seemed to get round the outside of our defence a bit too easily- it will be interesting to see if the use the same tactics again.
It will be a poor turnout, foul weather, late kick off and on TV.
It's a long time since Sports network paid anything!
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