Ford: vital

By P G Tips
May 19 2015

  Knockout rugby starts here. Bath’s amazing season builds to a climax this weekend as Leicester Tigers come calling for a Premiership Semi Final. The 2 clubs fortunes have been wide apart for much of the season. Bath take the home rights by a difference of 7 league points and have scored almost twice the number of tries – 72 to Tigers’ 37. Bath at their best have devastated opposition defences and thrilled crowds, while Leicester have clawed their way back into the top 4 by defence and dogged pressure. Bath have not lost a home Premiership match to Leicester since 2011, so in the minds of bookies and pundits at least, the home side are firm favourites. This though, is knockout rugby. Leicester are past masters at it and they are hitting their form at just the right time in the season. Semi finals are often tense affairs, flair and quality of play usually subordinated to the visceral need for a win. The look on Richard Cockerill’s face after dispatching Wasps two weeks ago said it all: winning matters to this club and they will fear no-one, home or away.  

Tigers laid the foundation for this semi final place well before half time against Wasps. Wasps attacked, Leicester defended. Wasps ran from deep, Leicester chased and harried and dominated territory. Wasps spread the ball wide, Leicester drove up the middle and built pressure before finding their wings. The Coventry men may have shown the ambition, but it was Tigers who scored the three tries. This has been a trying season for the faithful at Welford Road, compounded by injuries, imminent departures of some key forwards and now Manu Tuilagi’s expulsion from the World Cup squad over a conviction for assault. This follows hard on the heels of Bai’s 3 match ban for a headbutt on Nathan Hughes. Where other clubs would find these tribulations depressing, Tigers are likely to circle the wagons and harden their siege mentality.

The game plan of the last few weeks is likely to get another outing. They will kick well and chase to pressurise the opposition back three. They will make frequent use of the driven lineout and rolling maul and Bath can expect route one charges from the heavy carriers- Mulipola, Youngs , Crane, Thorn. They will also slow opposition ball at the breakdown and try to pressure opposing half backs into errors. In Ben Youngs they have just the scrum half to take advantage of a sniff of a chance, while Freddy Burns has seemed more confident recently and will seek gaps with ball in hand unless closely marked. Further out their threequarters miss the guile of Allen and the thrust of Tuilagi, but still possess a bustling wrecking ball on one wing in Goneva and two sharp finishers in Morris and Thompstone. Motivated by adversity, with a simple game plan and a pedigree to protect, Tigers will fancy their chances. They may well feel encouraged too by the easygoing defence Bath offered Gloucester. That could be a false hope. The last time Bath conceded a 4 try bonus point to their visitors, they tightened up the following week and won 45-0!

For Bath to know the probable game plan is one thing, to deal with it another. The midfield will need to cope with brutal frontal assaults by the heavy cavalry. How they do that will be key as it is in the centre where Bath should enjoy their greatest edge. Double award winner Jonathan Joseph had a rest last Saturday, but his partner Kyle Eastmond took a scrappy game by the scruff of the neck on several occasions, scoring a glorious opening try and having a key hand in several more. George Ford will, of course, be absolutely vital – he is pivotal to so much of Bath’s game: sparking attack, playing the territory through his kicking and even in defence where his quick thinking often rescues unpromising situations. Keeping the marauding Tigers’ loose forwards away from him will be a high priority task for Bath’s forwards. Big performances will be required from all the starting 8 plus bench. The 2 front rows should offer a stable scrummage platform and it is in these big games where the best is often seen of Francois Louw and Dave Attwood in the loose. It is a safe bet that the lineout, which misfired against Gloucester, will be a major focus in training this week. Given that Bath’s backline physicality lies on the wings, the more quick ball, going forward they can win for teir swift but slight midfield the better. Often the quality ball going forward comes from the driven maul off the lineout, so secure possession, against the likes of Parling and Slater, is a must. Bath may also opt for strike moves from set piece to keep Tigers defence on the back foot.

There are unlikely to be major changes from recent selections, with almost the entire squad fit to feature. Just as Mike Ford has committed to play the rest of the season “the Bath way” he would be foolish to gamble with selection. The pack seems settled with key speculation being who starts at hooker while for the backs it is the make-up of the bench: who will be the backup kicker? Several high performers will be disappointed. A tense, even emotional encounter looks likely. This could be the final appearance in Tigers’ colours of Parling, Salvi & Thorn. For Bath too, there are iconic favourites making their Rec farewell – Paul James and Peter Stringer (surely the best ever “temporary” signing?) will both want to sign off in style.

There is a famous children’s story, “The Tiger Who Came To Tea” in which the tiger eats his hosts out of house and home. This Saturday afternoon expect high tea to turn into High Noon. The stage is set for high drama, but Bath’s larder should survive the ravenous tiger’s attentions. Bath to win and continue the dream to Twickenham.

Possible Teams: Bath: James, Webber, Wilson, Hooper, Attwood, Burgess, Louw, Houston. Stringer, Ford, Banahan , Eastmond, Joseph, Rokoduguni, Watson Bench: Auterac, Batty, Thomas, Garvey, Fearns, Cook, Devoto, Agulla

Leicester: Mulipola, Tom Youngs, Cole, Thorn, Kitchener, Slater, Salvi, Crane. Ben Youngs (capt), Burns. Goneva, Tait, Loamanu, Thompstone. Morris

Ayerza, Ghiraldini, Balmain, De Chaves. Gibson, Harrison, Bell, Roberts

Bath to Blunt Tigers’ Claws? AP Semi Final

Discussion started by Comeonmylovers.co.uk (IP Logged), 19/05/2015 17:08

Comeonmylovers.co.uk
19/05/2015 17:08

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:05:26:10:53:24 by Stuart Anderton.

Reply Quote Report

annie blackthorn
19/05/2015 17:51

Good stuff PG. Don't often read the match forecasts, but paring their claws down to the bone would probably be a better aspiration.

All of Ford et al's experience and skill in their gameplan and training this week will be required - I never doubt the effort the players' put in during the week whether its in the gym, their diet, rest, sleep, or psychological preparation. Leicester have had this 'orrible 'abit of winning at the last throw of the dice. Time to prove that their days of brinkmanship are over.

We can play our part and just make life very very uncomfortable for their team - we must be ruthless in our vocal hostile criticism and partisanship. Allez Bath!

Reply Quote Report

abendanon-anon-anon
19/05/2015 21:27

Great read PG

Reply Quote Report

Peasedown Exile
19/05/2015 22:10

Fab read PG, well done.

Reply Quote Report

Bath Supporter Jack
20/05/2015 10:19

This is the best report I have read very good stuff.

Reply Quote Report

Duncan Keene
20/05/2015 10:34

Very good preview. I'm sure Bath will be trying just as hard as Leicester to slow down opposition ball and pressure in defence mind you!

Reply Quote Report

Stopsy
22/05/2015 07:33

Excellent preview PG, many thanks, let's hope for a good game and, more improbably, sensible behaviour on the message boards afterwards regardless of the result.

Reply Quote Report

Goto: Forum List•Message List•Search• Log In

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment. We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals. We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards. If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing abuse@sportnetwork.net