By ChrisC
March 1 2011

Just LikeThat!  -  By ChrisC                                                                                                     Tommy Cooper is probably the most famous of fez wearers this side of the English Channel followed by Sidney Greenstreet who’s character, the night club owner Signor Ferrari in the iconic 1942 film Casablanca, also wore the Maghrebian headwear.

These days the fez has been seen adorning Austin Powers’s sidekick Mustafa who wears one, as does Dennis Miller, the American TMZ comedian and Madness favour them when on stage. In their 1976 album; The Royal Scam, Steely Dan have a song “The Fez” which is a euphemism for a condom. 

 Here in the UK though, the term is limited to headwear and as sported by the “Fezheads” in support of Saracens’ rugby players. 

Toy Camels also have a mystical presence amongst the paraphernalia that accompanies the Saracens’ supporters and Tigers will seek to comply with the words of one of my favourite songs, the 1974 #6 hit; Midnight at the Oasis by Maria Muldaur, which has a line containing the direction ....put your camel to bed.......... which is what Tigers will want to do on Saturday, giving Saracens the hump in the process! 

Last Saturday Saracens travelled down to the stormy waters of Adams Park where Wasps have had a troubled few weeks and looking to assuage the anguish of their own supporters by reversing the losing run which started with their loss at home to Gloucester, Director of Rugby; Tony Hanks being jettisoned shortly after, while Shaun Edwards inexplicably survived and which, given the performance of his other team, Wales, over the past year means he should perhaps henceforth be called Teflon Edwards and form a club with Neil Back as the other founder member. 

In any event it was another scrappy game played in awful conditions and refereed by rookie Greg Garner who’s officiating was as inconsistent as it was incoherent.  He handed Wasps’ cards as if he were inviting them to a cocktail party and on one occasion sent off Tim Payne when the Wasps’ prop was yards from the incident merely an interested bystander.  A case of guilt by association, his being associated with the name Tim Payne. 

John Hart was binned for kicking away a ball that had already been knocked on by a Saracens’ hand after earlier, Garner, quite rightly, gave Veale a rest for a stupid bit of handbags after a high tackle on the diminutive David Lemi.  Yet later, with Saracens in the Red Zone and struggling to contain a Wasps’ rolling maul, Botha not only entered from the side but also ripped the ball away from the ball carrier and threw it away, yet the hapless Mr Garner, who’s errors were legion, gave just a penalty, even though this was just one of a number of infringements that the visitors felt safe to commit once Dave Walder departed injured and given that Garner’s random officiating meant that there was a 50% chance of them getting away with it. 

The day before Tigers had managed to squeeze out another victory on the road, this time against Sale, thereby overcoming the fate that the Edgeley Park Scylla had visited on Tigers since their last win up in Stockport back in April 2007. Jeremy Staunton’s boot accounting for all 18 of the winning points. Not a classic by all accounts and where the breakdown was once again a mess. 

 I have only watched highlights of the match but did see Hamilton’s break for the line with Allen on his shoulder only for the inside centre to be pulled back.  Sale’s Cox was duly given a Yellow Card and a penalty kick awarded but surely if the infringement, again in the Red Zone, warranted that degree of sanction a penalty try should have been given. However, and in spite of that, Tigers still doubled their last winning margin at Edgeley Park! 

I commented earlier in the season that the play we were seeing then as a consequence of the introduction of the Leagunion interpretation of the laws around the breakdown which, combined with referees having their own infinitely variable views, made for endless phases of play or penalties, that come the Winter and the wet pitches we’d be seeing some pretty stolid stuff enacted and I am sorry to say I wasn’t mistaken. 

Next weekend the in-form Saracens, who are serenely and, to all intents and purposes, entirely untroubled by key players being conscripted on Six Nations duty, visit Welford Road, with even Kelly Brown, an occasional absentee for Scotland, available. 

Saracens have been playing their particular brand of rugby very well however they have also had good fortune having fixtures against their two main rivals; Saints and Tigers, during the Six Nations’ window with those clubs suffering worst at the hands of the EPS arrangement. 

The Watford club have combined their good fortune with a canny management that has recruited wisely, largely from South Africa, a policy partially funded by the cash they receive from the EPS agreement in spite of their absence from any significant participation in it and thereby avoiding anything other than the most minimal impact from the Six Nations.  They also now have utility back Tiger Bax newly arrived from Cape Town so the emptying of the Rainbow Nation into Watford continues. 

 I don’t blame Saracens in the slightest for any of this as if there’s a good thing going why not take advantage but it does make me wonder who are the mugs? 

The Sarries’ front row looked impressive against Wasps with the once capped Welshman Rhys Gill catching my eye together with the ever impressive Carlos Nieto, who has been capped 34 times by Italy but can’t get into the Azzuri squad these days.  Springbok Deon Carstens, who can leak penalties, has been injured giving Gill his chance which he’s grabbed with both hands and the Saracens’ front row looks solid with Brits doing as much as is needed. Carstens is now recovered though so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him start on Saturday. 

Tigers have of course been missing both their tight heads on international duty but I hope that Martin Castrogiovanni will be restored as the Six Nations takes another break this weekend and, unlike England, the Italians usually release their players back to their clubs when such a hiatus occurs.  George Chuter has had a good season and remains as feisty as ever and I hope that Boris Stankovitch gets the nod at loose head, as he is the better scrummager, with Ayerza appearing later as an impact substitution. 

The technical battle in the front row would, with this selection, be slightly in Tigers’ favour I think however the issue of grunt raises its multiple head like a scrum capped Gandaberunda. 

With Steve Borthwick and Mouritz Botha looking likely to start with a combined weight of 225kgs whereas were Tigers to persist with the starting combination against Sale of Croft and Mafi their combined weight would be 210kgs and furthermore they are flankers and not versed in the art of pushing like a Caterpillar earth mover.  I therefore expect that George Skivington will join with Mafi if Ed Slater is still injured and redress most of the balance.  Saracens are ninth in the stats on scrum time success on their own ball and fourth worst in losing it whereas Tigers are third most successful  in securing such scrums and only Falcons lose fewer scrums than Tigers on their own ball so statistically at least there should some advantage for the home side. 

At the line out Borthwick remains a formidable operator and Botha is a dominant presence with Sarries topping the stat for line outs secured on their own ball while Tigers are third with the two teams being similarly close on line outs lost, at tenth and eleventh, with only one loss separating  them.  

Sarries have suffered occasional erratic throwing from Schalk Brits but against Wasps the South African hooker managed to get away with throwing in straight to his own jumpers for much of the time.  The ESPN cameras were very helpful in spotting this as the Sarries receivers were not inconvenienced by having to either reach or jump across to the centre channel to secure the ball but the officials seemed oblivious to this serial misdemeanour. 

If Brits is obliged to throw straight it will be a closely fought contest but with Croft back in the equation I reckon Tigers may have the edge. 

In the backrow yet another South African, Justin Melck, ably deputised for the injured Namibian (near South Africa!) Jacques Burger who, with Steve Borthwick and Tigers’ Craig Newby, is one of the Premiership’s top tacklers.  It was good to see Andy Saull, one of the few genuine open sides left playing, taking an excellent pass from Barritt to score a try last Sunday.  This guy is tremendous at the breakdown like an H G Wells’ Morlock and has plenty of pace so is an ever present danger.  The breakway trio will probably be completed by the superb Ernst Joubert who is not only excellent in the tight but has the ability to almost supernaturally put himself in positions where centres are more usually found and always looks to be on the point of scoring, added to which, with Tigers’ George Skivington, he’s one of the top ball stealers at the line out. 

Defensively Saracens are immensely strong having, with Tigers, conceded just 20 tries this season, the visitors are second in the tackles made stat and third most successful in retaining the ball at their own rucks while Tigers reluctance to commit numbers to the breakdown sees them languish in seventh and they are the third worst at turning over ball, so an area here where Tigers must rethink their strategy as they must when addressing their unhelpful position as the team missing most tackles.  Tigers also turnover more ball than Sarries so the hosts will need to sharpen up their defence in training this week for as it stands I see the befezed ones having something of a field day. 

Tigers, with Tom Croft, who should be starting at blindside or even at #8 but not at lock where his talent is wasted and the collegiate whole is unbalanced, have the Lion’s well known prowess at the line out to call upon and for this important game I would like to see Newby return to the open side and replace Woods, who’s not yet at his best. Thomas Waldrom, who’ll be looking forward to having a three week rest and being fitted with some new Duracell batteries, will surely continue at #8 and continue punching his way through around the fringes, showing why he is the top stats for defenders beaten, just one behind Schalk Brits.  The Kiwi also holds the second spot for metres gained, being the only forward that merits inclusion and is second only to Delon Armitage. He is the top ball carrier in the Premiership and the only forward that features in the try assists stat.  Surely already a candidate for player of the season? 

All in all I see the packs as evenly balanced with maybe Tigers having the slightest of edges at Welford Road. 

It is to be hoped though that the forwards can produce faster ball for James Grindal and the other ball carriers than has been the case of late although at the moment Tigers have scored 46 tries compared to 25 by the visitors on Saturday so it shows what they can do. 

Against Wasps Richard Wrigglesworth, who is to be reunited with his erstwhile Sale halfback partner Charlie Hodgson for the 2011/12 season, started and I just felt that at times he lacked a bit of composure and his plentiful box kicks, which the conditions demanded, often looked close to being charged down.  However when that wily old fox and ten times a Springbok, Neil de Kock came on it all seemed more settled and sure footed so I’d expect him to start on Saturday in tandem with, what has surely been one of the finds of the season, Owen Farrell. 

There’s much to like about this lad, great vision, good kicker, although he is in the stat for missed penalties, and he tackles well above his weight, yet he was strangely quiet at Adams Park when Goode did the kicking. 

Grindal and Staunton will probably continue for Tigers as with Farrell and Goode there’ll be plenty of kicking,  Sarries kicking the ball more often than any other team in the Premiership, and Staunton’s kicking out of hand will be needed to keep the visitors pegged back.  

Grindal is limited but his limitations will be exposed all the more if the pack don’t get him quick, clean ball. 

I can see an advantage here to Saracens as de Kock is one of the best and most experienced of operators, fully capable of manufacturing a silk purse from the wrinkliest of Sows’ ears, so the Tigers’ back row will need to be all over him like a cheap suit. 

In the centres South African born, but English qualified, Brad Barritt was very impressive against Wasps collecting a kick ahead in the opening exchange, then running a great line before holding the defender and slipping a sublime pass to Saull, who was running great support, the flanker dotting the ball over the whitewash.  Barritt was all hustle and bustle as usual but in spite of the dreadful conditions I sensed a higher degree of finesse to his game.  His defence is good as well so I can see no reason why he won’t start at Welford Road and present a real challenge at the gain line. 

Sarries have had issues at outside centre so Kiwi Rod Penney has been lured back from Aironi but with the excellent Adam Powell now recovered I expect to see him play a part against Tigers.  Powell is one of those players who does untold work making life easy and creating scores for his more high profile colleagues. 

Tigers have a settled centre partnership in Tony Allen, who has made 20 starts for Tigers this term and made a sterling job of it as well often being close to Man of The Match, and Manu Tuilagi who came close to scoring against Sale but later once again got his defensive alignment awry, when Chris Bell scored a try for Sale last Friday. 

The problem for Tigers is that with such slow ball the Tigers’ centres have become somewhat predictable. Allen will also be ready for the forthcoming few weeks rest so I hope he’s at his beguiling best. 

In the back three Strettle was unable to get his twinkletoes going in the Adams Park mud and I expect the going to be soft again at Welford Road, this is just not the weather in which the talented back prospers and is able to make the clean breaks for which he is high in the stats and which he tops for defenders beaten, whereas the rumbustious American Eagle, Chris Wyles, prospers, making light of the conditions at Adams Park.  Alex Goode is now restored at full back, the experiment at fly half seemingly shelved for the time being.  Goode looks so accomplished in the #15 shirt I wonder why he wants to move to the white heat of fly half anyway. 

Tigers have their own issues at wing with Geordan Murphy and Matt Smith both injured and Horacio Agulla not looking comfortable there,  I wonder why the fit again Dan Hipkiss doesn’t get the 13 shirt with Manu Tuilagi joining with his brother on the wing, rather like a pair of giant Samoan bookends. 

Scott Hamilton came close to scoring twice at Edgeley Park and no problems with him at full back where he looks secure. 

After this match Tigers enjoy a well earned three week break before travelling to Bath on 26^th March, which I’ll be back to have a look at – it just gets easier and easier for the Champions doesn’t it but at least the Six Nations will be behind them and save for injuries the full squad will be available – let’s hope England don’t break anybody or play them while injured.  England do seem to use the players like a pool car which is rarely serviced and only ever seems to be driven at top speed in a low gear before being returned to the lease company totally knackered and in need of a rebuild before it can be put back into use. 

This weekend though is going to see Tigers try to negotiate the trickiest fixture of the Six Nations handicap period with Saracens able to field an un-handicapped side which is in good form, so I have an uncomfortable feeling that maybe the Tigers amazing resolve may finally crack but they are at Welford Road with its welcoming confines and baying crowd so maybe they can do it again. 

On Saturday then it will be Tigers’ ambition to send the Saracens away empty handed as did Sarah back in Biblical times. 

If Tigers are unsuccessful and the visitors get five points while denying Tigers any crumb of comfort then Saracens will join them atop the league – Just Like That!!!

Tigers v Sarries Preview

Discussion started by TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk , 01/03/2011 18:52

TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk
01/03/2011 18:52

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:03:10:12:35:03 by Stephen Bath.

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IDLETIMES
01/03/2011 19:22

Another brilliant read Chris. I paricularly enjoyed the bit about Sarries position on the EPS. I don't blame Sarries in the slightest but doe's show what a farce it is.

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saracens4life
01/03/2011 19:27

Great preview, Chris, as ever - your predictions IMO are pretty much spot on. We're not quite full-strength, but you are certainly worse off for absentees.

I won't argue about the South African comments (at least not on this thread! )

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Johns
01/03/2011 22:31

Thanks again Chris, first class as usual. lets hope only Tigers get a bonus point.

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Rich W
02/03/2011 10:49

Excellent as always Chris - though I disagree on Agulla.

I rather think like you that this is perhaps a game too far. Time for us to loosen our voice boxes folks!

...

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S4llyC
02/03/2011 11:20

Thanks Chris for another excellent preview. Am gargling and limbering up already, in preparation for an afternoon of shouting and clapping...

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oxonsarrie
02/03/2011 15:35

Not sure if we are bringing our new Tiger with us . Tiger Bax joined us this week and has played one Storm Game scoring a try.Great read and we are all looking forward to the match. Hopefully we can get the Tigers fans leaving early as we have with Saints and Wasps the last two games. I think you are fully behind your team and cant see that happening somehow.I think it will be a close game and difficult to call if you are an outsider but may our run continue

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odd-shaped vagaries
02/03/2011 15:37

There's so little to pick up on that I have to resort to my doubtful knowledge, or otherwise, of mid-eastern mammalia in that, if we're to give them the hump wouldn't that be a dromedary, don't camels have two? - Humps! Not fingers!

Otherwise, Carry on!

'Lions led by donkeys' .. Lest we forget

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ChrisC
02/03/2011 16:22

The Dromedary, which is the Arabian Camel has a single hump. It's the Bactrian Camel that has two humps and which is indigineous to Asia rather than Arabia.

Hope this helps OSV - how are things over there in the eastern province!

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odd-shaped vagaries
02/03/2011 18:47

Now there was me thinking Arabia was in Asia but I won't get the, er ... 'cos I know you mean central Asia

I stand admonished, or I would if I could get these legs to work ... you see, it's not that my trite observations are ever more informed than your epics of perfection, it's more that constant, unqualified praise can be a tad unhealthy after a while and I just like to help in some small way

The East is cold, a biting North Easterly is over-working the combi, but we are not hoarders and happily pass it on to the forest-with-no-trees, so free are we with our generosity.
All is well. Is it so with you?

'Lions led by donkeys' .. Lest we forget

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Stopsy
02/03/2011 21:24

Chhers Chris, if you try really hard you could get as good as the one on the Sarries site....

I can't remember reading two such good previews.

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Tiggs
02/03/2011 21:34

Indeed 2 of the best, and amazingly both picked up on exactly the same things as well.

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saracens4life
02/03/2011 23:16

To be fair to Chris, I do tend to read his preview every week as they are always a fantastic read, so I will gladly attribute his influence on my preview.

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davidthesarrie
03/03/2011 10:03

Quote:

johns
Thanks again Chris, first class as usual. lets hope only Tigers get a bonus point.

Yes, you can have the bonus, we'll take the four please!

Seriously, great report, phew, so many facts, figures and pieces of information. Superb.

Looking forward to our visit, should be a cracker.

Let's hope for dry conditions for the pitch and a good friendly drink afterwards!!

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Rich W
03/03/2011 10:42

Quote:

dry conditions for the pitch

...

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ChrisC
03/03/2011 11:15

My bet is that the groundsman will be watering it

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