Leicester Tigers
Tigers v London Irish Match Preview
By ChrisC
May 3 2011
Memories - When I saw that the last match of this season was against London Irish at Welford Road I was taken back to 3rd May 2003 when again London Irish were the visitors at Welford Road and again it was the last home match of the season.
I was there that day on the Crumbie terrace watching the Tigers’ match day squad of; Tim Stimpson, John Holtby, Leon Lloyd, Freddies Tuilagi, Geordan Murphy, Craig McMullen, Harry Ellis, Perry Freshwater , George Chuter, Darren Garforth, Martin Johnson, Louis Deacon, Martin Corry, Will Skinner and Adam Balding with Luke Abraham, Ricky Nebbett, Ben Kay, Graham Rowntree, Jamie Hamilton, Glenn Gelderbloom and Rod Kafer on the bench, take on the visitors from Reading.
Dave Pearson was in charge and blew his whistle endlessly all afternoon. It was an awful match on a drizzly early May afternoon.
Back then London Irish was mainly a mixture of South Africans and Irishmen whereas these days there is a large contingent from the South Sea Islands on the playing staff, outnumbered only by the English, with just two Irishmen in Bob Casey and Brian Blaney on the playing strength.
I watched the encounter between London Irish and Northampton on Easter Saturday when, not for the first time this season, the Saints pack pummelled their opposition and it was not until Jim Mallinder precipitously removed the first choice front row did it look as if Saints were in danger as, again not for the first time, their second choice front row was very much that; second, and as a consequence London Irish were, for the first time that afternoon, able to get consistent field position and scored two late tries courtesy of Richard Thorpe and Seilala Mapusua, who was making his last appearance at Reading before heading to the Land of The Rising Sun.
The evening before Tigers had been in what appeared to be an almost balmy North East as they took on one of their bogey teams, Newcastle Falcons.
It was an untidy scrappy match with Tigers producing enough in the second half to see off the relegation threatened Kingston Park side but failing to get the requisite five points as Falcons defended to the last man standing as did London Irish the following day.
So following a weekend off for the Premiership while the Heineken Cup semi finals took place London Irish again travel to the East Midlands when Mr Garner will be in charge of proceedings.
Tigers, on 73 points and assured of a home semi final in the end of season knock out cup, are just a solitary point ahead of Saracens who are similarly assured, being an unassailable ten points ahead of third place Gloucester.
On the face of it then, in the world of the end of season knock out cup, neither Saracens, on their trip to the Stoop, or Tigers at Welford Road, have anything to play for, after all topping the league is; well so last century dahling, although many traditionalists who don’t much like the current format believing that topping the league is the achievement which merits the title of English Champions.
Yes we know the end of season’s knock out cup gets the pot is an unpleasant fact of rugby life but I dispute the assertion that we should just shut up and move on. To those of this view I just quote the words of philosopher Edmund Burke: ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ OK the system isn’t evil just unfair but if those who object to it say nothing then it won’t change although I accept it’s probably a Quixotic quest.
It will therefore be interesting to see the stamp of the side that Richard Cockerill puts out.
Last season, when Saints were just two points adrift of Tigers at the end of the season, having thumped London Irish away by 31 points to 7 in the last match, the Tigers’ side that played, and lost, at home to Saracens in their own last match of the league season was similar to that which took part in the knock out cup with Mefin Davies giving way to George Chuter and Dan Cole losing his starting spot to Martin Castrogiovanni in the front row. At lock Deacon replaced Ben Kay while in the back row, Craig Newby, who’d been playing #8, saw Jordan Crane get the nod.
In the backs Toby Flood returned to replace Staunton but otherwise the back division was unchanged for the knock out cup from that which played against Saracens at Welford Road in the league.
So while last term Tigers were safe in hosting the first round of the knock out cup before the last round of matches it seemed to make sense to Richard Cockerill to play a normally rotated pack but otherwise in the main keep continuity in the backs.
Perhaps topping the table does mean something to the club, its players, coaches and many of its supporters after all.
London Irish, now out of contention for participation in the knock out cup, will be wanting to rescue a season, that again started so promisingly, by qualifying for Europe with a top six finish rather than relying on the efforts of others to gain them admittance by the back door.
Quins, who have two bites at Heineken Cup qualification thanks to their splendid performance at Thomond Park, are at home to Sarries on the last day (live on Sky while ESPN have Saints vs Leeds), a win giving them the security of cementing their spot at the top table of European rugby. So Saturday’s visitors to Welford Road have plenty to play for and will bring their strongest team I’d bet.
Against Saints the Irish front row of Kiwi Clarke Demody, sometime England hooker David Paice and that gritty 14 times a Springbok, Faan Rautenbach had a tough afternoon at the office against the Saints’ first choice trio but this looks the visitors’ strongest front row set up although I’d not be surprised were Romanian international Paulica Ion to get a start as he looked useful when he came on last time. Alex Corbisiero wasn’t in the match day squad so I guess he’s injured.
I expect Marcos Ayeza to keep his spot after getting back into action at Kingston Park but rather hope we see Rob Hawkins get a run out as he’s looked to be on form and George Chuter has played a lot of rugby this season. Dan Cole will perhaps rotate with Castrogiovanni however whichever trio starts I’d expect them to have the better of the visitors, Tigers being the second most effective side in securing scrum ball while Irish are fifth worst.
In the engine room we’ll almost certainly see Bob Casey and Nick Kennedy bringing their expertise to the shoving department and the line out where they both feature as top line out stealers together with Tigers’ George Skivington.
Skivington was going well until injury, a curse of Tigers’ locks this term, interrupted his season but now he’s back and with Louis Deacon still injured I expect to see Ed Slater continue if Steve Mafi has not recovered from his own injury problems – see what I mean about Tigers’ locks and injuries?
Slater is a good solid line out operative but without the athleticism of the young Tongan around the park so I’d prfer to see Mafi if he’s fit. Against Casey and Kennedy they’ll have to be at their very best at the set piece though, as on paper and on performance the visitors could have an edge here as they are the second most effective side at securing their own ball at the lineout, while Tigers are third with a set piece that has been disrupted by injury and where Tom Croft has yet to fully re-impose himself.
Steffon Armitage was excellent against Saints but he was just not put into the right field positions by his under pressure front five colleagues while George Stowers was his usual aggressive self and put in some customary big hits but together with the other starter in the Irish breakaway forwards, young Jamie Gibson, was on the back foot until the Saints made their front row changes.
Richard Thorpe came on later and I thought he was very impressive in taking the ball up at pace and scoring a good try, albeit with scrum half Darren Allinson helping by blocking off the attendant Saints’ defender. This obstruction was missed by Mr Rose and his helpers but then so much was missed by them it’s probably unfair to highlight this issue, although it did lead to a try.
Tigers are still having problems at the breakdown and on their own ball were often under pressure from the Falcons so with Steffon Armitage and George Stowers, who is one of the league’s top four ball carriers, a stat that Thomas Waldrom still tops, they will at last need to have addressed this issue, which has dogged Tigers since the home victory over Scarlets, if they don’t then with Irish, the most effective side on securing ball at the breakdown, Tigers being the seventh most proficient, they could easily see more turnover ball, which is just what the Irish back division want; unstructured turnover ball.
I hope that Tigers’ will keep faith with Tom Croft who is still finding top form after his prolonged lay off, Craig Newby who’s tackling and defensive organisation is crucial and of course with Crane injured Thomas Waldrom looks set to continue his barnstorming debut season.
If the Tigers’ front five get a measure of control then I expect the Tigers’ breakaway trio to be energised as they look good when going forward and carry and beat more defenders than many of their peers.
With Tigers having rested Youngs and Flood for the Falcons’ match, thereby giving them three weeks rest before this Saturday’s fixture, I expect to see them back if a table topping position is sought, as against Falcons Jeremy Staunton seemed hung over from the Gloucester match and had an uncharacteristically poor game both with the boot and in all round play, so it’s a bit of a mystery why the in form Billy Twelvetrees did not make an early appearance in the second half when things didn’t improve for the Irishman.
James Grindal however had a splendid game and scored his first try since the away fixture at Worcester last season. He was positive and steady at the base of the scrum and got the ball away quickly from the troublesome breakdown, things that Youngs has been struggling with since his return from England duty.
For Irish, Paul Hodgson, who passes the ball more than any other scrum half in the Premiership, will doubtless start although I must say I thought replacement Allinson edged the incumbent first choice scrum half last time. The youngster was quick and accurate and got on with the job instead of endlessly waving his arms at the referee. This seems such a normal tactic by #9s now that referees rarely take any notice of the endless crying wolf and Allinson’s performance was all the better for his eschewing the histrionics other than when he had good reason.
It was interesting that in another premiership match an international referee told a player, who was similarly engaged in repeatedly and spuriously shouting at the referee, that the more he shouted the less he would give in his team’s favour. Not the right comment or motivation from a top referee that he would let his personal irritation direct his decision making but indicative of how cheesed off referees are with this endless waving and shouting by players, especially with the #9 on their shirts. It also means that when a player truly has a cause for grievance, as was the case in Dublin when Leinster persistently infringed at the line out, he gets ignored.
Daniel Bowden seems to have settled into his spot as first choice fly half and a fine job he did given the back foot possession he had to deal with especially as he doesn’t kick anything like as much as did his predecessors Ryan Lamb and Chris Malone, the talented Kiwi preferring instead to keep the ball in hand. Later on when the Saints’ wobbled he made more of himself and put Mapusua in for a lovely try with an exquisite one handed pass into the space he’d created for the departing Samoan.
I think that the likelihood is that the Irish half backs will again have to cope with back foot ball but in Bowden they have a good player for making the best of what he gets however if Youngs and Flood are on the front foot, which I think they will be, then their Irish counterparts will have to man the pumps to keep out the tide of attack runners coming down their channel.
Mapusua had a splendid valedictory home performance and led the defence in staunching what could have been fatal wound after fatal wound from the dominant Saints in the first three quarters of the match, he carried the ball like a Titan and gave the muscular and one dimensional Downey a real torrid afternoon at times, how Irish are going to miss the seventeen time capped Samoan who has scored fifteen Premiership tries since his debut in the 2006/7 season.
His partnership with his twenty time capped compatriot Elvis Seveali'i is a robust one and they will be a mighty threat in the 13 channel however I don’t think the combination of the two Samoans has the balance that the Bowden/ Mapusua combination had before Bowden took over the problematic #10 shirt from Lamb/Malone with such great aplomb. The try Mapusua scored against Saints was a reprise of that early season dynamism and balance. Personally I’d like to see young Jonathan Joseph outside the departing Mapusua. This lad is a great prospect at just 19 and has crossed the whitewash five times in the Premiership this season and I reckon is a better balance with the line breaking Mapusua.
Tony Allen was back to his best up at Kingston Park and made some nice half breaks contributing enormously once again but his colleague, Manu Tuilagi, continued with his positional issues while in defence, again leaving spaces like the Ponderosa out wide which the likes of Topsy Ojo in particular will exploit if this continues and the danger is that Mapusua, will put his wing or full back though the hole, just as did Fuimaono-Sapolu for Gloucester and will be like Ben, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe as they gallop past.
Going forward though Tuilagi the younger, who is still joint second in the defenders beaten stat with his colleague Thomas Waldrom just one place behind him, will find space too and I expect him and Tuilagi the elder to get amongst the Irish defence as did Chris Ashton.
Out wide the seemingly indefatigable Topsy Ojo, who has played a lot of rugby this season and is joint fourth in the clean breaks stat and ninth in that for metres gained, looked on top form and gave Saints all sorts of trouble once the game deconstructed later on in the second half and was very unlucky not to score after the most impressive of leg drives toward the Saints’ line was only ended a metre short when he was eventually bundled into touch by a bevy of defenders. He also came within a whisker of another trademark interception try in the 13 channel when a floated pass just evaded his desperate finger tips. He’ll be an ever present danger hence the need for the Tigers’ defensive alignment to be spot on.
Tom Homer is in charge of the kicking duties now that Lamb/Malone have been deposed and has a prodigious boot but does not present the overall threat of arch finisher Sailosi Tagicakibau who last played back in mid February.
Completing the back three for Irish against Saints was Delon Armitage who had a frustrating afternoon trying to cope with Chris Ashton and his Bash Street Gang which presumably lit his short fuse and Myler copped the blast.
Although as I write this the outcome of the RFU disciplinary hearing is still to be published I find it hard to believe that Armitage, will not be suspended for his punching of Stephen Myler while the Saints’ fly half was on the floor and in no position to defend himself. The offence was missed by the officials although how the touch judge could have failed to see it is a mystery but then the same could be said of the striking of Nyanga by O’Brien in the Leinster vs USAP Heineken Cup semi final last Saturday. With three match officials focussed on a small area of play it does puzzle me how such matters are missed.
Adam Thompstone is therefore likely to reprise his solid appearances in the Irish back three along with Homer and Ojo as he did when Delon Armitage was undergoing his last suspension.
Tuilagi the elder is in a rich vein of attacking form at just the right time of the season, being top of the competition’s try scoring stats with eleven to his credit and where he joins team mates Scott Hamilton and sibling Manu who share fourth spot, he will again give the opposition defence plenty to think about and I can see him getting on the score sheet again while on the other flank Horacio Agulla has really benefitted from a run of games although rested at Kingston Park with his replacement Matt Smith scoring a good try but conceding a daft penalty. I would have liked to have seen the Argentinian in his international full back position more this term with Scott Hamilton on the wing where I think he looks even more of a threat than at full back.
So before summarising; what happened back in 2003?
Well Tim Stimpson and John Holtby both scored tries with Stimpson scoring two penalties from the tee but crucially not converting either of the tries. Geordan Murphy contributed by slotting a drop goal.
For Irish; loosehead Mike Worsley scored a try and Mark Mapletoft kicked five penalties. The final score was 19 – 20 in favour of the visitors.
It was time for the home supporters to say goodbye to Darren Garforth, Perry Freshwater, Jamie Hamilton, Derek Jelley, Rod Kafer, Craig McMullen, Gareth Raynor, Peter Short and Franck Tournaire who would not feature for Tigers in the 2003/4 season.
The following week Tigers travelled to Kingsholm for the closing match of a troubled season and were thrashed 31 -13 by Gloucester who ended the season atop the premiership with 80 points but got thumped 39-3 by Wasps in the final of the end of season knock out cup – so no pot for Gloucester, which was one of three occasions when they topped the league but didn’t get the English Champions’ mantle from winning a meagre two matches to secure the knock out cup.
Tigers recorded their lowest of league finishes that season in sixth place but beat Sarries in the Wildcard Final at Franklins’ Gardens to squeeze into the Heineken Cup for the following World Cup season, which was to see Tigers manage just fifth spot in the Premiership, fail to progress beyond the pool stages of the Heineken Cup and say goodbye to Dean Richards.
Back to the present though and Tigers need to win this Saturday and collect five points to be certain of topping the league, if it matters in the greater scheme of things, as if they get just four points and Sarries manage to repeat their try scoring exploits against Gloucester and nab another five points down at The Stoop then they’ll finish level on points with Tigers and claim top spot due to having won more matches.
If Tigers are at full strength, other than for injured absentees, then I’m going for a win to end the season on a high but whether it’ll be five points is an entirely different question, so whether Tigers will win the league I don’t know but it’s important to me as a true supporter that they do.
I’m off on holiday at the end of this week so that’s it from me for this season.
Thanks to those who’ve been nice enough to make kind comments about my weekly offerings whether from Tigers or elsewhere and it’s gratifying that it has only been one club’s supporters that have made derogatory comments and been derisory of my amateur attempts at providing something useful and maybe, on occasion, even entertaining, to read, that derision was sadly supported by a recently regular Tigers’ poster on here but there you go – can’t please everybody, but it’s nice if people aren’t rude as these opinion pieces, and that’s what they are; expressions of my opinion, do take time and effort to produce so appreciation is well............... appreciated!
Have a great Summer and ready yourselves for another World Cup Season.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:11:20:18:15 by Stephen Bath.
Enjoy your holiday and I look forward to the gathering here of True Tigers Supporters at the beginning of a new season enjoying your previews.
Have a great summer.
I REMEBER THAT GAME IN 2003 ---------
comeonuriiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
MWM
LONDON IRISH - and loving it......
LET'S GO IRISH....LET'S GO IRISH
...........
God willing I'll be back in August to have a look at the 2011/12 season which promises to be "interesting" - not the Preview (although I'll do my best
) the season.
Thanks again for your good wishes
Anyway - thanks again Chris - another great preview after a season of great previews. You are a trooper and please be assured that your efforts are valued by the majority who read them (though surely you haven't forgotten our surly Welsh friends who first purloined your words and then went on to belittle them) and as those of us who make the occasional contribution to the articles on here understand too well there is a good deal of effort goes into them.
Interesting that you mention the World Cup - I have been wondering if we could, as a body corporate, do a World Cup preview with individuals offering their thoughts on a different nation through the summer. OK some of the minnows might be difficult but if we take you as our inspiration a little research shouldn’t be beyond us all in most cases.
Anyway - have a good holiday - how many months is it for this time - and I hope the summer recharges your batteries. Hopefully we'll meet up again in the new season.
...
It was the Scarlets' I was alluding to in my piece.
Sometimes folks say I've got something wrong, which I do, and that's fine, as after all it's only one person's opinion (mine) but it was just the horrible personalised bile toward me that came from that source that I found distasteful and unacceptable and it was disappointing that a poster from here endorsed some of it.
I did have a look at the posts again before I wrote this week's piece as I wanted to just refresh my memory before commenting on what was something of a low point really.
Obviously one just tries to shrug such things off but in truth it is hurtful when unpleasant and unjustified things are said about you.
Anyway I think that's a great idea about the World Cup. As you know there's loads of information on line, it just takes time to search it out and follow the links around the ether to get a reasonably accurate picture of the players, backgrounds, records etc.
Maybe Tiggs or Jen could put up a Sticky once we get the the domestic season over with, rather like the one there was for match reporters this season (and next I'd bet) to get people to participate.
We are just having a week in the Peak District and then off to Spain for a while in October and for a month or so in January/February. we're very blessed to live here by the beach so Spring/Summer/Early Autumn are lovely here.
We are hoping to get up to Welford Road by linking it in with another trip up country. We planned to do it this season but never quite managed to get things to work. Must do better!
Best wishes to Andrea (and you of course) as usual
Thanks yet again Chris. It is right that all value these previews, they are special and much appreciated. Enjoy the summer, and I hope Mablethorpe keeps nice for you.
'Profit Motive' .. the Vaseline of genocides.
'Reality' .. the new cynicism
I hear Mablethorpe can very nice at the right time of the year - I'll have to keep looking for the right time
I can't see Woods for the 12 trees
Your previews are a highlight of all knowledgeable premiership rugby supporter’s web weeks, well written, informative, opinion pieces that are the best on the rugby network.
From a selfish point of view, I’m disappointed that we won’t get to read your insight in to the semi and hopefully final of the playoffs. Totally agree with all of those that mention and thankyou for, the time and effort that go in to these articles and as you rightly say, the opinions you state within them are your own and you don’t expect every one to agree with them. I believe the individual flavour you add to the pieces with your often strong opinions on players, referees and commentators adds a lot to the previews and makes them superior to the bland fare found in many a newspaper or the non-fans run websites.
In my opinion, the occasional use of this opinion space to dig at forum posters is unnecessary and is the only thing that devalues the pieces. But, it’s your prerogative to write what you choose, the free style of writing makes the articles so enjoyable and the right of reply is always there. If people use that right of reply in an abusive fashion then you should respect the intelligence of your readers to recognise this says far more about those being abusive than yourself.
I appreciate that you are an unpaid volunteer and therefore in a different position to Brian Moore, Stephen Jones, Stuart Barnes and their ilk, but I also wonder if you have considered the potential hypocrisy in criticising a poster for abusing you while feeling free to poke his Porcupineship? Clearly this hypocrisy is also shown in reverse by said poster not liking the Fat Boy’ Barnes banter on here, but feeling free to join in with the Taffia taunts in your direction elsewhere.
The nature of writing in public is that you (and I, and every other poster and article writer) are sticking your head above the parapet and occasionally shots will be fired.
1 - I don't consider accepting abuse an acceptable price for doing what I do here. If it's seen otherwise then I'd have to reconsider doing these pieces which I do not only for the benefit and enjoyment of the readers but also for my own and being abused does not add to my enjoyment of life. Happily it's a rare and, iirc, in fact a unique occurence and I don't actually recollect ever mentioning a poster of this or any other site in my pieces before. But this was, in my view, an unusual and disconcerting event that I really took exception to.
2 - Criticism is not the same as abuse, not only because the former is acceptable and the latter isn't. To differentiate: If I say I'm disappointed at or disapprove of some body calling somebody else "Fat Boy" that's criticism of the person applying the epithet. On the other hand if I said instead "you are a moronic troll for calling somebody Fat Boy" that's abuse.
Otherwise thanks for the kind words.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:04:18:23:57 by ChrisC.
Just to respond to the points though;
1) I'd encourage you to keep writing the articles regardless, that was the point i was trying to make, I believe you rise above it more by not reacting. I think we are lucky on this site to attract few trolls and hate the idea that a few of them could put off our most prolific article writer.
2) I was comparing the abuse of Barnes that i was under the impression you approved of (no?) with the abuse of you that you didn't approve of.
A facetious point, and i apologise if you do not approve of abusive terms towards him. To your example:
"If I say I'm disappointed at or disapprove of some body calling somebody else "Fat Boy" that's criticism of the person applying the epithet. On the other hand if I said instead "you are a moronic troll for calling somebody Fat Boy" that's abuse. "
Could be added...
As is the epithet 'Fat Boy' itself a term of abuse.
However, as i say it's a facetious point and as i said above, Barnes is a paid journalist and you are a volunteer. He is paid to take it and you are not.
"Being professional has nothing to do with being paid".
Words I've always tried to live by, and an ideal that Chris achieves every time he produces these previews.
You have my respect and gratitude, sir.
As for rising above abuse or criticism, you reap as you sow as far as I'm concerned. Good luck to you.
Fabulous stuff as ever - unqualified thanks from me.
It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society [not original]. We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them [AE]
That your previews are cathartic no doubt contributes a good deal to their impressive quality [and length
], not something often achieved elsewhere, but whatever, they contribute massively to my matchday experience ... long [if you'll excuse the pun ] may they and you prosper, and thank you.*********************************************************
Chew this!
Beneath the rule of mens' oppressive state
The pen is likelier than the sward. Behold
The arch-enchanter's wand! - itself a nothing!
But taking saucery from the masters-hand,
To paralyse the Caesars, strike the fence,
Stride the loud earth breathless! Take away the fog.
Sheep, aspire to be unique.
I dunno how you learn so much about teams and players but I am glad you do.
I look forward to your reviews way more than the rugby paper or Rugby Club. Fact.
Have a fine holiday.
'Profit Motive' .. the Vaseline of genocides.
'Reality' .. the new cynicism
Another excellent piece.
Many thanks for all the previews
Have a great summer
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