By Chris Chaplin
February 18 2004

Before the massacre of Ravenhill Tigers had reserved one of their worst of performances in recent years to that at the MadStad last season when they were abject, so this year I am sure that we can expect a better showing.
London Irish are currently on 40 points and probably rightly optimistic at their prospects of taking part in the senior European competition next year whether by inclusion as of right or by the less certain route of the play-offs an optimism that is not, I suspect, currently shared by those in charge at Welford Road

With their still being untroubled by international duty, as they have been throughout this fractured and fractious World Cup year, the Reading based side have undoubtedly benefited from having a settled squad, save of course for the usual injury problems that are part of the warp and weft of the Premiership which introduces enough uncertainty without the added complication of the international duties that all the other sides in the league have had to endure.

In their last outing up at Headingley the bhoyos achieved a notable away win against Leeds, who are no mugs on their home turf and the 16 – 9 win achieved was therefore all the more creditable. It must have been mouth-watering for the Irish faithful to see both Mark Mapletoft and the now recovered Barry Everitt on parade in what looked to be pretty much a full strength squad that turned out against the Tykes.

True Scotland reject Gordon Ross missed some three chances with the boot to put pressure onto the visitors at Headingley but it seems that once Geoff Appleford bulldozed his way through three tackles early in the second half the Exiles never looked back, even though they had a narrow squeak when Leeds’ Matt Cardey had a try disallowed by Tony Spreadbury who adjudged the ball to have been knocked on. Barry Everitt, who came on as substitute in the final quarter, then put the icing on the cake with a brace of drop goals late on.

Tiger’s last excursion at least secured two valuable away points when they notched up their second away draw of the season in the Premiership but they are still searching for an away victory to add to the isolated event up at Millmoor when they, together with everybody else, put Rotherham to the sword, otherwise though more than a year has passed since Tigers managed an away win in the Premiership.

I can’t say that much could be gathered from a Tigers’ performance in atrocious conditions such as those that were experienced up at Edgeley Park a fortnight ago but it was a few valuable points gained for Tigers and with London Irish being helpful in beating Leeds Tigers were able to edge ahead of the Yorkshire side and claim ninth spot by the slimmest of margins.

However Tigers’ elevation was short lived as last weekend’s results did nothing to help their position. Not only did Leeds beat Falcons at home and thereby leapfrog Tigers into ninth spot but Falcons got two points of their own to pull further away in eigth, with the margin between them and Leeds now a full five points and the gapfrom eighth spot to Tigers now eight points or two additional wins over an above those achieved by Falcons in the fag end of the season. Just to make things worse Sarries managed to get a bonus point when getting beaten by Saints and moved to within two points of Tigers with their fetid couscous laden breath now hot on Tigers’ necks.

Given the tightness of the table down in the boondocks I wonder yet whether the points deducted for administrative errors will yet return to haunt the newly dangerous corridors of power at Welford Road and indeed those at Vicarage Road come the end of the season.

But enough of that lest blood letting and scores are settled prematurely while still we have the prospect of a visit to Reading to contemplate.

As I’ve already said the London Irish squad has a settled look and injuries permitting, none of which I have been advised of by the London Irish PR office, then it’s hard to see why Gary Gold would want to change a winning combination.

In which case Neal Hateley and Naka Drotske will probably again join up with countryman Doug Wheatley in forming the Irish’s all South African front three, with just Drotske having been capped at full international level it will be interesting to see how they fair against the all star Tigers’ line up of Rowntree, West and Darren Morris. On paper at least the Tigers’ combination should have the edge and provided that Dorian West can get his eye in when throwing to the line out then I’d expect the Tigers to get the better of the close encounters of the dark side which will undoubtedly take place. By all accounts the Leeds pack got plenty of go forward in their encounter and I expect Tigers also to do well in this department.

To my mind the second row contest is far less clear cut. For me at least with the out of form Ben Kay on international duty the presence of the burgeoning talent that is Louis Deacon does nothing to weaken the line out although Deacon does not yet have an in form Kay’s presence in the loose. In the line out Johnno and Deacon will probably be up against the ever superb and abrasive long serving Ryan “Strudders” Strudwick who keeps the South African motif going and I expect that he will again team up with that awkward cuss ex Leinster player Bob Casey. Given half a chance these two will mess up Tigers’ ball both in the set piece as well as around the fringes in loose play. With Johnno looking to be at his truculent best and Deacon wanting to prove a point there could be fireworks here and frankly I don’t know which way this area of combat will go but it will, as ever, be key to the outcome of the contest as a whole.

I rather expect that if they’re sensible Tigers will try to proceed up route one at the line-out and use Johnno as much as possible and unless Martin Corry is selected and brings his significant presence to the lineout then Tigers will, to be honest, have little choice. The long throw has not been a happy or well executed tactic for Tigers of late and pinpoint accuracy will be needed for it’s employment on Saturday with the bringing into play of Corry essential as looming at the back of the line for Irish will probably be Irish international flanker Kieron Dawson and his partners in crime Declan Danaher and my pal Chris Sheasby, all of whom will enthusiastically snaffle any wayward ball. The girls might even get a treat with the appearance of matinee idol Paul Gustard!

Where the Irish trio come into their own however is in the loose where they are arguably amongst the best combinations in the Premiership in broken play. It will be good to see Chris Sheasby back playing after the horrendous injury he sustained at Sale early in the season, the enquiry into which was surely used as a model for the later Hutton enquiry. It would just not be the same without Champion The Wonderhorse loping around the place.

The Tigers back three will have Neil Back, as Woodward has not recanted, who will surely have the devil in him and I expect to see a real tour de force from our very own Napoleonic hero, hopefully he’ll be joined by Corry and Henry Tuilagi, in which case the collisions in open play should be enough to close the nearby M4 for fear of subsidence from the shock waves. In many ways Tuilagi and Sheasby are similar in that when on the hoof they’re pretty predictable and as such can be catered for accordingly, where the Irish could just have the edge though is in the speed about the park of Dawson in particular. Another close one to call but being a Tigers’ supporter I’d have to just favour a virtuoso performance from Backy to swing the balance of power around the breakdown and the tackle area but if the game loosens up unduly watch out for the Irish trio.

All in all I expect the scrum to see a measure of dominance by Tigers with the lineout pretty even but with Tigers being on form around the breakdown and tackle area but the Irish demonstrating the greater mobility in loose play.

Welshman Darren Edwards has pretty much made the #9 shirt his own this season and he’ll continue the good work on Saturday when he will be up against Harry Ellis who is unrecognisable these days from the player who was suspended for head-butting Steve Hanley (how did he do that? I was at that game and I didn’t see anybody bring on a milk crate for him to stand on to do the dreadful deed!) so Edwards will have his hands full and no mistake. This is an area where Tigers could also gain a real edge.

The starting selection at fly-half really tells us how Irish are going to play the game. Everitt to start? Plenty of positional kicking into the opposition 22 and the backs taking a sabbatical. Mapletoft to start? The Irish backs come into play, lots of chipping behind the defence becoming the order of the day.

Tigers have to decide who to play at 10 and 15. Jaco or Goode. One thing though seems for sure and that is that even if Goode hasn’t recovered from the injury that forced him from the field at Edgeley Park we’ll not see Ramiro Pez in the #15, as he reportedly refused to turn out at full back for the development side on Monday which may have been in preparation for such an eventuality.

What is for certain is that Tigers cannot ever again turn up without a front line kicker so in the absence of Goode Pez would have to be seriously considered for a return at fly-half with Jaco reverting to full-back where I consider him to be equally effective.

Of course this was heralded as Geordan Murphy’s likely comeback as well as that of Austin Healey but with neither appearing for the development side and Tigers maintaining an enigmatic silence – I have asked the question but answer came there none (the nice young lady at London Irish told me in response to my e-mail that nothing had changed at their end as far as injuries are concerned, but from Tigers nothing, which is something of an irony!)

With Centre Nick Greenstock absent then young Rob Hoadley continues to be the link man to the dangerous and under rated Geoff Appleford who’s another South African, albeit one who’s been capped for England, however with the number of contenders for England in this area I guess his chance for more international honours has passed. Appleford is a tremendously strong player who, as his presence for England in Sevens bears witness, combines his strength with a fair old turn of speed which makes him a major threat to Tigers gain line.

Facing the London Irish duo I expect to see our very own All Black Daryl Gibson who young Hoadley may find a bit much and hope against hope Ollie Smith will back in position at #13. Seemingly not yet part of Sir Clive’s plans Tigers should make the most of Ollie while they can.

With Jaco or Pez on song at fly-half and being the recipient of good service from Ellis and the pack then I can see the Tigers’ centre partnership being able to get the better of things in this area especially if Hoadley loses a bit of focus as he can from time to time.

Defensively Gibson and Smith should be up to the challenge as well.

It’s hard to imagine that the very experienced Irish International Justin Bishop will not start in harness with the devastating Paul Sackey both of whom, from what I’ve seen of them this season, seem to be enjoying their play far more than when the stifling tactics of Venter held sway with both now looking distinctly liberated.

If, as should be the case, Neil Baxter is back then I hope that he is partnered with Steve Booth to provide a very fast and tricky prospect for the Irish defenders. Both are ex Rugby league and defend well and I prefer their’s to Freddie Tuilagi’s method of defence which has caused Tigers an increasing degree of trouble this season and against Horak, Bishop and Sackey our pocket battleship could be found wanting in this department.

The directness of his running, once a virtue is now predictable and lacking in some of the pace that he enjoyed before his last knee injury so I hope that a more subtle and speedy approach is employed at the MadStad.

Full back for Irish? Michael Horak of course. Superb in attack but can commit the odd defensive howler. It will be important to kick behind him and make him turn, any ball that he can run onto at pace will produce trouble, especially when he has old stubble chops Sheasby in support to knock the holes for him.

Full back for Tigers? Murphy? Healey? Jaco? Goode? Booth? Who knows?

So can things only get better on Saturday as Tigers travel to the Reading High Veldt?

As I’ve said so many times this season on paper Tigers should have the beating of most teams and blessedly little affected by the Six Nations thus far this is the case against London Irish this weekend.

The players have had a couple of weeks uninterrupted training, injured players should and are beginning to reappear and there has been time for the whole staff to settle down to the new collegiate regime at Welford Road.

That’s the theory and logic of it all but frankly it’s hard to see the very settled and together Irish being out played on their home turf. Tigers can do it and if they prevail it could just turn their season around and give them the impetus to get into the crucial play-off zone.

On balance I expect a much improved showing and for Tigers to come close but whether they’ll come close enough is another matter.