Shallow Waters: Route 2
By smoothhound
December 24 2004
Heineken Cup qualification is the must-have for every premiership team. Having looked at the competition itself, and at its little brother, the European Challenge Cup, smoothhound turns his attention this week to the "lesser" Powergen Cup. Derided it may, but it still carries HC qualification.
PSA is quite clear that he wants to pursue all three routes into the Heineken Cup because it is the season’s most important goal. So we’re still in there with a loud shout in the ZP and ECC. And an under full strength Sale side beat Plymouth Albion to move through to the quarter finals of the Powergen Cup.
Despite an early sprint down the left wing for Steve Hanley to score, it took some time for Sale to subdue a lively well-drilled Plymouth team, coached by that former master of the dark arts of front row play, Graham Dawe. Albion bounced back with a try from wing Robinson (Lee not Jason) in the 10th minute to level the scores at 5 all. The Plymouth support team was a little disorganised, as the kicking tee was still in the changing room. Nothing loth, wing James Pritchard drop-kicked the conversion from wide on the right to take a 5-7 lead. Mike Hercus’ penalty recovered the lead for Sale 8-7, before Pritchard replied for Plymouth to lead the game for a second time, 8-10.
Sale were guilty of a number of handling errors and both sides indulged in bouts of aerial ping pong, with Plymouth’s kicking game producing slightly better results. Pete Anglesea, captaining Sale, then decided it was time to demonstrate his pack’s superiority, and camped on the Devonians line, battering away, refusing to release the ball to the backs until their mastery had been claimed. And so it was as Big Red himself drove over to notch up the second try. Another penalty by Eagle Mike sent the Sharks in at half-time leading 18-13.
Shortly after the re-start, Albion prop Dan Parkes, spotted booting the ball away, was sin-binned by French ref Poite, and Sale saw their opportunity to take command. By now, picking and driving straight at Albion, Sale’s forwards were making inroads, and the battering ram Sheriden claimed the next score, followed quickly by another for the captain. In this the pantomime season, Dawe the pantomime villain took to the field, and must have been embarrassed to be shoved off his first scrummage put-in. Restored to full strength, Albion were not long in manufacturing another score for Robinson. Sale continued to pound away, but were unable to overcome the defence until deep into injury time. Hanley caught an ill-judged Plymouth chip on their 10 metre line, and angling away to the right corner, started to run. He was still accelerating as he crashed over for his second and Sale’s fifth try. Final score was 38-18. The press’s cup wasn’t running over for Sale, but it was a job done. With arguably only six first choice players selected, the game had been used as an opportunity to rest some of the internationals, start squad members to get them much-needed game time, and blood three of the Jets. With no disrespect to Plymouth, our diverse squad accomplished their task fairly easily, despite mistakes. Wiggy enjoyed his run out, seemingly having plenty of time to get the ball away, and Pete Anglesea looked fully recovered from his injury, carrying to great effect. Of the young guns, Cox was a thorough nuisance to the opposition at the breakdown, Reilly showed his pace with a kick and chase, and Duffy, with just a couple of minutes to impress, flew around the pitch tackling anything that moved.
Plymouth were one of four National Division One sides left in the cup but none survived to the quarter finals. Bedford, despite insider knowledge of the Saints with seven former Northampton players in their ranks, crashed out at Franklin’s Gardens 41-8. Last season’s giant killers who took Wasps’ scalp, Pertemps Bees, couldn’t match that performance, blown away by the Tykes 81-17. Wasps, who seem to have a death wish in the cup, took until deep into injury time to dispatch their would-be nemesis, Bristol, by 33-43. Today’s news that Wasps have been disqualified for fielding an ineligible player, and their management’s rapid acceptance of their exclusion and Bristol’s reinstatement, has roused suspicions from their own message board that Wasps will be happy not to have to continue in the cup!
The other four ties were all ZP affairs. Worcester scored the only try (in fact a penalty try) in their game as Mike Catt’s dropped goal secured victory in a dour affair. Bath overwhelmed Harlequins 33-7, and according to reports, neither team was in good form. In fact the London side seem to have regressed to their early season losing streak. London Sale caused somewhat of an upset as they eased the holders Newcastle out of the competition. Wilkinson had three opportunities to kick his side to victory, but missed all of them. Squeaky was predictably less harsh on his protégé than he had been on Charlie during the AI, suggesting that Jonny will put one over to win the HC. Lives in a fantasy world does Squeaky. The upshot is that a 22-20 score line means that Budgies won’t be defending the Cup at Twickenham this season.
And finally Leicester. Wellsy, like a well-trained Cheetahs flanker, got his excuses in first. “Giving the main men a rest”, he said, “It’s a squad game”, he said, “Got to give everyone a game, specially the youngsters”, he said, “still a good team”, he said. Good enough (minus ten first-teamers) to lose at home to Gloucester 13-20 in a game which was light-years away from the intensity of their two HC clashes with Wasps. Why? Perhaps because Leicester think they can get back into next season’s HC either by winning it or by finishing in the top three in the ZP. Perhaps they feel they don’t need to qualify through the Cup. And the spin-off is rest time for the squad. They don’t have to turn up for the quarters, semis or final. Instead their old age pensioners can put their feet up. And if Glos didn’t want it more than they didn’t want it? ‘Nother opportunity to give the “lads” a run-out. Disrespecting the competition and the opposition? Nah, not Leicester, never!
The Cup is the oldest national club competition in England. Started in 1972 (Glos won) it was for 17 seasons the John Player Cup. In 1989 it became the Pilkington Cup, in 1998 the Tetley’s Bitter Cup and finally found a home with Powergen in 2001. The League started in 1987, and only four clubs have won it since, but the Cup has been spread around some 12 clubs since its inception, 8 of whom are still in the top flight. Two other ZP teams (Saints – four time losers, and ourselves, twice) have been losing finalists. Yet since the advent of the Heineken Cup, our own cup has lost some of its shine. When the prize at the end of the cup run was a mere trophy, enthusiasm dwindled rapidly. It was only when winning the thing gave a team an automatic entry to the HC that clubs started to take notice again. And not all clubs. If you’re chasing the HC hard and are about to reach the quarters of that, while filling a high position in the ZP, do you really want another gruelling competition whose final will take place at the same time as other high-pressure, high-profile vitally important games? Does your club have the depth of squad to compete? Will your squad stay sufficiently injury-free to make it worthwhile to campaign flat-out? Or will your players need a crucial rest period late in the season? Let’s face it, the cup is the third-level competition in terms of prestige. Any ZP club will have as their targets the HC and the ZP, and only those not in the HC will truly target the cup as a route into the premier European competition.
Yet the ZP clubs are treated like royalty when it comes to the cup. Only required to enter in the round before the quarters, they face a mere four-game sprint to the title. Plus the enormous carrot of an HC place next season. Only the Wasps blunder has allowed a non-ZP side through to the QFs. But let’s look at those sides who have got through. Sale, LI, Leeds and London Sale all desperate to sup at the top Heineken table. Bath, Gloucester and Saints – none yet secure in the quarters of the HC, or feeling impregnable in the ZP (Saints in fact propping it up) – so all three experiencing a little insecurity about their HC place next season. And those out? Wuss and Quins, who would like to get into the HC, but who were beaten by fellow ZPers with greater appetites. Leicester, top of the ZP and looking good for a QF place in the HC, fielded an under strength side, yet benchmen Rowntree and Back remained benched when Tigers were losing. Wasps, second in the ZP although looking less assured in Europe, selected and played a hooker replacement who was ineligible having played in the cup for Henley previously this season. Wasps are calling it an “administrative oversight”, but were remarkably quick to acknowledge their mistake and waive right to appeal. Newcastle – and here’s where conspiracy theories move from thin ice on to very thin ice. Only Squeaky’s apparent unconcern over their defeat points to Falcons being disinterested in the Powergen. Mind you, he no doubts hopes that they’ve qualified for the QF of the HC, although a lowly seventh in the ZP.
So the Powergen means differing things to the ZP clubs, a route to the HC or a competition too far in a successful club’s busy season. We should perhaps consider cutting the connection between Powergen and Heineken again. Players are being asked to play too many fiercely competitive games. Play the cup on international weekends, and the ZP clubs can field their academy and junior players to further their experience, perhaps at an earlier stage. Yes it will fillet the cup of its prestige, but at least clubs will be able to have a fair bash at it, being able to rest senior players when necessary, without the spectator having to wonder at their motives.
And the semi-finalists this season? Sale to beat Bath, Gloucester to welly Bristol, London Sale to overcome the Irish and Saints to pip Tykes. London Sale at home in the semis, please. Whether the third level competition or not, time to visit HQ and come away a winner!