Snow Won't Rescue Scratch Tykes Team
Dear God, NO!
By apb
February 24 2005
Its been a bit of doom and gloom this week, hasn't it? A loss against Sale that, had the passes stuck and the handling been sound we could have won, and we hear that this week we have an almighty crisis with the availability of players for this Friday's game against Sarries.
Snow!
So the weather reports this week have become increasingly listened to with a sense of desparation - will the game be snowed off?
From where I sit and stare out through the window into the night sky, it looks like the game will be on. A large fall of snow in the West Yorkshire area generally has coincided with a temperature increase that ensured much of the snow that fell melted on contact. The game will be played.
Front Row Crisis
What its likely to do though, is to make a boggy pitch even more wet and slippery, and it may actually even up the battle somewhat in the scrummage. This is good news given the front row crisis that arose, sending Phil Davies phoning round desparately begging, borrowing and not-quite-stealing any player of suitable standard. In that vein, we welcome straight into the team for Friday Tom McGee, a pro player for the Borders who wasn't doing anything this week due to the internationals being on. Sitting on the bench we also welcome Newcastle's Ed Kalman. Ed has come through the Newcastle academy and although on the fringes has yet to make his Premiership debut for the Falcons.
New Fly Half
Also somewhat of a shock was the news this week that Gareth Wright has been "released", and therefore with Gordon Ross being asked to sit frustrated on the subs bench for the Scots this weekend (I personally don't believe Matt Williams will ever sub his Aussie mate Parks), we were short of a fly-half. So, on the phone again for Mr. Davies, and away he comes with Craig McMullen from Narbonne for the rest of the season. A play-maker to effectively run the game and score a famous victory he may be, but he's had two days to get to know his fellow team-mates, so its a tough ask.
Sarries, meanwhile, are suffering not at all, and will, of course, be smarting from the mauling they suffered last week at the hands of London Irish, and will want revenge for the defeat inflicted on them by the Tykes in September - arguably the Tykes' best match this season. In theat vein they name a strong line-up, with an awesome looking pack.
Wingers
Sad to say we won't be welcoming Dan Scarbrough back (other than in the stands). He's still reportedly two weeks away from playing again for his new club, and I know many of us at Leeds will on the one hand breathe a sigh of relief that he's not fit, and at the same time wish him well for his future games. It will also be interesting to see Tevita Vaikona come to the Headingley "turf" for the first time since switching codes at the end of last season. Having been a fantastic performer in RL for the Bradford Bulls, he will no doubt expect nothing other than a less-than-warm welcome from the Leeds faithful.
Punditry
It looked pretty gloomy at the start of this week. However, the side that Tykes have named still looks strong on paper (where have we heard that before?!?), and if they can get it right straight out of the blocks, and their new fly-half can perform with the kind of pin-point kicking, hard tackling and imaginative distribution that is required, then there's a chance. The back line looks good, but have consistently been inconsistent this season, and we long for the day when all passes go to hand and stick there for a full eighty minutes.
Sarries will be hungry for victory and to get them back into the running for the wildcard places, if not the playoffs. Their team is riddled with quality, and, chronic underachievers they no doubt have been in recent seasons, you underestimate them at your peril.
I just can't call this one. This is probably just as well, since I've been close to 100% inaccurate in my preview punditry in this season. I desparately, desparately, desparately want a Tykes win. I just don't know how it's going to come about...
Leeds 15. Iain Balshaw |
Saracens 15 Mark Bartholomeusz |