Glos Preview: Them's A Cummin.....................

By Chris Chaplin
November 12 2002

If Tigers' can't finish top of the pile come May then I hope it's the Cherry and Whites but this Friday no Barbarian tendencies will be in evidence as Tigers 'entertain' the Cherry and Whites at Welford Road to play what could be the season's decider.

With Leeds and the hapless London Irish next on the menu for Glaws at Castle Grim a win at WR would see them pretty much home and hosed barring some calamitous collapse in form thereafter and frankly this is a very different Glaws from that which did just that following a defeat at WR a year or so back when they were again in the box seat and their hearts and form thereafter were broken by Freddies' last minute try.

A win for Tigers would put them just one win adrift of the Cherry and Whites at the top of the Premiership and the eventual pot will still be within reach.

So it's that important on Friday.

I watched Glaws last week against London Irish and in spite of their eventual comfortable win thought it only an average performance against a side that seemed to give up in the last quarter and was pretty much devoid of any ideas before that.

The Glaws front row of Roncero/Fortey/Deacon comprised one new comer, the six time capped Argentian, and two real Gloucester artisans. They know the game and have been there in the engine room for a relatively long time and are none the worse for that, although expect to see Ollie Azam start against Tigers.

With escapee Eustace probably rested on rotation and returning from a ban Cornwell available, the second row will presumably see Fidler start again come Friday. Plenty of skill and thuggery at lock and in reserve so we must hope that their newly acquired tap dancing skills are left at Kingsholm.

The back row of Paramour/Forrester and Boer are a potent force and quite how Blobby chose Eustace as MOTM against Irish over the ever excellent Boer will long remain a mystery.

With Gomersall on the bench at least for England Glaws' Stewart-Smith may get to make his first start in the Premiership ahead of ex Cambridge University man, Simon Amor. Stewart-Smith will be the vital link to the back division headed by Mercier, who did show one spark of creativity against Irish but mostly sat in the pocket and kicked - no change there then! Todd at Centre is another of my favourite Glaws' players, good, brave, honest, hard running, line breaking centre that he is AND he is able to offload the ball to keep momentum in the attack (please watch all available Videos Mr Lloyd!) In many ways one of the Shed's favourite (adopted) sons, Terry Fanaloua, is a player in much the same mould and the attack often runs out of ideas as a consequence.

With the enfants terrible duo of Garvey and Simpson-Daniel variously injured and playing for England Delport and Beim, unless Garvey recovers from his deadleg, will probably appear on the wings. Delport is a class player and while perhaps not possessed of Simpson-Daniels' skill or Garvey's pace he knows how to finish. Defence is not always his strongest suit but it's good enough and he can kick well out of hand. Beim will be looking to re-establish himself if he gets the chance after being sidelined by Glaws' young stars on the wings following his own return from injury.

Henry Paul will almost certainly retain his place at 15 and backs up Mercier in his kicking role, what luxury to have TWO kickers, but we have really not seen too much special yet from Mr Paul and he must be in the Iestyn Harris camp of RL converts still to play to their potential.

A probable bench of Buxton/Eustace/Fortey and Academy prop Mark Irish will join O'Leary/Catlin and Amor to give sound cover although in Irish and Amor there is little first team experience.

Tigers must be similarly buoyed with confidence following their marvellous win over the Piglets and while sadly the combination of KO timings and distance prevented my attending it seems from what I've read and heard that our pack played very well, pretty much overwhelming a still strong Saints eight with Josh having another stormer.

Presumably Deano won't change much on the basis that 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' and I think that the front row of Freshwater/West/Tournaire will be a match for the Glaws front three.

Corry and Deacon in the second row should really be able to secure an edge over the still young Cornwell and the experienced Fidler and/or Eustace.

If the back row remains as Josh/Johnson W./Balding they will find their collective hands full. Although Paramour doesn't look fully fit to me, with the rib injury he sustained against the Saints still seeming to trouble him in the Irish game, he didn't seem quite so 'in the thick of it' as is usual and his running off the back of the scrum was limited. I still expect him to play if he can draw breath and he will be a threat even at 70% fitness but I think he'll be contained and if Josh continues in his current rich vein of form he'll boss the fringes with Balding and snaffle anything loose on the floor. Forrester is a real threat in the loose if play breaks up, he still doesn't entirely convince me when the dark arts are required in rucks and mauls but the other aspects of his game more than compensate for this.

With the inexperienced Stewart-Smith at #9 I expect to see the scrum turning to allow both Tierney and Josh clear access to both Stewart-Smith and Mercier and this will be where the game is won or lost. If Mercier can be knocked out of his comfort zone then the Cherry and Whites will have problems mounting attacks with any width to them and deny the barnstorming Todd and Fanaloua the opportunity to set up second and third phase ball for their forwards to drive on to.

Although McMullen doesn't seem to have had the most impressive of starts I suspect he will be selected again alongside Rod and the inbred defensive skills of ACT will be very valuable from this combination. I think that if things work out in the scrum and it's immediate environs they may be able to get the backs away.

Ollie must surely retain his place, his pace and strength will be a match for Fanaloua and give him plenty to think about.

If Freddie is fit I hope he gets the chance to meet up with Mr Delport who could have a torrid time with our Fred as could Henry Paul. If the rapier that is Booth is paired with the more 'direct' attributes of Fred then I believe we'll have a potent combination.

However and it's a big however we do not have a proven full back or kicker. Will Booth be drafted there and Harry Ellis given a berth on the wing? Perhaps Lloyd (not too much passing needed)? or maybe step up Billig. In any event here's our only real Achilles Heel and the merry folk of Gloucester know it and expect to see whoever is drafted in to have plenty to do with towering kicks from Mercier followed up by their backs and backrow players.

So the key is whether Josh and his colleagues (nb: not compatriots) can knock Stewart-Smith and Mercier out of their game plan and at the same time avoid conceding penalties. Well in the case of the former I believe they can however if we have a ref 'unsympathetic' to our style of play Mercier could kick us to death. Glaws won't be too worried at conceding penalties when they know we don't have a recognised kicker, after all it didn't worry them last weekend when they had Barry Everitt to contend with and the loss of the occasional player to the Sin Bin doesn't seem to phase them either.

So knowing the two teams as I do what's going to be the outcome?

I honestly don't know. Both teams are depleted by the shamernationals in key positions which critically leaves us short of the all important 'Goldenboot' I don't think the Glaws pack will steamroller over us like they have so many others but we could concede penalties in this area when they try. My head tells me, as it has from the early part of the season, that this is where the home league record stops but we do seem to be hitting some form in spite of the majority of our first choice players being absent. My heart tells me that the Tigers will fight to the very last ounce of their energy and talent to win AND they're at Welford Road so that may just be enough.

Right then - make your mind up time. Tigers to win another tight match and if they do to go on and claim another Premiership - I'm booking my tickets for the end of season finale at Kingsholm in May!