The Battle of Wounded Knee
By ChrisC
September 16 2010
Or come to that ankle, foot, back or seemingly any other part of the anatomy of a Tigers' rugby player. Tigers travel down to Adams Park this weekend with an ever growing injury list and this is a venue which is no place to go if you're other than at full strength and on form.
Sadly Tigers are neither, as the list of injuries seems to grow daily and they continue to look a shadow of the Championship side of the latter part of last season as they struggle to find some form.
The first half performance against Exeter Chiefs last Saturday was abject to say the least and while acknowledging the injuries in the lock department Calum Green and George Skivington seemed to have just met as they walked onto the field instead of having a pre season and of having been coached as if the absence of Deacon, Parling and Blaze had been announced minutes before kick off, so shambolic was the Tigers’ line out.
There was a marked improvement once Croft made his appearance with the line out settling on both defence and attack ball and a much needed dynamism at last being introduced.
Staunton and Murphy chose this match to have less than perfect days at the office and even Alex Tuilagi was reluctant to take a tackle or make one preferring a Tom Varndell wave at the passing Chief instead and giving a great impression of a Samoan traffic cop.
Chiefs came to Welford Road with a simple game plan and executed it to perfection in the first half, while with the introduction of Leagunion and the consequent lack of competition at the breakdown they had plenty of opportunity with Tigers seemingly impotent to stop them or offer much in response until the second half.
This is the second week of the season, the second week of Leagunion and the second week that Tigers don’t seem to have realised that they are required to start playing when the bloke in the middle blows his whistle at the start of 80 minutes and not wait until after the half time break to change out of their mental street clothes and get their game heads on.
Up at Kingston Park Wasps popped in two nice simple tries against Newcastle who decided that catching and tackling were perhaps options they wouldn’t choose but the visitors were undone by the Tynesiders after a late surge by the home team and the boot of Jimmy Gopperth, with Wasps seemingly thinking that this no tackling idea wasn’t half bad, after all Tom Varndell has used it for years, and they even conceded a close range try to Newcastle’s Swinson.
That’s right conceded a close range try – Wasps, who in the past we’ve see hold out this type of attack for such long periods that one could safely go to the bar and stop for a toilet break on the way back safe in the knowledge that when you regained your seat the poor old attackers would still be pummelling away and Wasps would be settled into their defensive armchair dismissively swatting them backward while reading the Rugby Times.
I’ve only seen highlights of this particular match but it seemed to be a not dissimilar performance to that which they produced against Quins the week before and I expect there’s a similar beating of breasts by the supporters at Wasps as there is amongst those of Tigers.
Against Quins the High Wycombe heavy horse started well but once Quins made their typical Conor O’Shea multiple front row switch poor old Tim Payne and Phil Vickery really were at sea against the Quins trio. I rather like Webber but do feel that as with Schalk Brits there’s a bit of a trade off for his mobility in that his set piece skills may be lacking.
I don’t see how they’ll resist a likely starting trio of Chuter, Castro and Ayerza with Cole and Stankovitch bringing their particular skill set to the second half.
As is clear to see Tigers’ line out so far has been a horror show but happily for the visitors this area of the sport is not Wasps’ forte either so if Tom Croft starts then I can see a potential advantage here for Tigers but my goodness they’ll have to do some work this week at Oval Park if they are going to redeem themselves and let’s hope Skivington shows his erstwhile colleagues what they’re missing – in a good way.
Strange thing the back row in these days of Leagunion, ordinarily I would take a sizeable bet on Ben Woods, good as he is, losing out big time to such a talent as is Tom Rees but these days when the breakdown is rarely contested without the defending side conceding a penalty I think this very real potential advantage to Wasps may be dissipated but any benefit available Rees will grab and of course it depends on how the referee is feeling about things on the day. Poor old Serge Betsen must think he’s on another planet at the breakdown with the advent of Leagunion, having been the Bill Sykes of the breakdown for so long
Hopefully Tom Croft will start with Thomas Waldrom and given the less than pacey likely starters for Wasps, with Hart no Usain Bolt and Worsley slowing down markedly they may find holes, although if Dan Ward-Smith starts they’ll have a bit of pace to go with that of Rees and he’s potent at line out time as well.
All in all I see that the Tigers’ front five should have the measure of the home side in the set piece and have more mobility around the park than the ageing Wasps.
Behind the scrum Nic Berry, late of Racing Metro, may have a bit of a tricky time with his pack under pressure and with Ben Youngs snapping away at his heels may well find himself exposed to the Tigers’ back row. At fly half I would have thought that given their present position Wasps would stick with David Walder who will kick them into the right places and pin Tigers back. Ricky Flutey played in the number 10 shirt against Quins and looked distinctly out of his comfort zone and it seems a terrible waste to have him doing that when, with the superb Dom Waldouck, he would surely be part of an ambrosial centre pairing.
I see real issues here for Tigers as Staunton is similarly conservative in his approach as is Walder but with Tony Allen injured and Dan Hipkiss not 100% the Wasps pair could be facing the inexperienced Billy Twelvetrees who’s defensive alignment against Exeter was a real Amityville Horror at times, he tackles anything that moves but often finds himself too out of position to be effective. He’s good going forward, big, strong and fearless but sometimes needs to turn down the testosterone and connect the brain, so maybe Manu Tuilagi would be worth a start with Matt Smith, either way this is an area of real concern for Tigers and potential advantage for Wasps.
In the back three Alex Tuilagi needs to get his tackles in and it will be interesting to see him face Tom Varndell – of course they may just stand waving each other past – a sort of “after you Claude” scenario but last week’s display wasn’t in character for Alex whereas with Tom it’s par for the course – well at least he’s consistent!
Haughton wasn’t a great presence against Quins but against Newcastle he made a sublime try by picking up the ball one handed on the run in his own half before Jacobs administered the coup de grace of a try to savour
The ex Sarrie gave way to the little magician; David Lemi near the end and it will be interesting to see if Varndell keeps his place in the starting line up or the home side goes for the more complete skills of Lemi and Haughton.
For Tigers Hamilton was again a shining light against Exeter as he was against Saints the week before and not only does he have deceptive pace as those long legs gambol about the turf he also tackles and is safe under the high ball.
Van Gisbergen at full back seems to be more like the player who was pushing for International honours a few years back,often more conservative than the mercurial Geordan Murphy, who will need to put last week behind him but the crafty Celt could be a real danger and enough to tip the balance toward Tigers who, I believe, have a better collegiate capacity in the back three.
My concern is the 9/10/12 hinge for Tigers getting enough ball to them to enable them to operate effectively and my guess is that van Gisbergen and Walder could instead give them an afternoon of catching practice and turning to collect the ball.
What Tigers must not do themelves is kick to the Wasps back three in space and allow them to get a head of steam and bring Flutey and Waldouck into play in the Tigers’ half where they could cause havoc.
So what of Tigers’ latest meeting with their Nemesis?
Don’t know really – the weather forecast for Saturday in High Wycombe is for a mostly sunny day with no chance of rain whereas a nice soggy day would have been perfect for the Tigers’ pack to dominate and stop the Wasps backs cantering around, so because, at time of my writing this, of my uncertainty and the misgivings I have about the Tigers’ midfield I’ll have to go for a home win.
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Thanks Chris, you're a star!
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I wonder if Croft in the second row with Skivington and Mafi at 6 as he has great pace and impressed in the development game against Saints.
True enough, mine was haemorrhaging whilst in my mouth last week [nowhere to put my foot for a change]. But we came good; we learn, eventually, and should be good for four points on the back of the blood Cockers spat. They can't be such a collective rag-bag again for the first half, can they?
Astute as ever, Chris, though I like Johns' idea if Cockers thinks Mafi's here yet. Manu ahead of Billy, deffo, and with YBY and the much maligned Staunton at half back I think we actually edge it in the centre.
A win for us, or more stuffing out of our settee.
'Lions led by donkeys' .. Lest we forget
Quote:The ex Sarrie gave way to the little magician; David Lemi near the end and it will be interesting to see if Varndell keeps his place in the starting line up or the home side goes for the more complete skills of Lemi and Haughton.
It'll almost certainly be Varndell and one of Haughton/Lemi I feel. Our management would be mad to drop TV2
