Tigers v Perpignan Preview
By ChrisC
December 15 2010
The Numbers Game So it’s all about numbers this week. Let’s start with 100 which is the number of European Cup matches that Tigers have taken part in, although the 100 not out (of Europe) mark wasn’t celebrated in the way Tigers or their supporters would have wanted with a 24 – 19 loss in the balmy south of France.
The next number is 1 which is the losing bonus point secured last Saturday, which was the absolute minimum requirement from the sortie into Catalan country, a point which could yet prove invaluable in deciding who progresses to the knock out stages.
Finally and the most important number is 20.3(d) – now do I hear the cry of “WHAT?”
Well 20.3(d) is the Law of the game that says:
Binding by
tight head props. A tight head prop must bind on the opposing loose head prop by
placing the right arm outside the left upper arm of the opposing loose head prop.
The tight head prop must grip the loose head prop’s jersey with the right hand
only on the back or side. The tight head prop must not grip the chest, arm,
sleeve or collar of the opposition loose head prop. The tight head prop must
not exert any downward pressure.
Sanction: Penalty kick
Tedious I know for those who consider the scrum a nuisance and an unwelcome impediment to lots of running around but nevertheless it’s the failure of referees and their cohorts to enforce this law that is bringing the scrum into such disrepute.
Paddy O’Brien is apparently holding a sort of Cancun for the scrum to see what’s going wrong in spite of all the IRB’s tinkering and as is often the case in life the answer is, as Aleksandr Orlov would say, “simples” and they don’t need another talking shop that will be as much use as Cancun, Kyoto and Copenhagen put together or any other place the great and the good deem is worthy of our tax money to provide them with a bit of a holiday, all he needs is to watch USAP vs Tigers last Saturday for the answer.
On that day USAP tight head, Mas repeatedly bound on the bicep of Tigers’ Marcos Ayerza forcing Ayerza down and across allowing Mas to bore into Chuter.
Now I don’t know whether referee Alan Lewis doesn’t know all the Laws of the game or just chooses to be selective in enforcing them.
Lewis even took the time to have a good, long look at Mas’s foul play and eventually, when the scrum had repeatedly and dangerously collapsed he determined that Chuter and Tincu were to blame for the debacle and sent them both off when they had been given no choice other than to stand up as Mas and Ayerza were underneath them.
This shambles in its turn squeezed Cole’s channel on the other side of the scrum as everybody swivelled across and only Freshwater, in serene isolation sampling the sweet oxygen of the Catalonian afternoon, could push straight. New hookers duly arrived fresh out of the packet and, surprise, surprise, nothing changed as Mas gaily continued to bind illegally with the tacit approval of Mr Lewis who treated the whole thing with such bafflement as to resemble a Kerry cow confronted by a milking machine for the first time.
When the stronger Castrogiovanni took station in place of Cole he was better able to hold the line but only when Mas departed in the 70th minute did the scrum regain some semblance of order and balance.
The importance of the number 20.3(d) cannot be overstated and whether another Irish referee, this time George Clancy, decides to enforce the laws of the game next Saturday may well decide whether Tigers proceed further in this year’s competition.
The chaos at the scrum permeated Tigers’ attacking game as the quality of ball provided from attacking scrums was so poor that the Tigers’ backs rarely got onto the front foot however Tigers’ baffling approach to the breakdown was another matter entirely.
It is normal in these days of Leagunion for the defending team not to commit many players to the breakdown as to contest the ball is anathema to the cult of Leagunion but instead maintain a token presence, akin to the Metropolitan police when the heir to the throne is abroad amongst rioters, to guard against any attacker coming through the middle of the ruck and for the unemployed players to fan out across the pitch ready for another bout of cantering about the field however Tigers’ didn’t commit players to rucks when they had the ball either, as a consequence Tigers’ rarely had sufficient presence to secure swift release even of their own ball, indeed here they were lucky that in the fulfilling of his Leagunion mandate Mr Lewis permitted both sides to hold on the ball until moss grew on it otherwise Tigers would have seen it turned over more often than it was.
I will not look at the front rows again other than to say for my money Castrogiovanni must start and that it was a major error that he did not do so last week, as not only is his scrummaging technique still superior to that of Cole, particularly when under duress as was the case on Saturday, but he also has a much greater presence in loose play.
If the laws relating to scrummaging are enforced then I still don’t see much between the two front rows otherwise once again the old adage that cheats never prosper will be turned on its head for the second consecutive week if it’s aided and abetted by the match officials being ineffective.
I thought Olibeau was a standout player in the loose for USAP with a fantastic defensive display and once he was replaced by Britz, on the hour mark, some grunt went out of the hosts’ scrum.
Had George Chuter not had one of his bad days throwing to the lineout then Olibeau and Robins Tchale-Watchou would not have got any change out of this set piece as Deacon and Skivington, who had another excellent game with their apprentice in sorcery, Craig Newby, looking confident and all making their presence felt in the loose so I suspect that there’ll be no change to the combatants here, for once Chuter got over his attack of the yips the Tigers’ lineout was solid enough and although without Croft it is not as threatening on opponents’ ball Newby can and does pilfer the odd one so if Chuter can please get his throwing act together then I’m looking for an advantage to Tigers at Welford Road.
The Tigers’ back row were largely engaged in damage limitation but Thomas Waldrom still managed to run some lovely attacking lines with Newby defending as if at the Somme but it was in pursuit of Tigers’ policy at the breakdown where things went badly wrong. Jordan Crane was not as influential and I wonder who is in charge of the pack. I had assumed Crane had the Lieutenant’s pips but maybe not. Whoever is in charge they need to be fleeter of mind and adjust to how the match plays out and not slavishly follow some preordained strategy – who do they think they are – England?
The USAP back row produced a dynamic performance thriving on good quality go forward ball and a pretty much free rein at the breakdown so happy days indeed and probably no change in their set up next week. It’s up to Tigers whether they decide to protect their ball.
Behind the pack Ben Youngs had a horrible time, being subjected to poor set piece ball was a rarity for the young tyro and one which he clearly did not enjoy and, in spite of the odd flash of brilliance, he looked rattled and indecisive at times. This should be a good part of his education if he’s to truly be World class.
Toby Flood meanwhile is more used to this kind of circumstance having been at Newcastle and to be fair to him he did the best he could with what he got but to me he still didn’t look on top form as his tactical kicking from hand was below par and I’ve seen him do more with less. From the kicking tee however he looked on his mettle and missed little although he was, to my mind, for some reason, under orders to work the touchline rather than go for goal on the small USAP pitch where he had the range to bisect the posts from his own half as later kicks demonstrated when he took the points on the angle from just inside enemy territory with metres of distance to spare and again I wonder where the pragmatism went not to take chances of three points when they were on offer. If Johnno was watching I bet he was tearing out what’s left of his hair.
Mele, for the home side, had something of an armchair ride and looked dangerous throughout with the return of Nicolas Laharrague being marked by a smooth performance his being barely troubled by the Tigers’ back row, who were otherwise and elsewhere engaged, his cross kick for Plante’s try was a peach although it was an easier score for the Frenchman than it should have been as the Tigers’ midfield defence, against a USAP attack depleted by Marty doing a bit of sunbathing as a result of Mr Lewis brandishing his yellow card, had decided to have a little bonding session elsewhere and left a massive overlap for the home side to waltz over the line.
The two USAP half backs on this showing looked a class act but if Tigers’ can get at Laharrague then it could be a different matter as he looks fabulous when unchallenged but if he gets ruffled he can implode like a Liberal Democrat.
In the centres USAP were without Grandclaude but with Marty they were still something of trial and Tigers’ fell off too many tackles permitting the French duo to make good progress however it was through the centre from a period of play initiated by Youngs that Geordan Murphy plunged over for a try. Matt Smith ran a good decoy line, although I’m sure the Catalans will say he was blocking – silly people - to produce the overlap and space for Murphy who took the chance well.
If Grandclaude is fit then I expect him to start and he will be more of a handful than was his stand in at 12; Michel.
In the back three Tigers’ established trio looked as if they’d just met on the bus such was the disconnect at times and while Hamilton was his usual reliable self he must have felt sympathy for the heroic figure from the poem Casablanca:
The boy stood on the burning deck
Whence all but he had fled;
The flame that lit the battle's wreck
Shone round him o'er the dead.
Later Geordan Murphy had exactly the same feeling as he was skinned by Porical for his try when once again Alex Tuilagi had done his amazing disappearing act, earlier demonstrated with great skill when he abandoned Ben Youngs to the advancing French leaving the scrum half looking in vain for Bernard Cornwall’s Richard Sharpe to hove into view to save the day.
I don’t know what gets into the head of Welford Road’s favourite Samoan but on Saturday he was wayward in attack, his hands seemingly made of finest Breadfruit timber and he had selected the no defending option from his bag.
Alex went through a similar phase at the beginning of the season and as then I just have the feeling that his heart is not always in it to the extent demonstrated by his younger sibling.
Geordan had a Diei Horribilus, missing incoming high kicks, turning over ball, missing tackles and generally looking as if he has all his savings in Bank of Ireland, thank goodness he got the try otherwise he would truly have been in the trough of despond. Coming on the back of his bravura display at Reading the week before it was very disappointing from the Tigers’ icon, who also had an indifferent start to the season. I really wonder if captaincy is his thing or if he’s having an Ian Botham type crisis.
Having said all that I don’t expect to see any change in the starting back division for next weekend as the trio has that all important factor, prized above pearls when it comes to the European Cup - experience, but once this latest round has been negotiated I’m sure that some in depth conversations will be had about the second half of the season and how Murphy and Tuilagi can be restored to their pomp.
The only potential I see for change in the Tigers squad, as the fixture is at Welford Road, is for Twelvetrees to replace Staunton on the bench as the young man will need to play to gain experience of such occasions and better it’s in front of his own supporters than in some faraway place populated by Johnnie Foreigner.
I don’t see why USAP would change the combination of Plante, Candelon and Porical who made a good showing and were accurate, quick and positive in attack and defence.
So a must win game for Tigers at what is forecast to be a sub zero and snowy Welford Road, which I’d guess won’t suit the Catalans one bit, for if victory eludes Tigers and in fact if USAP slip off with a losing bonus then the trip to Parc y Scarlets starts to look awkward.
So one final number; it’s 5 which is the number of points available to Tigers on Sunday and they’ll need them all to go down to Parc y Scarlets in good heart and not relying on fortune elsewhere to see them through the pool stages.
They should do it but my goodness they’ll have to improve on last week – I’m counting on it!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:12:21:19:23:10 by Stephen Bath.
I wonder if we should fail to progress as we hope, that it might prove the the straw that breaks this salary noosed camel's back?
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