Tigers v Quins Match Preview

By ChrisC
October 3 2011

Chrysanthemums and Celery - I’ve always liked the autumn. I like its calm, soft and settled mood, so much better than the frantic, overblown summer, when the sun is too brittle, as if when it makes an appearance it has to show off, the flowers, like elderly ladies squeezed into too tight bathing costumes, are too full blown, the days too long and of course there’s no English club rugby to watch.

Growing up in post war London the summers always seemed stifling hot and even though the streets were regularly watered the dust rose in clouds coating everything and everybody. Milk, bread, beer and in winter; coal, were still delivered by horse drawn vehicles so there were clouds of fat metallic flies to add to the general discomfort. The onset of autumn brought blessed relief.

We had, since the end of the Second World War, lived in two rented rooms at the top of a Victorian house until the death of my grandmother released her two rooms on the floor below which we acquired, so at last we had dedicated living and sleeping spaces and running water, toilet facilities though were still shared with the other families in the house. These living arrangements, while perhaps seen as deprived now, were very much the norm then as Britons stoically lived with the food rationing and housing shortages visited upon them in the aftermath of a long and impoverishing war which had left neighbourhoods like ours pock marked with bomb sites turned into playgrounds by we Babyboomers.

After eleven years accumulating the few hundreds of pounds needed to fund our moving to Essex we joined the exodus, along with many aspirational working class Londoners, to the countryside and for the first time lived in a house of our own and on our own with all modern conveniences and a garden – even, after months of waiting, a telephone, albeit on a party line shared with a neighbour, although as almost nobody else we knew had a phone, calls were few and far between but it was for my parents a declaration of intent; it was a new dawn, a new age.

It was then that I swapped attending a small Church of England school in London for a large technical school in Essex and was introduced to rugby.

The beginning of autumn term always meant rugby began after giving way to cricket for the summer and, together with the arrival of Chrysanthemums in the gardens, celery in the shops (food was still seasonal then), the smell of the newly painted walls and the freshly waxed floors of school, rugby was a harbinger of autumn.

It has remained so for me, during the half a century or more that I’ve played and watched this wonderful sport, the return of club rugby is an ever present marker of the seasons changing.

Sadly though of late club rugby has been laid low by the demands of the insatiable international programme and the incompetence of those that govern our sport with the current travesty of clubs being without key players, who are away in New Zealand, the latest distortion to be added to double headers, big days out, matches in Abu Dhabi, South Africa, Wembley, play-offs and the manifold tinkering and manipulation that has gone on since the dawn of the professional era.

Quins have been quite kindly treated by this autumn period, just three of their number being engaged in New Zealand, Nick Easter (England), Tomas Vallejos (Argentina) and Mauri Fa'Asuvala- (Tonga) being their absentees while Tigers have laboured mightily under the burden of a dozen being absent.

Quins have made the most of their opportunity by playing some good rugby and of course they can only play against what’s offered as opposition.

There is much to admire about this founder member of the RFU, formed following a schism at Hampstead Football Club which led to the creation of Quins and Wasps, their ground development has been impressive as was their recovery from relegation and “Bloodgate” however perhaps the most inspired choice was engaging Conor O’Shea who seems to have brought freedom and belief to the play of his charges.

The signs were there toward the end of last season when they secured the Amlin Cup but now, helped by the vicissitudes of injury and the World Cup, they have moved up a notch.

I watched them dismantle Gloucester with a stunning performance at The Stoop but then the following week they were awful against Worcester, eventually squeaking home by a solitary point thanks to a bit of magic conjured by Evans but the point is that in seasons past that close win would in all probability have been a close defeat so there’s a bit of grit and dog that wasn’t there just a short while ago.

Last weekend they were back on home ground and welcomed the resurgent Sale Sharks who, when they met, were in fourth place in the league while Quins were in the vertiginous top of the table position where they remain as, in spite of a determined effort by Steve Diamond’s men, they secured another victory by scoring 48 points and picking up six tries in the process as did Sale when Quins seemed to go on vacation assuming that the job was done and Sale could have won it.

Tigers meanwhile put in a much better performance down at Bath displaying higher intensity, more control, better organisation and were denied only by the reliable boot of Staunton failing with a long range last second penalty and so missing out on an improbable victory by a solitary point.

Tigers’ makeshift pack did well against a pretty much first choice Bath front row and eeked out penalties from their misdemeanours at the scrum.

I expect a Quins front row of Johnson, sibling of Census and similarly built like a brick public convenience, hooker Chris Brooker, who I really like, he’s good at the scrum and wonderfully mobile in the loose, and the newly conservatively styled (well relatively) Joe Marler.

There are rumours that the travails at tight head, where Tigers have been operating with their fourth and fifth choices of Bucknall and the on loan Michael Holford, should be easing as Martin Castrogiovanni has declared himself fit and ready to play (via Tweet – whatever that is!!) and Julian White is reputed as being back to fitness to support him from the bench. Boris Stankovitch will have to soldier at loose head though as Argentina and Ayerza have stayed in New Zealand.

I think that, having watched a bit of Quins down at Sixways against the Worcester pack, Tigers, if Castrogiovanni (or White) is back, could maybe get an edge but if the Italian behemoth is still absent and the veteran White is still unfit then it’ll be another long afternoon for the front row with George Chuter still not at his best and is spite of one extraordinarily errant throw at Bath I’d quite like to see Youngs or maybe Hawkins get a start, if he’s fit of course.

At lock for Quins; George Robson has now become something of a force at the lineout and has been at the root of much of Quins excellent start to this oddest of seasons. I’ve always liked Robson’s Black Country grit but now his performances are so much more complete than pure doggedness, although he has that in fine measure.

Robson was joined by Bristolian stalwart Ollie Kohn last week who gave way to young Charlie Matthews before half time, with Vallejos also away with Argentina their resources at lock are relatively thin.

Tigers were ecstatic to see Geoff Parling return to action after a ten month injury absence and a fine return he had. Throwing in aberrations aside he bossed the set piece with young Ed Slater and with Skivington’s return from his own injury now imminent, together with that of Louis Deacon and Tom Croft from messing about with England, things can only get better as New Labour famously promised in 1997, however in Tigers’ case it’s true!

With Mafi still making his presence felt at the set piece and with Nick Easter involved in the World Cup while the excellent Tom Guest injured it’ll be up to skipper Chris Robshaw to augment but I still think Tigers may get an edge at the line out.

The aforementioned Chris Robshaw is, in my view, unfortunate not to be in New Zealand instead of Haskell as the Quins’ man has a much better and wider ranging skill set than the Nippon bound badly behaved Haskell and it is Quins’ good fortune that Robshaw’s leading and playing for them.

Local boy Chris York has been getting a start at open side but I expect to see the restored ex Tiger; Will Skinner starting and making a thorough nuisance of himself against Tigers ably supported by a real find for Quins and England; Luke Wallace. In some ways I’d like him not to start but he’s a joy to watch is this young man and a real one to note for the future. He’s like quicksilver in the loose and just as hard to get hold of and does the hard yards as well – look out for him, he’s a real prospect.

Tigers’ depleted resources mean that the excellent Julian Salvi has to start at #8 and he looks born for the job, a real, genuine all purpose back row of a kind not often seen. Steve Mafi had a much better outing against Bath and was back to his abrasive and free running best while Woods had an excellent game, his defensive work peerless.

This is a close run contest and it’ll come down to who blinks in their defence of the fringes and of course how the stable the Tigers’ scrum is on their own ball, which if the tight head and locking problems are resolved, shouldn’t be an issue this week.

All in all if the expected returnees appear I expect to see a good performance from the Tigers’ pack.

Behind the scrum, with Danny Care broken by England, Karl Dickson has been in charge and to be frank watching him play he looks a Danny Care clone, not only is he identical in size but his play is, to my untutored eye, identical too. He buzzes around like a wasp in a window, has searing pace and great hands.

The sublime Nick Evans is keeping fit and Conor O’Shea must have a special slot in his night time devotions that his Kiwi magician remains so.

If Evans plays and plays well then Quins tick like a Longines watch. Happily for Tigers last term he fell below his best in the contests with them but I don’t hold out much hope for a repeat. Magic, he can be just magic.

Tigers have their own mercurial half back pairing otherwise engaged and at last we saw James Grindal paired with Jeremy Staunton and how much calmer and more controlled the combination looked. Grindal looked to me like he was trying to up his pace against Bath which meant he lost accuracy but Staunton was like an application of steroid cream on a nasty dose of eczema and calmed the whole thing down. Veteran Grindal showed us why he doesn’t box kick much – he’s no good at it! A particularly wayward attempt allowed Bath’s Biggs to attack a Tigers’ defence who were mentally half way down the tunnel for a breather and the home side scored a pivotal try though Attwood just before half time.

Staunton marked his recall with a typically accomplished performance scoring another interception try, a carbon copy of the one he produced against Wasps at Welford Road last February, with Tigers at long last deciding that a return to pragmatism was overdue and the free and easy try scoring and even easier try conceding of the first three weeks was to be cast aside and that a strong defence and the seizing of an opportunity to score was the way forward and it very, or so very, nearly worked.

It was a great pity that Staunton, having only made one error all afternoon missed the last gasp penalty which would have secured the win and would have nicely rounded off his 25 point haul, the Irishman, unfairly maligned in some precincts, scoring all of Tigers’ points. The final, angled 50 metre, kick was at the edge of his range and I was surprised that with the Howitzer boot of Twelvetrees didn’t get the opportunity to secure what would have been a famous victory.

It’s hard to see anything but an attacking advantage here to the visitors unless it’s possible for Young and Ford to be engaged behind what should be a stronger pack. I am starting believe that there must be a fitness issue with Young to explain his lack of visibility.

Stuart Turner–Hall and George Lowe are one of the best all English centre pairings about with Tigers’ Tony Allen and Manu Tuilagi and Saracens’ Owen Farrell and Brad Barritt in the mix for the accolade with the Twickenham based duo.

Turner-Hall has come of age mixing his rumbustiousness with lovely passing skills bringing his partner in crime, the hugely talented George Lowe, into play. Lowe has that low centre of gravity that Tigers’ supporters are used to seeing in Tuilagi M and Hipkiss D which makes them so hard to bring to ground. Like Tuilagi Lowe also has a prodigious turn of pace and an elusiveness that’s great to watch. What a shame that they won’t be facing each other on Saturday.

With Tony Allen yet another Tigers’ injury victim Bill Twelvetrees got a start at inside centre and a good job he did of it too. His defence was much improved as he smashed everything in sight and he made some good line breaks. He lacks the nuanced play of Allen though but it will be hard on him if Allen is recalled as he must be if fit.

Matt Smith shuffled in to fill the vacancy at outside centre, it’s not really his metier but he did a decent job and in truth until the injury and World Cup induced crisis subsides there aren’t many options, however if Allen is not fit I would like to see Tait move to 13, where he has considerable experience, with Smith on the wing, this would give more dynamism through the 12/13 channel and lose nothing defensively.

On the wings, with both Ross Chisholm and Ugo Monye absent, Seb Stegman got a start and was paired with the dynamic Sam Smith, another one to watch, this lad can spot a line to run and goes like the wind, he’ll have been watching the way Tom Biggs carved through the Tigers’ much improved defence at The Rec., and licking his lips in anticipation, if Monye, another who should by rights be in New Zealand, returns there’ll be trouble as before injury he was in a rich vein of form.

Mike Brown was in his usual spot at full back and bagged a brace of tries. Brown offers no surprises but knowing what he’s going to do and stopping him doing it is another thing entirely. Tigers’ defence largely snuffed out the similar threat posed by Abendanon and they must do the same with Brown if chaos is not to ensue as he’ll get in behind the best of defences.

Scott Hamilton was the latest to join the Tigers’ injured list so Andy Forsyth joined up with Matthew Tait. Little was seen of Forsyth as the ball didn’t get out that far, although I thought Tait, who popped up in the 13 spot in attack, acquitted himself well, he looked for the ball, worked hard and made some of those arcing runs that give opposition defences palpitations. Alex Tuilagi is rumoured to be available for Saturday but if not then I’d go for Smith and Hamilton and if the Kiwi is still injured perforce stick with Forsyth on the other wing.

Niall Morris had already been drafted to full back before the demise of Hamilton and the Irishman did a good job. He looks safe and sound, although he’ll need to be more aware of where his 22 is (Staunton also got the wrong side of the line when kicking out on the full, so maybe Irishmen have a spatial awareness issue!) and has plenty of pace coming forward.

I was much heartened by Tigers’ application and their cunning plan nearly came off against Bath. I think that, unless injuries abate and international returnees arrive, then it’s steady as you go and that the same team should start with just a positional change and try to contain the free running and free scoring Quins while again looking to steal the points. Close last week – but no cigar.

If Castrogiovanni and/or White, especially if it’s in concert with Tuilagi A, make an appearance things could change significantly as the scrum will be better on the tight head and nobody likes facing Alex Tuilagi.

Given a fair wind and the return of Castrogiovanni/White, Skivington and Allen with, in a stroke of luck; Alex Tuilagi, I can see a Tigers’ win.

If only availability was as certain as the seasons.

Tigers v Quins Match Preview

Posted by: TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk (IP Logged)

Date: 03/10/2011 20:50

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:10:10:23:23:32 by Stephen Bath.