Tigers v Saints Match Preview

By ChrisC
November 28 2011

That St Bendedict Knew Stuff! The legend on St Benedict’s Medal: “Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!”, is regarded as being the genus of Shakespeare’s opening soliloquy for Macbeth, the eponymous character finding himself in an agony of indecision in contemplation of his planned murder of King Duncan.

“But in these cases
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips”

It is worth Jim Mallinder, Northampton’s eminently likeable and talented coach, bearing Macbeth’s words in mind when considering any offer from the RFU to take over the mantle of the England rugby union team, a burden so recently set down by Martin Johnson under the weight of which he laboured so valiantly.

Two good and honourable men; Brian Ashton and now Martin Johnson are but the latest to have joined the growing cadre who supped from the RFU’s chalice and were cast down. Both men answered their country’s call (I suspect against their better judgements) and both men found the Gevrey-Chambertin, so cunningly proffered, to be laced with Hemlock. Only arch pragmatists such as Rob Andrew and Clive Woodward, (the Gordon Brown and Tony Blair of rugby) skilled in the political arts, possess the antidote to enable survival in the poisonous Twickenham corridors of power.

John Steele, another good man, cast as Banquo, also met his fate at the daggers wielded by the RFU when he cautioned and planned for a better future.

I don’t think there’s any question that Jim Mallinder, and his own Thane; Dorian West, could and would do a good job for England but they are building a good team at Northampton Saints that has yet to fulfil its potential, much has Johnson’s young England. The Northampton man has, by all accounts, good and supportive directors. The club is well supported by knowledgeable and loyal fans, who flock to watch them play at a superb stadium and what’s more it’s a commercially profitable business, so why on Earth would Jim Mallinder want to join the RFU, especially while Rob Andrew is in place?

He should also consider for a moment his fate, with Saints all but out of the Heineken Cup at the pool stage, were the RFU his masters now and his team’s departure were not from a European Cup pool but from a World Cup pool.

This is especially apposite as Martin Johnson’s England team won the 2011 Six Nations and got to the quarter final of the World Cup, while Brian Ashton’s reached the final four years earlier. Yet both men suffered totally unjustified opprobrium from their masters and the great unwashed that periodically realise rugby union is played by an England team. They were also vilified by large sections of our moronic and ill informed media.

Does Jim Mallinder really want to lay himself open to this fate when he has still so much to do and achieve with Northampton? Really? Does he?

Last weekend Jim Mallinder’s current charges were hosts to those other arch pragmatists; Saracens, the Watford team (with a South African flavour of course) bringing their “special” brand of rugby to Franklin’s Gardens. I try not to watch too much of Saracens other than when I need to in pursuit of research for my weekly dribblings so, as Tigers were next to face Saints, I tuned in. It is a sorry indictment when it’s a relief to find Robson and Morris in place of Barnes and Harrison who make Ant and Dec appear the epitome of erudition.

Saints produced a compelling, high tempo performance and demonstrated how to beat the limited Saracens. The home side came out as if the duration of the match were just 40 minutes and piled on the pressure from the kick off, getting well ahead before the visitors had adjusted their collective Fez and of course Saracens do not have a game plan suited for playing catch up rugby to that extent, so after the break they were able to switch to their obdurate defensive mode with Saracens limited to a trademark last minute try after a whole raft of replacements had taken the field for the home side and they were all thinking of a hot shower. Saracens often produce such tries but Saints had given them no way back.

It was a wonderfully constructed and well executed strategy by Saints resulting in a good win achieved in spite of another inconsistent and incomprehensible display from Mr Pearson.

Earlier in the afternoon, thankfully via ESPN’s excellent coverage, I watched Tigers get an invaluable away win at Kingsholm. The most notable thing about this error strewn affair was that, what is essentially a full strength, Gloucester side look terribly out of sorts but Tigers were good value for their win, achieved as it was in spite of some distinctly odd decisions all round.

For some reason Richard Cockerill decided not to arrive at Kingsholm until just 45 minutes before kick-off and so denied Toby Flood valuable kicking practice in the capricious wind that swirled around the ground. This lack of familiarity showed with the Tigers’ fly half missing kicks by small margins whereas the promising Freddie Burns made a better fist of things.

The next oddity was that the television match official; David Matthews, appeared not to be sufficiently well versed in the laws of the game and disallowed a perfectly good try from Flood and finally Mr Doyle seemed to have decided to abrogate responsibility for policing the breakdown which turned into a rugby version of Tahrir Square so great was the anarchy. Mr Doyle whistled a lot but in a manner so random and ill considered that it became as background music rather than a disciplinary contribution to the game.

The scrum has become more and more a “buggins turn” arrangement for referees with accusations flying around as to whether Soane Tonga'uiha scrummages legally (sometimes he doesn’t) and whether Dan Cole binds correctly (sometimes he doesn’t) but it is a sad state of affairs when match officials are unable to get to grips (no pun intended) with the management of such a central plank of the sport with the need for legal put ins having long since been abandoned.

So poor is the understanding of even the so called top class referees that by and large sanctioning is on an alternating basis.

Next Saturday Tonga'uiha will face either Castrogiovanni or Cole but my preference is for the Italian international to start as there isn’t the propaganda over technique that surrounds his tight-head colleague and he may be more resistant to the Tongan’s predilection for walking around the scrummage or boring in and permit the match officials to concentrate on the Saints’ talisman without the distraction of wondering if Castrogiovanni is erring.

Dylan Hartley played well against Saracens and by and large his discipline is much improved although how he stayed on the pitch after a straight arm across the throat of an opponent remains a bit of a mystery. I guess the England hooker will be facing one of his predecessors in the England shirt, George Chuter, who’s playing so much better now that he’s back in harness with his returned World Cup colleagues.

Paul Doran-Jones started against Saracens but I would expect to see the Rhodesian born and twelve times a Springbok; Brian Mujati line up at Welford Road to face Tigers’ outstanding Marcos Ayerza, (cruelly penalised for coming through the centre of a maul and tackling Rory Lawson who had ball in hand), as I think the Saints’ scrum looks more stable when Mujati’s on duty.

Nothing to choose between the two front rows in my book and I can only hope (I’m an optimist) that the match officials will have a semblance of control to make it a credible contest.

Courtney Lawes is a force of nature so it’s good to see him keeping his temper under control and concentrating on performing at his best which he did last Saturday although he was more than ably assisted by the excellent Kiwi; Mark Sorenson. I must admit that having seen Samu Manoa play earlier in the season I hoped he’d be playing on Saturday and was a little disappointed when he wasn’t named in the starting line up as the Californian born lock, capped just once for the USA Eagles, is a splendid player, however Sorenson fully justified his selection, being solid in the set piece and marvellously mobile around the park.

Tigers are missing the influence of Geoff Parling at the line out so possession in the first half at Kingsholm was too often scrappy and young Harrison doesn’t yet have the experience to cope with that kind of poor service, again I was disappointed that Croft was not more threatening at the set piece. Skivington did a decent job and put himself around the park in his customary manner although his performance was blighted by a bad case of “White Line Fever” which saw a try scoring opportunity go to waste.

Louis Deacon was solid as a rock and tackled anything in a red shirt that dared come anywhere near him and was an absolute pest at the breakdown, he was top class.

With the strong influence of Tom Wood, now very much a “go to man” at the line out, unless Croft starts imposing himself as of old, I can see an advantage here to the visitors come Saturday.

On the subject of the back row; Phil Dowson who has played all but ten minutes of every Premiership match thus far this season was everywhere against Saracens and scored a good squirreling try to round off another fine performance. He was partnered by the next England open side; Tom Wood, who was not only in great evidence at the line out but, with Dowson, slowed down Saracens’ ball to such an extent and so long was it kept in the shade by the Saint’s flankers by the time it emerged there was moss on it.

Completing the Saints’ breakaway trio was Ulsterman Roger Wilson who was simply superb in his carrying of the ball and cutting down the opposition with a series of Grim Reaper tackles.

At Tahrir Square, aka Kingsholm, the breakdown was similarly fiercely contested with Ben Woods celebrating his return to the Tigers’ starting line up with a first rate display of traditional open side play and with his colleagues, particularly Deacon, did a real number on the opposition, stopping the free flowing Gloucester at source.

Waldrom carried the ball endlessly and tied in defenders, opening holes for the onrushing Tigers’ who look much more potent and coordinated now that the team is settling back into familiar patterns.

Tom Croft, although not his usual commanding presence at the set piece, was much in evidence elsewhere and his tackling was back to a high standard with one covering tackle on Burns showing the England #6 at his fleet-footed best as he gave the Gloucester #10 a good start and still overhauled him to conduct a perfect tackle – extraordinary for such a big man.

Lee Dickson has turned into a really good scrum half and he can count himself unlucky (or not depending on your viewpoint) to be plying his trade at the same time as there’s a plethora of good #9s in the Premiership. He bossed his pack well, was aggressive around the tackle area and contributed a well taken try when the Sarries defence wasn’t properly aligned. Just one thing though – enough of the silly hand gestures and posturing such as when the try was scored – this is Rugby Union which, in spite of what the media would have us believe, is not yet Association Football.

Sam Harrison looked harassed and didn’t cope at all well with the anarchy at the breakdown whereas once Ben Youngs appeared he cleared the ball well and as usual brought a spark to proceedings with the familiar “fast forward” being pressed when he came on. He did give away an interception try and this was, in my view and having spent many hours at Kingsholm, largely due to the lack of pre match practice time that I’ve already mentioned.

The prevailing wind at Kingsholm whips through the gap to the western end of The Shed and when Youngs attempted, an admittedly ambitious, missed pass the ball stayed in the air longer than he expected. Narraway, who knows every blade of grass and every quirk and foible of the old stadium, would have been waiting for this trademark move from Youngs and was lurking behind the considerable frame of Jim Hamilton in readiness. Preparation is the name of the game and Cockerill’s decision to deny his charges the opportunity to acclimatise to the conditions was as much to blame as any other factor and God forbid Youngs doesn’t try things.

Ex Cherry & White Ryan Lamb had a forensic game with his educated boot last Saturday and the Saints’ coaches have played to the young man’s strengths, which do not include taking the ball to the line or engaging with heavy traffic. With Lamb replacing the mercurial Geraghty Saints’ fly-half options are both kicking orientated so I don’t think selection here is that key but Lamb would ask more questions.

Once again Flood didn’t fully come to his game until Ben Youngs appeared but it was still a Man of The Match performance and I do like his calmness and the savoir faire he displayed when his try was wrongly disallowed was admirable – no gesticulating, no histrionics and further no demanding more yardage for his touch kicks by waving his arms toward the opposition line (why do so many players persist in this childish habit, in 50 years of watching and playing the game I have never seen a touch judge respond positively to such silliness) he was excellent, save for the missed kicks of course.

Another contributory factor to Flood’s performance was that at long last he had a proper #12 outside him in Billy Twelvetrees who had just the kind of mature game that a visit to Kingsholm demands, calm, accurate and controlled. The pretender to Tony Allen’s shirt made a good case and although he doesn’t yet have the subtlety of Allen he has everything else required. I was puzzled that more use was not made of his heavy calibre boot when Tigers were playing into the wind.

I thought it interesting to watch the play of the Saint’s stalwart James Downey who could always be relied upon to crash the ball up but on Saturday I detected that he is freeing the ball better and in fact it was his lovely offload in the tackle that led to the try for new arrival from Clermont; the Samoan international; George Pisi who looks to be a cracking signing and the stand in for Tigers at outside centre, Matt Smith, who had a good match against the dynamic Gloucester backs, will need to be on his defensive mettle if the ten time capped South Sea Islander is again preferred to Jon Clarke. What a choice; Clarke or Pisi, let alone having Tom May in the wings!!

I think though that if Youngs gets to start he, Flood and Twelvetrees could get the better of things, largely due to the greater variety of Flood’s game.

Out wide Saints’ very own MiG Foxbat; Artemyev Vasily didn’t feature against Sarries but I’d bet that he will against Tigers. What a finisher this twenty-nine time capped Russian flyer is, one of those players that suddenly appears out of the clouds and confounds opposition defences unable to pick him up on their Radar until it’s too late.

The Russian international was paired with Chris Ashton who played better but still doesn’t look quite right to me, just something about his demeanour. Tigers will hope he doesn’t fully find himself at Welford Road and that Tigers don’t have to endure any of his silly “Ash-Splashes”. Such a good player but enough already! It was amusing and spontaneous at first, now it’s just contrived and socceresque.

Alex Tuilagi was at his rampaging best against Gloucester and was unlucky not to get a brace of tries when a lovely cross kick got caught on that wind and just eluded him, while Agulla continued to draw defenders to him as he scampers around like Sonic the Hedgehog creating space for his colleagues – oh what a lovely time Manu Tuilagi would be having!

Ben Foden, back from injury, showed once again how important it is to have a full back with pace; there are plenty of them around; Abendanon, Claassens, Goode, Morgan, Brown and Armitage amongst them but there’s nobody quite as good and with the vision of Foden who knows when he’s exhausted his cards whereas others too often over play their hand and turn the ball over.

Tigers, in Geordan Murphy, no longer have that weapon in their arsenal, of course the famous Irishman brings many other attributes but attacking pace is not one of them anymore and I hope that succession plans are firmly in hand as I sense time is catching up with him.

This is going to be awfully close and another tense local derby. Tigers must at last get a Premiership win under their belts at Welford Road and Saints want to continue their momentum after the reverses of the Heineken Cup but who’ll win?

I have absolutely no idea the only thing of which I’m certain is that Jim Mallinder should give Twickenham and the RFU a very, very wide berth.

Tigers v Saints Match Preview

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

Date: 28/11/2011 19:52

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:12:05:18:17:53 by Tiggs.