Tigers v Clermont Match Report
By JK
December 18 2011
With lots of Anglo-French sabre rattling this week over credit ratings and other trivia, the much more important business of rugby could take centre stage on an afternoon when the frostiness of governmental relations in the entente glaciale was almost matched by the weather. The irony of being in the EU block of the Caterpillar stand wasn’t wasted on our party.
Very early, Tigers looked set to be adding to last week’s substantial deficit – a Youngs pass to ground allowed Clermont onto the front foot and into a position where they could pop over a quick drop goal (Skrela) before two minutes were on the clock. Tigers were lucky they didn’t retain a bit more composure at this point and press for a try which would have been a disaster so early. A further drop goal from Parra and a fairly simple missed penalty from Flood meant that Leicester looked to be en route to an X-rated afternoon rather than AAA.
The first half was characterised by aimless kicking and lack of follow-up. I don’t understand why you put up the high ball if you’re not going to get airborne and challenge for it. If you back off, you just give the opposition space to run and if you get there but wait for the opposition to land with the ball, they seem to get all the protection from the rules so really, it seems to me that you have to get up there and jump. Oh for the days of Goode to loft it, Moody to get up and catch it with Back to provide the follow up support or compete on the ground if the opposition got it. We seemed able to do this as recently as the first Saracens Premiership final. Where's it gone?
Restarts are similar. Clermont’s hang time on restart kicks seemed to be much longer than Tigers’ meaning they could compete for the ball and disrupt. With Tigers’ mid-range efforts, they face the prospect of having the ball run straight back at them or returned via the boot with more interest than an Italian government bond.
Tigers burned brightest midway through the first half when a Flood manoeuvre allowed Manu a space the width of the Massif Central to touch down under the posts and the resulting simple conversion gave the home side a one-point lead that you felt they didn’t quite deserve and, like the Euro, wouldn’t really last.
Last it didn’t... a Clermont penalty was followed by a hesitation in Tiger ranks (playto the whistle lads... schoolboy stuff!) as they thought, en erreur, that the ref was going to blow for a knock on. When he didn’t, a sweeping move along the backs from the left side of the pitch to the right allowed a try in the right corner from former All-Black Sivivatu. Parra impressively converted to give the visitors a deserved 16-7 half-time lead and leave the home fans with a sinking feeling.
“A lot of kicks, a lot of mistakes, one nice try for Manu. No sparks anywhere. Clermont doing what they have to really.”
“Mistakes kill momentum. Flood having an off day with the boot.”
“Being kept in our own half by Clermont kicks. We’ve been going for a lot of up and unders with little success”
“Stop kicking it!”
The first three quotes from Twitter round about half-time; the fourth from a child’s voice somewhere in the bronze section of the CAT stand but just about sums it up. Even children can see it!
So many times we bemoan on these boards the lack of a plan B but Tigers seemed to have one this time and intent was clear to keep ball in hand much more in the second half.
Hallelujah!
Reward was swift with a not-so-straightforward penalty chance being taken – Flood finally nailing his voodoo - followed quickly by a try when Youngs, in his best game for a while and on a dart, put Salvi into space for an excellently worked and converted score after a decent amount of pressure on Clermont resulting from NOT KICKING THE BALL AWAY.
Clermont spent a lot of time defending very flat which is a tactic that has been used against us frequently in recent times, not least by Watford South Africans. Surely the answer to this is to attack from deeper. Flood seems to receive man and ball too often and the Tuilagis seem not to have any space to accelerate. I’d bet on those two to batter anyone with a ten yard start (just ask Bruce Reihana!) but it’s much tougher when you don’t have much room to get up to speed. Odd given that they are our most potent attacking weapon. ”The one time [Manu] took the ball at pace he scored” (from the message board). Similarly, the oppo seem to have worked Flood out and he isn’t making half the breaks or even the half-breaks he was a couple of seasons ago. Whether this is the result of slower service from Youngs these days is debatable.
Just when it seemed Tigers had a platform to build upon, Scott Hamilton dropped a routine Garryowen in Tigers 22 and the resulting scrap gave the visitors a penalty which put them back in the lead. With that and a failure to convert a breakaway try opportunity later in the game, Scott is having a wretched run of form.
Still, back came Tigers with two further penalties to establish a four point cushion requiring Clermont to score more than a penalty or drop goal and Tigers seemed to gain confidence. Both Tuilagis made good ground and big hits, with Flood turning the Clermont defence and finding touch behind them.
Tigers held on and looked less likely to give it away than they did against London Irish for example to their immense credit.
So with their fans applying more layers than a Michelin man to combat the Midlands cold as darkness descended, it was au revoir to our French counterparts and for them to make the long journey home with their rating devalued and to contemplate what might happen if Tigers win in Ulster. Less AAA for them than having let Tigers get out of jail... even if not exactly free!
Nevertheless, to lose the first half 16-7 and win the second 16-3 (and Clermont’s three were a bit of a gift!) represents a determined fight-back to Tigers’ immense credit but they were not the best team in the game for long periods of the match. It seems to be a matter of basics, largely in the backs. Pass, catch, chase kicks, run at the opposition, kick goals. Simples!
Poor Mr Douze-arbres must be wondering what he has to do to get on the pitch and sadly we didn’t see Farmer White even for a cameo but he was probably amply compensated by the Common Agricultural Policy for not plying either of his trades yesterday afternoon.
As others have said, a monumental performance in Belfast in January could put us in the quarter finals but, on current showing, monumental would have to be the very least of it and you feel that Tigers would be lucky to progress any further than that. The lack of a quality inside centre is hurting but I do feel that the harengs rouges of world cup, injuries and salary cap (whilst all significant) are being used as an excuse for poor coaching and conservative selection in the backs. By the way, is there a Matthew Tait in the building?
Monsieur L’Arbitre? I’m sure he will have better games but seemed badly to be let down by his touch judges and a failure to spot some blatant defensive Gallic offsides... one where a French player ran randomly past the breakdown towards the clubhouse and one where their number 4 seemed to be camped in Ben Youngs’ pocket behind a ruck at the Goldsmith end. Also, to warn a French player about use of the boot but not reverse a penalty seems a bit bizarre and Tigers could maybe have used an advantage to get a try when they were pulled up for their final penalty. Not the worst we’ve seen at Welford Road this season though!
MoM: Morgan Parra to be honest although Salvi was great too.
All in all, we left the EU block happy but with reservations. Some French were still there when we last looked.
Wait a minute... isn’t that what David Cameron said? Please note that I managed to write the whole of this report without one single use of the term “slimy frogs” or any of those other words that our next door neighbour was encouraging me to write – not even “putain de merde” – quite common on the back row of the CAT stand towards the end!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:12:24:12:05:15 by Tiggs.
Am now worried about next week's!
...
Actually, of course, no way could I have written anything as good. What I mean is that it reflects my view of the game!
Reports on this site are better than 99% of the national press reports I read! Accurate, impartial, insightful and good written style - A*
Accurate, impartial, insightful and good written style - A*
No pressure then
Just to add my thanks, a very good read.