Worcester v Tigers Match Report

By RichW
December 29 2011

A wee spot of Argie Bhaji at Sixways So traditional Christmas Onion Bhajis and Scotch Eggs in hand, along with more avant garde offerings like Stollen and Mince Pies - not forgetting, of course, the estimable Lady Mayoress’ Baps, the Crumbie Campers set out on tour once more.

It’s been a few years since our last visit to Sixways and I was quickly reminded why I like Worcester - a proper rugby club with a proper rugby ground (where you can find an excellent pint of real ale – if you are prepared to look for it) – and we were made welcome on our return – even to the extent of the nice gentleman who offered to bring us beer from the private Worcester Rugby club bar - so I can’t help hoping that their residence down in the basement levels of the Premiership is short lived. The division is, in my opinion, the better for having clubs like Worcester in it. A full house of 12024 for the Warriors first sell out game of the season, there to blow away a few Christmas cobwebs, seemed to share the view.

Whilst things had not transpired exactly as they might have wished against the hugely impressive (and indeed huge) ASM Clermont-Ferrand in Europe over the last fortnight Tigers are still alive in all competitions and if their performances have lacked a certain...ahem...style they have been marked by the return of a resiliently determined doggedness. There really is nothing wrong with winning ugly you know! So with a good run of form since the end of the World Cup (don’t get me started on the SANZAR inspired, dog-wagging World Cup schedule) and a Tigers team displaying some signs of rotation, we travelled to lowly Worcester in good hope.

The early exchanges were dominated by Tigers who, perhaps to some surprise, enjoyed the better of the physical contest against a notoriously beefy home pack whose defensive effort and break-down efficiency will have proved a disappointment as it fell short of its normal standards. It was early physicality that produced the ball quick and space for Toby Flood to put some of his recent, post World Cup, blues aside and slice through as the Worcester midfield defence drifted onto the dual threats of Twelvetrees and Manu, to set-up Matt Smith, off his wing and running on his shoulder for the opening try. The game was off with a bang and the Leicester back-line looked more balanced and threatening than it has for some weeks.

More early pressure from Tigers led to an opportunity for them to extend their position as Worcester infringed on half-way. It was a pattern to be repeated as the game progressed with their indiscipline allowing Tigers the breathing space to play more varied rugby than of late. Flood, showing more composure and confidence in his all-round game took advantage with ease from distance, his kick having enough for another 10 metres, and the lead was 10 points to none.

It was as if the England fly-half had shed his shackling worries. Given the opportunity by his forwards’ dominance of set-piece and phase ball he was able to vary his game, attacking at will.

Equally effective was the increasingly influential Horacio Agulla doing his own special impression of a pinball; bouncing off would be tacklers, footwork probing for space and nugget-hard strength belying his stature. He came at pace from deep onto a beautifully weighted pass from Twelvetrees that gave him the line to skin his opposite number, England Saxon, Miles Benjamin on the outside and set up quick ruck-ball that was recycled for Flood to spot a mismatch with tight-head prop ‘Dave’ Taumoepeau in midfield. The Tigers play-maker glided through the half-gap to score the second try despite the close attentions of the cover.

His recent inconsistency and nervousness were, it seemed, a thing of the past as he nailed the straightforward goal to convert and his rehabilitation looked complete. Tigers were much in control with Deacon combining with Croft to rule the lineout and with Woods, impressive on his first start for a while, to boss the breakdown. At scrum-time there was unexpected ascendancy courtesy of Cole (despite his being pinged once again for his inevitable binding penalty) and Stankovich – though how Mr Doyle managed to miss Boris repeatedly slipping his bind and driving straight in and under Taumoepeau was a puzzle to this observer at least. Waldrom was also enjoying a fine game with his usual accumulation of metres carried.

As the first half waned the visitors were well on top and it seemed there were further scores to be had.

In danger of sinking, a long afternoon was in prospect for the hosts, but to their enormous credit they rallied. They won some ball and started to play some rugby. While indiscipline still haunted them, eventually leading to a 10 minute suspension for Number 8 Chris Jones for taking the man out in the air at the lineout and accruing another 3 points to Tigers through Flood's boot (this after a little over zealous use of the boot by Sean Perry had seen a penalty reversed to squander their only meaningful attack of the opening quarter) they also earned themselves a pair of penalty kicks, one converted to get them on the scoresheet and another failing only through the intervention of the upright.

The half time oranges came round with the score at a satisfactory 20 points to 3 lead to Tigers but the game was undeniably on at last and the Crumbie Campers tucked into their bhajis and scotch eggs washed down with mulled wine with gusto!

Well it is Christmas apparently.

The second half opened with Worcester's play still displaying the sense of urgency that had marked the closing phases of the opening period and once restored to 15 men, with the erstwhile offender Jones returning to figure large in the move, they crafted the overlap after a prolonged period of possession, finally sending bustling, diminutive winger Marcel Garvey in at the corner. The touch-line extras secured with aplomb by fly-half Joe Carlisle and a 20-10 scoreline made things look a good deal closer than they perhaps should have been from a Leicester perspective.

But as previously noted there is a sense of doggedness returning to this Leicester side. It may have gone missing a while but they are not easily cowed and whilst Worcester continued to make things difficult, they stuck to their task and attacked with gusto. Still though dogged and undeniably displaying rather more elan and ambition than of late they were unable to make any further break through for a further 20 minutes. Laxness and a tendency to try too hard marked their efforts through this phase of the game and Worcester's highly rated defence made life difficult for them. There were chances - Tom Croft's flying burst of speed down the left wing that ended with a knock-on over the line as he tried to finish being the most obvious. But it wasn't until the forwards rolled up their sleeves and with Waldrom at his irrepressible, carrying best and Castro replacing Boris Stankovich late on, after an immense, hardworking shift so typical of the unsung, un-hyped loose-head, (‘at how many clubs would he be second choice?’ asked big Dave) to bludgeon the ball to the line for the excellent Deacon to surge over from short range in a score as beautiful and elegantly crafted as any following a flowing three-quarter move. To some such muscular hard work is prosaic and unsightly. Sadly they miss, for me, much of the joy and beauty of the game.

Still whilst Deacon's score was about brawn the final score was all impish genius and all the better for the contrast.

Having secured their third try Leicester set about gaining the bonus point. Yet again they made too much hard work of an abundance of possession in the Worcester half though the hosts did everything they could (both legal and less so) to frustrate them. Though the game was lost to them after the third try it was admirable how they strove manfully to hold the Tigers from their fourth. In this they were perhaps aided by the loss of Manu Tuilagi and try scorer, Deacon, to hamstring injuries - with Louis' looking the more serious. And even though the weight of pressure led, eventually, to a second yellow card for the Worcester team - this time for replacement prop Oliver Tomaszcyk -Leicester still found their line unbreachable. Handling errors and other imprecisions let them down as they sought the bonus point score.

For the Campers it felt like that bonus point had slipped away but what’s this? Going into the final moments, nice build up work by Scott Hamilton, who had showed a welcome return of his usual and much missed excellence, and the oft maligned Smith gave the always busy, aforementioned pinball impersonator, Horacio Agulla, a one-on-one with Warriors full-back Chris Pennell. Eschewing his until then physical game, his deft chip and gather at pace was a moment of wonder and joy, reminiscent of Waisele Serevi magic of yesteryear, and he raced to the posts with a candidate for try of the season, leaving us celebrating as we headed for the bars. Well – at least that's what I saw happen on the TV highlights later, my view at the time being obscured by the hi-vis jacketed and none too insubstantial frame of one Richard Blaze!

That Worcester are limited and perhaps a little unlovely in their playing style should not take away from the substance of this victory. They are hard to beat and will have hoped to match Leicester for physicality. Tigers played in the most part a game of some ambition and there was real sign of a sort of confidence, freedom and shape returning to their backs which afforded them a balance and variety to their game that we have seen from few this season. There were errors still and they should not be overlooked. The passing still looked laboured at times and there was still hesitancy at the base of scrum and break-down at times. The receivers were still betimes stationary and at others movement was mistimed. But this was undeniably a step forward. Far from perfect perhaps but Worcester are no mugs and at home, are not an easy side to outdo – as illustrated by the simple fact of this being their worst reverse of the season so far. Truth be told they rarely threatened to match Tigers and a capacity holiday crowd of 12,024 will have been left unfulfilled by their performance. I hope deeply that it will not dissuade them from returning. Their club is worthy of their support and their patience will one day be surely rewarded.

A final observation – Mr Doyle – yes there were moments that raised an eyebrow but this was perhaps the most mature, least pedantic and most consistent refereeing performance I have sent his season. He has improved beyond recognition since I last saw him and how pleasant to walk away from a game feeling that my entertainment has not been blighted by the man with the whistle!

For the Campers the victory with 5 points from a good, improving performance was enough and more and having awarded our award for Man of the Match to Horace we wended our way home via the excellent Coach and Horses in Alvechurch. Good to be back on tour!

Worcester v Tigers Match Report

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

Date: 29/12/2011 20:42

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:01:02:12:51:01 by Tiggs.