Tigers v Ospreys Match Preview
By ChrisC
October 16 2012
Confusion I have always been a big fan of the ELO who were at their commercial zenith when I first moved to the West Midlands in 1980, their having become the biggest selling act in the UK the previous year. By then the founder members; Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood had acrimoniously parted company with Wood forming the big selling Wizzard but it was the ELO that hit the heights internationally.
Both ELO and Wizzard having their roots firmly in the Birmingham area it’s lucky I was fan or I’d have been found hanging by my toes at that peon to post war architectural brutality; the old Bull Ring shopping centre.
“Confusion” was released in 1979 as a double “A side” with “Last Train to London” and was one of my favourites together with the 1978 “Mr Blue Sky”. Odd then, to me at least, that their only UK #1 was in 1980 when “Xanadu”, which featured the delectable Olivia Newton-John, hit the top in July of that year.
I increasingly find myself in a state of confusion; I have a car that, aside from steering, has little need of me as it makes its own decisions on gear changing, lighting, radio stations, receiving telephone calls and clearing rain from the windscreen amongst myriad other things that I don’t understand but which it gets on with unheeded.
We have a kitchen full of “smart” appliances. Computers and TVs that connect to the internet, all of which require minimal interference from me – in fact they rather seem to resent me getting involved.
And I have absolutely no idea whatsoever how any of it works – not a Scooby –Doo of an idea. I just gaze at all these technological marvels with a mixture of wonder and fear and keep everything crossed they don’t break down as I don’t think my “boys own tool kit” of insulating tape, a hammer and a screwdriver would be of much use.
I’ve played and watched rugby for over half a century and have, throughout that time, maintained a grip, albeit a tenuous one at times, on the laws of the game but I do wish the administrators would stop tinkering with them as even my favourite sport is confusing me now.
And if I’m confused by the law makers the enforcers confuse me even more with Mr Owens seemingly officiating Tigers and Toulouse by entirely different criteria when they met last Sunday. For a long period in the first half I was looking for halos wafting above the heads of the home side as Mr Owens seemed to be exclusively concentrating his doubtless considerable cognitive powers on Tigers. It was another eccentric performance to add to those that I’ve already witnessed all too often this season.
Frank Lloyd Wright would surely have been impressed by the Tigers’ design of their own downfall in a match that was there for the winning or at least the obtaining of a vital bonus point. It was a witless performance from the English team which for the first half of the game pursued a game plan with great efficiency and, had not Fickou produced one of those moments of magic that youngsters are apt to conjure at the beginning of their careers, Tigers could well have turned round with a narrow lead.
In the second half Tigers’ lost their head and with it the match. Ben Youngs started the rot with a tapped penalty so speculative that Ladbrokes would have given good odds against it being taken and then Tigers continued trying to play rugby totally unsuited to the conditions or to the mores of Mr Owen and so it continued until it was summed up by the last action of the game which saw Tigers in a strong attacking position only for Crane to kick the ball to the other team. Witless. Simply witless.
On Friday Ospreys produced a victory over Robocop colleagues and near neighbours in that league; Treviso, who they beat by 38 points to 17, scoring four tries in the process, although they will maybe feel a little unsettled by the Italian club scoring two tries of their own, especially as in doing so on one occasion the Ospreys defence parted as if commanded by Moses. Their concern will continue to the time it took them to break down the obdurate Italian side.
The Ospreys’ pack had a fine old time against Treviso and with, next Sunday, Bridgend born and seven time capped Ryan Bevington in the loose-head spot likely to be joining the familiar and tonsorially challenged figure of British Lion Adam Jones on the tight-head in company with Richard Hibberd at hooker, the visitors to Welford Road could be fielding an all Welsh international front row to face the Tigers’ likely starting trio of Marcos Ayerza, who I’d expect to get a start after his holiday in Argentina and as Mulipola didn’t look as assured in any phase of play against the Toulouse set up as he has done against Premiership opposition.
Tom Youngs looks to be getting the starting berth over George Chuter at the moment but against the experienced Ospreys front row I must say I’d prefer to see the veteran England international start with Youngs coming on as an impact substitute. Castrogiovanni has been somewhat below his best this season and something or time is ailing Welford Road’s favourite Italian and I hope that Richard Cockerill is not hide bound by his rotation policy and again starts Dan Cole who, in contrast, is having a wonderful start to the season. This is no match for Cockerill to be proscriptive and Tigers may as well get full use of the England incumbent before he disappears to the not so tender mercy of the England coaches – after all we never know when we’ll see him again once Lancaster and his cronies get hold of him.
This is going to be another tough challenge for the Tigers’ front row and with Roman Poite slated to be in charge there’ll be no quarter given to transgressors. At the moment I’d call it even at best for Tigers.
Ospreys’ skipper Alun Wyn Jones, himself capped by his country on sixty-six occasions and three times a British Lion, is a high class operator and Geoff Parling will need to engage the services of GCHQ for a bit of decoding of the Osprey’s line-out now that Bletchley Park is long since closed and whether Slater will be preferred to Kitchener as support to Parling remains will be tight call as it appears unlikely that Louis Deacon will be available to join in another close fought contest with Wyn Jones and his likely partner, yet another Welsh international; Ian Evans.
Tigers’ back row was over-run by the Toulouse breakaway forwards which was not helped by their oddly under resourcing the breakdown, which allowed the Toulouse trio be even more riotous.
Tigers badly need a specialist open side on duty and show greater intelligence in deployment at the breakdown if they are not to suffer again at the contact area as with yet another Welsh international and British Lion in the guise of the ever impressive Ryan Jones likely to be on the blind side and (yes you guessed it) another Welsh international, local lad Justin Tipuric likely to be making a thorough nuisance of himself in the #7 shirt, it’ll be easy meat for the multi capped Jonathan Thomas to burst through around the fringes or through the centre and of course should Ospreys fancy a bit of a change they now have Samoan international George Stowers available to bring his own special brand of aggression to the party.
I thought Jordan Crane was not only witless in the denouement at Stade de Toulouse but still looked someway from his best, although solid enough but I’d still like to see Thomas Waldrom restored to the #8 shirt with Mafi in, for me, his best position on the blindside where he’ll command attention from the opposition who’ll be well aware of his exploits, the big Tongan presenting more of a conundrum for opposition defences than does Jordan Crane. In the continued absence of Julian Salvi I’d rather favour Richard Thorpe getting his chance on the open side. It’s true that the ex London Irish player isn’t of the Salvi variety of open-side but he does know the specialisms required to play in that position which, as an ex open side wing forward, has great merit as far as I’m concerned.
Osprey’s pick and go against Treviso was blissful and their rolling maul impressive so Tigers will need to up their game and by a margin.
All in all I can see that the Ospreys’ pack capable of matching the Tigers’ eight at the very least and much will depend on the capacity of Tigers’ front row to convince Mr Poite early on of their superiority. As the saying goes: “there’s only one chance to make a first impression” so the Tigers’ pack better take it.
While it’s true to say it takes time to remove the rustiness that’s endemic from a long lay-off through injury, that alone can’t explain Ben Youngs’ awful performance in France last weekend. His slowness at clearing the ball may be a symptom of his long absence but his decision making should be innate by this time, yet it was missing on too many occasions against Toulouse and I wish somebody, somehow would stop him endlessly wandering across using time and space in making his first pass. I know part of his game plan is to go laterally and then straighten but most opponents can say; “seen it” and so if he’s to use the ploy he needs to be razor sharp and he ain’t.
With his forwards likely to be in a dog fight Youngs won’t be able to settle into a comfy armchair and direct operations wearing a smoking jacket, he’ll have to have his sharpest game head on for he’ll have another Samoan international; Kahn Fotuali’i breathing Lu'au/Palusami over him.
Against Toulouse Toby Flood was pretty immaculate from the kicking tee and when I’ve said that I’ve pretty much said all that I can in a positive vein about the England fly-half’s performance. Given his colleagues’ travails at the breakdown he needed to stand deeper and bring his backs on to the ball and in the first half he did so and his team ran the all star French club close but then, in worsening conditions, he reverted to his normal game and moved flatter which saw the opposing back row forwards salivating and his centres getting passes suited to dry weather conditions. At the moment weather for next Sunday looks set fair so his normal modus operandi should be OK but he’s too experienced a player to be unable to adjust to prevailing circumstances. I can’t really see Ford getting a start against Ospreys but were I Cockerill I’d be sorely tempted as I would were Micky Young to be available for the #9 shirt.
On the subject of getting on the right side of Mr Poite. Tigers’ need to improve their discipline in the light of the referee’s mores and as the French official is one of the more consistent I’d hope that the Tigers’ coaching team have been making the viewing of Mr Poite’s recent games required viewing this week, for if Tigers’ perceived discipline goes awry then Dan Biggar (a Welsh international at fly-half by the way with ten caps, his last from the bench against Australia last November) will make them pay in heavy coin. He can kick a bit can Mr Biggar having already racked up 81 points from seven appearances this season.
Once again against Toulouse the Tigers’ centres were engaged in defence and with service from their half-backs so poor there was little chance for them to shine in attack so as a consequence we saw too little of Manu Tuilagi in particular and it’ll be interesting to see what happens when Matt Smith, who had a lovely cameo on Sunday, gets his chance while Tuilagi is at the Autumn Internationals. The importance of the Tigers’ half backs getting their collective act together cannot be over stressed if the attacking force of Allen and Tuilagi (or Smith for that matter) is not to again be squandered.
Young Ashley Beck had the inside centre slot against Treviso for the Ospreys, the tall Neath born back having played for Wales in the 2009/10 IRB Junior World Championship and having now been capped at senior level on three occasions against Australia last summer, he looks to be one for the future.
Beck was partnered in the centre by Andrew Bishop, having made his first appearance for Ospreys way back in the 2004/5 season he’s something of a stalwart for the Swansea club making 103 appearances and has sixteen caps for his country to his credit, his last back in the Autumn of 2010 when he too started against Australia.
It’s a good mixture of age and experience in both centre partnerships although the presence of Bishop would edge it for the Welsh side in the experience column.
Out wide against Toulouse Goneva seemed disrespectful of the presence of the ball at times and was another trying to play dry weather rugby in a French downpour so he’ll need to learn circumspection but on Saturday the track should suit his ball playing and running skills just fine and with Geordan Murphy reportedly likely to be available for selection I hope to see his reassuring presence at full back and for my money I’d like to see Niall Morris on the wing as his pace could be a very useful asset for the home side.
Local boy and Welsh Under 20 player Eli Walker got the nod for Ospreys against Treviso and even though he got a try against the Italians, courtesy of a beautiful pass from full back Richard Fussell, I’d not be surprised to see Tom Isaacs on one wing at Welford Road with South African born, but American by inclination; Hanno Dirksen who’s been a constant presence in the Robocop league and has been rewarded with two tries against Ulster and Scarlets and doubling his tally with a brace against Treviso, the first coming from another splendid inside pass from that man Fussell again and the second from a laser guided cross field kick from Fotuali’i after some splendid preparatory work from the fat boys.
The American is a real danger especially with the aforementioned Fussell in cahoots, who himself looks a real useful operator, nabbing two tries of his own thus far this term.
This is not the Ospreys of yore. Sans Lyn Jones, Scott Johnson, Mike Phillips, Sonny Parker, James Hook, Tommy Bowe, Lee Byrne, jerry Collins, Gavin Henson and of course the incomparable Shane Williams who’s now plying his trade in the Land of The Rising Sun for Mitsubishi Dynaboars.
Aspirations to be a Welsh rugby Galácticos are thankfully consigned to the dustbin of history with the new Ospreys, under the stewardship of Steve Tandy, a real rugby man who played at open-side for Neath and has paid his dues, starting his coaching career in the age groups and then as Head Coach with Bridgend while still playing for Ospreys.
This Ospreys don’t think anybody owes them anything, they’re a real team in the making and Tigers will have to up their game if they are to prevail.
If they don’t then the future’s looking bleak for this season’s European adventure and I for one will be confused –again!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:10:22:21:39:08 by Tiggs.
Thanks as always Chris - a good read if perhaps less conclusive than some of your previews perhaps.
I don't think things up front are quite as close as you intimate - though I do not expect it to be easy by any means. While the O's international front-row is undoubtedly good I have never really rated Hibberd - and his sporadic international career suggests that I may be right (I will not dwell upon his role in some of the less savoury features of our previous encounters) and I am not convinced that Bevington is yet the 'real deal' not that Jones is quite the force he was - and he was never to my mind a 'destructive' tight head. The second row is well matched and you are quite right - the back-row (open-side in particular) and the half-back link is our current not insignifiant problem yet I wonder - these weren't excessively so in the first half last week. While the technicalities may not be quite right - there was enough energy and a sufficiently intelligent tactical appraoch to address that problem. I don't entirely see why this won't apply - albeit with a little more width behind - this week too.
Did you see the Jeff Lynne night on BBC 4 the other week Chris? Ah them were the days! For myself A New World Record includes my favourite of their tracks - Living Thing and Rockaria - but they very much provided the soundtrack to my schoolyears. Time to dig out some vinyl I think!
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Please James - try to be a little less subjective. We know you have your favourites - and indeed also the opposite and it is alays difficult to see past ones personal preferences - but you don't make yourself more credible by those sort of comments.
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Tony Allen has played:
125 times in the Premiership (118 times as a starter) and has scored 23 tries, so 0.19 tries per start.
Bowden (who I guess you prefer but then you'd prefer next door's dog to Allen I guess) has played 37 times (36 as a starter) in the Premiership and scored 3 tries, so for him 0.08 tries per start.
In the HEC it's 27 appearances for Allen (25 as a starter) and he's scored 8 tries in the process, so 0.32 tries per start. Bowden has made 9 appearances (7 as a starter) and not scored any tries.
Sorry to be factual but there it is.
You said something to the effect that Bowden was a greater attacking threat than Allen - which Chris then countered with some stats. Subsequent refernce to 36 is a bit like asking for an apple and then complaining that what you get isn't a pear.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012:10:18:11:54:28 by Rich W.
I don't actually agree that try scoring stats are necessarily great measure of attacking prowess. Though certainly they are one of them - so I don't think Chris' stats provide the whole picture. Personally I think trying to measure such things is pretty futile as it's such a nebulous thing. That said at least it is evidence - something which, unfortuately, you've not yet been able to contribute to the debate - that's not a criticism - I can never be bothered to go and research the stats so I don't have any to contribute either!
Nonetheless, I'd happily concede that there are undoubtedly things that DB (and BT) do better than AA - the question is how you balance them against the things that AA does better - on te grounds that most of us do think he does some things better. Surely the point - when comparing Allen with Bowden and with 36 in the past - is to look at the entire player. As I see it what AA does in attack that the others don't is create options and space for his team-mates to do their thing - he's a facilitator perhaps. It isn't always flashy and it isn't always eye-catching (qv tbtb's point on the other thread re: outside breaks) but I'm sure that's partly why his team-mates voted him as the 'players' player' or whatever it was - well that and his defensive contribution. And it's inescapable as far as I'm concerned that you have to look at what players do both sides of the ball. And AA is, imo unquestionably so, the superior defensive operator.
And it's not just the defensive organisation thing either. People keep saying that defense can be learned, but I dispute that. Of course defensive skills can be honed - as can any skills - but if the sort of disparity we're talking about here could be simply addressed by experience and coaching then everybody would end up as Neil Back! There's talent and aptitude as well as learned skill to consider. And imo AA has demonstrated more of all three than Billy ever did - good player though he was/is. And, more importantly considering that he, unlike 36, is a Tigers player, more than Bowden has demonstrated in the past - as far as I can see.
Lastly you have to look at the whole 'commitment to the cause' schtick. I don't know this is the case (but the nature of his departure and what went on around it suggest that it's true) but I always felt there was something not quite solid about Billy's psychology around the team. Maybe I'm wrong - I allow that I could be - and it's not the strongest feeling, but there always seemed a little bit too much 'me' about Billy's performances. I'm not sure I can put my finger on it and I'm aware that some would categorise it as the difference between round-head and cavalier but it seems to me that AA is the kind of player you'd want in the trenches and Billy isn't. Again we go back to that award.
So - considering where we are - is Bowden that sort of player? We'll see - I hope so.
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Couldn't have put that any better myself son! But james won't even read it properly imvho!!
So who created Thompstone's 2nd(?) try v Exeter? The guy who turned over the ball after tackling the Exeter player in possession? Or the guys who then passed the ball the width of the pitch?
By the way, thanks Chris. And you've been told before above these facts thingys!
