Tigers v Bath AP Match Preview

By ChrisC
December 30 2013

Here is Chris' last preview for a few weeks, as he heads off to sunnier climes. Many thanks Chris, and any offers to do a preview over the coming weeks will be most gratefully accepted ! No experiance is necessary. Hope Springs....... The interregnum between Christmas and New Year is, for me, now filled with readying ourselves for a month in warmer climes but at one stage in my career it was the imminence of a major trade exhibition that was in the forefront of my mind post Christmas.

Our stand had a hospitality area where food and drink were served to keep the customers happy until a salesman became free for if the customer left the stand the odds were they’d disappear into the waiting arms of a competitor.

The bar was usually under the aegis of a female member of staff from the sales office but it was a practice fraught with danger as all too often one of the salesman and the lady concerned that year and both far from home, would commit some indiscretion, the ramifications of which could take months to resolve.

I’d had enough of being obliged to act as a counsellor/mediator (obviously without the artfully casual clothes, cocked head and softly cadenced voice so beloved of the professionals) as the emotional fall out rained thicker than that from Grimsvotn while the staff polarised into the familiar factions.

So I decided to employ a specialist to act as host. I approached an agency who suggested somebody who did this sort of work and said that she’d get in touch with me to arrange for us to meet and discuss the assignment.

She was very pleasant when my boss and I met her and she confirmed she’d worked at trade shows in similar roles before. She didn’t look much like her glamorous promotional photograph but we were sure she’d fit the bill so agreed her fee and booked her.

As we parted she asked what we’d like her to wear, which was akin to asking us to explain the theory of relativity, my boss and I looked at each other, shrugged and said we’d leave it to her to pick something suitable. She seemed content and said she’d see us at the exhibition.

The opening day arrived and the salesmen assembled for their product briefing, at the end of which our new recruit arrived, now with hair perfectly coiffed and beautifully made up she looked just like her promotional photograph. She said she’d just remove her winter coat and be back for the introductions.

There was a gasp when she reappeared, eyes popped and jaws dropped as she’d chosen to wear a short crocheted dress and, aside from a pair of high heels and some jewellery, nothing much else, so her considerable assets were teasingly displayed for all to see.

Word spread like wildfire and our stand was besieged from opening until closing time, we had never had such a successful opening day. Our hostess was a great hit, beautiful, amusing, efficient and able to professionally fend off unwelcome advances with effortless grace and good humour.

At the end of that first day she asked me if I was happy with her work and I told her I was delighted but that we should discuss her apparel for the rest of the show.

She dressed a little less revealingly thereafter but was still a big attraction. I guess the visitors, some making multiple visits, thought “hope springs eternal”. But while they eventually left with their hopes dashed they were pleased to place their orders with our secret weapon and make do with one of her smiles.

The Bath team and management, now sans Gary Gold, will travel to Welford Road this weekend with their own hopes springing that their record at the home of the Tigers, where they last won at the end of November 2003 by a solitary point, will improve.

Last weekend Bath started brightly at Franklins Gardens and it looked as if an upset was on the cards but Saints powered back to win by forty-three points to the visitors’ twenty-five.

Similarly Tigers tore into the lead against Sale Sharks before conspiring, with yet more poor defensive organisation, to concede two tries and to waste numerous gilt edged, copper bottomed try scoring opportunities with the abandon of a bunch of drunken sailors, to waste their early advantage.

This all in concert with a Sale side whose pack decided to pursue a policy, reminiscent of an Italian tank corps, of refusing to engage, cynically taking full advantage of young Mr Carley who produced a splendid impression of Private Pike. How there weren’t choruses of “you stupid boy” from the stands showed considerable fortitude from the Tigers’ supporters. The trainee needs, well, more training, maybe in the Championship.

One thing of which I think we can be assured is that next Sunday the Bath pack will not willingly take a backward step which will make for interesting viewing for those of us unable to be at Welford Road and instead settling down with a post prandial cognac to take in the action.

Next Sunday’s encounter is the last in the spasmodic Premiership for a while which then takes a month off, first giving way to the valedictory Heineken Cup and then to the international circus and the LV= Cup.

Bath are cantering away with their Amlin Cup pool while Tigers have the rather more challenging task of negotiating their way out of their pool in the senior competition and this will be their last chance to get their act together before they visit Italy and Ulster come a calling at Welford Road the following week.

The Bath scrum was impressive at Franklins Gardens managing a push over try against Saints, whose own pack are no powder puffs.

David Wilson is sidelined with a calf strain so it will likely fall to ex Hurricane and Samoan international Anthony Perenise to fill the Bath #1 shirt with his 119kgs. The Samoan is in his third season at the Recreation Ground and even though his starts have been limited to a mere couple of dozen during that time he’s, somewhat remarkably, scored eight tries.

He brings an admirable dynamism to the Bath forwards and will be a real threat around the breakdown and the maul however he’s no David Wilson when it comes to the set piece where, this weekend, he’ll be facing a world class tight head in the form of Dan Cole.

Rob Webber is having a fantastic season, his third since arriving from Wasps, having seen off the curse of injury he’s one of the best all round hookers I’ve seen this term. Hard to fault in any department really and with Perenise will be sniffing around the breakdown while bringing his dependability to bear at the set piece.

Joining Webber in my pantheon of this season’s hooking elite is Tigers’ Tom Youngs who’s also in good form and will be toe to toe with Webber throughout.

With Ayerza widely felt to be amongst the world’s best loose-heads there’ll be a feisty contest with the valley mined nugget that is Welsh international Paul James and it’s to be hoped that this week’s match officials are not relying on Camelot products as their exemplar for managing the scrum where I think Tigers may have the edge but after Bath’s dismantling of the Saints’ pack last Saturday I’m squinting my eyes as I type that prediction.

David Attwood looks likely to be in the second row for the visitors as he’s in the imperious form that won the Bristolian so many plaudits while at Gloucester. Another in his third season with Bath I can’t see anyone else in their #5 shirt. There’s been a bit of job sharing for the other locking spot with Welsh international Dom Day and stalwart Stuart Hooper largely being preferred to the rugged Irishman Ryan Caldwell, also now back from injury, while Will Spencer, who’s also had a turn, is the latest Bath lock to be injured.

My guess is that it’ll be the experienced and mobile Hooper that’ll partner Attwood. With the excellent Matt Garvey likely to be on the blindside and with Webber’s accurate throwing the vulnerable Bath lineout of days passed has pretty much vanished.

Richard Cockerill gave Graham Kitchener the afternoon off against Sale but I expect to see him back come next Sunday. The big choice is the grunt of Deacon or the slightly lesser grunt of Slater and his increased mobility. I’d go for Slater.

Steve Mafi is rumoured to be around somewhere and may be in the squad for the first time since the reverse fixture back in the second week of the Premiership but in his, and Croft’s absence, Gibson has grown into the role becoming key at the lineout and if he keeps the shirt then I see the set piece being too close a contest to call.

There could be a nice reunion with points to prove if Matt Garvey lines up against his ex London Irish team mate; Jamie Gibson. They’ll know each other inside out so there’ll be bragging rights to be secured with Garvey maybe favourite to take home the spoils.

Meanwhile ex Bath open side and now Tigers’ key man; Julian Salvi will lock horns with the player that’s replaced him at Bath, a certain Louis- Francois Louw. Still an integral part of Meyer’s Springboks he’ll present as stern a challenge as Tigers’ Salvi has faced this term. In the absence of being a skryer I don’t know who’ll get the beneficent nod.

Waldrom must have done enough to keep the #8 spot for Tigers unless there’s to be a routine rotation while for Bath ex Sale flanker; Carl Fearns has been recently sharing duties with Aussie Leroy Houston with whom there’s rarely a problem. The ex Queensland Red, Bordeaux and Colomiers #8 looks very accomplished in the hard carrying work and for me at least seems more at home than does Fearns who made his name on the flanks before injury took hold. I’m not sure his conversion to #8 is yet an entirely successful use of his prodigious skills although in combination with Louw and Garvey the trio make the breakdown a war zone.

What I do know is that Tigers will need to be better at defending the tackle area than they have been all too often this season as both sides will be slowing down opposition ball and probing for any interstices on their own or that emanating from careless turnovers. Let’s hope the referee is up to it.

Martin Roberts got the start for Bath against his old pals last weekend but I expect the evergreen Peter Stringer will be back come next Sunday with his team mates darkly muttering “hand of Back” in his ear, just to wind him up even more. Ex Tiger Micky Young is still making his way back from yet another injury. I bet he kicks any black cat he sees!

The vastly experienced ex Munster scrum half will give Ben Youngs, whose form is still patchy, plenty to think about and the Tigers’ #9 will have to be far more accurate with his passing game if he’s not to be eclipsed.

George Ford will be at fly-half for Bath as he makes his first visit to Welford Road since he went off to play for his dad. I would also guess that if Bath were to emerge victorious he’ll be Man of the Match. I must admit that, given his 67% kicking strike rate, a hesitancy to bring his backs into play enough and an ability to spill the ball in contact and ending up looking like road kill, I do wonder why he gets the plaudit so often. He certainly looks more relaxed now that he’s not having to play for the shirt but I fear he could fall victim to his father’s ambition and the building media bandwagon. He is a real talent but for me still one that needs development before full international caps are awarded and I do feel for the hugely talented Heathcote.

Owen Williams came of age in just his third Premiership start and looked a far more confident player against Sale than he did against either Wasps or Quins.

Like Ford he has much to learn and is a great latent talent. Should Flood start then it’ll be interesting to see his contest with Ford, the player who presumably thought his skills superior to that of the erstwhile England fly-half whose club shirt he demanded as of right. Should it be Williams again it’ll be equally interesting to watch the battle of the Tigers’ tyros past and present.

I have to confess that I felt that ex St Helen’s player Kyle Eastmond, who was so carefully nurtured in the ways of the senior code, was wasted in the centre but I think I was wrong as his pace is absolutely devastating there. Maybe not yet the best distributor or the best at organising his fellow backs in defence but in attack; boy oh boy! If he gets more ball from Ford or more often inserted as first receiver he’ll open opposition defences like a knife through butter.

There’s a question mark over Dan Bowden’s fitness after what looked like another concussion last Saturday and with Tony Allen reportedly still a week or so away from match trim Richard Cockerill could have the wearingly familiar problem of who to play at inside centre to contain Eastmond and get the Tigers’ backs moving. I don’t like the look of Matt Smith in the #12 shirt who looks at sea in the unfamiliar inside berth. As both Flood and Williams have played club and international rugby at inside centre I’d favour playing them in combination in Bowden’s absence.

If by some chance Bowden is fit then against Bath’s backs I hope we see more patience and straighter running.

If he’s fit Flood needs to be on the field to organise the defence which again looked to be held together with string and sealing wax in the second half against Sale.

Goneva will be opposite Jonathan Joseph, yet another ex London Irish player likely to be on display and it’ll be another interesting contest. Both have loads of pace although the Fijian has the better footwork and Joseph the greater straight line speed and is the safer tackler.

Out wide with Rokoduguni injured I expect to see ex Welford Road favourite; Horacio Agulla paired with big Matt Banahan as Tom Biggs seems excluded as he’ll soon be off to rugby league. Agulla didn’t have his finest hour in defence against Saints as Bath defended much too narrowly ceding the wings to their opposition, having to scramble across at the last minute.

With Banahan having the agility of a channel island ferry when obliged to turn and bend I expect to see Tigers’ back three kicking the ball behind him. If employed this tactic needs to keep the ball on the deck forcing the big Jerseyman to stoop for its retrieval.

If I am puzzled why Ford is so often Man of the Match I’m equally puzzled why young (and yes ex; London Irish player) Anthony Watson isn’t. He didn’t have his best outing defensively at Northampton but my goodness is he spectacular coming forward. In spite of that I have a feeling that it could be Tigers’ bête noir; Nick Abendanon who’ll get the start next Sunday bringing his hard to put down running style and solid defence to the fray with Watson coming on once the Tigers’ defence tires later on.

Adam Thompstone (ex; London Irish naturally) got back to scoring ways last weekend so I can’t see how he can be excluded and I’d like to see Miles Benjamin settle in to a job share with Morris on the Tigers’ right wing. Morris is all elegance whereas Benjamin is all pace and if Bath continue to defend narrowly I’d fancy the raw power and speed of the ex Worcester Warrior as the best way to exploit it for the home side.

It is heartening to see Matt Tait back in action and to be coming back to form so quickly. Like Abendanon, Tait looks solid under the high ball, strong in defence and with the attributes that frighten opposition defences out of their skins – pace and nifty footwork.

With the respective packs likely to be closely matched at the set piece and the breakdown the outcome will revolve around the referee’s management of these two contentious areas especially as the assistant referees appear to be largely ceremonial appointments.

I think Tigers will dash Bath’s hopes of a happy start to the New Year in another close fought encounter between the old rivals, while for my part I’m hoping for some warm and sunny weather as I set off for my mid- season break.

Don’t think you’ve got rid of me though – oh no such luck for you!! I’ll be back with my thoughts on Tigers’ prospects when they go down to Sixways in early February.

Meanwhile though:

Adiós por ahora y disfrutar de su rugby.

Tigers v Bath AP Match Preview

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

Date: 30/12/2013 23:27

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:01:09:21:08:05 by Tiggs.