Wasps Fail to Sting Tigers

By Rex Thorpe
November 9 2003

Leicester Tigers brought their run of five straight defeats to an end by beating Premiership ‘champions’ Wasps. The Tiger cubs did a decent impression of their elders and the Welford Road crowd did a reprise of their role as supporting actors in that long running epic ‘Fortress Welford Road’

... to leave the men in black bewildered and beaten. All of which was a fitting tribute and farewell to the legend-in-his-own-life-time that is Tim Stimpson.

Having predicted a Tigers win on the message board, I left Guildford with some optimism. The rugby day was already two and half hours old. New Zealand had demolished South Africa and the Radio 5 was already reporting that the All Blacks were meeting strong resistance from Scotland when I hit the M25. A smooth run up the M1 saw me enter the fair city of Leicester at about 12.30 just as Radio Leicester was promising IanC’s Fan‘s Eye View. So I parked in my usual spot, quickly ran down to Grimsby Fisheries for my traditional pre-match lunch and returned to the car to enjoy Ian’s no nonsense but loyal views.

Like me, he liked the look of the Tiger’s line-up and predicted a home win.

I walked in to Welford Road just before 2pm and took up a position just behind the dug out on the Welford Road half of the Crumbie Terrace. I was delighted when Den1se and friends coincidentally choose the same spot; this was the point at which Wasps lost. The combined noise of Den1se and friends with TigerR would be enough to intimidate the real All Blacks, let alone the yellow-edged pretenders from somewhere slightly near London.

The Tigers came out first to warm up; the Wasps seem to leave it too late. There were almost no supporters from London, so, despite the less than capacity crowd, the atmosphere was pure Welford Road. There seemed to be a higher fraction of full-throated 100% Leicesterites and so the team got a big boost on entering the arena. It all seemed to phase the Wasps who kicked off and out on the full and gave Leicester a scrum in mid-field. From this start, Tigers shot out of the blocks and into a 6-0 lead after two penalties from fly-half Ramiro Pez, the second from right on the halfway line. Leicester continued to apply the pressure, with Pez punting 60m to the left corner. The hosts then scored the opening try from the resulting line-out - Jim Richards being driven over from a rolling maul in his first start for the Tigers. The pack was playing with plenty of drive despite muscular resistance from the opposition. Pez converted, but three quickfire penalties from his Wasps counterpart Mark van Gisbergen got the visitors back to within four points.

Pez was then wide of the mark with the first of a series of long drop goals attempts and also wide from a penalty kick. However Tigers went further ahead when Neil Baxter showed his pace to mark his debut with a try in the right corner following an amazing chip kick from the wing by Josh Kronfeld; Pez added the extras. A penalty for the Italian and two more for Van Gisbergen completed the first-half scoring, with Leicester in a well deserved 23-15 lead.

Half-time saw Peter Wheeler take to the pitch to orchestrate, deftly, an emotional farewell for Tigers full-back Tim Stimpson, who leaves for French club Perpignan next week. Despite not being able to play because of a knee injury, Stimmo received a standing ovation from the supporters as he urged us to continue to get behind the team in the second half.

The second half opened in a noisy atmosphere. A fifth Pez penalty eight minutes into the second half extended Leicester's advantage, and there was a huge roar when Austin Healey, who had a good game at full back, took a chance for a snap drop goal to nudge us further ahead. Mark Denney interrupted the Tigers' dominance when he took a pass from Fraser Waters to go over in the left corner for Wasps' only try. But the crowd stayed noisy and Ramiro Pez virtually wrapped up the win with a long penalty.

Wasps had one more attack down the left but the ball bounced free after a kick and chase and Harry Ellis gathered, ran down the 22 towards the Crumbie and booted the ball way over my head into touch. Van Gisbergen missed with an injury-time penalty, which would have earned the ‘champions’ a bonus point.

The crowd went wild, the team looked elated and the tannoy played the traditional ‘Shiny Happy people’, etc. Many Tigers fans stayed for more than five minutes and clapped the team and the team, including Austin Healy, clapped back. There was a real rapport; the crowd were delighted with the players and the players were delighted with and for the crowd.

In this match the Leicester pack, which has looked creaky so far this season, stood its ground and played with passion. A special mention in this respect should go to Jim Richards, all energy in the loose, and to Harry Ellis who was seen slapping props on the backside to urge them forwards in driving mauls. Austin Healy dropped that goal, looked very solid at the back and made a crucial tackle or two, as usual.

Now he’s on a plane to Australia and could end up playing at full back in a World Cup Final; good luck Austin.

Oliver Smith defended with great energy and looks much happier in the centre. However, my man of the match, for his general contribution, leadership in the pack and for his very special moment of genius with the boot, goes to the quiet skipper, Josh Kronfeld. I might of known he’d know the way to beat a team in black.

Leicester: Healey, Baxter, Smith, Gibson, F. Tuilagi, Pez, Ellis, Rowntree, Richards, Morris, L. Deacon, Campbell, W. Skinner, Kronfeld, Balding. Replacements: Chuter, Nebbett, B. Deacon, H. Tuilagi, Booth, Vesty, Abraham.

Wasps: Voyce, Roiser, Waters, Denney, Rudd, van Gisbergen, Howley, Payne, Greening, Dowd, Purdy, Birkett, Volley, O'Connor, Lock. Replacements: Richards, Erinle, Haskell, Skivington, Scrivener, Mackenzie, Leota.