Prozac Anyone?

By Chris Chaplin
January 14 2004

While Tigers’ supporters knew that the trip to Ravenhill was not going to be an easy one the Ulstermen must, after Tigers’ performance and the consequent result, feel much less daunted by the approaching visit to Welford Road.

The Tigers’ performance in Belfast did at least set a personal record for me. Over the past two seasons I have seen some poor performances from Tigers but this set a new low, the previous having been last season’s debacle away at London Irish. Is there something about the Irish?

Ulster played with fire, passion, skill and a well constructed game-plan, Tigers did not.

In the tight the Tigers’ pack held it’s own and won enough decent ball but in loose play they joined with the toothless Tigers of the back division in seemingly having nothing to offer by way of a strategy to overcome the resolute and sometimes illegal defence of Ulster. Tigers’ own defensive capabilities were again found wanting this being exemplified as Healey made a half hearted challenge that was brushed off as Andy Ward headed toward the try line.

Ulster were reputed to have a weakness at lock in the line-out yet first converted flanker Matt Mustchin and then his replacement on 68 minutes, specialist Matt McCullough, gave lie to this theory as they acquitted themselves well, even stealing some ball from Martin Johnson when he made a belated appearance just 10 minutes or so into the second half. It seems to matter little with which combination Solomons starts next Saturday so high must their confidence be after last weekend.

I thought that the Ulster front row took the game up well to the star studded Tigers’ triumvirate with Kempson showing all his Springbok experience and exemplifying the often used expression these days of “go forward”, Best was very disruptive and I though Kiwi Matt Sexton had a good afternoon too while experienced Wallaby Rod Moore waited in the wings!!!

Undoubtedly man of the match was Andy Ward. The Kiwi was simply outstanding in every facet of his game, rarely have I seen a better performance from a blindside with his brace of tries almost seeming scant reward for his efforts. Young Roger Wilson looks a real prospect and with Neil Best these three provided a fine all round unit whether in attack or defence, where they gave poor Ramiro Pez a torrid time.

David Humphreys played as well as I can remember seeing him not only making his usual intelligent use of his boot from the good service he received from Doag, (although I personally still favour Kieran Campbell at #9 Doag did have a good game), but the newly honoured Ulsterman also displayed his skills with ball in hand that we see too infrequently.

For me though the pick of the Ulster back division was yet another Kiwi, centre Paul Steinmetz. What a fine signing Solomons has made here, it is just a pity that we could not have seen him against a fully fit Daryl Gibson. As it was he tackled himself to a standstill with some blistering defence and when he wasn’t thus engaged he was causing all kinds of mayhem in attack. Try scorer Shane Stewart fully justified his selection ahead of Adam Larkin who eventually replaced him late on and of course Ulster had Ryan Constable on the treatment table and were the Celtic League’s top try scorer able to join with Steinmetz then opposition blood must surely run cold at the prospect.

Topping also played pretty well but it was hard to judge Paddy Wallace as he had little to do and was not put under any pressure of note but again I’d personally favour Bryn Cunningham at Welford Road were I to be in the fortunate position of being the Ulster coach.

All in all as fine a performance as I’ve seen in this year’s competition but can they rekindle the level of passion and intensity at Welford Road that burned so bright at Ravenhill last Sunday?

As I’ve already said the Ulster players will feel that Welford Road these days holds no greater threat than any other away fixture and indeed less than many. DoR Solomons, currently strongly linked with a move to saints should Wayne Smith depart home to help Graham Henry coach the All Blacks, will be doing all that he can to focus his player’s minds on the upcoming match so confident must they surely feel after the thrashing they handed out to Tigers last weekend.

Let me first get the home advantage element out of the way when looking at Tigers’ prospects. Tigers should start with a ten point advantage playing in front of 14000 of their own supporters at what is, in spite of recent events, an intimidating venue. The question is will Tigers take advantage of that edge?

With a front five of Rowntree, West (or Richards), Johnson and Kay it has to be asked how can Tigers fail to secure quality ball? There has been debate over Darren Morris but from what I saw on Sunday he tried his heart out, his side of the scrum didn’t falter, he was always present at the breakdown and frankly I fail to see what beef his detractors have over the Welshman who has come on a bundle since his arrival last Summer and those first hesitant performances. Not as fine a scrummager as Julian White (but then who is?) but certainly, to my mind, superior to Nebbett who also does his best and perhaps has the edge in loose play but remains a journeyman for all that.

I’m not sure that West was fully fit on Sunday and if he’s not 100% for next Saturday I hope that Jimmy Richards starts, he’s combative and hard working and if he’s been brushing up on his throwing he’ll not let us down.

Rowntree was a bit quiet on Sunday but worked hard although I thought he looked a bit down-hearted from early on.

Is Johnno fit? Does he have a bad cold? Is his mind distracted by “the retirement question”? Is there dissent in the camp over the team’s direction? Who knows? What I do know is that the great man does not look himself and has not done so since he returned from Australia.

Never have Tigers needed him as much as they do now. It’s not just about skill. Deacon is skilful enough and will be a fine international lock. It’s about Johnno’s presence and in my view the chaotic situation that exists over the captaincy of the side is playing a big part in the big man’s demeanour – we have still never actually heard a word from him on that score! In any event this is the hour and Johnno as ever is the man who must to come to Tigers’ aid.

Similarly Ben Kay still doesn’t look himself. Skilful in the lineout, the calls still at a good level of competence but yet somehow this combative young man seems, with his second row partner, to be somehow semi-detached from what’s going on around him. We need him at his imposing best and combine with Johnno to destroy the Ulster lineout as they should – they’re the best partnership in the World after all – I’ve seen the cup and medals to prove it!

All that I’ve said about Johnno and Ben Kay can be applied to Neil Back, also an ultimate professional, last weekend’s loss and it’s comprehensive nature in particular will have hurt Tigers’ pocket battleship and hurt him badly. He’s playing as well as could be expected of a good openside in the English premiership but we all know he’s not just a good openside, he’s a wonderful open side. In the current circumstances club captaincy does not sit easily on his shoulders and I think is detracting from his overall game.

I am, I must admit, confused as to why either Henry Tuilagi or Will Johnson are preferred to Adam Balding who seems to have disappeared into Deano’s black hole where out of favour players go. Like his brother I defy any supporter not to like Henry and not to smile when he goes bludgeoning about, the point is does he actually achieve anything? Hopefully Corry will soon be back and Saturday would not be too soon as far as I’m concerned with a back-row of Balding, Back and Corry Tigers’ best chance of containing and beating the confident Ulster trio.

Having said all that the pack did win sufficient ball against Ulster but having secured the possession it was wasted like a drunken sailor’s wages on his first night in port.

What has happened to Austin? I am becoming embarrassed by my own advocacy of his suitability as first choice for the #9 shirt.

Why has he seemingly lost the ability to pass off either hand instead now having to first perform some kind of balletic spin? In the past when arriving at the ruck or maul he clearly had a game-plan at the front of his mind and he immediately proceeded to execute it with the utmost skill and usually to devastating effect. Now though the ball is slowed, momentum is lost, the opposition defence is up, the moment is passed. Where are those dynamic breaks? Most of all though what has happened to his pass?

Poor Pez was again left to field ball from above, below, behind but rarely in front and in the target area. On a positive Oz did get after the Ulster back row and disrupted them and Doag on occasion. I rather suspect that Saturday will see Oz on the bench with Harry Ellis restored at scrum half and as one of Oz’s biggest fans in the #9 shirt even I would not be able to complain should this change come to pass. Hopefully Harry will have been doing plenty of practice at speeding up his service while suspended.

With the kind of service from the scrum-half that Oz has been providing of late it matters not whether Pez., Vesty, Goode or Jaco are at 10 none would prosper or be seen at their best. While Jaco can kick leaving a front line kicker of Ramiro’s quality out of the side could be a costly error and anyway we’ve seen what he can do on the rare occasions that he has had good service.

The loss of both Gibson and Ollie Smith were both grievous blows but I fear that we shall still be without the duo on Saturday.

In the circumstances I have to again champion the cause of Glenn Gelderbloom at #12. He tried his heart out on Sunday but so poor was the service from the half backs he did not, in all conscience, stand a chance. At #13 options are severely limited and I guess the best is going to be Leon Lloyd, obviously better as a winger but at least he has experience in the centre. Fred’s “excrement or bust” tackling mitigates against his inclusion at centre in my view.

Like Lloyd Neil Baxter did not get much of a chance to do anything on Sunday and with so little attacking ball reaching the wings I bet they wished they’d brought a coat! I hope he keeps his spot though as he’s still our most dangerous back with silky running skills that sometimes remind of Gerry Guscott in his pomp. It would seem that Steve Booth is at last fit and I’d like to see his skills deployed against the Ulster defenders.

On Sunday even Jaco looked off from his best but being #15 in such a match and in such conditions really does call for medication.

We all know, I think, that defeat on Saturday will, to all intents and purposes, see the end of the Tigers’ European cup campaign, as a loss at home would leave Tigers’ depending on other teams losing at home, not picking up bonus points and not least our having to win at Rodney Parade, which as Ulster and Stade found out is a big ask.

I have had a good think as to what positives can be taken from the Ravenhill debacle and after due and mature consideration I can honestly say there are none that I can see.

On Saturday the team will need the supporters more than they ever have and while unlikely it would be an excellent idea if the team, after warming up and before disappearing to get into their match kit, were to “do a Gloucester” and jog up and down in front of the Crumbie to get the masses going.

Let’s have some good anthemic pre match music as well, not Will Young, lest we slit our wrists!

Then get the timing of Smoke on The Water just right. Not played and at an end before the team appears but played just before they make their gladiatorial entry which would give the supporters a focus for their adulation and applause, with the music and pandemonium continuing so as to end only to permit kick off.

The team will need all the help it can get and that’s what us lot are there for but we need help and co-ordination of our efforts as well.

Just a thought – but don’t hold your collective breaths – it’ll probably be the winner of Pop Idol’s new record with the team wandering out to virtual silence, the applause and hullabaloo having been prematurely spent!

The result? Well with Dean Richards saying he’s still at a loss to know what’s going wrong and the demeanor of the senior players things don’t look good.

Of course if Tigers’ find their passion, commitment and skill and have a coherent strategy to pursue then they can rise, Phoenix like, from the ashes of their abject surrender at Ravenhill.

It would be great to have a rendition of Swing Low with which the Ulster support can join in as they obviously like the song so much but I have always based these previews on being honest so for me at least it’s pass the Prozac - again!