Now Stop Teasing Tigers!!!!

By Chris Chaplin
January 21 2004

Tigers once again gave a teasing glimpse of the possible last Saturday while the Dragons collapsed against Stade Francais, now the Welshmen have to meet Tigers at Rodney Parade

This is the Dragon's last home fixture before travelling to Belfast the following week and they must be wondering which Tigers team will be turning up.

With the matches continuing to go with home advantage, leaving Stade and Tigers both on ten points, just a point ahead of Ulster and two ahead of the Dragons, Pool One remains finely balanced.

Dragons roundly beat Stade at Rodney Parade a week or so back when the French side’s gargantuan prop Pablo Lemoine took his leave in the 52nd minute and with Remy Martin also incurring referee Spreadbury’s ire the visitors were down to 13 men for a period as indeed were Dragons when both Baber and Beattie got their marching orders within minutes of each other.

Augustin Pichot had already departed half way through the first half with a shoulder injury that kept him out of the return match in Paris and the Dragon’s had their own discipline problems to contend with. In the meantime Jason Forster and the superb Michael Owen wrought havoc amongst the French backs.

Things were rather different in Paris last weekend when it was Dragons who led the indiscipline contest with their talented back row player Jason Forster being the recipient of first of the three yellow cards that Italian referee de Santis handed out to the Welsh side.

The French pack achieved a high degree of dominance in this return fixture and their star studded back division played its own part in the destruction of the Dragons with some slick handling and incisive play.

Although Tigers despatched Dragons with some aplomb before Christmas the Welsh side were without Lee Jarvis, their metronomic kicker and playmaker, with Montgomery having to deputise that day. That situation is now resolved and at Rodney Parade against Stade Francais Montgomery made a try for skipper and Welsh international centre Andy Marinos with his young centre partner Hal Luscombe also crossing the whitewash.

Dragons will therefore probably be pretty much at full strength in front of their fervent support next Saturday who’s backing for the new provincial type structure saw a crowd of 7500 souls watch the defeat of Stade.

It will be interesting to see if Canadian international Rod Snow keeps his starting place in the front row with Steve Jones and the talented Chris Anthony and how the settled second row partnership of Welsh international Ian Gough and Under 21 player Peter Sidoli fare against Tigers’ duo.

The Welsh back row is very dangerous with Scottish international Ross Beattie and sevens player Jason Forster being joined by the hugely talented Michael Owen in forming a highly mobile and combative unit which could well have the measure of Tigers largely reserve set up.

Gareth Baber will be enjoying the comforting presence of Lee Jarvis outside who will be using his educated boot to kick for position or looking to get the talented Andy Marinos and young Hal Luscombe into play. Jarvis has real playmaking skills and will need neutralising by the Tigers back-row.

I expect to see the razor sharp Ben Breeze and Gerald Arasa join with matinee idol Springbok Percy Montgomery in a highly potent back three and who, if given any quality possession, are sure to make the most of it.

Of course the Dragons’ backs have first to get the ball and that may well be the problem with as ever the tight five likely to have the final say in this regard. It’s hard to see the Welsh side prevailing here anymore than they did in Paris and this will be the key area as will the Tigers back-rows ability to contain the Dragons around the tackle area and at the breakdown.

Saturday’s performance by Tigers against the talented and committed Ulster team was a welcome breath of fresh air in a season otherwise largely spent in another miasma of under achievement.

What was interesting was that here was essentially the same pack that played adequately at Ravenhill putting on a bravura performance that saw virtually every set piece on Tigers’ ball cough up possession to a massively changed back division who played with more verve and a higher degree of precision than I’ve seen since or indeed before the pre-Christmas home victory against the then under strength Dragons.

With some fifteen of Tigers’ first team squad in the physio’s room this could have been yet another excuse for yet another failure but Tigers played with the heart, passion and commitment that was so sorely missing against Gloucester and at Ravenhill. In many ways then this performance asks more questions than it answers.

If Dean Richards didn’t know what had gone wrong before does he know what went right on Saturday? Certainly he gave little credit to the supporters for their vociferous backing who, in his post match interview on Radio Leicestershire, he said he thought were quiet in the first half – perhaps he was still the toilet reading the programme for it was pretty noisy where I was.

The pack was fired up from the off and as all the front row seem to come through unscathed I can’t see any logical reason for there being changes for the trip to Rodney Parade. Stand out performer in the front row for me at least was Darren Morris who had his best game so far in the Tigers shirt, rock solid in the scrum, as we’ve come to expect, but now here’s the free running side stepping Darren who showed why he was a 2001 British Lion. More please Darren, more!!

I asked earlier what turned the adequate pack of Ravenhill into the dominant outfit we saw at Welford Road. The answer of course – two words – Martin Johnson! Here was the maximum strength, high tar, dangerous to your health Johnno in full effect.

Early on in the first half an Ulsterman had the effrontery to man handle one of Johnno’s colleagues and with the hapless officials looking on he took off like a bull elephant and roared 10 metres to the fray meting out summary retribution to the miscreant – “oh”, my neighbour and I in the Members Stand said, “he’s back!” and so he was in glorious widescreen, Dolby, Technicolour.

This was THE Johnno of Sydney World Cup final and Wellington fame and so beloved of us Tigers’ fanatics. Here he was at last, charging through in the loose, tackling anything that moved, taking his and opposition ball in the line out and of course that wonderful fairytale moment when he burst on to Ellis’ pass to score down the right wing and all in a Tigers’ shirt. I think the spontaneous and prolonged standing ovation from the seated supporters, which would have made even a political spin doctor orchestrating the response to it’s leaders’ keynote speech at it’s party conference proud, is one of those events that will live forever in my memory – wonderful, just wonderful. How we need the Big Man and now of course he’s ours, at last, he’s all ours – I think he should play club rugby until he’s at least 50!!

Johnno’s performance rubbed off on his partner with Ben Kay looking to be getting back his own zeal, although Johnno demanded so much ball Ben had to be content for the moment playing the sorcerer’s apprentice. No changes in the front five then. Playing like this they’ll be too good for the Dragons quintet.

The back-row is still in sore need of Corry and Moody though.

I watched the rampaging Henry and while he had his best game so far in a Tigers’ shirt, in spite of all the oohs and aahs that greeted his bursts off the back of the scrum he did not actually cross the gain line on a single occasion in the first half. His play in the loose was excellent though with the inaccuracy of earlier days banished to hopefully distant memory and here he made plenty of headway, being instrumental in at least one try and almost scoring himself. A bit of variation at the scrum would be welcome though as the opposition know he’s coming and prepare themselves accordingly.

Will Johnson, who I believe has started more premiership games than any other player in the premiership, put in a typical hardworking coalface performance but I suspect he’ll lose out when Corry is fit.

I feel almost as sorry for Neil Back as I do for Ramiro Pez.

On Saturday there was no doubt who was in charge and on several occasions I saw Backy standing alone and seemingly somewhat dejected as Johnno marshalled the troops. I hope that Backy is relieved of his, I’m sure reluctant, part in this peculiar captaincy arrangement which sees him in the unenviable position of having the responsibility with little of the authority, when Johnno’s on the park at least. Just as Johnno’s eventual confirmation of his retirement from the international arena has seemingly lifted the veil from his game so could the resolution of the club captaincy for the rest of this troubled season lift it from Backy’s who nevertheless put in a good show on Saturday, as always being in exactly the right place at the right time.

Every cloud has a silver lining so the saying goes and from his performance on Saturday this has never been truer than in the case of Harry Ellis’ enforced mid-season break. Gone was the old slow service, loopy pass and hesitancy instead he had his feet in the right place from the off, made his decisions quickly and executed them with speed and precision, on this showing it’ll be a while until Oz again sees the #9 shirt on his peg in the changing room.

Of course we all know Jaco is a classy player but oh how he benefited from the quality service that has, by and large, been denied Pez . I have to wonder that had Pez so frequently missed touch or kicked so much possession away as did the South African on Saturday whether he would have been so lauded. Jaco’s try was beautifully taken, very much as have those scored by top points scorer Pez. I am not advocating the return of Pez but merely asking that his performances are measured in context against this single showing by Jaco at fly-half. Let’s hope that at last we’ll get a settled pairing for a while.

In the centre I think that we saw how undervalued and underused Glenn Gelderbloom
has been almost since his arrival at Welford Road. Against Ulster he was faultless in defence and his intelligent play repeatedly released his back three. Lloyd scored two well taken typically individual predatory tries and candidly could have scored these with pretty much any number on his back. The fact is though that Lloyd looked “up for it” as did the rest of the team and it was a joy to see him show what he can do. I think that there is little doubt that if injuries permit Gibson and Ollie should be restored in the centre next weekend and they will certainly benefit if the quality of Ellis’ service to Jaco is maintained but if either is unavailable then Glenn has shown himself again to be a more than able replacement.

Baxter again played well and looked dangerous in attack, in spite of a try denying error, and resolute in defence, while Oz looked more enthusiastic and determined out on the right than he did at #9 during the rout of Ravenhill. I see no reason to change this combination on the flanks and similarly the opinion of many supporters, of which I am one, that Sam Vesty has all the qualifications to be Tigers full-back of the future seem to have been vindicated by his sound performance against Ulster.

True the erstwhile fly-half did not have too much to cope with defensively on Saturday but we already know he has sound credentials in that department and he has always been impressive coming forward from deep, the only question mark for me has been whether, after some very poor kicking performances last season, his boot is yet trusty enough. For me at least the jury is still out on this count. He was fortunate that most of his successful attempts at goal against Ulster were from relatively close range and not too difficult an angle. I want to see him tested more in this department before hailing him as the second string #15 when Geordan returns but the improvement in this area of his game is without question and with Baxter and Oz he must surely again make up the back three against the Dragons.

So will Tigers be the first to secure a victory at Rodney Parade in this competition?

If the same fire and passion is produced down at Newport with a continuing improvement in skill levels then I see every reason to be optimistic. With Montogomery and Jarvis ready to punish any indiscipline it is important that Tigers are not dragged into Dragons seeming penchant for misbehaviour but at the same time, as was the case last Saturday, take not a backward step.

If Dragons continue to be as profligate in their conceding of penalties inside their own half then there should be as ready a source of points for Sam Vesty as there has been for Dominguez of late.

As I can’t really see Ulster winning in Paris or Dragons at Ravenhill the following week, unless Tigers manage a win at Rodney Parade it’ll all be down to the last match at home to Stade Francais on Friday week to decide the pool winner and while I’m more optimistic than at this time last week I really don’t want Tigers to have to secure a five point win over Stade to see them progress without recourse to advanced mathematics, especially as it looks unlikely that the second place team in this pool will sneak under the wire into the quarter finals as seventh or eighth seed.

I reckon next Saturday could see a famous away win at Rodney Parade for Tigers, which coincidentally would be a year almost to the day that Tigers won against Quins at the Stoop on 25 January 2003. The only other away win since then having been against the league’s whipping boys at Rotherham. So here’s to a third away win in a year!

Come on Tigers stop teasing you know you can do it!