Tigers Win At Home - Bonus!

Tigs Sarries
By Roonaldo
April 18 2004

In a week when Brian Lara regained the world record with a sparkling 400 not out Nicky Little gave a performance more like a member of the Barmy Army who had downed a flagon of rum.

In a tempestuous match the Tigers managed to sneak a bonus point when Geordan Murphy touched down in front of the Alliance and Leicester Stand for the second of his brace of tries.

But it was the performances of Leon Lloyd and ex-Saracen Andy Goode that put them in a position to push for the fourth try.

In Friday’s Mercury Goode stated that he felt he didn’t have a point to prove to his former employers, but he certainly played like he did. His kicking was tremendous (barring a couple of blips) and he was always on the look out to get ball in hand.

The decision to sack Goode certainly looked a strange one on the evidence of Nicky Little’s performance - the Fijian had a nightmare with the boot. It was almost as if he had seen the Stade Francais game and decided the way to beat the Tigers was to stick the ball as far up in the air as possible…. even when entrenched in his own 22.

While Tigers’ full-back was looking after matters where 3-pointers were concerned, Leon Lloyd took the game to Saracens with ball in hand. Lloyd has many detractors, and if Ollie Smith had done some of the things he did on Friday night the Welford Road faithful would be demanding his inclusion in Sir Clive’s squad for the summer tour down under.

Lloyd’s handling created both of Murphy’s tries, the first of which came on late in the first half. Johnson drove the ball to under the posts after receiving quick lineout ball; the ball was spread out to the left flank where Lloyd’s quick hands released Murphy to glide in.

This gave the Tigers some breathing space after Harry Ellis had put them in front zigzagging around the lineout and the defence before touching down wide on the left, from where Goode added the two. However the joy at Ellis’ opener was short-lived as Saracen’s struck back, quickly reducing the deficit to an uncomfortable six points.

One of Little’s frequent up and unders forced Healey to palm back the ball when challenged on the try line, the ball lay tantalisingly two yards from the line before Leon Lloyd put his foot through the ball presenting Saracens with a lineout five metres from the Tigers line. The Leicester pack managed to prevent the forwards from burrowing over, but the ball was spread to the right and Kevin Sorrell cut through a Tigers defence that was more stretched than the elastic on Rick Waller’s underpants.

A key aspect to the Tigers play was their discipline in defence. Saracens dominated possession for large periods of the first half, but they were contained by eager tackling, and crucially by a wall of Tigers shirts determined no to present the opportunity for three points. In contrast Andy Goode was given plenty of opportunity to kept Saracens at arms length with four first half penalties.

Saracens had plenty of possession but, similarly to their game against Gloucester, they did little with it. At times their attacking methods leave as little to the imagination as one of Jodie Marsh’s outfits for a night on the town. With Nicky Little out of sorts Saracens could have done with the magic of Thomas Castaignede, but unfortunately the Frenchman is as fragile as a CD case.

Saracen’s were always facing an uphill battle due to their lack of control or penetration, despite the efforts of the superb Simon Raiwalui and Richard Hill. Their frustrations seemed to come out when the Tigers finally managed to put them out of sight through a well-worked Daryl Gibson try.

The game was niggly from the very outset, with the first of many scuffles occurring after only seven minutes, leading to Saracens’ prop Steven Sparks being sent to the sin bin. In the modern game the trans-Atlantic shift of phrases from the NFL such as ‘in the pocket’ and ‘red zone’ is common-place, yet Martin Corry decided to borrow a move from the National Hockey League instead, lifting the shirt over the head of an opponent before getting in a few sly digs.

Referee David Rose did well in challenging circumstances, though Tigers were perhaps fortunate to escape any ten minute spells in the sin bin. Cobus Visagie and Ben Johnston were not so lucky, Johnston especially so after he was punished for Robbie Kydd’s attempt to decapitate Leon Lloyd after the centre made another searing break deep into injury time.

Kydd’s high tackle had seemingly denied the Tigers the opportunity for a bonus point, but in the seventh minute of injury time a beautifully timed pass from Lloyd enabled Murphy to dive in to secure the bonus point. All the excitement clearly got to Robbie Russell, who became the fourth Saracens player to receive a yellow card when he was ordered off for fighting.

The final say went to Goode with a cracking conversion from the touchline in front of the terrace, ensuring that Rod Kafer’s meeting with old friends was not quite so pleasant. Perhaps Goode will be presented with the chance to work with another stumpy Australian, let me guess: “there’ll be an announcement by the end of the week”………