Saddle Up The Camels

Sarries preview
By Chris Chaplin
November 24 2004

The jury is seemingly still out with many at Vicarage Road as to whether Rod ‘Dave’ Kafer really is the man to lead them from their time in the wilderness and meanwhile Tigers.....

...... erstwhile centre and backs’ coach this Saturday brings the latest manifestation of Nigel Wray’s cheque book north to take on his former colleagues.

After the horrors of The Stoop a week earlier Saracens pulled up their collective bootstraps and managed a win against the grievously depleted Cherry and Whites, when the West Country side visited Vicarage Road last Sunday.

By all accounts the less than convincing 14-9 score line could have been very different had Gloucester been able to field a front line kicker but as it was England Sevens skipper Simon Amor, who is not exactly renowned for his prowess with the boot down Kingsholm way, missed nine points (2 penalties and a simple drop goal) but for which the visitors could have sneaked a win and deepened the gloom again hanging over Watford.

As was the case against Wasps the previous Friday Gloucester pummelled away with their forwards to good effect, although with Fortey and Powell now joining the wounded at Kingsholm Gloucester are currently unable to provide 22 players for their next encounter against Sale.

Without Gomersall, McRae, Simpson-Daniel and Henry Paul the invention and cutting edge was just not there for the visitors, although I hear that had not Garvey spilled the ball a try was on the cards for the youngster.

The Saracens faithful will have taken heart both from the desperately needed win and the fact that their team defended well but not being affected by the current round of international fixtures I wonder how their heroes will fair once the playing field has again been levelled.

It was another grim encounter where I was ensconced in the winter gloom of The Causeway Stadium where, with enough absentees to make up a team in their own right, Tigers squared up to the “Champions” - London Wasps.

In spite of five of the first choice pack being engaged in beating the Bok 24 hours earlier Tigers gained parity over the first choice Wasps’ tight five in all departments and on occasion bested them. Tigers back row dominated their opponents make shift loose forwards as Worsely and O’Connor were both away with England and Ireland respectively.

It was a miserable dank November afternoon and not one for running rugby but of the two teams Tigers looked the more threatening when in attack and their defence was excellent, the eventual outcome of a 17-17 draw obscuring a two to one try count in favour of Tigers.

As the last weekend of the disruptive Autumn Internationals thankfully approaches Saracens and Tigers meet for the final Premiership encounter of the first half of the season, thereafter being occupied in Heineken Cup and Powergen Cup matters, before the league restarts briefly over the Christmas/New Year period for a couple of fixtures – what a joke this so called organisation of the domestic season is!

It has been said so many times as to almost have become a cliché but it’s never the less true that on paper Sarries have a terrific squad with talent in all departments.

Just look at the pack that started against Gloucester: Kevin Yates, one of the mass migration from Sale and twice capped, Ibanez capped 72 times for France and one of the all time greats, Corbus Visagie a 29 time Springbok, gritty and combative with great technique and yet they failed to really impose themselves on the makeshift Cherry and Whites’ trio.

Against Wasps Darren Morris had a superb outing against the experienced Craig Dowd with the All Black getting no change whatsoever from the British Lion who has fully repaid Tigers’ faith in his ability to come back from the boondocks to which he had been consigned in his native land.

Michael Holford did equally well against the capped Will Green and Buckland certainly did not pale by comparison to ex England World Cup player Phil Greening although the young Tigers’ hooker is now doubtful for this weekend’s encounter and Richard Cockerill is set to start and bring his experience to the Tigers’ front row.

On paper it is hard to favour the Tigers trio over the vastly experienced Sarries line up but after last Sunday I’d not be surprised to see them at least gain parity.

In the second row another of the Sale migrants, Scottish international Iain Fullaton, who was a stalwart of the Sale pack and a good solid player, was paired with Kris Chesney who I must say I prefer to see operating from the backrow and with the impressive Simon Raiwalui having done nothing wrong when I’ve seen him play with his 39 caps for Fiji bearing testament to his experience, it’s difficult to understand why he did not start.

With Johnno in imperious and feisty form against Wasps and Louis Deacon now looking every inch the seasoned professional I’d expect to see the Tigers duo have a degree of advantage at the set piece and with Cockerill likely to find his main jumpers I’d expect Tigers to be secure on their own ball, although care will be needed if using other perceived options with the high class Saracens back row in close attendance.

The array of talent in the Sarries squad is not diminished when their back row is looked at either.

Taine Randell, 51 times an All Black, is now in his second season with The Men In Black and must be as hungry for some success as are the supporters and Nigel Wray and with Alex Sanderson, also a new arrival from Sale, in company with the excellent Hugh Vyvyan, who was for me a surprise departure from Kingston Park, making up the back row. It’s incredible to think that were it not for the absence of Richard Hill one of them could be sitting on the bench!

The situation at the back of the Tigers’ line will remain an issue until Martin Corry returns and it may be that Sarries will seek to use the mobility of Sanderson and Vyvyan by throwing long and look to exploit the absence of a specialist third option for Tigers in both attack and defence.

If Sarries go to the front too often then I see Tigers winning the day but if they accurately use the long ball then it could be a very different matter.

In the loose Backy is in a very rich vein of form at present and I’d have to back him to win the battle on the ground and at the breakdown. Henry Tuilagi continues to punch holes in opposition defences and with Brett Deacon now back we can expect him to graft those yards to great effect.

In spite of missing Corry and Moody I still think that the Tigers trio could well have the edge in the loose.

Overall then and on paper the Saracens star studded pack should have a distinct edge over the disrupted Tigers but that’s what I thought last week and was proved wrong and of course we do have Dave Pearson refereeing the scrum, so anything could happen!.

With Kyran Bracken still injured Canadian international and ex Stade Francais Morgan Williams will probably start. Relatively inexperienced this chap – just the 37 caps for the nippy Canadian! A feisty character with great hands and pace, he should be a good match for Scott Bemand who has much the same attributes and again showed winger-like pace against Wasps.

Partnering Williams against Gloucester was ex ACT Brumbies and Wallaby Mark Bartholomeusz, who took over from new boy Glen Jackson, the ex Waikato Chiefs scrum-half sparkling like a newly mined diamond in his first outing only to have a nightmare in Sarries drubbing by Quins and latterly laid low with a viral infection.

It was Bartholomeusz’ pinpoint kick to another new boy Tevita Vaikona, freshly laundered following his arrival from Bradford Bulls, that led to the game’s solitary try last Sunday. A good eye for the break and attacking opportunities he missed much of last term making just four appearances following his arrival at the beginning of the 2003/4 season.

Ex Sarrie Andy Goode has now been fully rehabilitated into the Tigers’ family and his handling skills, under the tutelage of Pat Howard, have been a delight and were again to the fore when he put Tom Varndell into space for another super try against Wasps, just as he had Rabeni a few weeks earlier against Gloucester.

Goode had looked hesitant in his kicking since returning from injury but against Wasps he was pretty much back in the groove

If the packs are evenly matched, as I rather expect they will be, then as usual this will be a key area and one which Tigers might just shade.

If this is the case then the very impressive Daryl Gibson will again be able to strut his stuff and while I think Sorrell is one of the most underrated of centres it will be a real challenge for him against the Tigers’ very own All Black powerhouse, whose game has also broadened with the involvement of Pat Howard.

Twice capped Ben Johnson must take much of the credit for putting Robbie Kydd over the whitewash last Sunday by keeping the ball alive when tackled and getting his pass away to enable the full back to get the match deciding score.

Young Matt Cornwell did very well against Erinle and Richards when other more famous centres have struggled however with Cornwell also doubtful for Saturday Hipkiss is to start with Ollie Smith and Leon Lloyd back to fitness and on the bench.

I think that with Gibson these combinations will be a match for the likely Sarries’ pairing.

Apart from Vaikona out wide Sarries will also have speedster Richard Haughton who’s another tricky player going forward, although he can fade out of the game when he’s under employed and look a bit vague when the call to arms finally arrives.

If he gets the ball in front of him he’s dynamite but no less so than Tigers’ new wunderkind, Tom Varndell, who again scored a lovely try on Sunday.

There has been some unjustified criticism of Varndell dropping the ball and conceding the close in scrum that led to Wasps’ try however I’ve seen much more experienced players drop easier kicks than one which has snow on it, is slippery as a bar of soap and comes out of the gloom and then floodlights on a cold winter’s afternoon. This lad is lightening fast and I hope he gets some space to work in.

Ex Otago and New Zealand U21 player Robbie Kydd arrived at Sarries from Bath where he was felt to be surplus to requirements. From what I’ve seen of him he looks a top rate counter attacking full back with a useful boot and if Sarries get some ball to their centres I see this lad as a major threat.

At Tigers the solid Sam Vesty continues at #15 in preference to the more adventurous Ross Broadfoot who continues to have to wait his turn after doing sterling work when Goode was out injured.

Hard to call this one.

On the one hand Tigers are decimated by international duty, five of their pack with their first choice scrum half and full back answering their countries’ calls, as well as an injury list long enough to get a part in Casualty. On the other hand they worked wonders with such resources as they had in getting a draw at High Wycombe.

Unaffected by international demands at Sarries, they still have notable injuries to Hill, Scarborough, Bracken, Jackson, Iwabuchi and Castaignede.

Kafer, in theory, will though never have a better time to put one over on Tigers.

Will he though?

At Welford Road? Where with this week’s news of a move from the old ground is sure to make the atmosphere highly charged?

I don’t think so.

And the answer to the question? Well Rod Kafer has yet to qualify as Sarries’ prophet but I do think that given time and with a squad that remains largely settled for more than one season he could get Saracens to fulfil their potential and lead them into the promised land of some silverware. I just hope that this weekend will not see the start of their journey.