Tigers lack the spark to progress in the PowerGen

PowerGen
By Rich Walker
December 21 2004

OK so I’m starting to think of myself as something of a Jonah - and not in the large Tongan/Kiwi rugby superstar sense you understand! Every time I agree to produce a match report the game in question either turns out to be awful or we lose.

This weekend - a double whammy and those who stayed away preferring the delights of the Christmas crowds may have chosen well.

Saturday’s game started in desultory style the initial skirmishes demonstrating that neither side was able to establish any secure territory, position or continuity. An early infringement by Tigers with Jim Hamilton driving early at a lineout gave the faux Englishman, Henry Paul the opportunity to take a pot at goal but his effort drifted only just wide.

The first action of note from these early phases stemmed from a superb soft handed inside pass from George Chuter to Tigers captain for the day Ben Kay, who took the ball at pace to find a gaping hole in the Gloucester midfield. Breaking from halfway like a full-back hitting the line Kay found himself in space behind the defensive line. Choosing to spurn the option of the overlap outside him offered by Ross Broadfoot he took the more conservative option to cut back infield slowing up the move but providing good quick ruck ball. The ball was moved either side probing for a hole before it was shifted wide to the left again Tigers recycled quickly but the move petered out just inside the opposition 22 as three Gloucester were called on to tackle Tigers tight head Darren Morris driving him into touch.

From the ensuing lineout Gloucester full-back produced the first of several huge clearance kicks under pressure and having driven the Tigers back fully 50 metres, Gloucester were fortunate to become the beneficiaries of the first of numerous peculiar and often inconsistent decisions by referee Ashley Rowden. Tigers were pinged for holding on despite the fact that the ball carrier had quite clearly released the ball. This time Henry Paul was accurate with the kick and Gloucester led 3-0.

From the restart Leicester forced a lineout between the Gloucester 10 metre and halfway lines and the Cherries defence were penalised for a high tackle on Scott Bemand, the subsequent advantage saw Tigers 15 metres upfield where a second penalty gave Broadfoot a shot at goal that he missed, shaving the right-hand upright.

George Chuter forced a knock-on by Gloucester through the first of three charge downs at the drop-out, leading to the first scrummage of the game. Mr Rowden signalled an infringement - Jake Boer being off-side off the back of the scrum, but, oddly, played no more than a second advantage; the referee’s gaffe being entirely in keeping with scrappy error strewn nature of this period of the game.

Both sides continued to spill ball in the difficult conditions and Tigers, in particular, engaged in some poor kicking (seemingly a mark of recent weeks). Gloucester now began to take advantage of the referee’s generosity around the break-down where they seemed to be given carte blanche to enter the side of rucks, handle on the floor and hold on to the ball in the tackle. So it was a bizarre turn of events that saw Tigers No 8 Will Johnson penalised for failing to roll away from the tackle but justice was done when Paul missed again. The Cherry and Whites need not have worried though as Ross Broadfoot returned the favour minutes later by missing his second kick of the day when they were finally penalised for holding on.

Minutes later saw one of the few moments of note in the first half when Tigers turned over Gloucester ball in the middle of the park and Leon Lloyd showed a nice touch to put in a grubber kick for Tom Varndell to chase. Skinning a seemingly dozing Marcel Garvey on the outside Tom got to the ball first to prod it forward and then out-sprinted full-back Jon Goodridge to the line. Broadfoot added the extras and Tigers found themselves in front by 7 points to 3.

Ben Kay then gave Gloucester a penalty attempt immediately after the restart by pulling down a Gloucester jumper but Henry Paul’s kicking gremlins continued as he missed a third relatively easy attempt and the first half ended in a rather tedious exchange of kicks by both sides.

The game restarted and more of the dubious fare was offered up by both sides with Gloucester again getting the best of Mr Rowden’s decisions and after 44 minutes Tigers fell foul of one of the most outrageously inconsistent refereeing decisions this correspondent has seen in several years. Having allowed Gloucester to enter the side of numerous rucks through the first half he finally decided that it was a law he now wished to enforce, even when the offence had not actually occurred - ah well, and finally Paul was on target to narrow the gap.

Upping the tempo Leicester turned Gloucester over at the restart but wasted the opportunity with a ridiculous snap drop goal attempt from 45 metres by Ross Broadfoot. That Wilkinson feller really has got something to answer for hasn’t he?

When Tigers recovered the ball moments later, Ben Kay sold a magnificent dummy on half-way to break up field but the ball was lost forward again. From the ensuing scrummage however Tigers got pressure on Balding at the base and Gloucester were finally penalised for holding on. Broadfoot nailed the three points and a four point gap gave the impression that Tigers might finally be taking control.

However it was another spell of poor kicking from Leicester allowed Gloucester to begin to apply some pressure and when they received another penalty gift wrapped by Mr Rowden the Cherry and White think tank of Boer and Gomarsall decided to be bold and instead of turning to their erratic Kiwi, decided to kick the corner. This decision was to prove pivotal as first, Leicester were penalised yet again for the referee’s now favourite offence of going in at the side of a ruck, and then for pulling down in the line-out when he was completely fooled by the sight of the jumper falling over his lifter with no Leicester play within touching distance; it became inevitable that a Leicester player was going to be sin-binned soon. When Brett Deacon did put his hands in the next ruck, he was the man to take a trip to the sideline for an enforced breather.

A 14-man Leicester managed to hold out their adversaries for another three minutes until that man struck again. After warning Leicester, the next time they infringed he made his way beneath the posts to award the penalty try. Yet again, his decision was one of mystery and confusion. As the penalty (pulling down the mall) happened short of the line, he could not have suggested that a try was probable and it appears that Mr Rowden has entered a new cause, that of an ‘accumulation of offences’, to the reasons to award a penalty tries. Well I’m glad he feels he can rewrite the laws if he has a mind to!

From shortly after the restart Roger Warren now on for Broadfoot failed to gather a high Garryowen and in the ensuing chase Adam Eustace’s knock-on was missed by the officials and Gloucester went on to score through the supporting runner Nathan Mauger. Now, lest you think I’m being harsh on Mr Rowden, I have to admit that this was simply plain bad luck on Tigers part. The officials were a long way from the incident and there were more than two players close to the ball. However, on another day it would have just been one of those unfortunate things. On this day it simply added insult to injury.

Paul converted real Kiwi Nathan Mauger’s score for a 20-10 lead.

From here, Leicester seemed to panic, attempting to force matters, and so put themselves under more pressure. It was to their credit that they didn’t concede further scores and one wonders why, with 20 minutes to play John Wells did not commit his two experienced lieutenants Neil Back and Graham Rowntree to the struggle. Their experience might have been invaluable, calming their younger colleagues and bringing that understanding of the timing of the game and how to play under pressure to the situation.

However, it was not to be and after 65 minutes Brett Deacon returned to the fray Tigers having conceded 14 points in his absence.

Despite continuing to get the rough end of the referee’s decisions including another shockingly curtailed advantage after a Gloucester infringement in the Leicester 22, Tigers finally upped the intensity and the pace; and a spell of excellent driving play saw them gain good field position after multiple phases only to waste it on another weak and speculative drop-goal attempt.

Another restart charge down by George Chuter (his third of the afternoon) gave Gloucester a scrummage but the Tigers pack now with their tails up turned the Cherries over and Alex Tuilagi made a fine jinking, stepping break up the middle only to be down a couple of meters short. However, Gloucester gave away the penalty. Despite the cries from the crowd and perhaps more significantly from Messrs Wells, Howard, Back and Rowntree to kick it to the corner Ben Kay elected to ask Sam Vesty, now playing at outside-half, to kick at goal. Sam’s kick was successful but there were now only 10 minutes left in which to force the seven points score now needed to even the scores.

On 72 minutes the excellent Chuter was replaced by Tongan hooker, Efrain Taukafa.

Leicester spent the whole of the last 10 minutes searching for the intensity and continuity that had been the hallmark of their play in recent weeks but, kept deep in their half by the excellence of the visitors’ tactical kicking, their search was a vain one and they were unable to set foot in the Gloucester half let alone threaten their line. The closing stages descended into a scrappy and untidy mess and when Mr Rowden finally got something right and blew for neither side. Tigers had exited, disappointingly, lamely from the Powergen Cup, falling at the first hurdle for the second time in as many years.

In summary, this was a game marked largely by its poverty. Neither side got into their stride. Neither side really deserved to win and both probably deserved the refereeing display they were ‘treated’ to. It was notable for the raft of inconsistencies by Mr Rowden and if I feel that Leicester suffered more than Gloucester in this respect his performance was far from ideal for either side.

Tigers lacked both composure and the experience to trust themselves or to make the right decisions at critical times and one cannot help but wonder, given the non appearance of Messrs Back & Rowntree in the critical last 15 to 20 minutes, how concerned the Tigers management team were for this competition.

All in all a poor game and a poor result and they briefly experienced a shortage of beer in the Swan and Rushes afterwards. I really was starting to feel like a Jonah!