Full Strength B(l)ack(s) Please?

Falcons home
By TigerR
February 16 2005

Saturday sees the return of England players to the Zurich Premiership, for one week only. Back come Tigers Martin Corry (my English MotM from Sunday), Graham Rowntree, Julian White, Lewis Moody, Harry Ellis and Ben Kay. Back for the Falcons will be Jamie Noon and young Master Tait.

Assuming they can remember their club system, it would seem advantage Leicester. Of course there are other England internationals from an earlier more successful era who might also be playing. Let the thought of Johnson, Back, Healey and Wilkinson on the same pitch get the juices going and then factor in Matt Burke, formerly of Australia.

Leicester sit atop the Premiership with Newcastle in fifth place.

P W D L BP PTS
1 Leicester 15 11 3 1 7 57
5 Newcastle 15 8 1 6 4 38

With Leicester playing in front of their own crowd, it might at fist sight seem a banker for a home win. However let us remember that England were well placed at half time on Sunday and that Leicester were odds on to defeat Biarritz at Welford Road only last month.

What then of Newcastle, the Northern All Blacks? Since losing heavily, but with some ill luck, to Tigers at Kingston Park they have improved. They come fresh from a close home victory over Wasps, which is no mean feat.

They come with an outstanding set of backs. Wilkinson is yet again injured so perm any 6 from Stephenson, Walder, Noon, Tait, Burke, Mayerhofler and May for an exciting incisive combination. They also have strength at 9 with former Tiger James Grindal getting regular starts and playing well.

I’m sure James would love to show his former bosses that their preference for Harry Ellis a year or two back was not that obviously the correct choice. The Newcastle pack is more of a mystery but any side that can hold out Wasps can’t be weak up front. As for kicking options, even without the points machine that is J Wilkinson, Newcastle have possibly more reliable options than England did on Sunday in Walder and May.

Is it to be a classic confrontation; Tigers with the nudge up front v Newcastle with the better use of the ball out wide?

Several Tigers will have points to prove. Lewis Moody and Graham Rowntree won’t want to concede many penalties. Ollie Smith may face up against Noon and Tait with the opportunity to show the England management that they have badly underestimated him.

Both Andy Goode and Dave Walder will fancy there to be some interest in their ability to kick goals and Jonny Wilkinson, if fit and playing, will be under huge pressure from Rob Andrew not to declare himself available for international rugby and from Andy Robinson to play even if there is some risk that it is too soon.

Enjoying the ebb and flow amongst the English boys will be Geordan Murphy who will be hoping for a series of wins including several at Lansdowne Road over the next month or two.

For what it’s worth I’ll go for a home win, perhaps by less than seven points. If the weather is kind there could be lots of tries so be there if you can; the quality will probably be better than that on show at Twickenham last Sunday and be half the price or less.