Gladiators and Tigers

By Chris Chaplin
November 9 2005

The Tigers meet what used to be the Cherry and Whites (and before that the Elver Eaters) who are rumoured to soon become the Gloucester Gladiators...

...in the latest manifestation of the marketing gurus who promote our sport and who brought Tigers the black away shirts that are rarely seen on the backs of the players.

The Cherry and Whites and Tigers had markedly different outcomes to their endeavours last weekend when Tigers visited Sixways and saw their depleted team become the latest victims of another of Warriors’ Friday night ambushes, while the Cherries overcame Jonny Wilkinson, together with fourteen other blokes, when the Angels of The North visited Kingsholm on a blustery early Winter’s afternoon.

In truth the most sparkling thing about Tigers’ Friday evening encounter were the fireworks being let off in the surrounding area which provided good entertainment for those seated in the East stand of the excellent Sixways stadium. It was otherwise a typical example of a side severely disrupted by injury and international demands meeting an emerging team largely, but not entirely, untroubled by such constraints.

In the end Warriors deserved their win if only because Tigers refused to deploy such heavy artillery as they had until the sound of the last post had already started its mournful lament over the dark and cold Worcestershire night.

A few hours later the Kingsholm faithful were on hand to welcome arguably the least loved of their visitors, who’s Director of Rugby is at best a subject of derision in that bastion of open mindedness – The Shed.

Gloucester were not unduly disturbed by international commitments as of those missing only Welsh Hooker Mefin Davies is enjoying reasonable form at present and with the highly talented England Under 19 centre Anthony Allen linking with James Simpson-Daniel in a new centre partnership they certainly produced more flowing rugby than have Henry Paul, still in purdah having misbehaved and now on his final warning by Dean Ryan, when partnering Mike Tindall who has not yet been at his barnstorming best.

Gloucester at last fulfilled the promise of their young back division and even though Ludovic Mercier missed a few kicks in the blustery wind they were by far the more entertaining side with James Forrester and Peter Richards both crossing the whitewash, while Cory Harris and Jonny Wilkinson returned the compliment for the visitors with excursions of their own and had it not been for referee Ashley Rowden taking against the Gloucester pack the interlopers may well have been denied their valuable losing bonus point.

This coming Saturday sees both sides in the top four of the Premiership with just four points separating table toppers Sale Francais from Tigers in fourth, who are a point behind Wasps and Gloucester who are both on twenty points.

The new and lately fashionably pragmatic approach by Coach Pat Howard that top four is good enough could be about to become a challenge in itself with Tigers perhaps ruing the strategy that saw victory slip away as Goode, Morris and Ollie Smith warmed the bench against Worcester while the rather homespun Tigers side, which had just two overseas players on parade in Alex Tuilagi and Alex Moreno, went up against the new Foreign Legion that has set up camp at Sixways with assorted South Sea Islanders, Antipodeans, Frenchmen and South Africans all in John Brain’s multinational mix.

With Sale likely to stretch away with a home victory over fifth placed Worcester, who are breathing down Tigers’ necks with eighteen points, it is essential that victory is secured over Gloucester at Welford Road so as to gain some breathing space over the Warriors, who stay on the road for a second away fixture at Franklin’s Gardens the following week, while sixth placed Saracens have to visit the Recreation Ground before entertaining Falcons at Vicarage Road and are therefore also likely to close on Tigers if a home victory against the Cherry and Whites is missed.

Gloucester should have Ollie Azam back from shoulder injury but Dean Ryan may still start ex Saracens hooker James Parkes who is less dynamic in the loose than the volatile Frenchman but somewhat more reliable when it comes to finding his jumpers in the line out.

Parkes could then again be packing down with the recently returned from Toulouse prop Patrice Collazo partnering ex Pertemps Bees Terry Sigley or ex Tyke Gary Powell deputising for Phil Vickery. Indeed many would argue that Vickery’s current form may well have seen him start from the bench anyway, even if he had been available.

With Tigers’ front row options pretty limited it is to be hoped that Morris and Moreno will start with George Chuter for if they do I think that they could gain an advantage in the tight.

At lock Gloucester are denied the services, through injury, of the consistently superb Alex Brown however they still have Mark Cornwall, Adam Eustace and newly arrived eight time capped Springbok, Stormers and Western Province lock Quinton Davids who was infamously involved in the racism row that boiled over before the last World Cup when Geo. Cronje allegedly refused to share a room or bathroom with Davids. In the event Cronje was found not guilty of the allegations, although neither he nor Davids were selected for the Springbok World Cup party.

Davids is a powerful ball carrier as well as presenting a towering presence in the line out and while not yet thought to be fully match fit from the lay off he needed to recover from the injury that saw him released earlier than anticipated by Western Province, he will bring real grunt to the engine room of the Cherries’ pack, likely being partnered by Gloucester stalwart Adam Eustace.

With Ben Kay’s continuing poor form I expect to see Leo Cullen join James Hamilton in the starting line up, both of whom acquitted well of themselves against Worcester.

Gloucester are relieved to see Welford Road favourite Adam Balding fully recovered from the broken cheekbone that he sustained in the opening match of the season against Worcester, when the Warriors’ Drew Hickey apparently accidentally head butted the Gloucester skipper.

I don’t expect Balding to play the full eighty minutes just yet.

It will be interesting to see the starting back row for Gloucester for if they opt, as I expect, for Forrester to join Hazell and Buxton then we can be assured of a fast paced game however if they do start Balding then I anticipate plenty of rumbling mauls from the Gloucester eight. Gloucester’s cup truly runneth over where back row options are concerned with Jake Boer now recovered from a broken toe and also available for selection.

It is in the back row of course that Tigers are so grievously depleted with Moody, Henry Tuilagi and Corry all missing and unless Shane Jennings is restored to good health I fear that the same problems that manifested themselves at Sixways will return with Tigers shorn of a high class ball carrier.

I think in the tight Tigers will achieve better than parity and even edge the contest however in the loose the Gloucester players could prove the more effective in bossing the tackle area and carrying the ball up with the greatest effect.

Behind the pack the hugely talented young ex Exeter Chiefs Scrum Half Haydn Thomas will share game time with ex Wasps utility back Peter Richards for the visitors. Certainly to my mind Thomas has the superior pass although he lacks Richards’ pace and eye for the gaps which appear as the game wears on. Austin Healey will need to continue in the rich vein of form that we’ve seen from him this term having to keep a close eye on these two Gloucester half backs but if he has a half decent platform from the pack he should make his experience tell.

Kingsholm favourite Ludo Mercier is happily settled back at Gloucester and doing what he does best - kick goals. Truth to tell though he has shown rather more fallibility in this department than when he was previously in situ at number 10 for the Cherry and Whites and if anything his time back in France has seen his distribution deteriorate, which was an area where he had really improved when previously at Castle Grim.

With Tigers’ own siege gun booted Andy Goode thankfully restored to the bosom of Tigers there could be a real kicking duel, the winner of which could settle the game. I think Goode’s all round game is the superior but he will rely on the pack and Healey putting him on the front foot and over the gain line whereas Mercier’s natural game is to play from much deeper.

I haven’t yet seen the latest young Gloucester star, England Under 19 inside centre Anthony Allen, play the fifteen a side game, his catching my eye though when scoring two smashing tries against Wasps in the Middlesex Sevens. Another product of the rugby factory at Milfield School, he partners Matthew Tait in the England Under 19s. Great balance and pace from this lad which has The Shed purring.

From Tigers point of view it is essential that Daryl Gibson is back in harness as his defensive organisation and inveterate gain line breaking ability will be essential, especially as at last at outside centre for the Cherries is James Simpson-Daniel. Sinbad, like Ollie Smith, is such a complete footballer that it’s amazing to me that he’s not previously been seen as the answer to the outside centre problem for both Gloucester and England, so Ollie Smith will need to be back to his very best to stake his credentials for that elusive England number thirteen jersey.

Another Gloucester favourite, Terry Fanaloua, is also back to fitness and again I expect to see him come on as an impact replacement.

So in the centres, assuming that Daryl is fit and alongside Ollie, I see a fascinating and probably winning battle for Tigers but if not then there could be problems for the home side.

With enfant terrible Marcel Garvey rather out of favour at present expect to see another young star, Mark Foster, on one flank for the visitors. Foster is another real flyer and after an unsatisfactory debut in the centre has literally found his feet on the wing.

On the other wing is likely to be found ex Bath and Penzance & Newlyn (oops sorry Cornish Pirates!!!!!!) winger Rob Thirlby. Still plenty of pace but his defensive credentials have a big question mark over them as do those of Foster and for that matter Garvey.

If the ball gets to the wide outer reaches and Tigers again start Varndell and Alex Tuilagi, who with Samoa not engaged this weekend should be available, then I rather fancy they’ll give their opposite numbers plenty to think about and it will be interesting to see how the visitors cope.

Jon Goodridge has been absent injured following a crunching mistimed tackle from Matt Perry down at the Recreation Ground a few weeks back but he is seemingly recovered and will probably take the mantle back from yet another of Gloucester’s young guns, another Millfield School lad, Ollie Morgan, who also has great pace but doubtless the presence of Jon Goodridge’s big boot would be welcomed by Dean Ryan.

Gloucester certainly have an exciting crop of youngsters coming through as do Tigers.

While in the tight encounters Tigers should have the edge I am concerned at the potential problems in the loose with the entire first choice back row potentially missing.

I also have very real concerns at Tigers ability to cross the gain line if Daryl Gibson is still absent and in that eventuality maybe Ollie Smith should move to inside centre with his line breaking skills, leaving the talented Hipkiss at outside.

I fear that it may be a real nail-biter and if it’s a win that it’ll be by the closest of margins with a home defeat for Tigers certainly not out of the question.

If things again do indeed go awry as they did at Sixways and with a tricky away fixture looming against Sale Francais at Parc de Edgeley the following week “top four will do” could well prove to be little more than an ambition for a few nervous months until the internationals, injuries and suspensions crisis abates.

Oh and how did the Elver Eaters (Elvers being baby eels that teem in the River Severn around Gloucester at certain times of the year) become the Cherry and Whites?

Apparently in a local fixture some decades back they had to play in shirts borrowed from a local team, Painswick who wore – Cherry and White hooped shirts.

Tigers to swallow the Elver Eaters but by just three points.