Preview: Tigers @ Sixways 13 Nov 2004

Warriors V Tigers Preview

by WSW

Leicester are certainly a team in form.  Since their narrow loss to Sale on the opening weekend, they have been almost unstoppable: 7 wins in the Premiership (five of these with a 4-try bonus point) and one draw, against Bath.  Their only ‘blip’ was the Heineken Cup defeat away at Biarritz (23-8) which itself followed the expected demolishment of Calvisano, 37-6, at Welford Road. 

Second place in the League, level on 31 points with the Sharks.  Scored 235 points, more than any other team (at an average of 30 per game!), 2 more points than Sale in fact.  Boasting the second meanest defence (after Sale, again), conceding just 134 (17 per game on average).  OK, two paragraphs in and I’ve already mentioned Sale four times – this is not by chance.  Leicester and Sale have very similar records, if somewhat different means of obtaining them, and we know first hand of how well Sale are playing this season!

So who will we see when Leicester run out at Sixways this weekend?  Well lets start with the team that beat Gloucester 28-13 on Saturday.  First there was no Harry Ellis, injured, but he would have missed our game anyway due to England commitments, so Bernand at scrum-half will presumably partner Goode in the half backs.  Outside there was plenty of pace and experience from the likes of Gibson, Rabeni, and Vesty, alongside new boys Varndell and Alex Tuilagi.  All should be available on Saturday – along with a certain Mr Healey, perhaps?  Geordan Murphy, Ollie Smith and Leon Lloyd are all unavailable at present…thankfully!

Impressive backs indeed, but it is the forwards which have long been the Tigers’ strength – this is the difference with Sale’s style of play to which I referred above.  Due to England call-ups, however, there is just a chink of light.  Julian White, Martin Corry, Lewis Moody, Ben Kay and even Graham Rowntree are likely to be involved in the National set-up on Saturday, while George Chuter is still suspended.  So it will be the ‘A’ team then?  Still a fair bit of international experience left in the larder though - World Cup winners Martin Johnson and Neil Back will quite probably be joined by Richard Cockerill and Darren Morris.  In addition, there are the likes of Skinner, Deacon, Buckland, Martin’s brother Will, and Alex’s brother Henry, any one of which I’d love to see in a Warriors shirt!

So are Leicester beatable?  Obviously yes.  It is a fact that any team in the ZP can beat any other team on any given day.  Are they likely to be beaten?  No.  At least not if Worcester play as they did this weekend.  If we’re being honest, not if Worcester play like they have for a few weekends.  The single biggest factor in my own personal pessimism here, is our propensity for conceding penalties.  Johnson et al, will niggle, slow the ball down and play at the edge of the rule book (as they have for the past decade).  I don’t believe the Wuss forwards yet have the experience or maturity at this level to be able to do the same.  The net result will be penalties to Leicester – and in Andy Goode they have a metronome of a kicker to match the likes of Wilkinson, Hodgson, King or Mapeltof

Prediction: Worcester 12, Leicester 30.  But hey, I’ve been wrong before!