and by kick-off there was a genuine buzz around the ground.  

The opening minutes saw Mr Dickinson the experienced Australian referee setting himself a very harsh standard at the breakdown leading to an early exchange of penalties with Ben Youngs, taking on the kicking duties for Tigers, missing a tricky first kick. Ruan Pienaar was not so profligate with his. Settling quickly, the tourists were soon back on the attack and sweeping down-field they worked the opening try to take them 8 nil up with a neat cross-field chip from Earl Rose to the rapid Jongi Nokwe. 

That was as good as it got for the visitors. 

Leicester settled and began to impose themselves with Manu Tuilagi in particular throwing himself into the physical battle in familiar manner. In an immense defensive display the largely youthful Tigers team began to stop the visitors in their tracks and the back-row, lead by an irrepressible Geoff Parling, pouring into the contact area, began turning over ball by the spadeful. But it was in neither the loose nor at the breakdown where South Africa conceded the greatest psychological damage. 

South African teams have always prided themselves on their scrummaging and even in the modern day of the Southern Hemisphere inspired ‘mobile’ front rows and the de-powered scrum few Springbok sides can ever have been given such a torrid time.

Martin Castrogiovanni and Boris Stankovich with two young tyros locking the scrum behind them in Callum Green and Dan Hemmingway destroyed the visitors set-piece. They ruined their ball and made hay on their own giving the electric Youngs an arm-chair ride and a succession of penalties as Mr Dickinson gave a master-class in how to referee the scrum that Messrs Roland and White would do well to note. He also handled the game well generally, preferring to ask the captains to maintain their teams’ discipline rather than spoiling the spectacle by resorting to a flurry of cards. 

However he did award a slew of penalties which Ben Youngs proved only too adept at converting into points either side of a sparkling try started by Johne Murphy’s outside break continued by Tuilagi’s bursting support and finished by a darting run by Lucas Amorosino whose angled, stepping run took him under the posts. The extras were a simple addition but the same couldn’t be said of Youngs’ next kick as he turned another South African infringement into three more points from halfway. 

Tigers had scored 16 unanswered points by the time the visitors added to their tally but the half ended with Parling to the fore again rising to steal the visitors lineout as Tigers imposed themselves in all areas of the game. Half-time came not a moment too soon for the beleaguered tourists as Leicester went in 16-11 up. The second half began in similar vein with Youngs punishing further indiscretion as the tourists were forced into conceding penalties in all areas. 

Tigers pressed and at times it seemed that further tries would come but the damp conditions led to spilled balls and chances went begging. Still the pressure was unrelenting and more penalties came, Youngs taking his his personal total to 17. South  Africa added two goals themselves but could make no headway against the determined Tigers defence as the hits piled in with the whole side throwing themselves into the fray. 

Even newcomer Lote Tuqiri got involved in the action with his late introduction giving him a chance to demonstrate that he might have the right attitude to fit into the Leicester ethos. And if he was mostly called on for a defensive shift, not perhaps receiving the ball he might have liked as Tigers tried to pin the young Springbok team back with their kicking game.  

On another night that tactic might have cost them but even as the visitors attacked over a over the defensive wall held out, the crowd grew louder and the home team seemed to grow stronger forcing yet more turn-overs and though South Africa finished the game battering at the striped defensive wall five metres from the Tigers’ goal line it was a final turn-over that saw Tuqiri scrambling the ball into touch to cue delirious celebrations from players and supporters alike, shirt swapping and a lap of honour. 

If this was a meaningless fixture then nobody told those in attendance with the commitment of both sets of players certainly indicative. I can only imagine that the South African provincial sides would have dearly loved a night like this against the Lions this summer.  

It is almost impossible to nominate a man of the match with Ben Pienaar doing sterling work against his fellow countrymen, Stankovich and Castro utterly dominant in the scrum, Parling brutal and omnipresent around the pitch and Ben Youngs showing not only his usual zip and flare but also handling the responsibility of the goal-kicking whilst imposing himself in controlling the game, guiding his forwards and demonstrating a growing physical presence.

However this was a performance based more around an astounding unity of purpose and indomitable will. For that my nomination goes to the whole team players and coaches. And it was that spirit that those of us who were there will remember on a night that the Leicester Tigers can be proud of. The Springbok XV may not have been their test team but  nor was the Leicester side and all of those who played were there to further both their personal ambitions and to perform for their cause. Moreover it was a thrilling spectacle. And the full house seemed to agree. 

Meaningless friendly?

I don’t think so. I hope there will be more such tour games in future and I look forward to sending the Aussies and the All Blacks back with their tails between their legs in future!

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