Courtesy of Tiggs
Tigers make it to sixth consecutive Premiership Final
Courtesy of Tiggs
By SimW
May 17 2010
The reward for winning this game wouldn’t just be a 6th Premiership final in a row; it would be a chance to claim some revenge against the bird flipping, lady pushing, pitch dancing Saracens. Revenge was also on the menu for Steve Meehan’s men following the 43-20 hammering they received the last time these two teams met.
Courtesy of Tiggs
May 17 2010
The reward for winning this game wouldn’t just be a 6th Premiership final in a row; it would be a chance to claim some revenge against the bird flipping, lady pushing, pitch dancing Saracens. Revenge was also on the menu for Steve Meehan’s men following the 43-20 hammering they received the last time these two teams met.
Bath have shown good form in the second half of this season and have clearly geared their preparations to the Pay-Offs. The game was pitched as the best attack against the best defence but 46 tries for Leicester given their aversion to the try line in September is not to be sniffed at. It’s traditional for anyone reporting on a Bath game to squeeze in a few bath related puns but I shall not fall into that particular drain. Leicester had that sinking feeling following the SAracens result in the last game of the regular season. The main job required this week is to plug the leaking defence. A dry pitch promised much and with no showers forecast hopes were high for another high scoring affair... Oh, OK, I’ll stop doing it now.
The half-time score of 6-all did not do Bath justice. As a team they were more composed and in the forwards, particularly, they were definitely in the ascendance. The best scoring chances went their way; only a rushed pass from Banahan, the bounce of the oval ball away from Abendanon and a tap (Pun NOT intended – honest) tackle from Parling prevented 5 pointers. (Honourable mention for Ayerza who chased and brought down the rapid Mears in the same move.)
The scrum was definitely being won by Bath, the only bright spot being the scrum towards the end of the 1st half where Castro decided that enough was enough and single handedly earned some respect back. The only other positive was the lineout which was just shaded by the Tigers; Croft again showing the athleticism that makes him a must-pick for Leicester and England. Youngs showed a lack of experience and made 3 basic kicking errors (2 charged down and 1 out on the full) and the handling errors that littered the SArries game came back with a vengeance (See, I managed to avoid referring to the ball as the proverbial bar of soap – Oh Bugger). All was not well with the home team. Even the ever faithful catch-and-drive let us down; 2 successive attempts failed, the second ending with accidental offside and turnover ball.
Leicester were indeed lucky to be going into half time on even pecking; the TMO being at his charitable best and demonstrating his ability to correct for parallax error from 1 camera angle. When the half-time whistle eventually came it was more welcomed by the home fans than the impressively vocal away fans.
The second half started much like the first finished. Another penalty given away at the breakdown, another near charge down, another Croft lineout take. Followed by another unenforced error by Tigers, Geordan Murphy dropping out too long. But then, the Tigers scrum starts to motor and Youngs picks up the bobbling ball as it pops out the side of the scrum. Sadly the handling errors continue as Crane knocks-on.
Slowly and gradually the tide begins to turn. The scrum starts to stabilise resulting in 3 points and Youngs finds his range, eventually. Croft and Parling start pinching lineouts and Grewcock returns to true form and gives away a silly penalty; another 3 points gained from a set piece. Neither side look like scoring a try so that 6 point lead looks massive with 16 minutes to go.
Without the ball you can’t win the game and when consecutive lineouts are stolen even after a change at Hooker the writing was on the wall. Cole replaces Castro and if anything the scrum gets stronger. I’d go with Cole to start in the final, we didn’t get much change out of the SArries scrum and Castro looks tired.
Referee White again shows his scrum deficiencies; 2m gained by the Leicester scrum, the Bath front row stand up but we have a reset. Cockerill goes mential in the stands, understandably so. Flatman seems like a nice guy and clearly has a future in the media but a top quality scrumager he ain’t. The reset scrum collapses but the penalty goes to Leicester. 3 points and its game over.
MOTM – Crane. Never stops working, always breaks gain line.
So Flood taps into his reserve tank, washes away Bath’s hopes and dreams, bursts their bubble and sinks their spirits, sending them to the cleaners with a thorough scrubbing. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
I had cause to email one of my Saints supporting colleagues tonight and I remarked that I was grateful that it was SArries and not Saints in the final with us. I feared that in the wide open spaces of the cabbage patch that Ashton, Reihana et al would run us ragged. It will still be a tough ask but lightning can’t possibly strike twice... That is unless you’re a Saint.
Author’s Note; Much has been said about the salary cap and the resulting movement of players from team to team and country to country but I’m sure that both sets of fans would agree that it would be preferable if born and bred players such as Borthwick, Tindall, Vesty and Moody were able to stay with their local teams. I for one think this is a negative impact of the salary cap and hope that the artificial level playing field, so desired by the also-rans, is expired to history where it belongs. Farewell Lewis and Sam, I wish you good luck for the future and thank you for your unfailing efforts over the years. You gave more than you took and deserve everything you got.
The half-time score of 6-all did not do Bath justice. As a team they were more composed and in the forwards, particularly, they were definitely in the ascendance. The best scoring chances went their way; only a rushed pass from Banahan, the bounce of the oval ball away from Abendanon and a tap (Pun NOT intended – honest) tackle from Parling prevented 5 pointers. (Honourable mention for Ayerza who chased and brought down the rapid Mears in the same move.)
The scrum was definitely being won by Bath, the only bright spot being the scrum towards the end of the 1st half where Castro decided that enough was enough and single handedly earned some respect back. The only other positive was the lineout which was just shaded by the Tigers; Croft again showing the athleticism that makes him a must-pick for Leicester and England. Youngs showed a lack of experience and made 3 basic kicking errors (2 charged down and 1 out on the full) and the handling errors that littered the SArries game came back with a vengeance (See, I managed to avoid referring to the ball as the proverbial bar of soap – Oh Bugger). All was not well with the home team. Even the ever faithful catch-and-drive let us down; 2 successive attempts failed, the second ending with accidental offside and turnover ball.
Leicester were indeed lucky to be going into half time on even pecking; the TMO being at his charitable best and demonstrating his ability to correct for parallax error from 1 camera angle. When the half-time whistle eventually came it was more welcomed by the home fans than the impressively vocal away fans.
The second half started much like the first finished. Another penalty given away at the breakdown, another near charge down, another Croft lineout take. Followed by another unenforced error by Tigers, Geordan Murphy dropping out too long. But then, the Tigers scrum starts to motor and Youngs picks up the bobbling ball as it pops out the side of the scrum. Sadly the handling errors continue as Crane knocks-on.
Slowly and gradually the tide begins to turn. The scrum starts to stabilise resulting in 3 points and Youngs finds his range, eventually. Croft and Parling start pinching lineouts and Grewcock returns to true form and gives away a silly penalty; another 3 points gained from a set piece. Neither side look like scoring a try so that 6 point lead looks massive with 16 minutes to go.
Without the ball you can’t win the game and when consecutive lineouts are stolen even after a change at Hooker the writing was on the wall. Cole replaces Castro and if anything the scrum gets stronger. I’d go with Cole to start in the final, we didn’t get much change out of the SArries scrum and Castro looks tired.
Referee White again shows his scrum deficiencies; 2m gained by the Leicester scrum, the Bath front row stand up but we have a reset. Cockerill goes mential in the stands, understandably so. Flatman seems like a nice guy and clearly has a future in the media but a top quality scrumager he ain’t. The reset scrum collapses but the penalty goes to Leicester. 3 points and its game over.
MOTM – Crane. Never stops working, always breaks gain line.
So Flood taps into his reserve tank, washes away Bath’s hopes and dreams, bursts their bubble and sinks their spirits, sending them to the cleaners with a thorough scrubbing. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
I had cause to email one of my Saints supporting colleagues tonight and I remarked that I was grateful that it was SArries and not Saints in the final with us. I feared that in the wide open spaces of the cabbage patch that Ashton, Reihana et al would run us ragged. It will still be a tough ask but lightning can’t possibly strike twice... That is unless you’re a Saint.
Author’s Note; Much has been said about the salary cap and the resulting movement of players from team to team and country to country but I’m sure that both sets of fans would agree that it would be preferable if born and bred players such as Borthwick, Tindall, Vesty and Moody were able to stay with their local teams. I for one think this is a negative impact of the salary cap and hope that the artificial level playing field, so desired by the also-rans, is expired to history where it belongs. Farewell Lewis and Sam, I wish you good luck for the future and thank you for your unfailing efforts over the years. You gave more than you took and deserve everything you got.
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Tigers make it to sixth consecutive Premiership Final
Posted by: TheLeicesterTigers.co.uk (IP Logged)
Date: 17/05/2010 10:18
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Re: Tigers make it to sixth consecutive Premiership Final
Posted by: Stopsy (IP Logged)
Date: 17/05/2010 10:32
Thanks Sim.
Re: Tigers make it to sixth consecutive Premiership Final
Posted by: SK 88 (IP Logged)
Date: 17/05/2010 11:38
Good to highlight that we aren't the only club who loses homegrown players due to the cap.
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