Leicester Tigers
Tigers v Worcester Match Preview
By ChrisC
September 3 2012
Home Advantage. It wasn’t our time. It was too early. It wasn’t the season of our lives to be living on the “Costa Geriatrica” that is the south coast of England. We weren’t prepared for the steady, genteel decline that we saw amongst our fellow citizens. All the components were there for contentment; charming neighbours, a quiet and safe area, a lovely house with the beach just a short walk away and yet, and yet somehow we didn’t really settle. We missed our friends, we missed our life.
So we turned our backs on the English Channel and we’re reinstalled in the Derbyshire Dales from where we moved almost two decades ago and are happily reunited with our friends who, due to the distance between us, we’d seen too little of during our odyssey southward.
Odd how so little has changed in all that time.
The towns have largely resisted the wholesale changes that increasingly brutalise the south, of course the larger centres are similarly surrounded by retail parks and the serried ranks of B&Q and Tesco et al are a lowering, threatening presence like retail Apaches circling the wagon train of smaller shops and too many independents have succumbed but in places like Bakewell, Ashbourne, Buxton and Matlock they soldier on.
There are housing estates where there were fields when we left but the topography mitigates against the grabbing of vast tracts of land and so here in the Derbyshire Dales excesses have been largely avoided.
The locals are as friendly as ever. I smiled with happy familiarity the first time I was addressed as “me duck” recalling when I first came to these parts in 1989 and being taken aback by the friendliness of the indigenous population to incomers such as us, coming then, as we had, from the northern reaches of Lancashire where we had been made most unwelcome and, together with the rest of the incomers, retreated to The Fylde into a sort of protective laager with the Irish Sea at our backs for protection.
Northern Derbyshire is of course damper and colder than the south coast but infinitely more varied in its beauty. Tissington, Monsall, Chatsworth, the Hope Valley, Carsington and so many more truly inspiring places to walk and wonder at God’s handiwork.
Since we married we have, often in pursuit of my career, lived at seventeen different addresses from the Hampshire coast to Lancashire, where we lived near Blackpool but it’s here, in the Derbyshire Dales, that we have felt most at home and where we are so happily restored.
Feeling at home is a great advantage and one that Tigers will, this weekend, have the benefit of when they meet Worcester Warriors, who finished last season in a lowly tenth, just four points above the relegated Newcastle. They were alone in the Premiership in not securing a single try bonus point and with just twenty-three excursions over the whitewash scored fewer tries than any other team while Tigers, on the other hand, managed seventy tries in a truncated season cursed by the fruitless World Cup. Warriors were dogged though in eeking out survival but Richard Hill will be hoping for a less fraught season this time although this objective won’t have been aided by his charges losing their opening match against Bath at Sixways last Saturday.
In an attempt to bring some tries to Sixways (and wherever else they travel for that matter) Cecil Duckworth has recruited Mathieu Rourre, ex of Biarritz, as a consultant with the remit to assist the Warriors’ coaching team to improve matters.
This objective will not have been helped by the loss of Miles Benjamin to Tigers and Marcel Garvey to Castres as these two scored over 50% of Warriors’ tries last term and indeed against a poor Bath side it was a lock; James Percival ,who managed the match’s solitary try as they slipped to defeat due to a last gasp penalty by Olly Barkley. Another rookie referee; 24 year old Luke Pearce, turned the match into a kick fest between Goode and Barkley as both sides repeatedly infringed at the breakdown, a contest which the Bath man won and hence his team the match, in spite of their playing with thirteen men at one time as two of their players were in the Sin Bin.
Worcester have always built their game around a strong pack and Richard Hill has once again sought to bolster his resources.
Irishman John Andress has moved up the M5 from Exeter where he spent a solitary season, managing just six appearances in the Premiership last term, with only four of them as part of the starting XV. I always rated Andress when he was at Quins, whom I guess he left to get more game time, so it’s a shame things didn’t work out for him at Sandy Park but he’ll doubtless be pleased to re-unite with his old Quins colleagues; Welshman Ceri Jones and James Percival.
Rob O’Donnell has joined from Rotherham where he scored a trio of tries during his two seasons with the Yorkshire club, prior to which he was something of a bit part player for Sale Sharks.
Matt Mullan has resisted the temptation to move to bigger clubs and remains one of the best prospects around so must be favourite to start on the loose-head side while there’s much chatter about young James Currie who’s having his Premiership debut season, the ex Cornish Pirate having been restricted to eight appearances last term, evenly split between the Amlin and LV= Cup competitions, just twenty-one he’s seemingly one to watch.
Thirty-three time capped Tongan Aleki Lutui looks likely to bring his uncompromising 113kgs to the fray, hard to believe that it was back in the 2006/7 season that the big south sea islander first joined Worcester from the Super 14 Chiefs, and join Mullan and Andress in confronting either of Tigers’ front row combinations both of whom went well against London Welsh and it’ll be interesting to see who Richard Cockerill starts.
The pick of the new forwards at Sixways is Dean Schofield, also ex Sale, where he played for nine seasons but was more recently found plying his trade for Toulon where he spent two seasons and on the occasions that I saw him play looked to have lost none of his aggression and so it was that he saw another Yellow Card at Sixways last Saturday as he clashed with Bath’s Hooper. He returns to the UK as Warriors’ captain and he’ll be a handful for the Tigers’ locks. As Tigers’ supporters will remember he can also shift about the park a bit as well, as he did when scoring a try at Welford Road back in January 2006.
I’d expect him to be a certain starter against the Tigers and with veteran Craig Gillies now in his eighth Premiership campaign with the Warriors, I can see ex Quin; James Percival getting another start.
For Tigers, down at Oxford, Geoff Parling was majestic although new recruit Rob Andrew was somewhat anonymous for much of the game and it was left to Steve Mafi to provide much of the support at the line out which is a concern if Kitchener, Louis Deacon and Ed Slater are hors de combat for much longer, as Tigers could have some problems, especially as, for example, line outs have rarely been an issue for the Warriors and they have a strong presence again this term, aided by the possible presence of Chris Jones, who’ll be pleased to be reunited with erstwhile team mate Schofield and looking likely to be sharing the #6 shirt with the very impressive Sam Betty this term, who’s another ex Pirate and very effective at the breakdown, providing a good alternate to the skill set of Jones who I expect to see give way to him for the trip to Welford Road.
Even with the combative Best sidelined Richard Hill has some strength in his breakaway forwards, although last year a horrendous spate of injuries caused him real problems in this department. Matt Kvesic is now fit and the German born flanker would be my choice for the open side berth.
The 6’5” Tongan #8 Semisi Taulava is another recruit from Rotherham where he scored five tries and picked up a couple of Yellow Cards during his season there after moving from Pertemps Bees, who he in turn joined from Worthing. His 20 stone frame is filling part of the gap left by Tigers’ old boy Adam Balding, who’s gone up to Kingston Park, and Kai Horstmann who’s made the trip down the M5 to Sandy Park so I expect to see the big Tongan start against the Tigers after a promising debut.
Tigers breakaway forwards had a good time against the Dragons with Thomas Waldrom very influential until he was replaced by Crane who’s feeling his way back into Premiership action after a long lay-off and with Waldrom, Mafi, Julian Salvi and Dan Cole causing the Dragons all sorts of problems at the break down I can see this area being one where Tigers will again prevail next Saturday but it was still of concern that Tigers’ blind side defence looked ropey at times, much as it did last term.
Behind the pack Paul Hodgson has joined Warriors from London Irish and will doubtless return to auditioning for the conducting of the Halle orchestra while bringing all his much needed nous to proceedings, augmenting that of Black Countryman Shaun Perry and thus giving the Warriors much needed strength in depth although for me at least I hope young Arr doesn’t spend too much time watching from the sidelines as he has real pace, a great eye for the break and is, for my money, streets ahead of Perry.
Tigers’ own #9 tyro; Sam Harrison looked a bit off the pace when he came on to replace poor old Micky Young who hobbled off early on down at Oxford with the youngster getting caught too often for comfort, so I’m hoping that Young’s injury will promptly resolve in time for him to be restored next weekend as Harrison looks to need some more game time from the bench.
Once again this season it will be a toss-up for Richard Hill between the vastly experienced Andy Goode, with his siege gun boot, and the silkier skills of Danny Gray. My bet is that Andy Goode will get the nod at Welford Road where he’ll look to redeem himself after scuppering such chances as his team had when they were last there in March by getting himself one of the dumbest of Red Cards. His colleagues going on to get a 43 – 13 thumping from an on fire Tigers.
While I thought Flood had a good game overall he did seem to drift off the intensity radar toward the end of the first half and his kicking was patchy for the #1 England fly-half but I expect to see him in the #10 shirt against the Warriors and giving the visitors’ defence plenty to think about.
Possibly the most influential recruit for Warriors could be the ever excellent Jon Clarke who’s travelled over from Franklins Gardens where he made ninety-four Premiership starts and who has arguably been one of the most consistent centres around. He, given decent ball of course, can open up defences like a knife through a piece of Stinking Bishop and will be hoping to form a try creating partnership with five time capped Fijian international, English born Josh Matavesi, who comes on board after being with Racing Metro, having gone there from Sandy Park and now looking to fill the capacious boots of Dale Rasmussen.
Last season’s ever present Scottish international Alex Grove will surely be on parade on Saturday and hoping to see rather more quality ball than he has in the past. However on the basis of Matavesi’s performance against Bath I would find it difficult to understand why the excellent Joe Carlisle didn’t get a start next weekend as the Warriors’ attack looked better once he replaced Matavesi.
These two will almost certainly be facing Tony Allen, who repeatedly breached the gain line against the Dragons, spinning away from tackles and putting in some lovely trademark off loads and passes. The England man’s defence was up to its usual high standard, one lapse apart when he and Mafi weren’t paying attention at the base of a ruck letting the Dragons’ centre gallop past them.
Manu Tuilagi will be on duty I’m sure as he looked pretty sharp down at the Kassam where he took all the stopping, having now forged an excellent partnership with Allen, in fact the whole Tigers’ back division looked in decent attacking shape for so early in the season.
To in part replace Benjamin and Garvey Warriors have recruited David Lemi, the Samoan “Will o’ the Wisp” last seen in Premiership action wearing a Wasps’ shirt prior to a brief visit to Glasgow, during which time he made ten starts but didn’t trouble the scorers. It’s not unfair to point out that the dancing feet of Lemi have not crossed the try line with anything like the regularity they did when he was with Bristol from 2005 until he left to join Wasps for the 2009/10 season, so it’ll be interesting to see how the thirty year old Lemi does this time around. He’ll be linking up with the twenty-four time capped Scottish international Nikki Walker, who at 6’5” will form a “Little and Large” partnership with the diminutive Samoan.
Walker though has been injured so maybe Fijian Josh Drauniniu will get another outing to add to the two he made last term and that against Bath last weekend and be looking to build on his reputation as a prolific try scorer from his time with Exeter, Quins and London Welsh where he scored fifteen Championship tries in the 2010/11 season. If he is on duty I expect him to be subjected to an examination under the high ball where he may have some frailty.
New Tiger; Niki Goneva got a smoothly taken try but his defensive work was patchy with too many tries going uncompleted at the first attempt, again early days for the latest Fijian to join Tigers’ ranks and for the faithful to adjust to his style after so many years of watching Alex Tuilagi batter defences into submission. Goneva will be looking to get the best out of a confrontation with his compatriot Drauniniu. I’m hoping that the talented Miles Benjamin is in Saturday’s squad as It would be a nice sub plot for him to get a chance to show his erstwhile employers what they are missing – preferably in a good way of course!
I think the likelihood is that the Tigers’ midfield will give their wingers more and better possession than will the likely Warriors’ set up and if that’s the case then I’d bet on the Tigers’ back three relishing the chance to get over the whitewash on their first home appearance of the season.
Although, following his exploits in guiding the Warriors back to the Premiership, Chris Pennell is something of a cult figure down Worcester way I personally prefer Errie Claassens at full back. He has a great kick, is incredibly dangerous coming forward or entering the line and has a devastating step. The South African was also at London Welsh back in the 2010/11 season and notched five tries before seeking pastures new in the rolling countryside of Worcestershire.
Geordan Murphy looked as if he should have had one of those “Keep Calm and Carry On” logos on his shirt as he first steadied and then marshalled his troops getting them going after they slipped into the doldrums and let London Welsh have a glimmer of hope mid way through the match.
The Warriors will find Tigers a somewhat sterner test than they did Bath and in turn Tigers will know that the visitors will lack nothing in determination but I can still see a Tigers’ victory, otherwise what’s the point of home advantage?
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon03/09/2012 20:54
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012:09:10:22:20:18 by Tiggs.
Behave!
You headed the wrong way Chris - beneath the hills to the North and East is the safest place to be - in the fringes of the forest. It's also the prettiest.
But I don't like to set play parts of the Northcountry against each other. You are of course right - the Dales are lovely. I did say we'd come and visit this summer but hectic as it's been we've hardly had time to draw breath. Perhaps in the spring?
Another good review. Like you I do slightly fear for our supply of ball at the lineout given Wuss' usual efficiency there and our somewhat straightened resources and I also worry a little for Sam if Kvesic gets to him. I might be tempted to start Phibbs for his experience if Micky is still impaired. It did not look entirely encouraging when he came off last week.
Does anyone have any views on how Benjamin went last night? I've thought over the last couple of weeks that Scott looks to be having a return to form and I like the 'full-back and a half' shape to the back three that he offers. So I rather think that Benjamin will have to have made a very strong case for inclusion if he's to figure
Thanks again.
...
Well I'm sure it will console you to know that we're off to Sardinia next week...
...
Sardinia is lovely the Emerald Coast is stunning.
Sunny and high twenties I'd have thought this time of the year.
Well we're going to Olbia so will let you know how we find it. Previously we've always gone to the Coral Coast so this will be new. Unfortunately we'll miss both Wembley and the Quins game. Now that's bad planning!
...
So is Chris to purchase himself a pair of season tickets again now he has moved to a more civilised part of the country much nearer to WR?
Great preview as always Chris and I hope Worcester don't do an Exeter on us. We need to concentrate for the full 80 on Saturday.
Road at some point(s) this season. 
'Lions led by donkeys' .. Lest we forget
Quote:Once again this season it will be a toss-up for Richard Hill between the vastly experienced Andy Goode, with his siege gun boot, and the silkier skills of Danny Gray. My bet is that Andy Goode will get the nod at Welford Road
Danny Gray is not even close to the 10 shirt. Especially,as currently injured. The toss up is between Goode and Carlisle, which Goode is winning at the moment, seemingly as Joe can cover 10 and centre at the moment.
Good luck and may the best West Midlands based team win ;-)
#coyw
More Leicester Tigers headlines
- All the Latest Tigers News From Around the World
- All the Latest Tigers News From Around the World
- All the Latest Tigers News from around the World
- All the Latets Tigers News From Around the World
- All the Latest Tigers News From Around the World
- All the Latest Tigers News From Around the World
- All the Latest Tigers News From Around the World
- All the Latest Tigers News From Around the World
- All the Latest Tigers News from Around the World