Leicester Tigers
Exeter v Tigers Match Report
By RichW
January 4 2011
Travels with my hip-flask. Tigers’ first trip to Sandy Park, home of the breath of fresh air that is the Exeter Chiefs, and we made our way down the M5 with cautious hope of success and a real sense of expectation at the prospect of the first encounter of 2011. I do like the M5 – it speaks to me of endless summers of long, balmy days, blue-green seas and golden sands.
But enough of my childhood memories we have a new reason to cherish the trip South and we travelled, filled with enthusiasm at the anticipated welcome of our newest of hosts.
Sandy Park offers many a refreshment opportunity and after a pre-match libation we took to our place on the South East Terrace with some time to go to kick off and watched as the placed filled to swelling capacity, the banter flowing and the atmosphere building as the locals gave voice to their ‘Tomahawk Chop’. All good fun so far then and by the time it came for the hosts to get us underway the place was jumping and the hip flask was deployed to resist the evening chill.
The expected opening exchanges did not materialise as almost from the kick-off Jeremy Staunton crafted a clever kick, hooking it against the grain of the defence to the left wing. Not expecting it and caught flat footed the defensive wing failed to get under it and Alex Tuilagi claimed the loose ball. Off-loading to his little brother who was making his second successive start Tigers burst away.
I have to confess that I, at least, expected Manu to try to go all the way to the line, running over the Exeter full-back in the process but having steeled himself for the anticipated collision, Arscott was unable to do anything as the return pass was made to the supporting Alex who ran in the try.
Moments gone and Tigers were a 5 pointer to the good and even though the usually dead-eyed Staunton was unable to add the extras it was a dream start.
‘Eh up!’ We said. ‘That’ll do!’
But if we expected it to be easy from there our hosts had other ideas. These folk from the south coast are not Australian top-order batsmen, brittle and prone to implosion at the first reverse. Back at us they came. Ferocious and aggressive they threw themselves into the break downs whilst moving the ball nicely behind. Throughout the game their Pacific extracted centres made ground with a mixture of both guile and power; and if the possession stats were even in the early stages the territory was edged by the home side.
They replied with a pair of penalties by former Bath man Ryan Davis either side of one from Staunton. And it was little more than they deserved. Whilst one wouldn’t want to make overmuch of the referee’s performance (as the Leicester penalty was well beyond my range of vision) the award of the second was a nonsense and seemed to have more to do with Mr Doyle’s terror of the admirable Exeter crowd than any bringing down of the maul by Tigers.
By now however a degree of scrummaging ascendancy had been achieved by the visiting pack with Cole having his opposite number in some difficult (by means both legal and otherwise) and Ayerza simply having to much by way of technique for his own opponent. No doubt the pushing effect of Louis Deacon and the similarly powerful Slater, who looks more the part on every outing, were also telling. However the Chief’s lineout looked imperious and it seemed to your correspondent that Tigers’ continuing indiscipline – a feature of recent weeks – was starting to offer their opponents too much time and opportunity in our ‘red-zone’.
However a period of prolonged pressure by Ex lead to nothing as more than one scrum went against them, they were marched off their own ball and the said pressure was relieved and the hip-flask was pressed into renewed service. And, even though Davis missed a third penalty kick – this from 40 metres – it was the visitors who reasserted themselves and worked the ball up-field. When a penalty was awarded (the reason seemed unclear to your correspondent as it also occurred somewhat beyond by range of vision) we expected a kick at goal to re-establish the 5 point gap but the Tigers forwards had other ideas. Perhaps it was nearer to the goal-line than it looked from our position 80 odd metres away. The scrum was taken perhaps in search of the penalty try given the earlier ascendancy but instead the ball went wide for that boy Manu to take it up again. He drew three defenders and still made the ball available. It was moved quickly back inside for Jordan Crane to hit a gap wide enough through which to divert the river he is named for (or alternatively even to drive a piece of the heavy, construction site hardware) and score beneath the posts.
Staunton made no error with the simple kick to improve the try and Tigers seemed headed towards their half-time oranges with a healthy two score lead at 6-15.
But Exeter have proved more than a few times in their first term in the top flight that they are not characterised by a shortage of either courage or commitment and back they came again. Few teams have shown themselves so fit to match the physicality of the Leicester side. And a third penalty by Davis, awarded for not rolling away – Mr Doyle seemingly using this offence as his a stock ‘randomiser’ when in doubt as to what was actually occurring, cutting the deficit to 6 was the least they deserved at half-time.
The Half time entertainment comprised the Exeter version of the goal-kicking competition – for a slab of Otter beer (mmmm – much more useful than those silly boots they supply at Welford Road – but ho hum) was won by a man in a Tiger suit in what we hoped was a portent!
And indeed so it seemed as Tigers came out in the second half in all their pomp. For a good ten minutes they pinned Exeter in their 22 mounting wave after wave of attack in phase after phase following reset after reset. But – and I say this with breathless admiration and without fear of exaggeration or hyperbole – the Exeter defence was simply awesome! They gave not an inch and it is to their inestimable credit that they forced, in the end, Geordan Murphy to attempt a speculative drop-goal born of frustration.
And as it staggered wide the roar that went up from the Exeter faithful around us sent-up the hairs on the back of the neck.
Hip-flask time!
‘Oh bugger!’ those of us in red, green and white thought. How costly would that prove? Then, as we watched through our fingers, Exeter countered. It could not be that costly could it?
Mark Foster, ex of Gloucester, but now firmly and soundly homed on the South Coast broke the line and was in behind us. It was frenetic stuff now as he hared towards our line and our fingers clenched a little tighter. He had support and a man to beat. He could have chanced it and gone himself; he could have passed the two support runners outside. Either way a score looked likely but he chose neither option and instead passed the ball wildly to the crowd. With no little relief the hip-flask was deployed again.
It was a let off and hardly deserved. But on such things challenges turn.
Further good work from the hosts forced another pair of penalties as Tigers clung on; one taken the other missed. But now the lead was only 3. Like champions however, back came Leicester. A break by Ben Youngs who had been quiet once again gave Geordan Murphy the ball in a little space. Perhaps once in his younger years Geordan would have had the pace to go the distance - though with two men to beat one wonders. Instead he managed to run away from his support when a kick to turn the full-back and chase may have suited him better and he was penalised for holding on when tackled. That was a frustration – not that the penalty was incorrect – just that Mr Doyle should wait 65 minutes before deploying that particular law.
Once again I have to ask; how are players expected to perform if they cannot be sure from minute to minute how an official is going to run the game? It was sadly symptomatic of a spasmodic performance by the man with the whistle. Clearly discomforted by the passionate support of the Chiefs’ fans he was utterly unable to maintain any semblance of consistency throughout the 80 minutes and the quality of the game as a contest was maintained entirely in spite of his interference and inconsistency.
Still, Tigers asserted themselves again and with Castro, Waldrom and Flood on for Dan Cole (a job well done), Mafi and Staunton they drove their way up-field and encamped themselves again in the Exeter 22. This time there were to be no mistakes. Manu went close, bulldozing to the line, before Flood did the same seeking to snake through the gap. The third attempt, combining the styles of both saw Crane over for his second of the game and with the England fly-half adding the goal and a, surely comfortable, lead at 12-22.
However the thing about Exeter is that they don’t seem to know when a comfortable lead is a comfortable lead!
Unbowed they came again now with former Pirate Gareth Steenson on, orchestrating things from outside-half in place of Davis and the rotund shape of former Saints favourite Chris Budgen stepping in at tighthead.
They forced another penalty and Steenson converted as is his wont. The hip-flask took another battering! The lead, at 15-22, was not so comfortable as it had seemed moments before! And, when a further penalty produced an attempt to reduce the gap to a mere 3 points, memories of recent cock-up reared. This time Steenson fluffed his normally impeccable lines. Only just off of the straight and of only moderate distance he will be furious with himself for hitting the cross-bar. Perhaps he thought for a moment he was at Wembley…
If we breathed a sigh of relief with less than 5 minutes to go then we were premature as Ex were not done yet and it is to their enormous credit that they came once more forcing, at the last another penalty. They kicked to touch but Steenson again erred minutely and the ball went dead.
As let-offs go it was, given the excellence of their lineout, a fair sized one!
Mr Doyle blew no-side and we breathed again before shouting in triumph and relief calling for further hip-flask related activity but in the tension and the heady atmosphere it became over utilised – which led to a withdrawal of supply – ahhh! And no! I don’t mean I drained it! I had simply, unwittingly over tightened it in the excitement and couldn’t then release it again! But fear not gentle reader - we were able to deploy the emergency whiskey supply – oh the relief!
Make no mistake the better side won this game – but the closeness of the scoreline does not lie! Tigers created the more chances and they took three, but Exeter are more than worthy opponents. Their hard work, commitment, discipline and endeavour mark them as a quality side, lacking perhaps the final polish that may have seen them take their chances but other visitors will fair less well at Sandy Park than Leicester - who had to perform valiantly themselves to come away with the spoils.
It would be folly to bemoan the lack of a 4 try bonus point as if a trip to the new boys should offer no less. It would be folly and it is disrespectful. Exeter were good value for their bonus point and had we managed to grasp that 5th point it would have been an unfair reflection of the quality of the hosts efforts. Oddly enough I seem to recall saying similar in September after the Welford Rd rubber!
And so our fist trip to the wonderful Sandy Park ended in triumph on the pitch for Tigers hard won but another sort of triumph for the Exeter Chiefs and their wonderful, passionate fans and their brave club’s plans to grow from the bottom up – develop the infrastructure, grow revenues, remain close to your roots – there are lessons in that for other Premiership clubs in larger population centres who have done nothing to grow for years. Afterwards in one of the numerous bars with a pint of Directors I heard of how their attendances are ahead of projected numbers this term, how their plans to increase capacity to over 20k are going and how proud they are of their club.
It was without doubt an inspirational trip and I wish them every good luck in future whilst looking forward to the trip south down the M5 again next year.
In the meantime – more prosaically - Leicester sit atop the League once again and all’s well.
Now what did I do with that hip-flask…
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:01:10:18:37:34 by Stephen Bath.
- certainly better than the effort in the Daily Telegraph by Brendan Gallagher.
Fairly even contest in many respects, but the Tiggers finishing was far more clinical, combined with your powerful scrum, were the determining factor.
Cracking atmosphere though. Pleased you enjoyed your stay!
Hope a different date for our away Prem match at Sandy Park next season will allow a trip down the M5 to enjoy a "proper" rugby club.
Oh and the old "can't get the cap off my hip flask" ploy is still being used I see - somethings never change!
... even though it is scarlet 'Lions led by donkeys' .. Lest we forget
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