By Chris Chaplin
October 15 2003

While Tigers may have not quite had the start they wanted with two wins a draw and two losses Leeds have fared hardly better with a loss at home to Bath and away losses at Wasps and London Irish but on Sunday they really pulled out all the stops with a six try victory over Sarries.
With Saturday’s loss at Gloucester Tigers have slipped to eighth while Leeds having beaten Sarries now stand in ninth place also on ten points with Sale in tenth.

Leeds, along with Bath had one of the largest changes in playing personnel during the close season with fourteen arrivals and twelve departures, those of George Harder and Braam van Straaten perhaps being the biggest shocks for me although losing players such as Cammie Mather and Isaac Feaunati was also something of surprise.

In the front row new signing from London Irish Simon Halford made his first appearance last weekend before being substituted by Holt on the hour mark. I saw Halford play several times for Irish as part of their front row carousel and he certainly has grunt, although perhaps more old style in his open play than we’re used to in these days of forwards playing like centres he may still, against Tigers’ big pack, be preferred to ex Queensland Red Matt Holt who had featured in each game until Halford’s return against Sarries. He joins other regular starters Welshman and ex Cardiff player Gary Powell and Rob Rawlinson who previously plied his particular form of the dark arts at Orrell. He got himself a try against the Men in Black on Sunday about which he’ll be chuffed . Without club Captain Mike Shelley, who has also been injured, and RWC absentee Mark Regan, the front row is workmanlike and stolid rather than anything else but their go-forward will be aided by the return of the more dynamic Shelley who is scheduled to return to the fray against Tigers. Leeds born and bred Shelley has managed to score five tries during his near half century of appearances for the Yorkshire side and his presence would bring another dimension to the pack’s loose play.

With the superb Tom Palmer sidelined at present Stuart Hooper and Scott Morgan are the current regular starters at lock. Morgan is one of no fewer than five signings extracted from the entrails of the deposed Bristol club at the end of last season and I can’t really say that this ex Llanelli and Welsh U21 player sticks out in my mind from his previous incarnations where he made 25 appearances for Bristol and collected a brace of Yellow Cards. His regular partner is young Hooper who arrived from Sarries, presumably in search of more first team rugby, although at just 21 he’d already made 21 starts for the Watford outfit prior to his departure up North, and to that end he must be satisfied thus far. Like the front row these are both steady, rather than supremely accomplished, players and the outstanding talent of Palmer will be missed with this new pairing. Having said all that the duo did pretty well against the very experienced Sarries pair of Codling and Raiwalui.

With Alix Popham absent new signing, ex Bristolian, Matt Salter continues on the blind-side partnered by another ex West Hartlepool player James Ponton at open-side who has been drafted in to a back-row of limited choice for coach Jon Callard. The clout in this combination comes from Dan Hyde, also ex West Hartlepool this dynamic individual has had his moment on England U21 duty. Hyde takes the #8 spot following the nine weeks suspension handed to ex Connacht Colm Rigney who as most will know has been misbehaving!

Salter appeared over 60 times for Bristol and managed to score twice as many Yellow Cards as tries, crossing the line just twice in his premiership exploits this 26 year old is another journeyman who doesn’t mind putting himself about. I suppose much the same could be said of Ponton who has managed seven tries of which three were for West Hartlepool prior to his arrival at Headingly in the 1999/2000 season.

In Dan Hyde we have yet another player with the West Hartlepool connection and a seeming predilection for collecting Yellow Cards, four in this instance but at least this dynamic player has crossed the try line on ten occasions the most recent being against Sarries last weekend.

The pack then could be viewed on paper as stolid rather than a combination to stir the juices but with Mike Shelley’ presence and leadership things might just continue to improve as was evidenced last weekend and just look at the Sarries pack on paper – just goes to show how much your opponents’ reputation counts for if your heart’s in the right place.

If there have been changes in the pack since last year just look at what’s been going on in the outfield!

With Derek Hegarty and Scott Benton gone and Alan Dickens just coming back to fitness and ex Gloucester Academy player Clive Stuart-Smith sidelined Phil Davies has signed Natal Sharks #9 Ryan Walker on loan to bolster things in this department and with fair results by all account, the 25 year old South African having already crossed the try line.

To balance Mather’s departure to Scotland ex Scotland Fly-half Duncan Hodge made a journey in the opposite direction although he came from Edinburgh and Mather has gone up the west coast to Glasgow. Now 29 the Dumfries born fly-half has been usurped on the international scene by Gordon Ross who’s shoes he seeks to temporarily fill. I saw a good few of Hodge’s 39 appearances for his country during which time he scored 123 points, all but 30 of them coming from his boot. At an average of just three points a game he was not out of the very top drawer of international fly-halves and I must say that were I a Scot I don’t think I’d have put my mortgage on him when the chips were down, now of course Ross is another matter. On his day Hodge can be very good but unless he’s changed he can also be infuriatingly inconsistent.

Situated to the Scot’s outside we find Ian’s “little” boy, Liam. I have a feeling that his move from Falcons to Leeds may just give his career the boost it needs. While he wasn’t fast enough as a winger or attacking full-back I rather think that his move into the centre could be an inspired decision. He’s robust, quick enough for the job, can get across the gain line but if there is a niggle in the back of my mind it’s that I have seen him found wanting defensively when at 15 but overall he seems to be making the most of his new role.

I must say I was rather less convinced by Dan Scarborough at centre though. Rather like our own Leon Lloyd, Scarborough is great going forward, can take on and beat his man on most occasions and I was therefore pleased for him to see him start at 14 against Sarries and netting a brace of tries which also permitted the tricky Phil Christophers (more ex Bristol) to move to 13, from where he too scored last weekend. When at Bristol I liked seeing this guy at centre, although he has said that he much prefers the wing berth. He is the type of mazy player able to spot a line and break out with enough pace to make it count. The thought of his doing this with a player of Scarborough’s quality running in support is quite something.

On the other wing, yet another exile from down the M5, David Rees. Rees made eleven appearances for England scoring three tries but I guess at almost 30 his international aspirations are probably a thing of the past. His sixty odd appearances for Bristol garnered 17 tries while his eighteen appearances for Sale prior to his days in the West Country saw sixteen tries accrue to this smashing and reliable player, a rate of more than one a game!! He’ll try and try again (no pun intended) and I hope that he does well at his new home, but not against Tigers please!

Finally in the back division sometime fly-half Tim Walsh has the full-back spot. I saw him play for Worcester at #10 and thought he looked pretty useful both as a try scoring half back and a kicker. Very sharp this lad. I wonder what the future holds for him in the premiership with Leeds already having Hodge and Ross at #10, I don’t really see him as a #15 but maybe it’s a better place to acclimatise than in the half-backs.

Overall then with some key absentees in Stanley, Albanese, Regan and Ross and injuries dotted about the current Leeds side looks to have a grunting pack and a rapier like back line. Will the two mesh against Tigers as they did to some effect against Saracens?

If things are looking up at Headingly the view from Welford Road at present is decidedly in the opposite direction after last Saturday’s terrible performance at Kingsholm.

On paper a Tigers front row comprised of Rowntree, Morris and Chuter, although perhaps after Chuter’s wayward throwing displays of the last two weeks the on loan Richards may get a start, should be able to get the better of the Tykes trio even with Mike Shelley restored.

The second row has really been struggling coming up against some very experienced and streetwise opponents over the first five games of the season. I suppose Tom Ryder could be given a shot alongside Louis Deacon but whosoever joins him the responsibility is with Deacon to take a firm control in the line-outs. Louis had made a good few premiership appearances before this year and was looking pretty good last season. In the likely Tykes combination they will be up against one relatively inexperienced lock and another who has never scaled the heights so if Tigers are to have any chance of success Deacon must control the line-out. Just to win all Tigers’ own ball would be a good start.

Again in the back-row Josh should be capable of controlling matters and I hope that we see the combatative Adam Balding remain at 8 to police Dan Hyde. Balding and Josh were two of the five players to acquit themselves well against Glaws. Henry T could still be a good blind-side option on the assumption that he learns to catch the ball before concentrating on flattening his opponent, otherwise back to Johnson W.

Oz rates himself at 50/50 to be fit to play next weekend and while his experience and special magic would be very welcome indeed Harry Ellis was one of the other players who stood up to be counted against the Cherry and Whites and had a decent game behind an indifferent pack. Well actually it only reached the heights of indifference in the second half at Kingsholm prior to which it was – well let’s just say not good although better than against Sale!

I really do think that Pez should be given a run of starts as he does go forwards whereas Sam Vesty continues to be very lateral and while he’s looking for a gap through which to straighten the three-quarters grind to a halt and all momentum is lost. If this tactic is continued then I fear that Botham and Christophers could seize on any loose ball that occurs from the breakdown and break out as did Robert Todd when Vesty meandered across field before telegraphing the loopiest of passes right in front of the Kiwis eyes. Imagine doing that to Christophers even in the Tigers 22!

Daryl Gibson was the fourth of my quintet getting the ChrisC “stood up to be counted” award. He was again indefatigable and after his traumatic time at Bristol must feel that his time in the UK is to be devoted to endeavour rather than achievement. I suppose I must continue my plaintive cry for Ollie Smith to be restored to centre although I do so without any great expectation that Leon will be returned to the wing, again if fit. I fear that Christophers will be a bit too tricky for Leon but reckon that Ollies’ talent or Gelderblooms experience could stop the talented ex-Tiger in attack and get past him when on the offence. Oh Gelders is the fifth awardee!

Holtby was a bit isolated against Glaws and drifted out of the game but he’s played well enough to keep his place if Booth is still injured and I hope that if a need arises for a stand in winger Harry is put there with Tom Tierney coming in at 9.

Full-back? Not as easy as it used to be with Tim looking distinctly disinterested over the past couple of weeks. If Pez starts and does the kicking then perhaps give young Myring another outing or even put Vesty there, he can catch, he can kick and he can run forward with great effect.

Well all is disruption and uncertainty at Tigers of that there’s no mistake. If the pack regains it’s passion in the scrum and the loose and by keeping it’s discipline avoids penalties, well in fact any line-outs on the opposition ball then we may just have a chance. If we could at the same time muster a correctly selected and full strength back division behind a pack going forward then in spite of the line-out problems I’d think we’d have a better than even chance of pinching it by the odd few points.

Sadly though I have grave doubts that we’ll be able to take advantage of the numerous players that the Tykes have missing through RWC duty or injury and that it will be a third loss on the bounce.