By A+L Stand Tiger
February 7 2005

In terrible conditions Bath and Tigers fought an enthralling battle which entertained as much as any game I’ve seen this year. Was it a fair result, who stood tallest and who sank into the mire?
It was that time in the year again. A weekend in which old rivals meet, when more than just points were at stake, pride and bragging rights were up for grabs. But before the main event of Bath vs Tigers there were two Six Nations matches to watch also.

Both Bath and Tigers had lost squad members to the Six Nations which brought questions as to how would Bath cope without their first choice second row and Tigers without a resurgent Ben Kay, the pillars of the front row Julian White and Graham Rowntree and our own wunderkind Harry ‘Hazza’ Ellis? I was confident that Louis Deacon would not weaken our second row (although perhaps not pose such a threat to the opposition) and that Scotty Bemand would put in another solid performance. However, it was in the scrum where I thought Bath would hold the ascendancy and so it proved.


Pre-Match Nerves

Having been both frustrated and depressed by England’s performance against Wales (a home win was the correct result) it was with some trepidation that I turned over to watch the game from the Rec. As an armchair observer I’m not very lucky for the team I support, most times they loose, the last time being the Biarritz game! However, when I switched over to Sky sports and saw the conditions I was glad I hadn’t travelled to the game. The fact that the supporters of both sides turned up in such atrocious conditions was testament to their dedication and the tradition of this fixture.

And so the game began with Andy Goode kicking off in the incessant rain. Shortly afterwards the worst part of the night occurred when the unfortunate Michael Lipman was injured after a maul collapsed resulting in a broken leg the open-side flanker, who was replaced by Scaysbrook. I think we would all wish Michael a speedy recovery, particularly as he could be playing for Tigers next year!


Kicking – the key

The early stages were pretty even with the exception of the scrum where, as feared, the larger Bath front row forced their advantage. Michael Holford battled gamely throughout the match and showed plenty of spirit. However, Duncan Bell used his greater bulk to good effect and much of the pressure was exerted through Holford’s side of the scrum. With conditions as they were, the kicking game was always going to be key. However, when in possession Tigers showed the more adventure. They seemed more willing to get the ball out to the three quarters to allow them to run with the ball.

The first opportunity to score fell to Andy Goode in the form of a penalty kick awarded for a Bath hand in the ruck. The kick, 38 metres from the post, was made all the more difficult by the ground conditions which meant it was difficult to plant the non-kicking foot firmly enough to gain sufficient leverage to achieve the necessary length on the kick. Consequently the attempt, although directed perfectly, fell short.


Points on the board

Although, there was parity in the lineout throughout the game this was the source of the opening score by Bath when Johnson was adjudged to have pulled down Beattie in the lineout on 19 minutes. The ensuing penalty kick was converted by the assured Malone. The competitiveness of Bath in the lineout reflected the solid work of Hudson and the excellent technique of Fidler who competed for the ball on nearly every one of Tigers line outs.

Tigers almost responded immediately with a try by Healey. However, the referee David Rose, who had an excellent game, spotted that Ollie Smiths pass to Oz had been forward and so rightly disallowed the try. The opportunity had been worked from a lineout that fed the rampaging Henry Tuilagi who made a good 20 metres in midfield before the ball was then spread wide. Two minutes later, denied, Healey then made the most of another attacking move by Tigers with an audacious drop goal from 30 metres which sailed through the posts to level the scores.

Healey’s contribution did not end there; a few minutes later Fidler, in the unaccustomed position of right wing, struggled to cope with a cross field kick from Healey which stuck in the mud near the touch line between the half way and 10m line. In the ensuing ruck a penalty was awarded to Tiger, which Andy Goode converted with a monster kick from 48m that went in off the up-right. Andy showed why he is the form No. 10 in the premiership, all night he demonstrated incredible skill and power when kicking out of hand, keeping Bath pinned in their own half for large periods of the game. In addition, Andy also showed an eye for the break most notably during the 58th minute when in his own 22 with Bath baring down on him he elected to surge out of his own 22 before releasing the ball to the midfield. In all, the move took the ball from deep in Tiger’s half up to Bath’s 22, turning a frail defensive position into an excellent attacking one.

Tigers continued to press for another score. However, it was bath who level a match from a penalty after an attempted drop goal was charged down by Bath. The ball was fly hacked ahead, and one of the chasing Bath players was blocked by a Tiger, perhaps that old rascal Martin Johnson; however it was hard to tell by this time as player from both side were indistinguishable due to the mud.

And so at half time honours were even in terms of scoring but from the officially one-eyed perspective I thought that with a bit more luck Tiger’s could have had the all important try but it wasn’t meant to be.


Second half

Although, the second half was scoreless it was just as entertaining as the first. Bath worked better positions in the second half, both through the kicking of their full back Matt Perry (who dealt magnificently with the torrent of rain and high balls sent his way) and the driving play of their forwards, of which Beattie and Fidler caught the eye particularly.

Highlights from a Tigers view were Henry T. and Louis Deacon driving Bath back from their own lineout and the sniping run by Scotty Bemand on the 44th minute that set the platform for 4 minutes of concerted pressure by Tigers which looked like to be leading to a try (on several occasion we were just feet short of the try line). However, Bath’s defence were in no mood to concede to the old enemy and eventually forced the knock-on to relieve pressure. On both the 48th and 54th minute Bath forced Tiger’s players to concede penalties, the first for collapsing the scrum and the second against Henry T. for coming in at the side of a ruck. However, Malone was unable to capitalize, sending both kicks wide of the post.

Andy Goode continued his kicking battle with Perry, which I think he got the better of, most notably on one occasion in the 56th minute when a booming 60m kick forced a position where he was able to attempt a drop goal which went left of the posts.

The game was played in a fantastic spirit, neither side giving any quarter but at the same time mutual respect was evident. There was understanding when players made mistakes that led to inappropriate contact, while David Rose had another superb half officiating with a sympathetic eye allowing the play to flow as much as possible. I hate to think what this game would have descended into if Maybank had been the referee.

With the scores tied 6-6, Tigers pinned Bath in their own half looking for the decisive score. However, it wasn’t meant to be and with both sides having played themselves to a standstill Rose blew for full time.


Post Match Analysis

So to my initial questions:

Did Bath cope without their first choice second row?
You bet and then some. Hudson was very impressive and should develop into an excellent second row, while Fidler showed all his experience and guile. I think the line outs were evenly contested with both sides loosing the ball on occasion; understandable given the conditions.

Did we miss Hazza?
No, Scott Bemand proved once again what an astute signing he was, his distribution was slick coupled with several sniping runs which threatened to put points on the board.

How did the scrum cope without White and Rowntree?
This was the most difficult part of the game for Tigers. Bath pressed their advantage through the excellent Bell, Mears, and Stevens forcing Tigers to concede several penalties allowing Bath to both press for points and turn a defensive position to their advantage. This isn’t of to much concern for the coming weeks as Tigers are unlikely to face a better front row during the Six Nations when our first choice props are missing.

Finally (Yeah I hear you cry!), to my man of the match. Given the conditions you would have thought most candidates would have been forwards, and they did battle gamely with Henry T. the most eye catching, but I think the fact that Healey and Bemand pressed for the honour demonstrates how much ambition Tigers showed on such a dreadful night. However, it is Andy Goode who is my MotM for his control and skill which kept Tigers on the front foot for large periods of the match.


Bath scores:
Pens: Malone 2

Leicester Tigers scores:
Pen: Goode
Drop goal: Healey

Teams

Bath:
Matt Perry, Andy Williams, Andrew Higgins (55, Tom Cheeseman) , Alex Crockett (55, Kieron Lewitt) , Joe Maddock, Chris Malone, Nick Walshe (68, Martyn Wood) , Matt Stevens, Lee Mears, Duncan Bell (73, Christian Loader) , James Hudson, Rob Fidler, Andy Beattie (c) , Michael Lipman (4, James Scaysbrook) , Zak Fea'unati.

Leicester Tigers:
Sam Vesty, John Holtby, Ollie Smith, Daryl Gibson, Austin Healey, Andy Goode, Scott Bemand, Michael Holford (70, John Rawson) , George Chuter, Darren Morris, Martin Johnson (c) , Louis Deacon, Henry Tuilagi (70, Brett Deacon) , Neil Back, Will Johnson.

Match referee: David Rose (Excellent 8/10)