Tigers v Northampton LV Final Preview
By ChrisC
March 12 2012
From Sea to Shining Sea. America the Beautiful; a poem written by Katherine Lee Bates, later adapted and set to the music of Samuel A Ward, sums up the USA’s citizens’ love of their country “from sea to shining sea”. I’ve spent a lot of time in the USA both on business and latterly for recreation and have always had a fondness for the country and the people that I met and friends who live in San Francisco.
The events of 9/11 though changed America and the Americans in the way that the terrorist bombings we have endured over the years never did the stoical British.
The assault on the American’s common psyche of having an attack of such magnitude on their soil cannot be over stated. Prior to this, and since the British came home, the Japanese were the only foreigners to lay a hand on their inviolate land when they shelled the Elwood oil field in southern California and Fort Stevens in Oregon during the Second World War. They also managed an ineffective bombing of Mount Emily and sent 9000 fire balloons over the west coast but didn’t really lay a glove on the USA. Even during the depths of the Cold War Americans felt confident of their invulnerability protected by a massive military and nuclear arsenal coupled with secure borders.
Since 9/11 paranoia has gripped the successive governments of George W Bush and Barack Obama, a paranoia which is widely shared by the citizenry. This, coupled with the financial collapse of 2008, which has seen vast swathes of middle America submerged under notices pinned to properties proclaiming short sales, straight sales and foreclosures, has seen the old swagger and confidence, that was so in evidence during the tenures of Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, shrivel.
The USA is pulling up the drawbridge while at the same time Obama moves the USA toward the social democratic European model.
With an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, high unemployment, embroiled in a deeply costly and unpopular war in Afghanistan and impotent to restrain the ambitions of their main creditor in Beijing, who holds much of their $16 trillion of sovereign debt, a debt which is fast accelerating toward $20 trillion, baffled as to what to do about the burgeoning threat of a nuclear Iran and an increasingly truculent Israel and generally seeing their international influence wane, things have changed for the USA.
For the first time in my personal experience they seem uncertain as to what the future holds in store for the land of the free.
The USA feels different now, less assured, less confident but yet for all that the Stars and Stripes still flutter from flagpoles in suburban front gardens. Patriotic songs are even more widely sung and while foreigners sneer at the concept of the principals that the Americans hold so dear, that of the American Flag, Motherhood and Apple Pie, as being a triumvirate of schmaltzy nationalism, the Americans that I know remain fiercely proud of their country from sea to shining sea.
I have, over my many years of supporting Tigers, had many opportunities to feel proud of the team and yet the team’s performance at The Recreation Ground last Friday made me as proud as I can remember.
OK it’s only the semi final of the unloved LV= Cup, not a Heineken Cup final in Paris but yet it was a vintage Tigers’ performance, full of guts and character as a, largely, second string team took on the might of a full strength Bath outfit and prevailed.
The following day a Saints team, also without a few players who one would normally consider as starters, took on a below strength Scarlets and, after early on spending much time manning the defensive redoubt, led by the indefatigable Paul Diggin, sent them back to Llanelli nursing a 27 point to 12 beating, the visitors, for all their waves of attack, restricted to four penalties from Stephen Jones while Scott Armstrong and Alex Waller crossed for the hosts.
Saints and Tigers should have similar motivations in regarding this final as both are in the top four of the Premiership and look likely to qualify for the senior European competition without the need of the fillip of such qualification assigned to the LV= Cup. Richard Cockerill is already on the record as saying that he will, injuries permitting, largely continue with the match day squad that was victorious at not only The Recreation Ground but also at The Stoop earlier in the competition.
It is to be hoped therefore that Jim Mallinder is similarly minded and is not tempted to roll out his big guns from the off to augment a squad which already contained over a dozen players who would be strong contenders for a Premiership match day squad.
Tigers should, on this premise, again start with the underused, but always effective, Rob Hawkins in harness with the hard scrummaging Boris Stankovitch. However I suspect that after his exertions we may see Logovi’i Mulipola in the starting line up with the venerable Julian White making a cameo appearance in what could be his last match for Tigers.
Jim Mallinder started with Soane Tonga’uhia on the bench against the Scarlets until the big Tongan international, capped a dozen times, made an appearance for the final quarter and destroyed any residual resistance from the Scarlets in the scrum. Mallinder may though stick with the talented youngster Alex Waller to start, who has been well managed in the Premiership with three starts and, importantly, fifteen appearances from the bench and who looked accomplished against the Welsh side and scored a well taken forwards’ try to set his team on their way as early as the sixteenth minute after a period of prolonged pressure from the visitors.
Andy Long, the less than subtle veteran scrummager, will doubtless continue to fill the space vacated by the current England hooker; Dylan Hartley, while the experienced and regular first team player Paul Doran-Jones continues on the tight head. I thought it took Doran-Jones a bit of time to settle into his new surroundings at Franklins Gardens after his move from Kingsholm but Brian Mujati is having to fight for a berth these days.
If I’m right (which admittedly would be a rarity, even were the selection for LV= Cup games not so variable) then I can see an edge for Tigers up front at scrum time unless Tonga’uhia starts of course.
Tigers gave a start to Calum Green, who’s seen little match time this term, and he paired up with Graham Kitchener who, in the last few weeks, has shown his doubters what all the fuss was about when he joined Tigers from Worcester at the beginning of this season. He’s been most impressive and with his mobility could be become the stuff of Tigers’ legend, added to which his line out work is top class.
Another of Saints’ normal first team squad; Christian Day started against Scarlets and showed what a lynchpin the ex Sale lock is both in the line out and the execution of Saints’ powerful driving game and with which Scarlets couldn’t cope. He was joined by young James Craig who got a rare start while the experienced Mark Sorenson warmed the bench before making an appearance later on.
Craig looks a decent prospect with tremendous defence which saw him instrumental in denying Scarlets’ Dominic Day a try after sustained pressure from the visitors. He also showed some deft handling skills but for all that I wouldn’t be surprised to see American Eagle Manu Manoa brought in to bolster the pack, not that it needs it!
I hope Tigers are doing lots of work on preventing the Saints’ maul working so well as it proved a rich source of penalties from the match day referee last Sunday; Dean Richards.
Steve Mafi was the only back row player to start for Tigers from the breakaway trios which were on parade in the five preceding matches. Mafi was once again splendid in all facets of the game and maybe Tom Croft was inspired, in Paris, to produce his best performance in an England shirt for some time, so as to stake a claim for the blindside berth when he breaks free from England.
Craig Newby made his first start of the season after recovering from knee surgery and brought real determination to Tigers’ work at the breakdown giving Louw a night to remember, but not in a good way for the Springbok star.
Ben Pienaar, another dogged by injury, was similarly solid and dogged and this second string unit gave an excellent account of themselves against the Bath stars until Julian Salvi and Thomas Waldrom came on to relieve them. Waldrom looked less than his normal ebullient self, maybe too long around the England camp wasting his time has finally debilitated him.
With current England international flanker Tom Wood likely to again be at the forefront of Mallinder’s thoughts I wonder if Salvi will be preferred to start with Newby in reserve with Waldrom will be back at #8.
Wood was everywhere on Sunday popping up in attack in the centres, making his usual contribution in the line out and tackling like an Exocet. He had first team regular Calum Clark aiding and abetting him and with another regular starter, the Belfast bound Roger Wilson, crashing the ball up and scything down the opposition, Jim Mallinder put out a full strength breakaway unit and I’d bet he’ll do the same next Sunday, so Richard Cockerill will have to match fire with fire if the breakdown battle is not to be lost.
With Lee Dickson still off directing traffic with England the excellent Martin Roberts again started and with his pack dominant produced another good performance as did Tigers’ James Grindal who was fast, accurate and very feisty. He’s been understudied of late by eighteen year old Scott Steele but with Micky Young back from exile, unless Sam Harrison is recovered from injury, I’d expect the ex Falcon to be in the squad as young Steele looks pretty raw yet.
Stephen Myler, he of the “Master Po eyes” was very assured with the boot and with Myler you know what you’re getting whereas Ryan Lamb is the fly half to provide the unexpected but his presence does require some defensive adjustments as he still looks vulnerable to robust attack. Both are regular first team players so once we see who’s to start we’ll pretty much know the style that Saints are going to play.
George Ford delivered a kicking master class to frustrate and then dismantle Bath, his calmness still something to behold and Toby Flood is probably wondering not only if he can get the England shirt back but how he’s going to wrest the Tigers’ shirt from young Ford, who’ll surely start on Sunday with Flood on the bench. As all things England are, if one listens to the spin, seemingly so wondrous he’ll not be needed by Lancaster and Farrell who have Hodgson and Farrell junior available.
The Tigers’ half backs will, given a solid platform by the forwards, be capable of giving a good account of themselves opposite the Saints’ duo and if Billy Twelvetrees again capitalises on the pinpoint accuracy of Ford’s kicking there could be some pickings there as it will have been of some concern to the Saints’ coaching team that the Scarlets, even without their stars in the back line, managed to get over the Northampton gain line so often and with apparent ease at times.
Erstwhile England international Tom May had the inside centre duties last weekend and was as robust as usual but there were gaps around him and Scarlets were finding holes though the 12/13 channel where I expect Twelvetrees to continue his good form but with young Forsyth getting a knock he could well be reunited with Matt Smith to oppose Saints’ signing of the season; George Pisi who is a wonderful player and one of those who, once he has the ball in hand, the crowd holds its collective breath. He made another of his sublime breaks last Sunday before serving up a silver service pass for ex Leeds winger Scott Armstrong to finish off with aplomb for Saints’ second try and the Samoan international centre will be the danger man when Saints get onto the front foot.
Armstrong, who’s had limited opportunity since jumping ship from the foundering Leeds, where he was again a squad player, looks a decent sort. He certainly worked hard and with the opposition missing so many backs with Wales, he made good inroads and defended well so it’s hard to see why he’d not keep his place.
If Armstrong is in play then he’ll probably be facing Horacio Agulla who was once again a thorough nuisance to the opposition defence last Friday and created holes around himself for others to fill and so it may prove a tougher task of containment for the hosts’ Lancastrian winger than it was last weekend.
In the #14 shirt for Saints was Vasily Artemyev who hasn’t scored a try since December having gorged himself during the first part of the season. The Russian international isn’t playing as well as he was back then while scoring tries for fun so it’s to be hoped by Tigers that he doesn’t mount a late season revival.
Tigers’ prospect young Alex Lewington didn’t have a chance to shine and show his prodigious pace down at The Rec., as it wasn’t that sort of game and I wonder of Richard Cockerill will be tempted to bring back Alex Tuilagi into the squad to run at the Saints’ halfbacks.
Scott Hamilton got the nod at full back against Bath while Geordan Murphy put his feet up but it would be a mighty strange circumstance if the club captain is available and not selected to play in a cup final, so I’d expect to see him back in the #15 shirt squinting down the length of the Sixways pitch at Paul Diggin who’s been keeping Foden’s spot warm and doing so very well indeed. He was in fact my personal Man of the Match against Scarlets as he saved his team over and over again when the Welsh team were mounting repeated attacks and is the epitome of a “club man” in the Matt Smith mould.
It is of course impossible to know what the outcome will be of this first trophy deciding match of the season it being at a neutral venue and with the basis of selection by the team managements likely to need a visit to Bletchley Park to work out but I sense that Tigers may just have enough to edge it but in truth that’s just a bit of the old “one eye” as there’s nothing to choose between the potential teams.
So that’s it, we’re off for a bit of a break over Easter but I’ll be back to have a look at Tigers’ prospects when they once again meet Sunday’s opponents at Franklins Gardens in the Premiership on 14th April and by which time I shall be back from across the shining sea.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:03:23:17:57:26 by Tiggs.
Excellent, balanced preview. Looking forward to Sunday already.
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There is usually a link to the rugby bit though and this time it was pride.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:03:13:10:04:32 by ChrisC.
Looking forward to a mother's day treat for Tigers mums on Sunday
) as I'll be watching one of the young Connormen in his first East Midlands Cup Final at Peterborough in the afternoon.
But here's to a cracking game for both supporters.
Our own trans-Atlantic import, one Samu Manoa, has been a driving-force for Saints all season and his prodigious tackling is a wonder to behold.
This will be the first time Saints and Tiggs have met in any sort of Cup Final. No doubt we are all looking forward to a tremendous contest, no shenanigans from any Tuilagis or Ashtons, and another dish fit to be set before the king - the king that is the East Midlands rugby supporter...
*I could agree with you - but then we'd both be wrong...*
