Tykes Mugged by Leicester "Kids"
MotM
By John R
September 27 2005
Having missed all the Tykes games so far due to other commitments, (but of course reading the accounts and TykesRugby.co.uk,) it was with mixed degrees of apprehension and enthusiasm that I travelled to Headingley on Sunday.
Despite the forecast, the weather was wonderful, everyone was bathed in sunshine and really looking forward to a good match. Many Leicester fans had travelled up the M1, and they in turn may have been very apprehensive, given their track record of never having won in Leeds and fielding many ‘juniors’ from their squad. Most of their first team players were being rested, (after three games?) other than Lewis Moody of course, who is serving a six weeks ban, (only six weeks?) after trying to knock Jordan Crane’s nose off his face in an A team fixture.
So, to the game and Tykes started as they meant to go on, attack after attack with all involved, (good player bonding this!) and the occasional counter by Leicester until after ten minutes we conceded a penalty. Broadfoot misses, amidst sighs of relief from the Tykes crowd.
Immediately after that, an attack down the left appeared good but Biggs was judged to have stepped into touch. Damn! The attack continued until Snyman received man and ball together. The ball spilled, but Cornwell was down and out. (Andre is a hard guy to run into, not too sensible that!) However after a short break, Cornwell is up and about again.
Then disaster struck with the first try. Scored by Leon Lloyd after 12 minutes, through a gap out wide near Biggs who for the first time in living memory failed to put in a good tackle. (Not like Biggsy this, must do better!) Broadfoot misses the conversion. (0 - 5).
Tykes went immediately on the attack again and after much interpassing by many of the players, Snyman went in at the corner. De Marigny converts from the touchline and the Tykes supporters rejoice! ( 7 - 5.)
More good play from both sides followed with De Marigny, Jones and Snyman putting in big tackles in the middle of the park. Add Marshall, Crane, Dunbar, Parks and Murphy to that list as well, and the team appear to be gelling at last!. Good stuff!
After 20 minutes, Leicester were penalised after two attempts to throw the ball in straight and De Marigny gets another kick from touch. He just failed to make it, so the score remained at 7-5.
There then followed a chance to go further ahead. A bit of backchat from the Leicester boys pushed the penalty ten metres further on. (Austin Healey never stopped yapping at the ref. all match. No change there then!! ). De Marigny missed this one as well, and doom and gloom settles over the Tykes fans for a second.
The team show resilience, however, with more attacking. Jordan Crane charges down a clearance kick from Geordan Murphy but despite promise, this attack is repelled. On 38 minutes, Broadfoot takes another penalty but the result is another miss. More sighs of relief!
A late Leicester attack sees Crane stop Tuigli in full flight, (impressive or what?) but Leicester keep attacking. Austin Healey is held up over the line but then Cornwell goes over just before half time and Broadfoot is at last successful with a kick.
Half time (7 - 12.)
Gerber is brought on for Shelley after the break, with Gavin Kerr taking Shelley's blindside spot, leaving Gerber is specialist tighthead role, and he immediately starts a forward rush, (carrying most of the Leicester pack with him!) to within ten metres of their line. Welcome back Rayno! We have missed you doing this! From this platform Murphy eventually crosses on 45 minutes, (Austin Healey incandescent with rage, but wrong again!) and De Marigny once again does the business. The Tykes fans are rejoicing again! (14 - 12.)
A Leicester high kick ahead sees Lewis Deacon take out Balshaw standing waiting for the ball and he is despatched for a 10-minute rest. Balshaw lies still, the stretcher appears but is not needed. Balsh groggily gets to his feet and is ok.
Marshall puts a superb grubber to the corner from his own half on 49 minutes and from the lineout, Murphy crosses again, only to be judged to have been help up. Disgust from the Tykes fans! How can anyone hold Murph up?
Leicester substitute Chuter and Jennings for Taukafa and Wil Johnson on 51 minutes then immediately concede a penalty which De Marigny kicks. (17 - 12) more rejoicing! But was it the right option with the Tigers' scrum under severe pressure? A scrum with Deacon missing may have resulted in 7 points?
On 57 minutes, Broadfoot gets another penalty, almost immediately followed by Leicester conceding one at the other end from which De Marigny scores. (20 - 15) and Tykes fans beginning to think this is the one, with the Leicester faithful remembering their record at Headingley. Looking as if it may stay!
On 64 Crane & Murphy depart, (why every one asks?) They have been very busy around the park and the pick of the Tykes forwards in the loose. Very strange decision. Hooper and Thomas replace.
A Tykes kick ahead is gathered by Tuilagi and at full speed, he is bounced into touch by Biggs & Rees combining. Well done to both wingers, good co-operation! However a penalty is soon conceded and on 68 minutes Broadfoot adds a further three points, (20 - 18.)
On 72 minutes, Lloyd departs for Varndell and Ollie Smith goes with a leg injury, to be replaced by Hipkiss. On 76 minutes Bulloch is replaced by Rawlinson, (why, at this stage in the match?) and almost immediately the Tykes concede a penalty at a lineout on 80 minutes which Broadfoot kicks, (20 - 21) Doom!!!
Into injury time and a fine attack by the Tykes is stopped by another very poor decision by the ref. penalising Balshaw for ‘not releasing’ in a tackle with a huge overlap in place. The South Stand erupted in anger (quite correctly) as the ref. was unsighted and had his arm in the air before Balshaw was grounded. This so disgusted and dispirited the Tykes that from the resulting play Deacon scored a try out of nothing with Broadfoot adding the points. 20 - 28 at full time in a game which Tykes should have won and deserved to.
So, not even a loosing bonus point and again we are all wondering why? London Irish went to Twickenham playing rugby and wanting to score try’s, (what a change from last year, but well done them.) Saracens seem to be a bit of a handfull, but after the reports from the Wasps match, (leading at half-time, can’t be bad,) This one could be a possibility and so it proved.
Stars of the show. Well, Man of the Match, Murphy, (well deserved), the back row in total, Rayno Gerber looking very sharp, Palmer a bit quiet but doing good stuff at times, though the forwards need to sharpen up on line-outs, we didn’t get anywhere near enough. Pushed plenty in the scrums though, that looked good. Marshall is certainly looking useful, (as one would expect!) DeMarigny is very sound both in attack and defence and a very different and more positive style to Ross. Snyman and Jones put in some big tackles, Biggs and Balshaw looked very sharp. But we are conceding too many penalties! Broadfoot missed three in the first half. How bad would that have been if he had suceeded?
What now? Well the work effort and commitment is certainly positive. We have talented players out there and the do need our support. Many of the 7,143 were from Leicester, who, of the ones stood near me, couldn’t understand why the Tykes are struggling with results. In their opinion, Tykes are much better than some of the sides in the Guiness Premiership. Praise indeed, do hope they are right! Strage to replace Crane and Murphy (at all!) and Bulloch just a few minutes from the end. Very curious decisions these.
Is there any possibilty that we, (all the Premiership teams and followers,) could eventually get a group of officials who understand things and are seen to be impartial to all and perform in a manner which the players and the fans understand and agree.
Mr Debney (not seen him before that I can recall,) was really no better or worse than most. At times, they all make amazingly crass and stupid decisions in front of thirty players and thousands of fans who only have the best wishes of the game at heart. Roll on that day!