London Scottish v London Welsh Preview
By Mark W-J
February 15 2012
Seven days on from the Six Nations clash between Wales and Scotland in Cardiff the battle will be re-enacted at domestic level on Sunday afternoon as London Scottish entertain London Welsh at Richmond Athletic Ground. Our hosts currently sit in 11th place and will face the uncertainty of the relegation play-offs, but they have rarely been outclassed during their first season back at this level.
It’s widely acknowledged that Andy Robinson’s team have major problems when it comes to scoring tries - Greig Laidlaw’s score on Sunday was their first in 385 minutes of test rugby - and, as a consequence, they lose far more often than they win. Defeat in the Calcutta Cup a fortnight ago saw them drop out of the Top 10 in the IRB rankings, but they rarely get credit for their ball retention and their defence. It’s unusual for the opposition to dominate possession and territory, and while Robinson’s 26 games in charge have seen 12 wins and 13 defeats - the best record of any Scotland coach in the 21st century - they seldom lose by more than a converted try. The same seems to apply to Simon Amor’s Exiles; they may be only one place off the foot of the table with five wins and 29 points from 20 games, but they’ve collected more losing bonus points (seven) than any other team in the Championship, and their attacking stats - 385 points, 36 tries and two try-bonuses - compare favourably with fifth-placed Leeds.
Nobody who witnessed the first meeting between our clubs three months ago will need reminding that they claimed a losing bonus point that afternoon and came within seconds of sneaking a victory, although the home supporters would have found defeat very hard to swallow. The Scots’ try came from winger David Howells, who intercepted a pass in his own 22 and ran over 80 yards to touchdown - just as he had in the final minute of their ‘winner-takes-all’ game at Barking on the final weekend of last season. But the real villain in the eyes of the Welsh was referee Matt Carly, whose interpretation of the laws of scrummaging seemed to contradict Newton’s third law of physics, and the award of two kickable penalties at the set-piece in the last 10 minutes saw the visitors take a one point lead with barely 90 seconds left to play. Fortunately for Welsh, in an attempt to secure the ball and ensure the vital four points replacement prop Alex Clarke was penalised for holding on and Gordon Ross - of all people - broke Scottish hearts with the decisive kick
London Scottish were, of course, our opponents in our very first game back on 21st October 1885, but Sunday’s encounter will be only our 64th meeting in over 125 years; by comparison we’ve faced Bedford on 113 occasions and Llanelli 132. It will, however, be our third get-together this season, including a one-sided affair in the B&I Cup under the lights at the Athletic Ground in September, and we also recorded a comfortable 67-12 win in a pre-season friendly in August 2010. Most clubs have just two games left to play in the regular season, although following two postponements Welsh still have to rearrange a home fixture with Doncaster. Scottish finish with a trip to Rotherham next Saturday, where the Titans will be looking to avenge their opening day reverse in Richmond. The Scots’ other four wins have all come against their bottom-four rivals, although only once - at Moseley - have they won on their travels, so defeat at Esher last Saturday will possibly have dented morale ahead of the play-offs. From a Welsh perspective, wins for the other top-four teams last weekend coupled with our defeat in Penzance in our last fixture three weeks ago mean that we now trail third-placed Bedford by seven points. If we are to claim second-place - which most people would have believed to be a realistic objective at the start of the season, and looked very achievable when we topped the table in mid-October - we need to not only pick-up three wins with at least a couple of try-bonuses, but also hope that both Bedford and Pirates drop points in their final two fixtures. Both still have to play Moseley, who despite languishing in 9th place have beaten both Welsh and Bristol this season and drew with the Pirates on the opening weekend, while Bristol travel down the M5 on Sunday for the pick of this weekend’s Championship fixtures.
The stand-out player for London Scottish this season has been fly-half Dan Mugford, a summer recruit from Cambridge, who is top points scorer with 189 and leading try-scorer with five from 14 appearances. They recruited many of the best players from their National One rivals over the summer, with a significant number following Alex Codling from Barking when he left the East London club to take up an appointment as Forwards Coach at Scottish; former Rosslyn Park lock Steve Pape, ex-Redruth No.8 Mark Bright, who was strongly linked with a move to ODP, and centre Ryan Westren, a recent signing from Launceston, have weighed-in with a further ten tries between them. Another recent recruit is Gerard Mullen, who has made two appearances since his move ahead of the transfer deadline, while the club appear to have been frustrated by their dual-registration deals, with Wasps centre Elliot Daly making a solitary league appearance thanks to his impressive form in the Premiership, while Guy Armitage has made seven domestic league appearances this season - two for the Scottish, two for Welsh and three for London Irish.
This is the first of a likely three games in ten days for Welsh which will go a long way to determining whether the 2011-12 season is judged as a success or failure; if we’re to build some momentum going into the play-offs you sense that Lyn Jones will have to draw on his years of experience of carefully managing his squad rotation policy. We’re widely acknowledged to have the biggest budget in the division, and it’s interesting that while the supporters are voicing their concerns over the selection policy, the players - with the possible exception of the aforementioned Gerard Mullen - seem happy with the way their game-time is being governed. Maybe, if the squad are approaching the business end of the season in peak condition, we’ll all be eating some humble pie come the end of May. Maybe…
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"There are no South West trains between Barnes & Richmond on Sunday ( a bus operates to/from Hounslow) or London Overground between Willesden Junction and Richmond but the District Line is operating normally from Embankment."
London Welsh: 15. Seb Jewell, 14. Will Hurrell, 13. Hudson Tonga’uiha*, 12. Simon Whatling, 11. Joe Ajuwa, 10. Gordon Ross* ©, 9. Jack Moates, 1. Shawn Pittman*, 2. Vili Ma’asi*, 3. Billy Moss, 4. Adam Brown, 5. Martin Purdy, 6. Lee Beach, 7. Michael Hills, 8. Ben Russell.
Replacements: 16. Saul Nelson, 17. Greg Bateman, 18. Mike Powell, 19. Matt Corker, 20. Rob Lewis, 21. Alex Davies, 22. James Lewis.
* Denotes full international
Despite two of these games being postponed not one position has remained unchanged. Three different selections at loosehead and tighthead, no use of the new signings (saving them for the play-offs?) and the selection of Thrower at 15 and Davies at 10 has not been repeated despite it seeming to be an answer to some of the problems we experienced against Pirates. Squad rotation or still experimenting?
Ovetall, it's canny. I'm assuming it's the same 22 both matches or is there someone coming back from injury on Wednesday who's not ready for Sunday?
Quote:DanFW3
With 2 matches coming up with only 2 days in between, Lyn has to juggle so as not to present a walkover at one of them (or both). Logically Donny should be the tougher fixture on the basis of table position but the home crowd for Scottish on Sunday could be substantial making the derby the tougher match. If it happens, but that's another story. I don't follow moving Hudson between inside and outside centre but imagine it's something to do with how Lewis and Whatling operate in the other centre slot; Hudson's good value wherever he plays as fas as I'm concerned. The front row switches simply reflect that the same players cannot be expected to push their hearts out on both Sunday and Wednesday, and I reckon has picked a tougher 3 for Sunday, but it's close as I rate both Bateman and Moss (and we know how good the others are). Back Row - who knows, there's a reason.
Ovetall, it's canny. I'm assuming it's the same 22 both matches or is there someone coming back from injury on Wednesday who's not ready for Sunday?
At last, a well balanced post.
We have 3 games in 7 days, don't know what players have niggles, etc., what players are coming back from injury, what players have picked up new injuries, etc. Give the coach a break & support his decisions and accept that he is in possession of all the facts & we are not.
Hudson I agree, has been outstanding whether he has been at inside or outside centre. Lewis has been a good complement to him at outside centre & was excellent at Rotherham. Whatling has been injured, but now back & will form a different type of partnership with Hudson - but Hudson is the key & happy to see either with him.
It will be great to see Bateman back & hoping to see Tideswell back in action soon aswell, as I think they will make a huge difference & the return of Dan George will increase competition at hooker.
What is for definite is that we will need more than 22 players to get us through the play-offs, - & Lyn is probably reflecting that in his selections.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2012:02:17:21:19:17 by CoventryWelsh.
Quote:DanFW3
I'm assuming it's the same 22 both matches or is there someone coming back from injury on Wednesday who's not ready for Sunday?
Players not in the 22 for Sunday (off the top of my head):
Thrower, Gibson, Mackey, Scott, Smith, Egerton, French, Halavatau, George, Duncan, Denbee, Jackson, Siggery.
Tideswell, Johnson and Mills still injured?
Possible DR - Lahiff and Armitage.
Strange that we've got two locks on the bench for Sunday with at least three back-row players twidling their thumbs.
How many matches has Mike Powell played this season?
Wonder if the EQP requirements have contributed to this low number of matches?
PPS There is also the EQP quota that has to be met and will effect selection & difficult decisions will have to be made over 2 players who actually play in different positions. EG. if I pick this non-EQP player in this position then I can't pick this non-EQP player in that position which will then effect who is picked in another position to keep the balance of the team (if you see what I mean !!). And all effected by who is on the injured list.
Best wing - non EQP
Best centre - non EQP
Best half backs - both non EQP
Hookers - all 3 non EQP
Pittman/Roan - non EQP
Powell - non EQP
Beach - non EQP
If many of the injured at the same time are then EQP - eg Bateman, Tideswell, Whatling, Mackay, Mills, Denbee ?
Selection may not be as easy as we think it is!!
What we really need is for some Englishman with good rugby genes - NOT Martin Johnson, whom I wouldn't wish as a granddad on anyone - to nobly step forward and admit that when in Tonga, Nigeria etc he spread his seed rather generously amongst those whose progeny or grandchildren turned out to play international rugby and then for us. It would help some Welshman did the same for another of the player's parents or grandparent's so they qualify for Wales too. It was all a lot easier when you only needed to play a couple of games for Bala.
Is Mike Powell on some loan deal whereby we don't get first dibs? He can run quite nicely in a straight line when given a ball, as we know! When he plays he makes a big difference,
There's a 70% chance of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, whereas it should be fine on Sunday (temperature falling rapidly only late after the game), so Lyn may have earmarked his mudbath specialists for the Doncaster match and his dry ground players for Sunday. Judging by reports of the Pirates match, though, maybe we have no mudbath specialists so this won't be a team selection issue.
Back to the earlier point, I don't think anyone believes that picking a team is easy but when there are so many changes week on week (as is often specifically mentioned in the official team announcement) then it is no wonder it becomes a topic of discussion. Such an approach to team selection may not be wrong but it is certainly unusual!
I can't ever remember being at this stage of the season and having no idea who the coach prefers in each (most?) of the positions. Results in the play offs will prove whether Lyn's way of doing things is successful when it really matters.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:02:18:16:22:40 by nld.
With the 'Welsh' heritage & values in London Welsh RFC & the desire to retain that, then it probably has more impact on LW than any other side in the Championship.
I think Lyn probably knows exactly who is best 22/23 is - but he has been hampered with a long list of injuries to key players & EQP considerations, so he also has to find out who is his next in line.
15 John Bordiss 14 Sean Morris 13 Ryan Westren 12 Charlie Hayter
11 Gerard Mullen 10 James Brown 9 Simon Amor
1 Alex Clarke 2 Tom Standfield 3 Alex MacKenzie 4 Alex Karonias
5 Josh Thomas Brown 6 Adam Kleeberger 7 James Kellard 8 Mark Bright
Replacements
16 Matt Johnson 17 Adam Kwasnicki 18 Ben Thomas 19 Willie Lipp
20 Matt Heeks 21 Agustin Gosio 22 Ollie Grove
So we're back in 4th with a game in hand on those above us. Nottingham also have a game in hand and could overtake our points and have a better points difference though they've 1 fewer win. Rotherham can only equal us on points and only then if we leave Wednesday without points, but have a worse points difference and one fewer win. Leeds also have a game in hand on the leading three, are only 7 points behind us in the table but have a negative points difference. So our 4th place in the table is not yet secured and it is doubtful we can rise to 2nd or 3rd though both are in theory possible.
Sadly I contrived to miss 3 of the Welsh tries. The first by getting caught in the familiar traffic snarl-up in Kew Road (every Sunday at 10 to 2 - why?) and in the second half by finding a real need to sit down owing to Scottish managing to sell out the stand seats whilst still showing a lot of empty seats up there when you got into the ground. They should also take lessons from a five-year-old on how to operate a barbecue without creating a smoke cloud worthy of the beaches at Dunkirk in May/June 1940. Nice fries even though the burger and banger were a little charred.
What little I saw of the game showed what a good player Seb Jewell is - the whole team seemed imbued with vim and was really trying to run in tries. Handling seemed snappy and it was bad luck to concede a try in the first half owing to a lucky bounce favouring the advancing Scot (though the defence preceding this was a little slack on this occasion) and later on the Scots scored a corner try with a deftness of catching a bounce and touching down swiftly whilst still upright in the next stride or so. No Martin Purdy in the starting line-up but I imagine he is being kept for Wednesday. Likewise Joe Ajuwa who like me was to be found in the food area truanting from watching play on the excuse of being on pushchair duty.
Nice to bump into Dave Ramsay after the match, child in hand, and - even as I spoke about who he was still in touch with - receiving a call from Dylan Pugh (Yes we had Welshmen in the team in those days!) who also has a baby now. See you all at ODP on Wednesday for the Doncaster rumble - book your time off work now (or, if a pensioner, skip the bingo, Countdown or yet another repeat of Antiques Roadshow).
As Mark's preview pointed out, Scottish have rarely been outclassed this season and yesterday was no different. I'd be very happy if we played them in the Championship again next season.
Quote:DanFW3
Agreed, both Scottish and Esher are probably worth a place in the Championship. Moseley seem under-resourced relatively. But I'd also be sorry to lose Plymouth Albion without whom Pirates will have no Championship neighbours until London if Bristol go up. Perhaps Esher will get the drop but, buoyed by RFU favourite son treatment, will bounce back the next season.
I bumped into John Inverdale in Dublin the other week and told him I was "worried about Esher".