Leicester v Northampton - Zurich Preview

By Mark H
October 24 2003

Well, next up it’s that game we all used to travel to every season full of hope and come away from disappointed. That may have now been replaced by the Powergen Cup Final, but Leicester Tigers at Welford Road is probably the fixture that we all looked for after the events of 30th November 2002.

Before reflecting on that though, go back a further two days to Sky’s Rugby Club prior to that game. Stuart Barnes came out with the immortal quote:-

“…Northampton… have their glass of wine rather than (Tigers) pint of bitter…”

Well, since that St Andrew’s Day when Budge went over from close range and ended the 57 match streak, most of the wine has moved thirty miles north, and to the annoyance of the Tigers faithful, it seems to be vino collapso, because that’s exactly what has happened - the hats and the wheels are now so far apart Broonie’s being called in to handle the divorce. They scraped into the European Cup thanks to a Neil Back try deep into extra time in the Wildcard final, and their troubles have continued this season. Yes, they are missing players - West, White, Johnson, Kay, Moody, Corry, Back, Lyle and Murphy - but then so are everyone else, it’s just unfortunate for them that their pack has been particularly decimated and that their best back has a broken leg.

All is not well in the Tigers lair though. Josh Kronfeld, captain for the first half of the season, is supposed to be departing come December. Tim Stimpson, kicker of so many of those vital points during the years of dominance, is departing, off to Perpignan for the start of their European Cup campaign. Austin Healey, their main creative influence, is still recovering from the career-threatening injury that ultimately kept him out of the World Cup (twice). And young lock James Hamilton, after such a promising start to the season in Johnson’s shirt, is now out for eight weeks following his red card for stamping at Leeds on Sunday.

That’s not to say that they are without quality, as Rowntree, Kronfeld, Healey and Stimpson are all masters of their craft, and Harry Ellis, Ollie Smith and Will Skinner are all heading towards regular international honours. I do wonder though whether it could be one of the rare occasions this season that the Saints beleaguered pack are going into a game with the upper hand, and that they may be able to provide a platform for Sharky and Shine to stretch the Tigers defence. Indeed, the average age of the Tigers team is such that they may not even be able to drink that wine; Ribena may even be too strong. Suffice to say that the Academy match at Christmas could feature a hell of a lot of Tigers with first team experience (although Saints won’t be that short either).

Tigers have suffered two home defeats in the last eleven months (see, lose one and the floodgates open!), being beaten 20-19 by London Irish late last season, and 22-16 by Sale three weeks ago. The fortress has not, however, been that strong over the last season or so, with a one point victory over Leeds, two points over Bath, three points over Wasps, five points over Gloucester, and this season, seven points over Newcastle in a game that they came back from 18-3 down to win 28-21. No less an authority than Martin Johnson commented that they had lost games that in previous seasons they would have won, so it could have been a lot worse for them. The Sale game was a case in point - Stimpson missed penalties he would normally have knocked over blindfolded, and the points went north.

Things are pretty bad currently, three league defeats on the trot (to Sale, Gloucester and Leeds), something which they’ve only suffered once previously in the professional era, at the end of 1996-97. A fourth would create an unwanted record, but on Tigers’ side, we have to go back to 1972/73 for the last time that a Saints team won in successive seasons at Welford Road. Indeed, such has been the paucity of success since then that Saints have picked up two draws and two wins (including November’s) in the thirty years that have followed. That record needs changing, and quickly. They’ve also not lost successive home league games since 1990/91 and, to me, the most astonishing fact of the lot - they apparently haven‘t lost four games on the trot since 1966. Now that in particular is a credit to everyone at Leicester in the years since.

Currently tenth in the league, and without wishing to rub it in too much, were it not for the presence of Rotherham in the top division, they would soon start looking over their shoulders should the bad run continue. Saints have obviously been there, and it hurts, and the pressure must be starting to grow on Dean Richards and John Wells to produce results. With Deano joking that he thought about making a comeback, how he must wish for someone of his ilk available to pull boots on for him.

Don’t expect to hear much about the Leicester team before late Friday, with fitness tests for Kronfeld and Healey, but such is the need for a positive result I would expect the strongest available side to be named. Potentially that means two Lions in the front row, in Graham Rowntree and Darren Morris, with George Chuter hooking in between them. Locks will probably be Louis Deacon, and in the absence of the suspended Hamilton, his “replacement” last week Tom Ryder. The back row will be pretty interesting, with the vastly experienced Kronfeld being joined by the refreshingly talented Will Skinner (and what a fine young player he looks, very in the Neil Back mode and full of good Northamptonshire blood), and one of Brett Deacon, Will Johnson, Henry Tuilagi or Adam Balding. Will they go for pace, with Skinner and Balding, or brute strength with Tuilagi and Johnson? I would guess that having seen what happened to Newcastle’s pack last Saturday, they will start with the pace option and try to exploit any tiredness late on.

At scrum half, the aforementioned Healey or Harry Ellis? Healey is possibly the most talented all round back in the English game, and if fully recovered from injury is an asset to any side. Harry Ellis will, I believe, be playing at nine for England in the 2007 World Cup. Both have played on the wing - and believe it or not, Ellis was lifted in the lineout at Leeds - and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see both on the field from the start. Sam Vesty seems to have got the upper hand on Ramiro Pez for the fly half shirt, and will probably be doing most of the place kicking as Deano searches for the alternative to the nearly departed Stimpson.

With the ex-Bristol connection being everywhere these days, Tigers have one of the ones I personally would have liked to see in a Saints shirt. Daryl Gibson has played every game this season, and reports suggest that he has been one of the shining lights in the gloom. With Ollie Smith alongside him, centre is not one of the positions that Leicester struggle in. On the wing, it could be a different story. Leon Lloyd was subject of the wrath of many Tigers fans last season, and although he has yet to score this season, his performances are much improved. It is likely though that he will be up against Air Bruce, which leaves the battle of youth and experience on the other wing, John Holtby for Tigers against Sleights. If the ball gets out that far, this could be one of the game’s key areas - can the know-how of our man beat his fellow Yorkshireman’s developing skills? Finally, Tim Stimpson will most likely start at full back after Luke Myring’s injury last week.

What of our heroes? Well, Smithy named the following line-up:-

15 Nick Beal
14 Jon Sleightholme
13 Mark Tucker
12 John Leslie
11 Bruce Reihana
10 Shane Drahm
9 Mark Robinson
1 Brett Sturgess
2 Dan Richmond
3 Chris Budgen
4 Matt Lord
5 Rob Hunter
6 Mark Connors
7 Darren Fox
8 Andrew Blowers

REPLACEMENTS
16 Matt Miles
17 Jon Golding
18 Jon Phillips
19 Grant Seely
20 Johnny Howard
21 James Brooks
22 Chris Hyndman

Shane Drahm needs one point to complete his first league century for the Saints, and Bruce Reihana is defending an unbeaten record at Welford Road, having won in both the league game and an even rarer Wanderers victory two months later. I just get the feeling though that the immense performances will come from the pack, and Messrs Lord, Hunter and Blowers in particular. The victory last year was built on defence, and with Tigers having scored only 9 tries in six matches to Saints’ 17, if the defence can remain as tight then I’m sure that the backs will capitalise.

For the prediction, I’m going back to the drink. A Party Four and Sunny Delight for the Saints and a Blue Nun for Deano. I’ll make do with a one point win, but I think it will be more. Whatever happens, it will be memorable. If we do win, can someone take my credit card away from me before I leave the ground please, as it really can’t take another (marvellous) hammering. And remember to thank them all for the sponsorship!

The last word is with Uncle Keith, talking again back on 28th November 2002.

“Perhaps next year, we’ll have a real go at Leicester.”

I hope so Keith, I really hope so.