Heading to Headingley - Tykes Preview

Saints go to Leeds on Friday evening (although if traffic reports are to be believed, setting out last weekend wouldn’t have been a bad idea), desperate to end of the run of five games in which the performance level has got progressively worse. The two European successes of the last two weekends have arrested the slide somewhat, but should Saints fall behind early in the game, no doubt all the memories of that dreadful run will resurface.

The Tykes were many peoples tips for relegation at the start of the season, but I fail to see why, as it would involve them having to slide further from the levels of last season, when after getting into the Heineken Cup, the pace could not be maintained and they finished eleventh. That position was not helped by losing more players than most to the World Cup (and in key positions), plus injuries to the likes of Dan Scarbrough and Andre Snyman. Interesting then that one of those pre-season signings was the injury prone Iain Balshaw (admittedly to replace the equally suffering Scarbrough), plus a recovering Tim Stimpson after having nearly a full year out of the game.

One of the benefits of signing Balshaw though was that he will be keen to prove a point to Bath in that they released him too early, and in signing Stimpson they’ve got the Premiership’s second highest points scorer, wanting to return to the form that he showed in winning championships at both Newcastle and Leicester.

Another more recent signing in Rayno Gerber, a 23 year old prop fresh out of the Free State Cheetahs’ Currie Cup run (beaten in the semi-finals by the eventual champions the Blue Bulls). Gerber has stated that he’s come to England to learn more about himself and the game, to challenge himself, and to try and win a call up to Jake White’s Springbok squad. At twenty stone, he’ll provide a big challenge to the fit again Robbie Kempson when making his debut on Friday night.

And in a slight twist, just as COYSDC sponsor Chris Budgen, TykesRugby.co.uk are now sponsors of Gerber. What is it about props that we all appreciate?

The Leeds team:-

15 Tim Stimpson

14 Iain Balshaw

13 Chris Bell

12 Andre Snyman

11 Tom Biggs

10 Gordon Ross

9 Alan Dickens

8 Colm Rigney

7 Dan Hyde

6 Jon Dunbar

5 Tom Palmer (captain)

4 Scott Morgan

3 Rayno Gerber

2 Mark Regan

1 Mike Shelley

16 Gavin Kerr

17 Rob Rawlinson

18 Michael Cusack

19 Chris Murphy

20 Alix Popham

21 Mark McMillan

22 David Rees

Tykes have only won one (a 24-19 win over Worcester in a game that was described as particularly tetchy in the forwards by one who was there) of the last nine games at Headingley, so away successes over Saracens and Irish last time out have helped them rise above Saints in the table - although saying that, there is a case for Saints having fallen below Leeds. They also exited the European Challenge Cup last Friday night after another home loss, 18-17 to Grenoble, with the try coming very, very late on. It’s good to see that the stuffiness that the Leicester sides coached by Dean Richards had, has now transferred to his new side.

Leeds now go to VRAC of Valladolid in the Shield, and it appears likely that the winners of the prospective quarter-final against Worcester may well win that particular trophy.

Alan Solomons will be praying for another performance like last Saturday’s, and to aid that cause he makes four changes to the starting line-up, three of which are enforced. Injury rules out Tom Smith and Matt Lord, the eight week suspension for use (or not) of his head eliminates Darren Fox, whilst Dan Richmond drops to the bench, rather unluckily after a very good performance last weekend. In their place come the fit again Robbie Kempson, Matt Lord, and Steve Thompson, whilst Grant Seely returns at number eight with AB moving back to his best position of blindside flanker. The Saints team:-

15 Bruce Reihana
14 Wylie Human
13 Marc Stcherbina
12 Chris Hyndman
11 Ben Cohen
10 Paul Grayson
9 Mark Robinson
1 Chris Budgen
2 Steve Thompson
3 Robbie Kempson
4 Selborne Boome
5 Damien Browne
6 Andrew Blowers
7 Corne Krige (captain)
8 Grant Seely

16 Dan Richmond
17 Brett Sturgess
18 Ed O’Donoghue
19 Mark Soden
20 Johnny Howard
21 Shane Drahm
22 Andy Vilk

Surely, this will be the week that things change. In the seven meetings between the two sides, Leeds have won just once, during the Autumn internationals of 2002. I can’t see it happening again, but it may well take as long as it did back in May to break them down. Saints by five - and happiness for me…