RuckedOver's 2014 Gong-Fest

As 2014 bites the dust, we at RuckedOver take a look at the best, the worst, and the weirdest of the year in our annual gong-fest, which, to be honest, is the only set of awards in the rugby world anyone really cares about.  Probably.

International Team of the Year

The All Blacks were, by and large, awesome once again (yawn), and England Women were deserved winners of the World Cup, but I find it hard to look past Ireland.  Let's not forget just how crap they were for most of 2013, and they lost their talisman, Brian O'Driscoll, mid-way through this year.  But Joe Schmidt is building a side with power, invention and pragmatism in equal measure; a side that can start to get noted as genuine World Cup contenders (albeit dark horses), with convincing wins over South Africa and Australia providing plenty of optimism for fans from the Emerald Isle. 

Domestic Team of the Year

Northampton Saints and Toulon spring to mind quickly, with both bringing home domestic and European doubles, but let's be honest, they were pretty much favourites before the year began, with out and out quality bursting from the seams.  But the big surprise for me was the Waratahs, who won their maiden Super XV title.  Yes, they have a sprinkling of stardust via the likes of Izzy Folau, Kurtley Beale and Adam Ashley-Cooper, but it is the emergence of new stars from their ranks that have really propelled them into 'Champion' status – the intelligent and sharp Bernard Foley and the amusingly large Will Skelton were two real stand-outs this year.  A great year for Sydney-siders.

Player of the Year

Brodie Retallick was the pundit's choice, winning the World Rugby Player of the Year award despite looking like Lurch from the Adams Family, but I'm leaning towards Duane Vermeulen.  The big South African has really added to his game, going from a cumbersome thug to athletic maestro in just over a year, and can now genuinely be placed into the same bracket as the exceptional Keiran Read.  Yes, he works well in the tight and makes yards where you shouldn't, but his ability to attack the wider channels – in a very Read-like manner – has been a huge asset for the Springboks, who have used sublime offloading skills and surprising pace for a big chap to great effect.

Breakthrough of the Year

George Ford and Malaki Fekitoa look like they will be big stage players for the next decade or so, but the emergence of Rhys Webb has really impressed me.  Mike Phillips has held down that 9 shirt for the best part of 6 years, despite being appallingly average for the last 3, and so it is great for Welsh rugby that someone with real intelligence, pace and confidence has stepped in to make the shirt his own.  Yes, he still has some learning to do, but he looks like a guy who will be giving defensive coaches nightmares for years to come.

Team of the Year

1. Joe Marler (England), 2. Agustin Creevy (Argentina), 3. Owen Franks (New Zealand), 4. Brodie Retallick (New Zealand), 5. Samu Manoa (USA), 6. Chris Robshaw (England), 7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand), 8. Duane Vermeulen (South Africa), 9. Rhys Webb (Wales), 10. Johnny Sexton (Ireland), 11. Julian Savea (New Zealand), 12. Jean De Villiers (South Africa), 13. Tevita Kuridrani (Australia), 14. Ben Smith (New Zealand), 15.  Willie Le Roux (South Africa).

Coach of the Year

It could quite easily have gone to Gary Street for leading England's Women's side to World Cup glory, but Joe Schmidt has to take the award.  Taking on a side that was about as threatening as a damp flannel, Schmidt has re-ignited that trademark passion and aggression within the ranks and has complimented it with an accurate gameplan for the pack and real variety in the backline.  He also seems to have coped with the loss of Brian O'Driscoll pretty well, although the search for his long term successor goes on.

Try of the Year

Derick Hougaard v New Zealand.  It doesn't matter that he had a pants season when you get to finish off this beauty.  Watch and drool:

Match of the Year

There were so many to choose from – the Springboks downing the All Blacks, England and Ireland in a classic arm wrestle, but the second test of South Africa v Wales in the summer had it all.  Utter heartbreak for the men in red, but 100% commitment from both sides and some wonderful tries to boot.  Also known as Liam Williams' worst day of the year.

The Danny Care Sh*t Haircut Award

With Danny Care's haircut swaying dangerously towards the sensible these days, I'm left with no choice than to look to Jack Nowell once again.  The only saving grace of that straightened, coloured, mulletted and rat-tailed monstrosity of a turd on his bonce is that it's covered up by a scrum cap.  Awfully decent of you, Jack.  A special mention to Luke Cowan-Dickie, who still has a sh*t mullet, but at least it's not coloured any more.  The pair of them, between them, are risking Exeter's status as everyone's favourite second side.

Surprise of the Year

The Chiefs have surprised the Premiership this year with many (including myself) anticipating that they would struggle, and Ireland's resurgence has certainly raised a few eyebrows, but I think the whole of England is pretty much stunned by just how cr*p London Welsh are.  They caused an upset by beating Bristol to reach the Premiership, surprised us all by sacking off half of that promotion winning side and filling the spaces with journeymen and Premiership rejects with nonetheless top-flight experience, and then that side continued to surprise us by shipping roughly 50 points a game.  Yes, the side has not been put together well, despite the efforts of their talented coaches, but it still goes to show the problems that the ludicrous Play-Off system in the Championship pose, forcing clubs to panic buy with no time for integration.

Cock-up of the Year

Liam Williams, Dylan Hartley or Delon Armitage all deserve slaps around the head for various incidents of stupity, but the overall award actually goes to the Leicester Tigers management.  Whether that's Richard Cockerill, or the men above him (such as Peter Tom), I don't know, but what we do know is that the decision not replace Matt O'Connor with an established backs coach was a brain-bustingly crap decision.  Geordan Murphy will one day be a fine coach, but not after half a season, and the man who became 'attack coach', Paul Burke, was officially the world's most boring man – the poor bloke was given the chop for the mistakes of the men above him.  If you compare Leicester's approach to Northampton's, who snapped up the well-regarded Alex King, the results are clear to see – and not just from the last encounter, where the Tigers were outplayed despite having a 1 man advantage for 70 minutes.  A side boasting the likes of Tuilagi, Burns, Goneva, Tait, Allen and Benjamin should not be less threatening than a bag of kittens and, although Aaron Mauger has been booked in for next year, it is 12 months too late from the Leicester board.

Quote of the Year

"I don't hate anyone.  Peace and love.  I just don't like c*nts." – Martin 'Confucius' Castrogiovanni.



Words to live by, Castro.  That seems like an appropriate note on which to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and a successful 2015!

Premiership Review - Northampton Saints 23 - 19 Leicester Tigers

Saints v Tigers games are so...predictable.  They’ll be tries, last minute scores, fights, cards and bone-shuddering hits.  Every time.  But the result, these days, isn’t the Leicester favoured certainty it once was.  And with Leicester playing two international-quality tests against Toulon compared to a couple of training runs for Northampton against Treviso, there was a feeling that a less-than-classic Tigers side might be able to nick a result against the reigning champions.

It was Saints, though, who got off the most promising start, when a quick tap off a penalty by Kahn Fotuali’i got the previously solid-looking Leicester defence back-peddling and, after Luther Burrell had surged to within a metre of the line, only an excellent opportunistic steal from Ben Youngs helped to relieve the pressure.  Leicester then began to exert their own pressure in response and, although it was less spectacular, it was just as effective – the Tigers scrum dismantling the Saints pack to win penalties and Ben Youngs playing field position with great precision.  But it was from a rare foray into the wider channels that the first real piece of drama came along – and what a piece of drama it was.

After Leicester had turned over ball, with Julian Salvi angering home players and fans by going off his feet at a ruck (although JP Doyle did not believe it was a ruck), Niki Goneva and Anthony Allen made good yardage down the left.  As Dylan Hartley came into to snaffle the scrum half and slow down the quick ball – for which he was penalised – Matt Smith came charging in to clear the England man out of the way, powerfully but fairly.  The whistle then went for the penalty, but with Smith holding on and being a nuisance, Hartley brainlessly swung his elbow back into Smith’s face.  The Leicester man went down a bit theatrically, for which he must be criticised, but that falls into insignificance frankly compared to Hartley’s idiocy.  For a man who has just signed a new Northampton contract, who captains his club and has captained England, this was entirely reckless and irresponsible.  Several replays later, and the Saints captain had a red card.  And the East Midlands derby had its first victim – and a deserved one.  But, as it transpired, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to the hosts, even though Tom Stephenson was sacrificed to allow Mike Haywood to take the spot at hooker.

But it didn’t look that way immediately.  As mentioned above, that bright orange pack was causing some damage in the set piece, with Dan Cole looking particularly impressive given his time out of the game, and the Leicester scrum smashed their opponents back to earn a penalty try, converted by Owen Williams.  It was looking ominous for hosts once again, against their bitterest rivals.

But something stirred in the hosts, a determination to prove that there is indeed a new order in the East Midlands, and two Stephen Myler penalties - the second after the otherwise impressive Tom Croft was harshly sin-binned for a high tackle on Saints wing Ken Pisi - brought the home side back to 7-6 behind by half-time.

And with Croft still off, Saints went ahead for the first time after cleverly recycling possession, and Waller, who scored a dramatic late try to secure Premiership title glory for Northampton at Saracens' expense seven months ago, touched down on the left after selling Miles Benjamin a great dummy.  Full-back James Wilson missed the conversion attempt - Myler was off receiving treatment after being hit by a high Smith tackle - but Northampton had put down a marker with the game still at 14-a-side. 

Croft returned and Leicester took a time to weather the storm, yet they hit back after 61 minutes when replacement fly-half Freddie Burns, who took over from Smith as Williams moved out one position, made a sharp break before Niki Goneva touched down under little pressure. Williams could not add the conversion, but Tigers took a 12-11 advantage that lasted just four minutes as Myler's brilliant pass highlighted a slick handling move that was finished off by Ben Foden, the England man showing an impressive turn of pace to escape the despairing grasps of the covering Ben Youngs.

Back came Leicester, though, through Goneva's second try that was sparked by his fellow wing Benjamin's superb burst down the left, converted by Burns, yet Saints were not to be denied and they administered the killer blow 3 minutes from full time.  Northampton yet again somehow managed to outflank their opponents, despite being a man short, with Jamie Elliott administered the finishing touch of a great move.

Saints clung on to the ball to see out the clock, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this was the most impressive display of the season. A man down, they still dominated possession and played by far the most expansive rugby, with the likes of George North and Luther Burrell hammering fantastic lines into the heart of the Tigers’ defence. Dylan Hartley may be on the naughty list, but Saints will be enjoying a very happy Christmas.

 

Premiership Preview - Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers

 

There's an old expression – "Out of the frying pan and into the fire".  It doesn't really bare too much relevance any more, but "Out of the frying pan and onto the scolding-hot-ceramic-hob-with-a-two-inch-layer-of-grease" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.  However, the principal remains true, especially in rugby – you can play what you thing is the toughest game of the season, but then you find out that the tough has only just got going.  And that's probably how Leicester feel as they prepare to take on the reigning Premiership Champions, Northampton Saints, away from home one week after facing off to the reigning European Champions, Toulon, away from home.  Nothing like an easy run in to Christmas, hey?

Northampton, to my money, are right up there with the favourites to snatch Toulon's European crown, and are one of the few clubs who can avoid looking embarrassed when comparing star quality.  Domestic talents such as Courtney Lawes, Dylan Hartley and Tom Wood are complemented by international big names like George North, the Pisi brothers and Samu Manoa; a Northampton team, at full strength, is a frightening prospect.  They may not be at absolutely 100% - Alex Corbisiero and George Pisi are currently crocked – but they more than make up for that with confidence.  Two crushing victories over Treviso in Europe provided plenty of entertainment and allowed the backline to stretch their legs, but with that comes perhaps a suspicion that they may be 'undercooked' when heading in to face the Tigers, fresh off two titanic battles with Europe's best.  However, you don't get to sit pretty on top of the Premiership table by taking teams like Leicester lightly.

The Tigers' problems this season have been well documented, but the last couple of weeks should provide fans with at least some modicum of comfort, despite the fact that their backline remains as incisive as a damp paper towel without Manu Tuilagi.  Why they've waited until next year to bring in a backs-focused coach (Aaron Mauger) after Matt O'Connor is anyone's guess.  But the good news is that the old flame is back.  The gnarliness, the aggression, the uncompromising defence.  Make no mistake, the Tigers bullied Toulon – with the likes of Chris Masoe and Bakkies Botha – at Welford Road in the contact, with the front row of Marcos Ayerza, Tom Youngs and Dan Cole particularly impressive.  The 10-time finalists know that they can't necessarily compete with the x-factor out wide, but the pack is capable of taking anyone on (even without the likes of Brad Thorne and Ed Slater) and with Tom Croft making a re-appearance, perhaps there is scope for them to throw up a couple of surprises.

Leicester might be out of the frying pan, but they're about to enter the fire.  And, at Franklins Gardens, when Leicester come to town, you can usually expect some fireworks as well.

Saints Team News

England centre Luther Burrell returns to the Northampton Saints side for the first East Midlands derby since May's Premiership semi-final.  Saints, 21-20 victors seven months ago, also bring Alex Waller, Christian Day and Samu Manoa into the pack.

Starting Line-up:  Wilson; K. Pisi, Stephenson, Burrell, North; Myler, Fotuali'i; A Waller, Hartley (capt), Ma'afu; Lawes, Day; Clark, Wood, Manoa.

Subs: Haywood, E. Waller, Denman, Dickinson, Dowson, Dickson, Elliott, Foden.

Key Player

Samu Manoa.  For the first time in quite a long time, Saints fans probably won't be feeling that same sense of dread that they usually do when the Tigers come to visit – however, Leicester's pack and physicality can still cause plenty of concern.  That's where the one man wrecking ball that is Samu Manoa comes in.  He's always been capable of delivering a rib-tickler or two – that's an understatement – but in previous years I've often thought that he's been underwhelming with the ball in hand.  This season, however, he seems to have added carrying to his already well-strung bow, and has been causing carnage in the tight and in the wider channels, galloping in for a hat-load of tries already.  With his aggression in defence and offence, as the Americans would say, Saints can beat the Tigers at their own game.

Tigers Team News

Graham Kitchener moves into the pack to replace dual-code international Brad Thorn (calf), while Marcos Ayerza will make his 200th Tigers appearance.

Hooker Tom Youngs makes his second Premiership start since September after recovering from a shoulder injury, while flanker Tom Croft comes into the starting XV for just the second time this season after struggling with a knee injury.

Starting Line-up:  Tait; Scully, Smith, Allen, Goneva; Williams, B Youngs (capt); Ayerza, T Youngs, Cole, Kitchener, Parling; Croft, Salvi, Crane.

Subs: Ghiraldini, Rizzo, Balmain, De Chaves, Barbieri, Harrison, Burns, Benjamin.

Key Player

Tom Croft.  It's always difficult to tell how a player will react to coming back from a serious injury, but Croft has had more experience than most in this respect – and he's always handled it pretty well, making a Lions Tour after breaking his neck just 12 months before.  In his stead, Jamie Gibson has done a very good job indeed, but there is no doubt that Croft offers something extra.  He poses more of a threat in the wider channels than Leicester's backs do, and his ability to hit the ball at pace and pick off slower defenders make him a tremendous asset to the ex-Champions.  On form, he is one of the best attacking flankers on the planet – it may be unrealistic to expect him to hit those heights straight away, but he has to try to get himself into the game.

 

Key Battle

Dylan Hartley v Tom Youngs.  Both of these guys have endured a pretty frustrating time of late.  Youngs has been sidelined with a shoulder injury for almost 3 months whilst Hartley was distinctly underwhelming during the Autumn Series, but both have had reason to smile over the last couple of weeks.  Hartley has signed a new contract keeping him at Saints for the foreseeable future, whilst Youngs was magnificent in his display against Toulon at Welford Road, carrying hard and proving deadly accurate with his old Achilles heel, lineout throwing.  But there won't be too many smiles on Saturday afternoon.  The East Midlands derby does not take any prisoners, with aggression and physicality being the two most precious commodities on offer – and these two lead from the front in this regard.  Whoever comes out on top in this battle – with an England shirt in mind, too – sets the tone for the entire match.

Prediction

Last year's semi-final win broke more than one hoodoo.  It signalled the end of Leicester's decade-long monopoly on final appearances, and it stopped Saints' 10 game no-win streak against their most bitter rivals.  But they need to back that performance up with another couple of wins this season if we are to really believe that they are indeed the new kings of the (East Midlands) hill.  As usual, anything can happen in an East Midlands derby, but Saints just seem more fluid and stronger on paper – and I think they will have just enough for the win.  Saints by 5.

European Cup Review - Toulon 23 - 8 Leicester Tigers

What a difference a week makes.  After 7 days of hearing the repercussions of a self-proclaimed “fat Italian” banging on about why he left the Tigers, and other rumours of Delon Armitage explaining in rather gratuitous terms why he doesn’t think very much of their fans, it was quite nice to get back to the rugby.  And, after Toulon had surprisingly been physically bullied and tactically out-smarted in the opening fixture against Leicester, it was their turn for pay back at the Stade Felix-Mayol.

 

Delon's brother Steffon set the tone for Toulon with a rampaging run directly from the kick off and they had the Tigers pinned back in their own territory before Leigh Halfpenny slotted a penalty over in the fifth minute to open the scoring.

 

The Tigers - who welcomed lock Geoff Parling back to the starting XV for the first time since September - seemed overawed by the occasion and made basic errors at the breakdown whilst conceding easy yards in the tackle, whilst Owen Williams kicked a restart straight into touch, to contribute to the hosts' early dominance.

 

Toulon got the try they deserved when Ali Williams crashed over from close range after powerful carries from Juan Smith and Maxime Mermoz after 11 minutes and Halfpenny added the conversion and a second penalty to give the hosts a healthy 13-0 lead after 15 minutes. Owen Williams missed a longish kick of his own and then compounded a bad few minutes by conceding cheap field position with a clearance out on the full, which ultimately led to Halfpenny splitting the posts once again. But Welsh fly-half Williams, 22, hit back with a strong break to set up a try for Leicester out of nothing.

 

It was the first time Toulon were placed on the back foot and it was surprisingly easy after Williams weaved his way over the gain line for the ball to be shipped out wide – via fine pass from Julian Salvi – for Blaine Scully to dot down in the corner. Williams' woes with the boot continued, however, as he missed the conversion and they trailed 16-5 at the break.

 

Halfpenny proved he was human by missing a kick from out wide early in the second half and then the Tigers started to grow into the contest, the East Midlanders enjoying the upper hand in the scrum once again, although not to the same extent as the week before.  Full back Mathew Tait showed great awareness to use referee George Clancy as an auxiliary blocker, before racing into Toulon territory, but Niki Goneva wasted the chance by cutting inside when he should have pinned his ears back and gone for the line.

 

That proved to be a key moment as the hosts hit back at the other end, with French centre Bastareaud dashing in under the posts after fly-half Nicholas Sanchez was stopped just inches short after showing super footwork before being hauled down by Ben Youngs. Williams then kicked his first and only penalty of the afternoon for the visitors, but the crowd booed them for being negative and not going for the try.

 

The Tigers struggled to make inroads after that and Toulon comfortably kept them at arm's length to see out the 23 – 8 win although they may be frustrated at not securing a bonus point after dominating for long periods.  But after the week they’ve had, and the criticism that’s come their way, they’ll feel like they righted a few wrongs with that victory.

 

NB  Delon Armitage has been slapped with a 12 week ban for abusing Leicester fans in the fixture at Welford Road.  I can’t comment on how appropriate that ban is as I do not know the precise nature of what was said, but I do know that Mourad Boudjellal has managed to sound like a prize tosser with his comments to the press that he will subject the Leicester fans who gave testimony to legal action.  In one breath he says there is only their evidence, but no formal proof or document (I’m not sure what sort of ‘formal’ proof you can expect to ascertain from a matter like this) and therefore he will be suing the fans for their ‘false testimony’.  If there’s no evidence, how can you show that they were lying, Mourad? You prat.  He almost makes Delon seem reasonable.

 

European Champions Cup Preview - Toulon v Leicester Tigers

 

I have a confession to make.  This was never going to be my game of the week originally – the honour was going to go to Leinster v Harlequins, another cracker which holds a not unsubstantial amount of spice – but recent events had changed my mind.  On Sunday evening, I was already torn after we had seen a phenomenal 80 minutes of brutal physicality and passion at Welford Road, but my mind was made up shortly after following a certain monologue by Martin Castrogiovanni. 

I've already commented on the rights and, mainly, wrongs of Castro's rant here, but one thing that doesn't really need to be said (I'll say it anyway) is that it has ramped the temperature up to boiling point for Saturday's return fixture, to the point where it becomes the big clash of the weekend.

Toulon may have all the big names in world rugby to the extent that their roster reads like some sort of dream team, but Leicester – not the European heavyweights of old – bullied them on Sunday night at Welford Road.  That Tigers' mindset that saw them claim two European titles a decade ago still runs strong and, although it wasn't a pretty game, there was no doubt that the hosts were deserved winners last weekend.  Marcos Ayerza and Dan Cole were dominant in the front row, smashing the Toulon scrum, whilst Jamie Gibson was a constant threat in the lineout.  In the loose, the physicality of Tom Youngs and Brad Thorn consistently knocked back the likes of Bakkies Botha and Chris Masoe at ruck time.  Simply put, Toulon lived off the scraps which Leicester gave them – in the form of a loose scrum and an intercept – but there's little chance of that happening this weekend.  Toulon are not used to losing.  And they will not like the picture that has been painted of them in the media this week.

But Leicester believe.  And, in so many occasions previously, we've seen belief is all that they need.

Toulon Team News

Martin Castrogiovanni has been left out despite being included in the initial 27-man squad, but Delong Armitage retains his place in the back three, with Leigh Halfpenny coming in at full-back and Bryan Habana remaining on the left wing.  Mathieu Bastareaud and Maxime Mermoz resume their centre paring and Nicolas Sanchez and Sebastien Tillous-Borde will once again join forces in the half-backs. Castrogiovanni is one of two changes in the Toulon front row, with Alexandre Menini and Levan Chilachava joining hooker Guilhem Guirado in the starting line-up, while the only other change to the pack sees Mamuka Gorgodze drop to the bench to allow Juan Smith into the run-on side.

Starting Line-up:  15 Leigh Halfpenny; 14 Delon Armitage, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Bryan Habana; 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde; 1 Alexandre Menini, 2 Guilhem Guirado, 3 Levan Chilachava, 4 Bakkies Botha, 5 Ali Williams, 6 Juan Smith, 7 Steffon Armitage, 8 Chris Masoe (capt)

Subs: 16 Jean-Charles Orioli, 17 Florian Fresia, 18 Carl Hayman, 19 Mamuka Gorgodze, 20 James O'Connor, 21 Jocelino Suta, 22 Michael Claassens, 23 Romain Taofifenua

Key Player

Chris Masoe.  The big Kiwi number eight is usually a brutal presence in both defence and attack, but it's fair to say he was not at his most conspicuous last Sunday.  Toulon were rocked back consistently in the contact by players who are not necessarily bigger or stronger, but by individuals who were fired up and aggressive.  Masoe, too often, was hunted down on the gainline (he made a measly 10 metres from 7 carries) or gave away metres in the tackle, but there's no doubting he has to be a talisman for his side.  So much will depend on Toulon's ability to start ferociously and put Leicester under unbearable pressure – he must get his aggression up and lead from the front, because, when he does that, he creates a great platform for his pack to work off.

Leicester Team News

Richard Cockerill has made three changes to the side that caused the surprise at Welford Road, with England international Geoff Parling returning to the fold.  Parling replaces Graham Kitchener in the second row, while fellow England colleague Tom Youngs takes his place among the replacements with Leonardo Ghiraldini promoted to the starting XV.  Leicester’s final change again comes in the pack, with Italy international Robert Barbieri replacing Jordan Crane at No 8.

Starting Line-up:  15 Matthew Tait; 14 Blaine Scully, 13 Matt Smith, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Vereniki Goneva; 10 Owen Williams, 9 Ben Youngs (capt); 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Brad Thorn, 5 Geoff Parling, 6 Jamie Gibson, 7 Julian Salvi, 8 Robert Barbieri

Subs: 16 Tom Youngs, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Sebastian De Chaves, 20 Jordan Crane, 21 Tom Croft, 22 Sam Harrison, 23 Freddie Burns.

Key Player

Ben Youngs.  The stand-in skipper was outstanding last week and the majority view was that he should have taken the man of the match award.  Sometime questions can be raised about his temperament and his decision making when the pressure is on, but in an electric Welford Road atmosphere his kicking was flawless and his service very sharp.  But Welford Road will seem like a day out at Disney next to Saturday in the South of France.  The Toulon crowd and players are already in a bad mood about their poor display last weekend without being worked up into a frenzy by the bloke with a tattoo on his face, so the intensity will be up yet another couple of notches.  Leicester must take the sting out of the initial confrontations, and that means kicking intelligently to frustrate the home pack and the fans – and Youngs is critical in this respect.

Key Battle

Levan Chilachava v Marcos Ayerza.  I have to admit to not being a fountain of knowledge on the young Georgian, but we do know that – if he is good enough to replace Marcos Castrogiovanni and leapfrog Carl Hayman into the starting line-up, he must be pretty handy.  But what a task Chilachava has on his hands against arguably the best scrummaging loosehead in world rugby.  One thing Chilachava does have in his favour is that he's shorter than both Castro and Hayman, and therefore may be better equipped to deal with Ayerza's low scrummaging position, but he will still need to bring out one of the games of his life to match up to the Puma veteran.  If he can obtain at least parity in the scrum, then the hosts should win – if Ayerza has his way like he did last week, it's anybody's game.

Prediction

A week ago, this would have been a big win for Toulon.  But if you take away reliability of the set piece – both the line-out and the scrum – then it brings the margin down considerably.  Add in the fact that the Tigers were physically stronger, faster and more intelligent last week, and you can see why some Leicester fans may be thinking that there is a chance – even just a slim one – that they could sneak a famous win.  But I don't think that will happen.  Austin Healey wrote this week that rugby is 90% mindset – and he's right.  Toulon will not be as sloppy as they were on Sunday and will be fired up from the off – and if they smash Leicester in the contact early on and intimidate like we know they can, they should get an unassailable lead.  The Tigers, though, will be difficult to shake off, and there's every chance we'll be in for a nail-biter.  Toulon by 4.

European Cup Review - Leicester Tigers 25 - 21 Toulon

There have been a few things missing from Welford Road a bit of late.  Manu Tuilagi (worryingly often), some silverware (a rare absence), some semblance of understanding in the backline and a certain fat Italian, who had become a fixture over the last 8 years at Welford Road.  But Martin Castrogiovanni returned to his old stomping ground on Sunday night with his new employers, Toulon, and, although his side didn’t exactly set the world alight, he still left an undeniable mark on the occasion.    He can always be relied on for that.

One part of the usually reliable Welford Road pitch was looking particularly worse for wear following a music festival at the rugby ground and, although it wasn’t quite looking like Glastonbury, it was pretty clear that free-flowing rugby was going to be at a premium – that much was clear as Chris Masoe spilt the greasy ball following the first box kick from Ben Youngs.  But that didn’t mean that there was a shortage of entertainment – instead, the hits rained in thick and fast at at test match intensity. 

Both sides had spells of possession but it was the Tigers who looked the more threatening, probing round the fringes and making yards through Tom Youngs and Graham Kitchener, and they should have had a try after just four minutes when Owen Williams took a quick tap following a Julian Salvi turnover, catching the Toulon defence off-guard, but Anthony Allen threw a poor pass when there was a 2 on 1 scenario waiting on the outside.  They went close again after Nicholas Sanchez brilliant knocked back a potential try scoring pass from Allen again, but the Tigers deservedly picked up three points though Owen Williams following a scrum penalty, with Marcos Ayerza and Dan Cole causing Castrogiovanni and Xavier Chiocci all sorts of problems  – a theme that was to continue throughout the game.  Castro was on the wrong end of the referees whistle again just 5 minutes later, harshly being adjudged by the video referee to have entered a ruck after Nigel Owens had blown his whistle – in real time though, he had already started to run in.  And, no offence intended, Castro has rather a large amount of momentum to reign in.  Williams nudged over the three though, and the Tigers had a 6 point lead after a quarter of an hour.

It was a less than ideal start for Toulon, but things were about to get much worse.  When Sebastien Tillous-Borde threw a nightmare pass back to Drew Mitchell under pressure from Mathew Tait, the former Wallaby couldn’t deal with it, allowing Tom Youngs to scoop up the loose ball and hand a try on a plate to the 94 year-old Brad Thorne, who plundered over for his first try in – it’s fair to say – a very long time.  It made the score 13 – 0 and, even though the European champions were heavy favourites against an out-of-sorts Tigers side, it looked an awfully long way back for the men in red.

But they are champions for a reason – Sanchez pulled three points back quickly and then Ben Youngs made a try saving intervention, showing great speed to reach a loose ball ahead of the onrushing Steffon Armitage, and then Mathew Tait replicated that feat with a great try-line tackle on Tillous-Borde after Jordan Crane had thrown a shocker of a pass.  Sanchez added another three from the resultant penalty and then his opposite number Williams endured a nightmare couple of minutes for the hosts, missing a tricky kick and then flinging a pass straight to the king of intercepts, Bryan Habana, giving the Springbok legend a simple coast to the line for an equalising score.  It was harsh on the Welsh youngster, who had kicked so well, but he got caught between the long and the short passing option – a reminder that his decision making, at this level, must be flawless.  Another missed kick from the Leicester playmaker meant the score sat at 13-13 at half time, with the visitors undoubtedly feeling the happier after overturning the deficit. 

Leicester had, in truth, been the better side, dominating the set piece and the collisions, and it was from another scrum that Williams got another chance to add three points – and this time he didn’t miss.  Ironically, though, that scrum dominance backfired just three minutes later when the Tigers scrum once again ploughed through the Toulon 8 on their own 22, but forgot to take the ball with them which gave Tillou-Borde the simple task of picking the ball up and passing on to Mitchell, who slid over in the corner.  Sanchez missed the conversion, but once again the champions were ahead against the run of play.

The Welford Road faithful must have been feeling that it was going to be yet another uninspired evening of rugby in the East Midlands, but then something old and traditional stirred inside the men in green.  The forwards, led by Tom Youngs and Thorne, started to make big yards in the carry, smashing tacklers backwards every time, and Owen Williams was kicking with precision and intelligence to haul the hosts into the right areas of the pitch.  Of particular note, Ben Youngs was varying his game magnificently, darting through gaps and threading some glorious kicks through in what was probably his best display in a Tigers shirt for the best part of a year.  When combined with a hugely aggressive clearout from the Tigers’ pack, it all created an unbearable pressure on the Toulon defence, and they started to concede penalties.  Williams slotted two of them with Sahchez responding with just the one and, with the likes of Geoff Parling and Leonardo Ghiraldini entering the fray, the collective might of Toulon was kept pinned inside their own half for the majority of the final quarter.  The Tigers held the lead at 22-21 with 5 minutes to play.

There were tensions bubbling over – with the comical mis-match of Ben Youngs squaring up to Mamuke Gorgodze a particular highlight – there were huge hits and bucket loads of tension, culminating with a an abysmal drop goal attempt from Niki Goneva, who should really stick to running.  This was European Cup rugby at its rawest.  The nerves of the home crowd were finally put to rest when Habana conceded a foolish penalty, allowing Williams to slam over his sixth penalty of the night from 50 metres and, although there were a couple of hairy moments as Toulon staged one final attack inside the Leicester 22, the hosts hung on for a famous 25 – 21 win.

The passion was there for all to see, even if the enterprising back play – from either side – was not.  It was Leicester’s best display of the season and, in that regard, it is a shame that the achievement has been overshadowed by a certain, self-proclaimed “fat Italian” launching into a colourful 5 minute rant about Richard Cockerill at an impromptu media session.  I’m a Leicester man, and it would take Castro to insult my mother and eat my last rolo for him to really get into my bad books, but it’s clear that he has a bit of growing up to do.  Richard Cockerill is many things, but a liar he is not.  That Castro had to pay his way out of a contract he had signed is not Cockerill’s fault, and I am unaware of any public assertion that he was leaving only for the money – everyone knew he was now second choice behind Cole.  And even if it was for the money, nobody would have blamed the Leicester stalwart for picking up one last big pay cheque in his senior years. 

Hopefully, in years to come, the memory of the outburst will fade against his great deeds in Tigers’ colours.  Because the memory of a big win against the Champions won’t be leaving the minds of the Leicester fans any time soon.
 

European Champions Cup Preview - Leicester Tigers v Toulon

If you want to see somebody frown, ask them what their favourite Lord of the Rings film is.  They’ll pull that face either because they think you’re weird for asking such a nerdy question, or they’ll have to run through each film in precise detail in their heads before coming any sort of conclusion.  My personal favourite is Return of the King, despite the cringe-inducing long goodbye at the end.  And why am I talking about this?  Well, it is a slightly tenuous link but ‘The Return of the King’ was the first phrase which came to mind when I saw that Martin Castrogiovanni was returning to Welford Road in Toulon’s colours. 

 

Castro is, of course, a legend in the East Midlands, known for his larger than life character and his eccentrically larger than life appearance as much as for his relentless and consistently-excellent efforts on the pitch.    But when he shows up for the men in red, he will have a real challenge on his hands in the set piece.  Although the Toulon team sheet reads like a who’s who of international rugby, the one area of potential supremacy for the hosts – at first glances at least – would appear to be in the scrum.  Marcos Ayerza is widely regarded by many to be the best scrummaging loosehead in the world, and his old team-mate is getting a bit long in the tooth and doesn’t quite possess the raw power that he did in his younger days in Tigers’ colours.  That said, the emotion of the occasion could just bring that extra bit of energy he needs.

 

Elsewhere though, you can see a bit of daylight between the sides – not necessarily always in terms of quality, but certainly in terms of form and especially in terms of cohesion.  Leicester’s decision not to replace Matt O’Connor has always puzzled me and it looks, with the signing of Aaron Mauger, like the management have finally accepted that the output of the Leicester backline does not reflect the quality of the player they have available.  What does reflect their current stuttering displays, however, is their league position – 5^th.  Toulon, although it took them some time adjust to life without a certain Mr Wilkinson, are sitting on the summit of the Top 14 and are really motoring through the gears.  They have a side to die for (or rather, to pay a stupid amount of money for) and that is what makes them less fallible to the away-day jitters that so many French sides suffer from – they have players all over the park who have won in the toughest conditions at the highest levels.

 

There are of course battles all over the park to keep us intrigued, but it is fair to say that the Crumbie Terrace will be keeping one eye on a certain shaggy prop throughout the 80 minutes, and beyond though.  The question remains though, will it be a triumphant return of the king or another tedious overlong goodbye?

 

 

Leicester Team News

 

England scrum-half Ben Youngs returns to lead Leicester Tigers in their home European Champions Cup Pool Three match against Toulon on Sunday, with Frenchman David Mele dropping to the bench.  Matt Smith comes in at centre, with Vereniki Goneva reverting to the wing, whilst Jordan Crane replaces Lawrence Pearce in the pack at number 8.

 

Starting Line up:  M Tait; B Scully, M Smith, A Allen, V Goneva, O Williams, B Youngs (capt); M Ayerza, T Youngs, D Cole, B Thorn, G Kitchener, J Gibson, J Salvi, J Crane.

Subs:  L Ghiraldini, M Rizzo, F Balmain, G Parling, R Barbieri, S Harrison, F Burns, M Benjamin.

 

Key Player

 

Vereniki Goneva.  With Manu Tuilagi out injured, and no apparently coherent – or at least threatening – tactics to fall back on, Leicester have often relied on the individual brilliance of Vereniki Goneva to win them games.  Against a winger as accomplished and intelligent as Drew Mitchell, it may be a lot to ask the Fijian maestro to conjure up some magic, but that is precisely what Leicester will need.  They may have the pack to compete, but it will not achieve the dominance to win the game by itself – they need Goneva working off his wing, testing Sanchez, and then also holding his width at the correct time to give himself the space to stand up his man.

 

 

Toulon Team News

 

With Matt Giteau unavailable, Nicolas Sanchez steps into the fly half spot to lead the formidable Toulon backline.  English brothers Delon and Steffon Armitage are in the reigning Champions’ starting line-up which, shockingly, contains just five French players.  Martin Castrogiovanni is also making an emotional return to a ground which he made his own over 8 years of service, and is sure to receive a warm welcome from the Welford Road faithful.

 

Starting Line up:  D Armitage; D Mitchell, M Bastareaud, M Mermoz, B Habana, N Sanchez, S Tillous-Borde; X Chiocci, G Guirado, M Castrogiovanni, B Botha, A Williams, M Gorgodze, S Armitage, C Masoe (capt).

Subs: J Charles Orioli, F Fresia, C Hayman, J Smith, R Wulf, J Suta, E Escande, R Taofifenua.

 

Key Player

 

Nicolas Sanchez.  The fly half was simply superb for the Pumas in the rugby championship, even in a losing side, refreshing the Argentine back play by taking the ball to the line and picking out his runners or even sizzling through himself.   He couldn’t quite replicate that form in a disappointing Autumn series – partly due to the pack underperforming – but if he takes the ball to the gainline and puts the juggernaut that is Mathieu Bastareau into even just a slight gap, the French centre is going to be very hard to spot.  All he needs is clean ball, because Sanchez has the ability to unleash the rather substantive arsenal outside of him.

 

Key Battle

 

Julian Salvi v Steffon Armitage.  Could it be any others?  Arguably the best pilferer in the Premiership over the past three seasons against, well, probably the best pilferer in Europe.  Salvi is rarely talked up by fans because he’s pretty unspectacular, but his durability and flawless technique makes him indispensible to the Tigers – so often he is the first man over the ball, and once there he is nearly impossible to dislodge.  A bit like a certain Englishman lining up opposite him.  Armitage’s physique isn’t going to win him any swimming certificates (except perhaps for bombing), but he is immovable over the ball and – this is where he has the edge on Salvi – he is difficult carrier to stop because of his low centre of gravity.  But Sunday’s game is all about the breakdown – if Salvi gets on top, he can turn the form book on its head and set a famous win in motion.  But against Armitage, that is far from easy.

 

Prediction

 

If Leicester had the likes of Parling, Croft, Slater and Tuilagi available (the latter two in particular), I would be leaning towards Leicester milking the Welford Road factor and coming away with a bruising win.  But the Tigers’ have stuttered so badly without their big names that, even with the likes of the Youngs brothers and Dan Cole returning, it is hard to see them coming out on top against a side in which every player is a seasoned international  - and they are a side who are bang in form.  The Tigers are not.  There is the potential for the hosts to get the upper hand in the scrum – shockingly, I think Ayerza may be able to cause Castro some problems – but otherwise, the visitors just seem to have a slight in edge in physicality and big game experience.  And those will be the two deciding factors on Sunday.  Toulon by 6.