WRW: MARCHING ON TOGETHER
On the field and on the roads between Leicester and Leeds
HERO
Still time to donate and we’re just short of £2 million pounds.
Times are tough but if you can spare anything, it’s going to a magnificent cause.
TEN FROM TEN
The bandwagon marches on, in Sinfield-like remorselessness.
I was away from Coventry for what sounded like a spectacular scoreline in the Premiership Cup, To win a second half 45-7 away from home against any opposition is impressive and is only one element of what is a remarkable run of form.
Tigers look extremely well placed for the season ahead and especially for the next 6-7 weeks before the Six Nations brings more disruption. Yes, you can argue that the thumping dished out to Wasps is a reflection of the injury record there and the youngsters selected by the opposition.
But it is also another reflection on the strength in depth at Leicester, with so many players left unused. Tigers could afford to play such a strong side because they needed to, with important games to come and a multitude unused for a lengthy spell in the Premiership. While they have escaped too many long-term injuries, that fortune may not last forever and the Six Nations programme looks mightily arduous.
I suspect strongly that Leicester may need to play weaker sides in the two Cup games next year. Bear in mind that the final pool game against London Irish is slated to take place in midweek either immediately before or after any involvement in the Champions Cup last 16.
I know where my priority will be.
As we approach the most perfectly timed bye weekend any club could wish, especially for a club with England and South Africa internationals, the mind switches to the next two month block where high quality opponents come Tigers’ way nearly every weekend.
Take out the crunch European games with Bordeaux and Connacht home and away and it leaves you with the following Premiership games:
Sunday December 5th Harlequins (H)
Sunday December 26th Bristol (A)
Sunday January 2nd Newcastle (H)
Sunday January 9th Wasps (A)
Sunday January 30th Sale (A)
Leicester’s form will surely be tested, particularly on three difficult away trips to the South West, the West Midlands and the North West.
They are playing like a side who know they are playing well but that trip to Bordeaux in two and a half weeks’ time will sort the men out from the boys.
A big crowd looks likely for Harlequins with the terrace already sold out. If that’s a barometer for the likely atmosphere, this will be a game to book well in advance for.
THE FRENCH ARE COMING
Along with many of you I suspect, we were treated to one of the best games I’ve seen in recent years on Saturday night. It was certainly the best game I’ve ever commentated on so to get the gig with TalkSport for France v New Zealand, was a privilege.
In spite of Ntamack’s all-pervading skills, there was plenty of Bordeaux talent on show in Paris. Cameron Woki is a lithe, energetic lineout caller and while he is normally a backrower, his selection at lock produced some much-needed athleticism up front, giving a difficult time to one of the best lineouts in the world.
My impression on Saturday was that while he compared favourably with Retallick and Whitelock, there is plenty more to come from him. Fascinating to see if he has kicked on at club level following his international exploits.
When Leicester head for South West France, look out too for Jalibert or Trinh-Duc at 10, the usual heavyweight front row with Jefferson Poirot at the heart of it with Argentine lock Guido Petti, Kane Douglas, Louis Picamoles and in the backs, some bloke called Santiago Cordero.
Mouthwatering.
But back to Ntamack:
LOUGHBOROUGH & LEICESTER
The women’s game is a key point in its development, with the new set of Premier 15s franchises due to be awarded in around 18 months‘ time.
While it’s easy to be thoroughly parochial and just look at Loughborough Lightning and the fledgling Tigers programme, they do represent both the present and the future of the women’s game.
I watched both in action on the same weekend this month - Lightning hosting Saracens in an Allianz Cup game and Tigers facing Edinburgh University in their first official friendly. Yes, three games in a weekend does suggest my social life needs an upgrade, but you can see how the two programmes are taking shape.
Lightning - all the gear, but few marketeers
Lightning - as you might expect being connected to the UK’s finest sporting university - has all of the coaching, strength/conditioning and especially medical backup that any ambitious player would want behind them.
There are certainly star names around. England captain Sarah Hunter, star player Emily Scarratt and other England players such as Lark Davies and Helena Rowland absent, to mention but a few.
Like most of the Premier 15s, Lightning retain a core - roughly 25% of its squad - of international talent, mostly England centrally contracted players but internationals also drawn from around the world such as Wales, Scotland, Canada, the USA and Sweden.
The rest are either pickups from other Premier 15s or drawn to Loughborough by a full-time degree which allows them to train as professional athletes, more or less. Needless to say, Loughborough’s recruitment has to be red-hot all the time with of the latter leaving and in some cases, leaving the sport to find better-paying jobs.
Clearly that leaves a semi-professional/professional imbalance within the squad which is not uncommon to Loughborough. You re unlikely to see a fully-professional Lghtning squad in the long-term without a major injection of funds from somewhere and that is where the problem lies.
The matchday experience
Try going to Loughborough to watch a game.
First of all, you have to go past the security barriers at Epinal Way. Parking is plentiful but difficult on occasions to find. Getting from Loughborough Station is tough by anything other than a taxi.
When you get to the main rugby pitch, there are a couple of gazebos where hard-working volunteers will take your money, point you to the pie van and then leave you to it. The viewing is similar to that I remember from junior rugby - all round the pitch, no seating and not much atmosphere.
While the rugby is of a decent enough standard, everything is aimed towards the player and nothing towards marketing or the customer experience.
Leicester’s first forays
24 hours later, I was at Welford Road to watch the Tigers’ nascent programme play their first match against Edinburgh University.
First things first, the playing standard was not as high as you might expect from a scratch side thrown together. You could understand a little disappointment that the coaching team might have had at this.
A smattering of ex-Premier 15s talent was there, especially up front, came together- Laura Hind, Rosin McBrien, and Becky Noon in the back row. There were plenty more with connections to Lichfield and a number of Leicester University students were involved, including Lichfield.
The relationship with the University of Leicester could be crucial, both in terms of support work and personnel. It is clearly being worked on
What was disappointing was to see such a small crowd. It will be easier next season with the likelihood of more fixtures and probably competitive games in Campionship 1 North.
But assuming that Leicester can attract a healthy squad, their chief point of difference could be their marketing and ability to pull in a crowd. I wonder if we might see some fixtures, perhaps double-headers with the men, next season.
BREAKING NEWS
A triumph for those such as Dan Leo in the Pacific Islands who have campaigned for this. The key parts of the regulations are as follows:
So long-term, this should benefit nations like Tonga but Malakai Fekitoa could play for them at France 2023 (even if he hadn’t qualified through the Sevens loophole), this would be too soon for the Vunipolas.
BREAKING NEWS PART II
World Rugby nations combine in common sense shock.
Back in a week’s time. Have a good one.
Nice one again