WRW MONDAY: A USEFUL GUIDE TO THE TOP FOUR

SALE TOO SOLID

Not that we needed it, but Friday night provided another guide as to why playing at the AJ Bell Stadium for opposing teams can be so toxic.

Sale Sharks are far from the naive ingenues from rugby league country they may have resembled a few years ago. They’ve built up a handy playing squad, which is a lot more than just the usual mass of hulking South Africans. Indeed, there is a fine academy producing talent especially in midfield, as mentioned in the last WRW.

Indeed, a Sale season ticket-holding friend of mine was most indignant when he read last week’s description of them as “at full strength.” I quote him as follows:

Full strength?? Apart from missing Lood de Jäger, Jono Ross, Ben Curry, Rob Du Preez, Rohan Janse van Rensberg, Manu Tuilagi and Denny Solomona all of whom would make the first XV, yes, we are at full-strength…

Point duly made.

Regardless of the individuals put out, the precision was there in Sale’s all-round game which Leicester conspiciously did not in the first half.

There are reasons - the most obvious being that Sale’s all-pervading physicality was stronger than Leicester throughout the game, putting Tigers on the back foot at every opportunity. Normally even in a behind-closed-doors game, you only hear the collisions nearest to you on the sidelines as a commentator. I could hear the sound of muscle on muscle clearly from the other side of the field on Friday night -it fairly put your teeth on edge.

Yes there were silly penalties and at times, some kicking which appeared to lack purpose, but that came from pressure. Moments of first-half relief were few. The 15th minute stands out after to a skilful back of the hand pass from Kelly, via Moroni, van Wyk is released down the wing only to fire a rocket of a pass towards Henry who couldn’t hold on for the try. Decent move, arguably should have been a score.

But it’s what happened next, that sums up the game:

Pictures BT Sport

A messy Sale lineout is kicked clear but Leicester face a well organised home chase when they regather the ball.

Tigers are at sixes and sevens on the next phase after Van Wyk takes it beyond the Sale 10m line. Youngs looks at his options, doesn’t have many and finds Kelly who puts in a diagonal kick to find touch, which is intercepted.

Sale kick down the line and while it’s half charged down, all but a handful of Leicester players including Youngs (who fires the pass) and McPhillips (who receives it) are behind the ball. Look at how many Sale players have converged on the England scrum-half and how many more are hunting down McPhillips which leaves him with very few options.

The fly-half ends up being pinged for holding on. The resulting penalty leaves the home team 13-0 up, a margin Tigers never seriously seemed able to challenge.

Points for the future?

While Sale were ready for the Tigers game plan in the first half, a little more variety in Tigers’ tactics and the odd turnover gave them a fighting chance after the break. Leicester’s new-found muscle always gives them go-forward from set-pieces and in the first few phases in set play.

But something struck a chord with a leading coach who wondered to me, just how deep Leicester’s backs sit outside the first receiver - and it wasn’t the only game he’d noticed it. Does that make it easier or more difficult for them to get around the corner of a very direct and physical Sale defence?

A really good contest though and many will learn things from that. I suggest one who might learn more than most is Joe Heyes. He looked solid enough in the scrum but more obviously, was very visible in the loose, making more metres than any other Tigers forward bar Liebenberg. Not a penalty to his name either.

Add that to the second half display against Ulster in the European Challenge Cup and Heyes is having a fine finish to the season. If you included De Bruin and Leatigaga as tightheads, there are five senior tightheads at the club - with Cole, Hurd and Heyes as the others. You hope Heyes is among Leicester’s options for some time to come.

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ACADEMY GET OPENING WIN

A good win for Leicester’s Academy, 28-21 beating Bath, which gives them the first win of the U18 League campaign.

Getting four tries by the early part of the second half is some going, even with the benefit of a strong wind in the first half.

Trent College backrower Simon Koroyiadi scored two of the four tries, John Cleveland College prop Seb Smith added another while Nuneaton’s Ben Moore (pictured) got his second try in as many games on the wing.

Leicester Academy wing Ben Moore. (C) Mick Bannister

ENGLAND “A” COME TO MATTIOLI WOODS WELFORD ROAD

Something of a bonus arrived in this morning’s mailbox, with news of England A playing Scotland A in Leicester at the end of June.

The game is set for Sunday June 27th, a day after the Premiership Final and indeed, the British and Irish Lions’ opening mat against Japan. No kick-off time has been agreed yet for the game, which will be the precursor to two full internationals against the USA and Canada at Twickenham during the first two weekends in July.

All three fixtures were in the summer calendar but scheduled for North America. But all parties have agreed to move the games to the UK now, with further games to follow for both the US and Canada.

A 6,000 crowd capacity is being spoken about. 11 Lions will be missing, obviously plus those from the Premiership finalists, but with the depth of talent we are seeing domestically, not even Eddie Jones can pick the same names.

If I were around then, I’d buy a ticket.

A few other dates for your attention, after World Rugby confirmed the summer schedule:

July 3rd:
South Africa v Georgia
Ireland v Japan
Wales v Canada

July 7th:
Australia v France

July 10th
New Zealand v Fiji
Wales v Argentina
Ireland v USA
Romania v Scotland
Samoa v Tonga, RWC Qualifier 1st leg

July 13th:
Australia v France

July 17th
New Zealand v Fiji
Ireland v Japan
Wales v Argentina
Georgia v Scotland
Australia v France
Tonga v Samoa, RWC Qualifier, 2nd leg
(NB Aggregate winner goes into England and Argentina’s pool)

QUICK HITS

If you’ve not already seen it, this interview is worth a look. If we want players to speak truthfully and not blandly in front of a microphone, then let’s give the guy a moment..

Premiership Rugby @premrugby

Respect levels through the roof for @KyleSinckler after this incredibly emotional @btsportrugby interview 👏 So refreshing to see such honesty after a tough week, and what a way to show his mental strength with a MOTM display for @BristolBears 🐻

One other thing….Challenge Cup Final opponents Montpellier beat a very understrength La Rochelle at the weekend.

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It’ll be a bit earlier on Wednesday but look forward to your comments as ever.

See you all soon.

Chris