WRW MONDAY: HAVE ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS...
TMO CALLING…
It’s a win and let’s not knock that. The home record is coming along, nicely, with just one defeat at Welford Road this season. It was tighter than some predicted (ie me and a few others - mea culpa) and had Dan Kelly not intervened with a super try-saving tackle at 7-0, who knows what might have happened?
Post-Six Nations games are rarely spectacles though as teams reassemble following international breaks despite a new stimulus that the business end of the season is just beginning. While June still seems a long way off yet, European fixtures look likely to have to come at the right time for more building and preparation, which we know Mr Borthwick likes to do.
There’s a lot to like in the performance, but a special mention for the two locks. Harry Wells and Calum Green both showed why Leicester will not miss Tomas Lavanini when he departs for Clermont Auvergne this summer. Wells’ tackle rate (21 tackles yesterday) remains extraordinary, though Charlie Clare got through such an amount of work - 14 tackles in barely a half of rugby is off the scale.
After a nod from Anthony Allen yesterday, Green deserves so much credit for the unseen and largely unnnoticed work, including restarts which was a point of difference between the teams.
Frustration comes in two parts - Tigers will feel they should have secured more points from that first all-dominant 20 minutes. It left the game too tight for comfort, especially when Stevenson’s break so nearly levelled things for Newcastle. Remember while the Falcons got repeated opportunities in the Leicester 22, they got the basics wrong just when they needed precise execution. This was far from a one-sided affair and yes, perhaps Newcastle were unfortunate not to get sonething from the game.
The other part of the frustration comes from how the officials refereed proceedings and I’m loathe to criticise them. I’m not going to sit here and critique every single issue (bar one, below) but a referee is meant to be in charge of a game, not the TMO or his/her assistants.
At what point - and how - does a TMO influence a referee, especially when there is a difference of opinion? Listening on reflink, it felt like one of referee Karl Dickson and TMO Rowan Kitt was on FM, while the other was searching for AM.
At one point for Newcastle’s eventual try, Dickson said he had seen the ball grounded, yet Kitt saw a hand underneath the ball, preventing touchdown. Both may be true but there was little effort to come to a joint decision. Equally, Kitt was insistent that there had been blocking in Leicester’s midfield for Steward’s disallowed try and challenged - quite directly - Dickson twice to overturn the try.
This got in the way of a decent game of rugby breaking out and we need to see something resolved about this.
CITE TO SEE?
Nevertheless, there was a fair bit of niggle around during the opening quarter and indeed, before the game when Ellis Genge got involved with Jon Welsh in a shouting match. What on earth happened there is anyone’s guess? (We were right on the other side of the ground…)
Whether the later Wiese hit on Welsh in the ruck had anything to do with it, is anyone’s guess but it definitely hurt. I strongly doubt Wiese will be cited, in spite of any injury caused in the incident, but only because it’s not a red card offence. Dangerous, off the ball, and in from the side? To me, yes on all three counts and especially so given the relatively long time the number eight had to size up the opportunity.
But a citing? No…because it would only have produced a yellow card, not a red which Citing Officer Nick Wood needs to be able to call a hearing. You could easily see a ref giving a yellow for that on another occasion, though let’s be clear, Welsh is on the wrong side of the maul. But
I’ll be interested to hear though if Dean Richards hears from the disciplinary bodies though after his post-match comments:
Dean Richards, the Newcastle director of rugby, accused Dickson of “a preconception” in his approach, and “a perception about who was infringing”, and said of Welsh’s injury: “It doesn’t seem right that it’s not foul play. We’ll be seeking clarity on [that] – hitting somebody off the ball when he’s vulnerable… and also why the referee can’t go back to that.”
Wiese - who does give away the odd penalty - has to be careful he isn’t the latest to receive a pre-conception.
GETTING A HOLD OF MYSELF
A mad weekend all over the Premiership leaves Leicester very much in contention for the top 6. But Sale’s last minute try - despite four yellow cards, all deserved apparently - may prove to be the away win of the season and be vital in who makes the playoffs.
And it might check expectations elsewhere, which has always seemed the absolute limit of Leicester’s aspirations this season. Had Wasps held on, Tigers would have been four points off the playoffs.
When they resume after the European break, games against Bath, Northampton, Sale and Harlequins await. Bath’s defeat may be just as costly to them as it was profitable to London Irish, but I’m not sure I see the Exiles staying in the top 6.
A very interesting table there and lots of intrigue to come when we come back in a fortnight’s time. I still think Leicester can make top 4, but it’s just become even more difficult.
NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE
12 minutes for the Tigers flyer in Friday’s Super Rugby defeat to the Brumbies.
Victory too for another Tigers loanee Sam Lewis on the bench for Coventry over Nottingham in the Championship, who started Jordan Coghlan at eight.
Some very familiar names in both lineups - Charlie Thacker, Ben Betts for the home team; Will Owen and Cameron Jordan for the visitors.
RACE FOR THE PREMIERSHIP
As for the top of the Championship, while Coventry move to 5th, it’s getting tight all right.
Doncaster’s win 17-15 win over Cornish Pirates, thanks to a 75th minute penalty from Sam Olver leaves the South Yourkshire outfit and Ealing with the two remaining unbeaten records. However, Ealing’s 75-19 trouncing of Hartpury leaves them with a 100% 20 points from 20.
Saracens came through safely at Richmond, 32-3. Just Jamie George from the England contingent included, though rest assured the others will return soon. NB Top two go through to a two-legged final.
All the teams have Easter off and will meet again in a fortnight’s time.
ALLIANZ PREMIER 15s RESULTS
Loughborough Lightning are still just about on course for the last four of the Premier 15s, but after another defeat, it’s starting to get a bit tight here too.
Despite two second half tries from Megan Davey and England fly-half Helena Rowland, Exeter had all their points in the first half and Lightning seem to have left too much to do.
Saracens and Sale Sharks remain in two home fixtures to come, interspersed around the rearranged Six Nations championship. Lightning need one more win to make sure.
Exeter also have to face Sale but are at Gloucester-Hartpury on the final day. Pressure is on.
BTW…Six Nations fixtures all free to view via BBC iPlayer, with Wales v England and the Final on BBC2 network. Feels like a test run for future years.
QUICK HITS
You mean the other Varsity match?
RUNNING FROM DEEP
The latest World Rugby rankings table has been produced….and see how it reflects the recent Six Nations table. Guess who’s top….from the Wales Online article:
The latest World Rugby rankings have been released following the conclusion of the championship that saw Scotland stun France on Friday night, ending Les Bleus’ title hopes.
And the result of that game means France have dropped two places to fifth and have been overtaken by both England and Ireland, who now sit third and fourth respectively.
Despite Wales being confirmed as champions for a second time in three years, they are below all three of those sides and remain sixth.
I know how some of you hate links to paywalled articles and I’m not keen on pinching too much of colleagues’ work….but bear with me here.
The Sunday Times of Ireland has done a feature on what a great stitch-up the deal to build the Aviva was for the IRFU over their footballing counterparts, the FAI. (Anyone would think I have something against the Irish and I promise it’s not true…)To build the Aviva, the Irish government, the IRFU and the FAI set up a company which paid 750k a yr to the IRFU alone from 2010. The two bodies appear to have put in roughly about the same amount of money, thanks to overruns.
But here’s the key bit….thanks to the hapless management of football in Ireland - and it’s worth a read - the IRFU can buy the FAI’s share out in a few years time’ for a song:
The former FAI chief Delaney promoted the Aviva as Irish football’s “new home” but, according to the agreement he signed in April 2005, the football body could lose its interest in 2040 if the venue’s “useful life” is deemed to have expired.
The costs required to refurbish it must be more than 25 per cent of the investment required to build a new stadium. Then the 99-year lease “shall” end early through a “reversion” clause. Then “all rights, interests and entitlements of the company under such lease to the stadium and the site shall revert to the union”. The football association would have no continuing interest.
A clause in the agreement gives the IRFU the option of buying the football body’s shares in the stadium company for 50 per cent of their value if the stadium’s useful life has been declared to have expired after 2040.
Under the call option the FAI must sell its shares in the stadium company for 50 per cent of their fair value. The sale must happen within seven business days of the IRFU exercising its option.
The IRFU absolutely saw John Delaney coming. ”You stump up 100 million Euros like us, we’ll go 50-50….oh and a few years down the line, you’re out whether you like it or not”. And they agreed…..
All in a week where Ireland lost to Luxembourg to football.
OUR SURVEY SAID…
Many thanks to those who completed the Welford Road survey on Friday and if you missed the link, then here it is again.
I’m genuinely surprised by just how many of you have taken the trouble to get in touch and thank you so much to those have done so.
If you missed the opportunity over the weekend, it won’t take much more than 5 minutes to complete and I’d be grateful if you could share a view on WRW moving forward. Frankness is best.
Thanks for your help and co-operation.
All a little hurried this week thanks to yesterday’s game and general workload. It’s been a bit of an eye-opener and hopefully, next week’s Monday edition will be with you a little earlier next time.
Back on Wednesday and hope you can ease into the week.
Chris
Would have thought terrestrial TV would have been rushing to show the Women's 6 Nations on 'real' channels after the success of last year's competition.
Ah well.. softly, softly, etc.