WRW MONDAY: ONE WEEKEND, TWO GREAT GAMES
ONE SOLITARY POINT
How much consolation exists for a team to come so close in a major European final I do not know. It was in aggressively short supply on Friday night when we began at the hotel bar in Brentford.
Optimism was in plentiful supply when the hotel manager had earlier suggested the bar would close at 10pm that night. Good luck with that and a bunch of Tigers fans staying with you, I thought. But with the first sip of nectar at about 11.30pm, the feelings of regret soon passed.
Of all the European finals, this may have a unique place in the Leicester Tigers history books.
Friday didn’t have the disbelieving joy of Paris, or the rarefied, history-making raw passion going back-to-back in Cardiff. But neither was there the sadness of Murrayfield, Twickenham (the first time) and especially at the hands of Brive.
Yes there’s disappointment now, but there is one overriding emotion. Pride.
I continue to believe that progress was being made before Steve Borthwick arrived at the club, especially in terms of recruitment.
But the level of organisation and the bond struck between the players and the coaches is unmistakeable. Tigers are back at the big table but they are not yet in command of the room.
Consider the opposition
This is a fine Montpellier side too which under-achieved under a coach (Garbajosa) who couldn’t deliver the open style they apparently tried to produce and the results they needed.
Even if Philippe Saint-Andre moves back up the food chain to Director of Rugby for a replacement to come in next season - outgoing Clermont coach Frank Azema swears it won’t be him, though there are plenty who doubt that - Saint-Andre has shown that like Borthwick, a good coach can make a difference quickly if he has the raw material to work with.
Salary cap cuts are coming too and greater reliance than ever will be placed on Jiff players, as expensive imports become fewer, at least for now. Goosen is off back to the Bulls albeit not via a hasty retirement this time and Jacques Du Plessis may be joining him. Bismarck Du Plessis at 37 may well retire this summer too, though he still looked good coming on in the second half on Friday.
But while the recovery from a pandemic-caused economic crisis takes shape around the world, a blockbuster TV deal means that French clubs may recover from the pain sooner rather than most.
While they’ve clearly underperformed, Montpellier have the quality to reach the Top 14 playoffs next season based on their run of form. Whether they can make the top eight is tight, but they will be in the Champions Cup.
They have resources to justify that tag and the experience to deliver it under the right direction. When it counted in the last quarter, they did just that with a very well-taken try and enough execution to get over the line.
Where are Leicester right now?
The short answer is in a very different place to where they started the season.
The forwards are frankly unrecognisable in terms of detail and teamwork, which was evident in the try at the start of the second half.
But not as spectacular as the opening score, which was something sweet to behold:
I can tell you we had to turn our effects mic down after that first score..! No wonder..
Three wins from their remaining Premiership games will see Tigers finish in the top six once again. They’re also playing no little positive rugby right now, which wasn’t always the case earlier in the season, but it mostly comes when Leicester already have an advantage of some sort.
If they kick on next season in similar fashion, Leicester can compete for the playoffs.
The question now, after narrow defeats to the likes of Bath, Northampton and now Montpellier, is how to take Leicester further.
The future?
It may be confidence. It may be a more positive mindset. I don’t know but Leicester need to be more capable when they bring their attack to wider channels.
Not my view.
That of Sir Ian McGeechan in a very fair Sunday Telegraph column (£) who praised the foundations laid these 18 months, but suggested what he called the “add-ons” still to come:
The last 15 minutes, however, showed what Leicester still need to do in order to become the finished article.
Montpellier stopped making errors, brought on a few quality substitutes, including Handre Pollard, who I thought made a big difference, and they always had the quality in attack to punish Leicester. That is exactly what happened.
A stunning catch and counter-attack, a quick ruck and then a play which went two passes wide and had offloads and support.
That’s what Leicester still lack: the add-ons. Montpellier were prepared to put numbers and shapes in outside channels. Leicester, once they went behind and tried to accelerate the game and play into space, lost their shape. Everyone was one in a line across the field. Montpellier could read it too easily. A missed dropped goal from George Ford was the closest they came to hitting back.
I thought Leicester’s young backs Freddie Steward and Dan Kelly, just 20 and 19 years of age respectively, showed real promise. And Nemani Nadolo is such a clever player. But he was playing in tight channels, one pass out. The next step for Leicester is to be able to get their rugby accelerated in outside channels; to have the organisation and ambition to put numbers and shapes out there. That, I am sure, will start to emerge.
Leicester do have players who can do that, Moroni is a seasoned international, Matt Scott was of course not in the 23 and I keep hearing rumours of another centre coming in.
If accurate, McGeechan’s analysis suggests a system upgrade that isn’t out of kilter with the progress already made. A task which is well within their grasp.
HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVE
Less than 24 hours later, off we went from South West London to North London, for the Premier 15s Semi-Final and Loughborough Lightning’s bid to make a first final in this fledgling professional league.
The stadium has changed, but Saracens haven’t
As you can see, what used to be called Allianz Park but is now the StoneX Stadium, is changing. The West Stand has gone and work is underway to replace it.
Having frozen various parts of my anatomy off in the old facility, I can’t say I’m sorry.
Nigel Wray was in his box about 10 feet away from us with a similar view to the above shot. So is Wray funding the development?
I may not need a wild guess.
Watching from the East Stand for the first time, it was clear to see the old Saracens still exists - PR-first and not always with the substance behind it, full of chutzpah and yet behind the scenes, you wonder how it all holds together.
Having replicas of the Premiership and European Cup not just in the East Stand reception area, but right next to the lifts where you can’t miss them, was a calculated act.
Surrounded by murals and painting celebrating past titles, it smacked of a retort to all those detractors, a reminder the Premiership’s rules were severely lacking and confirmation that relegation was barely a speck of dust on their shoulder, rather than a meaningful punishment.
Premier 15s is well worth the entrance money
As for the game, it was fabulous. A tight finish helps, of course and yes, there were law variations brought in because of Covid to limit contact.
Ruling out scrums because of knock-ons or forward passes, proved to be much more of a defensive problem inside your own 22. The closer to the opposition try-line, the greater the advantage. No surprise.
But if you wanted to make comparisons to the men’s game, there are plenty to be made and many of them are not in the men’s favour.
You do see a lot of poor tactical kicking with touch being missed on regular occasions. But the intent to run the ball was much more in evidence and there was some terrific tries scored. A particular highlight was Rhona Lloyd’s score from first phase, after a fabulous no-look pass from Emily Scarratt.
In spite of little mauling, there was plenty of close quarter stuff with Saracens using the Cleall twins and the hugely impressive Botterman at loosehead to bang away at the Lightning line with some success.
It is a very different style of game to the men and should be treated on its own merits. That’s the last comparison I’ll make.
Support is miniscule in comparison to the men
Tight games help the entertainment factor but what sticks in the craw is the lack of basic assistance which would be barely considered in the men’s game. I had no idea just how little it was until now.
Finding out basic information about Premiership players is easy - the clubs, the Prem itself and media sites help enormously with decent website and press officers.
In contrast, what is offered for Premier 15s games is substandard.
Of the 46 players to take to the plastic pitch, there were many who do not even merit a profile on their club’s website with no information about height, weight or their backstory.
More worryingly - and I can scarcely believe I am writing this - the lack of support on he day was astonishing. A number of individuals scrambled to get us on air, but the lack of concern when the league needs as much media coverage as it does, was troubling.
More importantly on the pitch, England international lock Cath O’Donnell sustained a thigh or knee injury in the second half and was forced to leave the field from a point almost as far away from the temporary dressing rooms as you could be. She left the field on crutches.
No one should expect a Twickenham-style motorised buggy, though it is the standard we should aspire to. I did not see a stretcher offered at any stage.
Whether one was available or not, I do not know but it absolutely should have been.
If it wasn’t, that is scandalous.
The potential
That is obvious.
The attendance was only around 1,500 but in these limited times, that was not a bad turnout under Covid restrictions in the same weekend as the European Cup Finals.
I cannot believe you would not get similar or a bigger attendance at Welford Road, which could perhaps rival those old A-team Mondays. That’s achievable now.
Who knows what’s achievable in the long-term?
ONE MORE THING
Well done to the Tigers Academy for the second win of the season, 38-34 over Sale.
Tries came from Finn Carnduff, Morgan Meredith and Max Nolan, part of an all-U17 selection.
Thanks for the support and a special welcome to those who have just joined the WRW family. Thanks for signing up..
See you Wednesday
Chris
Good read as usual, I was mightily impressed with Tigers showing in the final, we could see where the last bits are missing, early days yet, this is a young side experience wise, slick off loads won't happen over night, but the promise is there for all to see. Looking forward to the weekend game now.
great article as always! since the Tigers Academy has been more or less dormant for a year it would be great to learn a bit more about the squad and likely Development squad for next season (has it been announced?)