Leicester Tigers fans had started to get used to some regularity in their team’s performances after the turbulence of the World Cup period. A few things could be relied upon: the team’s bettered discipline; patient building of pressure through the phases, and; a true openside flanker tackling everything that moves. In losing 12-30 to Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, all things regular bowed to the superiority of Vern Cotter’s side.
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| Source: Daily Telegraph |
Discipline
The Tigers have been more intense at the breakdown this season and have simultaneously managed to take a step back from their traditional ‘on-the-edge’ approach to discipline; the yellow cards issued to Manu Tuilagi and George Chuter were, amazingly, Leicester’s first of the season. Swinging arms changed the game last week in the East Midlands derby and they did so again in the Stade Marcel Michelin as Clermont put the game to bed with their two-man advantage.
Missed tackles
It was in this passage of play that Julian Salvi – one of the Premiership signings of the season – missed a tackle he would aim to make 9/10 against Wesley Fofana and France’s next big hope scored the decisive try. The Australian worked doggedly, hit rucks quickly and carried hard but made just 7m with the ball all game.
Going through the phases
Salvi was not alone in being ineffective with the ball. Leicester made fewer metres with the ball than in any other game this season and when they did get into position they invariably coughed up possession under intense pressure from the exceptional Gerhard Vosloo and his back-row colleagues. Last week I suggested Richard Cockerill has to try and keep Salvi and Thomas Waldrom on the pitch at all costs and the Kiwi’s sore ankle proved costly. On average Waldrom makes 30m more a game with the ball than any other Leicester forward and there was nobody to replace his dynamism.
Michelin grip
Clermont, on the other hand, made gains all over the pitch. Their world-class half-back pairing of Morgan Parra and Brock James performed exceptionally to release a devastating back-line who used the hammer as their weapon more often than the chisel. The sheer physicality of their back three of Julien Malzieu, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Lee Byrne was impressive and each member of it made a significant dent in Leicester’s defence.
No alternatives
Leicester have provided fewer offloads than their opponents in every single Premiership and Heineken Cup game this season and before Sunday they had not come up against an opponent that would make that statistic significant. But with Fofana and his centre partner Aurelien Rougerie reading most of Leicester’s predictable backs moves there was no alternative game-plan. Leicester had plenty of the ball, plenty of territory, dominance in the scrum and a solid lineout but did next to nothing with that supremacy.
Memories of 2009
With just under 20% of Clermont’s spending ability, Leicester performed admirably in France but, in all reality, were not quite on the same level as their opponents. Much like the two sides’ last meeting in 2009, Clermont were simply overpowering.
Next week Richard Cockerill and Vern Cotter do battle again in what is a pivotal game in the pool. Can Leicester turn the tables at Welford Road?
France's distinguished individuality is one of their most important traits and Leicester will be hoping that the initiative and invention on display at the Stade Marcel Michelin will not shine through at Welford Road. When players the calibre of Morgan Parra gain confidence then, at club level, they are almost unstoppable.
The physical battle will be absolutely key and Leicester simply have to break the gain line more often if they are to win the game. That's no mean feat with Clermont's huge defensive line and Leicester's lack of invention in the backs, so a tactical kicking game played for territory may suit the home team. For this to work, the resurgent Matt Smith may have to be sacrificed, Manu Tuilagi reverted back to his natural position of outside centre and Billy Twelvetrees accommodated for his kicking game to alleviate the pressure on Toby Flood.
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