Leicester Tigers 23 Clermont Auvergne 19: Back in contention in the Heineken Cup (just)

For some, the tradition at Christmas is watching The Snowman, drinking a glass of Baileys and picking at a box of chocolates. For Leicester, the tradition is a do-or-die Heineken Cup double header against a top French side. In recent years Welford Road has seen a draw with Perpignan in 2010, a win against Clermont Auvergne in 2009 and a win against Perpignan in 2008. For 2011's festive match-up, Leicester were able to navigate their way through a tense encounter to beat Clermont 23-19.

Source: AFP (courtesy of Daily Telegraph)

Forgetting last week
No-one epitomised the team's ability to recover from last week's mauling quite like Toby Flood. After a patchy first half in which the Tigers fly-half again missed kickable penalties and dropped deeper under pressure from the monumental opposing back-row of Gerhard Vosloo, Alexandre Lapandry and Julien Bonnaire, came an extraordinary revival.


The French tactic
Flood has a tendency to forget he has his tactical kicking as a weapon in the first half of games but almost his first act in the second half was a delicate stab into the corner. The subsequent territory yielded 3pts from a penalty, brought Leicester back within a converted try of the lead and gave the team belief that they could topple the mighty Clermont. French sides - with their penchant for drop-goals - know the psychological benefits of this tactic well.


Resolve
Flood didn't miss another kick for the rest of the game. Other English fly-halves (Ryan Lamb, Charlie Hodgson, Danny Cipriani) have crumbled in the past from such dubious starts but Flood could draw on levels of mental strength akin to his mentor and former rival, Jonny Wilkinson, to steer his team to victory. In a high pressure game such as this, that achievement cannot be underestimated.


Building phases
Last week, Leicester just couldn't build phases and so made barely any significant gains with the ball in hand. This week, they made 40% more metres with the ball thanks to three stand-out performers: Thomas Waldrom, Martin Castrogiovanni and Manu Tuilagi, who made 35 carries between them.


The importance of Manu
Manu Tuilagi, in particular, was indispensible for Leicester. With the ball he breaks the gain-line with ease and without it he performs like another flanker with his tenacity at the break-down and ferocious tackling: just ask Lee Byrne. That skill was needed because Clermont were astute with their defensive play; they bided their time until a ball carrier became isolated and then pounced in numbers for Leicester could react. Through the skin of their teeth, Tigers survived.




Leicester return to the Aviva Premiership next week when they travel to Sixways to face Worcester Warriors. A win could see Leicester up into the play-offs for the first time this season.


Worcester's style of play has changed little from their previous stint in the Premiership; they don't score many points and they don't concede many. Leicester can expect an ugly contest but should be confident that a couple of tries usually puts a game beyond the hosts' reach.


Though the game will come 10 days after round 4 of the Heineken Cup, Richard Cockerill may be required to rotate some players with the following game against Sale coming just 5 days after. The likes of George Chuter, Louis Deacon, Julian Salvi and Thomas Waldrom have played a lot of minutes recently and though they are vital to the cause, their fitness will need to be carefully managed.


Leicester have now recorded 4 victories from 5 from a punishing series of games against Ulster, Gloucester, Northampton and Clermont. Though equally stern challenges lie ahead, they are well placed in both the Aviva Premiership and the Heineken Cup, the injury list isn't getting worse and the mental resolve of old is back.