Parling Try Moves Tigers into Top 4

Tigers moved into the Premiership’s play off places with a solid 25-18 win at home to Exeter.  Tigers took advantage of poor Exeter discipline with Freddie Burns landing 6 penalties; Geoff Parling’s first try at Welford Road for 5 years sealed the win but a very controversial try gave Exeter a way back before a soft penalty with the 80 minutes up let Exeter steal a thoroughly undeserved losing bonus point.

Tigers were never behind in the game; taking a 3-0 lead in the 10^th minute after their first attack was halted by a Chiefs penalty.   Exeter’s rising star, so the papers tell me, Henry Slade was wide with two earlier chances and refused to take a shot at levelling the scores instead pumping it to the corner.

Tigers defence turned them away with Dan Cole surging through the maul and Seremai Bai holding the ball up.

Burns doubled the lead after Geoff Parling was taken out without the ball and Slade was finally on the score board in the 22^nd minute; Jamie Gibson the transgressor after picking up the loose ball from an offside position following a Tigers charge down.

Exeter had the best of the next ten minutes, dominating possession and territory after Tigers failed to deal with the kick off.  The Chiefs strung together almost 30 phases of possession, but produced nothing to threaten the Tigers defence.  With the inevitable penalty against the defence, a travesty in this case as Salvi was on his feet and should have seen the whistle blow the other way, Exeter again refused a drawing kick instead going to the corner.

In contrast to a fortnight previously Tigers again turned Exeter back, forcing them wide until Matt Smith’s ferocious defence took Ian Whitten and the Chiefs into touch.  Tigers cleared the pressure and were rewarded with two penalties before half time.

The first followed a devilish break from Miles Benjamin, unfortunately his last involvement before a knee injury, with the front five also prominent creating the space on the blindside.  The second followed a smart line out move with Ben Youngs breaking onto brother Tom’s quick throw.  Ben returned the ball to Tom but he was unable to finish.

Tigers showed no patience in attack, with the ball flung 20 yards backwards to try and exploit a marginal overlap on the other touchline, rather than continuing to drive through the forwards.  Thankfully there was an advantage and Tigers went into the break 12-3 up.

Into the 2^nd period Tigers first attack of the half was ended when Exeter took the man early again.  Tigers fifth entrance to the Exeter 22 and the fifth Exeter penalty did not seem to interest Doyle with a yellow card but Burns made no mistake to earn a 15-3 lead.

In Exeter’s first attack of the second half, and in stark contrast to Tigers rushed approach, they scored the game’s first try.  Thomas Waldrom was the scorer as Exeter picked and went round the corner until they exposed the weak shoulder.  There was no video evidence of the grounding but referee JP Doyle was on the spot and happy to make the award.

Despite the score being almost under the posts Slade missed the simple conversion, under pressure from Gibson’s charge he skewed the kick horribly into the post.

This seemed to stir Tigers into action, with Goneva become much more prominent, breaking through the middle of a ruck before popping up on the outside later.

Goneva was almost in at the corner following a string of Tigers attacks but was forced into touch by Nowell.  Exeter overthrew the lineout allowing Dan Cole to claim possession but the burly prop was held up in his attempts to ground the ball.

Tigers attacked from the collapsed scrum finding De Chaves on the left flank who drew the last Exeter defender and freed Parling to scoot in by the touchline.

Exeter’s second score had controversial origins, their replacement hooker Elvis Taione playing the ball from a clearly off side position to secure one of the game’s rare turnovers, with the Tigers defence disorganised Slade cut through the left side and found Chudley in support to dart under the posts.

Tigers missed the chance to extend the lead when Tommy Bell’s estimate of his kicking range proved optimistic but Freddie Burns was able to push the lead out to 10 points after Dean Mumm played the half back from within the ruck.

Tigers looked to be cruising to the win and so it proved but not before a soft scrum penalty with the clock dead gave Exeter their losing bonus point.

A fifth league win in a row has lifted Tigers into the top 4, currently 3^rd but expected to drop when Bath face Welsh today, and with games against Saracens, Wasps and Northampton to come we hold of destiny in our own hands.

Tigers don't pass Semi Chance

Tigers were dumped out of the LV Cup by Exeter, losing by 8 points at the semi final stage.  Tigers shot themselves in both feet, several times, conspiring with the referee to hand the match to a bemused Exeter who did next to nothing to earn the win.  Just stand back, let the referee whistle the opposition off the park and watch them implode when he didn't.

In essence you can boil the game down to two crucial decisions.  Two crucial pass.  Two ex-rugby league forwards.  Laurence Pearce, with turnover ball, didn't raise his head, didn't look around and fed Exeter wing Vainakolo with a simple interception pass.  About an hour later Brad Thorn, after a scintillating Miles Benjamin break, was the last but one man with a single defender in front of him he didn't raise his head, didn't look around and this time didn't feed the Tigers winger waiting for his chance.

14 points swing right there.  And with that we wouldn't be micro analysing Tim Wigglesworth's joke shop refereeing, we wouldn't be asking where, exactly, the Hull based offical feels the middle of a maul is if it isn't where the ball is and we wouldn't be steaming mad for two weeks but playing Saracens in a final.

Tigers started the game with real ambition and married it to perfect execution.  Benjamin cut through on a terrific line before Catchpole kept it alive.  Mele found Michele Rizzo running a perfect line back towards the ruck and the Italian dove over for the opening score after only 4 minutes.

But after that beginning Tigers decided to retreat to their shell.  With penalties galore Tigers decided to kick for goal, to enter into a tight niggly match when they could have pushed on and blown a shaky Chiefs out of the water.

Exeter leveled the score through hooker Tainoe, unlike Tigers they kicked for the corner.   Tigers, having seemingly forgot how to defend lineouts, stood off and let Exeter form the maul.  Once the maul is set a referee like Wigglesworth is not going to let them leave without a penalty at least and a try at worst.  And they did, driving the hooker over off the side of the maul.

With one of Tigers penalties giving us a 10-7 lead Exeter kicked off.  With ball bouncing loose Mele swept the ball to Whetton, with an over lap begging he passed on to Pearce.  We've already discussed what happened next.  14-10 to Exeter and we never saw the lead again.

Tigers were seemingly happy with tit for tat penalty goals for much of the match.  Showing no ambition to play and executing their kick and chase very poorly, it was not a combination for a happy crowd with the boos starting from the Crumbie.

Tigers slowly began expanding their game though, with Thorn breaking through the middle.  Exeter offended, offside and never onside they killed the momentum and lost a man for ten minutes.  In the ten minutes Tigers added the 3 points from that penalty and should have killed the game.

Miles Benjamin eschewed the rigid kicking game to gloriously counter, finding Neil Briggs in support.  The Sale bound man had neither the pace nor the support to finish the move but it was quickly swept left towards the Crumbie.  But Thorn did not find Catchpole, who followed him up into the ruck.  Illegally according to Wigglesworth.  The only in at the side by the attack all game.  Apparently.

With that the momentum seemed lost.  Tigers tried to play the tight game but were stymied by a referee who simply refused to ping the Chiefs.  For their final try he may as well have put on a white shirt and joined the maul.  Sam Harrison spots the ball carrier at the front of the maul and latches onto him.  This, according to the man who has refereed hundreds of games and has presumably read the rule book at some stage, is in at the side.  Where can you come from then?  What can you actually do once you don't disrupt the set up?

From the second lineout it was inevitable.  Tigers can only blame themselves for this one.  They didn't compete for the ball, they didn't hit the man the moment his feet touched the floor and drive them backwards.  These days with any referee, a good one or one like today, you will concede if you passively let them set up then try to hold the drive.  I know that, you my millions of readers know that, why don't the players on the field?

A very frustrating day for Tigers.  We were good enough to win, with a competent and fair referee we would have won, if we hadn't quite literally thrown the game away we would have won.  I think this will be the last we see this season from a number of today's players.

Tigers take Sandy Park Spoils

Leicester secured their 3rd straight win at Exeter's Sandy Park to share an early lead of the Premiership table.  Tigers won 24-20 after tries from Anthony Allen and Ben Youngs plus 11 points from Freddie Burns and a final penalty from Owen Williams.  Exeter lead 17-13 at half time through scores from Dave Ewers and Haydn Thomas.

Tigers were down a man early after the ludicrously harsh yellow card for Vereniki Goneva's allegedly high tackle.  Goneva's arm clearly makes contact under the collarbone, possibly slipping up to justify a harsh penalty, but by no means over the shoulder to warrant a yellow.

Exeter were by far the better side in the first completely deserving their 4 point half time lead.  Exeter out enthused Tigers, raising the tempo and fly into everything.  Tigers seemed heavy legged and negative in contrast.

Both Exeter tries came after poor control at the base of the scrum from Barbieri; Dave Ewers twisted out of Geoff Parling's tackle for the first score whilst Goneva was still in the bin with Thomas spinning out of Balmain's challenge for the second.

In between Tigers had struck back to level the score with Anthony Allen try.  Following a pin point kick to the corner Tigers pack drew a maul penalty from the Chiefs; with advantage Freddie Burns took the ball level with the left hand up right, leaned back and dithered deliberately to draw the defence closer, and slotted a delicious grubber kick between the posts for Anthony Allen to snaffle for his first try since March.

Dave Ewers breaking his bind from a scrum quickly gave Burns the chance to avenge Thomas' score.  A late flurry of penalties saw Steenson nail another kick after Salvi was ruled to have not released in the tackle, then at the first ruck from the kick off an Exeter were off side from the kick ahead and Burns gave us the half time score of 17-13 to the hosts.

Tigers were much improved in the second half, controlling the territory and raising the physicality levels.  Almost immediately from the kick off Tom Youngs counter ruck forced Haydn Thomas off his feet in the ruck.  Burns was cool under pressure to reduce the arrears to 1.

Burns was again to the fore with two excellent raking kicks pinning Exeter back into the corners.  From the second Kitchener raised his giant paw to claim the throw in and Tigers set the maul.  With another penalty advantage Ben Youngs organised a drive with Leonardo Ghiraldini driving the half back over.  Burns sole blot on his copy book was the missed simple conversion.

But Tigers had the lead for the first time after almost an hour and bitterly hung on to it.  

Gareth Steenson clawed back 3 points when Julian Salvi was ruled off side, after turning down a shot at goal minutes earlier, but it was in vain as Tigers dominated the final 10 minutes to snuff out any chance of defeat.

Jamie Gibson was only denied a fantastic turnover by a Exeter player holding on; Burns found a great touch only 5m from the line and Tigers pack rumbled forwards again.

Only Dave Ewers despairing lunge from the side prevented a try and there was a serious case for a penalty try, if a scrum was marching forward like that I doubt the referee would not storm under the posts.

Tigers took the lineout again but could not replicate the drive; the forwards were more than content in rumbling around the fringe and when Exeter conceded a central ruck penalty Owen Williams was more than happy to slot the 3.

Exeter had some decent territory in the final throes but that was snuffed out with debutant Riccardo Brugnara earning a penalty by forcing Moray Low to stand up in the scrum.

From that line out Tigers ground the clock down and secured the early season win that might prove vital in the final reckonings.

5 changes as Tigers head to Sandy Park

Leicester Tigers welcome back British Lions duo Geoff Parling and Tom Youngs to the starting line up after the pair have recovered from minor knocks.  Also returning to the Tigers line up is Mat Tait, the 38 times England international, at full back and Anthony Allen to the centres.  Robert Barbieri makes his Premiership starting debut a week after his unusual control at the base of the ruck immediately endeared him to Tigers fans.

Niall Morris switches to the wing to make room for Tait, from last week's 23 Scully and Seremaia Bai miss out entirely with Matt Smith retaining his place on the bench.  Up front Ghiraldini drops to the bench where he joins Tiziano Pasquali and a first time in the match day squad for Riccardo Brugnara makes an all Italian replacement front row.  Brugnara and Pasquali impressed this Monday in the A league and deserve their place.

Tom Croft's much antcipated return is put off another week despite being named in the starting line up last time out.  In the back row Gibson continues at 6 with Crane dropping to the bench.

Exeter are coming off a 6 day turnaround but unsurprisingly keep the same XV that ravaged newly promoted London Welsh in Oxford.  That means an early encounter for Thomas Waldrom with his old mates.  Waldrom played 112 times for the Tigers and has won Premiership Player of the Season in the past.  He made an immediate impact for the Devonians touching down twice last weekend.

In the centres Exeter give youth its head by playing two 21 year olds; Henry Slade made his name at fly half  in England U-20's inaugural Junior World Cup win but now features at 13, Sam Hill was 12 in that final and stays at inside centre now.  The young pair will be a target for Manu Tuilagi, just 23 himself.

Exeter's captain so far this season has been local hooker Jack Yeandle.  Yeandle is originally a product of Crediton but cut his teeth with Doncaster before returning to Devon with his home town team.  He is joined in the front row by fellow battle hardened ex-Championship players Carl Rimmer, originally from Coventry but signed from Cornish Pirates, and Tomas Francis, 22, who joined this summer from London Scottish.

One change to the match day 23 sees Damian Welch come into the bench in place of Don Armand.

Tigers have played Exeter 9 times since their promotion in 2010 winning 6 and losing 3.  The league campaign has seen the same side win both fixtures in the season each time; Exeter won both games in 2011/12 with Tigers completing the double in the other 3 season.  

Saturday's referee is Irish Londoner J.P. Doyle.  Doyle has experience of this fixture after taking charge of the Tigers win in January 2011; Doyle has a reputation of letting the game flow but when he awards penalties he is not shy at waving cards about as Tigers found to their cost in last year's semi final. 

On average during last season's regular Premiership season the home side had to commit 40% more penalties than the away side before seeing a yellow card from Doyle; so Exeter's bumper 13,000 crowd at an expanded Sandy Park may well prove the decisive factor in what will be a tight game.

Leicester
15 Mat Tait
14 Niall Morris
13 Manu Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Vereniki Goneva
10 Freddie Burns
9 Ben Youngs (c)
1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Tom Youngs
3 Fraser Balmain
4 Graham Kitchener
5 Geoff Parling
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Julian Salvi
8 Robert Barbieri
Replacements
16 Leonardo Ghiraldini
17 Riccardo Brugnara
18 Tiziano Pasquali
19 Sebastian De Chaves
20 Jordan Crane
21 David Mele
22 Owen Williams
23 Matt Smith
Exeter: 
15 Chrysander Botha
14 Ian Whitten
13 Henry Slade
12 Sam Hill
11 Matt Jess
10 Gareth Steenson
9 Haydn Thomas
1 Carl Rimmer
2 Jack Yeandle (c)
3 Tomas Francis
4 Mitch Lees
5 Ryan Caldwell
6 Dave Ewers
7 Ben White
8 Thomas Waldrom
Replacements: 
16 Elvis Taione
17 Ben Moon
18 Moray Low
19 Damian Welch
20 Kai Horstmann
21 Will Chudley
22 Ceri Sweeney
23 Jack Arnott

Referee: JP Doyle
Touch Judges: Paul Burton, Robin Goodliffe
TMO: Rowan Kitt

2014/15 Season Preview: Exeter

Exeter

Nickname: Chiefs

Founded: 1871

Years in Top Tier: 4

Last Year: 8^th in Prem (45 Points), Group Stage in Heineken Cup, Anglo-Welsh Cup Champions

Europe: Challenge Cup

Director of Rugby: Rob Baxter

Transfers

In: Thomas Waldrom (Leicester), Moray Low (Glasgow), Tomas Francis (London Scottish), Mitch Lees (London Welsh), Elvis Taione (Jersey), Adam Hughes (Bristol), Chrysander Botha (Golden Lions)

Out: Hoani Tui (Lyon OU), Craig Mitchell (Cardiff), Romana Graham (La Rochelle), Chris Whitehead (Retirement), Jason Shoemark (Hawkes Bay NZ), James Hanks (Retirement), Lloyd Fairbrother (Newport), James Phillips (London Scottish), Luke Arscott (Bath), Sam Blanchet (England 7s)

Ins: 7

Outs: 10

Exeter suffered a 14 points drop in their Premiership total from 2012/13 to 2013/14, shifting from an easy 5^th to a disappointing 8^th, though they did snare their first ever piece of silverware with the LV Cup.

Exeter’s promotion pack is now almost completely dismantled with Hayes, Hanks & Baxter all retiring in the last season.  Budgen’s gone, Tui’s gone, Clarke’s gone and so has his understudy Whitehead, only Sturgess, Johnson and Scaysbrook remain.  A new generation has been mooted to replace them the highly acclaimed England age group stars of Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Sam Hill and Luck Cowan-Dickie.

Their star signings have been our own Thomas Waldrom and Scotland’s Moray Low, who replaces Lyon bound Tui, but the best ones might turn out to be Mitch Lees and Adam Brown who impressed in last season's Championship Play Offs for London Welsh and Bristol respectively.

Perhaps the most interesting move of the off season will be Sireli Naqelevuki’s switch from centre to the pack.  The monstrous Fijian has been a great player for Exeter providing front foot ball and a bullying presence in the midfield but injuries have slowed him down and with World Cup ambitions a move to flanker might just be the canniest bit of business, for player and club, this summer.

Exeter strikes me as very much in a transition year.  I can’t see them embroiled in a relegation battle, they will win too many home games for that, but equally I can’t see Gareth Steenson leading a play off charge.  Their young guns are not yet ready to fire fully and the old curmudgeonly pack has moved on to pastures new.  A run at the Challenge Cup should be the target along with Champions Cup qualification for next season but even that will probably be beyond them.

Prediction: 9th

Island Power Tigers to Victory

Tigers secured a second consecutive bonus point victory defeating Exeter 45-15 at Welford Road.  Tigers crossed the whitewash 6 times showing terrific power, pace and execution.  Vereniki Goneva was to the fore again, and afterwards Richard Cockerill hinted that his move away this summer might not be a lost caused just yet.  

To go with that potential fillip the fans received a huge boost as Tom Croft played a full part in the game’s warm up.  It had been said he would act as water boy in this match but to take contact in the warm up is a huge boost.  Clermont may be too soon but the Premiership play offs surely beckon.

Tigers were in fine form without Croft though as Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Allen re-united what is Tigers most selected centre partnership in League history; the pair last lined up together in May’s Twickenham Final. 

Tigers played into the wind in the opening period and used the conditions to great effect.  The wind held up Ben Youngs’s box kicks and Owen Williams’s garryowens allowing Tigers chase to put the Exeter catchers under great pressure.  Tigers’ forwards played well, breaking tackles in attack and driving them back in defence; Ed Slater really sets the tone with this side; his raw energy and passion drives the side forward.

Exeter opened the scoring with a penalty after Tigers had made the early play.  Referee Dean Richards had an odd, old fashioned, interpretation of the maul that took Tigers some time to understand.

It was Tuilagi though who crossed the whitewash first as Tigers gained the lead they would never relinquish.  Jamie Gibson blocked Exeter’s attempted clearance to gain the turnover in the attacking half; Ben Youngs quickly freed Tuilagi who brushed off Jack Nowell’s attempts at a tackle.  Turning it back inside Tuilagi secured possession before Tigers went right though Crane.  Ben Youngs was quick to the breakdown and found Allen running tight to ruck; he drew in two Exeter defenders before off loading to Goneva.  The Flying Fijian committed the last man to give Tuilagi the easiest of run ins for his first try of the season.

Owen Williams’s conversion was good but the touch judges bafflingly missed it.

Tigers were straight back onto the attack with Hamilton and Tuilagi making impressions up the right hand side.  Tigers were attempting to get outside Exeter’s rush defence with mixed results when Williams found Goneva running a deep outside arc.

The Fijian magician was through the hole and, carrying the ball in one hand, committed three men before bringing a bullocking Mulipola back on a switch towards the posts.

Jack Nowell had no chance to stop the 20 stone of prime Samoan beef as he strode through the Cornishman’s tackle to score under the posts.

Williams had no problem with the conversion, and this time the touch judges agreed.

A deliberate knock on, no yellow this week, gave Williams a chance for the penalty.  The Welshman missed by the slimmest of margins as the ball drifted to strike the left hand upright.  It mattered not though as Tigers claimed the bouncing ball and earned Williams a quick chance at redemption.  Second time around he was perfect.

Exeter responded well; though Ben White was lucky to gain the penalty for Crane holding on the floor rather than give one away for failing to release a tackled man.  From that decision Exeter scored from a driving maul.  Tigers looked to have stopped it twice, but Richards’s old fashioned interpretation gave Exeter another go that let hooker Jack Yeandle take advantage.

As with the first try Tigers struck back immediately.  Regaining the momentum is a crucial part of the game and always makes the game feel more comfortable. 

Jordan Crane made a powerful surge through the middle, offloading to Julian Salvi for the crucial extra yards.  With quick ball Ben Youngs showed to go right before turning back left.  Exeter's defence was at sixes and sevens, Goneva came onto the ball at pace.  Slaloming through the would be tacklers he beat 4 men to go under the posts after receiving the ball 30 yards out.

The new big screen showed the moves and the crowd was wowed by the Fijian’s footwork.

Its next use saw Exeter Captain Dean Mumm get a yellow card; his high tackle on Owen Williams received the expected outrage from the Tigers faithful.  Whilst Mumm was missing Tigers piled on the pressure.  With another advantage Vereniki Goneva scored again as he powered through Exeter’s defence from Ben Youngs’s pop pass.  But referee Richards was not happy.  Eskewing the TMO he ruled it out for a tight forward pass.

Williams slotted the penalty for a half time score of 25-10.

Some good old fashioned scrum power saw Williams get another chance early in the second half; Tigers were patient when looking for the bonus point and the Welshman put Tigers 18 points clear.

The bonus point was secured just 6 minutes later.  Owen Williams cleared a penalty from one 22 to the other to set up the line out.  Jordan Crane claimed cleanly at the tail before Anthony Allen was freed into the midfield straight away. 

Quick ball and Owen Williams had it again, Tuilagi used as a dummy to draw the men in, allowing Scott Hamilton to roam in the open spaces.  Hamilton feeds Thompstone straightening for the final flourish.  Bonus Point secured the intensity drops as Tigers use 7 of their 8 subs in the next 10 minutes.

Ed Slater forced a 5m lineout with a charge down of Henry Slade’s desperate clearance.  Good pressure from Tigers in the lineout forced the knock on and Tigers scrum.  A big push on the loosehead side from the freshly introduced Boris Stankovich gave David Mele the short side and the Frenchman gladly took the ball with the line begging.

Ten minutes later and it was Mele snipping again for the try.  A quick tap from Mele saw Waldrom just short but with quick possession the Catalan half back could weave his way through the defence for the try, with only a hint of a fumble on the grounding.

Mele’s third try of the season eclipses his total in 130 games over 7 seasons of rugby with Perpignan.

A third try bonus point win of the Premiership season in the only three games that Manu Tuilagi has started are a testament to the man’s influence on our play.  Away trips to Northampton and Clermont are next to come.  If Tigers can play like this in those two fixtures then who knows what this season, so blighted by injuries, might still yield?

3 Changed for Cheifs

Injury and unavailability forces Richard Cockerill into two changes from the side that beat Newcastle three weeks ago.  Inside centre Dan Bowden, in New Zealand for his Sister’s wedding, has had to have an appendectomy after complaining of stomach ache.  On the wing Blaine Scully is absent representing his country in a crucial World Cup Qualifier in Montevideo.

Experienced centre Anthony Allen replaces Bowden to reprise his successful centre partnership with Manu Tuilagi.  Adam Thompstone, who scored a hat trick of tries on debut in this fixture last year, comes in for US Eagle Scully on the wing.

The other backs are unchanged; Owen Williams is preferred to previous captain Toby Flood as partner for Ben Youngs in the half backs; Mat Tait and superstar winger Vereniki Goneva retain their places in the back three.  

The official web site's preview is claiming this is Ben Youngs's 100th start but my stats show only 98 so far.  The club's own stats on the web site agree with my own.  If anyone has any ideas where the phantom game is then please leave a comment below.

One change in the forwards is made as Pablo Matera is replaced by Julian Salvi at openside.  Matera showed great awareness and strength to poach the bonus point try against Newcastle and is extremely unlucky to miss out on the matchday squad altogether.

Jordan Crane and Jamie Gibson round out the back row whilst the tight five is unchanged.  Ed Slater continues as captain beside Louis Deacon in the second row; Marcos Ayerza, Tom Youngs and Logo Mulipola make an all international front row.

Graham Kitchener returns to fitness and is named on the bench.  Kitchener has played only once since injuring his ankle against Ulster in January.  Boris Stankovich maintains his ever present season, again named on the bench alongside Fraser Balmain, Rob Hawkins, Thomas Waldrom, David Mele, Toby Flood and Scott Hamilton.

With 7 tries in the last 2 games Tigers have been feeling their way back into top form.  They will need to find their best against Exeter.  Last weekend the Chiefs became the 16^th different club to win the Cup after their 15-8 win against Northampton.  The game was played at top intensity and Exeter will be on the crest of a wave at the moment.

Exeter plays a pressure game at a fast tempo to try and unsettle opposition.  Tigers should counter this with more pressure and be able to beat them at their own game.  With heavy duty carries in Manu, Logo and Tom Youngs we should be able to break their tackles and get onto the front foot. 

Henry Slade showed remarkable coolness to steer Exeter to their Cup Final triumph but struggled with his goal kicking at times.  His personal dual with Owen Williams will go a long way to determining who comes out on top this Sunday.

For the second home game in a row the referee is Dean Richards.  

Leicester
15 Mat Tait
14 Vereniki Goneva
13 Manu Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Owen Williams
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs
3 Logovi'i Mulipola
4 Louis Deacon
5 Ed Slater (c)
6 Jamie Gibson
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane
Replacements
16 Rob Hawkins
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Graham Kitchener
20 Thomas Waldrom
21 David Mele
22 Toby Flood
23 Scott Hamilton

Exeter
15 Luke Arscott
14 Jack Nowell
13 Ian Whitten
12 Phil Dollman
11 Fetu'u Vainikolo
10 Henry Slade
9 Dave Lewis
1 Ben Moon
2 Jack Yeandle
3 Hoani Tui
4 Dean Mumm (c)
5 Damian Welch
6 Dave Ewers
7 Ben White
8 Kai Horstmann
Replacements
16 Luke Cowan-Dickie
17 Carl Rimmer
18 Alex Brown
19 Don Armand
20 Tom Johnson
21 Haydn Thomas
22 Gareth Steenson
23 Matt Jess

Heavenly Tigers silence Sandy Park crowd

A dominant first 20 minutes was enough for Tigers to see off a spirited final hour from Exeter as they triumphed 21-9 at Sandy Park.  Renowned by some for a terrific atmosphere Sandy Park was a strange cross between a morgue and a library as Tigers had a choke on hold on the game, and even though their grip loosened in the second half they never let go completely.

Tigers started the game terrifically as the heavyweight pack selected by Richard Cockerill acted like a wrecking ball through the Exeter midfield.  Great awareness from Toby Flood spotted occasional full back Phil Dollman out of position and took advantage with a dinked chip for Niall Morris.  He looked to have scored but the T.M.O. ruled that his fumble in the grounding went forwards.  To my eye that went backwards and he was next to ground it for a try.

Tigers went close again as a Jordan Crane looked to free Ben Youngs round the side of a driven maul.  He tripped though and referee Wigglesworth ruled holding on.  The mighty Leicester pack was not to be denied however and it was from a similar move that Ben Youngs squirmed over, this time it was elder brother Tom Youngs who drew the last man.

Flood missed the conversion but atoned with a penalty not too long afterwards.  Tigers’ backline defence was excellent with Blaine Scully’s defence immaculate.  Vereniki Goneva, in his favoured position of outside centre, was particularly quick off the mark and showed an excellent work ethic to get back to the outside if he was beaten.

Typical Tigers to find the Fijian good at all the dull things to go with his magic feet.

Exeter finally arrived in the second quarter as they finally got some ball and field position to use it.  Usually it is the away side you say were “still on the bus” but Exeter’s minds looked elsewhere for long periods of the first half.

Goneva’s never stop work rate was rewarded on the stroke of half time when he pounced on Jason Shoemark’s loose pass to race away under the posts.  Toby Flood converted for a 15-0 half time lead.

Tigers’ mega-sized back five finally tired in the second half.  Ed Slater brings immense physicality around the field and as an option in the lineout he is fantastic, but what you gain in those stakes you lose out on the floor of the ruck.  

With only Julian Salvi as a true flanker Tigers struggled to stem the Chief’s flow in the second half.  Consequently they lost out on possession, territory and the chance to claim the try bonus point.

Tigers were out on their feet for much of the second period and the injection of fresh legs from Kitchener and Gibson helped somewhat to turn the tide back in the Leicester favour.   

2 of the 3 second half penalties from Exeter were simply due to speed of ball and pressure.  The other a fairly bizarre scrum penalty for Tom Youngs standing up, despite the Tigers pack marching forwards at the time.

I look forward to seeing Dylan Hartley penalised off the park next week.

With 70 minutes gone Tigers still had the chance to press for a third try and open up the possibility of the try bonus point.  Tigers were finally getting some ball in the Exeter half and had earned a scrum penalty.  At 9 points up the penalty insured against a two score Exeter come back but a kick to the corner might have opened the game up for an extra point ourselves.

This summed up both sides as neither was really positive enough to take hold of the game in the second half, so Tigers first half stranglehold held firm.

At the end of the match Ben Kay’s man of the match Vereniki Goneva let slip Tigers tactical master plan.  “I’d like to thank the Lord” he said.  With the Almighty as our 16^th man no wonder our defence seemed omnipotent!

AA gets 100th Call Out

Anthony Allen is set to make his 100th start for the First XV, as he is recalled to replace Dan Bowden in the centres.  Tigers make 7 other personnel changes along with several positional switches as they search for their best side to send to Ulster in two weeks.

In the back three Niall Morris comes in at full back and Blaine Scully moves to wing.  Thompstone is retained on the left wing whilst Vereniki Goneva moves to outside centre in place of the injured Manu Tuilagi.  Allen plays 12 as Flood and Youngs continue at half back.

The pack sees 4 changes as Tom Youngs and Dan Cole are recalled to the front row, Logovi'i Mulipola switches back to loosehead after starting on the otherside last week.  Louis Deacon is recalled at Lock as Ed Slater moves to 6 to accommodate him. 

Julian Salvi regains his mantel at 7 from Jamie Gibson who is on the bench.  Jordan Crane and Geoff Parling keep their shirts from last week.

Owen Williams is again preferred to Ryan Lamb on the bench whilst the form of Bowden gets some reward as he is retained in the match day 23.  Sam Harrison could make his seasonal debut as he replaces David Mele on the bench.

Exeter make one change from the side which last week won away at London Irish.  Zimbabwean number 8 Dave Ewers has recovered from a hamstring injury and replaces Ben White in the starting line up.  

Exeter still start with 7 of the side that won the championship in 2010, including both half backs: Coventry's Haydn Thomas and Ulster's Gareth Steenson.  Steenson is joined by one of the Chief's newer singings a fellow Ulsterman Ian Whitten.  

Tigers fans will remember Welshmen Phill Dollman, who scored 2 tries at Welford Road as Exeter roared to a half time lead in 2010,and Tom James who scored the last minute try for Cardiff Blues to force extra time in 2009's Heineken Cup Semi-Final.  James had a kick to win the penalty shoot out that day, taking Cardiff's 5th kick, but put it wide allowing Hamilton to equal the scores and Jordan Crane to eventually send us to our 5th Heineken Cup final.

Sunday's referee will be Tim Wigglesworth from Hull.  Wigglesworth has refereed 3 out of the last 4 clashes between the two sides including both of last season's encounters.  Given that at the time Exeter certainly felt hard done by after his performance in this fixture last March his appointment is unnecessarily controversial.  

This is typical Premiership Rugby.  It is a pressure that the referee could be feeling and is completely avoidable.  It is also, for me, not good practice to appoint only one referee for any particular fixture so often.  For instance Exeter could feel that some of Wigglesworth foibles help Leicester and hinder them.  A mix of refs avoids this.  

Exeter will go into this game full of confidence after winning 3 of the last 5 fixtures between the two sides including 2 out of 3 games down at Sandy Park.  

Tigers will be looking to use their heavy-jumbo formation to batter the Chiefs midfield, especially the 10-12 channel between teenager Sam Hill and fly half Steenson, then unleash the pace and power of the "Back Four" of Goneva, Thompstone, Scully and Morris.  It is a muscular back line but will be missing the irreplaceable Manu Tuilagi.

Tigers will be looking for a win so that we can protect our vital half backs against Northampton next week in preparation for the trip to Ulster the week after.

Leicester Tigers
15 Niall Morris
14 Blaine Scully
13 Vereniki Goneva
12 Anthony Allen
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Toby Flood (c)
9 Ben Youngs
1 Logovi'i Mulipola
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon
5 Geoff Parling
6 Ed Slater
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane
Replacements
16 Neil Briggs
17 Boris Stankovich
18 Fraser Balmain
19 Graham Kitchener
20 Jamie Gibson
21 Sam Harrison
22 Owen Williams
23 Dan Bowden

Exeter Chiefs: 
15 Phil Dollman
14 Ian Whitten
13 Jason Shoemark
12 Sam Hill
11 Tom James
10 Gareth Steenson
9 Haydn Thomas
1 Brett Sturgess
2 Jack Yeandle
3 Hoani Tui
4 Dean Mumm (c)
5 Damian Welch
6 Tom Johnson
7 James Scaysbrook
8 Dave Ewers
Replacements
16 Chris Whitehead
17 Ben Moon
18 Carl Rimmer
19 Tom Hayes
20 Ben White
21 Dave Lewis
22 Henry Slade
23 Matt Jess


Exeter Kit:

Leicester Kit:

TV: BT Sport1HD, Sky 413, Virgin Media 549, 1PM (Kick Off: 2 PM)

Season's Preview: Exeter

Exeter

Nickname: Chiefs

Founded: 1871

Years in Top Tier: 3

Last Year: 6^th in Prem (59 Points), Group Stage in Heineken Cup and Anglo-Welsh Cup

Europe: Heineken Cup

Director of Rugby: Rob Baxter

Transfers:

In: Tom James (Cardiff), Dave Lewis (Gloucester), Ceri Sweeney (Cardiff Blues), Fetu’u Vainikolo (Cannacht), Greg Bateman (London Welsh), Don Armand (Stormers), Romana Graham (Waikato Chiefs)

Out: Aly Muldowny (Connacht), Ignacio Mieres (Worcester), Simon Alcott (Retiring), Myles Dorrian (London Irish), Gonzalo Camacho (Leicester), Watsoni Votu (Perpignan), Neil Clarke (Oyonnax), Richie Baxter (Retiring), Kevin Barrett (Retiring – Saracens Strength & Conditioning), Chris Budgen (Retiring), Mark Foster (Jersey), Josh Tatupu (Carcassone), Nic Sestaret (Unknown), Junior Poluleuligaga (Auckland)

Ins: 7

Outs: 13

This will only be Exeter’s 4^th season in the top tier of English rugby; but what they lack in history they make up in ability. 

Since Stuart Barnes’s famous predication that they wouldn’t win a single game after promotion Exeter have gained a handy habit of giving the London –centric dead tree press a bloody nose.  Every year they predict that Exeter will be “found out” as if they don’t belong here.

Well I’m having none of that.  Exeter bases their game on first principles of strong set piece and go forward ball.  They have added a more attacking element to their play and are one of the few teams who can be said to be constantly evolving their style of play.

No major transfers point to a settled squad but look out for lock Romana Graham and flanker Don Armand who might finally break into Exeter’s incredibly settled back 5 of the scrum.  In the backs Fetu’u Vainikolo and Tom James will be looking to push Jack Nowell and Matt Jess to even better performances and possibly covering for any international calls that can’t be far from coming, for Nowell in particular.

Losing Ignacio Mieres and replacing him with Ceri Sweeney doesn’t bode too well as Mieres had been crucial to their wider game plan, but Steenson was playing that style well towards the back end of the season, so this might be yet another canny bit of business from head honcho Rob Baxter.

The top 4 is pretty settled at the moment but Exeter could certainly get into the Play Offs with some luck.  However with Bath’s recruitment drive I think Exeter might just have to settle for another year in the Heineken Cup, should it still exist, instead.

Prediciton: 6^th

Tigers win Blandy Park Kick Fest

4 penalties from the boot of captain Toby Flood were enough to see of a physical Exeter side 12-9 at Sandy Park.  Flood was a perfect 4/4 from the tee whilst his opposite number Northern Irish Gareth Steenson left a last second penalty agonisingly short to leave both himself and his team 3 points off the pace.

This was my first visit to Sandy Park and it has to win the award for most difficult ground to find, despite it looming large over the M5.  I came off at Junction 30 and followed a sign to “”Rugby Parking”, that took me past the ground through a small newly built estate and then back past the ground again on the same road before depositing me back at the Junction 30 roundabout.  Needing some diesel and a toilet break I ducked into the motorway services and asked for some directions.  A pretty simple “Go over the roundabout, up the hill then it’s on your left” was the reply.  

Thankfully now in possession of an empty bladder and a full tank, rather than the other way round, I restarted my intrepid journey to find somewhere to park the car.  Oh but it were as simple as the shop assistant said!  I know some of our Kiwi players find the concept of traffic lights on the Victoria Park roundabout confusing but they have seen nothing until they have attempted to go straight on from the Exeter services!  I was stopped on red at my entrance, the traffic to my right was also stopped on red as was the traffic past a large yellow bow where both of us wanted to go, the traffic trying to join at that entrance was also stopped on red.  The only people with the green light seemed to be the only road with no one on it.  But that’s not the end of it.  Eventually the traffic actually on the roundabout was allowed to leave, with the traffic straight in front where I wanted to go moving and also the traffic from my right sweeping in behind it.  But when it came to my turn to come on to the roundabout the lane to go straight on was again on red and already queuing back into the yellow traffic box!  I was there in plenty of time so decided to be valiant and not block the road, but after seeing the exact same thing repeat 5 minutes later, still waiting to get on to the infernal roundabout I chanced my arm and got myself into the madness.  Another lifetime went by and I managed to finally leave the roundabout and find the industrial estate to park.  £3 was not too bad for parking, not the usual free street parking I prefer but Exeter City Council seemed determined to stop you from doing that and given the trouble I’d had finding a signed car park less than a mile from the services I didn’t much fancy poking about in the back streets to find where the restrictions ended.

In all the confusion to find the parking I’d got thoroughly lost so after a brief chat with the car park’s charity bucket shaker I was walking in the direction of Sandy Park, which some how I’d managed to get on left.  It gets a good reputation, Sandy Park, but I can’t really see why.  It’s ruinously expensive to do anything, £22 to stand at pitch level with no elevation, £27 to stand on the cowshed terrace at the side, £43 to sit in the “Grandstand”, £5 for a pasty and the stands look and feel like they’re made out of scaffolding.  No wonder they make a profit on those prices! 

Anyway back to the match and Tigers played pretty poorly in all honesty.  We managed to carve out 2 or 3 very good chances; Mat Tait managing to butcher the simplest chances near the end of the first half before Tom Croft was turned over stretching for the line, ESPN showed he may have got the ball onto the line but the TMO was not called for, and in the second half Castro had try ruled out for a block by fellow prop Logovi’i Mulipola that was pretty marginal, again the option of letting the try stand and checking it on the TMO was not used. 

There was a gale blowing into Tigers faces in the first half, holding the high balls up well and for once allowing our chasers the chance to compete for the ball.  Despite the wind we had the vast majority of the territory and should have had the wit to break down a determined and stodgy Exeter side.  Tigers’ first half points came from Exeter going off side after a Ben Youngs break, Hoani Tui turning in at a scrum and for not rolling away from the ruck whilst Tigers were faffing about going side to side inside the Chiefs’ 22.

The second half was a very drab affair as neither side could break down the other and neither side wanted to risk much it was a nip and tuck game.  Tigers had the try from Castro ruled out and that would have probably blown the game open but instead had to settle for another Toby Flood penalty when Exeter were caught off side again.  The wind would come back to be Tigers friend again as the last seconds on the clock ticked past and Steenson was lining up a kick to tie the game.  It had been awarded after the referee decided it was only Castro not binding in a scum roughly ten meters out and ten meters in from touch.  Steenson is said to know more about the winds of Exeter than the Met Office but this time his touch deserted him and he left his kick short.

If only that was the end of it!  Tom Croft, perhaps not aware of or not trusting the countdown clock, carried the ball back out into play rather than hoofing it off the end or putting down over the line.  The Tigers players piled into the ruck to secure possession and not waste the previous 80 minutes of effort.  It was done and Ben Youngs had the ball at the back of the ruck, but again Tigers couldn’t get the damn thing out, this time players scrambling to the ruck blocked Youngs passing and kicking options as he was swallowed up by the Chiefs defence.  Again the forwards smashed their way in to retain possession and retain the valuable 4 points but this time they could not.  Thankfully referee Wigglesworth decided that rather than holding on or not rolling or going off our feet this was merely a pile up and the game was ended.

Those 4 points, combined with Sunday’s results have pushed us back into 2^nd place and a home semi final slot.  We never looked like breaking Exeter down enough to secure 4 tries and aren’t in competition with them this season so there point means nothing to us, so whilst that was a dreadful Tigers attacking performance it hasn’t really cost us any points.  To beat Toulon, or Saracens or Harlequins, i.e. to win a trophy, surely we have to offer better than that but then again we didn’t against Toulouse and the Awesome Foursome of Youngs-Flood-Allen and Manu remain undefeated domestically.