Five major reasons why Leicester are champions of England again
Olden golden despite ‘youth warning’
We’re frequently told how rugby is increasingly becoming a younger man’s game. Leicester, for instance, had two starting 21-year-olds in Freddie Steward and Ollie Chessum, but Tigers also demonstrated in the Premiership at Twickenham that olden is still very much golden. You had 39-year-old Richard Wigglesworth industrious as the starting nine, the 35-year-old Chris Ashton providing energy on the wing, another 35-year-old in tighthead Dan Cole, and a pair of sub 32-year-olds bringing home the victory in replacement half-backs Freddie Burns and Ben Youngs.
And yet, the future, according to Steve Borthwick, is youthful. “There’s a lot of growth in this team,” he cautioned post-game. “The average age is 25 years old through the season. There is almost a 15 you can pick that is 21 years old, 22, somewhere around there. There is a lot of growth in those players because they are really keen and want to get better.”
Maybe. Then again, one of Leicester’s major singings for their 2022/23 title defence is Jimmy Gopperth… who turns 39 in ten days’ time.
From calling in the cops to glory
One takeaway from Twickenham is that when it came to garnering support from the neutrals in attendance in the bumper crowd, Leicester was the clear beneficiary. There is just something about Saracens that limits their support base, that they very much remain an acquired taste despite their fine achievement in making a top-flight final just twelve months after finishing their punishment year in the Championship.
Amid the raucous outpouring of Leicester joy, though, and there was plenty as their excellent supporters generated a cracking atmosphere throughout the match, it shouldn’t be forgotten that even the famed Tigers’ support can have its fickle element.
It was just three years ago when the club had to call in the cops to tackle the avalanche of social media abuse that materialised when Tigers faced the first of their two consecutive eleventh-place Premiership finishes, Tom Youngs at the time insisting: “No family members are deserving of being pulled into that criticism and nothing of the sort myself and players have received in recent weeks is appropriate, ever.”
We saw the exact opposite Saturday, team and fans tellingly united as one and then everyone teary-eyed when the recently tragically bereaved Youngs emerged to help with the trophy lift. It was a poignant reminder of just how the game in England is generally so much better off with a strong and prosperous Leicester. When they do things correctly they are a classy bunch.
Not protecting ball well enough
Ball protection is a must on big rugby days and if there was a statistic that highlighted why Saracens weren’t winners, it was their concession of a whopping 17 turnovers, a very un-Saracens like weakness, compared to just seven from Leicester. It wasn’t just one London club player having a ‘mare, it was a wounding malaise across their team as nine of their starting XV had a TC attributed to them.
Half-back was their greatest spoilsport area. Whereas the four Leicester half-backs – the starting Wigglesworth and George Ford, and the backup Youngs and Burns – were clean in this aspect of the game, Owen Farrell conceded three turnovers, Davies two and sub scrum-half Ivan van Zyl one for a total of six cough-ups by the Sarries half-backs. That inaccuracy was costly.
The stats according to Billy
Out-of-favour England No8 Billy Vunipola is a marmite character – fans either like or dislike him with no in-between. He was immense on the ball in the Premiership final, his stats jumping off the chart. He was credited with 107 metres off 24 carries, advancement for Saracens that included eleven passes, one clear break six defenders beaten and four offloads. On paper, he eclipsed his opposite number, Jasper Wiese, by a country mile in these areas because the South African managed just 18 metres from a dozen carries, four passes and three defenders beaten.
And yet, despite that major disparity, it was the gap-toothed Wiese who was awarded the official man of the match. What gave? Simply put, the Leicester forward scored a crucial try whereas Vunipola didn’t and the Saracen also conceded two turnovers. Then there were their respective defensive numbers. Wiese was credited with ten tackles and perfect discipline while Vunipola made six and had a penalty given against him for playing the nine.
One viewer who would have delighted in Wiese getting the post-game recognition was Jan McGinity, the former Leicester recruitment tzar who was responsible for bringing the No8 to the Premiership. “He was quite unknown and under the radar,” he said to RugbyPass in January.
“We signed him and he played the Bulls the following week opposite (Duane) Vermeulen and was man of the match. He did one tackle where he absolutely nailed Vermeulen and was just standing over him and I remember Steve ringing me going, ‘We have got our man! That is the type of guy I want’.”
Tale of two yellow cards
It’s curious to reflect that of the two tries (one converted), four penalty kicks and one drop goal scored in the Premiership final that Leicester ‘won’ 15-3 during the yellow card periods whereas Saracens ‘won’ 9-0 when it was a 15-versus-15 contest. Yellow cards are supposed to hurt and there was no stopping the Tigers’ pick-and-drive during the ten-minutes Saracens were minus Davies.
This type of dominance didn’t materialise, though, when the tables were numerically turned coming down the finishing straight. Rather than it being an advantage to Saracens with Matt Scott binned, Leicester became a 14-man aggressor and their movement on and off the ball in their late, decisive sweep was enthralling, something that should become a textbook illustration regarding how best to respond after someone on your team has seen yellow.
Comments on RugbyPass
I remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
7 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to comments