I often try to pin-point a side's tactic before a game but, in order to avoid missing anything obvious, I usually try and keep it fairly general and not specific to individuals. For example, if you're playing Harlequins, you know that their general game plan will be to play the game at a ludicrous speed and to offload the ball whenever possible. If you're playing Coalville 2nd XV, their tactic will be to punch you in the mouth whenever possible. Of course, teams will have specific tactics for their opposition, but given that I am not privy to those team meetings (thanks to various restraining orders), it's often difficult to predict exactly where the individual strategies will be focused.
But Bath v Saints is different, because it is quite clear
what their one specific target will be. Sure,
they will look to play hard, physical rugby up front and play in the right
areas before unleashing quick ball to an equally physical backline, but
Courtney Lawes will be given a very special brief. Get George Ford. It may be obvious to spot, but stopping it is
another question entirely.
Bath splurged some serious cash in the summer and have
surprised everyone with how quickly their side has gelled and began to play
some exciting, expansive rugby compared to the kick-based dross that was served
up last year. Jonathan Joseph (who has
refound his form of a couple of seasons ago) and Anthony Watson have been the
young sparks in the backline, with Nick Abendanon and Matt Banahan providing
customary but very different types of incision as well. Up front, the pack has finally solidified
into a tough unit, with Dave Attwood having a sublime season and Matt Garvey
growing in authority with every game.
And who holds it all together? A
21 fly half. The youngster has enjoyed a
superb season since leaving Leicester, looking assured and inspired in equal
measure. He is the glue, the heartbeat
of the side. Bath rely on him.
And that has the unfortunate consequence of drawing a large
target on the young 10. There are times
of late when he has rocked under pressure – see his various missed kicks and
drop goals at home against Sale a month ago.
Northampton would have taken note, and whispered a message in the ear of
Courtney Lawes, with the human missile charged with placing Ford under
unbearable physical strain with trademark 'borderline' hits. If Saints can get to the Bath man, the hosts'
game will struggle to pick up. Saints of
course are not invulnerable themselves, as they have shown on their recent
wobble. Despite the power they possess
up front and the firepower out wide, they have looked surprisingly short on
ideas at times and Bath will know if they can frustrate them and shut down the
likes of the Pisi brothers and Sam Dickinson, they will begin to panic.
It's a battle between second and third but, more than that,
it's a battle for security. If
Northampton win, 2nd place is theirs, whilst Bath can secure a playoff spot
with victory. That's a lot of incentive
for two sides who love to attack. These
are two evenly matches sides and you get the feeling it may come down to a moment
of magic – and those are the ones that nobody sees coming.
Bath Team News
Bath captain Stuart Hooper is set to make his 200th
Premiership appearance in Friday's third versus second meeting with
Northampton. Hooper is joined in the
second row by the returning Dave Attwood, while props Paul James and David
Wilson come into the front row.
Starting Line
up: Abendanon; Watson, Joseph,
Devoto, Banahan; Ford, Young; James, Webber, Wilson; Hooper (capt), Attwood,
Fearns, Mercer, Houston.
Subs: Batty,
Catt, Perenise, Day, Fa'osilva, Stringer, Henson, Agulla.
Key Player
George Ford. George
Ford would have been the country's most darling George if it hadn't been for
the inconsiderate birth of the future King of England, so fast was his stock
rising. I questioned his move from
Leicester where, I believed, he was developing nicely, but he has vindicated
his move with a season's worth of calm, collected performances with more than a
splash of creative genius thrown in.
However, the last month has been something of a speed bump on Ford's
rapid rise up the ranks, missing crucial kicks in tight encounters which has
called on some to question whether he can handle the pressure. Against Saints, he will be under a hell of a
lot of that as the likes of Courtney Lawes look to ruffle is feathers – the tyro
10 will have to keep cool and slot his kicks if the hosts are to come away with
a win.
Saracens Team News
Northampton recall England quartet Ben Foden, Luther
Burrell, Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood to their starting line-up, although George North and Dylan Hartley are missing. Ken Pisi also returns on the right wing for
Saints as they look to lock down second place.
Starting Line up: Foden; K Pisi, G Pisi, Burrell, Elliott;
Myler, Fotuali'i; Waller, McMillan, Ma'afu; Manoa, Lawes; Clark, Wood (capt),
Dickinson.
Subs: Haywood,
Denman, Mercey, Craig, Dowson, Day, Wilson, Collins.
Key Player
Ben Foden. One part
of Ford's game that has stood up well to pressure despite other parts of his
game not firing is his kicking from hand, but even that has looked a little
shaky of late. Foden used to be renowned
at the best counter attacker in English rugby and his form a few months ago had
some calling from him to be recalled to the England squad – but for me he still
looks someway short of his best. The
mistakes he has made – kicks straight into touch, poor passes – are not what we
would expect from him and if he wants to help his team claim the Premiership
crown, he will have to get his mojo back and punish any hurried kicks from the
young Bath fly half.
Key Battle
Dave Attwood v Courtney Lawes. The word physical doesn't really do this one
justice. I actually saw big Dave walking
out of a Starbucks earlier and it was like a dad emerging from his child's
play-house. He's a gargantuan human
being and it's great to see him finally living up to that promise of a couple
of years ago, but he will have to push his new-found physicality to new heights
if he is to out-muscle Saints' own wrecking ball, Courtney Lawes. The Northampton man himself took a few years
between emerging and finally reaching those promised heights, but boy is he the
real deal now. Lawes' brief will be to go
out there and destroy George Ford (in a rugby sense, of course…) and thus
dismantle the Bath gameplan, but this will be difficult if he is kept busy and
hit hard in rucks by Attwood. It should
be explosive.
Saints have had a little bit of a wobble of late but they
look to have steadied the ship, whilst I'm still undecided about Bath. At home they are a force to be reckoned with
and can beat anyone on their day, but I still wander if their tight 5 has
enough out-and-out grunt to deal with the really big boys. They are also very heavily reliant on Ford,
and if Saints can get to him I think that will sway the match in their favour,
even without the likes of Hartley and North.
Saints by 4.
What else is happening in the Premiership this weekend?
Gloucester v London
Irish: The Cherry and Whites have
endured a middling season whilst Irish have actually exceeded expectations and
been remarkably competitive despite losing so many players last summer. I think the home crowd should prove to be
difference in a tight game between 2 evenly matched teams. Gloucester
by 6.
London Wasps v
Newcastle Falcons: Falcons are
looking like a side that considered its job of staying up complete once they
got a couple of wins on the board early season, and I don't think they'll be
getting any change out of Wasps, who are looking to secure 7th place. Wasps
by 10.
Saracens v Worcester
Warriors: The Warriors have the
unenviable task of winning at Allianz Park in order to ensure their Premiership
survival. I can't see it happening. Sarries haven't chosen to rest anyone and
they will be keen to kick on from their remarkable display in Europe. Saracens
by 22.
Sale Sharks v
Leicester Tigers: In another huge
clash, Sale can throw their name back into the playoff mix with a win, whilst simultaneously
throwing Leicester's position into doubt as they seek to secure 3rd place to
avoid a trip to Saracens. Sale is a
difficult place to win but I think Tigers will be very up for this one after
their last away performance – Tigers by
5.
Exeter Chiefs v
Harlequins: The Chiefs have
regressed this year and they need to make sure it doesn't turn into a full-on
collapse. Their display against Sale was
woeful and things don't get any easier with Quins coming to town. I reckon the Londoners should take the
spoils. Quins by 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Share your views