Poor opponent can give false impression of team’s strengths

IT’S difficult to reach a conclusion about where Leicester Tigers are after a very decent bonus point win against Brive at Welford Road on Friday night.

Any bonus point win is incredibly welcome, and those with long memories will remember Brive’s comprehensive destruction of the Tigers in the 1997 European Cup Final, so revenge is always welcome.

However, the reality is that Brive are no longer a force in French Rugby and are struggling, albeit coming off a win against fellow basement dwellers Agen last weekend. While Steve Borthwick strengthened his team with the return of internationals into the squad, Brive made 12 changes to the team that beat Agen, arguably in the opposite direction.

For long periods of the first half Leicester lacked direction, and certainly for the first 20 minutes

Brive were the better side and the Tigers depended on their improved defence. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it didn’t make for entertaining viewing.

The introduction of the England half-back pairing, and George Ford in particular, made all the difference in the second half.

Whether the decision to start to keep the ball was part of a tactical master plan by Borthwick – tire out the Brive team, then cut loose – or whether it was down to rugby intelligence by Ford – because the opposition isn’t very good and we’re scoring every time we actually move the ball rather than give it back to them – is open to question.

The Tigers boasted plenty of decent performances.

Jasper Wiese is a beast on the front foot, Hanro Liebenberg does lots of unsung work and Jordan Taufua provides balance and does everything well.

A winning back row goes a long way to winning games. A short cameo from Luan de Bruin will have excited Tigers’ fans, who know a good tighthead prop when they see one. Nemani Nadolo touched the ball something like three times but still scored the last-gasp try to secure the bonus point.

The keenness his opposite number showed in not tackling him was instructive and illustrated what a destructive force he is.

But how poor were Brive?

Like Gloucester at the start of the season, a poor opponent can give a false impression and we’ll see whether the win can be backed up in Bayonne next week.