Defeat that’s begging to be bounced back from
THE last time Leicester started a season this well, with 16 wins on the bounce, the run was finally brought to an end, on the 17th game, by Wasps, by 18–23 at Welford Road on November 19, 1983.
Leicester travelled to Coventry on 15 wins and the question was whether Wasps could again snap the winning run.
Leicester clearly have unavailability issues, with a repeat of the four (backs to forwards) split on the bench, including two hookers and winger Kini Murimurivalu again acting as a back row replacement.
In normal times the fact that the bookmakers had Leicester as odds-on favourites would be close to laughable, but Steve Borthwick’s charges have shown every sign thus far that they have forgotten how to lose.
Ironically it was Wasps again who stopped the Leicester winning streak in a closely contested match.
In the final analysis it was probably Leicester’s two yellow cards and two uncharacteristically missed kicks by George Ford that decided the game in the home team’s favour.
Of the yellow cards, Reffell’s, for tackling the man without the ball, could be considered unfortunate since he may well have genuinely considered the player he tackled had got the ball.
The penalty try in addition seemed very harsh since the ball carrier never showed any signs of passing the ball and was legally tackled himself.
In the case of Ellis Genge, the card was just, sadly, dumb, and hopefully the citing official won’t decide that his spell off the field was too lenient, or a long ban beckons.
Certainly, no one can doubt the departing prop’s commitment after the incident, but it hurt his team and the momentum was never regained after it.
In some ways it may well be considered a good thing that the unbeaten run is over because there is a tendency for these things to become a millstone and to inhibit rather than motivate.
The key test now for the coaches and the squad will be the way in which Tigers’ react to the loss. I suspect they will wish they had another Premiership match next week rather than Connacht away in Europe, since that is a match where rotation would be employed, yet they will now be desperate to regain their winning ways as soon as possible.
Nothing fatal has happened to Leicester’s ambitions for the season, but they will want to get back on track quickly.
In normal times the fact that bookmakers had Leicester as odds-on favourites would be close to laughable