I know a Berra you don't know: Welcome to Groundhog
Day - with a difference...
Yogi Berra was a great baseball player and successful coach, but
is arguably most famous for the one-liners that make you scratch
your head and laugh at the same time. In Britain the closest we've
got to Yogi is probably cricket commentator David 'Bumble' Lloyd,
especially now the 'Doyen of Darts' Sid Waddell has sadly left
us.
Favourite 'Yogi-isms' include the advice that "if you come to a
fork in the road, take it..." and the recommendation to "always go
to other people's funerals, or they won't come to yours". It was
Yogi who told baffled reporters that "the future ain't what it used
to be" and who analysed falling trade at a St Louis restaurant by
saying "no-one goes there anymore, it's too crowded."
Perhaps Yogi's best-known line is the one that's most relevant
to Jersey's trip back to Yorkshire to play Leeds Carnegie, their
second trip to play the same opponents in the same county on just
the eighth weekend of what we can still just about call the new
season. As Yogi (pictured above) put it, "it's like déjà vu all
over again."
In fact there are some key differences to the second encounter of
the campaign between these sides. Focus has now switched from the
Championship to the British & Irish Cup. The Irish aspect in
Pool 5 of the B&I is provided by Leinster 'A', who beat Leeds
soundly in Dublin last weekend. Jersey meanwhile achieved their
first positive result of the season, a 20-20 draw against
Pontypridd that even most of the visitors admitted should have been
a home win.
Other changes from Leeds v Jersey part I six weeks ago will
include the personnel on show. Widespread changes seem to be the
norm in the B&I, and Carnegie had nine to their squad for the
trip to Ireland, with Jersey's Ben Harvey also ringing the changes,
to a lesser extent, for the tussle with the Welsh. Further rotation
is likely in this game, with game-time for squad players and some
well-earned rest for regulars.
As well as having a different cast-list, Act II will be staged at
a different theatre. Leeds are on a tour of their own back-yard,
staging three games at other Yorkshire grounds while the pitch at
their Headingley home is relaid. The Jersey encounter moves about
25 miles east to the cathedral city of York, and the two sides will
meet at Clifton Park, home of York RUFC
A high-scoring encounter looks likely: Leeds' seven matches thus
far have featured 52 tries with a 25:27 split of for and against.
Jersey's points difference may be a little further into the red,
but the flow of tries has increased and Harvey's men have only
conceded three try bonus points to opponents in seven games thus
far this season. So it's almost bound to finish 9-6. Or preferably
the other way round.
News from the Jersey camp
One of the biggest cheers at St Peter last weekend was for the
introduction off the bench of Jon Brennan, Jersey's longest-serving
player returning to action after a 10-month injury lay-off. JB
should be involved again, and it's expected the youthful talents of
James Voss (pictured below), an unused sub against Ponty, will also
feature. Director of Rugby Ben Harvey is likely to have half an eye
on a crucial Championship match against London Scottish - including
a six-day turn-around - so it's likely that some front-line players
may be benched or rested entirely.
Ben Harvey makes six changes to the starting XV from the side
that drew with Ponty in the opening B&I tie in Pool 5.
18-year-old James Voss, an unused substitute last weekend, is
called up to the back row, while Rob Anderson comes into the second
row in place of Nathan Hannay.
Among the Jersey backs, Dave McCormack gets the start at
scrum-half and will lead the side in place of Hannay, while there
are also places for Glenn Bryce at full-back, winger James Copsey
and Donovan Sanders in the centre.
Jersey's bench includes prop Jon Brennan, who returned from
injury last weekend, and 18-year-old Chris Levesley who is in line
to make his first appearance of 2012/13.
"We were disappointed not to finish the job against Pontypridd,
and I've every confidence the boys can raise their performance
another level and get the win that we want," states Harvey.
"The pack performed well last weekend and so the majority of
those players are selected again," he added. "There are one or two
players missing out in the backs with minor injury niggles, but
this gives us a chance to try out some different combinations and
provide game-time to players who are in need of it."
Jersey squad, sponsored by jersey.com and Locate Jersey:
Glenn Bryce, James Copsey, Donovan Sanders, Ashley Maggs, Ed
Dawson, Mike Le Bourgeois, Dave McCormack (capt), Sean McCarthy,
Dave Felton, James Gethings, Rob Anderson, Dave Markham, James
Voss, Kingsley Lang, Guy Thompson.
Replacements: Jon Brennan, Steve Boden, Nathan Hannay,
Paul Rodgers, Brendan O'Brien, Chris Levesley, Ed Tellwright.
Any previous?
As mentioned, the two sides have already met this season, at
Headingley on Friday September 7th. A lively first-half finished
13-13, with Jersey registering a maiden Championship try courtesy
of a fine run by Guy Thompson, with the ball taken on by Donovan
Sanders and fed to Mike Le Bourgeois for the score. The home side
had opened the scoring through debutant Josh Griffin (pictured
below, courtesy Varley Picture Agency).
Sadly for Jersey, the promise of the first half didn't endure,
and two tries by skipper Jacob Rowan (top scorer this season with
five) and another by Jamel Chisholm helped Carnegie pull clear to
eventually win 32-19. A more detailed report can be found here.
Leeds in 2012/13
Leeds began their Championship campaign on the last day of August
against Nottingham at Meadow Lane. The Yorkshire side, who
apparently have the youngest squad in the Championship, took an
early 20-3 lead thanks to tries by full-back Steve McColl and
captain/ open-side Jacob Rowan. However the home side narrowed the
deficit to 17-23 at the break and then pushed on in the second half
to lead 34-26. Joe Ford's late penalty gained a bonus point for his
side, although this would have been snatched away had James Arlidge
landed a last-gasp effort of his own.
After despatching Jersey in their opening home game, Leeds lost a
thriller at Plymouth by 32-31, Joe Ford failing with a late
conversion that would have won the game, leaving his side with the
minor consolation of two bonus points. The following weekend was
the performance of the season thus far, a 50-31 thumping of a
Bristol team who have underperformed notably this year. Not to take
anything away from the Yorkshiremen, who ran in five tries,
including one for former Jersey man David 'Doc' Doherty.
The going got considerably tougher for Diccon Edwards' side the
following week, as is likely for most visitors to Kingston Park.
Newcastle won 53-10, but Carnegie were back on track on the first
Friday of October, comfortably accounting for Doncaster 42-7.
Carnegie scored six tries, and there were 12 points for Ford, who
has 79 points in total in the league thus far, with a success rate
of 84%.
In the B&I, Leeds had a challenging trip to Dublin to face
Leinster 'A' - and that was before the home side held back 5/8ths
of their bench from afternoon action against Exeter in the Heineken
Cup and lined them up for the B&I at Donnybrook the same
evening.
Four of the 'H Cup' squad played against Leeds: number 8 Leo
Auva'a did the full 80, and on 49 minutes wing Fionn Carr, flanker
Jordi Murphy and scrum-half Isaac Boss entered the fray. Boss has
won 15 Ireland caps and was at the World Cup this time last year -
isn't that close to what is known in polite circles as 'extracting
the urine?'
Two Ford penalties were Leeds' contribution to a 23-6 half-time
scoreline, but the game was settled straight after the break when
the Oirish scored two more tries, numeros cuatro y cinco, without
Carnegie touching the ball. Richard Beck and Joe Graham scored
twice for the visitors to give the final score a little
respectability at 47-18.
Leeds Carnegie went through a summer of change after finishing
their 2011/12 campaign in late April. There were plenty of
departures from the club at the end of a disappointing season back
in May but perhaps the most significant change has come right at
the top of the club. Paul Caddick has handed over the reins to Sir
Ian McGeechan (pictured above), the British and Irish Lions legend,
as the new Executive Chairman of the club. McGeechan has a hands-on
role with the club to spearhead a drive for new sponsorship,
support and development for the club in the years ahead, to try and
establish Leeds Carnegie amongst the elite sides in the country
once again.
There have also been changes in the coaching team. There will be a
very familiar face missing from the dug-out next season after Team
Manager John Carey left the club this summer after nearly 20 years
outstanding service to the club. Chris Gibson was appointed as
Director of Rugby and Mark Luffman relinquished his first team
coaching duties to turn his focus back entirely to the crucial work
of developing the club's Academy. Former Manchester and England
Counties coach Dave Baldwin has been recruited as forwards coach,
whilst former player Jon Pendlebury has joined the Academy coaching
staff after being forced to retire this summer.
On the field the changes have also been far reaching. Senior
players such as Lee Blackett, Scott Barrow, Mike MacDonald and
Danny Paul have left the club whilst last year's Young Player of
the Year Tommy Bell opted to join London Wasps after his season
long loan from Sale Sharks last season. In total 27 players have
left the club from last season.
In their place come 14 players, the biggest contingent being four
from Championship runners up Cornish Pirates. Three of those are
Yorkshiremen, notably David Doherty returns to the club where his
career began before stop off points at Wasps, Sale, Jersey and the
Pirates. Ben Hooper is another with connections to the club as the
younger brother of former skipper Stuart.
Leeds have looked to inject pace into their backline with two
signings from Rugby League in the shape of Jamel Chisholm from
Leeds Rhinos and Josh Griffin from Castleford Tigers whilst there
is plenty of power up front with Lee Imiolek and Joe Graham joining
on loan for the season from Sale and Newcastle respectively along
with French powerhouse Damien Tussac from Toulon.
Ins: Fred Burdon (Doncaster), Jamel Chisholm (Leeds Rhinos), David
Doherty (Cornish Pirates), James Doherty (Cornish Pirates), Oli
Goss (Doncaster), Joe Graham (Newcastle), Calum Green (Leicester),
Josh Griffin (Castleford Tigers), Ben Harris (Rotherham), Ben
Hooper (Rotherham), Lee Imiolek (Sale Sharks), Mike Myerscough
(Cornish Pirates), Pearce Phillips (Darlington Mowden Park), Matt
Smith (Cornish Pirates), Damien Tussac (Toulon).
Outs: Halani Aulika (London Irish), Tom Barrett (Doncaster), Scott
Barrow (Fylde), Tommy Bell (London Wasps), Lee Blackett
(Rotherham), Will Cliff (Sale Sharks), Jordan Davies (Sale Sharks),
Gareth Denman (Rotherham), Tom Denton (Leinster), Scott Freer
(Northampton on trial), Sean Hohneck (unattached), Mike MacDonald
(unattached), Lachlan MacKay (Retired), Danny Paul (Retired),
Jonathan Pendlebury (Retired), Ollie Richards (Newcastle), Alex
Rieder (Rotherham), Robbie Shaw (unattached), Michael Stephenson
(Percy Park), Phil Swainston (London Wasps), Iain Thornley (Wigan
Warriors), James Tincknell (Doncaster), Andy Titterrell
(Edinburgh), Dan White (Hull), Ed Williamson (London Welsh), Dave
Young (Zebre), Cameron Zeiss (Esher).
Leeds played pre-season games against Wasps and Newcastle Falcons,
losing 23-50 and 19-52 respectively, before their opening weekend
clash at Nottingham.
The Yorkshire side, who apparently have the youngest squad in the
Championship, took an early 20-3 lead thanks to tries by full-back
Steve McColl and captain/ open-side Jacob Rowan. However the home
side narrowed the deficit to 17-23 at the break and then pushed on
in the second half to lead 34-26. Joe Ford's late penalty gained a
bonus point for his side, although this would have been snatched
away had James Arlidge landed a last-gasp effort of his own.
Leeds Head Coach Diccon Edwards, 39, is a former player (76
appearances) and Academy Manager at the club, appointed to his
current role after the departure of Neil Back in summer 2011.
Leeds squad
15. Christian Georgiou
14. David Doherty
13. Oli Goss
12. Fred Burdon
11. Jamel Chisolm
10. Joe Barker
9. Craig Hampson
1. Ben Harris
2. Phil Nilsen
3. Ben Hooper
4. Matt Smith
5. Dan Hemingway
6. Richard Beck
7. Chris Walker
8. Jacob Rowan (c)
16. Joe Graham
17. Sam Lockwood
18. Mark Tampin
19. Mike Myerscough
20. Rob Baldwin
21. James Doherty
22. Curtis Wilson
B&I Round-up after Round 1
For a more complete round-up of all the stats from last
weekend, please click on the pdf download at the bottom of this
report.
What's up, Doc?
Jersey will face former winger David Doherty. The Yorkshireman
began his career with Leeds in 2004 before moving on to Sale and
Wasps.
Doc spent seven months chez nous in 2010/11, making 19
appearances and scoring 19 tries. He even had a few pops at goal,
landing three conversions and a penalty. His last touch of the ball
in a red shirt was the final try against Loughborough in the
National Two play-off, before he moved to Cornish Pirates in summer
2011.
Leeds Rugby Union: a historical cocktail
The history of Leeds Carnegie is a cocktail of different aged
components, matured separately before being combined during more
recent times and blended into a series of modern
interpretations.
Headingley Football Club were founded in 1878 and played games on
Cardigan Fields, site of the current ground. The club withstood a
lean spell for rugby in Yorkshire during the early part of the 20th
Century, and after the Great War, but in the 1930s was prospering
with excellent facilities, impressive results and representative
honours.
Two notable names from the 1960s were Ian McGeechan and John
Spencer. The latter was last encountered by Jersey in the club's
only previous trip to Yorkshire, when they played the Wharfedale
club of which he is now President last January, while McGeechan's
career has gone full circle and he is now back at Leeds as
Executive Chairman.
In the 1980s Peter Winterbottom (pictured above) was the most
notable Headingley player of his era, winning 58 caps for England
and seven for the Lions. His father John, a member since 1950, also
played a key role in the history of Leeds, brokering the merger
with Roundhay that led to the formation of Leeds RUFC in
1992.
Roundhay were formed in 1924 and had a golden era in the 1950s
which included a first-ever appearance in the Yorkshire Cup Final.
The loss to the Royal Signals was finally avenged in 1975 when
England internationals Richard Cardus and Keith Smith helped
Roundhay defeat Headingley 20-16 in a replay which followed a
13-all draw.
Merger discussions were initiated by John Winterbottom with a view
to forming a single, much larger club from Headingley, Roundhay and
Morley. Morley subsequently withdrew, but the merger was finalised
in July 1992 with the first game played two months later.
The new club climbed the leagues and appointed professionals Colin
Stephens (Youth Development Officer) and Phil Davies (Director of
Rugby) in 1995 and 1996, as well as moving to Headingley Stadium.
In 1998 the modern era truly arrived when rugby union in Leeds
became a brand, namely Leeds Tykes, in partnership with the city's
league brethren the Rhinos under the ownership of Leeds Rugby
Limited, and by September 2001 the Tykes had reached the
Premiership, then sponsored by Zurich.
The highlights of a five-season stint in the top flight were
finishing fifth in 2002/03, earning qualification for the Heineken
Cup, and lifting the Powergen Cup in 2005. But the cup success was
followed by relegation 12 months later, inspite of the presence of
star names like Justin Marshall and Gordon Bulloch in the
squad.
The most recent incarnation of the club saw Leeds Carnegie formed
in 2007 after the club returned to the Premiership and formed a
partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University, who acquired a 51%
share in the club. The Carnegie names came from the Scottish
entrepreneur and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie whose Carnegie
Trust funded the establishment of a PE teaching training college in
1933. Carnegie College is now the Carnegie Faculty of Sport and
Education within Leeds Metropolitan University.
Current England Coach Stuart Lancaster was involved with the club
for 16 years, serving as Director of Rugby before leaving in 2008
to join the England set-up. He was replaced by Andy Key, while
England flanker Neil Back became Head Coach. The yo-yo existence
continued with two seasons at the top level, attracting home crowds
of between 4,000 and 10,000, followed by relegation in 2011 and a
mid-table performance in 2011/12 (6th in the league, 3rd in
promotion pool B). Last season's crowds dropped to an average
figure of 2,314, third highest behind Bristol and Bedford and just
ahead of Cornish Pirates.
In May 2009 it was announced that the club was re-structuring with
former Wales and British Lion international Gareth Davies joining a
new board of Directors, and Leeds Rugby taking control of the club
once again.
In order to attract further financial support for the club, Leeds
Met has returned its 51% stake in the club to Leeds Rugby and
agreed a revised strategic partnership arrangement, which includes
sponsorship. The name of the club remained as Leeds Carnegie
RUFC.
Davies, who is a former Chief Executive of Cardiff RFC and BBC
Wales Head of Sport, is the new Dean of the Carnegie Faculty of
Sport & Education at Leeds Met and he will represent the
university on a new board, which is headed up by Paul Caddick, the
property and construction entrepreneur and former Headingley lock,
as Chairman.
Mine hosts, for one day only
York RUFC played their first match in the 1860s (approximately)
and reached the first-ever final of the Yorkshire Cup (T'owd Tin
Pot as they call it) in 1887, losing 9-0 to Halifax.
The current club was formed in 1928 and twice won the Yorkshire
Shield in 1949 and 1964 before moving into their current ground at
Clifton Park in 1966. The ground has now been developed into a
multi-purpose sporting arena featuring tennis, hockey, archery and
squash as well as the two 'founding' sports, rugby and
cricket.
York's highest ranking in the RFU pyramid came with a third-place
finish in North One in 1995, within two places of the National
Leagues. The club has since settled on a lower rung of the ladder
and now play in Yorkshire One (level seven on the national scale),
finishing fourth last season.
Leeds are laying on coaches for fans to make the journey to York,
so it is to be hoped these supporters, some curious locals and a
smattering of travelling Jersey faithful will add up to a decent
crowd and a good atmosphere. After 2,066 people watched Leeds v
Jersey pt 1 at the 23,000 capacity Headingley, it will certainly be
different.
Following the game
Don't forget that you can keep up-to-speed with news from Leeds v
Jersey through the following channels:
• Live commentary on BBC Jersey, available online and on your
transistor-wireless device, with the show starting at 7pm
• Preview in Friday's JEP, and full match coverage on Monday
• Scoreflashes on @jerseyrfc Twitter and the 'Rolling Maul' rugby
forum
The B&I this weekend
Pontypridd host Leinster 'A' at 2pm on Saturday in Pool 5.
The B&I in December
A handful of seats on the charter flight to Dublin in December for
Leinster v Jersey remain on sale. Get in touch soonest if you want
one.
And finally
Is this the section where we cover the fantastic Yorkshire Post
headline 'When Leeds Carnegie met the Lady Boys of Bangkok'? No? Ok
then. But if you are interested see here.
Plenty of rugby is being played on the Island this weekend, and
the good news is none of it clashes with Sunday's B&I Cup tie.
The fifth running of the memorial match for former Beeches skipper
Ian Burrell takes place on pitch 5 at St Peter at 3pm on Saturday,
with the Burrell Barbarians taking on a JRA XV. At 2pm on the
adjacent pitch 4, Jersey Athletic play Wimbledon, while the Les
Quennevais ground hosts the league match between LQ Lydian Lions
and Banks at 12noon. Good luck too to Banks Ladies for Sunday's
away game at Teddington.
Enjoy your weekend's rugby
Tom Innes
