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Johann van Graan: Tigers have become Pumas in the way they play
By Jon Newcombe
Being very much his own man, Michael Cheika was never going to take much time in stamping his own mark on Leicester Tigers.
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Cheika’s infectious personality and motivational skills were evident in last weekend’s backs-against-the-wall 17-14 victory at Exeter, which was full of character.
It was the type of game that Leicester would arguably have lost under fellow Aussie Dan McKellar last season.
But Cheika’s opposing coach this weekend, Bath boss Johann van Graan, has spotted a tactical change as well as an emotional uplift.
The South African believes Cheika has augmented their traditional strengths by introducing a key element from his time with Argentina’s Pumas into the Leicester playbook.
“I don’t think the Tigers will change too much, I think they’ll stick with their DNA: a good scrum, a good maul and a very good defensive game – chop tackles and good on the floor,” van Graan said.
“One thing that they have definitely added to their game, if you look at how Argentina play, is that they are playing off 10 a bit more and they are kicking off 10 a bit more, which asks different questions. So we’ve got to adapt to that.”
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Van Graan added: “I have a lot of respect for Michael and the Tigers. They’ve traditionally been one of the powerhouses of not only English rugby but European rugby, and I think looking from the outside, last season they were pretty close in the end. They have got some very good players.”
Bath have only made three changes to the team that started last Friday’s 38-16 win over champions Northampton – all in the pack, whereas for last season’s mid-winter trip to Welford Road they made a dozen and lost 35-22.
It was the only time last season in 18 rounds of regular rugby that Bath failed to take anything from the game.
Leicester also won at The Rec, after Jamie Shillcock held his nerve to kick the match-winning penalty, and van Graan is expecting a monumental battle with the Tigers.
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“You can speak about their results but they were not as far off as people might think.
“Michael has been around the block quite a few times with a few teams so he will certainly give them belief.
“But we can’t control that, we are running our own race, and that has been a real success story for us because we are just focusing on ourselves; we’re never too high, never too low.
“In short, we are coming up against very good opponents who got a very good win away at Exeter. They did in the last minute of the game and that takes some doing.
“It’ll be two teams that will what to impose their game on the opposition. What more can you ask for on a Sunday afternoon?
“Bath-Leicester, if you look at the history of it, it is generally one of the biggest games of the calendar.
“The last time we went up there we obviously didn’t win the game; we took some learnings out of that and we are positive about the weekend.”
Ross Molony comes into the second row to make his Bath debut, while openside Guy Pepper is handed his first start and is joined in a rejigged back row by Josh Bayliss, at six.
