Rugby: Zurich face ugly clash with Yverdon

With limited resources at their disposal, Yverdon aim to spoil an opponent’s game, build physical pressure and swarm over resulting mistakes to scoop up any fumbled gifts. Not pretty, but a strategy that most coaches and players in Switzerland have grudgingly learned to respect.

Zurich number 10 and acting skipper, Jesse Nicholas of New Zealand is one of them and doesn’t appear to be approaching Saturday’s game in Yverdon with too much relish. “We’ve not been playing well, and they’re a difficult team,” he said.

“Normally we would back ourselves to win, but this time the pressure is on us,” he added. While absenteeism and injury blighted early matches, this time there is no excuse. “Everyone’s back now and we have increased the intensity of training, but it remains to be seen what happens on Saturday.”

Meantime, despite their fourth place in the Swiss A League table (on equal points with Hermance in second place) Yverdon coach Marcelo Gauna has problems of his own. “We going to play our usual game, but unfortunately we have a lot of injuries – seven or eight, and that’s a lot,” he told Swister.

“We will be trying to maintain possession before everything.” he said – so no change there.

In another fixture with a potential for fireworks, Hermance go to CERN with both teams on a high after pounding wins. Hermance technical director, Carter Croft told Swisster: “We disposed of whoever it was last week [a half-strength Yverdon] and butchered six tries but we don’t want a banana skin right now. CERN don’t chuck the towel in and they’re on the up.”

“Our big problem is that we’re creating chances inside the opposition’s 22 and not capitalizing on all of them,” he said in reference to Hermance’s goal-kicking, an issue which Croft has been addressing in training.

Back in the lab, CERN team manager Beren Evans has been studying past records. “We haven’t beaten Hermance for ten years and so a good result for us would be one for the history books. But we’re good mates with some of the Hermance guys, so it should be played in good spirits, though not a friendly game,” he hastily added.

“We have to take it to them with the forwards, play expansively in the backs and keep it moving” is the cunning plan for Saturday.

At the bottom of the table on equal points with Zurich, Bern have Swiss champs Geneva PLO to contend with this weekend.

But Bern coach Eugene Edmondson told Swisster that morale is looking up after his players gave a good account of themselves despite defeat in Lausanne last Saturday. “We hope to field a full strength side,” he said.

“After last week, the guys are feeling pretty good and will be up for this one to show that they can do even better,” he added. “We’re working on ball retention and some new defensive patterns. We’re happy to play at home and we should get quite a few people down to watch.”

Also on Saturday, Stade Lausanne are scheduled to fend off the attentions of Nyon who come to the Vaud capital in search of what has soon become this season’s major scalp.

Nonetheless, with six victories on the trot, the high-levels of confidence and fitness in the Lausanne camp should be able to compensate for a unexpected clutch of injuries.

Coach Andy Whitlow doesn’t sound quite so sure though. “We are struggling. Four or five guys are out and so it’s going to make things a little more difficult. We do have some good second teamers coming in but they will be playing out of position. We’re confident we can pull it off but we’ll see,” he ventured.