91Èȱ¬

First read Eddie's match report on the Stade Francais v Leicester game, then find out how he put it together. Using his tips, why not write your own match report and send it in to us at raiseyourgame@bbc.co.uk? You never know, we might publish it on the website!

Match report: Stade Francais v Leicester

It was a bit of a strange one. At the final whistle, Stade Francais, runners-up last year, threw their hands in the air, while Leicester, winners in 2001 and 2002, dropped to their knees. But the Tigers' losing bonus point may be all-important.

It was a juicy, heavyweight encounter, but lacked the contrasting touch of, say, a Geordan Murphy, that might have built a bit of relief into the flatland tank battle. Not that the Irishman didn't do his very best to provide it, and at just the right dramatic moment. Deep into stoppage time, the full back cut into his own line and through the French. He tried to chip his opposite number, but Olivier Sarramea just got a hand to the ball as it flew over him.

So, instead of a heart-stopping finale, the impression was left that this encounter had been of no mean stature, but of no great movement. As such, it was a let-down and rather out of keeping with what has been happening in Paris of late, where keeping things on the move has been a real theme of the season. The tour by Stade Francais of their city's boulevard peripherique continued. 91Èȱ¬ is the Stade Jean Bouin at 8 o'clock; two weeks ago they crammed 79,500 into the Stade de France at 12 0'clock, and now this, down to Paris University Club's Charlety Stadium at 6 o'clock.

This was one of Stade's daylight outings, and very sunny it was too, warm enough for some of the crowd of nearly 20,000 to slip into the short-sleeved pink that is their team's back-up hue. The size of the audience was not bad, but down by three-quarters on that record-breaking night against Toulouse.

Anything after that glorious floodlit fiesta in the capital might come as a bit of an anticlimax. Which suited Leicester just fine, as did the number of injuries in the Parisian camp. When playing away in the Heineken Cup, every little extra helps.

Even without Sylvain Marconnet in the front row and David Auradou in the second, Stade were still a right old handful up front. Dimitri Szarzewski is a bit of a mouthful, as well as a handful, but he is going to be one of the stars of the season. He throws well, scrummages forcefully and is very lively in the loose, as Daryl Gibson may struggle to remember, the Leicester centre having been bowled over by the hooker on the charge close to the line.

Given that they spent so much time on the rear foot, the Tigers did well to hang on. In fact, in the first half they set up a few good situations for their forwards to do some damage of their own. Three times George Chuter threw into 5-metre line-out in the first half; three times they came away empty-handed. The Stade back row - blond Remy Martin and chestnuts Sergio Parisse and Shaun Sowerby - is a formidable unit.

Defensively, then, Stade kept Leicester at bay. But the Tigers were also dealing with the French attacks pretty well. One piece of defending stood out. When Sarramea launched a counter attack right at the end of the first half, it seemed he had split Leicester open.

But first Alesana Tuilagi came in with a move-halting hit, and then the other wing, Tom Varndell finally put Sarramea out of play after Stade had recycled possession for the full-back to have a second run for the line. One penalty apiece, instead, was as much as the two teams could muster in the first half, although Jerome did miss a couple of sitters in the early stages.

Something happened in the second half, and it wasn't just the French scrum half rediscovering his touch off the kicking tee. He also kicked much more probingly from hand, behind the Leicester back three. Stade coach Fabien Galthie has a nose for the pragmatic and had obviously ordered aerial advance and point accumulation before the showbiz.

It worked. Fillol added three penalties. The Stade forwards were obviously delighted to be in control and to be rewarded for their efforts, and all seemed well for the home team.

Leicester, however, are not exactly world-famous for giving up the cause. Back they came, forcing another five-metre line-out. Ben Kay, on as a replacement, not only lost the throw but his rag. Off he went for the remainder of the game. It summed up the Tigers' line-out on the day and Kay's fortunes over the past couple of seasons.

Still, Leicester would not give up. They forced another five-metre line-out, which Martin Corry, the most obdurate of this stubborn, pig-headed club, won. The drive did not produce much more than a scrum on the other side of the field, but at least it was a good point from which to re-attack. They were blasted off the ball.

That, plus the relief at Sarramea's hand denying Murphy, may have explained why Stade rejoiced at the final whistle. But their defeat in round one, their failure to score a try at one of their Parisian homes, plus the bonus point that went to Leicester, may explain why the Tigers may yet take more from this than they realised when the final whistle blew.

Scorers:
Stade Francais: Pens: Fillol 4
Leicester: Pens: Goode 2

Teams:
Stade Francais Paris: Sarramea; Messina, Liebenberg, Bergamasco; Penaud, Fillol; Roncero, Szarzewski (Blin 71), De Villiers (capt), Marchois (Rabadan 80), James, Parisse, Martin, Sowerby.
Leicester: Murphy; Tuilagi, Smith, Gibson, Varndell; Goode, Ellis (Healey 61); Moreno, Chuter, Morris, Hamilton (Kay 50), Cullen, Moody, Jennings (Johnson 75), Corry (capt).

Referee: D Courtney (IRFU)

Crowd: 19,600

Notes on writing a match report

• Rules: there are no rules. I think there is probably a template somewhere for writing a match report, but if you follow it you will never get much published. It is all about impressions and observations, and putting them into some sort of shape when you only have quarter of an hour after final whistle to file.
• There are some guidelines, however. And these remain pretty simple. Was it a good game? Who played well and who played badly. Key moments on the field and the implications, if any, of the result in the long run.
• The above match was played in Paris, so I tried to put in a bit of 'colour' regarding Stade Francais racing around Paris trying to fill stadiums along the way. Didn't think I did it very well.
• I started at the end, with the Geordan Murphy moment, which I think is probably better than starting at the beginning. The template probably says you have to begin with the kick off at 3.00pm, but I can already feel your eyelids coming down. Never be afraid to mess around with the time-line of the game, as long as the story is told. That's what it's all about: telling a story.
• Contrasts always help: the game seemed to be heading one way, then it suddenly turned; Villains who became heroes, and vice versa. If sport has merit - always a good talking point - it is in its capacity to surprise. Shocks are good.
• Don't be afraid to criticise, but remember that just as gushing praise can make you sound more like a fan than an objective onlooker, so savaging a team or a player can sound partisan. Always back up your assessment with instances of play. This helps break up any linear account of the action. So, if Geordan Murphy played well, it might be good to include a moment from the first half and one from later. Don't be afraid of compiling lists.
• It is possible - sometimes - to nip off on a tangent. But it is a risk. Remember that most readers still like a match report to report on the match in question. Any digression has to be entertaining and enhance the story. Again, the narrative is everything.
• Always keep an eye on your word count. And the clock. Use spell chaeck (get it?). Don't panic.
• For the sake of the learning process, you may have to re-read what you write. But in general my advice would be - don't. Match reports are an imprecise science and you'll end up cringing more often than not, whether you've been doing them for twenty years or two months. Still, it's one of those occasions when the brain has to be fully engaged - be prepared to be slightly knackered after your quarter of an hour at full mental throttle.