Ranking points in the Premiership are a lot easier to sort out, Felix McCabe has the story from last weekend.
Aaron Cruden wasn’t the only New Zealander making headlines this weekend for his kicking prowess as both, Stephen Donald (pic) and Nick Evans kicked their sides’ only points in Friday night’s game at the Rec. Donald would come out the better of the two fly-halfs, despite missing his first attempt, as Bath recorded a 21-18 victory over the league-leaders, Quins. It was very much a heads down and get the job done kind of game, with a good contest from both sides in the breakdown. A tad bit of indiscipline allowed Donald the opportunities he converted into points and ultimately brought about Bath’s victory. Harlequins were always in this one; not letting the game get away from them too much, but Bath’s never-give-up mentality let them hold on for the win and a crucial four points.
In Friday’s other game Sarries travelled to Sixways in what was a physical encounter for the men in black at the top of the table. Admittedly without a number of their top players (due to international duty), their pack looked weak against a Warriors side who were only missing Samoan captain, David Lemi. It was this physicality up front that afforded Andy Goode his kicking opportunities and inevitably won the game for the homeside. Neither team looked threatening in attack and propspects of reaching a try-line was a feat to far in this game. Like Friday’s other game, it was down to the kickers to create points and unlike their New Zealand counterparts, the kicking wasn’t as successful as it had been in the Rec. It finished 12-3 to Worcester at Sixways.
October’s Player of the Month, Freddie Burns set about proving why he was named such and why Stuart Lancaster has recalled him to camp before the New Zealand game next weekend. Trust the opposition in Sale Sharks wasn’t much, Gloucester still had to do the basics and get the formula right to get a result. A goal easily achieved when you look at the state of the Sharks set-up: seven defeats at home, a turbulent coaching situation and a team that just don’t seem to gel well together on match day. Burns slotted home 5 penalties in the first 24 minutes, replied by one from the boot of Danny Cipriani. The second half saw the homeside turn up the heat in the Shed; pressure paying off for the Cherry & Whites. Openside flanker, Akapusi Qera, touched down and then a penalty try was given after a series of scrums on the Sale goal line. Gloucester’s hooker, Huia Edmonds suffered a neck injury and was stretchered off after an incident in a maul. This delayed the game 10 minutes but Sale couldn’t capitalise on the introduction of the relatively young and inexperienced Korrie Britton. Final score Gloucester 29-3 Sale.
Torrential rain at the Gardens meant the clash between Northampton and London Welsh was always going to be a battle up front. It surely lived up to that with not one, but two, penalty tries! The Welsh pack struck first with a massive maul that easily travelled 25 metres before being pulled down over the Saints’ line. The result: a sin-binning for van Velze and a try for the visitors that Gordon Ross converted with ease. Twenty minutes later Northampton would take advantage of the sin-binning of Welsh’s Franck Montanella (for the same offense as van Velze) and scrummage over the Londoners’ line. A second penalty try was awarded. Saints would find themselves the opportunists again when winger, Dan Caprice, was sin-binned for taking Jamie Elliot out. The overlap allowed a Ryan Lamb to pick out Ken Pisi with a cross-field kick that bounced lovely into his arms for the wing to cross in the corner. Ross landed a late penalty to secure a losing bonus point for the visitors, but it was always going to be Saints who finally record a victory after a mini losing streak of three games.
Adams Park has become a bit of a lucky talisman for the London Wasps this year and fortunes didn’t fade Sunday when Leicester came a knockin’. Barely three minutes had passed when the premiership’s leading tryscorer, Tom Varndell, touched down his eight of the season. He added his ninth later on; leaving Tigers’ Mathew Tait eating grass on his way to the left-hand corner. George Ford scored four penalties for the visitors but the homeside managed to clinch victory through two second-half penalties from Lee Thomas. The win didn’t move Wasps anywhere on the table, but cost Leicester their play-off spot as they drop to fifth.
The weekend’s last taste of English rugby was another showcase for the kicking talent on offer in the Aviva Premiership. This time it was Ireland’s Ian Humphries and Gareth Steenson (pic) who were on the mark with eleven successful kicks between them. Phil Dollman started the Chiefs’ off to a great start; scoring the game’s opening try after just two minutes. The visitors were up for this game and it was evident in the early exchanges; Steenson punishing Irish’s mistakes with his boot. Luke Arscott furthered the cause with a try on the seventeenth minute after some clever play from Hayden Thomas and Matt Jess; Jess finding a gap in the defense before handing off to Arscott. Jess making this gap-finding a major part of his game in recent months. The homeside kept the game competitive with tries from Leo Halavatau and Topsy Ojo (his third of the season). Ojo’s try came from a smart chip in behind from Humphries and a good follow up from the Exiles’ winger. Steenson was the better of the kickers on the day and managed to out-kick his countryman by six successful kicks to five. It finished 23-27 to the visitors. Neither team moved up or down on the table; but Irish will need to get a win next week against London rivals Welsh if they are serious about moving up this table. The Chiefs will be looking to overtake the Tigers and could very well do that against London Wasps if they were to get a win and Leicester failed to bring the goods against Bath. But we’ll have to wait until next week for that; until then take it easy.
Results
Bath Rugby 21-18 Harlequins
Worcester Warriors 12-3 Saracens
Gloucester Rugby 29-3 Sale Sharks
Northampton Saints 23-16 London Welsh
London Wasps 14-12 Leicester Tigers
London Irish 23-27 Exeter Chiefs
Friday, 30 November 2012
Harlequins v Worcester, 19:45
Sale v Northampton, 19:45
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Leicester v Bath, 12:30
London Welsh v London Irish, 13:00
Exeter v Wasps, 17:30
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Saracens v Gloucester, 15:00
Felix (@lightningrust): Blogger, eternal student of business & law, sunshine rugby player with a passion for music and fitness. Coffee is essential. Leinster fan and Irish proud.
