The Pagano Preview Mar 28-30

I thought I couldn’t get more annoyed about this European Cup fiasco.  O how wrong I was.

Partly it was down to the way the new format has been teased out over the past couple of weeks, with countless click bait tweets from mainstream sources telling us how the deal is “about to be revealed”.

The other part was about the way the new deal is being spun in such a way as to suggest the English clubs are “getting everything they wanted”.  That somehow the Irish in particular are disgusted to have to back down and have all these things we don’t want imposed on us.

I have said countless times here that a large portion of the suggestions for format change to our premier European competition were needed.  My biggest objection was the infantile manner in which the PRL went about their campaign, and whether they achieved their objectives or not, I certainly wouldn’t be proud if I were them.

That’s not to say I’m entirely happy with the “about to be announced” new deal, and the biggest beef is over the TV deal. 

Oh, of course it seems to make perfect sense that since Sky & BT were arguing over coverage rights then let’s all just get along and let them BOTH cover the new competition!

Compromise is fine.  Normally I’m all for it.  Unless, of course, it is we the fans who are being compromised. 

Not only are both Sky & BT going to be able to reap megabucks to beam ads at us if we watch the competition on their channels, we’ll also have to pay them both a monthly subscription charge for the privilege, which for the moment works out at around €60 in total, on top of regular cable rates, which means rugby fans get the added “bonus” of such sports as soccer, darts and motocross whether they want them or not.

I’m prepared to accept that there will be something done about that by the TV companies, but let’s just say I won’t be holding my breath.

Anyway…enough of such rants.  There’s some massive games to savour this weekend, involving clubs from all over the rugby world, I might add.  Let’s be having a look at them shall we.

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Click here for TV listings

Friday, March 28

RaboDirect PRO12

Glasgow v Ospreys, 7:35pm

This a match-up that not only has massive consequences, but also gives a massive two fingers to everyone who thinks only the Irish care about this league.  Sure, three provinces occupy the top three spots, but nobody, Leinster especially, will relish meeting either of these two in a playoff, even at home.  And with Glasgow just four points behind the Welsh region with 2 home games in hand, this contest has massive implications for two clubs who clearly want to take something meaningful from this season.  Really tough one to call, but something in my bones tells me those pesky birds can sneak it.  Ospreys by 3

Ulster Bank League Division 1A

HarpinOnRugby is primarily a fan site for both the Leinster provincial team and Ireland test teams.  We won’t pretend to offer extensive coverage of anything else because we don’t (yet!) have the time to extend our remit.  So if you want to know more about the massive top-of-the-table clash at Castle Avenue tonight, or other big club rugby happenings this weekend like the semifinals of the Provincial Towns Cup, you’d be best served by the likes of KnockOn.ie.   But if all you want is an overview then Tarf trail Belvo in the league by just 3 points with a game in hand and games are running out so tonight’s clash is crucial.  Almost worth TV coverage, one might say.

Clontarf v Old Belvedere, 7:30pm

UCD v Lansdowne, 7:30pm

Lansdowne Premiership

Bath v Sale Sharks, 7:45pm

Top14

Brive v Clérmont, 7:45pm

Saturday, March 29

RaboDirectPRO12

Zebre v NG Dragons, 3pm

Think this match means nothing?  Think again.  Assuming the proposed new European format happens, the top Italian team in the Rabo will qualify for the new comp.  Even though there are whispers that Zebre will be disbanded, they are just 2 points behind Treviso who may have a game in hand but given that game is away to play-off chasing Glasgow next week I wouldn’t see that as an advantage.  Zebre also have to face the Warriors but that’s in their final match when the Scots very possibly may have already qualified for the final four and thus will no doubt rest players.  Add all that to the fact that Treviso also must still play Leinster at the RDS and you get the nailed-on fact that the italian slot is still very much in play, and what’s more I reckon it still will be after this matchup.  Zebre by 4

Benetton Treviso v Edinburgh, 6pm

See my Zebre preview for the significance of this match for the home side…but the difference in this match is that Embra have their own interests as well.  With two games in hand on the teams ahead of them, plus the fact that those two play each other on Sunday thus at least one will drop points, this match is huge for their chances of finishing sixth.  What could prove the difference, however, is the fact that Greig Laidlaw has been asked by the SRU to take a breather for the remainder of the season.  For that reason I’ll go for a home win but it could require some late heroics similar to italy v Scotland in Rome recently. Treviso by 2

Cardiff Blues v Ulster, 6:30pm

You look at the Cardiff bench and you see the name of Matthew Rees, definitely a welcome sight after all the Welsh Grand Slam hero has been through of late.  But then you look at the Ulster bench and you are dragged back into the current Pro12 reality.

Having Iain Henderson, Robbie Diack, Paul Marshall and Craig Gilroy to call on is just one of the many advantages enjoyed by Mark Anscombe going into this fixture and with the goings on at the Aviva Stadium giving them a chance to gain some ground, they will surely be immensely disappointed not to come away with at least four points.

The only thing that could hold them back would be having Sarries’ visit to Ravenhill next week to the front of their minds, but that shouldn’t bother them as they are used to having tougher HCup assignments away from home.  Hopefully they will get the job done here with any injuries, though a try bonus may be beyond them. Ulster by 12

Leinster v Munster, 7pm

CLICK HERE FOR MY PREVIEW ON THE FANTASY5LIVE BLOG

Ulster Bank League Div 1A

Cork Constitution v Ballynahinch, 2:30pm

Dolphin v Garryowen, 2:30pm

Young Munster v St Mary’s, 2:30pm

Lansdowne Premiership

London Wasps v Saracens, 3pm

Harlequins v London Irish, 3pm

Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester, 3pm

Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers, 3:15pm

Leinster v Munster isn’t the only big top-of-the-table derby tussle today - these two are also long-standing rivals and they are also in the mix for the playoffs.  However in this case after Sale’s win over Bath last night the points are needed by the Tigers to not only stay ahead of the Sharks but also to move ahead of Bath in 3rd.  Hang on - am I daring to suggest that a game in the Lansdowne Premiership may actually be exciting?  Maybe I need to lie down…  Anyway - I’m going to tag this as my Upset of the Week and go for an away win.  Leicester by 4

Top14

Stade Francais v Racing Métro, 1:55pm

Montpellier v Bayonne, 5:30pm

Oyonnax v Grenoble, 5:30pm

Bordeaux v Perpignan, 5:30pm

Biarritz v Castres, 5:30pm

Toulon v Toulouse, 7:45pm

Super Rugby

Bulls v Chiefs, 1pm

Sharks v Waratahs, 3:05pm

Sunday, March 30

RaboDirectPRO12

Scarlets v Connacht, 2:05pm

This is Connacht’s biggest game of the season.  Yes, I am well aware that they won in Toulouse, but the fact remains that their recent run of form has put them in contention for a seat at next season’s top Euro table, and the Llanelli-based region stand in their way.

Pat Lam gets to name another unchanged side this weekend, something he has struggled to do all season and certainly doesn’t hurt a squad.  Meanwhile the significant portion of Welsh fans looking for another stick to beat WRU chief Roger Lewis with will no doubt be baying for an away win here. “Look - even the 4th best Irish province can beat us, mun!!!”

As always I am bound by the traditions of this blog when I make my prediction but be assured it comes with both a nod AND a wink.  Be sure and catch this one on RTE2 Sunday afternoon if you can, it promises to be a thriller and is every bit as important for Irish rugby as Saturday evening’s goings-on in Dublin. Scarlets by 2

Lansdowne Premiership

Newcastle Falcons v Worcester Warriors, 2pm

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Be sure and enjoy your rugby this weekend wherever you are. JLP

Saints go Beyond the Bosh

All this talk about the possibility of there being no Heino Cup next season.  I’d rather talk about the one about to start, thank you very much!

Try is at 1:11

Despite having a new coach and being without Sexton and Nacewa, Leinster will still be considered one of the tournament favourites this time around.  But first, they must come out of their pool, which to all intents and purposes is a stinker.

First up, we have the Ospreys, and although the Welsh regions struggle to make the final four let alone win the Heineken Cup, our tussles with them is one of the things that have made the Celtic/Magners/Rabo entity evolve into a worthwhile competition despite what the McCaffertys of this world say.

Then, we host none other than the reigning French champions Castres.  You could call them “the Ospreys of the Top14” in that they rarely impress in Heineken combat but have shown they can lie in wait for the latest winners should they come face to face with them in their domestic final.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be looking closely at the above to pool-mates to see what Leinster may come to expect when they face them in October, but for now I’m going to turn my attention to last Friday’s Premiership battle between Harlequins and Northampton Saints, the latter of whom makes the third team in Leinster’s pool and we face them in the “back-to-back” series in December.

Despite BT Sport and Sky’s best efforts at hype, it’s hard to deny that the Premiership offers the least interesting product when it comes to the actual rugby that is produced on the pitch. 

Not that this isn’t understandable, for although the clubs’ representatives go to great lengths to point it out, the need to not only qualify for the HCup but also avoid relegation does indeed play a big factor in the way they approach the game.

The resulting brand of rugby is one where the players chosen to take the field tend not to be risk-takers like we see in France, rather ones who are good at doing the basics consistently well.  The trouble with that is, when you have two sides going at each other doing the basics consistency well, they tend more often than not to cancel each other out, hence the blah style of play.

Now here I must leap to the defence of both Harlequins and the Northampton Saints for their tussle last Friday night.  For while it was played in the ground known as “The Stoop”, with the torrential rain and surface water retention it was more like “The Steep”.

But having said that, the conditions were the same for both sides, and although the way things turned out if Quins had a place kicker they would have won (Evans incredibly missed 4 and his replacement Botica 1) when it came to crossing the whitewash it was the Saints who were rewarded for being willing to chuck the ball about despite the risks involved.

You can also tell about the two clubs’ ambitions by their  recent player acquisitions.  Just yesterday on this very blog HoR2 Catherine Kavanagh reminisced from a Quins v Leinster battle way back in 2009…and although Conor O’Shea is now at the helm, they still have several players in their lineup from that day - Evans, Care, Easter, Robshaw, even the bloodgate guinea-pig himself Tom Williams (fun fact - Mike Ross also played for Quins that day, I keep forgetting that!)

Northampton however, may still have the very average Stephen Myler at fly-half since their 2011 Cardiff showdown as well as England internationals like Hartley and Foden, but in signings like George North and Kahn Fotuali’i they have shown a willingness to go Beyond The Bosh and we saw glimpses of it on Friday.

He may not have been able to make an impact in the wet but the former Osprey Fotuali’i showed his willingness to make something out of nothing when he had the chance, like one time when he danced his way from a few yards behind the gain line to several yards beyond it.

North was a lot more of a spectator out on the wing but made his tackles and on the rare occasions he found himself in space made good use of it.  But the Saints offence can’t revolve around those two…it’s more a case of the mentality of the squad to kick things up a gear when required and for the try that proved to be the match-winner this is exactly what they did.

Although the centre pairing of Luther Burrell and James Wilson doesn’t exactly jump off the teamsheet the way a Darce/Drico combo would, they combined brilliantly for the vital score including a brave long pass from Burrell which took out the majority of the defenders and was well finished by Wilson.

My conclusion re - the Saints, they’re a side that is hungry for success on all fronts, and although they have been Euro champs in the past, that means little to Jim Mallinder who has taken his side to the brink more than once and wants that bit of silverware to finish it off.  You can be absolutely certain they will gunning for Leinster this December every bit as much as Clérmont were last.  We seem to bring it out in them!

My conclusion re - the Premiership, well I can’t really make one based on this match, but I still wish the clubs’ chairmen would stop using this HCup row as a smokescreen for what is generally an inferior product.

Next week I’ll turn the spotlight on Castres, who have an ideal preparation for their visit to the 3-time European champions in October when they visit the 4-time European champions this Saturday in the Stade Ernest Wallon. JLP

Premiership club-by-club preview

On his HoR2 debut Thomas Davies looks at the runners & riders in the new Premiership campaign…

In little under a month the new Aviva Premiership season begins and old rivalries renew. While there are many changes - not least of which is a new lead broadcaster, it is Leicester Tigers, reigning champions, who again start as favourites to lift their 11th league title.

Leicester are renowned as a force to be reckoned with. Following their record 10th league title they appear to have recruited well, bringing in experienced European campaigners in the lively playmaker David Mele and first line scrummager Jerome Schuster. Though manic talisman Martin Castrogiovanni will be missed, Geordan Murphy's loss will not be as sorely felt. He remains coaching the Tiger's back division. DOR Richard Cockerill could not have dropped his new coach further in at the deep end though, taking a severe wrap on the knuckles for abusing match officials the last season's final. Murphy alongside Paul Burke will be responsible for all match day matters during Cocker's ban.

Beaten finalists Northampton's recruitment of George North has signalled a change in approach on previous seasons. A portion of Dorian West's slice of the salary cap has been re-allocated to new backs coach Alex King, giving saints' a huge increase in power out wide. Ospreys’ Kahn Fotuali'i has been recruited to liven up the whole back line in a way not managed by Shane Geraghty or latterly Ryan Lamb, and support rather than attempt to dethrone their marmite fly half Steven Myler. Saints have yet to announce their captain for the coming season, with Dylan Hartley potentially out of favour following his misdemeanour in last season's finale. Saints appear though to have a ready made replacement in Tom Wood, who lead England on their second string tour of South America.

Saracens need no reminder of the way their season ended at the hands of The Saints last term. The recruitment of more big physical forwards should add the bulk Saracens themselves have cited as missing from their first string when compared with other top European sides. Players such as Mako Vunipola and Owen Farrell can only have benefitted from their Lions experience and will slot into a side with unrivalled depth at premiership level. Only the loss of promising flanker Andy Saull will have troubled the Sarries fans. However, he felt the need to embrace a less tactically prescriptive game in order to further his own ambitions, and this may worry the Sarries faithful. Despite the lack of involvement from Brendan Venter, Sarries have to be massively odds - on to remain a top four side this term,

Harlequins showed little sign of doing any transfer business in the off season, only replacing the Enormous James Johnston (one of Sarries' new recruits) with England's Paul Doran Jones. In Nick Kennedy though, fresh off the plane from Toulon, Quins have found themselves a proper rough diamond. He is an angry, bustling warhorse of a second row who'll add some arguably needed edge to their forward pack. Quins also still have one of the best 10's around and if they have a couple more in their academy like no. 8 Jack Clifford they will take a lot of stopping in all three competitions this season.

Gloucester have looked to some specialist coaching in the form of former Olympic gold medalist Marlon Devonish in order to add further pace to their explosive back line. Nigel Davies has brought a Welsh model of fierce attacking rugby to Kingsholme and he continues to recruit exciting talent. One time heir to the Wales scrum half jersey Tavis Knoyle joins to add to an already sharp back line, while Matt Kvesic looks to be one of the better English open side prospects in recent years.

Exeter's steady rise towards the middle of the English pile has been much admired by many. Outside of their solid base they've 'discovered' several excellent players who've made Exeter a considerable attacking force. This year has seen them again lose key players to the highest bidder, but the core of their workmanlike squad remains. Head coach Rob Baxter will look to get the best out of Welsh duo Tom James and Ceri Sweeney and if he succeeds Sandy park could impressively remain as a Heineken cup venue for a third consecutive season.

Bath remain an enigma. Their wonderful training campus, in contrast to their ageing and decrepit ground was expected by millionaire local backer Bruce Craig to produce a little better than 7th pace last season. Their recruitment has appeared to have taken a step forward with the capture of some of the more exciting talents in English Rugby; Jonathan Joseph, George Ford and Matt Garvey all with big futures expected. Hopefully this excitement transfers onto the pitch, and replaces the over reliance on brutal physicality that reaped few rewards last term. This remains to be seen, though, as anyone who's seen CCTV from the Pig and Fiddle pub will testify, bath's payers still have an appetite for the more bruising encounters.

Former premiership winners Newcastle return following an unbeaten season in the English Championship. Dean Richards assisted capably by John Wells will bring a resolute fighting spirit to the premiership that will make horrible winter trips up to the north east even more tortuous. They have brought in some good quality experienced players and will turn Kingston park into a fortress. Good teams will go there and lose this season, and clashes with Richard's former clubs will not result in the routs many would expect. Andy Saull and Rory Clegg will be key to them having their future in their own hands by the back of the 6 nations.

Worcester are another club who's recruitment off the field has impressed. Dean Ryan makes his return to the sidelines full time, and he's set about re-allocating funds spent by Richard Hill, investing mainly in dynamic, match winning imports from all corners of the globe. Paul Warwick and Ignacio Mieres will look to manipulate the action in midfield, but Worcester possess the skeleton of a seriously good side, with players like Schofield, Matavesi, Euan Murray and Paul Hodgson all match winners on their day.

London Wasps are everyone's second team. There wasn't a single rugby fan in England who didn't marvel at one of Wasps brilliant backs moves or one of Christan Wade's superhuman solo efforts out wide. Were Dai Young presented with a chequebook that matched his ambition Wasps would certainly be a top 4 side. Competition up front this season will be fierce, and they will need the likes of James Haskell to stand up and be counted, as well as the new front row forwards to be worth their weight in gold. If their forwards an gain parity in most of their games Wasps have a very decent chance of a Heineken cup spot.

This time last year saw Steve Diamond busy telling all who'd listen how Sale would be transformed into a northern super club. They spent big on a team to fill their lovely new Salford home. However they failed to deliver and Diamond cut a lowly figure as head coach /DoR/ chief exec by the end of the season. Sale have lost Richie Gray, Andy Powell and Cameron Shepherd and with little balancing their loss this could prove to be a difficult season for the sharks.

Lastly we have London Irish. They have lost their best players season after season and this years loss of lions prop Corbisiero as well as outstanding prospects Jonathan Joseph and Matt Garvey continues that vein. Coach Peter Richards has had the players in since the 3rd of June (over a month before the last lions test) in pursuit of a strong start. If this isn't achieved Irish face an 11month fight that may still end up as a lost cause.

With the quality of players currently playing in the home nations, plus those who arrive into the premiership, this season's championship looks tighter and more ferocious than ever. It will provide genuinely competitive, compelling viewing and will doubtless be one of the best yet.

Thomas Davies (@Thom87) - Part time rugby nut. Follows Wales and has a season ticket at local club Northampton Saints. Enjoys writing, drinking, travelling, and going to gigs. Will watch all manner of rugby but has a keen interest in English, Celtic and French leagues.

Premiership–Round 20

You put a Welsh man in, take Welsh men out…it’s the Premiership hokey-kokey, writes Felix McCabe

This week we wave good bye to the gallant London Welsh at HarpinOnRugby2. After suffering their 10th successive defeat, the Oxford side have succumbed to relegation. Welsh suffered an early injury to Seb Jewell, this left the centre channel significantly weaker and Northampton smelt blood. May & Burrell registered a brace of tries each which was too much for the home side, despite a great try from Nick Scott. London Welsh are in further trouble with the announcement of the withdrawal of their majority shareholder and biggest financial backer. Kelvin Bryon, has decided enough is enough and will leave the club in the coming weeks. ‘I've had enough of the RFU’, Bryon proclaimed. He vocally stated that ‘If [Welsh] had £3.5m like everyone else [they]'d be flying’. The Tyson Keats decision hasn't helped the club either; the final nail in the relegation coffin.

On the other hand, Northampton announced they signed Welsh international, George North, for next season. The 21 year old winger, who leaves Llanelli Scarlets for Franklin's Gardens is ‘delighted to have made the decision’ and can now ‘just focus on the rugby’. North's move has been critically received in his homeland with local press claiming Scarlets put him on a plate for the highest bid. A lucrative offer is thought to have been received by the club from France, but North is happy with the Saints move. His aim is to ‘help them push on and win some silverware’.

Saracens extended their win and booked their home semi-final place this weekend. A convincing performance against Worcester produced 6 tries for the home side, that's 16 tries at home since switching to Allianz Park. The first 3 tries came from English international, David Strettle, who now holds the record for the fastest hat-trick (3 tries in 22 minutes). Scottish flank, Kelly Brown was instrumental in the set-up of Strettle's 3rd try and firmly raised his hand for Warren Gatland. Gatland is expected to announce his Lions team in the next week or so. Jacques Burger also made an appearance after 18 months on the sidelines with a knee injury as Saracens finished out the game 47-17 in a standard enough affair.

Leicester Tigers roared into their play-off place beating a dejected Wasps side 35-16. The London outfit looked a shadow of the team that played Leinster in the Amlin quarter-final the week previous. They now drop to 8th in the table with a play-off place very unlikely. Elsewhere, Sale all but secured their place in the Premiership for next season. A fantastic performance at the Salford City Stadium against a tough Gloucester side, coupled with London Welsh's misfortune, should now be enough to keep them up. Gloucester meanwhile are stuck in a 5th place rut, unable to break into the play-off spots. Director of Rugby, Nigel Davies, has admitted that ‘we're relying on other results around us but we will just have to wait and see’. Steve Diamond of Sale is delighted with his team perseverance over the past few weeks stating that ‘keeping the team in the Premiership is a great achievement and the players take a lot of credit’. Sale move ahead of London Irish—to 10th place—who lost to the Exeter Chiefs (27-6) as well this weekend.

Finally, we can report that Harlequins are back to winning ways. It took a trade mark, Danny Care try and a Ugo Moyne follow up, but they did it. 23 points to 9, helped majorly by Ben Botica's superb boot in what Conor O'Shea described as a ‘big mental test’ for the team. The LV=Cup champions know they have a bit of work ahead of them to guarantee a play-off place, but you'd always imagine them making it with the last spot being contested between Gloucester and Saints, maybe the Chiefs if everything goes well for them.

Felix (@felix_mccabe): Blogger, eternal student of business & law, sunshine rugby player with a passion for music and fitness. Coffee is essential. Leinster fan and Irish proud.

Premiership–Round 19

It has been a bad few Premiership weeks for Quins & London Welsh to say the least, writes Felix McCabe…

Usually when you hear three in a row and Harlequins put together it’s through the lens of an awesome winning streak. However, this week we have to talk about the ever-slipping grasp Quins rugby has on their Premiership trophy. It was supposed to play out so that the champions would regain their top spot on the table, but Gloucester had other ideas. Quins dominated the early exchanges with tries coming from Rob Buchanan and Sam Smith; the former scoring his first try for Harlequins on his first start. But the Cherry & Whites were right back in it when Charlie Sharples broke the gainline from a counter-attack. Good ball retention sent Johnny May over in the corner and Freddie Burns converted to reduce the deficit to two points - it was game on. Penalties were exchanged as the intensity grew and finally Akapusi Qera managed to touch down for the homeside after a powerful Gloucester scrum. Burns added the conversion and saw the homeside clinch it by two. After the game Nigel Davies emphasised that ‘it is an important result in terms of our season and our challenge, not only from the performance and the result, but the springboard it might allow us for our remaining games’. Quins’ boss, Conor ‘Shea, could only say he was ‘devastated’ by the result. Harlequins are now off-form heading into their European clash with Munster, who themselves suffered a heavy 51-24 defeat at the hand of Glasgow at the weekend. We’ll have to wait and see how that one turns out, but I’d predict a Quins victory, at home, next weekend.

The relegation battle between Sale Sharks and London Welsh has developed further after this weekend’s action. Welsh were dealt a bad hand when their appeal failed; seeing the side’s five point reduction and €15,000 fine remain in place. They then had to travel to the Recreational Ground and come away with a victory to improve their survival chances. This would prove to be an impossible task. Winger, Semesa Rokodungi, was in flying form running in a try from fifty metres and doing all the ground work for Horacio Agulla’s try. Bath managed three other tries on a weekend when their New Zealand-born kicker, Stephen Donald, announced he’s to leave the club for Japanese side Mitsubishi Dynaboars. Scrum-half, Alex Davies, was formidable with the boot, but a five to one try margin was too much for the Londoners. Lyn Jones conceded that his side will have ‘to take things down to the wire on May 4^th’.

The Sharks had better fortunes when they met the London Irish at the Madjeski on Sunday. A good start saw them lead at the break by 22 points to 20. A nice piece of egg carrying from Sam Tuitupou and Cameron Shepherd brought the ball into the Exiles’ 22 and Mark Cueto went over for his 77^th Premiership try. James Gaskall crossed for the visitors just after the half and that should have seen Sale see out the game. Typical of Sharks rugby this season – finding it difficult to close out a game – prop, Max Lahiff, burrowed over close to the posts. It went to the TMO and was awarded. Tom Homer converted and added two more penalties to see Irish regain the lead and set up what looked like a steal. Sale somehow managed a last minute penalty from the boot of Nick MacLeod to seal a draw. Cueto was in a state of disbelief after the match, thankful that ‘it just opened up’ for his side. Commenting on the table he said ‘mathematically we’re still not safe’ although with eight points clear of Welsh, it would take a massive performance against the Saints to turn things around. Brian Smith of Irish said it was ‘embarrassing’ to lose their late advantage but admitted that his side got themselves ‘in trouble just before half time’ which cost them dearly.

For a number of years now there has been talk of an Anglo-Welsh Cup that would see a combination of English clubs and the four prominent Welsh teams; Llanelli Scarlets, Newport Gwent Dragons, Ospreys and the Cardiff Blues. One senior Welsh official has been quoted as saying ‘it’d be brilliant if it happened’, but hopes of this potential competition have since been thwarted as Premiership CEO, Mark McCafferty, has labelled the move as ‘pretty unlikely’. This raises further questions regarding the future of English rugby abroad. At the end of next season, the English clubs will be out of contract with the ERC and talks for further involvement in the Heineken and Amlin Cups have been ‘hugely unsuccessful’. McCafferty has had a lot on his plate this weather with allegations of ‘cartel’-style funding within the Premiership from MP, Gareth Thomas. The MP has urged the competition commission to investigate the funding of teams in the Premiership, in which established teams receive almost twice as much funding as newly promoted clubs. It’s early days yet, but the findings of this investigation might change the entire structure of the Premiership in future seasons.

The rest of the weekend’s action saw the London Wasps lose out to Sarries at home by 13-22. That result sees them drop to 7^th as Bath move up to 6^th. The Leicester Tigers managed a comprehensive victory away to Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens (8-36), whilst Worcester were unable to keep the Exeter Chiefs at bay; losing 18-24. Next weekend will see the return of Heineken and Amlin Cup action. It’s quarter-final time and there are six Premiership sides in action. Harlequins (v Munster); Saracens (v Ulster); Leicester Tigers (v Toulon); London Wasps (v Leinster); Gloucester (v Biarritz); and Bath (v Stade Francais). I’ll be back in two weeks when the Premiership continues it countdown to May 25^th.

Felix (@felix_mccabe): Blogger, eternal student of business & law, sunshine rugby player with a passion for music and fitness. Coffee is essential. Leinster fan and Irish proud.

Premiership–round 18

Sarries showed their title-winning credentials by defeating the champions, writes Felix McCabe…

Aaaaaand we’re back! The finest that English rugby has to offer and at full strength now that the stars of the international game have returned. Their inclusion has added a much-needed edge to some teams and brought a bit of temper to the others. This weekend’s biggest clash was always going to be the table-top clash between Saracens and Harlequins at Allianz Park. Sarries saw their prodigy kicker, Owen Farrell, return to action and he brought his international form with him. Securing 17 points from his boot as well as a beautifully-timed cross field kick–rivalled only by O’Gara’s to Shaggy in Croke Park–into the hands of Will Fraser, who touched down unchallenged.

Tempers were still running high after England’s comprehensive loss at the hands of Wales last weekend. Quins’ Joe Marler found himself in the bin for intentionally not allowing to Saracens to recycle the ball during a moment of intense pressure from the visitors. Saracens used this time to rack up 11 points, a good use of the extra man. Saracens later found themselves on the end of a yellow card when the ever-tempered Chris Ashton tackled Maurie Fa'asavalu high. This was Ashton’s fourth yellow of the season and one has to wonder if Mark McCall is thinking whether the English winger is too much of a liability for his team at this crucial juncture in the season. McCall’s comments after the game would suggest nothing of the sort, defending Ashton to the last.

Conor O’Shea’s comments after the match reflected his disappointment. There were ‘too many errors and [we] turned the ball over without really building phases’ said the Irishman, who also highlighted his team’s lack of physicality as another contribution to the loss. ‘[They] were worthy winners’ admitted O’Shea ‘but we will see them again.’ Saracens victory sees them secure the top spot and the way they’re playing now, building on international strengths, you could see them getting quite comfortable up there.

At the other end of the table things have taken a bit of a turn. London Welsh now circle the drain after they suffered a 5 point deduction for fielding an ineligible player. New Zealand-born, Tyson Keats, has lined out for the Oxford outfit on ten occasions this season even though he hasn’t technically been granted playing visa. Former team manager, Mike Scott, failed to complete the scrum-half’s paperwork at the start of the season and covered up this fact with ‘false information’. Further to the 5 point deduction, Welsh have been fined £15,000 for the infringement. Scott has criticized the judgement and claims the RFU should also be held liable for their lack of vigilance in the matter.

The main effect of the judgement has cost Welsh on the Premiership table, seeing Sale Sharks move ahead of them after their 1 point victory over Bath on Saturday. London Welsh have appealed the decision and should hear back in the next day, but until then, the 5 point deduction stay in place. This coupled with a loss away to Gloucester at the weekend puts Welsh firmly in sights of relegation. Going to the Shed and coming away with a victory is never an easy task, but London Welsh were well up to the task this weekend. A late penalty from Freddie Burns broke Welsh hearts and denied them a famous victory against the mighty Gloucester, who maintained their 5^th place spot.

Gloucester’s nearest rivals, London Wasps, are undergoing a few changes at this end of the season as well. Irish businessman, Derek Richardson, is leading a consortium aimed at taking over the club and securing them financially for the near future. The takeover deal includes plans to upgrade to a new stadium. Richardson has already injected £1 million into the club at Christmas and this takeover deal is a smart match for Wasps moving forward.

Speaking rugby, Wasps were unlucky when they met Northampton Saints on Saturday. Discipline was a big problem for the Londoners, who only had 50 minutes of the game with their full contingent. An Elliot Daly try, beating a poor tackle from Ben Foden, was a rare highlight for Wasps on the day. The Saints’ victory, their fourth in a row, keeps their dreams of the playoffs alive. Wasps will have to go forth and face Saracens next week whilst their rivals, Gloucester, will host Harlequins at Kingsholm. Two difficult games for these two teams aspiring for the playoffs.

Elsewhere this weekend, Sale Sharks recorded a 14-13 victory in the snow over Bath. A late Tom Brady try all that was needed to put the home side ahead for a massive victory. Worcester put in a disappointing shift against London Irish at the weekend. They never seemed to get into the game, despite putting some good phases together. The weather wasn’t great. Richard Hill, Worcester’s director of rugby, conceded that ‘on a cold and wet day like [that] you need your forwards to take control…[t]hey didn't and we had no answers to their driving maul’. It finished 26-6 to London Irish. The last of the weekend’s action was a low-scoring, kick-battle between Leicester’s Toby Flood and Exeter’s Gareth Steenson. Flood won the battle 4 kicks to 3 and launched the Tigers into second place, leap-frogging Harlequins along the way. They will defend this table position next week against the Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens. That’s one not to miss.

Felix (@felix_mccabe): Blogger, eternal student of business & law, sunshine rugby player with a passion for music and fitness. Coffee is essential. Leinster fan and Irish proud.

Premiership–only weeks to go

Only five rounds left before the Premiership’s issues get decided…Felix McCabe looks at how the teams stand.

Since it’s the business end of the season I thought it’d be a good idea to take a look at the teams; see how they’re getting on and what their chances are at making the play-offs. This last weekend Saracens went top of the table after a trashing of London Welsh at Allianz Park. This follows an excellent performance away to Leicester. Charlie Hodgson has been consistent with the boot, in the absence of Owen Farrell, whilst David Strettle has been putting his hand up for another call into the English camp. Tough games coming up with Quins at home followed by Wasps at Adams Park, not to mention Heineken Cup action against the mighty Ulster. This next month could be a focal point in a glorious Sarries season.

Looking to Conor O’Shea’s Harlequins next, you have to wonder if they’re sorely missing their English international contingent. Chris Robshaw, Danny Care, Joe Marler and Mike Brown seem to be a substantial loss to the Londoners. A phenomenal defensive effort from the Exeter Chiefs at the weekend was too much for an under-whelming Quins side. A good kicking game from Ben Botica and Nick Evans has been a solid point in the Harlequins attack this season, but nothing was budging the Chiefs. Ugo Moyne did slot in for a try – his fifth of the season – showing that maybe he’s ready to wear the English shirt again.

Over in Leicester the Tigers have transferred European success, having come out top in a tough pool, into domestic success. They are holding that third place slot very well, but will need to maintain form as the season draws to a close. An easy game, against the Sharks at the weekend, will boost morale going into a long spell on the road. These away games might prove too tough for the Tigers, especially their European clash with Toulon. Speaking after the Sharks game Director of Rugby, Richard Cockerill, said he was ‘surprised how easy it was against Sale’. Probably a reflection of their season, more than that of Leicester.

Northampton Saints have only the Premiership to worry about now that they’ve no European glory in sight. Back into the top four this weekend, beating the Exiles at the Gardens, you’d expect them to go on and beat Wasps before their back in Franklin’s Gardens for a showdown with Leicester. With their monster-sized props, Soane Tonga’uiha and Brian Mujati, moving to the Top14 next season, The Saints will have to find a new driving force in their scrum that has been a highlight of their game this season. Still a strong team, with Ben Foden, Stephen Meyler and Courtney Lawes producing on a weekly basis (when not injured in Foden’s case). Lancaster has chosen Dylan Hartley for his English side, but Lawes is slowly creeping back into that English set-up and it’d be exciting to see what he could do – as long as he doesn’t play at blindside.

The Cherry & Whites have an on-going battle with Wasps this year. They’re up, they’re down. But Bath threw a spanner in the works with a fantastic performance at the Rec this weekend. As old rivals it’s always going to be hard coming out bottom of a titanic clash like this one. Gloucester weren’t walked over though. A red card forced Mike Tindall to rally his team and play some great defensive rugby, as they were reduced to 14 men. Bath were able to exploit the over lap and score late tries which has put them back in contention for a play-off spot. Gloucester dropped to fifth and now must prepare for their Amlin Cup clash against Biarritz at the start of next month.

Nigel Davies, Bath’s head coach, sang his side’s praises after their momentous victory against Gloucester. Kyle Eastmond, who celebrated a try on the night, was not too happy with the performance. We ‘have a lot to work on’ he said and acknowledged that Gloucester are ‘a really tough team with some really good players’. Matt Banahan, on the other hand, was singing the praises of the exiled 9 from Ireland, Peter Stringer. He has slotted in nicely with the side since joing from Munster, scoring twice on his debut. Still in with a shout for the play-offs and have an Amlin quarter against Stade Francais to look forward to.

Adam’s Park locals, Wasps, have shown two sides to their game this season. At first look you can be mesmerized by their exciting wing pairing of Christian Wade and Tom Varndell – two of the Premiership’s highest try scorers. But when you look to their forwards division, there’s an underwhelming presence. The scrum doesn’t seem solid for the most part and the line out doesn’t rate as one of the most successful in the league. Their recent defeat at the hands of Worcester showed one ray of hope, and that’s that Andy Goode will be joining them from the Warriors and now they know what he can do.

The Worcester Warriors recorded their first win of the 2013 leg of this season at the weekend against London Wasps. Richard Hill heralded a ‘good set piece’ but this reporter blames the poor opposition set piece for the victory. Man-marking Masi and Varndell out of the game was also significant in producing that much needed win that puts them within reach of the play-offs. This will depend on getting results against Exeter and London Irish at the end of the month though. The Chiefs game in particular could decide their fate for the rest of the season.

Exeter will be delighted with the news that Sandy Park is now short-listed for use in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, but the Chiefs would want to continue their recent form to make the play-offs. A massive win against Quins this weekend has to be followed by a big game with Leicester at the end of the month. As a lover of the underdog, I have to believe they can do it. It would be well deserved and great for the Premiership which has found itself dominated by five teams in the last number of years.

The bottom of the table reads like a who’s who of individual talent, bad luck and a couple bad days at the office. London Irish have played some fantastic rugby this season and have stars in Topsy Ojo and Ofisa Treviranus. London Welsh have brought Gavin Henson back into the rugby sphere and have even managed to keep him out of trouble. Sale Sharks unfortunately have been plagued by off-field politics and personnel switches. One has to believe that a team coming together, under the dissonance of two regimes, will not function well as a unit. Not even if you have big names like Richie Gray and Danny Cipriani. I’m afraid it’ll be relegation for Sale, whilst the other two hang on by the skin of their teeth.

Felix (@felix_mccabe): Blogger, eternal student of business & law, sunshine rugby player with a passion for music and fitness. Coffee is essential. Leinster fan and Irish proud.

Premiership Round 15

A fantastic Danny Care try was enough to put Quins back on top, writes Felix McCabe…

Bath, at home again this weekend, were looking to keep London Irish at the fringes of the Premiership table when the two sides met this weekend. A routine enough outing for the home side, as quick hands and free-flowing rugby saw them looking dangerous in the opening exchanges of the game. On the stroke of half-time Biggs was clear in the corner were it not for Topsy Ojo; the high tackle resulted in a penalty try and a sin-binning for his troubles. There was no luck for the Irish from there on out as Bath kept running through the phases. Peter Stringer, continuing a run of good form, showing that expert pass he was famous for in Ireland. He picked Tom Heathcote off a line out, who's majestic hands found, Abendanon and the rest they say is history. Heathcote added the extras and the home side led 17-9 at the break. Discipline became a real problem for the London outfit in the second half, with Tom Homer and Jon Fisher both spending 10s in the bin. It was only in the last five minutes that Bath were able to exploit this. First Nathan Catt bundled over from a 5-metre line out and then his bench-partner, Anthony Perenise, followed suit 3 minutes later. Bath maintaining form to win it 40-16 at The Rec.

Sarries started their tenure at Allianz Park with a 31-11 demolition of the Exeter Chiefs on Saturday. The graceful kicking prowess of Charlie Hodgson ,accompanied by a try, gave him a personal tallie of 19 points. However, all eyes were on the main man Mako. Returning from English camp this weekend prop, Vunipola, was in flying form. He crossed the white wash twice for Saracens and put in a strong 70-minute shift. Captain, Richard Baxter scored a consolation try for the visitors, but they weren't going to beat Sarries in their new fortress with that performance. The Chiefs are making a habit of this losing lark and would want to get their heads in the game before facing the Champions in two weeks time. You could see them showing up to Sandy Park and beating Welsh next week, but against Quins at the Stoop will be a different story all together.

The Saints secured an all-important victory whilst their closest (table) rivals Gloucester went down to the new English superpower, Wasps. Northampton's kicking contest against Worcester saw Andy Goode come off the better of Stephen Myler. It was the efforts of flanker, Samu Manoa, that gave the Saints the all important points-buffer away from home.

At Adams Park, the Londoners were outscored by their visitors, but managed to keep a four-point gap through the boots of Stephen Jones and Nick Robinson respectfully. In typical Wasps fashion, Christian Wade scored a cracking try from half way, zig-zagging his way through the Gloucester defence before touching down under the sticks. Gloucester's captain, Mike Tindall managed a score that was supplemented by his team mates Robson, Mills, and Charlie Sharples, but it just out of reach for the Cherry & Whites on a week where they looked like they'd stage a comeback. Wasps maintain their fourth place spot and Gloucester will remain in 5th; just a point ahead of Northampton.

The weekend's highlight match was always going to be the table-top clash of Harlequins v The Leicester Tigers and boy was it a close one! Toby Flood managed a personal tally of 16 points but this was matched by the fierce Ben Botica; he managed 20 points off his boot. It was a fantastic Danny Care try — the scrum half running half the length of the pitch — that gave Quins the advantage that they needed. Harlequins dominated the breakdown and the crowd rallied behind them as the power of the Stoop took hold. It finished tight with Quins clinching a 25-21 victory and regaining the top spot in the Premiership. After the game Conor O'Shea praised his team's efforts, saying ‘we were physical, we were magnificent.’

Potent words from the coach. He is right though. This Quins side goes from strength to strength to strength. If they can maintain their form you can see them going to Manchester and putting away the Sharks before welcoming back the Chiefs in two weeks time. You have to believe, if they don't suffer injuries (through England of league game) their next big opportunity will be at the end of March when they travel to Allianz Park to play Sarries. Game of the season potential right there.

The weekend's final clash was, again, a evening of egg-punting. Sale have hit a run of form of late and going to Oxford was not going to deter them. They know they're facing relegation, but at this stage they just need to forget about that and PLAY SOME RUGBY! It's great when you see them do just that. Danny Cipriani and Alex Davies exchanged penalties in the first half; Gavin Henson added one for good measure too but it was the Sharks that lead at the break. Cipriani and Henson are no strangers and it only added to the occasion having both back on the field together. The Welshman set up the Exiles only try; his quick hands inside to MacKenzie, off his wing, allowed Welsh to take a brief lead. Henson added to this with a penalty but it was impact-sub Nick Macleod who iced the cake for Sharks who claimed another victory — never thought I'd say that this season. They know are just one point off London Irish at the bottom of the table. It's all to play for now!

Results
Bath Rugby 40-16 London Irish
Saracens 31-11 Exeter Chiefs
Worcester Warriors 18-27 Northampton Saints
Harlequins 25-21 Leicester Tigers
London Wasps 33-29 Gloucester Rugby
London Welsh 25-26 Sale Sharks

Friday, February 22
Gloucester v Worcester
Sale Sharks v Harlequins
Saturday, February 23
Exeter Chiefs v London Welsh
Northampton v Bath
Leicester v Saracens
Sunday, February 24
London Irish v London Wasps

Felix (@felix_mccabe): Blogger, eternal student of business & law, sunshine rugby player with a passion for music and fitness. Coffee is essential. Leinster fan and Irish proud.

Premiership Round 14

Quins slipped out of pole position in the Premiership was Wasps move into the top 4, writes Felix McCabe…

With the winter break behind us, I am glad to say I'm back on Harpin on Rugby 2 with all the action from the Aviva Premiership. Diving straight back into things, Sale welcomed the Exeter Chiefs to the Salford City Stadium. They had recently produced back-to-back victories in the LV Cup and I, for one, was hoping this form could be carried through in their league endeavours. However, it was Exeter who lead the scoreboard 13-5 at the half. A superb charge through the centre ended with the ball in the capable clasp of Watisoni Votu; who grounded the ball for the visitors. The Chiefs should have put the game to bed there and then (something coach Rob Baxter admitted in his post-game interview) but the Manchester men pulled it out of the bag. A phase of play that involved almost all the Sharks men resulted in Mark Cueto bundling over the line. Miller converted: add that to a penalty from Cipriani and a drop goal from Macleod and it's easy to see where the Sharks secured their first Premiership victory of the year.

Ill discipline might have cost Northampton their play-off chances this season as two yellow cards and a brace of Johnny May tries led Gloucester to victory at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday afternoon. Rob Cook (fullback)’s accurate boot didn’t help the Saints much either, but ultimately it was their poor defence; conceding two soft tries which let them down. Jim Mallinder admitted that the performance was not good enough to merit his side’s inclusion in the top four. It will be first time in four years that Northampton won’t make the semis unless something drastically changes.

It’s always good to hear tales of the Irish diaspora and Peter Stringer’s stories of late seem to include a lot of touchdowns. As Bath recorded another victory this weekend, Stringer was, again, on hand to do some scoring. The 5’7” scrumhalf from Co. Cork registered two tries on his debut for Bath; a shout-out to his many critics this side of the Irish Sea. Continuing that form he produced the first of five tries (Rob Webber, Tom Biggs and Horacio Agulla (2) adding to that) at the Rec against a disjointed, and uninterested, Worcester side. They held onto the ball for a good portion of the play but couldn’t do anything with it. Bath’s solid defence kept the threat of a try at bay and the Warriors settled for three first-half penalties. Worcester was a relatively easy game, but they won’t get that next week when they return to the Recreational Ground to face London Irish.

Irish registered just desserts against Saracens when the sides met in the Madjeski on Saturday. Sarries, missing their talisman kicker Owen Farrell, lucked out in this clash as mistakes cost them dearly. A beautifully timed intercept gifted Shane Geraghty the first try of the game. Tom Homer, adding the extras on a day when his boot couldn’t miss. Sarries managed to get back into the game when David Strettle, fresh from the English camp, touched down under the sticks. But it wasn’t to be a ninth straight victory for Saracens as more mistakes allowed Topsy Ojo a sneaky intercept after a fumble. Replacement, Ofisa Treviranus, got on the end of it and sailed over in the corner to see the game out. It finished 29-16 at the Madejski Stadium.

Leicester were without their regular fly-half in Toby Flood, but young George Ford was more than capable of stepping up to the mark when his side met The Exiles. Ford is no stranger to the number 10 jersey and relishes the opportunity when he does make selection. This occasion being no different. He managed to kick 5/7, which was enough considering the Tigers were in a try-scoring mood. Adam Thompstone scored the first, coming through the centre and managing to avoid a lax, Welsh defence. Ford and Anthony Allen’s quick hands exploited an overlap that sent Niall Morris over in the corner for their second try and it was sewn up when replacement kicker, Dan Bowden, crossed in the opposite corner on the brink of fulltime. London Welsh now face what will likely be a relegation decider when they meet Sale Sharks next weekend.

The London Wasps surprised everyone when they knocked the defending champions off the top of the table. Magical tries from this blogger’s favourite wingers, Wade and Varndell, contributed towards Wasps’ first win at the Stoop in six years. Harlequins weren’t walk-overs though. Nick Evans’s kicking and a try from Matt Hopper off a terrible decision from Hugo Southwell brought the home side within a point but a late penalty from Evans sailed to the posts and right. Wasps with a bit of luck to win it out.

Looking at the table, Leicester go top after their win over Welsh. Quins drop to second and Sarries to third. Wasps remain in that pivotal fourth spot but both, Gloucester and Northampton are within touching distance. The race to the play-offs is well and truly on and this year’s will be tight. At the opposite end of the table, Sale, Irish, and Welsh will have to battle it out to stay in the Premiership. The Sharks needing a crucial victory next week against Welsh. Bath, Worcester and Exeter should be relieved but will all be bidding to put themselves in higher table positions and in possible contention for the play-offs.

Results
Sale Sharks 21 – 16 Exeter Chiefs
Northampton Saints 11 – 27 Gloucester Rugby
Bath Rugby 32 – 9 Worcester Warriors
Leicester Tigers 28 – 12 London Welsh
London Irish 29 – 16 Saracens
Harlequins 16 – 17 London Wasps

Next Round
Bath Rugby v London Irish
Saracens v Exeter Chiefs
Worcester Warriors v Northampton Saints
Harlequins v Leicester Tigers
London Wasps v Gloucester Rugby
London Welsh v Sale Sharks

Felix (@felix_mccabe): Blogger, eternal student of business & law, sunshine rugby player with a passion for music and fitness. Coffee is essential. Leinster fan and Irish proud.

Premiership Round 10

With just five points separating the top six Premiership clubs, every match is crucial. Felix McCabe has the latest…

Quins (narrowly) secured their position on top of the Premiership table Friday night when they hosted the Worcester Warriors at the Stoop. It was a game spoiled by penalties; the champions barely edging ahead through the kicking efforts of Nick Evans for a second weekend running. It was the visitors who struck first though, as a team effort saw the ball go across the pitch and back, before David Lemi crossed in the corner. A great start for the Warriors from their opening scrum. Harlequins piled on the pressure and found themselves held-up over line on one occasion. Penalties from Evans keeping them in the game whilst Andy Goode was keeping the Warriors side of the scoreboard ticking over. A touch of brilliance on the 35th minute saw Evans find Matt Hopper who was unstoppable on his way to the line. Evans converted and added a penalty to put Quins in the lead at half-time. The penalty a result of some desperate defensive work from Semisi Taulava who found himself in the bin. The second-half didn’t offer much in the way of rugby but Alex Grove did manage to send Errie Classens, who had replaced scrum-half Paul Hodgson, over in the corner for the Warriors second try. This drew the game level with just over ten minutes to go. Evans would be the hero though as he nailed home a drop-goal and the decisive three points. It finished 22-19 in favour of the champions.

The last November game of 2012 saw the Northampton Saints travel to the Salford City Stadium in Manchester with the hope of regaining a pivotal position atop the table. This would prove an easy task as opposition, Sale, were no match for the mighty Northampton. Ben Foden made his return from injury and immediately commanded the backs division. Tries were secured in the first half through Jamie Elliott, Soane Tonga'uiha and Tom May (pic). First five-eighth, Ryan Lamb, converted them all; adding a penalty and a drop goal to his personal tally. The game was essentially over with the half-time score reading 27-3 to the visitors. The Sharks decided to play some rugby in the second half, but their inability to perform up front cost them. They did, however, manage to reduce their deficit and put in a semi-decent second half. A lot of work needs to be done with this Sale team if they are to survive relegation this season; but looking now, even that seems like too daunting a task.

Bath looking to build on last week's success, were to be denied as the referee saw red this week. A game that was standard until the 60th minute saw Bath lead Leicester 12-6; tries from Stephen Donald and Tom Biggs. All of a sudden Welford Road erupted. Francois Louw was sent off for use of the elbow. The Tigers capitalised on this immediately; scoring through Adam Thompstone. Another incident occurred in which Matt Banahan was red carded for a high tackle on Anthony Allan. Brett Deacon from Leicester was then sent off for an alleged punch and it continued with Stephen Donald sent to the bin for the same offence. Stupid and needless off-ball antics cost Bath dearly; George Ford taking the opportunity and converting three penalties to win it for the home side.

The London derby between Welsh and Irish was a kickers affair with all points coming from their respective punters. Gordon Ross (pic) was the better; slotting home 5 at the Kassam Stadium. Chris Hala'ufia was red carded for a dangerous tip-tackle on Seb Jewell which put the Exiles at an immediate disadvantage for the remaining seventy minutes. Elsewhere, Tom Varndell was doing what he does best; scoring tries. In an epic encounter that saw the Wasps tied with the Chiefs at half-time, both teams looked likely to win, but it was just a case of who would get that lucky break. This came during the time that Elliot Daly was in the bin; Chiefs working the ball in the middle of the pitch where Arscott perfectly kicked ahead and Dollman collected before diving over in the corner. Wasps would convert a late penalty to secure the losing bonus point, but it was another good day for the Exeter Chiefs who have now won their last three games.

Sunday's Premiership action pitted the on-form Saracens against the up-and-coming Cherry & Whites. A few personnel changes were made to accommodate for those on international duty; noticeably Billy Twelvetrees moving to fly-half and the return of Charlie Hodgson after his cheekbone injury. Hodgson was phenomenal with the boot; scoring seven penalties and converting Richard Wigglesworth's game-changing try. Gloucester never seemed out of the game with Akapusi Qera scoring his second try in as many weeks and another from prop, Dan Murphy. Murphy would end up sin-binned minutes after scoring his try. Sarries held out and secured their penultimate spot in the table. It finished 28-23 to Saracens.

Results

Harlequins 22-19 Worcester Warriors
Sale Sharks 16-27 Northampton Saints
Leicester Tigers 17-12 Bath Rugby
London Welsh 15-9 London Irish
Exeter Chiefs 30-23 London Wasps
Saracens 28-23 Gloucester Rugby

Next Round

Friday, 21 December 2012

Worcester v London Welsh, 20:00

Saturday, 22 December 2012

Bath v Saracens, 13:15

Gloucester v Exeter, 15:00

London Irish v Leicester, 15:00

Northampton v Harlequins, 15:15

Sunday, 23 December 2012

Wasps v Sale, 14:00

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.

Aviva Premiership Rd 9 - “NZ Boys and Penalty Tries”

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.

Aviva Premiership Rd 8 - “Sharks Sale to Victory”

Quins stay top and the Sharks break their duck…Felix McCabe has the rest…

Off-field drama was the backdrop at training this week in Manchester. Bryan Redpath was removed as Director of Rugby at Sale and reinstalled as head coach. Meanwhile, CEO Steve Diamond, appointed himself Director of Rugby. This commotion off the pitch would surely effect The Sharks on the pitch and leave them in a state of disarray. That is exactly what happened, at least initially, when Sale welcomed London Irish to the Salford City Stadium on Friday night. The visitors got on the front foot right from the off and within a minute were set up nicely in the Sharks' 22. Topsy Ojo, the man slicing through the defence, failed to spot the overlap and the move was extinguished. From here Sale used some solid set-piece work as a pedestal from which to launch their attack; and after a few minutes they forced a penalty which fullback, Nick Macleod, slotted over. The fullback wasn't finished there, with help from Danny Cipriani, Macleod touched down minutes later to bring the Sharks' lead to 8 points. It was Irish who looked like they were suffering a bout of bad form; hope kept alive with a Ian Humphreys penalty. The first five eighth made himself useful again when a perfectly timed pass allowed Samoan, Johnny Leota, breach a gap in the visitors defence and drive home another try. Cipriani would complete his contribution with the conversion, leaving the half-time score at 15 points to 3. The second half became a more scrappy affair, with the visitors looking stronger. A composed Sale side managed to defend their line and Cipriani sealed victory with his boot. Finally this reporter can proclaim that the Sharks have won! Here's hoping many more performances of that caliber are in store this season.

Saturday saw two of the Premiership's elite go head-to-head as Welford Road provided the battleground for Leicester and Northampton. The Saints sat this one out it would appear; managing to score only from the kicking tee. A lack of physicality, and with both teams losing a host of players to the England squad, this game never lived up to its derby status. The Saints lacked form to the extent that the Tigers were able to clinch victory despite fly-half, George Ford, missing five of his nine kicks. A second-half try from centre, Matt Smith (pic), was enough of a buffer for Leicester. Sandy Park saw plenty of action with the Exeter Chiefs and the Worcester Warriors on Saturday. A rather one-sided event; the Chiefs tallying 19 points before the Warriors could respond and at that point, it was too late. Last 10-minute tries from Hayden Thomas and Chris Budgen, with the fourth minute try from Gonzalo Camacho, saw the Chiefs sail to their second Premiership victory in three games and you'd expect them to beat London Irish in Round 9 after the Autumn internationals.

It took Stuart Lancaster a while to realise his mistake of not adding Freddie Burns to his initial England squad, but the call up came on Sunday after Burns put in another phenomenal performance for Gloucester against a tough Harlequins team. The fly-half would hit 7/7 on the day; six penalties and a conversion. The try scored by the other Cherry & White called up to the international squad, Billy Twelvetrees. Quins would win it 28-25 with tries from Mike Brown (released from camp for the weekend), Matt Hopper & Sam Smith. Nick Evans assumed kicking duties for the champions; showing why Quins offered him that new, three year contract. Gloucester's loss on the road means that they lose their record as the only Premiership side unbeaten away from home this season. Regardless, Nigel Davies' side are still well placed, at 4th on the table.

Sunday brought with it some fantastic rugby. Wasps would concede their four-match winning streak to the mighty boot of Charlie Hodgson. The veteran fly-half would score seven of his eight kicks; a contribution of 21 points of Sarries final total of 29. Nils Mordt would score one penalty whilst Hodgson was being seen to for a blood injury and Alistair Hargreaves would cross the whitewash for his side's only try. The South African suffered a unusual twist of fate; scoring, being sin-binned and eventually being carried off on a stretcher following a controversial challenge from James Haskell. The Londoners managed tries through scrum-half, Charlie Davies and a fantastic opener from Tom Varndell (pic); his seventh of the season.

Sunday's late game would have sent even the most devout rugby fans to sleep. It was a poor affair with both London Welsh and Bath at logger heads. Where Bath were more creative in the backs, their forwards struggled in the scrum and nothing was gelling together for them. Welsh managed early scores from the boot of Gavin Henson, but never looked likely to score. Ultimately, Stephen Donald's missed pass allowed Welsh's Nick Scott to claim glory and an un-deserved victory for the Exiles. A draw would have been a fairer result, but that's how this game goes sometimes.

Plenty to think about over the next few weeks and it will be interesting to see how our Premiership stars get on over the Autumn series. Congratulations again to Sale; let's hope they can keep the winning ball rolling and climb a few places on that table.

Results
Sale Sharks 21-9 London Irish
Leicester Tigers 16-12 Northampton Saints
Exeter Chiefs 33-9 Worcester Warriors
Harlequins 28-25 Gloucester Rugby
Saracens 29-24 London Wasps
London Welsh 16-9 Bath Rugby

Next Round

Friday, 23 November 2012

Bath v Harlequins, 19:45

Worcester v Saracens, 20:00

Saturday, 24 November 2012

Gloucester v Sale, 15:00

Northampton v London Welsh, 15:00

Sunday, 25 November 2012

London Irish v Exeter, 15:00

Wasps v Leicester, 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.