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.

Premiership Round 7 wrap

Once in a while the English clubs stop moaning about the HCup and actually play some rugby – Felix McCabe gives his latest update…

After two weekends of exciting European action we’re back with some Premiership mayhem. Kicking things off at Sixways, Worcester met Sale in an intense battle that didn’t disappoint. The Warriors were first off the mark from the boot of Andy Goode, but this lead didn’t last long as Sale would ground the ball with their first attack; Danny Cipriani feeding Mark Cueto who was able to spot a gap in the Warriors defence. The Sharks seemed up for this game, despite losing their lead to the boot of Goode again. They were superior at the lineout and dominated the possession. Worcester didn’t look threatening until the 31^st minute when Samoan winger, David Lemi, powered through the gain line and slammed over the Sharks’ line for his side’s first try. The second half continued much the same; Sale playing good rugby and threatening the Warriors line. Andy Powell and Richie Vernon beating away at the Worcester defence would pay dividends when Cueto managed to deliver an expert pass to fullback, Nick Macleod and see him cross the line. Cipriani was again unable to convert and was replaced by Rob Miller at fly-half. Andy Goode crossed the whitewash and converted to give Worcester back the lead, but it looked as though Sale would clinch a draw when they came storming to the line in the dying minutes. Only a last minute tackle from Paul Hodgson, which knocked him out, was enough to push the Sharks into touch and seal the victory.

On Saturday there were three more Premiership games for us to sink our teeth into; Sarries would travel to Franklins Gardens to meet The mighty Saints and Gloucester would battle it out with The Leicester Tigers in Kingsholm, but first Bath welcomed Exeter to the Rec. Nick Abendanon fed Ben Williams and he crossed on the touchline with the game only 3 minutes old; a tricky conversion was just standard for fly-half Stephen Donald. Captain Francois Louw breaks the line minutes later and comes up just short of the Chiefs’ line. Donald cleans up and throws a smart pass to Kyle Eastmond who scores in the corner bringing the Bath surplus to 12 points. Exeter manage a try of their own through Brett Sturgess; keeping them in it for the time being. Louw scores another try to assure victory for Bath, but the second half’s most notable moment was when Dan Hipkiss, already sin-binned, gets red-carded for hitting the ball into the crowd, preventing a quick Chiefs’ lineout.

Saints and Sarries would play out a kicking contest for all intents and purposes; really against the head stuff. The only try coming from some nice hands all the way to the Saints line; Schalk Brits breaks the gain line and gets the pass in to Alex Goode, who scores like his brother the day before. A second try-scoring effort presented itself for Saracens late in the second half; Chris Ashton kicked on a wayward Ryan Lamb pass but his awkward boot led to a bounce that Sarries could get on top of. Own Farrell kicked a couple of penalties and Saracens walked away; knocking Northampton off the top of the table.

Saturday’s blockbuster event was always going to be the clash of Gloucester and Leicester. The Tigers were going to be riding high after last weekend in Europe, as will Gloucester who have won two from two in the Amlin. Charlie Sharples pounced on a lovely grubber kick in the first minute to give the Cherry & Whites the opening score; Freddie Burns converting. Scott Hamilton, with help from Manu Tuilagi, brought Leicester back within two points of the home side with a try in the corner. But Gloucester were just too good for the Tigers. Freddie Burns, surely disappointed with not having been called up to the English squad, showed Stuart Lancaster what he was missing out on. He chipped and chased his own kick and scored from close range. Toby Flood was kicking on well on the day, after a great performance in against the Ospreys last weekend, but not even that could stop Gloucester on a day where they were throwing the kitchen sink at the visitors. James Simpson-Daniel, another man who should have been included in Lancaster’s England squad, set up a great third try for the Cherry & Whites. His pass to the openside, Qera, saw the flanker power across the line and sum up a great afternoon at the Shed.

Sunday would be London derby day. A standard enough affair at Adams Park where it was a case of wingers let loose; with both Christian Wade and Tom Varndell scoring a brace of tries for London Wasp. Welsh would claim back two tries through Phil MacKenzie and Franck Montanella but Wasps were able to hang on and claim the bonus point for their four tries.

Elsewhere, at the Madejski Stadium, London Irish would hope to claim another top class Premiership victory; this time against the champions Harlequins. All was going to plan for Irish when Jamie Gibson charged down a clearing kick and Guy Armitage was all over it to snatch the try. The conversion from Humphreys would put The Exiles in front by a point. It wasn’t long before Danny Care showed all of Reading why he’s going to be first choice scrum-half for the Autumn series. An crafty intercept and some immense pace saw the little halfback touch down between the sticks for Quins. Tom Williams, blood-free, goes over in the corner, but Ian Humphreys kicking is phenomenal and puts Irish in the lead with minutes to go. But the wind of fortune blows in favour of the champions as the TMO rules a touchdown a try, saying there was no knock-on and Harlequins regain their table top position by the skin of their teeth. Devastating for Irish who probably deserved the win on the day.

Results

Worcester Warriors 23-16 Sale Sharks

Bath Rugby 23-15 Exeter Chiefs

Northampton Saints 6-16 Saracens

Gloucester Rugby 27-21 Leicester Tigers

London Irish 28-31 Harlequins

London Wasps 29-19 London Welsh

Next Round

Friday, 2 November 2012

Sale v London Irish, 20:00

Saturday, 3 November 2012

Leicester v Northampton, 14:15

Exeter v Worcester, 15:00

Harlequins v Gloucester, 17:15

Sunday, 4 November 2012

Saracens v Wasps, 14:15

London Welsh v Bath, 15:00

English Premiership Round 6 wrap-up

The top of the table got tighter after Round 6, writes Felix McCabe…

A change on the tide could be about to happen as wayward sons, Sale, showed some promise this weekend. They may have still lost (a sixth in a row) to Leicester, but there was definitely something better about this Sharks’ performance. Disorganisation in defence and a quick throw-in saw the ball in Mark Cueto’s hands, he sent it out wide for Rob Miller and the fullback crossed in the corner. Leicester struggled to get any momentum in the first half and saw Vereniki Goneva sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on. An unfortunate knock-on saw a try disallowed before the half; the ref being spot-on but checking with the TMO anyway. The Tigers started a recovery in the second half; Ben Youngs crossing the try line. Nothing flashy, but it didn’t have to be. George Ford added two penalties which saw the visiters take the victory. Despite the loss, the Sharks showed some promise. There’s still a lot to work on, but hopefully the new forwards coach will ignite a revival.

Bath travelled to Kinsholm to prove that they could win without the kicking prowess of Olly Barkley. Big shoes for World Cup winner, Stephen Donald, to fill. He must have been feeling the expectation as he broke free and executed a precise dissection of the Gloucester defence which ended in his touching down in under a minute of play! Bath would almost go two tries up minutes later when Kyle Eastmond seemed to have gotten an offload off to Nick Abendanon, but a quick check with the TMO saw that Eastmond was in touch when he threw the pass. Irishman, Shane Monahan burst to life and was denied a try for what seemed to be a second movement on the line. He continued to be a workhorse, putting in a match-winning performance for the Cherry & Whites. James Simpson-Daniel used an excellent two on one situation to feed, fullback, Rob Cook for Gloucester’s only try but it was Freddie Burns’ drop-goal that sealed the win for Gloucester on home soil.

The Chiefs would hope to continue their form this weekend when they met Harlequins at Sandy Park. They got off to a great start when Luke Arscott broke the gain line which resulted in a wide ball to prop, Brett Sturgess, who ran in and put it under the sticks. Nick Evans kicked some early beauts for the visitors before crossing the whitewash himself to give Quins a fighting chance. But it wasn’t until Ugo Moyne scored and Evans converted that the visitors, and champions, took the lead. Three minutes into the second half Exeter regained the lead through blindside flanker, Ben White. The second half went on that way; scores exchanged and both sides very much involved in the contest. Sireli Naqelevuki was last to score when he touched down two minutes before time. A victory for the Chiefs sees them in good shape before their Heineken Cup match with Leinster next week; whilst a second defeat for Quins will not be good enough for Conor O’Shea.

The rest of the games this weekend saw London Irish beat Northampton 39-17. Tries from Joseph, Paice, Ojo and Gibson giving Irish the much-needed bonus point victory. Jonathan Joseph’s performance was the highlight of the game; linking up well wingers, Topsy Ojo and Marland Yarde on numerous occasions. Elsewhere, London Welsh finally got to play Gavin Henson, after his pre-season injury had seen him miss the first five weeks of action. An early yellow card for the homeside never stopped them as they scored within three minutes of going a man down. As commendable as that was, it was no match for Charlie Hodgson and Sarries. The fly-half scored all of Saracens points including a try, conversion and seven penalties. Henson’s debut spoilt by an Englishman, but at least he was good from the boot with five successive kicks to his tallie.

In the weekend’s final game, Wasps saw out the Warriors, but just barely. Simon McIntyre crossed the line early for the Wasps giving them the upperhand. Stephen Jones slotted a penalty and brought the half-time score to 10-0. Worcester managed two scores from the boot of Andy Goode, but the Wasps hung on to claim victory. There was no control or momentum or phase play from either team. A nice chip over the top to Christian Wade; who couldn’t control and knocks on was the best chance of the second half. Not exciting rugby, but it can’t all be free-flowing and champagne-esque. We take a break now whilst the Heineken kicks off next week but I’ll see you soon for more Premiership action.

Results

Sale Sharks 8-20 Leicester Tigers

Gloucester Rugby 16-10 Bath Rugby

Exeter Chiefs 42-28 Harlequins

London Irish 39-17 Northampton Saints

London Welsh 23-28 Saracens

London Wasps 10-6 Worcester Warriors

NEXT ROUND

Friday, 26 October 2012

Worcester v Sale, 20:00

Saturday, 27 October 2012

Bath v Exeter, 14:30

Northampton v Saracens, 15:00

Gloucester v Leicester, 16:45

Sunday, 28 October 2012

London Irish v Harlequins, 14:15

Wasps v London Welsh, 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.

English Premiership Round 5 wrap-up

Only the Saints held on to their 100% and fans at the Rec said goodbye Olly, writes Felix McCabe this week…

Franklin’s Gardens was the venue for the massive clash of Northampton Saints and London Wasps this weekend. It was a case of Saints matching straight to the top of the table as a double from New Zealander, James Wilson, helped put Wasps out of reach. His first try came from play when he ran onto the end of a great offload and all but walked across the line. Wasps, who were showing off their new away jersey, found themselves at fault when Tim Payne dropped a knee in the ruck and got himself a ticket to the bin for his troubles. Courtney Lawes broke the line and managed to tie up two defenders, giving Northampton the overlap. A last-minute offload found Wilson who crossed for his second try of the day and saw the Saints take the victory; five from five now.

Olly Barkley’s input in his farewell game for Bath Rugby, before departing to Racing Metro in France, would prove vital in this contest against small-fish, Sale. The flyhalf kicked all his side’s points in the first half, deterring a physical Sharks side. The sacking of their forwards coach seemed put their asses in gear, but they still couldn’t get that all-elusive try. An early sin-binning for Tom Brady left the Sharks in all sorts of trouble. After the half, Johnny Leota scored a try for the visitors, but another spell of silly penalties eventually saw Andy Powell in the bin. Further tries from Ben Skirving and a penalty try put the game to rest with Olly Barkley adding the conversions to end a glorious and colourful career at The Rec. Sale remain at the bottom of the table where realistically they need a couple of wins, and soon, before this team falls victim to relegation.

A standard enough affair at Sixways – that was until the end. Worcester came off better in the early exchanges but The Exiles were first to break the try line when their number 8, Ofisa Treviranus crossed in the corner. The Warriors hooker, Lutui would bury over the line minutes later and the conversion would see the home side lead 10-8 at the break. Indiscipline, the theme of the weekend across all games, would see Irish lose Jamie Gibson to the bin with twenty minutes left on the clock. The Warriors let loose at this stage and made use of the extra man. David Lemi, Semisi Taulava and Jon Clarke all scored tries in the dying minutes for Worcester securing their first win of the season. London Irish will be disappointed with their lack of discipline in this game and it is something they will need to address before they table-toppers, Saints, in the next round.

Welford road introduced a new star this weekend in the form of Adam Thompstone. The sprightly winger made an immediate impression, crossing the whitewash early in the first half. It was a case of hands will do it when Toby Flood fed out wide and Thompstone finished in the corner. Flood continued his influence on the match, converting and scoring two penalties, making it 16-3 at the break. Exeter’s complete lack of discipline giving the fly-half the opportunities. The second half started much like the first with Thompstone touching down for his second of the afternoon. A silly fumble from The Chiefs swapped the possession and the young lad took the spoils. Chiefs were suffering now. Poor defensive unity coupled with individual mistakes were making this a non-contest on their behalf. The Tigers would take advantage of this and pounce again. A lovely chip in behind from Matt Smith bounced beautifully for Adam Thompstone who made it a dream debut as he touched down for the third time. Exeter dropped to 7^th in the table whilst the Leicester Tigers remain in joint 3^rd.

The Saracens v Harlequins game looked like a thrilling event of paper; but in reality – not so much. It was a game of brute strength, out of necessity more than anything else. Quins were presented with the first scoring opportunity; but lost the ball to Chris Ashton in play. Sarries counter-attacked and found themselves on the front foot; Ashton regaining the possession of the ball. He would end up bundled into touch by Quins’ Mike Brown. Quins lost Ollie Kohn to the bin for killing the ball but this didn’t deter them. Danny Care sniped a rook and exploited a gap in the Sarries defence; scoring a try in the process. The rest of the game was a physical, in-your-face game and resulted in a kicking contest between the 10s; Owen Farrell coming off the better and securing the wins for Saracens. Harlequins lose their top of the table spot to Northampton; despite playing the better rugby on the day.

The weekend’s final game saw London Welsh welcome Gloucester to the Kassam Stadium in Oxford. Welsh were well up for this one; coming off the back of two victories. The Cherry & Reds had other things in mind though. An early trade of penalties excited the crowd before a deliberate knock down saw winger, Nick Scott, sin binned. Gloucester took a quick penalty and Shane Monahan went over in the corner for the game’s opening try. Gordon Ross had the duty of keeping Welsh in this one; which he managed from his experienced boot. A couple of phases strung together helped Gloucester power over for their second try; Tom Savage the ball carrier. But Welsh would not be put down by this and after a series of ruck-to-ruck encounters the Premiership new boys would find themselves under the sticks; Ross adding the conversion. It was becoming a serious contest; neither side wanting to give an inch – but eventually Welsh succumbed to a third try when a ball came out wide to Shaun Knight. Freddie Burns ended the game with little encouragement when the ball game lose from a ruck; kicking out on the full for Gloucester to claim the victory.

Results

Northampton Saints 24-6 London Wasps

Worcester Warriors 35-11 London Irish

Bath Rugby 31-10 Sale Sharks

Leicester Tigers 30-8 Exeter Chiefs

Harlequins 16-18 Saracens

London Welsh 25-31 Gloucester Rugby

Next Round

Friday, 5 October 2012

Sale v Leicester, 20:00

Saturday, 6 October 2012

Gloucester v Bath, 14:15

Exeter v Harlequins, 15:00

London Irish v Northampton, 15:00

Sunday, 7 October 2012

London Welsh v Saracens, 14:15

Wasps v Worcester, 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.