Premiership Review - London Welsh 3 - 23 Newcastle Falcons

The term “8 pointer” (the rugby equivalent of football’s 6 pointer) is banded around too often these days – by people like me, usually, who try to create a bit of hyperbole to generate interest in an otherwise fairly standard encounter.  But I stand by the assertion I made prior to London Welsh taking on Newcastle Falcons at the Kassam Stadium – even at such an early stage of the season, all the signs are that this will prove to be a decisive result.

The fortunes (or misfortunes) of both these sides have been well documented – the Exiles did superbly well to turn over Bristol in the Championship playoffs last year to bounce back to the big time at the first attempt, but after conceding almost 250 points in their first 6 games, it’s quickly become clear that this is going to be a very nasty 9 months indeed.  For the Falcons, however, their nightmare may not have hit so hard but it’s certainly lasted much longer – losing 21 games on the bounce, and only saved from the drop last year by an inept Worcester side.  Until last week – when they turned over Exeter – they had become experts in missing opportunities to get something out of games.

Three weeks ago, Juan Pablo Socino was being maligned for his inaccuracy off the tee, arguably costing his side a crucial win at home against London Irish, but it is perhaps a measure of how much their first victory over Exeter has done that the fly half was able to spank over a superbly struck penalty from the touchline after only 2 minutes. 

The hosts had looked leaky in defence all season, but in attack they had occasionally strung together some decent stuff – with a try bonus point a decent return against Bath at the Rec.  But the early signs were ominous for the men in red – despite picking up some decent territory, they were generally moving from side to side without picking up too many metres or making any inroads, but they did score three points through the boot of Olly Barkley after prop Kieran Brookes was pinged for not rolling away quickly enough.

The Falcons, on the other hand, looked like they were playing with far more invention and purpose with the ball in hand and they were rewarded with the game’s first try after 14 minutes.  Dom Barrow took a flat pass from Socino and juggled it, with the loose ball momentarily distracting the Welsh defenders, allowing the big lock to offload to Mark Wilson, who in turn dropped the ball off to the onrushing Adam Powell, the experienced centre diving over for only his second Premiership try in 5 years.  Socino missed a relatively straightforward conversion, but almost made amends just four minutes later when he placed a superb kick downfield after clearing up a poor pass from Piri Weepu.  The ball bounced invitingly over the try line but, with Sinoti Sinoti haring after it, Exiles hooker Nathan Morris showed a superb turn of pace to touch down ahead of the winger.

All the menace was from the Falcons but, after Socino weighed in with a second penalty, the Welsh defence at least gave the crowd something to cheer about as Chris Hala’ufia buried Scott Wilson with one of the biggest hits of the season.  The impact was so massive that referee Wayne Barnes awarded a penalty due to the shoulder slipping up, but even that was harsh in my book – the shoulder only touched the chin of the Falcons prop because he crumpled under the force of the hit.  Sinoti missed the resulting penalty attempt, but the men in black weren’t to be denied, with Mark Wilson burrowing over for a score on the cusp of half time after Brookes had flattened Weepu with a big carry in the build up.  Once again, it went unconverted, but visitors held a very healthy 16 – 3 lead at the break.

Exiles coach Justin Burnell would have emphasised the importance of his side scoring next to keep in the game, and they almost did so when Hala’ufia barged his way deep into the Falcons 22, finally creating some quick ball.  Skipper Matt Corker took up the charge and barged his way over the line, but was held up and – eventually – the chance was gone.  It would prove to be so costly for the Premiership new boys.

With just 10 minutes of the new half gone, the visitors delivered their killer blow with worrying ease – Alex Tait running back a hurried clearance kick before Mark Wilson again found space from Sinoti’s offload, before passing inside to Ricky Tipuna for the scrum half to score.  Substitute Rory Clegg nudged over the conversion, and the game was effectively over as a contest.

The Falcons knew the game was won and Dean Richards rang the changes for the final quarter, allowing the home side to dominate the possession and territory, but they were still unable to cross the visitors’ whitewash.  Wilson blotted his copybook with a yellow card for illegally stopping a Welsh driving maul, but it couldn’t ruin the Falcons’ day as they held out for a 23 – 3 win.

For Newcastle, there must now surely be a feeling that the corner has been turned.  Two consecutive wins after 21 defeats on the bounce has restored a feeling of hope to the north-east, won which is being fed by an expansive and entertaining gameplan.  Perhaps now the Falcons can begin – although it is early days – to set their heights higher than merely survival.  But that feeling of optimism strikes a frightening contrast to the feeling amongst London Welsh fans – if they can’t beat their supposed relegation rivals at home, then who can they beat?  The fact of the matter is that they have looked outclassed for the majority of games this season, and unless they can find a way for their pack to deliver quick ball consistently, they will continue to endure this nightmare.

The old saying is that it’s lonely at the top...London Welsh will assure you that it is far worse at the other end.

Around the other grounds in the Aviva Premiership:

Leicester Tigers 22 – 16 Harlequins:  The Tigers finally got their season back on track with a surprisingly convincing win over Quins at a sodden Welford Road.  The hosts went ahead early through a fine Blaine Scully try and largely dominated possession and territory afterwards and, despite a late effort from Karl Dickson, were good value for their win.  Not pretty, but perhaps a start of a recovery.

Exeter Chiefs 44 – 24 London Irish:  The Chiefs delivered a good old fashioned hiding to Irish at Sandy Park, and would have won by even more had they not taken their foot off the gas for the last 10 minutes.  The hosts crossed through Carl Rimmer, Henry Slade, Damien Welch (2) and Don Armand, with the visitors grabbing three late consolations through Blair Cowan (2) and Andy Fenby.

Saracens 28 – 21 Gloucester:  Sarries picked up a deserved win at Allianz Park but they were made to work hard by a rejuvenated Gloucester side.  The hosts crossed through Chris Wyles, Alistair Hargreaves and Chris Ashton, but they struggled to really pull clear of the visitors, who scored tries of their own through Rob Cook and Tom Savage.

Northampton Saints 43 – 10 Sale Sharks:  Saints continued their march towards retaining the title with an utterly dominant display against a previously  dangerous Sale side.  The hosts crossed through Ken Pisi, George Pisi, Kahn Fotuali’i and, most impressively, a Samu Manoa hat-trick, with Sale managing just the one (spectacular ) score through centre Mark Jennings. 

Wasps 29 – 22 Bath: Wasps cast aside memories of a turbulent week and cast aside Bath at the same time, leading 29 – 0 at one stage before the visitors came roaring back into it.  A penalty try and a score from Salosi Tagicakibau, plus THREE yellow cards for Bath (Leroy Houston, Dave Wilson and Mickey Young the deserved recipients), put the men in black well in control, before scores from Jonathan Joseph, Young and Dave Sisi made things interesting.

Premiership Preview - London Welsh v Newcastle Falcons

I think it's fair to say that life at the bottom of the Premiership tends to be a bit of a dog fight.  OK, last year Worcester Warriors went down with the faintest of whimpers, but generally the battles to avoid the dreaded drop are just as enthralling and dramatic as the headline-hogging race for the title (which I am guilty of favouring just as much as the next person).  Think back and there have been some classic nail-biters over the years – remember Warriors v Northampton back in 2005?  It was an almost winner-takes-all (read: loser-goes-down) encounter, and Saints' fly half was Shane Drahm, who was joining Worcester the following season.  Drahm was effectively kicking his future employers into the division below, but a last gasp result elsewhere meant that Harlequins went down instead.  It was drama of the highest order, if not always of the highest quality.

It may still be early on in the season but Saturday's fixture between two of the basement-boys already has a feel of being a bit of an 8 pointer, a match which could decide who will be making the long trip down to the Championship next season.  London Welsh, the hosts, are of course the new boys this year but to say that their start has been difficult is like saying that Scarlet Johansson is reasonably attractive.  With 5 games gone and 249 points conceded, Welsh simply haven't looked like a Premiership quality side.  Worryingly, over 50% of those points have been conceded in the final quarter, indicating a gulf in conditioning and/or squad depth, as substitutes are brought on.  But in attack as well, there's been difficulties – too often disjointed and slow, perhaps an inevitable outcome with so many new faces involved this year.  That said, there are rays of hope – they scored a bonus point for four tries at Bath (where Leicester were nilled) and so they do have the capability of scoring tries – that much is clear by the number of experienced, quality players they have in their backline.  But the big question will be if their pack can provide a decent platform, quick ball, and continue to do so for 80 minutes.

The feeling at their visitors, the Falcons, wasn't too different a week ago; all doom and gloom, clinging on to faint glimmers of hope.  With 21 consecutive Premiership defeats, tipped to go down by many at the start of the year and without a win for almost 12 months, you can see why morale wasn't flying – but a superb 29 -24 win over Exeter at home last week may have changed the tide.  Yes, there are questions on the quality and depth of the Newcastle squad, but in fairness there were encouraging spores of hope before that long-awaited win.  Last season the Falcons were simply dire, seeking to grind out wins and losing in uninspired fashion, but at least this term they have been expansive and dangerous – if lacking a bit of accuracy in the finish and remaining porous in defence.  Perhaps, though, a corner has been turned, and they can now start genuinely competing with the big boys.  It will be up to Welsh to kill that momentum and remind the Falcons that they’re not safe yet.

Because, as assistant coach Matthew Ferguson alluded to earlier this week, this dog still has a nasty bite.

 

London Welsh Team News

London Welsh make five changes for the Premiership visit of Newcastle Falcons, all of them in the forwards.  Pablo Henn and Nathan Morris start at loosehead and hooker, Matt Corker comes into the second row, while Richard Thorpe returns at openside with Chris Hala'ufia starting at number eight.

Starting Line up:  Jewell; Stegmann, Reynolds, May (capt), Scott; Barkley, Weepu; Henn, Morris, Vea; Corker, Down; Browne Thorpe, Hala'ufia.

Subs: Vella, Cahill, Gilding, Schofield, Pienaar, Lewis, Roberts, Crane.

Key Player

Piri Weepu.  Yes, he looks like a hobbit and, yes, he could lose a couple of pounds, but anyone who has seen Weepu play throughout the years will know that he has a natural ability which very, very few can claim to have.  For the All Blacks and in Super 15 he has the knack of finding and creating space, despite not being the quickest, with his eyes and hands.  We've seen precious little of that magic so far because he's been busy rummaging around bodies of players, trying in vain to provide his backline with some quality ammunition.  But eventually, the opportunities will come and – when they do – he can't afford to be rusty.

 

Newcastle Falcons Team News

Dean Richards has understandably (but boringly, for the purposes of my write-up) named the same starting 15 which picked up their first win in almost a year against Exeter last weekend.  He'll be hoping his side has enough wind in their sails after the last round to get a similar result in Oxford on Saturday.

Starting Line-up:  Tait; Sinoti, Tiesi, Powell, Cato; Socino, Tipuna; Brookes, Lawson, S Wilson; Green, Barrow; M. Wilson, Welch (capt), Hogg.

Subs: Hawkins, Rogers, Tomaszczyk, Furno, Mayhew, Blair, Clegg, Catterick.

Key Player

Will Welch.  I say this in the most respectful and complementary way possible, but Welch strikes me as the ultimate club man.  International honours may not be on the agenda – but who knows what the future holds, in fairness – but Welch is the character that every team needs; tough, uncompromising, a natural leader and – critically – he very, very rarely has a poor game.  But he is a classic 'all-rounder' flanker and one area where Welsh have been continually battered is at the breakdown, where they've been unable to generate quick ball.  Welch will be targeting that Welsh ball (crikey this is getting confusing) and aiming to be the first on the scene at any tackle situation to frustrate them even more.

 

Key Battle

Olly Barkley v Juan Pablo Socino.  It goes without saying that every point counts in a relegation dog fight.  Barkley has years of experience at the top and has the head to slot pressure kicks, but with precious few attempts to keep his game ticking over, you have to wonder what affect that will have on his technique and mentality.  Socino, on the other hand, has had plenty of attempts, but a bit of squiffy return with the boot.  He's a wonderfully compact and balanced player who provides plenty of threat with the ball in hand, but he effectively cost his side the game with his inaccuracy off the tee.  I have a feeling that – for the most part – this game will be tight and will depend hugely on momentum.  The ability to keep that scoreboard ticking over will be critically important to that.

 

Prediction

Reading the press, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was only the 'top' teams that suffered from problems this year, with Harlequins underperforming and the majority of Leicester's side broken into tiny pieces, but I always think that does a massive disservice to the clubs that scrap it out at the wrong end of the table.  Every point is precious and you're expected to lose every game – it's a hideous pressure and the supporters of both clubs should be commended for showing some real backbone over the last couple of seasons.  But the pressure for this one is well and truly on Welsh for this one – yes, they've conceded on average 50 points a game, but if they can't beat their relegation rivals at home, I don't think there'll be a way back, even at this stage of the season.  Falcons have a win and, I suspect, it will propel them onwards to greater things.  Falcons by 9.

And in this weekend's other games?

Leicester Tigers v Harlequins:  Neither of these sides have had the starts they would want, and there's an oddly 'mid-table' feel to the clash.  With Quins out of kilter – despite their romp against Welsh last week – and Tigers in the depths of another injury crisis, it's a difficult one to call but it should still be a thriller as always; a thriller I suspect the visitors will win, taking advantage of their hosts' shot confidence.  Quins by 4.

Exeter Chiefs v London Irish:  Irish have impressed me this season but the Chiefs had a bit of a wake-up call last week, falling to the Falcons in Newcastle.  I just suspect that they will be up for setting the record straight at Sandy Park this weekend and should have too much quality for Irish.  Chiefs by 8.

Saracens v Gloucester:  Sarries will be hurting after losing their 100% record last week and I expect them to win comfortably against the Cherry and Whites, despite the fact that the visitors recorded a good win over Leicester last weekend.  Sarries by 14.

Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks:  This one does have the potential to be a banana skin for Saints, with the Sharks looking dangerous in attack and notoriously aggressive at the breakdown, but they should have too much class in the ranks to fall foul of an upset.  Saints by 12.

Wasps v Bath:  Wasps are another side who, like Irish, have caught the eye with some impressive displays and surprising results this year – but a combination of off-field drama and a Bath side too hot to handle at the moment will see them fall to a home defeat.  Bath by 9.

Premiership Review - Bath 21 - 11 Saracens

Home advantage seems to have more significance in rugby than other sports.  Perhaps because of the tribal nature of the game and the impact intimidation can have on a performance, but you think of the reputation (now crumbling) of Welford Road and the 7 billion games (or thereabouts) that Clermont remained unbeaten in their backyard, and you begin to see a pattern that you don’t get even with top football sides.  But the Rec?  Sure, it’s never been easy, but recent Bath sides have not always had domineering intimidation at the top of their list of qualities.  Perhaps one of the reasons why their visitors on Friday night, Saracens (the league favourites), hadn’t lost their in 4 years.

 

This, though, is a very different Bath side to years gone by.  That much was apparent in the opening exchanges as Saracens struggled to make significant inroads into the Bath defence, despite having the better of the early territory.  Billy Vunipola was the only man to make decent yardage against a pumped-up Bath defence, with Dave Attwood proving a menacing figure at the breakdown and Alafoti Fa’osiliva (only starting because of injuries to Carl Fearns and Matt Garvey) proving more than a match for the big number-eight’s no-frills physicality.  That said, the pressure was enough to earn Charlie Hodgson a pot at goal, although the former England man set the tone for a surprisingly poor night for the kickers as his effort struck the post.

 

So Sarries effectively came away with nothing, despite their territorial dominance, and the West Country side made them pay with a try from nothing moments later.  George Ford launched a towering up and under which came down just past the visitors’ 10 metre line, but Alex Goode lost sight of the ball completely, allowing it to bounce.  Centre Duncan Taylor swept up the high-bouncing ball but, simultaneously, attempted an ill-advised offload to Vunipola, sending the ball to ground and allowing Kyle Eastmond to sweep up the crumbs and feed Jonathan Joseph, who scorched in for the game’s opening score.

 

Ford added a conversion, but was then off target with two further attempts as the hosts began to show far greater incision in attack, with Semesa Rokoduguni causing all kinds of problems with his balanced and powerful runs and the centre pairing of Eastmond and Joseph combing with slick menace on more than once occasion.  Ford was dictating things nicely, but he was looking dodgy from the boot, shanking two penalties before nailing his third to re-open a 7 point gap, shortly after Hodgson had previously narrowed it.  Goode then added another three against the run of play when Hodgson was down receiving treatment.

 

It was now Bath, though, who had their tails up and who were dominating the possession, and they nearly went over again when Rokoduguni nearly reached a Joseph grubber first, only to be denied by a backtracking Neil De Kock.  In fact, Saracens’ defence was keeping them in the game, with big hits from Jacques Burger stifling momentum where possible and a great turnover from Kelly Brown pinching the ball at a crucial time.  The Sarries attacking game, though, was struggling to get going – partly because of a superb Bath linespeed, and partly because of the linesman’s refusal to notice some fairly obvious offsides.  The constant struggle for possession, though ,was always going to eventually tell in Bath’s favour – although the manner in which it did was, in my opinion, rather questionable.

 

With quick ball creating an overlap out wide, the ball was flung towards the wing, causing Chris Ashton to rush infield to try and intercept the ball and cut off the threat.  His attempt was unsuccessful and Greg Garner’s automatic reaction was to declare a deliberate knock on and wield the yellow card.  This rule has gone too far now – looking at the replays, there was a genuine attempt by Ashton to catch the ball, but the fact that the ball hit one hand more often than not means that the man in the middle automatically goes to his pocket.  That shouldn’t be the case, but whatever the rights and wrongs of the call, Sarries were down to 14 men and – following Ford’s successful penalty – down 13 – 6 on the scoreboard at the break.

 

Bath made the extra-man count early in the second half as they broke from deep – Fa’osiliva barrelling up the field before being brought down in an almighty collision with Vunipola, before Joseph screamed through a backpeddling Bath defence to put his centre partner Eastmond in for another superb score.  Ford missed the conversion, but the hosts were cutting loose now and Sarries were in danger of suffering a fate similar to that of Leicester just a fortnight earlier.  Fa’osiliva, Eastmond and Rokodugini were having majestic games, slicing through the much-vaunted wolf-pack at will – but Saracens aren’t title favourites for nothing.

 

Showing trademark levels of determination and grit, they forced themselves up field and finally generated some quick ball to provide space for Chris Wyles – who had been lively and committed throughout, despite playing in his less-favoured position of centre – to wriggle over the line to haul his side back into the game.  With the score perched at 18 – 11 heading into the final 10 minutes, you got the feeling that – although Bath had seemed largely dominant in all areas of the game – Sarries could somehow snatch something from the Rec.

Roared on by a full-house though, this Bath side were never going to let that happen, and another Ford penalty to the game away from Sarries along with the losing bonus point, leaving the final score at 21 – 11. 

 

It was the kind of brutal encounter you expect between two sides competing for the top prize, but Bath looked very comfortable indeed, despite the new territory.  It may still be early days, but the Rec is looking like a fortress, and the gauntlet has been well and truly set.
 

 

Let’s take a look at the weekend’s other results:

 

Harlequins 52 – 0 London Welsh:  It just goes from bad to well...very bad for the Premiership new boys.  They conceded 52 points precisely for the second time this season, with Quins giving their season a much needed boost with scores from Mike Brown, Danny Care, Marland Yarde (2), Mike Hopper, Karl Dickson and a penalty try.

 

London Irish 12 – 19 Northampton Saints:   London Irish once again turned some heads with another physical display which pushed champions Saints all the way.  They were unable to recover from a first half try from Luther Burrell, however, with the England centre coasting through some pretty poor defence on his way to the line.

 

Gloucester Rugby 33 – 16 Leicester Tigers:  Leicester slumped to their third consecutive defeat for the first time since 2011 in the midst of an almost unprecedented injury crisis, but the Cherry and Whites will be disappointed that they couldn’t convert their dominance into a try bonus point.  The hosts scored through Nick Wood, Charlie Sharples and Johnny May, with David Mele scoring a late consolation for the visitors.

 

Newcastle Falcons 29 – 24 Exeter Chiefs:  The Falcons broke their 11 month winless streak with a fine win over the in-form Chiefs that rewarded the patience of their long-suffering fans.  They feared the worst though when Tom Waldrom, Ben White and Henry Slade crossed for first half scores for Exeter, but a try from Sinoti Sinoti and second half efforts from Tom Catterick and Noah Cato clinched the much needed win for the hosts.

 

Sale Sharks 25 -14 Wasps:  In what turned out to be a precursor to a difficult week for the men in black, Wasps lost out in a tight encounter against the Sharks.  Luke Arscott, Chris Cusiter and Tom Brady crossed for the hosts, whilst tries from Nathan Hughes and Christian Wade kept the visitors in contention until late on.

Premiership Preview - Bath v Saracens

I should probably clarify that, before this write up, that I am not a Bath fan.  When I'm saying that, I don't mean that I actively dislike them – I just happen to support another side (who shall remain nameless until they get their act together...).  The reason for this disclaimer is that this is the third consecutive write-up I've done involving Bath, and my usual rule is to never do more than 2 involving the same club.  There are a couple of reasons though why I've broken the mould – firstly, Bath are coming out of a mouth-watering set of fixtures involving Leicester, Northampton and now Saracens and, secondly, they happen to be bloody good to watch.

All this in stark contrast to 2 seasons ago, when I would have rather spent an evening with Justin Bieber listening to…Justin Bieber…than have to sit through the dross the men in blue, white and black were churning out.  Those dark days of kick, chase, lose are a distant memory now, however.  With a backline full of pace and invention, and with George Ford acting as master puppeteer, there's no doubting their threat out wide, but it's their pack which has impressed me most.  Striding out of the shadows of mediocrity, the likes of Dave Wilson, Stuart Hooper, Dave Attwood and Carl Fearns have brought a sharp edge to a pack that was rolled over too often in recent years.  See the way they battered the Tigers at the Rec 2 weeks ago – yes, Leicester were missing a fair few players, but there were plenty of internationals still on show and they were still utterly schooled by their hosts.  It was a type of dominance rarely seen at this level.  Even against Saints, when they were shunted backwards in the first half, they didn't wilt as most (understandably) would have done.  Instead, they clawed their way back into the game and came within a whisker – a TMO call – of turning over the champions in their own back yard.  They'll need to step up that physicality again though as they face up to the vaunted Saracens forwards – the wolf pack – this time around.

Sarries, somehow, have flown under the radar somewhat this season.  Which is unusual for a side which markets itself through cheerleaders (excellent) and the most irritating tune since the Crazy Frog (not so good).  But the Londoners are the only unbeaten side in the Premiership…and they do look bloody good.  They've chucked in some typically brutal and domineering performances, where they smash their opponents in the narrow channels before pulling the trigger with sublime accuracy out wide (and you don't get many better poachers than Dave Strettle and Chris Ashton), but their best quality has been the ability to win when not even firing on all cylinders.  Take their game against London Irish as an example – yes, they needed a last minute try to snatch the win but, realistically, you never really felt like they were going to lose.  They have that aura, that inevitability about them at the moment - and they have no reason to lose that aura against an opponent who has failed to beat them in their previous 8 league encounters.

It's a clash between two of the league's in-form sides, so it's perhaps a little disappointing that both are missing some key men.  Bath are missing Carl Fearns, who was a beast in the earlier parts of the season, and they will certainly miss his physicality; but this is offset by the fact that Sarries have lost Will Fraser to injury.  Jaques Burger is not a bad replacement, but lacks Fraser's ability to slow the ball down, kill momentum, and pinch the pill.  With Arscott, Banahan, Farrell and Barritt missing, the injury list evens itself out, but the basic concept on how the match will be decided remains the same.  This is not a match for being flash and picking up try bonus points, as both sides have done with ease so far this year.  This is a match for the packs, for the big men to go toe-to-toe and to see who can hit hardest, and who can pick themselves up to dish out the hits again.  It's in this regard that I suspect the visitors have the faintest of edges.

Perhaps, because both sides are deemed as the league's "money-bags" – with sugar-daddies providing the cash – some people have found it difficult to warm to them.  But watch Bath and Sarries play, they are both very easy to watch; very likeable.  An adjective that will be used sparingly between the two sides tonight.


Bath Team News

Gavin Henson will make his first start of the season for Bath, taking the place of Luke Arscott at full-back.  Fellow back Anthony Watson returns to the bench after recovering from a foot injury while prop David Wilson makes his 100th appearance for the club.

Starting Line-up: Henson; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Eastmond, Woodburn; Ford, Cook; James, Webber, Wilson; Hooper (capt), Attwood; Fa'osiliva, Mercer, Houston.

Subs: Batty, Auterac, Thomas, Day, Sisi, Young, Devoto, Watson.


Key Player

Dave Attwood.  I saw an England team based purely on form the other day and, whilst some parts looked a little odd, the inclusion of Attwood is hard to disagree with at the moment.  The man is finally living up to that talent we saw in his early Gloucester years and is rapidly becoming the kind of second row enforcer that every side needs – weighing in with big hits, smashing rucks and carrying with aggression.  Bath were overwhelmed by the Saints pack at times last week, and Attwood will need to be a rallying point against arguably the most physical pack in the league.

 

Saracens Team News

Saracens captain Alistair Hargreaves returns to the pack after missing the last two games through injury.   England centre Brad Barritt is ruled out with a minor calf problem and is replaced by Chris Wyles.

Starting Line-up:  Goode; Ashton, Taylor, Wyles, Strettle; Hodgson, De Kock; Gill, George, Johnston; Kruis, Hargreaves (capt); Brown, Burger, B.Vunipola.

Starting Line-up: Spurling, Barrington, Longbottom, Hamilton, Wray, Wigglesworth, Tompkins, Ransom.

 

Key Player

Billy Vunipola.  He's looking in decent shape after the summer (now the mere weight of a rhinoceros as opposed to an elephant), but we haven't seen him really dominate the gainline like we know he can yet.  Sarries will know that the Bath pack struggled to recover once the gainline was broken and they were moving backwards, and big old Billy will be key to making that happen again.  Expect to see him off Hodgson's shoulder a lot more this time and targeting that 10 channel, as opposed to simply just taking pops off the scrum half and running into traffic.  He needs a big game, too, because Morgan is starting to motor for Gloucester.

 

Key Battle

George Ford v Charlie Hodgson.  I'm sure I'm not the only one to see a lot of old Charlie in young George.  Both guys are exciting, attacking fly-halves – both play relatively close to the gainline (although Ford has really only started pushing it over the last year) and both have a wonderful – almost casual – variation to their game.  But in a game that promised to be one of the most physically demanding of the year so far, the focus will be on control and performance under pressure.  Ford stood up to the Northampton onslaught admirably last week, but a performance against the 'wolf pack' is required to prove the doubters of his ability to work under the cosh wrong, and secure the 10 shirt for England for the AIs if Farrell remains crocked.  In this match, control + calm head = victory. 

 

Prediction

Bath have looked irrepressible at home, but they haven't come across a machine as well-oiled as Sarries yet.  In their demolition of Leicester, the West Country outfit dominated the breakdown and the contact area, with Carl Fearns a colossus in that area.  Now, Fearns is out and their visitors have a lot more nous than the injury ravaged opponents they faced up to a fortnight ago.  I'm not expecting a free-flowing try-fest, I'm expecting a brutal no-holds-barred contest between two of the best sides in the league.  And when it comes to an arm-wrestle like that, I can't see past a Saracens win.  Sarries by 4.


And in the rest of the Premiership?

Harlequins v London Welsh:  Quins may have endured a difficult start but that's nothing compared to the multiple pastings their new-boy visitors have suffered.  A perfect chance to get back on the horse for the hosts.  Quins by 29.

London Irish v Northampton Saints:  After running Sarries close and then beating one set of East Midlanders, Irish could be forgiven for having a decent amount of confidence for this one.  There's no doubt that they'll make the Saints work hard, but the visitors will have just too much quality.  Saints by 10.

Gloucester v Leicester Tigers:  In a surprisingly mid-table clash, the Cherry and Whites have probably picked the perfect time to face the Tigers and get their season back on track.  Leicester are shot on confidence and the loss of so many key players is hurting early on – the Shed will make that feeling all the more acute.  Gloucester by 4.

Sale Sharks v Wasps:  This is probably the hardest match to call – the Sharks have looked good without necessarily winning, with Wasps following suit almost exactly.  These are two exciting and resurgent teams – I expect tries and a very narrow home win.  Sharks by 2.

Newcastle Falcons v Exeter Chiefs:  The Falcons must be getting desperate for a win now, and a home fixture against an Exeter side that looked vulnerable last season must have been a target fixture.  But the visitors have proven the doubters wrong and looked extremely sharp early on, and I think Falcons fans may have to carry on waiting for that first win in 20 games.  Chiefs by 5.

Premiership Review: Northampton Saints 31 - 24 Bath

Firstly, I should apologise for the tardiness of this write-up.  One of the frustrating things about writing a blog part-time alongside a full-time job is that the full-time one sometimes inconsiderately eats into your free time, but seeing that I have to earn money for food, beer and electricity (in order to write the blog), the full-time one has to take preference.  Perhaps I should reassess my priorities.

If I have any doubts about where my priorities lie, however, the same thing cannot be said for Northampton Saints and Bath.  Judging by both their starts, they aren't just focusing on making the top four this year – they want the title.  Of course, Saints are the reigning champions and – one surprising loss away against Wasps aside – they have looked pretty worthy of that title, with a pack as mean a bulldog with a hangover and a backline which oozes menace from every pore.  Mallinder has put together a side that can attack from all angles.

And Mike Ford – with Bruce Craig's cheque book, of course – seems to be doing similar at Bath.  At times last year, you perhaps suspected that they were the type of side with a pretty backline but a bit of a damp forward pack, not overly dissimilar to Gloucester.  It's fair to say that that notion has been dispelled this year – just ask Leicester, the traditional grizzly bears of forward play, as they took a royal pasting at the Rec last week.  It all pointed toward a brutal encounter at Franklins Gardens on Saturday – and it didn't disappoint.

The game though, was put into perspective for what it is – a game – in the moments before kick off, as the players and the sell-out crowd remembered Luis Ghaut, a mascot of the side in last season's final, who had passed away following a battle with bone cancer at the age of 13.  He would have loved the opening that his beloved Saints made.

The hosts, from the outset, dominated the territory and soon made it count in the ruthless manner which has become their trademark this season.  Ben Foden, slowly building up to the form which made him the best fullback in England 4 years ago, fielded a panicked clearance kick, skipped past the chasing Jonathan Joseph and scythed straight through the Bath defence before the move broke down just 7 metres from the visitors' line.  There was a certain try out to the right but, as Kahn Fotuali'I tried to find his runners, a retreating Luke Arscott stuck out his hand to concede one of the more obvious deliberate knock-ons you'll see – and referee Tim Wigglesworth, after consulting the TMO, decided that a try would have been scored and so correctly awarded the penalty try, showing Arscott a yellow card for his troubles.  Myler's conversion made the score 7 – 0 after 8 minutes.

Bath were down to 14 men and sought to slow the game down until they could get back to a full complement – and they almost did so, with the physicality of Dave Attwood ensuring that the Saints pack didn't have it all their own way.  But, on the 15 minute mark, the resistance broke.  The men in blue were sent backpeddling as George Pisi wriggled his way past Joseph and Stuart Hooper to get within a metre of the whitewash, before the ball was flung right to flanker Calum Clark, who coasted over in acres of space, with Myler adding a tricky conversion.

Bath needed to get into the game or potentially succumb to the kind of treatment they dished out on the Tigers last week.  In credit to them, the visitors finally managed to grab some territory and made it count almost immediately, with Dave Wilson taking a short ball off George Ford to wriggle his way over the line.  There were questions on whether or not the pass was forward, but there was nothing clear and obvious, leaving the score at 14 – 7 after just 20 minutes.

The rest of the opening period turned into something of an arm-wrestle, with both packs hammering each other at the breakdown, but it was here that I felt that Bath were missing the brutal physicality of Carl Fearns – Saints seemed to just have the marginal upper hand in all the tight exchanges, and seemed in good shape in the scrum too.  Myler and Ford exchanged penalties to leave the half time score at 17 – 10.

Saints though, were in no mood to let their visitors back into proceedings just yet, and started the second half in the same manner in which they started the first, the Northampton pack rumbling irresistibly forward to within metres of the line before Foden fed Christian Day to plough over Guy Mercer to score the corner.  Another superb Myler conversion re-opened the 14 point lead, and barely 4 minutes later the hosts had their fourth try – and the bonus point.  Again, Foden was involved, this time floating a gorgeous pass to put Luther Burrell into space, who in turn fed Pisi on the left hand side.  The powerful Samoan barged past Ford – who had missed touch with a clearance moments earlier – to crash over for try number 4, with Myler once again proving imperious with the boot to add another 2 points.

Bath have proved that they're made from stronger stuff than in previous years, though, and where they may previously have rolled over, they doubled their efforts in searching for a way back into the game.  A glimmer of hope appeared when substitute Gavin Henson (remember him?) ghosted through a gap to put Olly Woodburn in for a try, converted by Ford, on the 60 minute mark.  That glimmer became a fully-fledged spark when they pulled the score back to within 7 with 10 minutes to go, when the West Country pack finally found some traction against their counterparts, rolling their opponents over the line with a well-structured maul.  Nick Auterac was the man to emerge from the pile, whilst Ford's conversion ensured a nervy few minutes at Franklins Gardens.

The visitors tried the same trick again on the 77 minute mark – and almost succeeded in snatching an unlikely draw, with the pack once again smashing their way over the line but, this time, they somehow failed to ground the ball over the line, with Dylan Hartley instrumental with his efforts to prevent the try.  It would prove to be Bath's last hurrah in this game.  The full time whistle went and Franklins Gardens cheered with relief, but Saints were good value for their win.

That said, you emerged from watching this game with a strong sense that you'd just witnessed two of the division's heavyweights lugging the living daylights of each other.  Northampton may have won this round, but I wouldn't like to call the return leg – both sides have made it clear that they have the priorities of champions this season.


London Welsh 10 – 46 Gloucester:  A late surge from the Cherry and Whites – 31 points in the last 15 minutes – ensured that Welsh ended up on the wrong end of yet another hiding.  There was nowhere to hide as Henry Purdy, Charlie Sharples, Mark Atkinson (2), Johnny May and a penalty try racked up the points for the visitors, with the Exiles' only score coming through flanker Ben Pienaar.

Saracens 40 – 19 Sale Sharks:  Sarries ensured that they remain the only unbeaten side in this year's competition with a bonus point win over the Sharks.  A superb solo try by Alex Goode set them on their way, with tries from Ernst Joubert and Richard Barrington sandwiching a penalty try to ensure the 5 point haul.  Sale, to their credit, did manage 3 tries though, through Dave Seymour, Tom Brady and a penalty try of their own.

Leicester Tigers 19 – 22 London Irish: Injury ravaged Leicester looked shot of confidence as they succumbed to Irish at home for the first time in 12 years.  In a tight game lacking any fluency, Halani Aulika's try had given the Exiles a half time lead which was cancelled out by Niki Goneva's try.  The boot of Shane Geraghty though, proved the difference, as he sealed the win with a late penalty.

Exeter Chiefs 35 – 13 Harlequins:  The Chiefs continued their impressive start to the season and compounded Quins' misery with a convincing win at Sandy park.  Three in-form players were on the mark for the hosts, with Tom Waldrom, Jack Yeandle and Henry Slade all crossing, with the visitors only managing a reply through Asaeli Tikoirotuma, his first for his new club.

Wasps 35 – 18 Newcastle Falcons:  Wasps grabbed a bonus point win as they carried on their eye-catching start to the year, condemning the Falcons to their 20th consecutive defeat.  Tom Varndell (2), James Gaskell and Rob Miller all touched down for the men in black, with the Falcons responding through an effort from scrum half Ruki Tipuna and a penalty try.

 

Premiership Preview - Northampton Saints v Bath

It's not always easy sitting on top of the pile, being number one.  The pressure builds with the expectation of success, and not everyone can handle it.  You can see it everywhere you look – take the music industry for example.  I'm almost ashamed to say that I was a proud owner of "Permission to Land" by The Darkness (actually, I'm not ashamed, it's a great album).  They were, for a year, a phenomenon, before they slowly faded into obscurity.  Ah, second album syndrome.  Or second season syndrome, as it is in sport. 

To be fair, Northampton Saints have not shown many signs of being susceptible to it following their maiden title win last June.  A brutal hammering of Gloucester on the opening weekend may have been followed by a surprise loss at a resurgent Wasps, but there was enough in their bonus-point win at Newcastle (with key players rested) to suggest that the defeat was a flash in the pan.  Their pack has started in typically monstrous form, with Courtney Lawes proving the bane of any fly-half's existence, and the backline still oozes menace – with the dancing feet of George Pisi and the power of George North all strung together by the puppet-master, Stephen Myler.  There's been enough from the East Midlanders to show that they won't be giving up their title without one hell of a fight.

By the looks of it though they will be given just that by their visitors at Franklins Gardens on Saturday.  You don't blast the all-conquering giants of English rugby from the last decade, the Leicester Tigers, to smithereens and not raise a few eyebrows in the process.  How they kick on from that remarkable 45 – 0 display will be interesting to see, but signs are there that this is not the same flash Bath side that lacked backbone from last season.  Their attack has shown utter conviction in every display and, with George Ford's decision making and execution sitting firmly in the top-drawer, it's easy to see why so many neutrals are flicking over to watch the Bath games now.

With the two early pace setters going head to head, there are plenty of key match-ups between rivals for international shirts that will help determine the outcome of this match, but I'm really to see how the two contrasting attacking games stack up next to each other.  Saints are all about momentum and power through the middle and closer channels, with forward runners being hit directly off the scrum half and the likes of North and Luther Burrell attacking the 10/12 channel.  Bath, on the other hand, run everything through Ford.  The forwards make the runs off him, rather than the 9, and they look to generate width very early on as they try and stretch defences to breaking point.  Both are great to watch, but with Saints' defence notoriously stingey, will Bath's ambitious approach pay-off?

There's no sign of this Saints outfit succumbing to the dreaded syndrome just yet, but if they want true immunity, they'll have to start winning the big games – and, believe me, this is one of them.

Northampton Saints Team News

England trio Alex Corbisiero, Tom Wood and Stephen Myler return for Northampton Saints in their only three changes from the win over Newcastle.  Kahn Fotuali'i keeps his place scrum-half as he continues to share the role with Lee Dickson.

Starting Line-up:  Foden; K Pisi, G Pisi, Burrell, North; Myler, Fotuali'i; Corbisiero, Hartley, Ma'afu; Lawes, Day; Clark, Wood (capt), Manoa.

Subs: McMillan, A Waller, Denman, Craig, Fisher, Dickson, Hooley, Wilson.

Key Player

Courtney Lawes.  As usual, Lawes was creating havoc last weekend, picking on poor innocent fly halves as he flew mercilessly into Ruaridh Jackson's ribcage.  That ability to time his run and flatten 10s is so important to the Saints defence – it sets the tone and forces the fly half to play deeper to avoid being clattered.  To that end, it doesn't really matter if they manage to get the pass away – the idea is to lead the line and get into their head.  George Ford was imperious last weekend but there were questions raised last season about his ability to handle pressure.  Lawes will provide plenty of that.

Bath Team News

Bath are forced to make two changes from the resounding 45-0 win over Leicester Tigers last weekend.  Carl Fearns and Matt Banahan are both injured, so Alafoti Fa'osiliva and Olly Woodburn take their places.

Starting Line-up:  Arscott; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Eastmond, Woodburn; Ford, Cook; James, Webber, Wilson; Hooper (capt), Attwood; Fa'osiliva, Mercer, Houston.

Subs: Dunn, Auterac, Thomas, Day, Ewels, Stringer, Henson, Devoto.

Key Player

George Ford.  For the reasons I describe above, the youngster will be under a lot of physical pressure on Saturday.  But he's one season older – and wiser – and so this is a real opportunity for him to step up and demonstrate that he can handle the pressure and can perform with authority without necessarily the strongest platform.  His performance at the Rec last week rightly had Bath – and England – fans purring, and if he can manage the pressure from Lawes, then he has all the tools to unlock this Bath defence.

 

Key Battle

Luther Burrell v Kyle Eastmond.  These are two blokes who had summers they would probably rather forget in international colours.  Burrell at times gave his best revolving door impression in defence during the second test whilst Eastmond, who had looked very sharp in the first match, gave a star turn as a doormat in the third.  Granted, they were playing the world's best side, but it was still enough to attract plenty of criticism from some quarters – but the way they have started this season, you can see that they've put it all right behind them.  Burrell – in his more familiar 12 role – has been direct and strong in both defence and attack and is a chief source of go-forward ball of first phase attack.  He'll be targeting Eastmond with his size advantage all day.  Eastmond, on the other hand, is a slightly different type of 12 – he can accelerate and distribute into the wider channels, where the real strike runners are.  Expect these boys to get their hands on the ball a lot early on to try and make a statement – they are both key to their team's gameplans.

Prediction

Both these sides have looked emphatic at points this year.  Saints, on their opening fixture, simply blew away a very talented – on paper – Gloucester side, whilst Bath absolutely marmalised the Leicester Tigers of all people last year.  These are two punishing and lethal attacks, but they do play very different games which makes it a tricky one to call.  Carl Fearns is a huge loss to Bath as his physicality has been top notch this year and, without him, there's a chance that they may spend a bit more time on the back foot than they've been used to so far.  It's enough to just sway it for the hosts, in my view.  Saints by 4.

 

What else is happening in the Aviva Premiership this weekend?

London Welsh v Gloucester:  Welsh at least avoided conceding a half century last weekend, but that won't be enough to prevent them from falling to another defeat – even against a Gloucester side that is still struggling to find that cohesiveness.  Gloucester by 22.

Leicester Tigers v London Irish:  Check out this handy starting line-up:  Ayerza, Youngs, Cole, Thorne, Parling, Croft, Matera, Slater, Mele, Bai, Camacho, Allen, Tuilagi, Thompstone, Morris.  That's a starting line-up you can make up from Leicester's injury/unavailable list.  Irish, after a great display last week, should be licking their lips, but Leicester should still have enough to grab a win – they'll certainly be hungry for it.  Tigers by 6.

Saracens v Sale:  Sale have been unlucky to only register the one win this season so far, but they won't be picking up a second at Allianz Park.  Sarries have looked unplayable at times and have a great habit of winning games without necessarily firing on all cylinders, like last week.  Sarries by 9.

Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins:  The Chiefs are looking in pretty decent nick this season and Quins have looked a little ropey at times to say the least.  Sandy Park is traditionally a difficult place to pick up a win and I think the Londoners may have to settle for a losing bonus point.  Chiefs by 3.

Wasps v Newcastle Falcons: The Falcons' long losing streak continued last weekend (to be fair, they've had a tricky start to the season) and I suspect it will continue this Sunday. Wasps look like they are on the cusp of being a very decent side and I can see them winning pretty comfortably.  Wasps by 11.