Premiership Preview - Bath v Saracens

Professionalism has brought rugby many benefits.  Increased television coverage, larger crowds at games and the fact that your average prop no longer looks as if they have swallowed an over-inflated space hopper – with players becoming fitter, stronger and faster – are just a few examples.  It's all because of one thing – money.  There's a lot of it in the game at the moment – although apparently not enough in some areas (just ask the Welsh regions) – but it's not all spread equally.  Traditional East Midland powerhouses Leicester and Northampton have long been thought of as the money men of English rugby, arguably along with Gloucester and possibly Harlequins, but their comparative wealth has been built off the back of shrewd management and a strong traditional fanbase – something  a lot of clubs don't have. 

But now there are new players in town – Saracens' rise to power with the help of Nigel Wray and a serious South African cash-injection has been well documented, as have their innovative marketing strategies designed to create a brand that will have an impact on the world stage.  But even newer than the Londoners are their hosts on Friday night, Bath.  The West Country outfit have always been a big club with a proud tradition but, although they have always been financially secure, they have struggled to have real money-wielding clout since the introduction of professionalism.  Not so any more.  Bruce Craig has been generous in delving into his brick-sized wallet during his relentless pursuit to bring Bath back to the glory days of old, and nothing displayed the swing in the balance of power more than their high-profile acquisition of Sam Burgess.  Now, I have it on good authority that Leicester were sniffing around for his signature, but once they realised the RFU wouldn't be assisting with the £500,000+ transfer fee demanded by the Rabbitohs – the NRL outfit – they quickly backed away.  It was a small hurdle for Craig, who has now acquired himself one of sport's hottest properties, and shown that one of the powerhouses of English rugby is ready to return to the top table.

Of course, to say that it's only money that has got Bath to where they are is to do the players and coaches a gross disservice.  The shrewd acquisition and management of players has been expertly overseen by the no-nonsense coaching duo of Mike Ford and Toby Booth, who have got Bath to move away from the eye-bleedingly awful style they were practicing last year.  Now with pace and inventiveness throughout the team, the West Country side play with real energy and precision, relying on quick ball to be generated by their superb flankers Francois Louw and Matt Garvey in order to allow Ford to put his runners into space.  And what optios he has – power from Matt Banahan, quick feet from Kyle Eastmond, and gliding guile from Anthony Watson and Ollie Devoto.  The fact that they are yet to be beaten at home this season shows how far they have developed and how comfortable they are with their brand of rugby – at the Rec, they back themselves against anyone.

Not that Saracens will be intimidated.  They've done the double over their opponents every year for the last 3 years (including a humilating 0 - 22 at the Rec last season), and will hold no fear for the Rec.  Saracens, of course, have assembled a team of stars themselves, but they work to a plan that is slightly different to Bath.  The Londoners are all about momentum, and Mark McCall has put together a relentlessly physical team that will batter teams into retreating at a rate of knots before putting the ball wide and finishing with clinical precision, with the predatory David Strettle and Chris Ashton lurking out wide.  This isn't boring rugby; this is bullying.  This is a team who have thrown off the tag of having 'bought' success by playing intelligent and ultimately winning brands of rugby, and Steve Borthwick and co will be determined to put these new challengers in their place.

But doing so will be considerably more difficult than in previous years.  Because these are the new heavyweights in town, and when whistle blows tonight, you can bet both will come out swinging, desperate to demonstrate their title credentials.  Let's get ready to rumble…

Bath Team News

Bath make a number of changes as they look to close the gap on second-placed Saracens in Friday's game at The Rec.   Peter Stringer and George Ford pair up at half-back, with Matt Banahan on the wing, and props Paul James and Anthony Perenise among those joining the pack.

Starting Line up:  Abendanon; Watson, Devoto, Eastmond, Banahan; Ford, Stringer; James, Batty, Perenise; Day, Attwood; Fa'osiliva, Louw (capt), Houston.

Subs: Guinazu, Catt, Orlandi, Caldwell, Mercer, Young Henson, Rokoduguni.

Key Player

George Ford.  I wasn't alone in my doubts over young fly half.  I thought that he was looking like potentially slipping into the category of unfulfilled great talents, with a series of wet displays for Leicester doing his reputation no good at all.  But since he joined Bath, something has clicked.  I'm not sure if it is purely the fact he is now first choice – he did get decent game time at the Tigers – but he seems to have very quickly settled into Bath's gameplan, to the point where it feels as if it has almost been built around him.  His control, decision making and eye for a gap have been superb all year, but he will need to raise his standard even further if he is to break down one of the meanest defences in the league.

Saracens Team News

England wing David Strettle plays his 100th game for Sarries after sitting out their 23-10 win over Exeter.  Alex Goode and Neil de Kock return at full-back and scrum-half, and ex-Bath lock Steve Borthwick leads the side.

Starting Line up:  Goode; Strettle, Tomkins, Barritt, Wyles; Hodgson, de Kock; Vunipola, Brits, Johnston; Borthwick (capt), Kruis; Wray, Burger, Joubert.

Subs: George, Barrington, Stevens, Sheriff, Brown, Wigglesworth, Taylor, Bosch.

Key Player

Brad Barritt.  The centre is one of the most widely respected players in the Premiership, gaining admiration for his bravery, leadership and physicality in defence.  Unfortunately, he's also been labelled as a little bit boring and so has found himself cast out of the international scene, for now, and there is increased scrutiny on his ability to provide a genuine attacking threat.  He'll certainly be facing one in the electric Kyle Eastmond, who is himself pressing for international recognition, but all eyes will be on the options Barritt can offer going forward – against a talented and fast backline, Barritt needs to target the channel between Ford and Eastmond with short hard lines if Saracens are going to be asking question outside of the pack.

Key Battle

Francois Louw v Jacques Burger.  On show tonight are two of the Premiership's finest imports and, by common consensus, two of rugby's biggest nutters.  And I mean that in the complementary way.  If you are looking for blokes who put their faces where most players wouldn't put their feet, then these are two of the top guys for ruling the dark worlds of the breakdown and the contact area.    Louw was in my 'dream team' of 2013 in recognition of his international displays and the fact that, at times last season, he seemed to be dragging Bath through matches single-handedly – now, however, his side have raised their standards to the level he demands.  His opposite number, Burger, may not be captain, but he is the heartbeat of the Sarries' defence, smashing runners with glee and offering a real presence over the ball in rucks.  With a Bath gameplan that is dependent on quick ball, the battle between these two will be as fascinating as it is crucial for the outcome of the game.

Prediction

The Premiership Clubs should be very worried about Bath.  The new moneybags of the English league, they are assembling a side that looks every bit as fluid and threatening as the one from the glory days in the early 90s.  Sarries may not be quite as sexy to watch, but they have invested wisely too, and their brand of no frills, physically dominating rugby is equally impressive in its own way.  The clash between the two styles should lead to a game that potentially has everything, which I am sure now means we will have an 80 minute spectacle of kick-tennis.  But, assuming, that both sides play to their strengths, we should be in for a real treat.  I just get the feeling though from recent games that international call-ups – though not overly extensive – have affected Saracen's cohesiveness and there are just a couple of small cracks starting to emerge.  At the Rec this season, that is all the hosts will need to grab crucial win in the battle for playoff places.  Bath by 4.

Let's see what's happening in this weekend's other games:

Exeter Chiefs v London Irish:  Irish have been looking impressive of late whilst the Chiefs have been properly struggling for the first real time since joining the Premiership.  That said, Sandy Park advantage should be enough to see the hosts through.  Chiefs by 7.

Harlequins v Worcester Warriors:  Things don't get any easier for winless Worcester, who have faced Leicester, Northampton and Sale on consecutive weekends, as they head to the Stoop.  Expect an easy victory for the home side here.  Quins by 16.

London Wasps v Sale Sharks:  Both sides have taken real steps in the right direction this season and we could be in for a real battle at Adams Park.  With home advantage though, I think Wasps should nick what could be a high-scoring affair.  Wasps by 2.

Northampton Saints v Gloucester:  Gloucester looked much more like the side we expect last weekend and they will go into the game at Franklin's Gardens with renewed confidence…but they will be met by a side hell-bent on revenge for a controversial defeat earlier on the season.  Saints by 8.

Newcastle Falcons v Leicester Tigers:  The Falcons are tricky at home but they haven't won in the league for 9 consecutive matches.  Tigers may not be in the best form but the big news is that they welcome back Manu Tuilagi, who must be hungry for some victims rugby after so long out.  Tigers by 10.

Six Nations Review - England 13 - 10 Ireland

I'm consistently surprised at sports' capacity to create drama of such intensity it makes an episode of Eastenders seem like a dull day in the office.  With characters and storylines that couldn't possibly be written, we are – every now and again – able to witness pure sporting theatre.  Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal to win the World Cup, for example, after the torrent of abuse from the Aussie press.  Jimmy Glass the goalkeeper's last second goal to keep Carlisle Utd in the football league was another example in the round-ball game, a completely different scenario but one of equal intensity and magnitude for those who were watching.  We love a bit of drama, and that's why – at every opportunity – we try and create some.

Of course, England v Ireland games rarely need any extra spice, but with a young England side determined to build on the promise of their opening performances against the form side in Europe, and an Irish team boasting the most experienced team in the Championship, this was a real clash of youthful exuberance v experience.  And of course, there was Brian O'Driscoll, the man who would be equalling the record for the most amount of caps held by a player, with George Gregan the only man sharing the honour with the great centre.  Now, I have my suspicions that O'Driscoll's face is now made almost entirely out of plastercine, but his vision and longevity have undoubtedly made him one of the all time greats.  The Irish Press were hungry for his moment of glory.  One last Grand Slam to provide the fairy tale end to the Leinsterman's international career.  One last victory over his ancient enemy at Twickenham.  The stage was set for an epic encounter.

 A breathless opening period was characterised by bristling attacking intent by both sides and 3 moments of real class.  Firstly, O'Driscoll wound back the clock and ghosted through Billy Twelvetrees in a menacing opening attack for the men in green, and then Mike Brown took an unbelievable diving catch from a hack on by Andrew Trimble, after O'Driscoll had poked a delightful chip in behind the defence.  Gordon Banks, eat your heart out.  Brown then provided further evidence of his promotion to the company of "World Class" full backs with a weaving break from the side of a ruck, leaving Rory Best in his wake.  The momentum should have given England a way to the line, with the Irish defending narrowly, but three times they butchered the obvious opportunity, with Twelvetrees, Danny Care and Owen Farrell all opting to step inside rather than push the ball wide, where the overlaps were.  Farrell, though, at least managed to get an offload out of the tackle which was swept up by Launchbury who, via Twelvetrees, fed Johnny May.  The Gloucester man stepped inside Peter O'Mahony and it looked for all the money he would claim his first try in England colours, but a desperate dive from Trimble and Conor Murray forced the ball free with the try line beckoning.  It was a chance gone begging for the hosts and May, who would usually finish an opportunity like that off backwards in his sleep if he was wearing a Cherry and White jersey, should have done better.

As it were, Ireland were still level and the men in white were left to rue inaccuracy close to the line yet again.  The hosts were looking threatening though, with May and Jack Nowell both making promising half breaks, but strong defence from the likes of Peter O'Mahony and Devin Toner was keeping them at bay.  The Irish also found themselves in the ascendency in the scrum, where Davey Wilson – brought in for Dan Cole despite barely being match fit – was struggling to cope with the raw power of Cian Healy on the English tighthead's side. 

Soon though, it was the visitors' turn to attack, with Jamie Heaslip pinching the ball off Wilson to instigate an attack which found traction when Rob Kearney burst into the line.  When the ball slowed down, Chris Robshaw and Tom Wood began to hit the Irish runners behind the gainline, but an inch-perfect cross-field kick by Johnny Sexton gave Trimble the chance to step inside and offload to Kearney, only for Brown to smash his man and shut down the opportunity.  Two minutes later and the England line was under siege again, with Sexton and co executing a trademark wrap move in the backs to give Trimble a chance for the line once again – and once again the scramble defence was up to the job.  After Wood had made a superb try-saving tackle on Trimble, Farrell got a boot to the ball in the ruck and then got his hands on the ball in the ensuing ruck in a steal that Richie McCaw would have been proud of.  Now it was Ireland's turn to rue missed opportunities. 

This was brilliant stuff – two relentlessly physical sides going toe-to-toe, playing with pace, and matching each punch with a counter-punch.  England surged forward again, with Robshaw and May making yards, but once again the wall of green devoured the opportunity and Conor Murray was able to clear, but not before taking a late-hit from Farrell, which saw the Saracens man penalised and lucky not to see a yellow card.  The fly half made amends two minutes later, however, as he slammed over a superbly struck penalty from 50 metres after Paul O'Connell was penalised for taking a man in the air in the lineout.

Ireland hit back by driving into England territory with a further penalty from a scrum, but Joe Launchbury was proving to be a thorn in their side as he made a superb turnover after promising work by Dave Kearney, and soon Farrell had another opportunity from the tee after the Irish pack were harshly penalised by Craig Joubert for wheeling the scrum.  This time though, justice was served after Farrell's kick struck the post, keeping the score at 3-0, and the hosts were dealt a further blow when gargantuan number 8 Billy Vunipola was forced off with an ankle injury.  Halftime came, and the capacity crowd at Twickenham – in fine voice, for once – were able to take stock a breather and evaluate a full-blooded half of rugby.

England, in fact were still taking a breather when they emerged for the second half, as Nowell conceded a needless penalty to give the Irish good field position early on.  It gave Jamie Heaslip a chance to show his quality as he and then Devin Toner trucked the ball up, before the Lions number 8 slipped a delightful ball inside to Kearney, who tore through to score under the posts.  And just like that, the stalemate was broken.

England almost struck straight back after Twelvetrees superbly took the restart and offloaded to May via Dylan Hartley, but the Gloucester flyer lacked the confidence to pin his ears back and go for the corner, electing instead to step inside, where he was turned over.  There was feeling now that the tide was very definitely with Ireland, as they began to boss territory too, and soon they had themselves another 3 points when the rolling maul – their chief destroyer against the Welsh – rampaged forwards and coaxed a penalty out of Courtney Lawes, which was knocked over by Sexton.  10 minutes of the second half were gone, 10 points were on the board for the visitors and the stadium was ringing to the sounds of "Fields of Athenry", as the visitors found themselves out in front and looking comfortable.

Various England sides from the last decade would have capitulated at this point.  But not this one.  This one is made of deep-ingrained determination and self-belief, and it was a man who may have had more reason than most to doubt themselves who set England on the front foot again.  Johnny May does have a habit of running laterally, but his ability to find space is uncanny, and once again he produced an impressive surge in the middle which allowed England, through the likes of Luther Burrell and Lawes, to press forward and set up camp on the Irish line.  Here, yet again, the chance went begging, as Danny Care chose to dart himself rather than pass wide to Farrell, who had a 2 man overlap outside him.  It seems harsh but, in contrast to a lot of commentators, I do place the blame for this at Care's door.  With the noise levels as they were, vocal communication wasn't going to work, and so Care should at least have checked his fly half before scooting off himself – Farrell was screaming and waving for the ball – but he didn't even look.

As it were, the hosts had to settle for 3 points from a penalty but, as it transpired, the momentum had changed.  Sexton kicked the ball straight out from the restart and, from the ensuing scrum, Robshaw drew in 2 defenders before slipping a superb inside ball for Brown to burst onto.  The full back tore up the middle of the park and fed his scrum half Danny Care, who scampered over from 30 metres.  Now I don't normally bring up club allegiance during internationals, but this was a Harlequins score through and through, and it had succeeded in turning the game on its head.  Farrell knocked over the extras, and England had a 3 point advantage.

As the game entered its final quarter, you would be forgiven for expecting the intensity to drop.  But, if anything, it went up another notch.  Both sides hammered away but it was Ireland who were on top in the last 10 minutes, threatening with a rolling maul, only to be denied by a bit of tenacious play by Dave Attwood.  Ben Morgan and Tom Youngs too weighed in with hits of their own, and when May hoofed a loose ball back down into the Irish 22, the roar from the Twickenham crowd was one of relief as well as unbridled joy.

D'Arcy was held up in midfield and the game was over, but not before the home crowd were subjected to the sad sight of the legendary O'Driscoll limping off the pitch.  As the final whistle went at 13-10 for England, there was to be no fairy tale ending, no farewell Grand Slam for the most capped player of all time.  But, after a game of such intensity, and after overcoming such power and experience as there is in this Ireland side, perhaps this young England team are embarking on a fairy tale of their own.

 

England Player Ratings

Mike Brown – 9 – Stunning stuff from the Harlequins man.  From his diving 'save' early on to his searing run for the try, Brown oozed menace and intent thoughout. 

Jack Nowell – 6 – Once again, a real hit-and-miss affair for the youngster.  He broke a couple of tackles and looked lively, but at times his composure let him down and he was caught too upright more than once.

Luther Burrell – 7 – Perhaps didn't get involved as much as he should but when he did, his hard running and smart lines caused problems for the Irish defence.

Billy Twelvetrees – 7 – Butchered one chance early on but recovered to make a fully committed and hard-nosed display.  Distribution still isn't on show but his defensive organisation certainly is.

Johnny May – 7 – His finishing will rightly come under scrutiny but his willingness to look for space and accompanying foot-work made him a very dangerous option out wide.  Defended with surprising aggression also.

Owen Farrell – 7 – Petulance and precision in a single game.  I like his spikey character but giving away needless penalties is a step too far – his tactical kicking and goal-kicking was very impressive, however.

Danny Care – 8 – Another sharp performance which resulted in a well-taken try.  Service is vastly improved these days although I think he was responsible for missing at least 2 further scoring opportunities.

Joe Marler – 7 – Was just about even in the scrum with Mike Ross but carried with typical energy and aggression in the loose.

Dylan Hartley – 8 – Perfect once again in the lineout and a really physical presence in the loose.  Didn't see him with the ball in hand as much as usual though.

Davey Wilson – 5 – I wish I could give points for determination, because 70 minutes was a heck of an effort from a bloke only just returning from injury.  But unfortunately he was mauled in the scrum and wasn't fit enough to showcase his carrying ability as much as he would have liked.

Joe Launchbury – 9 – Phenomenal.  Looks 12, plays like an Ironman.  I counted 3 key turnovers, 15 tackles and one incredible tap on an international winger that may well have saved a score.  Man of the Match.

Courtney Lawes – 8 – Started quietly but eventually came into the game with his trademark physicality matching the Irish blow for blow.  A great defensive effort.

Tom Wood – 8 – The first time I watched the game, I thought he was anonymous.  On closer watching though, he was superb – making try saving tackles on Andrew Trimble and doing plenty of work in the contact area.

Chris Robshaw – 8 – Yet another strong performance from the captain.  Although he couldn't force the turnovers, he slowed the ball down well for the Irish and his offload for the try was out of the top drawer.

Billy Vunipola – 6 – Hadn't quite been at his bullocking best but still a colossal presence before a nasty looking ankle injury forced him off the pitch.

Subs Used

Tom Youngs – 6 – No time to embark on of his typical barnstorming carries – or mess up a lineout, for that matter – but scrummaged and tackled well.

Mako Vunipola – 6 – Usual impact on the field with some big carries and was solid in the set piece too.

Henry Thomas – 6 – Not on for long but showed some promise in stabilising the scrum.

Dave Attwood – 7 – Very impressive cameo from the Bath man.  Made a key turnover close to his line and then weighed in with a couple of tidy hits as well late on.

Ben Morgan – 7 – Tended to fade in and out of the game but a couple of rampages reminded us that we have a very handy replacement for Vunipola.

 

Ireland Player Ratings

Rob Kearney – 8 – May have lost the personal duel with Mike Brown but he still weighed in with a great display, hitting a gorgeous line for the try and remaining a rock under the high ball.

Andrew Trimble – 6 – Came close on a couple of occasions but was, overall, well martialled by an aggressive English defence.

Brian O'Driscoll – 6 – A couple of moments of class, including one great hand off on Danny Care, but no real opportunity to show off that magic of old. 

Gordon D'Arcy – 5 – A solid defensive presence, but on occasion his vision and hands let him down and shouldn't have taken contact in the final play of the game.

Dave Kearney – 6 – Like his brother, one of the more dangerous players in the Irish backline, but will be livid with himself for letting a second row catch him when breaking out late on in the game.

Johnny Sexton – 6 – Always probing in attack but everything just seemed 5% off – his kicks were always just too far or not accurate enough.  Valiant defensive display though.

Conor Murray – 7 – Worked hard throughout and service was usually smooth, although he struggled to create the gaps he would have wanted around the fringes.

Cian Healy – 7 – A busy showing from the loosehead, who had the upper hand in the scrums and was a continual source of go-forward ball for the visitors

Rory Best – 8 – I have to admit to not being the biggest fan of the hooker but he ran a flawless lineout and made a nuisance of himself in the loose as well.

Mike Ross – 6 – Part of a strong scrummaging effort but was pretty quiet outside of the set piece.

Devin Toner – 7 – An impressive showing from the gangly giant.  He ruled the air in the lineout and carried to good effect, holding his own against a relentlessly aggressive English second row.

Paul O'Connell – 6 – A solid performance without being at the standard we've come to expect.  He was physical at the breakdown but was unable to prevent England winning the contact area.

Peter O'Mahony – 7 – Not as effective as last week but still my pick of the Irish back row, constantly slowing English ball down by getting his big mitts on the ball.

Chris Henry – 5 – A very quiet showing from the Ulster man.  He was soundly beaten at the breakdown by the double-team of Wood and Robshaw and couldn't generate the go-forward he does for his club.

Jamie Heaslip – 7 – Not at his galloping best and was often caught behind the gainline, but showed his smart rugby brain with a fantastic inside pass for Kearney's try.

 

Subs Used

Sean Cronin – Not enough time to have an impact

Jack McGrath – Not enough time to have an impact

Martin Moore – 6 – Followed Mike Ross' lead and maintained a strong position in the scrum.

Iain Henderson– 6 – Caught the eye with a couple of big carries late on

Jordi Murphy – Not enough time to have an impact

Isaac Boss – Not enough time to have an impact

Paddy Jackson – Not enough time to have an impact

Fergus McFadden – Not enough time to have an impact

 

What else happened in the 3rd round of the Six Nations?

 

Wales 27 – 6 France:  France gave a typically French response to an unbeaten start in the 6 Nations by failing to show up in Cardiff.  The Welsh were vastly improved from their abject showing in Ireland and scored well taken tries through George North and Sam Warburton, and they could have scored more.

Italy 20 – 21 Scotland:  In one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory, Duncan Weir was the hero as he slammed over a last-gasp drop goal to claim a superb win for the beleaguered Scots in Rome.  The hosts crossed twice through Tommaso Allan and Joshua Furno, whilst Alex Dunbar scored a pair of peaches for the visitors to keep them in the game.

 

Six Nations Preview - England v Ireland

 

One thing is universally agreed amongst rugby fans, players and coaches – props aren’t sexy.  Unless you’re Martin Castrogiovanni of course.  But in the main, they are tough, grizzled warriors with faces like scrunched up paper bags who prefer the idea of butting heads with a 20 stone counterpart than any element of stardom or limelight.  Leave that to the backs, or even the odd maverick hooker.  They don’t want the media’s attention and, due to the unglamorous nature of what they do, they very rarely get it.  And it’s all this that would otherwise make it surprising that the focus of the build up has been on one of the least glamorous and grumpiest props of them all – Dan Cole.

But then you consider the reasons.  The 26 year old has been a fixture in the side since the age of 22, a remarkably young age for an international prop, and has already picked up 46 international caps.  Arguably the first name on both Leicester’s and England’s teamsheet, the supersized Victor Meldrew look-a-like has played a hell of a lot of rugby over the last two years – non-stop in fact.  And perhaps it should have been no surprise that he didn’t quite live up to the magnificent standards he set at the end of 2012, and even no great surprise that he has suffered a serious neck injury – a slipped disc, effectively – that will rule him out of rugby for at least 3 months.  With injuries and lack of suitable alternatives meaning that he was regularly being called upon to play 80 minutes for club and country – a rarity these days – England have become over-reliant on him to the point that, now he has been ruled out, a wave of hysteria has gripped the rugby playing community as the men in white prepare to welcome the Irish to Twickenham on Saturday.

His replacement is Dave Wilson.  Big Dave is a worthy opponent for Cole’s shirt on his day and offers more of a carrying presence, but after months out with a calf injury he looked jaded on his return for Bath.  His instant acceleration into the England team is further evidence that the depth isn’t there yet, with the other alternative – Henry Thomas – still very inexperienced for both club and country.  It’s turned what was meant to be an area of potential dominance for England – the scrum – into a potential battleground with supremacy well and truly up for grabs.

Of course, England have more than a scrum in their armoury.  Their physicality and carrying around the fringes has been impressive so far, as has been the pace of their attack, with the likes of Billy Vunipola, Mike Brown and Dylan Hartley all thriving off the high tempo that the pack and Danny Care have been generating.  They’ll be looking to administer a similar treatment to Ireland as they did last year in Dublin – suffocating the life out of their opposite numbers and grinding them down physically as the game wears on.  The bench too, remains an area of potential strength in the forwards – as long as the otherwise superb Tom Youngs gets his throwing sorted (which has been excellent for his club until last weekend) – and the introduction of George Ford could perhaps be the start of a new era.  I was not alone in thinking he had made a mistake in leaving Leicester – especially when the rumours of Toby Flood’s departure broke – but he has excelled with the greater gametime and he now looks to be ready for international rugby.

England as a whole will need to be ready for one heck of a fight though on Saturday.  Charging their way over to Twickenham is a monstrously physical pack led by the ever-angry Paul O’Connell and the even-angrier Peter O’Mahony, fresh off the back of a relentless bullying of the Welsh 8 in Dublin.  Joe Schmidt has picked a side with both youth and a spine of real experience – and worryingly, for England, Ireland have never lost a Six Nations game in which Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connoll and Gordon D’Arcy have all started (although, surprisingly, there’s been only 5...).  But the Irish gameplan will be, I suspect, the same as it was against Ireland.  A plan built on manic aggression and control of the breakdown by the pack, and executed with precision in a battle for territory from the boots of Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton, who will certainly be wanting to test out the relatively inexperienced Jonny May and Jack Nowell under the high ball.  Shmidt has injected a new level of confidence and understanding into the Irish side in the short time he’s been in charge, and it based on a gameplan that is precise as it is physical.

And this fixture has brutality written all over it.  These are two sets of forwards who both want to think of themselves as the most physically dominant force in Europe, and it makes the battle for territory between the 2 pairs of halfbacks even more crucial.  Hang on a second, a 16-man bruise-fest with a glut of chess-like kicking?  That doesn’t sound very sexy either.  But, as Dan Cole himself would attest to – rugby isn’t always glamorous.  Sometimes it’s about who’s willing to bleed for the cause, who’s willing to get up and take another hit for their mates, who’s willing to dig to new depths for his team’s cause.  It might not be sexy, but it is bloody compelling.  You won’t be able to look away come Saturday.

England Team News

With Dan Cole out for the rest of the season, Wilson has been fast-tracked back into the side despite having played just 47 minutes of rugby in the past two months due to a calf injury. Henry Thomas continues on the bench as tight-head replacement.   In one other change to the matchday 23, George Ford is handed a spot on the bench in place of Brad Barritt. Ford is part of the Elite Playing Squad and will make his debut if he is given the chance on Saturday.

Starting Line up:  Mike Brown, Jack Nowell, Luther Burrell, Billy Twelvetrees, Jonny May, Owen Farrell, Danny Care; Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, David Wilson, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw (captain), Billy Vunipola

Subs: Tom Youngs, Mako Vunipola, Henry Thomas, Dave Attwood, Ben Morgan, Lee Dickson, George Ford, Alex Goode

Key Player

David Wilson.  I make no apologies for the boringly obvious selection, but when you replace a man who has developed into the anchor of the English pack and a top-class tighthead, you should expect a little bit of extra heat.  Despite Dan Cole looking tired after effectively 18 months of non-stop rugby, he was still a reliable presence in the set piece and like an extra flanker in the loose, and Dave Wilson – whilst being a worthy rival when fully fit – has spent the last two months on his backside with a calf injury.  He didn’t look match fit against Exeter at the weekend and he hasn’t exactly stoked confidence by saying that he ‘hopes’ he can last 50-60 minutes.  Test match rugby is not a place for uncertainty, and with Quasimodo’s uglier twin Cian Healy now a much improved scrummager, Wilson must find that set-piece solidarity that impressed so much earlier on this season.  If England can gain at least parity there, they will be confident of a win – but if Ireland get the nudge on in the scrum, their pack will sense blood...and there’s currently no hungrier pack in Europe.

Ireland Team News

Ireland go into Saturday's Test looking to continue their unbeaten start to the campaign and have kept the faith with the same side that eased past Wales in round two. Ireland boss Joe Schmidt has made two changes to the bench with Iain Henderson in for the injured Dan Touhy and the uncapped Jordi Murphy providing back-row cover.

Starting Line up: Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble, Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Dave Kearney, Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Cian Healy, Rory Best, Mike Ross, Devin Toner, Paul O'Connell (captain), Peter O'Mahony, Chris Henry, Jamie Heaslip

Subs: Sean Cronin, Jack McGrath, Martin Moore, Iain Henderson, Jordi Murphy, Isaac Boss, Paddy Jackson, Fergus McFadden

Key Player

Peter O’Mahony.  The big Irish flanker has broken the mould of blindsides by charging into the limelight.  Shame on him.  The blindside flanker brigade pride themselves in doing the dirty work that nobody appreciates – making the hard yards, forcing invisible turnovers and shunting in with solid hits.  But the Munster skipper did almost too much dirty work against Wales last week, forcing turnover after turnover and dominating the collisions to such an extent that people actually appreciated what he was doing.  For a number 6, this is almost unheard of, and I’m not sure whether to be appalled or seriously impressed.  Of course, I’ll side with the latter, and the men in green will be looking to him for more of the same come Saturday, because he’ll be facing one heck of a threat against the English backrow.  With an in-form and fully fit Robshaw and Wood acting as a double-team set of ‘grafters’ Mahony is going to have make sure he is ultra effective at the breakdown to combat England’s speed to the ball, and that’s before worrying about the colossal ball-carrying power of Billy Vunipola.  But if Mahony plays like he did last week, as a force of nature, he can make the breakdown a real lottery for the English pack, and that will kill crucial momentum dead.

Key Battle

Owen Farrell v Johnny Sexton.  If somebody had told me 6 months ago that they had seen, in two different games, one fly half make clean breaks and another put on a masterclass of tactical kicking you would put the house on the Irishman being the exponent of the fancy footwork.  Instead, it’s a signal of how far these two have come since the Lions tour that they are both far more rounded players than before.  Farrell is taking the ball to the line far more and, although his decision making is still questionable at times, is providing a far more solid attacking platform than he was before.  Sexton, to be fair, has always had a cannon of a boot on him, but the ability to vary his kicking game under pressure wasn’t always obvious – until last weekend.  Both appear to have learnt traits from spending time with one another, and now they are both key men in what will surely be one of the tightest battles of the championship.  I can see the war between the forwards being intense and pretty even, which means it may well come down to who can get their side in the right positions and who can execute when the opportunities arise.  Sexton has the pedigree and class, but Farrell has shown he relishes the opportunity to prove doubters wrong.  This has all the makings of an epic, and crucial, encounter.

Prediction

This has become an annoyingly difficult one to call.  Before the tournament started, I would have suggested England at a canter.  After the last round, I would have suggested England would win a fairly tight game.  Now that Dan Cole is out injured, and the anchor of the English scrum is gone and the replacements are either half-injured or 13 years old, it’s a very difficult one to call.  In all seriousness, Wilson and Thomas have a huge job to do between them.  It is absolutely critical that they can, at least, stabilise the scrum – failure to do so will give this buoyant Irish pack the springboard they need to physically best their opponents.  However, I can see this forward battle being monumentally tight, with hugely powerful and intelligent figures on both sides, and the tactical battle of the half backs will be key.  With home advantage, my guess is that England will just about edge it – but they better brace themselves for one hell of an assault.  England by 3.

What else is happening in the Six Nations this weekend?

Wales v France:  Yes, Friday night games in Cardiff are back, for better or for worse.  What is interesting is the prospect of seeing big George North line up in the centres for the hosts, and it will be intriguing to see how the pack responds to being bullied last week.  I suspect that the French will succumb to their usual struggles away from home, though – Wales by 7.

Italy v Scotland:  Poor Scotland.  Just when the hysteria over their frankly rubbish performance against England has died down, Scott Johnson takes another leaf from the French Coach’s Guide to Selection and drops his most effective player, Dave Denton.  I really do despair for them.  Italy have looked impressive without looking clinical, but this is the opportunity they’ve been craving in front of their home crowd.  Italy by 5.

 

It’s easy to forget there’s a whole round of Premiership fixtures on this weekend too:

Bath v London Wasps:  Bath are the feel-good team in the league at the moment and they’ll have too much class at home for Wasps.  Bath by 12.

Gloucester v Harlequins:  Always an entertaining game, it will be interesting to see how Quins cope without their England contingent.  I’m going to lean towards a ‘surprise’ home win, based on their display at Welford Road last week.  Gloucester by 2.

Worcester Warriors v Sale Sharks:  Warriors have looked far more impressive in recent weeks but this still looks like a fixture they won’t be able to crack.  The Sharks are looking very tough this year.  Sharks by 6.

London Irish v Leicester Tigers:  Leicester’s last two performances have been some of their worst of the last two years, whilst Irish’s last two have been their best.  Hence, I’m going for a ‘shock’ home win.  Irish by 4.

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints:  Falcons will be tough to beat but they’re on a bad run of results at the moment.  There’s too much class in the Saints team, even without their internationals.  Saint by 9.

Saracens v Exeter Chiefs:  Exeter seem to be running out of luck at the moment and they’re unlikely to find it at Saracens’, despite the Londoners looking a little shakey in the last 2 rounds.  Sarries by 6.

Premiership Review - Leicester Tigers 11 - 8 Gloucester Rugby

I think it's fair to say it's been a pretty miserable month or two, weather-wise.  Waking up to a scenario as cheerful as a grumpy bulldog's face, my average morning consists of walking to work in the dark with rain and gale-force winds bizarrely blowing directly into my face no matter which I turn.  And I count myself as one of the lucky ones, seeing as I don't have to swim to get out of my house and the fact that my living room hasn't developed an unwanted bathing area in the corner.  Yep, this sort of stuff begins to grate on you after a while, and so when a rare day of sunshine and blue sky appears overhead, there's a real desire to make the most of it.

For most people, that would entail washing the car, going for a bike ride or walking around the park.  Or even running if you're particularly adventurous.  For rugby players though, this is a chance to finally express yourself on the pitch, to play with a ball that doesn't resemble a bar of soap and on a pitch that doesn't resemble a bowl of chocolate mousse.  Surely, if ever there was a chance to play some feel-good rugby, this was it?  And when Gloucester lined up to play Leicester Tigers in the East Midlands on Sunday, you saw two sides that needed a splash of the feel-good-factor.  For Leicester, an unprecedented injury list and a subsequent lack of cohesion has seen them scrapping for a playoff spot, failing to impress even in victory, whilst Gloucester are suffering a season of lower-mid-table obscurity after coming into this term with such high expectations.  Now was a chance to set everything right.

And so, with a sense of optimism as bright as the early spring sun which was shining down on Welford Road for the first time in what felt like a decade, the clash kicked off.  But the hosts' expectations and optimism were found to be sadly misplaced.  A superb catch from the kick off by Henry Trinder gave Gloucester promising field position, but some powerful and energetic defence from Tom Youngs barrelled Will James backwards and forced the turnover.  That would turn out to be the most forward momentum the hosts would gain for the first quarter of the match.

Instead, it was the Cherry and Whites who looked by far the most enterprising.  After Rob Cook had danced down the right hand side, Ryan Mills – a centre by trade and preferred to the apparently Leicester-bound Freddie Burns – put impressive width on the attack and stretched the Tigers' defence quickly to breaking point.  It looked like Sione Kalamaoni would walk in for a superb opening try, only to be called back for a forward pass from Trinder.  It was a lucky escape for Leicester, but they weren't able to make it count as Flood missed a relatively straight forward penalty from 40 metres out, and they were to ride their luck once again shortly afterwards.  Once more it was Cook who instigated the break out from deep following another marvellous wide pass from Mills, and Martyn Thomas made good yards up the left before flinging a pass over the top and back inside as he was hunted down 5 metres out by Mathew Tait and Niki Goneva.  The pass missed the onrushing Charlie Sharples but Matt Kvesic had the chance to pick up and score – but knocked on with the line at his mercy.  It was a difficult chance, but Gloucester were well aware that such opportunities needed to be taken against the Champions – even if they were looking hideously out of sorts.

Gradually, the hosts tried to put together some sort of cohesion and momentum in attack.  It eventually happened when Tom Youngs blasted through two tackles to put his side on the front foot, but with Flood ignoring the wide options outside him, the attack quickly became cluttered the ball was coughed up.  Despite the territorial dominance over the next 10 minutes, Tigers never really looked like threatening – shocking considering that they have had the most potent attack in the league for 3 out of the last 4 seasons.  Instead they fell back on their scrum dominance, where Marcos Ayerza was destroying Sila Puafisi, to earn themselves a penalty, which Flood converted to put the hosts up by 3 points after half an hour. 

Cook responded in kind 5 minutes later (disappointingly without his trademark 'fat surfer' kicking stance) after Graham Kitchener had been caught holding on in the tackle, and the scores were tied at 3-3 at half time.  It had been a dire game of rugby on the most part, with the only flashes of inspiration really coming from the team in red and white.  Leicester had taken this perfect day for running rugby and turned it into another exhibition of the indecisive and slow play which has unfortunately characterised their season so far.

They started brightly in the second half, though, when Tom Youngs made yards in the tackle and then Matt Smith burst clean through the Gloucester defence, spotting Mills out of position in the line.  Although he was caught by Cook, the Tigers had a great shot at a try on the left, only for miscommunication between Flood and Logovi'i Mulipola to lead to the former-England man to get absolutely obliterated by Puafisi.  It was a sad indication of the frustration in the Leicester changing room as Welford Road were met with the sight of Flood and Mulipola, teammates, almost coming to blows in disagreement over the incident.

In truth, Flood had failed to control or dictate play at all in attack, unlike in previous years where he has been the driving force behind Leicester's game.  It was in stark contrast to part-time 10 Mills, who helped his side hit the lead with another good display of attacking width.  This time Trinder managed to get on the outside of Tom Youngs and, although the England hooker made a superb recovering tackle, Martyn Thomas found space down the right and flipped the ball inside to Sharples, who stepped inside the over-committed Tait.  Cook missed the conversion, but Gloucester had a deserved lead.

They had the chance to extend it when Kalamafoni burst through the Tigers' defensive line, with Tait saving the day once more, before Sharples swooped on a loose ball to cruise up to the Leicester 22 from behind halfway, only to see his pass to Mike Tindall fail to reach its mark.  More escapes for the East Midlanders – more missed chances for the visitors.

And at Welford Road, you always sense that a missed chance will be costly, and – predictably – it proved to be so.  Strong carries by Tom Youngs, Mulipola and Goneva finally yielded some quick ball for Leicester and – for the first time in the match, and belatedly on 65 minutes – they looked like the real deal.  Mathew Tait provided the finishing touch to a power packed move by gliding through a gap to touch down to the right of the posts, and although Flood missed a simple conversion, you could feel the momentum shift.

Soon Tait was at it again as he tore through the Gloucester defence from his own 22 metre line, but Goneva knocked on 5 metres out as the hosts looked to hammer home the advantage.  The visitors' defence was magnificent – with Kvesic in particular superb over the ball – but eventually something had to give and, as it had done all game, it was the scrum.  The Gloucester 8 buckled under the set-piece pressure, and Flood made no mistake this time, giving his side an 11-8 lead with 2 minutes to play.

Gloucester threw everything at the hosts but, thanks in part to a superb take from a cross-field kick by Blaine Scully, they were denied.  It was spirited, but there were no heroics.  In the fading sunlight, both sides trudged off – Gloucester, impressive but winless; Leicester, dire but victorious. 

Some Cherry and White fans cheekily sang "Same old Leicester, always cheating" as the teams walked off the pitch, to which a couple of Tigers' faithful gave the usual riposte of "Same old Leicester, always winning".  But it felt half-hearted.  The sentiment may be true for now, but with performances like that, how long will it last?

 
What else was happening in the Premiership this weekend?

Sale Sharks 10 – 15 Saracens:  Sarries put in a big second half display to score 12 unanswered points from the boot of Charlie Hodgson to claim an important win for the visitors.  Sale scored the only try of the game in the first half through hooker Marc Jones.

Harlequins 18 – 14 Newcastle Falcons:  Quins were made to dig deep and come from behind with 5 minutes remaining as they claimed a crucial win over Newcastle.  Ollie Lindsay-Hague and Sam Smith touched down for the hosts, with Alex Tait responding for the visitors.

London Wasps 20 – 23 London Irish:  Irish held on for a great win at Wasps despite having Tomas O'Leary sent off for stamping after 50 minutes.  Early scores from Ian Humphreys and David Paice put the visitors in control before winger James Short grabbed a score for Wasps.

Northampton Saints 30 – 14 Worcester Warriors:  Saints were made to dig deep for their win over bottom-of-the-table Worcester, relying on a penalty try and two second half scores from GJ Van Velze to seal the game.  The Warriors scored a try themselves with a well taken effort from Samoan veteran David Lemi.
 

Exeter Chiefs 23 – 27 Bath:  Bath continued their hoodoo over the Chiefs with a George Ford-inspired win over the hosts in this West Country derby.  Whilst Exeter managed to cross trice though Ben White and Ian Whitten, the visitors grabbed three 5-pointers through Ollie Devoto, Kyle Eastmond and Nick Abendanon. 
 

Premiership Preview - Leicester Tigers v Gloucester Rugby

Never write off the old guard.  It's a lesson I learned a fair while ago, when I was 17 to be precise.  Making my first senior rugby appearance for my local 4th XV (consisting mostly of the 40+ brigade), I was in the highly unusual situation of being one of the quickest blokes on the pitch. It seemed great for the first couple of minutes, as I scooted between gaps, but then the gnarly old veterans on the other side stepped in.  The next time I went for a break I found the door well and truly slammed – or, to be precise, punched – shut, and as I lay on the floor wandering what had just hit me, the charming opposition second row, who must have been approaching 60, gave me a pat on the head and said "Welcome to the big boy game, son".

It's easy to get seduced by new, exciting and potentially successful options -take Harlequins and Saracens for example, relatively 'new kids on the block' as far as challenging for honours in concerned, especially when compared to the old powerhouses of English rugby, such as Leicester and Gloucester.  The temptation to focus your attention on the new boys is made all the more potent when you realise it isn't the rosiest of times for these 2 titans – the Tigers, reigning English champions, have been a shadow of their last-season's self this year, whilst Gloucester have only one Anglo-Welsh Cup to show for their last 8 years of battling. 

That said, the hosts for Sundays clash between the 'old boys' have the better excuses.  Landed with a ridiculous injury list, Leicester have been plagued by inconsistency of selection, ruing any legitimate hopes of cohesion within the side – especially the backline, where a fly half and winger have formed the centre combination on more than once occasion.  But the Tigers don't do excuses.  They do winning – and they know they have a great chance of that on Sunday.  For the first time in a very long time, Leicester go into a Six Nations-windowed league match with just one player missing through England selection – Dan Cole.  They are still without 3 further Test Lions through injury – Tom Croft, Manu Tuilagi and Geoff Parling – as well as the electric Miles Benjamin, but this is the closest to a 1st XV the East Midlanders have had in about 6 months.  The pack looks strong, but they have to show more grit than they did against Worcester and give Ben Youngs and Toby Flood the kind of quick ball they need to create havoc.

Gloucester meanwhile, seem to have been forever a team of promise.  Any backline containing the likes of Johnny May, Charlie Sharples and Henry Trinder is worth paying attention to, and that's before taking into account the cruel injury that has brought James Simpson Daniel's season to a premature end yet again.  There's also a certain Mr Freddie Burns; this time last year, the heir apparent to that England 10 shirt, but now so plagued by uncertainty about his future that he can't force a place into the Gloucester side to face, by all accounts, his future employers.  A disappointment for the Welford Road faithful.  But the backs have not been the problem for Gloucester – the problem, of late, is always the fact that the tight 5 are as threatening as a pot of pansies.  The back row of Morgan, Kvesic and Kalamafomi is one of the most intimidating in the Premiership on paper, but they have constantly been denied a solid platform on which to operate.  The signings of Richard Hibbard and John Afoa are huge for the club, but how they wish they could have an effect now.  With a wobbly set piece, the Cherry and Whites are constantly playing on the back foot and, with the talent they have out wide, that is a real waste.  But no Gloucester side lacks fight, especially when it comes to taking on the Tigers, and you can bet that every player in a cherry and white jersey will be fired up for Sunday's encounter.

Because Gloucester, like Leicester, are one of the old guard – one of the traditional pillars of English rugby.  They may go quiet for a while, but they never truly disappear.  They're just waiting for the right time to strike.

Leicester Tigers Team News

Adam Thompstone and Graham Kitchener return to the Leicester team for Sunday's Aviva Premiership fixture against Gloucester at Welford Road.  Winger Thompstone, the club's top try-scorer in 2012/13, returns after recovering from a knock picked up in his England Saxons debut a fortnight ago, while Kitchener joins Ed Slater in the locks.  Number eight Jordan Crane returns after injury for his first game since the Heineken Cup tie against Ulster.  Slater, Tom Youngs and Ben Youngs are included in the starting line-up after being released from the England squad this week.

Starting Line up:  15 Mathew Tait, 14 Vereniki Goneva, 13 Matt Smith, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Adam Thompstone, 10 Toby Flood (c), 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Jordan Crane, 7 Julian Salvi, 6 Jamie Gibson, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Ed Slater, 3 Logovi'i Mulipola, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Marcos Ayerza.

Subs: 16 Rob Hawkins, 17 Boris Stankovich, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Louis Deacon, 20 Thomas Waldrom, 21 David Mele, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Blaine Scully.

Key Player

Ben Youngs.  Dropped from the England squad for the first time in his career since making his breakthrough in 2010, this is a real test of character for the 24 year old.  A difficult mix of an unsettled Tigers side, a Lions Tour injury and lack of pre-season has seen the scrum half looking both sluggish – carrying a couple of extra pounds (that said, when you look at the family genes you will understand why that's easily done) – and desperate, as he tries to conjure some inspiration for his team around him.  Thankfully for him, Gloucester are a team that he does have a good history against, scoring a great solo try against them last time his form was called into question in 2012.  I get the sense that he is overthinking things at the moment and the key to getting his mojo back is to relax and play his natural, heads-up game when presented with front foot ball.  When he does that, there is nobody better at putting forwards through gaps on the fringes and getting the Tigers' engine purring.

Gloucester Team News

Mike Tindall returns to the Gloucester starting line-up and will also skipper the side as one of five new faces in the side from the team that faced Sale Sharks last weekend.  In the pack, Will James comes in to partner Elliott Stooke in the second-row, while Director of Rugby Nigel Davies welcomes back England back-row forwards Matt Kvesic and Ben Morgan.  In the backline Dan Robson gets the nod at scrum-half, partnering Ryan Mills at half-back, with Tindall joining Henry Trinder in the Gloucester midfield.

Starting Line up:  15 Rob Cook, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Mike Tindall (capt), 11 Martyn Thomas, 10 Ryan Mills, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Will James, 4 Elliott Stooke, 3 Sila Puafisi, 2 Darren Dawidiuk, 1 Nick Wood.

Subs: 16 Huia Edmonds, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Rupert Harden, 19 James Hudson, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Jimmy Cowan, 22 Freddie Burns, 23 Shane Monahan.

Key Player

Ben Morgan.  Big Ben returns from England duty as arguably the unluckiest man in the squad – every time he's pulled on the England shirt in his last 4 appearances he's looked unstoppable…it's just that he happens to replacing Billy Vunipola, probably the only bloke bigger than he is and in a superb run of form himself.  Whilst England may be lucky to have two potentially world-class number 8s, Gloucester haven't really seen the best of Morgan.  Of course, he has been playing behind a pack as solid as a pile of pillows, which doesn't help, but we've yet to see him produce that blockbusting, all-action carrying and offloading display that we see in a white shirt.  The gainline battle is absolutely critical against Leicester, and if the visitors are to have any hope at all, they need their behemoth number 8 to get his hands on the ball around the breakdown at every available opportunity.

Key Battle

Logovi'i Mulipola v Nick Wood.  With Dan Cole popping his slippered feet up and smoking a pipe (he seems the sort) with England this weekend, Logo 'Mini' Mulipola takes his preferred tighthead spot, only just returning himself after a troublesome calf-injury.  There was no sign of any tenderness last week against Worcester when, as one of the few Leicester players to impress, he rampaged around for a solid hour, causing havoc.  He may be dynamite in the loose, but he perhaps doesn't carry the same technical ability that Cole does at prop, and that's an area that Nick Wood will be looking to test out.  The Gloucester scrum had a miserable time of it at Kingsholm against Leicester earlier on in the season, and there is every chance that it could happen again unless Wood can live up to his supporters' hype and deliver a technical masterclass in loosehead scrummaging.  If Mulipola even just gains parity in the set piece, the visitors will be in trouble – Ayerza is on the other side and he should have no problems getting to grips with Puafisi.

Prediction

Last year, this would have been a real humdinger but now, whilst the intense rivalry still remains, I can really only see one winner.  Leicester have looked very rocky of late but this is the first time in a very long time they have had anything even close to resembling a first choice team out, and it will be very interesting to see how they respond to that.  Gloucester themselves have looked fragile all season, and whilst this is a key game for both sides in terms of building confidence for the run-in, I don't think that the Cherry and Whites are in the mental position to take advantage of Leicester's comparative 'wobbly patch'.  As was the case when the teams last met, the set piece is likely to be the key area, and with Kitchener and Ayerza packing down for the hosts, I can see the line-out and the scrum being a tricky area for the visitors.  With clear weather on the cards for Sunday, let's hope we see some running rugby from some of the talent on show, but the likelihood is that there will be one-sided scoreboard at the end…Tigers by 12.
 

 

Let's see what's happening in this weekend's other games:

Sale Sharks v Saracens:  Saracens were dealt a huge upset at home against London Irish last week but I can't see them taking their foot off the gas for 2 weeks running, despite Sale's decent home record.  Sarries by 8.

Harlequins v Newcastle Falcons:  Quins have a chance to try and 'bed in' to the top 4 and they have a great shot against the Falcons at home, with Deano's return to the 'scene of the crime' much anticipated.  Too much firepower for the hosts, though.  Quins by 12.

London Wasps v London Irish:  The 'London' derby between these two looks like being an entertaining encounter, with both sides playing some decent stuff of late.  It should be close, but I think home advantage will be enough for Wasps.  Wasps by 3.

Northampton Saints v Worcester Warriors:  You've got to feel for the Warriors.  After suffering an agonising defeat at the hands of Leicester last week, they now have to go and attempt to bounce back at top-of-the-table Saints.  No contest here, I'm afraid.  Saints by 15.

Exeter Chiefs v Bath:  Another big fixture in what Chiefs fans like to refer to as "the real West Country derby".  And this one should be an absolute cracker, with both sides firmly in the mix for a top 4 spot.  Worryingly for Rob Baxter though, Bath are the only side his team has failed to beat in the Premiership since their promotion...that's 10 attempts without success.  Bath by 2.