Aviva Premiership Preview - Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers

Bad memories can be a pretty powerful motivator.  If you've ever found yourself in a situation where you have been heartbroken, hacked off, or humiliated, you will probably remind yourself never to get yourself into that position again.  It works on a personal level – hence why it has now been 25 years since I have wet my pants in public (I will let my age be the subject of debate) – and on a sporting level, too.  Just ask Northampton when it comes to playing Leicester.  A win was stolen from them in the last 10 minutes at Welford Road earlier on this season, they were defeated in the Final last year despite bravely competing with 14 men for half the game, and were destroyed at home in this weekend's corresponding fixture in 2013.  Heartbroken, hacked off and humiliated, all in the space of a year.  Now that is a hair-straightening, Papa Roach-listening, black make-up wearing teenager's amount of angst. 

But you can bet that Northampton will be determined not to let anything similar happen at Franklins Gardens tomorrow.  For a start, this team has looked – for long stretches of the season – almost unbeatable.  Sure, signings such as George North and Kahn Fotuali'i haven't exactly harmed their squad, but by and large it's the same squad that's looked so flaky over the last few years.  How have they changed?  The truth is, I don't know, but they have an inner belief and an acceptance that they deserve to be at the top.  That they ought to be at the top.  That mentality is easy to hold when you're winning, but now that they've lost 2 games on the trot for the first time in what seems like an age, their mental strength will really be put to the test.

The mental strength of their opponents, the Tigers, has never really been in question, of course – but their physical strength has, this season.  Or at least their ability to withstand injuries has, anyway.  With 4 out of their 6 Lions out on long term injuries for much of the season, as well as other key players such as Anthony Allen and Mathew Tait being on sick leave most of the time, it is frankly astonishing that they are even near the playoffs, let alone slyly eying Saints' second place spot.  And now they have their big guns back – or on the way back – Leicester are starting to look dangerous once again.  Bad news for everyone else.

This game needs no external motivating factors to make it one of the most compelling fixtures of the season, but we'll throw some in anyway.  Saints haven't beaten their fierce rivals in four years.  Wayne Barnes, referee of every controversial fixture between these 2, takes the whistle once again (make sure you call him "Sir", Dylan…).  And, if Leicester snatch a win, they will be hot on Northampton's tail for a top two finish.  It's all set for a phenomenal encounter and one that is incredibly tight to call – before last week, most would have gone for Saints.  But a loss, and the absence of Samu Manoa and Stephen Myler, will have hurt them deeply.  The Tigers can smell blood and are licking their lips.

This will be brutal Midlands rugby at its best, with international-class confrontations and battles for England shirts all over the pitch.  Both teams' gameplans demand that they dominate the collisions; it will be about who can run harder, get hit, and then pick themselves up to run harder still.  The team that puts themselves through the most pain gains the best memories.

Northampton Team News

Northampton have made three changes to the side that lost at Sale, ending a 13-game unbeaten Premiership run.  George Pisi and Kahn Fotuali'i are back at centre and scrum-half respectively, with Phil Dowson returning at flanker.  Crucially, young Will Hooley starts at fly-half with England man Stephen Myler still on the injury list.

Starting Line up:  Foden; Elliott, Pisi, Burrell, North; Hooley, Fotuali'i; Waller, Hartley, Ma'afu; Lawes, Day; Clark, Dowson, Wood.

Subs: Haywood, Waller, Mercey, Craig, Van Velze, Dickson, Wilson, Pisi.

Key Player

Will Hooley.  As a fly-half, you're used to having all the attention on you which is why the majority are well-preened pretty boys – you know, the kind who were the only ones to have girlfriends when you were all 14 (no bitterness here by the way).  But when you're a 20 year old who only made their first start little more than a month ago, and you're playing against the reigning champions and your side's biggest rivals, then the heat is ramped up to pressure cooker levels.  So far, he's look pretty calm and assured, and has shown plenty of talent in his brief forays in the Saints 10 shirt, but the Sharks showed last week that he can be rattled.  He will need to take a leaf out of Myler's book and concentrate on his basics – and not the attentions of Julian Salvi and Jamie Gibson – although that is easier said than done.  He also has the unenviable job of stopping Manu Tuilagi from tearing large holes through the inner channels, but there's no doubt he has all the physical attributes to succeed – he just needs to stay calm.

Leicester Team News

Leicester make two changes to the squad involved for Sunday's win over Exeter, with Mathew Tait at full-back and forward Pablo Matera is on the bench.   Second-rower Ed Slater captains the side, despite the presence of Louis Deacon alongside of him in the pack, and number eight Jordan Crane makes his 100th Premiership start.

Starting Line up: Tait; Goneva, Tuilagi, Allen, Thompstone; Williams, Ben Youngs; Ayerza, Tom Youngs, Mulipola; Deacon, Slater (c); Gibson, Salvi, Crane

Subs: Hawkins, Stankovich, Balmain. Kitchener, Matera, Mele, Flood. Hamilton.

Key Player

Marcos Ayerza.  So unfussy, so unspectacular, but – according to many – the best loosehead in world rugby.  He is Leicester's key man because the scrum is one area where the Tigers will be hopeful of achieving some real dominance in a game otherwise decided by fine margins.  He's up against Salesi Ma'afu, the powerful Australian tighthead, but the Saints man is known for his big carries and work around the park as opposed to his technique in the scrum.  Ayerza will be looking at causing him so problems in the set piece – if he can do that, then the platform to release a potentially lethal set of outside backs will be gone.

Key Battle

Luther Burrell v Manu Tuilagi.  OK, technically I'm cheating because Burrell is at 12 and Tuilagi is at 13, but I can guarantee there will be some spine-shakingly big impacts between these two on Saturday.  Tuilagi will see the Saints man as the man who has his international jersey, even though Burrell was forced to play out of position, and will have a big point to prove, but Burrell has shown time and again that he is not afraid of taking on the big boys on the big stage.  Both are absolutely critical to two sides who, although they hate to admit it, play a very similar brand of rugby: punch up hard through the middle and around the fringes, then put the ball wide.  Both men are huge ball carriers and whoever gets their hands on the ball and crashes over the gain line the most, will have – more than likely – won their side the game.

Prediction

A week ago I would have said Saints by a distance.  But now, after a limp defeat at Sale and after watching Tigers look unplayable at times against Exeter, I suspect it might be pant-soilingly tense.  Saints were unbeaten in their last 13 in the league before last weekend, and that loss followed a surprise defeat to Exeter in the LV Cup Final and, with Saints' cursed history, of being nearly men, you have to wonder if the jitters may be setting in.  However, I don't think this is the case.  Every team stumbles, sure, but this Northampton outfit look stronger mentally than the sides before – playing against a side who they've not beaten in 4 years will not concern them.  Leicester looked ominously good against the Chiefs, and with Tuilagi and Goneva in the side they seem to finally have some much needed direction – but do they have the momentum to win at one of the most hostile atmospheres in England?  I'm not sure.  Despite having Manoa and Myler out, I can see Northampton nicking this by the skin of their teeth, thanks to home advantage.  Don't be surprised if it goes the other way though…  Saints by 2.

 

What else is happening in the Aviva Premiership this weekend?

Bath v Sale Sharks:  Sale were superb in their win over Northampton but I can't see them winning at the Rec against a side who seem to be getting better as the season goes on.  Bath by 7.

Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester:  The Chiefs have looked surprisingly rocky at home but I don't think this Gloucester side has the self-belief to pick up a win at Sandy Park, despite finally playing some decent rugby.  Chiefs by 4.

Harlequins v London Irish:  Quins will be keen to get their campaign back on track after last weekend's loss to Sarries, and they should pick up maximum points at the Stoop despite Irish proving to be plucky opponents for much of the season.  Quins by 13.

London Wasps v Saracens.  Like last year, Wasps seem to be fading away at the crucial point of the season.  This is in stark contrast to Sarries, who have been irresistible in their march to the top of the Premiership.  A solid away win is on the cards.   Saracens by 11..

Newcastle Falcons v Worcester Warriors:  This would have been my game of the weekend had Warriors given themselves a fighting chance of staying up, but that looks impossible now, even with a win at Falcons – which I think they'll struggle to get.  Falcons by 2.

Aviva Premiership Review: Saracens 39 - 17 Harlequins

 As I put in my preview, Sarries sure know how to throw a party.  Wembley Stadium, cheap tickets, halftime entertainment and ear-crushingly terrible jingle-tunes are all part of the Saracens experience.  Love them or loathe them, they are creating a real identifiable brand – and the odd thing is that it’s completely at odds with what you see on the pitch.

Now, I am in no way subscribing to the common – and wrong – view that Sarries are ‘boring’, because they are not, but they are the bullies, the ruthlessly efficient executors of strategy who, like the wolf-pack they are, mercilessly exploit the slightest weakness.  There are no frills.  On the pitch, this is business; off it, it’s party time.  And what made their clash against Quins all the more interesting on Saturday was not the fact that they were attempting to break the world-record crowd for a club game, but the fact that Quins have almost the opposite playing philosophy to the ‘hosts’.  Structure takes a back seat whilst fast, chaotic offloading into space is the order of the day.  When it works, it’s a joy to watch but when it fails it’s a bit of a mess.  And so there was plenty to watch out for before the match had even started – but when the first whistle went, that’s when things got surprisingly spicy.

Ashton and Evans exchanged smart tactical kicks after Kennedy attempted (and failed) to introduce his fist to Borthwick’s nose and Dave Strettle took a nasty forearm from Fa’asavalu.  The first incident was missed by the officials; the second wasn’t, but was deemed accidental.  Strettle, however, was forced off with a horrible-looking concussion which provided a lengthy break to a chaotic and frantic start to the game.  Sarries, though, were looking as sluggish as Strettle must have been feeling as they struggled to get their hands on the ball, allowing Quins to probe the wider channels through Nick Evans and Matt Hopper.  It was against the run of play, therefore, that the men in black got the game’s first score.  Nick Easter foolishly tried to flick a poor Karl Dickson pass over his head, only for Ashton to pluck it out the air, palm off Ugo Monye, and sprint 70 metres to splash down by the posts.  It was a kick in the teeth for Quins, and Ashton’s best splash for a long time.

Quins were trying to play with speed but all too often the ball was going loose, whilst Sarries were looking relentlessly physical in defence – sometimes too much so, as Farrell showed as he hit Tom Casson with a big shoulder charge whilst neglecting to use his arms.  They were struggling to make yards but grabbed a penalty from a scrum 10 metres out after Ashton fumbled a harmless chip through from Evans, who then nudged the opportunity between the posts, cutting the deficit to 4 points.

That didn’t last for long, though, as Joe Marler was penalised for tackling a dummy runner without the ball, allowing Farrell to smash a penalty over from long range, and it soon got much worse for the day’s designated ‘away’ side.  From a seemingly harmless lineout move, George Kruis waltzed through Kennedy’s poor attempted tackle to touch down under the posts, and Saracens suddenly had a 14 point lead.  Quins, though, responded in the best possible way, driving well from a lineout to create go forward, before Karl Dickson spotted a gap by the ruck to dart through and touch down to make the score 17 – 10. 

The problem for both sides was that they were both conceding points after scoring, and soon Farrell was punishing young Kyle Sinckler for going off his feet, extending the gap to 10 points.  Quins would have been relieved to keep the gap at 10 points after another penalty against Sinckler was reversed after the TMO spotted a swinging arm by Richard Wigglesworth, lashed out in frustration at being held down by Joe Marler, but it would prove to a be only a temporary respite.  Saracens continued to apply pressure and force their opponents to play from deep, and it paid dividends when Evans chucked a ludicrous 20 metre miss pass 10 metres from his own line.  It hung in the air for an age and, with intended recipient Ugo Monye seemingly with his feet set in concrete, Farrell picked off the pass to walk in under the posts.  Disaster for Quins, 17 point lead for the hosts at half-time.

It looked all very comfy and cosy for Saracens, but they didn’t do themselves any favours early on as Steve Borthwick was shown a yellow card after 2 minutes for driving in on the jumper in the lineout – not for the first time – and their opponents took full advantage, driving to within a metre of the line from the ensuing penalty lineout to create space for Sam Smith to bundle his way over to pull the gap back to 10.  Quins suddenly felt on top, especially in the lineout where they were taking advantage of the extra man, but small mistakes and knock-ons were preventing them from making further indentations into the Saracens lead.

And they were made to regret it when Saracens played a cheeky lineout move to put Schalk Brits into the clear and offload to Jacques Burger, with the battle-battered flanker crashing over the line for the game-clinching bonus point try.  Farrell, disgustingly, missed the conversion, but Saracens looked very comfortable once again.    The game stagnated as both sides realised their work was done, but Marcelo Bosch added further gloss to the score by picking up a loose ball and weaving his way through some tired defence to touch down and leave the final score at 39 – 17. 

It was an ominous display from the big-spending Saracens.  Harlequins had come in with a gameplan to try and force a frantic face, but they were instead met with overwhelming power and a structured defence that refused to yield yards.  It was stingy, brutal and miserly from the league favourites – but it was mightily effective too, and led to one hell of a party at a packed out Wembley as well.  And the odds of them moving that party to Twickenham seem to be getting shorter by the week.

What else was happening in the Aviva Premiership last weekend? 

Worcester Warriors 11 – 13 London Wasps:  Andy Goode condemned his old side to yet another heartbreaking defeat as slotted a last minute conversion after Jake Cooper-Woolly crashed over for a late try.  Flanker Sam Betty had put the Warriors ahead earlier in the second half with a well-taken score.

London Irish 23 – 44 Bath Rugby:  Bath eased away to a comfortable win at Irish and pooped the St Paddy’s Day party in the process.  Tries from Topsy Ojo and Chris Hala’ufia couldn’t prevent the West Country side from taking control, with Kyle Eastmond, Anthony Watson, Dave Wilson and Matt Garvey all crossing the whitewash.

Gloucester 40 – 33 Newcastle Falcons:  Gloucester racked up a big points tally against the Falcons but collapsed in the last quarter to allow the visitors to claim two vital bonus points.  The Cherry and Whites crossed throughSione Kalamfoni, Rob Cook, James Hudson, Mike Tindall and Johnny May, whilst the northern outfit grabbed tries through Chris York, George McGuigan, Andy Saull, Alex Tait and Noah Cato – 4 of them in the last 20 minutes.

Sale Sharks 19 – 6 Northampton Saints:  Sale picked up an impressive win over the Saints, despite the visitors welcoming back their 6 star internationals.  First half tries from Mark Cueto, Marc Jones and Tom Brady were enough to see off the East Midlands outfit.

Leicester Tigers 45 – 15 Exeter Chiefs:  The Tigers roared back into form against a surprisingly timid Chiefs side at Welford Road.  Leicester crossed through Manu Tuilagi, Logovi’i Mulipola, the outstanding Niki Goneva, Adam Thompstone and David Mele (2), with the visitors grabbing a couple of tries through Jack Yeandle and in-form centre Ian Whitten.

You can also see my team of the week here.

Aviva Premiership Preview - Saracens v Harlequins

Let’s be honest, it’s always a bit of a comedown going back to domestic rugby after the thrills and spills of the Six Nations – especially when we’ve had a tournament with the one just gone, stuffed full of tries, drama, and comically-late shoulder charges.  Domestic rugby lacks the capacity crowds, the anthems, and the over-the-top pyrotechnics that are on constant show during Europe’s premier international tournament – or it would, if Saracens didn’t have anything to do with it.

Say what you like about Sarries, but they know how to throw a big party and get the focus back on the breeding ground of international talent – the Aviva Premiership.  With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that they’ve displayed all the subtlety of Jamie Robert’s chin when arranging their “Welcome back, internationals” fixture with Harlequins, booking out Wembley Stadium, declaring they’re aiming for a world record club attendance and arranging a £1 million pound competition for the half time entertainment.  Showy?  Sure, even by Sarries' standards.  But great for the game?  Absolutely.  New fans are drawn by the spectacle, and current fans are pulled back into the addictive highs and lows of the domestic game by the chance of seeing their teams perform on one of the biggest stages.

And the biggest stage, the Premiership Final, would appear to be exactly where Saracens are headed this season.  Sitting comfortably in second place, they have a home semi-final all but sewn up already this season and have looked almost indestructible at times.  With a ferociously physical pack, they rely on making big yards around the fringes to get sides backpeddling, before pulling the trigger out wide where now-ex-England wingers, Chris Ashton and Dave Strettle are the greediest and most lethal finishers in the league.  And with Mako Vunipola and Owen Farrell returning from impressive Six Nations campaigns, the ball carrying capacity and precision out wide will only get better.

Ominous for Harlequins, you might say, as the West London outfit have had a fairly up and down season, sitting in 5^th place at the moment.  But if there’s one team in the league who can tear any side to shreds, it’s Quins.  Despite having the likes of Mike Brown, Danny Care and Captain Chris Robshaw rested after England duty – where they were as key to their country’s game as they are to their club side’s – Conor O’Shea can still trust his side to pay the fast-paced, offloading game that can have even the most organised defence in utter chaos.  That said, I am surprised that O’Shea has rested 3 of his best players for this fixture when they are 4 points behind that crucial 4^th place – whilst I applaud the need to put players’ welfare first, the England regulars have actually only played in 3 of the last 5 weeks...

Regardless of the absence of certain stars from the Quins side, you can bet your bottom dollar that Wembley won’t be short of star quality on Saturday afternoon.  That’s just Saracens way – glitz, glamour, and – more often than not – a win.

Saracens Team News

England pair Mako Vunipola and Owen Farrell return for Saracens as they look to set a world-record attendance for a rugby union club game.  Sarries start prop Vunipola and fly-half Farrell alongside England internationals Chris Ashton on the wing and Brad Barritt at centre.

Starting Line up:  Goode; Ashton, Bosch, Barritt, Strettle; Farrell, Wigglesworth; Vunipola, Brits, Johnston; Borthwick (c), Kruis; Wray, Burger, Joubert.

Subs: George, Barrington, Stevens, Botha, Brown, De Kock, Hodgson, Taylor.

Key Player

Mako Vunipola.  Fresh off an impressive display with England in Rome, the man with the world’s longest earlobes will be a key ball carrier for the men in black (as he was in the same fixture last year), especially with the absence of his brother.  So much of Sarries’ game revolves around building momentum through powerful carries close to the contact zone, and his work rate will need to be at the highest it’s been if Saracens are to benefit from his explosive work with the ball in hand.  In the set-piece, too, he will be aware that he’s up against Kyle Sinckler – a highly rated but inexperienced young prop.  Vunipola isn’t renowned for his scrummaging but, as an international, he must be looking to test out the young Quins man and get on top early.

Harlequins Team News

Only Joe Marler, at prop, features for Harlequins from their quartet of England Six Nations representatives.  Danny Care, Mike Brown and Chris Robshaw have all been rested, however there are six changes from the Quins side that beat Worcester three weeks ago.  Marler missed England's final Six Nations game against Italy to attend the birth of his child, but comes into the Quins starting XV alongside Luke Wallace, Tom Williams, Matt Hopper, Tom Casson and Nick Evans.

Starting Line up: Lindsay-Hague, Williams, Hopper, Casson, Monye; Evans, Dickson; Marler, Gray, Sinckler; Kennedy, Robson; Fa'asavalu, Wallace, Easter (c).

Subs: Ward, Lambert, Doran Jones, Trayfoot, Guest, Stuart, Botica, Smith.

Key Player

Nick Kennedy.  Remember him?  The forgotten man of English rugby, the second row had a brief stint in the international side before being cast away and then gallivanted off to France for a couple of seasons with Top 14 giants, Toulon, before returning to the motherland this season with the Londoners.  He’s renowned for being a beanpole and strong lineout presence and, although any work he can do to secure Quins’ ball/disrupt Sarries’ in the set piece will be important, the physical presence he can offer will be absolutely crucial.  He surprised many when Toulon beat Saracens last year, in the Heineken Cup semi final, with his physicality in defence and at the breakdown, and Quins will need more of the same if they are to deal with their opponents’ power game.

Key Battle

Owen Farrell v Nick Evans.  Farrell was a revelation for England in the Six Nations, attacking far flatter and making better decisions on the gainline.  Coupled with his already excellent kicking game, he began to look like the real deal in England colours and started to repay the faith that Stuart Lancaster has showed in him over the last 2 years.  But he’s up against one of the best attacking fly-halves in the business on Saturday in Nick Evans, the man who has spearheaded one of the most attractive and penetrative attacks in the Premiership over the last few years.  With both sides battling for go-forward ball in their own way – Sarries through their big ball carriers and Quins through their quick offloading game – the ability of both fly halves to pull the trigger and make the right calls at the right time will be key.  Execution will be crucial to the outcome of this one.

 

Prediction

With Conor O’Shea opting to rest three of his most important players, Sarries go from being slight favourites to overwhelming favourites.  For the reasons I gave above, I’m not sure I fully understand the reasons for resting them, but what I do understand is that Robshaw gives them leadership, Care gives them tempo and Brown gives them penetration, and the players in their shirts will need to have huge games to challenge this Sarries side.  Karl Dickson, in particular, needs to improve his service and decision making if he is to step in for Care adequately.  Sarries, though, have so much power and finishing prowess that it’s hard to see any other result than a Saracens win at a packed out Wembley stadium.  Sarries by 8.

What else is happening in the Aviva Premiership this weekend?

Worcester Warriors v London Wasps:  Worcester have been putting in ‘brave’ and ‘improved’ displays of late, but they seem incapable of turning them into wins.  I don’t think they’ll start tonight, either.  Wasps by 3.

Sale Sharks v Northampton Saints:  Salford is a difficult place to travel and the Sharks are a renewed force this season, with the top 6 firmly in sight.  That said, Saints look irresistible in the league at the moment and I think they’ll take a hard-fought win.  Saints by 6.

Gloucester v Newcastle Falcons:  The Cherry and Whites may have had a pants season compared to expectations, but luckily for them the Falcons on their own wretched run of form.  Expect the Shed to get something to cheer about on Saturday afternoon.  Gloucester by 11.

London Irish v Bath:  Irish have surprised many this season with their displays – particularly at home – and the pre-season relegation candidates are more than capable of giving the top sides a scare, especially on the brilliant St Paddy’s Day fixture.  Unfortunately, expect Bath to be the party poopers (if anyone is still conscious to notice the results, of course) in this one.   Bath by 5.

Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs:  Leicester have been struggling to find top gear all season but this is the time of year when they invariably find some form.  They’ll need it when facing a Chiefs side on a high after winning their first major piece of silverware, but I think they’ll have enough in front of a vocal home crowd.  Tigers by 9.

RuckedOver's Six Nations Award Ceremony

 

After 7 weeks of scream-inducingly intense excitement, it's time to reflect on the 2014 Six Nations.  With Ireland winning the title with a dramatic victory in Paris on Saturday night, it was the perfect sign off to Brian O'Driscoll's magnificent career and a championship that has delivered more tries and excitement than any other in recent memory.  Ireland may have won but they were pushed all the way by an exciting young England side, and the pair of them were streets ahead of the competition in this year's tournament as both Wales and France had mixed fortunes, and Scotland and Italy once again disappointed.  So, without further ado, let's hit the RuckedOver Six Nations awards ceremony – no tuxedo necessary…

 

Best Match

We were lucky enough to be served up with some absolute classics in every round and I could easily have picked France v England or Scotland v Italy for their last minute dramatics, or France v Ireland for the sheer pant-shittingly frantic end to the championship, but I've gone for England 13 – 11 Ireland at Twickenham.  England's home crowd was a loud as any could remember for the last decade and the intensity as the two best teams in the tournament went toe-to-toe was jaw dropping.  There was a phenomenal 5 minute spell at the end where the ball didn't go out of play and both sides continued to plough in with huge hits that shuddering in their physicality.  Brilliant stuff.

 

Worst Match

Scotland v England.  Not because it was a terrible match in the sense that nothing happened – England played some very good rugby, in fact – but because Scotland just simply didn't show up.  They were about as threatening as Mother Theresa to the point where the only thing that was worse than their performance was the standard of the Murrayfield 'pitch', if it could be called that, as it resembled a pile of porridge by the end of the 80 minutes.  One the sport's great rivalries looked like little more than a training exercise for the men in white.

 

Best Moment

The standing ovation Brian O'Driscoll received as he left the pitch at the Aviva Stadium in his last home game for his country, against Italy.  The legendary centre was utterly sublime during his 60 minute stint, creating 3 tries through a glorious display of strength, deception, vision and dexterity.  It was vintage O'Driscoll, and the dignified and humble manner in which he accepted the applause and then played down his achievements in the post-match interview was indicative of the unassuming nature of one of the greatest players the world has seen.  At the risk of rattling a few favours, it drew a stark comparison to the self-glorifying 'retirement game' of another great player, Shane Williams, who dived spectacularly over the line for a try against Australia, despite his team being on the wrong end of a convincing defeat, and celebrated as if he'd just won the world cup.  For O'Driscoll it was always team first, personal glory second.

 

Best Beard

Jake Ball shades the brave effort of Gordon D'Arcy.  The Welshman's hedge is so thick it usually contains remnants of that morning's porridge for an in-match energy-boosting nibble.  Magnificent and practical.

Leigh Halfpenny congratulated Jake Ball on his face-tree

 

Biggest Disappointment

Scotland and their pitch were a big let-down, as described above, as were the showings of the Lions-laden Welsh side in defeat against Ireland and England, but for me Italy have taken two steps back where they took one forward last year.  The Azzurri have been in this competition long enough for me to avoid patronising them by saying "It's another step of the learning curve".  At the end of the day, they know what the competition is about and, after winning two games last year, they know how to beat sides, but the bottom line is that they simply didn't look like winning games;  even against Scotland, they never looked confident.  Aside from the form of fantastic hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini and the occasional sparks from Michele Campagnaro and Leonardo Sarto, there was very little to be positive about from an Italian perspective.

 

The Danny Care Sh*t Haircut Award

Goes to…Jack Nowell.  In an unprecedented and controversial turn of events, Danny Care no longer has the most idiotic haircut in the England squad, with young upstart winger Nowell stealing the award with a classic greasy-slick-across-and-rat-tail combo.  How Care will to this devastating news is not yet known, but rumours involving bleach and hair-curlers are doing the rounds on the internet.

 

Best Try Award

With so many great efforts to choose from, I've decided to pick my top 3:

3.            Danny Care v Ireland.  The try that turned the game in England's favour and summed up the new, heads-up brand of rugby Stuart Lancaster's men are playing.  Chris Robshaw spotted a dog-leg in the Irish defence, drew two defenders and offloaded brilliantly to Mike Brown, who in turn drew in Rob Kearney to send Care scampering away under the posts.

2.            Gael Fickou v England.  The try that, in hindsight, cost England a Grand Slam in the Championship.  France had been dominated in the second half but, with England out on their feet, Les Bleus scored a spectacular effort in the final minutes in a manner that only the French can muster.  Lovely hands from Szarzwski found the young centre in space – a dummy and a burst of speed, and the rest is history.

1.            Jamie Roberts v Scotland.  Sure, playing against 14 men made it easier, but the execution and speed of this Welsh counter-attack showed the 2013 champions at their best, and that's why it's my favourite try of the tournament.  After Warburton had snaffled a loose lineout ball, Liam Williams broke clear up the left, before sumptuous offloading and interplay between forwards and backs saw Jamie Roberts crash over the line.  Pure class.
 

 

Best Comment

All others pale into insignificance next to this classic tweet by Fergus McFadden after he had replaced BOD in the centre's last ever game in Dublin:

"That standing ovation I got coming off the bench yesterday was amazing

#Thanks"

 

Biggest Balls Up

There were some strong contenders in this category, with Pascal Pape's utterly abysmal attempted pass against Ireland in the dying embers of the game and Stuart Hogg's brainless shoulder charge both in the running, but for sheer consistency of cock ups it has to go to Scott Johnson.  Got a captain?  Drop him.  Got one player who is making yards and having a good game in the pack?  Sub him off.  Yes, Johnson demonstrated that he is a keen subscriber to the Philippe Saint-Andre school of crap coaching, and left most of us scratching our heads in the process as Kelly Brown and Dave Denton were the unlucky victims of the Aussie's madness.

 

Best Player

Perhaps the most clear-cut it has been in a while.  There were plenty of worthy contenders – Leigh Halfpenny for Wales, Brian O'Driscoll and Peter O'Mahony for Ireland, Bruce Dulin for France, Joe Launchbury and Chris Robshaw for England – but Mike Brown was just sensational from the first game.  Counterattacking at every opportunity, Voldermort's sporty cousin demonstrated that he now has world-class finishing ability to complement his knack of beating defenders from deep and his security in defence.  He can now be mentioned in the same breath as Israel Dagg and Israel Folau.  Italy's Michele Campagnaro wins the young player award for an exciting introduction to the international stage.

 

Team of the Tournament:

15. Brown (ENG), 14. Trimble (IRE), 13. Burrell (ENG), 12. Roberts (WAL), 11. Huget (FRA), 10. Sexton (IRE), 9. Care (ENG), 1. Healy (IRE), 2. Hartley (ENG), 3. Ross (IRE), 4. Launchbury (ENG), 5. Lawes (ENG), 6. O'Mahony (IRE), 7. Robshaw (ENG), 8. Heaslip (IRE).

Visit http://www.therugbyblog.com/six-nations-2014-team-of-the-tournament for my justifications on the selections…

 

Six Nations Report Card

And, of course, no round up would be complete without a quick check up on how each side did and what, in some cases, went wrong…

Wales:  C plus.  Disappointing average.  Cracking displays against France and Scotland were counteracted by ineptitude against Ireland and England, who showed that if you stop the big runners at source, there's not much else they can threaten you with.  They're still stuffed full of quality players, but they need a plan B. 

England:  A minus.  But for 20 minutes against, France, this was a fantastic tournament for Stuart Lancaster and his merry men.  They may have failed to win the tournament – and they can look to various inaccuracies in matches aside from Paris where they missed chances to boost their points difference – but the brand of fast attack and aggressive defence looks very promising.  The key now is to integrate some of the missing key players of the squad without upsetting the balance.

Scotland:  D minus.  They  the bozo at the SRFU who decided the best way to treat their pitch was to spray it with garlic, as opposed to arranging an alternative venue when they knew about the problem back in October.  Farcical.  The same word could unfortunately be used to describe Scottish displays throughout the tournament, lacking intensity and penetration, with 2 competitive displays against Italy and France the only glimmers of light in a very dark 7 weeks for the Scots.

Italy:  D.  See above for "biggest disappointment".  They have some talented players now but their pack, unusually, let them down.  Perhaps they were missing the physical Simone Favaro, but they looked like they were lacking aggression and athleticism, both of which are delivered in spades by the Treviso openside.  After a positive campaign last time out, this was a step in the wrong direction.

Ireland.  A.  One hardfought loss against England aside, this was a fantastic tournament for the Irish.  They looked fit, physical and clinical throughout the tournament and deserved a championship victory with a lung-busting display in Paris.  The fact that they went from 5th to 1st with effectively the same team is a sign of how well Joe Schmidt has done with his troops.  The next key question is if they can keep going to the next World Cup with Brian O'Driscoll retiring and four 34 year olds still forming the spine of the team.

France.  B minus.  The fact that they were still in with a shout of winning the tournament on the last day was mind-blowing.   They lucked out against England, performed well enough against Italy, and were abject against Wales and Scotland, yet somehow snatched a win from Murrayfield.  Only in defeat to Ireland did the ferocious French pack stand up and demand to be counted.  With a gameplan that just didn't make sense, Les Bleus need to go back to basics, and settle on a half-back pairing.

Six Nations Review - Italy 11 - 52 England

Aim high, the sky’s the limit, et cetera et cetera.  All a load of positive thinking mumbo-jumbo if you ask me.  The real reason for setting excessively high targets, in the work-related arena at least, is that when you do eventually fail to hit your mark, you’re still left in a better position from when you started.  Aim too low, or even too realistically, and there’s a decent chance you might stall.  It’s for this reason that England can feel good about themselves though – in Rome, they failed to hit the 50+ point winning margin that they needed to put pressure on Ireland and increase their chances of winning the Six Nations title, but in failing to do so they managed to produce their biggest win in Rome for 13 years and one of their best attacking displays in recent years.

The majority of realists felt that a 50 point margin was an unfair target for this England side.  Italy are no mugs, and although they had not beaten England before, their last 3 home defeats had come by no more than 5 points on each occasion.  There was a hope, amongst the home fans, that there was a real chance to spring a surprise on the overly-confident visitors heading into this game.  But the English are confident with good reason, and as the sides ran out on a glorious day at the Eternal City, there was a real feeling amongst the travelling support that this was an opportunity for their side to continue their upward trajectory and to showcase their powerful ball-carriers, slick interplay between the forwards and the backs and their renewed attacking intent.

England, though, were looking uncharacteristically clumsy during the opening exchanges, with Dylan Hartley spilling the ball in contact and Mike Brown fumbling a high ball after Jack Nowell had collided with his fullback.  The scrum, too, was feeling the heat as the Italian 8 got the nudge on the ensuing scrum and forced a penalty.  Luciano Orquera, a hero in the victory in their final round victory over Ireland last season, banged over the 3 points, and the Azzurri had the ideal start.

The visitors attempted to respond with a promising attack in the Italian 22, but Stuart Lancaster’s men were guilty of playing too wide and with not enough direction.  A flurry of turnovers and handling errors led to the contest briefly descending into a game of volleyball, with neither side able to penetrate or hold onto the ball for more than a couple of phases, but eventually the Italians  conceded a penalty and Owen Farrell, flawless off the tee last week, made them pay with 3 points.

It seemed that England were still finding their feet, unsure on how to attack a typically physical and aggressive Italian defence – but on 12 minutes they found their rhythm in spectacular style.  Mako Vunipola and Billy Twelvetrees made good metres down the right and in the middle, before quick ball allowed Luther Burrell to pop a delightful offload between two defenders to the onrushing Mike Brown.  The Quins man is proving himself as a lethal finisher at this level after waiting so long for his first try in international colours, and he shrugged off the attentions Michele Campagnaro before beating Luke McLean to the corner.  Farrell added a superb conversion, and the visitors found themselves 10 – 3 up.  Would the floodgates now open?

Not quite.  The Azzurri haven’t been ‘nilled’ in a six nations tournament since 2009 and they were not prepared to let the English walk away with an easy win this time around, and they nearly had a perfect response just 2 minutes later as Nowell fumbled a poor pass from Burrell, and the ball was picked up by Campagnaro, who found the onrushing Leonardo Sarto.  The big winger made a line for the corner but was superbly hunted down by Nowell and Farrell – it was great cover by England, but had Sarto looked inside he would have seen Orquera screaming for the ball with the line at his mercy.

It was a warning shot, and the men in white soon had further evidence they were in a proper match as Orquera slotted another 3 points from another scrum infringement.  Luckily, they responded in the best possible way as Burrell hammered through a gap in the midfield to take play deep into Italian territory.  There, England were forced to be patient as a mistake from Dylan Hartley and then a huge tackle by Angelo Esposito on Jonny May cost them valuable momentum and eventually field position.  They were soon back in the red zone though, and this time they made no mistake as Farrell hit a great short line off a Danny Care snipe to dot down untouched.  The conversion left the score at 17 – 6 with 8 minutes of the first half remaining.

The Azzurri would have been conscious of the fact that they were right in the game against Ireland last week until the final minutes of the first half, when an Irish score knocked them for 6 as they were about to go into the break.  With this in mind captain Sergio Parisse would have been disappointed to see his side concede at an identical time this time around, as a smart Farrell offload found Brown on halfway, and the full back coasted past McLane for another superb try, leaving the score at 24 – 6 at half time.  18 points to the good, with 31 more required to put Ireland under pressure in their game in Paris.  It still seemed like a tall order.

It didn’t seem any easier when Campagnaro, a real find for Italy this tournament, got on the outside of Burrell to break free for a 30 metre break, only to see his pass to Esposito drift forward.  England, though, eventually settled and, with almost 10 minutes gone of error-filled rugby in the second half, set-up camp in the Italian 22. Despite butchering two opportunities from quick taps – the first due to a Vunipola knock on and the second with Burrell having the ball knocked out of his hand as he reached for the line – they weren’t to be denied, as Brown put Nowell over from a set-move off of a scrum.  The score signalled not only the first points of the second period for the title-chasers, but also the reintroduction of Manu Tuilagi, who replaced an unhappy looking Luther Burrell at outside centre.  Clive Woodward and Andy Robinson were critical of the move to take off the Saints centre but, for me, he was having a mixed game and the space created by Tuilagi when used as a decoy runner would be far less easily utilised if he was to appear on the wing.  I think Lancaster made the right call.  Hartley too, who had been solid in the lineout but error-prone in the loose, was replaced by Tom Youngs.

Italy then sought to strike straight back, taking advantage of a botched lineout call, but they were well met by big defence by Chris Robshaw, Ben Morgan and Tuilagi, and England were able to clear their lines.  The Leicester centre was then able to have a big impact at the other end of the pitch, making big yardage up the left after Nowell and Brown had combined beautifully on the side to take play up into the red zone.  Billy Twelvetrees took advantage of the tiring Italian defenders to step through a gap and offload to Vunipola, who bumbled over the line for his first international try.  Five minutes later and England were back over the whitewash again and this time Tuilagi was the scorer; the big man hitting a great line off Farrell to rampage over from 7 metres out.  England’s points difference was now just 10 shy of Ireland’s with 12 minutes to go.  Two more tries would do it – was this young England side going really going to claim the big win that the media had wanted, but nobody had expected?

It would be a big win alright – a phenomenal win – but there would be no surpassing of Ireland’s total.  Firstly Sato – who has had a fine tournament – intercepted a Joe Launchbury pass off the kick off to saunter in for a score which made it 15 points required from the last 10 minutes.  Perhaps sensing that it was their opportunity lost, the English seemed to lose a bit of penetration and direction in the final 10 minutes, failing to find the fluency in attack which has become a trademark of their fast-paced game this Six Nations.  They still found time to finish on a high though as George Ford, making his second England appearance, dummied beautifully to glide through a gap and put Chris Robshaw over for a deserved score.  The final total was 11 – 52 to the visitors, 8 points shy of Ireland’s total, and it was an odd feeling that they were to walk away from their biggest victory in Rome for a decade with a slight sense of regret that they may have left some points out there.

But this bodes well for England.  This young team needs anger, they need frustration, they need drive.  They don’t need success and championships just yet.  The pain of Cardiff one year ago, where a promising England side were destroyed by the Welsh, has galvanised a team that is determined to make an impact of the world game.  As they rewatch Ireland and the wonderful Brian O’Driscoll lift the Six Nations trophy in Paris, they must let the sense of injustice and frustration bed-in – it will serve them well in the future.

 

Italy Player Ratings

Luke McLean – 5 – Always a reliable presence at the back and an intelligent footballer, but he was shown up for pace badly by Brown, who is not the quickest, for the two tries.

Angelo Esposito – 6 – Didn’t see him in attack, unfortunately, but certainly made an impact in defence with one thunderous hit on Jonny May catching the eye.

Michele Campagnaro – 6 – Will be disappointed with a missed tackle on Brown, and some of his positioning was questionable.  That said, his outside break in the second half reminded us all what a talent he is.

Gonzalo Garcia – 6 – Weighed in with some strong tackles in the midfield but was starved of opportunities with the ball in hand.

Leonardo Sarto – 7 – I wish he’d get involved off his wing more.  The big winger is a real handful and, although he perhaps should have set up a try in the first half, he read the play very well indeed for his own score.

Luciano Orquera – 6 – Kicked well off the tee but he was given no platform to operate from.  Never gave up and got stuck in until the end.

Tito Tebaldi – 6 – Looked lively on a couple of occasions and kept the fringe defence interested, without being able to quite find the space he was looking for.

Matias Aguero – 6 – He was part of a strong scrummaging effort in the first half and his work in the loose and on the carry was notable.

Leonardo Ghiraldini – 7 – The lineout may have been under pressure but he can’t take sole blame for that.  His workrate about the park, though, was first class, and he held his own against his opposite number.

Lorenzo Cittadini – 5 – Had the better of Vunipola early on but couldn’t maintain that dominance for 80 minutes.  Not seen in the loose, much, either.

Quintin Geldenhuys – 5 – He was outmuscled by and large in the tight exchanges and struggled to cope with Launchbury and Lawes’ athleticism over the pitch.

Marco Bortolami – 4 – Disappointing from the veteran.  Was outfoxed by Lawes in the lineout and gave away several silly penalties, resulting in a yellow card for the second row.

Joshua Furno – 3 – An almost invisible presence.  Didn’t carry or tackle enough, and when he did, he did neither effectively.

Roberto Barbieri – 7 – Great workrate by the flanker.  He made 15 tackles – more than anyone else – but he was unable to have an impact at the breakdown, especially in the second half.

Sergio Parisse – 6 – He was a reliable presence when recovering kicks but he was rarely seen taking on good attacking ball, which is a shame.

Subs Used

Michele Rizzo – 6 – Failed to maintain the scrummaging dominance that the hosts had established in the first half, but carried well and with purpose.

 Alberto de Marchi – 5 – Came under pressure at the set piece and failed to have an impact in the loose

 George Fabio Biagi – No time to have an impact

 Paul Derbyshire – No time to have an impact

 Edoardo Gori – No time to have an impact

Tommaso Allan – 6 – Played flat and to the line but was unable to unlock the stubborn white defence

Andrea Masi – No time to have an impact

 

England Player Ratings 

Mike Brown – 9 – A tediously magnificent display.  If previous games have showcased his reliability under the high ball and ability to kick start attacks by beating the first defender, this game was about showing how is now one of the best finishers in Europe.  The lines he picked for both his tries was superb, as was his strength, speed and balance.  Man of the match.  Again.

Jack Nowell – 6 – A decent display from Nowell who has shown that he is not afraid to mix it with the big boys.  Didn’t come off his wing enough, and when he did he scored, but always looked physical in defence and attack.

Luther Burrell – 7 – A mixed afternoon for the Saints man.  He broke the line well on one occasion and showed great hands for Brown’s first try, but he was also caught out in defence and nearly cost a try with a terrible pass in the first half.  A strong Six Nations though, and he will be very firmly knocking on the door for selection even with the return of Manu Tuilagi.

Billy Twelvetrees – 7 – A quieter day from the Gloucester man, who recovered from a bad pass early on to put good width on his distribution and carry with purpose.  Good vision and hands led to a try for Mako Vunipola.  Still hasn’t quite made the shirt his own.

Johnny May – 4 – Not a good showing.  There is no doubting his ability, speed and footwork, but I do get the impression that he doesn’t have the confidence at this level.  He was turned over more than once and didn’t make the yards he made in previous matches.  Not seen away from his wing, either.

Owen Farrell – 8 – Another excellent display, both off the tee and with the ball in hand.  His decision making improves all the time and his offload for Brown’s second try showed an awareness that he has previously been criticised for lacking.  Lost a mark unfortunately for a silly clearout by the neck later on in the game, but that foolish error couldn’t hide another strong performance by the Saracens man.

Danny Care – 7 – An impressive showing which, although it lacked the fireworks of a trademark Care display, showed that he has mastered the basics of scrum half play, delivering quick ball for the backline outside of him.  He injects pace and threat to proceedings, as he showed as he created the space for Farrell’s score.

Mako Vunipola – 7 – Struggled in the scrum early on, but recovered to hold his own well.  It was in carrying, though, where the big man really impressed, beating 3 defenders and, of course, picking up a try in the process.

Dylan Hartley – 5 – It was another off-day for the hooker.  His lineout throwing was exemplary, as always, but in the first half he was turned over on the carry and made mistakes with his passes as he tried to take on the role of an extra centre, when he should have stuck to what he does best – being direct.

David Wilson – 6 – A quieter day at the office for the big Bath prop, who was unable to make as noticeable impact as last week with the ball in hand.  Recovered well from a rocky start in the scrum.

Joe Launchbury – 8 – It was such a shame that he threw an interception pass because, until then, it was another monumental display from the cherub-faced lock.  Turnovers, tackles, carries, Launchbury was everywhere.  Perhaps some passing practice may be in order though...

Courtney Lawes – 8 – More of the same from Lawes, who rounded off an exceptional Six Nations by running another near perfect lineout and weighing in with his usual selection of rib-tickling hits.

Tom Wood – 7 – Mr Graft was at it again, doing the dirty work that his teammates appreciate so much – making his tackles, clearing out rucks.  Unspectacular, but essential to the balance of this back row.

Chris Robshaw – 8 – Another strong showing for England’s Mr Consistent.  His link play was, as usual, top notch, and he picked up a deserved try by showing good support play like any decent flanker should.

Ben Morgan – 7 – No real blockbusting runs, but a handful none the less.  Usually drew in two or three defenders and was always looking for an offload too.  Will be pleased to have put down a marker to Vunipola.

Subs Used

Tom Youngs – 6 – After the mandatory missed lineout, which, to be fair, seemed to be a botched call more than anything, he was accurate with his throws and destructive in defence.  Didn’t see too many carries, though.

Matt Mullan – Not enough time to make an impact.

Henry Thomas – Not enough time to make an impact.

Dave Attwood – One great gallop from behind halfway showed that he has the athleticism to go with the brute power.  Still keeping 2^nd row selection interesting – and that’s with Geoff Parling still to come back.

Tom Johnson – 6 – Provided more of the same on replacing Wood, but with renewed energy.  Made sure he was always first to the contact zone.

Lee Dickson – 5 – Disappointing.  Failed to maintain the tempo like his coaches would have hoped and coughed up possession on  a couple of occasions.

George Ford – 7 – Perhaps took the ball into contact a little too much at first but showed great feet and awareness to set up Robshaw’s try.

Manu Tuilagi – 7 – Looked like he enjoyed being back in an England shirt.  A couple of powerful carries reminded us what we’ve been missing and a typically powerful surge for a try signified that he’s not ready to hand over his 13 shirt just yet.  

 

What else was happening in the Six Nations this weekend?

Wales 51 - 3 Scotland:  Wales destroyed sorry Scotland, thanks in no small part to a bonkers sending off for Stuart Hogg, who shoulder charged Dan Biggar in the face roughly 10 seconds after the fly half had kicked the ball.  The Welsh gorged themselves with tries, crossing through Liam Williams, George North (2), Jamie Roberts (2), Toby Faletau and Rhodri Williams.

France 20 - 22 Ireland:  Ireland ensured legend Brian O'Driscoll went out in style as they claimed the Six Nations championship with victory in Paris.  They outscored their opponents by 3 tries to 2, with Jonny Sexton (2) and Andrew Trimble crossing, with Bruce Dulin and Dimitri Szarzewski responding for the hosts.  A simple missed penalty and a disallowed try late on made for some nervous moments, but the Irish hung on for a deserved win.