Heineken Cup Review - Clermont Auvergne 22 - 16 Leicester Tigers

 

Disappointment is quite an odd concept.  As an emotion that’s tied to failure, it’s not necessarily the case that the feeling gets stronger the more emphatic the failure is.  By way of example, I am not particularly disappointed I never made it as a professional rugby player because, despite some of my exaggerated ramblings after a couple of shandies, I never even came close.  But if I had fallen at the last hurdle – for example, an injury in professional trial – then I would be devastated, having had the taste of potential success.  Sometimes the narrow defeats hurt far more than if you had been at the end of a walloping.  And you can bet that this week, the curious workings of the emotion of disappointment will be causing no-end of hurt at Leicester’s training ground.

They had no right to go into this game with any optimism.  Sure, the Tigers have looked a rejuvenated force of late, with the return of Manu Tuilagi and the form of Niki Goneva giving the team much needed focus in attack, whilst the pack looks to have found its hunger again under the inspirational captaincy of lock Ed Slater.  But they were walking into the Lion’s Den; the Stade de Marcel Michelin, the lair of Clermont which had gone 74 games without breach.  And it was easy to see why – Clermont, unofficially the best team in Europe for the last 3 seasons, are packed full of both local and international talent, from Wesley Fofana and Morgan Parra to Brock James and Napolini Nalaga.  Mission impossible didn’t really do the scale of the task justice.

But, for the briefest of moments, it looked like the visitors would be the ones to strike at the most impregnable fortress in world sport.  After a cagey opening 5 minutes, Julian Salvi spotted the ball was out of a ruck and flicked it to Manu Tuilagi, who thundered towards the line with Goneva on his left and Tait in support behind.  With Goneva marked, Tuilagi tried to draw in the defenders and offload an inside ball, but a combination of a poor pass and Tait not reading the play meant the ball went to ground.  It felt like only a half chance at the time, but it would transpire to be a crucial moment in the context of the game.

The opening 10 minutes were filled with intent on both sides – but plenty of turnovers, too.  Wesley Fofana made one searing break up the middle of the field, and Owen Williams was varying play nicely with the boot, but neither side was able to gain a real foothold in the other’s territory.  Gradually, though, the power and brutal physicality of the Clermont pack began to tell.  The first points came courtesy of Morgan Parra’s boot after a barrelling run from loosehead prop Thomas Domingo, and soon it was the tighthead, Davit Zirakashvili, getting his mitts on the ball to set up the first try of the game.  It came when captain Aurelian Rougerie found himself with nowhere to run on the openside, so he switched play brilliantly back to the narrow channel, where Zirakashvili drew in Jordan Crane and offloaded back inside to Fofana, who flew over the line.  It was a superb try and almost a carbon copy of what the Tigers had tried to do in the opening exchanges – but Clermont, at home, are so clinical.  Parra provided further evidence of that with a magnificent touchline conversion to give the hosts a 10 – 0 lead which, even at this early stage, seemed unassailable. 

The tide was now all white, yellow and blue.  Leicester were becoming frustrated, losing the collisions and giving away penalties, and Parra made them pay again with a well-struck 3-pointer from 40 metres.  This was the suffocating display that has seen 74 teams previously fail to win at Stade de Marcel Michelin, with Nathan Hines and Damien Chouly magnificent over the ball in the rucks.  The sense of despair only deepened for the visitors when their first attempt at points – from the boot of Williams – kissed the flag on top of the posts.  No goal. 

The Tigers were hanging on by the skin of their teeth, with only superb defensive work by Marcos Ayerza and the Youngs brothers stopping Davit Zirakashvili from touching down following a driving maul, but another penalty from Parra was still conceded and, with a 16 point deficit, there was a now a real danger of a rout.  But then, out of nowhere, the Tigers finally bared their teeth.  From a seemingly harmless position in the middle of the pitch, Owen Williams spotted a huge gap out wide and launched a perfect kick for Jamie Gibson to take in acres of space.  He fed American Blaine Scully – fast becoming a favourite at Welford Road – who showed wonderful composure to step inside, draw two defenders, and offload to the onrushing Jordan Crane, who crashed down by the posts.  Williams’ conversion made the score 16 – 7, and all of a sudden there was a slightly different feel to the game.  Was there hope?  Even another Parra penalty on the cusp of halftime couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe there was.

Owen Williams added to that feeling after 5 minutes after Rougerie was penalised for a high tackle on Tuilagi, as the young Welshman slammed over a superb penalty from inside his own half with 5 metres still to spare.  Parra then missed a kick of his own, shaving the right hand upright, before Williams’ siege-gun boot struck again on 50 minutes to take the score up to 19 – 13 after good work at the breakdown by Salvi and Tom Youngs.

Suddenly it was Leicester who were winning the collisions, and Brock James’ kicks bouncing too far, where in the first half everything went Clermont’s way.  The Tigers were threatening, too, with a Goneva inspired break putting Mathew Tait away up the right, before a superb Ben Youngs pass gave Manu Tuilagi space down the touchline, only for strong defence by Nalaga to bundle the big man out of play.  And, once James had missed a long range penalty, the Tigers had another 3 points to show for their efforts, with Williams nudging over another well-struck kick after Scully had magnificently taken a cross-field kick from the Welshman.  A quarter of the match left, and Leicester had, unbelievably, hauled the score back to within 3 points. 

They were close. So close.  But it would prove to be as close as they would come.  Thomas Waldrom, fresh onto the field, gave away an unbelievably brainless penalty in a harmless situation by coming into a maul from the side whilst it was still 40 metres out.  Alain Rolland, who had warned the Tigers before, promptly showed the yellow card, and Waldrom was off, 3 points were Parra’s and the impossible hope was now, surely, gone. 

But still Leicester fought for everything, defending their own line as Clermont launched carrier after carrier at the whitewash, only to be met by heroic defence.  And then, with the clock running into red, the visitors launched one last assault.  Scully wriggled forward, then Graham Kitchener, and then captain Ed Slater charged to within 2 metres of the line.  Then Rolland’s whistle went.  Tigers fans might claim that Morgan Parra, the tackler who won the penalty, never released before going back in over the ball, but it was ultimately not to be.

You don’t get to 75 games unbeaten at home by luck, or the referee’s whistle.  You get there by being the best, and beating the best when they throw everything at you.  And that’s what Clermont managed against Leicester.  It was a phenomenal encounter between two immensely proud and powerful teams.  For Clermont, the chance to avenge their loss in the final last year remains theirs to take.  For Leicester, another year of brave heartbreak.  Another unhappy déjà vous that, somehow, reminds everyone that they are still a force to be reckoned with in Europe.

Let’s take a look at what happened in the other Heineken Cup quarter finals:

Munster 47 – 23 Toulouse:  Munster emphatically dispatched of Toulouse as they made yet another Heineken Cup semi-final.  Tries from Keith Earls, Dave Kilcoyne, CJ Stander, Casey Lualala, Simon Zebo and Paul O’Connell made it a rout, with only scores from Hosea Gear and Joe Tekori providing a break from the monotony of try scorers in red.

Ulster 15 – 17 Saracens:  A red card for Jared Payne in the first 5 minutes proved decisive at Ravenhill as Sarries overcame a brave 14 man Ulster side.  All of the hosts’ points came from the boot of Ruan Pienaar and Paddy Jackson, whilst tries by Chris Ashton (2) and Mauritz Botha proved decisive for the visitors.

Toulon 27 – 16 Leinster:  Toulon ran out surprisingly comfortable winners at home against Leinster, despite seeing talisman Jonny Wilkinson leave the field after only 15 minutes.  Tries from Xavier Chiocci and Drew Mitchell proved crucial for the French outfit, with replacement Jordi Murphy providing the visitors’ solitary try.

 

 

 

Heineken Cup Preview - Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers

 

Impossible is nothing.  I’ve never been a big fan of that Adidas tagline, although I am a fan of their rugby boots because they are one of the few manufacturers to do a wide fit for my square feet, although it is increasingly difficult to find a set that aren’t predominantly purple or shocking pink these days.  Anyway, I digress.  That tagline – impossible is nothing – is rather misleading.  Impossible is rarely an accurate description of a scenario – rather, it is used to summarise a very difficult challenge – but, either way, you’re going to need much more than just a decent set of boots to overcome whatever ‘impossible’ gauntlet has been thrown down in front of you.  Impossible is dedication, planning, back-breakingly hard work and, more often than not, a decent slice of luck.  It’s not ‘nothing’.

But impossible is  a term that has been thrown around by the media in the build up to Leicester’s trip to face Clermont Auvergne and the Stade Marcel Michelin, a cold, unforgiving fortress that has not been breached in 5 years – or 74 games.  Home fans are used to seeing an average victory margin of 21 points, which is part of the reason why they’re sitting comfortably in 2^nd place.  When you look through their side you see a team packed with the best French talent – in the shape of Thomas Domingo, Damien Chouly, Morgan Parra and Wesley Fofana – interspersed with some foreign international class in the forms of Nathan Hines and Napolini Nalaga...and that’s with Lee Byrne and Sitiveni Sivivatu missing.  Their game is based on speed – hard, fast carries and quick ball retention – until the opposition defence is in full retreat.  Then they strike out wide.  At home, it’s an irresistible formula.

And that’s why the Tigers travel to France with the highly unusual tag of potential “giant-killers”, when it is usually the Premiership Champions uttering “Fee-fi-fo-fum”.  They travel in hope, rather than expectation, despite the fact that their recent upturn in form (and the return of star players) has culminating in them ruining one perfect domestic home record already this season by defeating Northampton at Franklins Gardens.  But Leicester do have previous for breaching the unbreachable – think back to 2006, when Lewis Moody, Geordan Murphy and Ollie Smith inspired a win at Thommond Park, where Munster had been previously unbeaten in Europe.  They know they can do it, and if their big runners – Mulipola, Tuilagi and Goneva – get them on the front foot regularly, they will believe that they can. 

This Clermont side is not without it's weaknesses - their pack, for example, is not young, with 35 year old Jamie Cudmore and 37 year old Nathan Hines forming the engine room, and Leicester will feel that could be an area to be exploited if they can move the forwards across the pitch and try to isolate one of the big men in the midfield.  Throw in the fact that Clermont have lost their last 4 away games to Brive, Bordeaux, Grenoble and Bayonne, and you realise that they are not invincible.  The Tigers will know this.  But, like all French teams, Clermont are a different animal at home, where they have created a cauldron of pressure; an aura of invincibility.  An impossible task.  In this case, for the Tigers, impossible sure would be something.

Clermont Auvergne Team News

Clermont, unbeaten in 74 home matches, are without injured wing Sitiveni Sivivatu and full-back Lee Byrne.  Hooker Benjamin Kayser, flanker Julien Bonnaire and lock Jamie Cudmore return.  All Black Sivivatu, who scored 29 tries in 45 Tests, will be replaced by Noa Nakaitaci, while Jean-Marcellin Buttin starts in place of 2009 British and Irish Lion Byrne, who announced in January he will return to Wales with join Newport Gwent Dragons in the summer.

Starting Line up:  J-M Buttin; N Nakaitaci, A Rougerie (c), W Fofana, N Nalaga; B James, M Parra; T Domingo, B Kayser, D Zirakashvili, J Cudmore, N Hines, J Bonnaire, D Chouly, F Lee

Subs: T Paulo, V Debaty, C Ric, J Pierre, A Lapandry, T Lacrampe, M Delany, B Stanley

Key Player

Thomas Domingo.  Leicester’s Dan Cole – a man who Domingo seems to have figured out in the scrum stakes – is still out injured and so the squat Frenchman will be faced with the rather sizeable task of nullifying the raw power of Logovi’i Mulipola.  Domingo, though, has never been daunted by the prospect of taking on bigger men in the scrum and his short stature and superior technique has meant that he has regularly gotten the better of them in the past, but this season he hasn’t quite hit his heights of previous years.  He’ll need to be on his game though if he wants to take away the platform of Leicester’s game – and any faint hopes the visitors may have had will disappear along with it.

 

Leicester Tigers Team News

Leicester bring in full-back Mathew Tait and American wing Blaine Scully as they attempt to end Clermont's long unbeaten home record in Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final.  Tait takes over from Scott Hamilton, who drops to the bench, while Scully starts in place of Adam Thompstone.  As expected, Welshman Owen Williams continues at fly-half for Leicester, ensuring club captain Toby Flood remains on the bench.

Starting Line up: M Tait; B Scully, M Tuilagi, A Allen, V Goneva; O Williams, B Youngs; M Ayerza, T Youngs, L Mulipola, L Deacon, E Slater (c), J Gibson, J Salvi, J Crane

Subs: R Hawkins, B Stankovich, F Balmain, G Kitchener, T Waldrom, D Mele, T Flood, S Hamilton

Key Player

Julian Salvi. The Tigers man wins few big accolades from the TV pundits, but those who play alongside him know his value to the team.  An out and out poacher, he leads the Premiership turnover charts by a country mile and it is his ability over the ball that, you can bet, Vern Cotter will be most concerned with.  If Salvi gets an eye in at the Clermont breakdown, then the hosts structure and fluency can disintegrate – expect Damien Chouly and, of course, Nathan Hines and Jamie Cudmore to pay him a little extra attention in the dark areas of the game in an attempt to ‘discourage’ him for getting too close to the ball...

 

Key Battle

Wesley Fofana v Manu Tuilagi.  They may not be lining up directly opposite each other, but these two will certainly be meeting plenty of times in the midfield, where they stand out as being both sides’ chief attacking weapons.  Both are world class centres and game-breakers on their day – Fofana is all dancing, deception and guile, whilst Tuilagi is effectively a cannon ball on legs with an underrated offload game.  Both can be devastatingly effective though, and it really does come down to who can get their hands on the ball the most and who is on their game by that extra 5%.  Despite both midfields being pretty secure on the back foot, there is enough raw talent in the shoes of both these men to break open the stingiest of defences.  This match up makes the game worth watching by itself.

Prediction

The signs all point to one clear winner, and that is – unsurprisingly – the team with the 74 game unbeaten home record.  But what makes this fixture so intriguing is that we don’t know how good this Leicester side can be – they have been so poor or average until the last 3 weeks or so that we don’t know what the limit of their ability really is, and I think that – as Cockerill himself suggested – if everyone plays to their potential and Clermont are a little bit off their game, the Tigers will have a sniff.  But the problem is Clermont are never off their game at home, or should we say fortress.  If Clermont don’t go behind early, I can see the relentless physicality and speed breaking down the Leicester defence in a pressure-cooker environment.  There is definite potential for a fairy tale in this one, but it’s likely that will end being make-believe.  Clermont by 8.

Let’s take a look at the other quarter finals taking place this weekend:

Munster v Toulouse:  Arguably the toughest to call on paper, the French sides don’t usually travel well but Toulouse have won at Wembley this year and their pedigree in the Heineken Cup will serve them well.  That said, the Thommond Park factor will be crucial for Munster and I can see the hosts claiming a hard-fought win.  Munster by 4.

Ulster v Saracens:  There is certainly a lot of optimism amongst Saracens fans that they might achieve something special, but Ravenhill on a Saturday night will be unlike any atmosphere most of those players have experienced.  Sarries will push them close, but that home hostility should see the Irish side over the line.  Ulster by 5.

Toulon v Leinster.  You can read by detailed preview of this on the Rugby Blog but, in a nutshell, I think home advantage will be key once again in a battle between two of the ‘dream teams’ of European rugby.  It will be tight, but Jonny Wilkinson’s side should pick up the win.  Toulon by 7.

Aviva Premiership Review - Northampton Saints 16 - 22 Leicester Tigers

There are certain events that just don't feel the same without that vital ingredient.  An Oscar acceptance speech wouldn't be right without incoherent blubbing, a football World Cup wouldn't be a proper tournament unless England arrived with grossly unwarranted optimism and Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Simon Cowell's latest ear-bashingly bad product dominating the airwaves.  And Saints v Tigers seems, frankly, wrong, without a healthy dose of controversy.  Luckily, a certain Mr Wayne Barnes, the man with the unhappy knack of presiding over these chaotic encounters, was back in charge of the next instalment of the East Midlands rivalry at Franklins Gardens.

It was an odd situation that both sides found themselves in.  Northampton had seemed near-invincible for large swathes of the season, but back-to-back defeats against Exeter, in the LV= Cup Final, and Sale, forced that ugly old question of Saints' ability to win pressure games to simmer back to the surface.  Leicester, meanwhile, have been roundly panned, having their worst season in years – and yet sit relatively comfortably in the playoff places.  And two convincing wins against Newcastle and Exeter, with the return of Manu Tuilagi from injury, seems to have reinvigorated the Tigers season; although many doubted that it could push them to claim a win at a ground where the hosts have remained undefeated in the Premiership all season.  On a hazy Spring afternoon, the stage was set.

The home crowd sprung into life as Wayne Barnes’ name was read out, offering a generous chorus of boos, but it was the visitors who looked livelier in the opening exchanges with Ben Youngs probing dangerously and Adam Thompstone making yards on the left.  However, Saints were the first to trouble the scoreboard after Ben Foden – wearing a near-blindingly bright pair of boots – half-charged down an Owen Williams kick, and George North charged straight back into the heart of the Tigers’ defence, forcing the penalty.  Young Will Hooley, deputising for Stephen Myler, settled some nerves by landing the penalty to give his side a 3 point lead.

If North was making his usual impacts for the hosts, Manu Tuilagi was returning the favour for the Tigers, shrugging off his England rival for the 13 shirt, Luther Burrell, on two separate occasions to put the visitors on the front foot, but the move broke down as Niki Goneva was shunted into touch on the right hand side after an ominous break.  Things were beginning to spice up nicely, though, as expected, with Tom Youngs and Dylan Hartley in particular exchanging pleasantries, and the England rivals were involved again as the game took a more sinister turn.  Under pressure at a scrum, the Leicester front row folded backwards, and Tom Youngs emerged from the bottom of the pile looking enraged and stating that he’d bitten.  Now, Tom Youngs is a tough player, but he’s an honest one, and I for one have no doubt that he probably was nibbled – but whether it was accidental or deliberate, I don’t know, and with video replays not showing anything conclusive, Wayne Barnes did the sensible thing and just calmed everyone down.

From the reset scrum, though, the Tigers finally got the reward their pressure deserved.  Ed Slater carried hard and broke tackles – not from the first time – and when the ball was recycled Ben Youngs fizzed a superb 15 metre pass across to Anthony Allen, who touched down in the corner.  Williams, still preferred to club captain Toby Flood, has not been renowned for his goal kicking, but the young Welsman hammered a wonderful conversion over from the touchline.  3 – 7 to the visitors.

That lead was extended 2 minutes later as Luther Burrell aimlessly meandered into traffic and was forced to concede a penalty, with Jordan Crane and Julian Salvi working hard at the breakdown to give Williams a chance to nudge over another 3 points.  With Saints conceding silly penalties – such as Kahn Fotuali’i blocking Anthony Allen on a kick chase – and the Tigers dominating territory through some intelligent Ben Youngs kicking, Leicester were looking dominant.  Where had this side been all season?  And, conversely, where had this blunt Saints outfit come from?  Leicester grabbed 3 more points 5 minutes later thanks to another Williams kick after a sharp break involving Goneva, Scott Hamilton, Allen and Crane got the hosts backpeddling. 

Finally, after 30 minutes, Northampton roused themselves into life, with a Kahn Fotuali’i atoning for his earlier indiscretions with a sharp break from a Foden offload, but the home side were hit with a double blow soon after Salvi was penalised with hands in the ruck.  Firstly, young Will Hooley horribly sliced the ensuing 3 point opportunity, and then they had to suffer the sight of Hartley – who wasn’t having his most accurate game – being forced off the field with a head injury after a clumsy clearout at a ruck.

Finally, though, their moment came after Jamie Elliott chipped ahead and Ben Youngs spilled the awkwardly bouncing ball, allowing Northampton to regather possession 5 metres out and press for a try.  From that position, they were awarded a penalty for offside – although Goneva was lucky to get away with a careless high tackle on Phil Dowson – and, from the ensuing lineout, Fotuali’i wriggled his way over.  There was half a hint of a block by Wayne Barnes on Williams as he came across but, in my view, Williams didn’t make anywhere near enough of a meal of it to gain Barnes’ attention and/or sympathy and, in any case, it didn’t seem like he would have definitely got there.   It was a crucial riposte for Northampton but, unfortunately, Hooley missed another simple kick.  The young fly half was having a fine game in defence, but his kicking was starting to cost his side points; but for his misses, the scores would have been level at half time.  As it were, Leicester led 8 – 13.

Despite their overall dominance in the first half, Leicester fans would have been nervous at the sight of the hosts clawing their way back into things in the last 5 minutes, and those nerves wouldn’t have been eased by a scrappy opening to the second half in which neither side managed to take real control.  Leicester came closest when Ben Youngs put Anthony Allen away down the right and the centre chipped ahead, only for Fotuali’i to win the race and dot the ball down for a 22 – despite replays showing he’d actually carried it over himself.

The Tigers were still looking the more threatening though in a messy third quarter, with Logovi’i Mulipola and Ed Slater all making big charges, but strong defence by Tom Wood and Will Hooley, as well as sharp breakdown work by Calum Clark, meant that the visitors were denied a chance of troubling the scoreboard.  In fact, it was Northampton who had the next chance, after a stray arm by Tuilagi caught Alex Waller marginally high, but Hooley was once again off target.  His third consecutive simple miss led to Kiwi George Wilson replacing the hapless youngster in the 10 slot.

After Williams had slotted another 3 points for a scrum offence, Wilson went straight to work and hit 3 straight back after Marcos Ayerza was penalised for not releasing, but Saints indiscipline was costing them dearly.  The magnificent Ed Slater won a penalty at a breakdown straight from the restart, before the Saints defence was caught offside just 2 minutes later, and Williams made them pay both times to take the score out to 11 – 22. 

Saints had looked clumsy and inaccurate for so long throughout the game but finally, with 10 minutes to go and roared on by the Franklin’s Gardens faithful, the beast stirred into life.  The beast in question was George North.  After a driving maul had been well held up by Jamie Gibson and Julian Salvi, the Welsh giant fielded a bouncing ball and tore off through the middle, leaving a trail of Tigers player floundering in his wake.  Ben Youngs got back to made a superb covering tackle, but undid his good work by failing to clearly release before he went back in to try and pinch the ball – net result?  A yellow card.

The hosts were frantic and attacked at an intensity at least twice that of anything we’d seen from them previously.  After Ken Pisi had been denied a try in the corner thanks to a thunderous cover tackle from Scott Hamilton, Goneva found himself taking a trip to the bin as well after a swinging forearm caught North in the gym as the winger wrestled his way forward.  Now, with a 2 man advantage and 4 minutes left, the game was on a knife edge.  Saints made the most of the advantage almost immediately with Ethan Waller going over after Leicester had been caught short on the blindside.  Wilson missed the tricky conversion – I don’t know why he took so long to take it, seeing as his side would need to score again anyway – but the tension was up pant-wettingly intense levels.

The game was in no way short of drama, but it had been surprisingly sparse on controversy.  Wayne Barnes and co duly obliged in the last play of the game from a Saints lineout on the Leicester 22.  The ball went wide, George North oddly put boot to ball, and Manu Tuilagi covered – ‘spilling’ the ball into touch. Was it deliberate?  It was impossible to tell but if it was, it certainly wasn’t obvious enough to award a penalty or another yellow card.  A Leicester physio then touched the ball as it went into touch, preventing a quick lineout.  Again, it was hard to tell if this was deliberate but, given the cover across, it would be hard to see how a quick lineout would have been possible.  And finally, Barnes checked with the fourth official for the time, since the display clock at the stadium was wrong, and was told time was up – he blew the final whistle, sending all of Franklins Gardens up in fury.  But for me, this was the least controversial decision of the lot – time was up, just nobody knew it. 

The real issue Saints fans should have will be the decision making of their own team on that last play.  Against 13 men, with the clock about to run out, they decided to throw the ‘hail Mary’ wide off first phase ball, when if they had run through the phases (as they had for their try moments earlier) the space would have been there to exploit.  It was a costly decision; the wrong one to make under pressure. 

Saints have shown this season that they don’t want to be the ‘nearly’ men of English rugby anymore.  They've 'nearly' achieved that goal – they can't let it slip now.

What else was happening in the Premiership over the weekend?

Bath Rugby 11 – 12 Sale Sharks:  The Sharks continued their surge towards the playoffs with a fine win at the Rec, courtesy of 4 Danny Cipriani penalties.  Bath, who scored the only try of the game through a late Ross Batty effort, were left to rue missed kicks and drop goal attempts from George Ford, as well as a blunt refusal by referee Dean Richards to award a penalty try despite the hosts earning approximately 43 scrum penalties on Sale's line.

Exeter Chiefs 13 – 14 Gloucester:  The Cherry and whites continued their late-season improvement in form as they turned over a lacklustre Chiefs side at Sandy Park.  Matt Jess had scored for the hosts before Charlie Sharples had responded in the second half to put his side in front, but Exeter missed a chance to win in the last minute as Gareth Steenson missed a conversion after a score by Don Armand.

Harlequins 23 – 9 London Irish:  Quins eased out in the second half to take a comfortable win against Irish at the Stoop.  The visitors could only muster 3 penalties through the boot of James O'Connor, whilst the hosts scored 3 tries through Nick Evans, Sam Smith and Mike Brown.

London Wasps 20 – 32 Saracens:  Sarries cruised to victory against their London rivals at Adams Park.  Wasps scored 3 tries through Jonah Holmes, Tom Howe and Carlo Festuccia, but Jackson Wray, Jamie George (2) and Alex Goode claimed a bonus point win for the league leaders.

Newcastle Falcons 12 – 17 Worcester Warriors:  Yes, you read this right.  Worcester finally won a game to give themselves the faintest of chances to survive this season.  A late Josh Drauniniu try was enough to steal a win, with Phil Godman providing all of the hosts' points from the kicking tee.

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.