If
we were to dissect this weekend’s Aviva Premiership action, I think
it's fair to say there was quite clearly a divide between our top six
teams in terms of overall performance - abysmal from some - and
terrific from others!
Saracens
and Exeter Chiefs pulled off respectable and monumental performances
on home turf respectively; as for our East Midlands duo, Saints and
Tigers ... erm … not so much.
Can
we speculate it was down to the fact they were playing away from
home? Hmm, well that's a factor but not the overall arching reason I
would hazard a guess at.
The
Saracens overcame a few stumbling blocks in their first half against
the travelling Tigers, as they played into the whirling wind at
Allianz Park and the boot of Freddie Burns controlled the game
beautifully for the visitors, putting the first points on the board.
But a surge of determination like no other nudged the home side in
front on the stroke of half time with a stupendous try from Billy
Vunipola. And they carried the momentum forward and came back to put
in a dazzling second-half shift with two tries in quick succession to
seal the deal, 22-6, for second place Sarries. No shut off point for
Sarries, they know what a season requires.
It
was also electric at Sandy Park as the Exeter Chiefs welcomed top
placed Northampton Saints.
Blimey didn't the Chiefs throw everything into this match ... even
the kitchen sink. Their tackling and set piece was exceptional and
their patience paramount which saw them lead at half time, 8-5. They
went on to maintain their drive, defence, composure and versatility
all over the park to absolutely knock Northampton down like a
woodcutter with an axe and eventually demolish them, 21-10. Did I
expect Exeter to win? Yes. Sandy Park is renowned as a tough place to
play. Did I expect Northampton to play so poorly? No. And I really
hope they muster up their mojo in time for Sarries at Stadium MK in
two weeks time, otherwise they’ll be many a fan down in the dumps!
Come on Saints, three yellows? You can have a rest when the season’s
over – don’t give up now - give us a thrill like the Chiefs!
On
to the Madejski Stadium on Sunday and London Irish succumbed to a try
from Sale's Tom Arscott early doors; but the Exiles' were canny and
the Sharks took the bait, with Alex Lewington firing off on all
cylinders in the second half with two tries in six minutes. It was
enough to assist his side as they fought hard and remained resilient
to nail it when it mattered most. Full-time 25-23; in a thrilling
match that could see the Sharks out of contention for one of the top
four play-off positions. A shame really but nevertheless, the Salford
side have had a fantastic season to be proud of.
As
have Wasps. However, it did look like a shaky start for them at the
Kassam Stadium as they visited London Welsh on Sunday. And I began to
wonder whether we would see our first win for the Exiles as it was a
tight contest going into half-time, 5-12. An excellent first-half
performance from London Welsh demonstrated their tenacity but they
let it slip through their fingers when Tom Varndell swooped in for a
hat-trick – as you do - and then Wasps were off ... wickedly
denting Welsh's dreams with four tries in the final forty to secure
the bonus point win, 13-40. Well done Wasps!
Well
Newcastle Falcons didn't manage to burst Bath's bubble on Friday
night, but they did their damnedest. Even though Ollie Devoto was the
first to cross the whitewash in Newcastle for the visitors, it was
the incredible Samoan, Sinoti Sinoti, cutting through the night air
and raising supporters to their feet as he provided a unique try,
shaking off defenders like Taylor Swift with men on the dance floor,
touching down in the corner
to keep Falcons hopes of a win alive. But Bath were relentless and
their style of rugby is sophisticated and world class when they're on
form, and they were.
Sam
Burgess started at flanker and although I think handling errors occur
and natural flair disappears when a player is multitasking and
over-thinking, Mike Ford was buoyed by his performance and overall,
the visitors showed flair in front of Kingston Park, peeling off and
out of arms reach to come away victorious, 19-29. Bath remain in
third place in the League for now but they have a very good run in
for the next three weeks.
As
for two teams battling it out in the middle of the Premiership table,
Harlequins needed something to shout about on Saturday, as they took
on the Cherry and Whites at the Stoop in front of a huge home crowd
of 14,800. And what a second-half try-fest treat the supporters had!
It was ultimately the boot of Nick Evans and Greig Laidlaw
respectively in the first-half who kept both teams in contention. But
Quins were looking to bounce back and they did, when Gloucester were
down to thirteen men with two players in the bin. Marland Yarde and
Ollie Lindsay-Hague both scored and even though Dan Robson fought
back to dot down two minutes from the final whistle, it was just a
fraction too late as Quins scraped it at home. 29-26.
And
one thing’s for certain, did I mention? It’s #threeroundstogo!
All
aboard for a super scintillating showdown!
Game
on….