Aviva Premiership Round Two

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Well round one is done, and the Aviva Premiership is most definitely back.  With over 300 points scored, 34 tries and 3 hat tricks, it was an exciting weekends rugby, that began on Friday night with Saints putting 50+ points on Gloucester, and finished on Sunday afternoon with the Chiefs doing the same to hapless London Welsh.  Sandwiched in between Bath got themselves up and running with a win on the road at Sale, and Tigers completed a comprehensive victory over the Falcons at Welford Road.  At Twickenham, the first game f the double header was great spectacle and fantastic advert for the league, with Saracens edging out Wasps courtesy of a late try.  This was followed by Quins proving to strong for a London Irish team who simply failed to turn up until half time, by which time the game had gone.


With regard predictions, I got 4 from 6 right on here, having tipped my own boys to beat Quins, and Gloucester to nick it at The Gardens.  By the time I did my Superbru predictions and put my accumulator on, I'd gone for Saints, so was 5 from 6 elsewhere, but I'm clearly not going to get rich this way unless London Irish start winning a bit more often!  Anyway, here's the table of round one of the action:

	Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	TF	TA	TBP	LBP	PTS
	1.	Exeter Chiefs	1	1	0	0	52	0	+52	7	0	1	0	5
	2.	Northampton Saints	1	1	0	0	53	6	+47	8	0	1	0	5
	3.	Leicester Tigers	1	1	0	0	36	17	+19	4	2	1	0	5
	4.	Saracens	1	1	0	0	34	28	+6	4	3	1	0	5
	5.	Bath Rugby	1	1	0	0	29	20	+9	2	2	0	0	4
	6.	Harlequins	1	1	0	0	20	15	+5	2	0	0	0	4
	7.	London Irish	1	0	0	1	15	20	-5	0	2	0	1	1
	8.	Wasps	1	0	0	1	28	34	-6	3	4	0	1	1
	9.	Sale Sharks	1	0	0	1	20	29	-9	2	2	0	0	0
	10.	Newcastle Falcons	1	0	0	1	17	36	-19	2	4	0	0	0
	11.	Gloucester	1	0	0	1	6	53	-47	0	8	0	0	0
	12.	London Welsh	1	0	0	1	0	52	-52	0	7	0	0	0

So on to this weeks fixtures, and here they are:

Friday 12th September 2014   19:45   Harlequins vs. Saracens

Two of last seasons top 4 go head to head in an early season clash of the big guns.  Both won last week, although neither were wholly convincing and have room for improvement.  Quins look very strong defensively, whilst Saracens look to have a real cutting edge in attack, which seems strange to say as I would imagine the perception of both sides would be the other way round.  Both will be fired up and wanting to lay down a marker in this one, and I expect a fiercely competitive contest, which Quins just sneak, sending Saracens home with just the losing bonus point.


Saturday 13th September 2014   15:00   Bath Rugby vs. London Welsh

It certainly doesn't get any easier for London Welsh does it.  Bath, to the surprise of their own fans on here I would imagine, managed to come back from Sale with 4 points in the bag, and should really extend their total to nine points with a big victory in this one.  Welsh, unsurprisingly for a team with 25 new players looked all over the place defensively on Sunday, and will need to improve very quickly if they are to avoid more thumpings by a similar scoreline this season.  Pride I suspect will keep it closer this weekend, but I don't see them getting anywhere near Bath this time out.


Saturday 13th September 2014   15:00   Gloucester vs. Sale Sharks

Two teams who lost in the opening round, one at home, and one in spectacular fashion on the road.  Both will want to put things right this weekend, and Gloucester will take comfort in being back in familiar surroundings at Kingsholm.  Sale will be undaunted by the atmosphere there though, having won there last season, and I would imagine the players will be keen to not incur the wrath of Steve Diamond, which is the likely outcome if they lose two on the bounce.  David Humphreys doesn't strike me as putting the same fear into his players, but you have to think that guys like Richard Hibbard, John Afoa and James Hook will all step up a gear of their own accord this weekend.  This is a really tough call, but I can see a wounded Gloucester side sneaking this at home and Sale heading back North with a losing bonus point.


Saturday 13th September 2014   15:15   Exeter Chiefs vs. Leicester Tigers

Now if you asked me last week to predict this one I had it down as an away banker.  The Chiefs I felt had not recruited particuarly well in the summer, but their win against London Welsh will have given them massive confidence ahead of hosting the Tigers this week.  I've not seen the Tigers game, but understand from others who have that they weren't at their very best, but were clinical enough to put away a spirited Falcons side.  The Chiefs will be solid and difficult to play against and Leicester will need to up their game slightly to win here I feel, but I think they will, and will head back to the East Midlands with 4 points in the bag.


Sunday 14th September 2014   14:00   Wasps vs. Northampton Saints

This could be a cracker.  I need say nothing about Saints really, as we all saw the power they have and the finishing ability to match on Friday night.  Wasps were excellent in spells against Saracens, with back row forwards Nathan Hughes and Ashley Johnson particularly outstanding, but once again failed to put in a full 80 minute performance.  They will have to manage that against the Saints, as you cannot give them anything or they will run right over you.  I'm putting this one down as the game of the round, with Saints to just edge out Wasps in an 8 or 9 try thriller which sees the home side pick up a try bonus point to go with their losing one.


Sunday 14th September 2014   15:00   Newcastle Falcons vs. London Irish

Two teams who need to win, it's that simple.  Falcons possibly didn't expect to get anything at Welford Road, but will be targeting this one big time for a win.  Irish conversely probably expected to beat Quins on Saturday, but came up short, and will know that they need this with Sarries, Saints and Tigers next up for them in the fixture list.  Whilst I would like to think that on Falcons new shiny 4G pitch this will be a fast and loose throwaround of a game, I suspect it will be a nervous, cagey arm wrestle with very little to wrote home about in terms of exciting play.  It will be tight, but I fancy is to nick it and head home with our first league win of the season under our belts.


Ozzy's predicted table after round two:

Northampton Saints 10, Bath Rugby 9, Leicester Tigers 9, Harlequins 8, Exeter Chiefs 6, Saracens 6, London Irish 5, Gloucester 4, Wasps 3, Sale Sharks 1, Newcastle Falcons 1, London Welsh 0.

20-9 to Wasps with 6:30 left on the clock.

I'm not sure Sgt.we're keeping the ball but there's no directness. Only when Hammersley has come into the line. He really does look a player. FB sorted for the next 10 years.

We should have scored a couple of triwe when we were at their end but couldn't.
Two missed kicks I hope don't cost us.

Irish 6-5 up, no idea how. Ref giving them every 50-50

Mind I can't believe we're behind in this game.

Personally I'd like to see Andy tuilagi in the.midfield...just to give some serious direct go,forward. Powells just run one side of.the field to the other. Pointless

well this is a pretty dire game so far. Irish with no fluidity at all to their movements, a couple of decent runs from Fenby is about all they've managed. Newcastle have looked more threatening, but lack of composure. Pernickity refereeing. Newcastle behind due to their lack of discipline and poor place kicking, have a chance here to nick the lead going into half-time.

Yesss! Delighted with that win. I think we are much improved but still room to get even better

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Fry crumbled at that scrum.

Irish handling not great so far. Noakes threw a shocker which we intercepted. Ref giving Irish everything at the breakdown so far. Falcons attack is very good

Really? Both sides look pretty average in attack from what I've seen. Pretty dire game so far with neither side looking likely to trouble many other teams on this performance. One point in it at half time is a pretty accurate reflection of the game.

20-14 win for Wasps. Foden scored a late try, so the last two minutes were a bit frantic.

Wasps just frustrated Saints all day. I thought the champions were a bit off colour in attack but expected them to click. Instead, Wasps got those two quick tries and finally had the nous to close a game out (not without a scare).

Ended up enjoying the Saints / Wasps game. Still pretty attritional stuff - an intercept try and a nice kick thru giving Wasps a good lead meant saints had to expand their game and attack a bit more. Why did they not do this earlier?

Ozzy3213 wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Fry crumbled at that scrum.

Irish handling not great so far. Noakes threw a shocker which we intercepted. Ref giving Irish everything at the breakdown so far. Falcons attack is very good

Really?  Both sides look pretty average in attack from what I've seen.  Pretty dire game so far with neither side looking likely to trouble many other teams on this performance.  One point in it at half time is a pretty accurate reflection of the game.

At the game and Falcons making ground every attack. Very slick ball in hand but lacking penetration in Irish 22.

Irish not threatened the try line at all but flanks great at breakdown and scrum went very well. Irish getting most breakdown calls which is keeping them in it/stopping our momentum.

Irish very blunt in attack, 13 and wings and FB offering little. Godman is our problem in your 22 as he only has the reverse pass. Outside the 22 our passing has been strong.

Corbs drew a couple of penalties, which he'll want to be careful about during his season.

Jackson got a knee injury only a few minutes after he'd taken over from Goode at 10, so he might be an injury concern.

Wade's car crash means we didn't get to see him line up against North but Varndell's try was as good as any.

Lawes put big hits in on Goode and Jackson. Both legal, and both look like they hurt. As Healey noted, though, if he's a moment late and doesn't pull out then it could go as far as a red card.

As I say that lovely play by Geraghty to set up Irish 1st try

Good try Irish. They've Come out far better.

Falcons are just poor.

that's a very well-worked try, great work from Geraghty, lovely line from Fenby, and hopefully that will do Irish some good, first try of the season.

Court off for ten.

We MUST take advantage.

Didn't look like scoring in first by long way, Geraghty made that one, too easy.

Socino misses another!!! What's going on?!?!

Need to see out this 10 minutes a man down. Big effort required.

Is that 4 kicks now he's missed? Or 3

Huge scrum! Try!!!!

Scott Wilson The try scoring machine

We can't hit a barn door today

Tuilagi on. Shocking kicking from JPS today.

Our defence of the maul has been appalling. We really need to improve on that!

Leaving far too many points on the pitch, missed 10 so far.

Same old story from last season Cumbrian

Irish are not a good side, we should be well ahead (and we're not much better). Goal kicking has been awful

very generous decision to Newcastle that, no way was the player on his feet to compete for that.

We're certainly seeing 11th/10th in AP, which order I don't know

That was better.. Far more aggressive carrying by our forwards. They need to keep that up

Irish try.

Or maybe not...

That was not a try, shocking from ref

Shouldn't have been a try but it'd irrelevant...we're poor.

And I'm not sure a poor London Welsh will keep us up if we keep playing like this

Comes down to keeping a 1st division fly half as your starter and a lightweight pack

Thank God, he's got one. If he'd kicked all of his point, we'd be in the lead now...

Appalling result. Irish should not have won that game.

We'll be battling relegation this season. That's for certain.

well a win's a win I guess but a frustrating match to watch. Irish with a couple of well-worked tries doing just enough, but really struggled to get any continuity into their play at all. Hopefully the win will give them a bit of a confidence for the rest of the season, but big improvements needed.

Fenby looked sharp, and Geraghty kicked well (ultimately the difference), scrum went well too, but that was about it.

Geraghty the different.

Both sides poor and will finish 10th/11th.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Geraghty the different.

Both sides poor and will finish 10th/11th.

Probably true. However, and I am not saying this to rub salt in the wound, the win will at least give us the chance to play with a bit more confidence now. Consequently, I would expect us to improve a fair bit.

You'd need to Burger

I think it's a bit early to draw too many conclusions maybe as a lot can happen over the course of a season - or even a week - look at Welsh, zero points one week and a TBP the next (although admittedly they still shipped 50) ...

Let me get this right. Socino missed 15 points - 6 out of 7 kicks. Mind you, he has only played tier two league rugby throughout his career I think. Maybe he's not up to the AP.

Or maybe the wind was howling in from the North Sea today.

No he just had an off day with the boot (I hope). He played well apart for his goal kicking

Ok Sarge, thanks for clarifying. But even at this stage of the season, those missed kicks might rnd up being crucial.

I'm very happy with the Wasps win though.

Is this league running, I have seen absolutely no exposure of it at all.

Is this a worry from fans, that the league will get no exposure except for those who have purchased BT sport?

Socino looked a decent player. Those days where the kicks don't go over can happen to anyone. he will be key to Falcons survival chances this season.

For us, we need to work on defending mauls. We shipped two tries from them today and teams like three we have in the next three games will hurt us badly if we don't sharpen up in that regard. It was not pretty at times out there today, but defensively in open play we toughed it out.

On the positive side, the scrum was again excellent and could be real weapon for us this season. We also butchered two great try scoring opportunities. Short choosing the wrong decision to go inside and being tackled on the 5 yard line, rather than backing himself on the outside, and Lewington knocking on instead of giving the offload to the support runner with the try line within reach. I am confident that as the season progresses, with confidence and sharpness improving we will take those sort of chance, which had we taken them today would have secured us a try bonus point.

It was not a great performance, but that is a game that we would have lost last season, so I can see the improvement, particularly mentally, which is where we won the game in those final two minutes with Newcastle pressing.

Onwards and upwards and Saracens at home next week.

COME ON YOU IRISH!!!!!

Was Falcons/Irish game on TV?


Have to say Saints really panicked today.

Really scared of our European group now looking at how Wasps are playing so far and how we are... :/

I have faith that we will start playing to our capabilities though

Was streamed by Bet365 LT. Decent quality stream as well. Just need an account with at least 1p in it, or alternatively hope that wiziwig are running a stream from the bet365 one.

ChequeredJersey wrote:Really scared of our European group now looking at how Wasps are playing so far and how we are... :/

I have faith that we will start playing to our capabilities though

i do not think Wasps did anything particularly special - but rather Saints imploded. Actually that is unfair, the wasps defence was really dogged which in the end led to Saints panicking and that dreadful interception. Saints were so rattled by that they stopped thinking - and Varndell showed supreme skill.

On first viewing I was screaming that North was offside for the dissallowed try - but having seen the replay I was astonished that the ref and TMO ruled it out.