Aviva Premiership- Round 2

First topic message reminder :

League Positions:

Saracens 5
Gloucester 4
Leicester 4
Harlequins 4
Bath 4
Worcester 4
Northampton 1
Exeter 1
Wasps 1
Newcastle 0
London Irish 0
Sale 0



Fixtures:

Fri 23rd Oct 15

19:45 Gloucester v Saracens BT Sport
Both teams won last week and both looked impressive. Saracens will look to welcome the rest of their England contingent back to the fold and will be looking to make a real statement of intent this week. Glaws may also see some returnees, certainly no reason why hook should not play given he was around for much of pre-season and did not start for Wales. Following WC heartbreak though surely Greg Laidlaw will have a week off. Whether Hook or 12T is at 10 for the home team, you can be sure that Saracens will be trying to harry them. Really hoping we can see a head to head between Kvesic and Fraser. Also hoping that May is fit to play opposite Ashton.


20:00 Sale v Worcester
After a reasonable pre-season Sale were absolutely mullered by a highly efficient Sarries at the weekend. Steve Diamond will have read the riot act and this really is a must win game for them. Worcester may have surprised even themselves in beating Saints. That win will give them a little breathing space and also the confidence to believe the can travel up the M5/6 and pinch another win.



Sat 24th Oct 15

13:45 Northampton v Newcastle
Two sides who lost at the weekend, when both will have been expecting to win. With Franklin's Gardens being extended, Saints open their home season at Stadium mk and will be desperate to put a very poor performance at Sixways behind them. There was a real lack of ideas from the men in green who seemed to believe that they would just turn up and overpower Worcester. Add in some wonky throwing (and daft penalties) from former skipper Hartley and Saints were never able to impose themselves. Reports suggest that Falcons struggled a little at scrum time and massively at the breakdown - these will need to be addressed if their taleneted back line is not to find itself over-run.


14:00 Wasps v Bath
Wasps lost at the Stoop last week having resisted the urge to rush back their WC players. Looking decent in attack they struggled at the set piece and in defence. Fluidity improved when the replacements, most notably Robson, came on - but that may well have been due to the drop in intensity from Quins. Bath struggled in pre-season and should really have lost for the third time in a month to Exeter last weekend. Poor composure from the Chiefs plus a little Ford magic helped Bath squeak home. They will have to play better this weekend.


18:00 Exeter v London Irish
London Irish have a desperately difficult start to the season, with their most winnable fixture having been last weekend when Tigers came avisiting. Adding that defeat to 3 in pre-season and a visit to Sandy Lane is not what new coach Coventry would have been wanting, especially with Saracens and Bath up next. Both teams lost scrappy encounters that they feel they should have got more from. Exeter made innumerable visits to the Bath 22 leaving pointless far too often, while London Irish dropped the ball unopposed over the line and were held up on a second occasion. Exeter should be too strong and will probably look to involve England returnees Slade (starting rather than from the bench), Parling and Nowell. Exeter should be far too strong, especially if Paice is as wonky with his throwing for a second week.



Sun 25th Oct 15

14:00 Leicester v Harlequins BT Sport
Both teams won at the weekend, though Quins were probably more convincing. Leicester should be stronger this week as they re-integrate WC returnees and players who missed last week with niggles. Harlequins will however travel up to the East Midland firmly believing they can win and keen to put last seasons woeful performance in Friday night rain behind them. Breakdown will be key. Tigers are looking to play a much quicker game this season but that can be easily stemmed if Quins slow down possession. Meanwhile Tigers have to ensure that Quins do not build any offloading momentum. Probably will not be a classic as both teams will need a while to be at full oomph as new players and styles of play are introduced.

To quote Mike Brown at the time "oh sh!t".

formerly known as Sam wrote:To quote Mike Brown at the time "oh sh!t".

Pretty much what I said too, as it looked as if he had sent it straight out over the dead ball line for most of it's flight. The groan from the crowd, especially in Goldsmiths and Caterpillar Met RX stands, followed by the rising cheer emanating from the Crumbie Holland & Barrett was amusing.

I think the television view gave a good indication of the flight. Always looked like it was going to come round. Fair play to Williams on backing his skill level if he'd made a mess of that I don't think Tigers would have had another chance that good.

I'm hoping to see Williams progress under Mauger, the transformation in Bell is already quite impressive. He wasn't playing with that authority last season.

In hindsight we should have just collapsed the maul illegally as the ref wouldn't have done anything. Too clean for our own good, that's us.

yappysnap wrote:In hindsight we should have just collapsed the maul illegally as the ref wouldn't have done anything. Too clean for our own good, that's us.

Well, we could have chosen to roll the maul and created an new illegal maul - as again the ref was not doing anything.

too clean for our own good too

Touché