Aviva Premiership Round 4

After 3 Rounds we see Quins topping the table with the only 100% record, and Falcons at the bottom as the only side yet to win a game. All of last years Play-Off semi finalists are in the bottom half of the table:
(Played, Won, Drawn, Lost, For, Against, BP)

1 Harlequins 3 3 0 0 97 43 1 13
2 Exeter 3 2 0 1 81 66 2 10
3 Bath 3 2 0 1 71 56 1 9
4 Saracens 3 2 0 1 61 52 1 9
5 Sale 3 2 0 1 71 64 1 9
6 Wasps 3 2 0 1 73 73 1 9
7 London Irish 3 1 0 2 67 72 2 6
8 Leicester 3 1 0 2 84 91 2 6
9 Northampton 3 1 0 2 52 64 1 5
10 Gloucester 3 1 0 2 59 76 1 5
11 Worcester 3 1 0 2 31 59 0 4
12 Newcastle 3 0 0 3 50 81 1 1

Sale start this weekends fixtures on ESPN tonight and will expect to add more woes to Saints troublesome start to the season:

Friday, 23 September 2011
Sale v Northampton, 19:45 (Grizzled home pack should ensure another win for Sale)

Saturday, 24 September 2011
Gloucester v Bath, 15:00 (Gloucester to be much improved over last week, and maintain West Country bragging rights)
Leicester v Saracens, 14:30 (Tigers to be fired up, but ultimately sarries will be too strong and record a 3rd win in a row at WR)
London Irish v Newcastle, 15:00 (Falcons looked promising last week but will not threaten LI in Reading)
Worcester v Harlequins, 15:00 (Quins are the form team, and comfortable favourites to win this game. However no away team will enjoy their 80 minutes at Sixways this year - I have a gut feel that Worcester will win this in an armwrestle)

Sunday, 25 September 2011
Exeter v Wasps, 15:00 (Exeter are no longer the surprise package. They are big, tough and play for each other. I expect them to have too much for Wasps)



Post your predictions (and mock mine), team news and any thoughts on Round 4 here.

LT, I'm with you on all of those, except Worcs vs Quins:

Friday, 23 September 2011
Sale v Northampton - close call, but home side just edge it [Saints by less than a score]

Saturday, 24 September 2011
Gloucester v Bath - home success record preserved (what makes Kingsholm such a hard place to go and win?) [Glaws by more than a score]
Leicester v Saracens - the less affected side (by RWC and injury absences) of the two to win [ Sarries by more than a score]
London Irish v Newcastle - Exiles getting into their stride [Exiles by more than a score]
Worcester v Harlequins - Quins with too much class all over the park for Wuss [Quins by more than a score]

Sunday, 25 September 2011
Exeter v Wasps - less comfortable about this one than other, but hopefully Exe will have just enough, great to have Naqer back [Chiefs by less than a score]

LondonTigerI agree with all yours but I think Quins will continue their good form.

On my sportguru I very boldly went for Saracens to beat Leicester by 20. Realistically it won't happen but I am taking a punt.

Leicester are missing too many players for it not to have an impact. Saracen's underrated scrum should get the upperhand against the much depleted Leicester scrum. Borthwick and Botha should give safe and secure ball at the lineout.

If Farrell starts at FH he will kick Leicester to death. If Hodgson starts we might see some tries for both sides.

I hope it is a really exciting game and Saracens throw off the shackles with a MOM performance from Hodgson.

More heart speaking than head.

Realistically it will probably be a kicking contest and arm wrestle with Saracens just about prevailing because they are missing less players.

Can see Irish running in 4 or 5 tries against Newcastle, Ojo to bag a couple.

Quins should win away at Wuss, but we've lost matches that we're tipped to win before!

Other then that though i agree with all your predictions, what are the other live games?

Chiefs vs Wasps is live, I think

https://www.606v2.com/t6249-penfro-s-live-tv-for-the-next-two-months-updated-friday-02-09-2011-1014


Sale/Tigers/Exeter host TV games

Tigers to get a try bonus point in a narrow loss. I think, though it will depend hugely on which Billy Twelvetrees turns up. If the player who could kick everything (ala Wasps game) turns up then it will be close as his range extends into his own half at Welford Rd but if it's the Newcastle kicking vintage it could be a slaughter for the Fez Heads.

I fancy that there may be an upset for Quins, Worcester are quite big in the front five and Quins have a record of struggling against teams that beat them at the set piece. If Andy Foode (I mean Goode...) is at ten then he will offer a tactical plaform for the chunky Worcester front five to work from and it could be a struggle for Quins to get their electric backs into the game.

For televised games, Sale vs Saints is on ESPN tonight and Tigers vs Sarries tomorrow, Sky have Leeds vs Cornish Pirates tomorrow and on Sunday Sky have Exeter vs Wasps.

Sam you think you will breach the Saracens defence 4 times? I know Tigers are the undisputed bonus points champions and rack up bonus points effortlessly but seriously?

Charlie Hodgson's kicking looks stylish but he kicked poorly against Worcester. Missed a sitter. I am very nervous about the game. I'll take any win.

If Tigers put out Ford at 10 then the Tigers team will have a very good attack, George Ford has given great go forward momentum to a very under strength team by simply playing flat and bringing players in around him. His kicking from hand can be a little loose and that will be a concern with our leaky defence but I think Tigers will certainly get a try or two I am feeling unreasonabley optimistic about our attack at the moment, especially as Sarries defence is not close to the brutal efficiency of last year.

I would take any win (3-0 would be fine) but realistically a bonus point or maybe two would be rather nice.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the centre battle with Owen Farrell and Brad Barritt vs Anthony Allen and Billy Twelvetrees.

Charlie Hodgson vs George Ford will also be another interesting one.

I think the Leicester backrow looks better.

The Tigers backrow of Mafi, Woods and Salvi should hopefully prove a menace at the breakdown and with Mafi liking to roam slightly wider and pick off the opposition runners in true PI style I'm hoping they'll be a thorn in your side. Look out for Tom Armes if he comes off the bench he is a ball carrying seven that can cover 6 and 8 and has strength with ball in hand you would not expect (he's not very big). Rumours are he impressed Cockerill quite a bit over pre season and has jumped up the pecking order at the expense of de Carpienter and Pienaar, should be another threat at the breakdown.

Sale v Saints - Saints should win this, but I feel I have been underestimating Sale, so can see them winning by 3.

Glaws v Bath - only one winner, Glaws by 10

Tigers v Sarries - Tigers are missing too many players and WR holds no fear for Sarries. I feel tigers won't even pick up a LBP, Sarries by 9.

Irish v Falcons - The Falcons will be buoyed by their performance against Tigers, but Irish will be too strong and will win by 15.

Wuss v Quins - Sixways is a tough place to go, but Wuss are too one-dimensional. If Quins show the intensity they did against Glaws they'll win by 7.

Chiefs v Wasps - SP is one of the toughest places to go to get a win. Wasps need to start with Davis who is used to the winds at SP to stand a chance. Chiefs by 10.

HKC the toughest place to win by a long way is Kingsholm. When did you last lose a game there?

Hopefully not tomorrow!

Our last loss in the Jeff was back in October 2009, when Wasps thumped us! We lost last year at home to La Rochelle in the Amlin

HKC, what makes it such a tough venue to win at for the oppo, do you think?

It could be a number of reasons. There is a fabled slope to the pitch and the wind does funny things, or it could be the sight of the crazed supporters that puts off the visitors!

Personally, I think it is because Gloucester play with a greater intensity, which is due to a number of reasons. There is still a close link with the players and supporters. It is a working class club and the players know that it takes a lot for the fans to be there and they appreciate and are spurred on by the vociferous chants!

Gloucestershire is very much a rugby county and Gloucester has a long and proud tradition, which again the players are fully aware of. There is definitely a lot of pressure on them to continue that tradition.

I think this partly explains our on-going poor away form. The players need to be so up for the home games that it is only natural to have a lull when going away.

Cheers for that

Any one know what the Wuss team is like? I've read the team sheet but apart from a couple of players don't recognise any of them.

Are they just a forwards based side or do they have danger men out wide?

yappy, Wuss have a strong pack good at the maul, must not the most dynamic. Their back 3 is very fast, but they utilise the crash ball very often with Rasmussen far too often. So JTH will be kept busy. Breaking down their defence will be tough, but you are unlikely to be tested too much in defence yourself. Perry is likely to cause Dickson a few problems as he's a niggly little 9.

First time this season I approach matchday confident of getting a win, which probably means we will end up getting beat!

beshocked wrote: LondonTigerI agree with all yours but I think Quins will continue their good form.

On my sportguru I very boldly went for Saracens to beat Leicester by 20. Realistically it won't happen but I am taking a punt.

Leicester are missing too many players for it not to have an impact. Saracen's underrated scrum should get the upperhand against the much depleted Leicester scrum. Borthwick and Botha should give safe and secure ball at the lineout.

If Farrell starts at FH he will kick Leicester to death. If Hodgson starts we might see some tries for both sides.

I hope it is a really exciting game and Saracens throw off the shackles with a MOM performance from Hodgson.

More heart speaking than head.

Realistically it will probably be a kicking contest and arm wrestle with Saracens just about prevailing because they are missing less players.

Looks like I was right. I am very good at sportguru. Saracens definitely threw off the shackles.

I did tell you that tries would be scored Beschocked. Tigers defence is paper thin at the minute and the only positive is that we look half decent in attack. We've needed a defence coach for a while but still one has not been signed.

Barritt looked every inch an international quality centre, amazing how much better he looks when he gets ball in hand and isn't just asked to crash it. He really flourished being allowed to open up and play.

Glad to hear that Sam. I really rate Barritt as you know.

Was Hodgson good?

Hodgson kept the backline moving and kicked well off of the tee, didn't really do much tactical kicking but why would he bother. George Ford stepped him a couple of times but Ford has been doing that everytime he's been rushed this season (he stepped other Sarries players as well). Hodgson looks a good bit of business and he will improve the more he plays with the team.

You did score 3 tries - 25 points which is pretty good. The positive is you'll be able to get rid of Staunton and you have a young fly half with great potential. Isn't Ford still only 18?

Yep Ford is major positive and ridiculously young for this level. A mature performance well beyond his years with a brilliant break in the second half stepping two Sarries players which was only ruined because no one reacted. Slater was the only player in support and really wasn't going to finish it, had Morris the winger gone with him it was try time.

Tigers are scoring points and looking dangerous but they are just not gelling in defence and Chuter was in the paper and on the radio this morning saying how embarrassed the players were. To many new players who aren't trusting each other in defence and currently some of the starting players aren't Tigers, the level of pride isn't showing.

I'm pleasantly surprised with how well Ford is standing up to the physical demands of first team rugby against sides like Sarries and Exeter. Potential superstar.