Press Releases

First topic message reminder :

Post all of your interviews and press releases on here

https://www.606v2.com/t3644-fantasy-aviva-premiership-season-4

QUINS CONTINUE WITH RESHUFFLE

Harlequins this morning completed the signings of Jamie Roberts and Nick Easter from London Wasps. Leaving the club are Rhys Priestland and George Lowe whom have gone in the other direction.

'Getting Jamie and Nick in is something we are pleased about. Jamie gives us a top class centre who can play in a wide variety of positions, and Nick gives us a experienced pro who is available all year round. These two additions we hope will really strengthen us for next season'

' Both the players leaving we are sad to see go but it was the right time. Both players would have had to fit into a rotation and it wasn't something they were willing to do at this point in there careers as both have strong international aspirations.'

London Welsh 26 Nottingham 8

A London Welsh 'A' team took on Nottingham at Nottingham City Ground as part of the City's festival of Sport which will also see Nottingham Forest and Notts County play today.

The Welsh were skippered by Will Welch and saw a number of youngsters given game time.

1.Kieron Davies
2.Damian Varley
3.Werner Kruger
4.Tim Swinson
5.Flip Van Der Merwe
6.Dave Ewers
7.Will Welch (c)
8.Rhys Ruddock

9.Rob Coote
10.Paddy Jackson
11.Lachie Turner
12.Yannick Jauzion
13.Mike Tindall
14.Harry Robinson
15.Seb Visser

Tigers Pre-Season Off to Good Start

Leicester Tigers off started their pre-season campaigns with wins over Saracens and Harlequins. Tigers are on a tour of the Southern Hemisphere, and have played games in both New Zealand and Australia in the last two weeks.  

Manager LukeLovesLuka said "It's been a strong pre-season so far, and the work the guys have been putting in has really impressed me. Intensity in the training we done thus far has been great, and the whole squad is looking forward to our first league game against London Welsh. 

We're looking at making sure most of our senior squad get a start in the pre-season period - with the team I am looking at naming for our next game against London Irish, 30 of our 40 senior players will have started a game by the weekend. 

We've had two great results against two very strong sides in Sarries and Quins, and we're looking to keep that form up against Irish."

IRISH RECORD SECOND PRE-SEASON WIN

London Irish made it two wins from two in the pre-season summer tournament. A 28-24 victory over Harlequins last week was followed up by another 28-24 win over Gloucester. Tries from flanker Steffon Armitage, centre Sireli Naqalevuki and wing Marland Yarde sealed the win, with Nick Evans booting over 13 points.
This week see's Irish take on Leicester, another unbeaten side, with manager stnick hinting he may ring the changes. Fly halves Elton Jantjies and Shane Geraghty are both pushing for a start over Nick Evans. Conrad Smith may also get his first action of the tournament. In the forwards, Marcell Coetzee, Matt Stevens, Hendrie Fourie and Andrew Hore are expected to make their first starts of the summer.

Driver denies Henson talks.

London Welsh chief Driver has today dismissed reports linking the club to rugby's wild child Gavin Henson. Henson who has been without a club since his release from Worcester at the end of the season is keen on a move to the Oxford based club but Welsh have denied talking to him.

The Welsh board have strong ties with the WRU and are keen to find the utility back a club in the hope he can refind his 05 + 08 form and become a handy player for Wales who he's last appearance for was against England is 2011.

Saracens today unveiled new signings Rob Simmons and Dave Wilson at the clubs training ground. Head coach Ozzy3213 told the press that whilst he was very disappointed to lose Graham Kitchener and Ben McCalman, he felt the deal to bring Simmons and Wilson to the club was one that would benefit Saracens in the short and long term.

"Rob (Simmons) is an established international for one of the top 3 sides in world rugby and will bring great physicality and athleticism to our front 5. Whilst Graham (Kitchener) has the potential to do the same in the future, we have to think about the season ahead and Rob is the more complete player at present and we are all looking forward to seeing what he can do. Likewise Dave (Wilson) brings us even more depth to the front row, where we now have 3 full international tightheads to call on through the season. We want to be challenging for trophies again this year, and we are now very close to having the squad that will enable us to do so."

SAINTS KEEN TO BUILD ON 2011/2012 SUCCESS
Saints attack coach Alex King believes that winning the Amlin and LV Cup could be the spark the club needed for a push for the Aviva Premiership title next season.

"Winning our first two trophies last season was an absolutely huge boost for the club and it's shown us the level we need to play at to achieve success.

We were really disappointed with how we played up until February last season and then everything seemed to click into place - Dan Lydiate was a huge signing and helped us really tighten up our defence and we started to play some great attacking rugby.

I think we've made some really astute signings this year, really strengthened our front row and scrummaging options, Matu Matu'u reminds me of Trevor Leota from my Wasps days, and its great that we now have three internationals to select from at both tighthead and loosehead.

It's been great to work with Juan Martin Hernandez, he's going to be very influential in helping George Ford develop and we'll definitely be seeing more of him this year, especially with Juan away with Argentina for the Rugby Championship.

The directors at the club are definitely targeting the league this year and want us to carry on where we left off at the end of last season, where we had 10 wins back to back. Hopefully our attacking style will continue to develop and we will be aiming to bring in one or two new faces before the start of the season to make sure we can challenge from the off."

London Welsh today confirmed the signing of Wales international and 2005 British and Irish Lion Gavin Henson , the deal comes after Driver denied that the club where in talks with the 30 year old fly half

'Obviously yesterday we said that we weren't going to sign Gavin because we couldn't strike a deal with his agent with regards to imaging but Gavin has shown his disire to play rugby again and more specifically for London Welsh by distancing him self from the agent and agreeing a 1 year deal with us , he's a massive talent and in the right environment is still a very good rugby player. He's ability to kick goals from almost any where in the opposition half proved a key point in us signing him as a goal kicking back was high on the agenda.' - Driver

'I'm delighted to have been given this fantastic opportunity to work with the coaching staff at Welsh and can't wait to get stuck into training in the next few days , I'v obviously had some well known issues in the past but i can assure everyone here and in the general rugby public that i'v put that behind me and am a 100% focused on playing rugby and helping London Welsh hit the ground running' - Henson.

SAINTS ACADEMY CONFIRMED:

Northampton Saints have today confirmed their 2012/2013 academy intake, which sees Mikey Haywood, Ben Nutley and George Ford graduate to the full academy. It also welcomes the captains of the Austalian, New Zealand and South African under 20 teams into the squad, as well as the capture of Mark Bennett, a very highly rated Scottish centre from Clermont Avernge.

There are high hopes that several more academy players will see first team action this season, after the breakthrough of Joe Launchbury, Christian Wade and Sam Cane. The season also sees three academy players gaining experience on loan, with Elliot Daly at Gloucester and Liam Gill and Jack Wallace at Wasps.

HK Mikey Haywood (E) -
PR Henry Thomas (E)
PR Mako Vunipola (E)
PR Sebastien Taofifenua (France)
LK/FL Joe Launchbury (E) -
FL Jackson Wray (E) -
OS Liam Gill (Aus) -
FL Sam Cane (NZ) -
FL Ben Nutley (E) -
FL Wian Liebenberg (SA)
SH Bryn Hall (NZ)
WG/CE Tomasso Benvenuti (Italy)
WG Christian Wade (E)
WG/FB Jack Wallace (E)
HK/BR Nick Walker (E) -
FL Steve Uren (E) -
No8 Billy Vunipola (E) -
FH George Ford (E)
CE Elliot Daly (E)
CE Mark Bennett (Scotland)

Saints Junior Academy - (born after 1st September 1992)

PR Danny Herriet (E)
PR Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi - England u18s.
SH Alex Day (E) -
CE Tom Stephenson (E) -
WG Jamie Elliott (E) -
Sam Olver - England u18s
Howard Packman - England u18s.

At a press conference this lunchtime London Welsh unvieled former Saracens man Ozzy3213 as their new head coach. The massed media naturally had a raft of questions due to the surprise nature of the announcement, which the new head coach gave honest answers to.

"I know it has come as a surprise to many that I have left Saracens after four years, but there were a number of factors behind the decision. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time there, but it became clear through the summer that the vision that I had for the club going forwards was not the same as that of (chairman) Nigel Wray. We spoke at length on a number of occasions and ultimately I had to say to him that it may be best if he looked for a new head coach, which he has been doing for the past few weeks. Once he informed me that he had somebody in position to take over, I made it known in rugby circles that I was available. I had a number of offers both at home and abroad, but the challenge of coming here excited me, and I am looking forward to getting stuck into making this club a great one."

He was then asked how the situation has arisen whereby a number of Saracens players have followed him to London Welsh.

"When signing for the club all players were given a clause in their contract whereby they could cancel their contract if there was a change of management. When I spoke to the players to tell them that they were leaving a number indicated that they wanted to invoke that clause and come with me. I spoke to (London Welsh chairman) Bleddyn (Williams) about the financial implications and whether their was room in the budget for those players, and as a result we have a current senior squad of 40 players here now, a number of which are ex Saracens."

Asked what his target for the coming season was he simply stated

"Try to win every game, it's the only way I know how to play."

QUINS ADD FINAL PIECE TO JIGSAW

Harlequins have announced the signing of 32 year old former England captain Steve Borthwick, who has joined the club this week from London Welsh. The Lock forward, who has 57 caps fro his country, fills a gap in the squad which boss Steven_Sharks felt he needed to fill.

' Signing Steve gives us two things I think we required. Firstly he gives us a real lineout expert, capable of controlling our own ball and dismantling opposition lineouts which I felt we needed. Secondly, he can help us in a position where we have two youngsters in Gaskell and Pyle, who will learn from the vast experience of Steve along with Bakkies Botha and Jerome Thion'

This is likely to be the last action from Quins in this window, although apparently they may still be keen to sign a TH prop should one become availible.

Saracens today announced at there training ground that the man to take the reigns from parting coach Ozzy is London Welsh Director of rugby Driver. Driver met up with Saracens chairman Nigel Wray earlier in the week and a deal was thrashed out and sharply signed which sees Driver take charge against Harlequins this week ahead of a inter club game next week.

Press Conference

Reporter: Firstly congrats on taking on one of the biggest jobs in world rugby , are the finger nails being chewed to bits or is it like a honey moon period?

Driver: I'd be lying if i said i wasn't nervous in a new job your aim is to impress and give it your all and speaking to the players at the club they feel the same way and want to hit the ground running. Nigel Wray has been fantastic since i took the role and has ensured me there is cash to splash in the market should we need it and we're all very excited about moving into the new stadium around xmas time.

Reporter: Joe Van Niekerk is club captain and something of a cult hero around this neck of the woods , will he retain the role and duties with candidates such as Lionel Nallet , John Smit , James Hudson , Phil Dowson , Yannick Jauzion and Mark Cueto able to fill the role?

Driver: Big Joe has done a great job in the role and will continue in it for this weeks game against Quins , beyond this me and the coaching staff will look to establish a leadership group of core players and from there on we will name the skipper.

Reporter: What attracted you to Saracens? The Culture or the coin?

Driver: It's not everyday you get the chance to take charge of one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and the chance to compete at the top is a strong lure and the European cup is a massive challenge and i eagerly await our opener against Toulouse.

Reporter: What's the Saracens aim for this season?

Driver: Win as many games as we can and with that the success will come to a club which already has the foundations in place to do so.

Saints gamble on Bonnaire

Northampton Saints last night announced the capture of former France international Julien Bonnaire and stated it would be the club's last signing of the summer.

Dammit Chris was delighted with the signing and stated "Our plans were to always find a lineout specialist to bring to the club, we spent the first few months of the summer improving our front row options and then we got the chance to bring Julien to the club.

We had the chance to sign one or two locks who would improve our lineout, but with Julien he brings a wealth of experience and for a young squad that will be invaluable. The likes of James Craig, Calum Clark, Sam Cane and Courtney Lawes are going to learn so much from him.

Obviously at 34 he will not be playing every game, but we will make sure we get him involved in the big games and I fully expect him to make his debut in the first game of the season away to Newcastle where his lineout play could make a huge difference for us.

That's going to be the marker for our whole season, Newcastle have got a fantastic home record and we want to be the first club to win away at their ground for many years and are fully confident we can do that".

The Rugby Paper hailed the signing as "a great bit of business for the club" and highlighted the problems that Saints had in the lineout last year and said that Bonnaire "could make all the difference". The question remains how many games Bonnaire will be able to play.

Saints edge Stade Francais in Paris

Continuing their pre-season build up Northampton Saints last night beat Stade Francais in Paris to cap a memorable night for captain Sergio Parisse. The match also saw Julien Bonnaire make his debut for the green and golds, and a late Christian Wade try saw the English side come out 34-26 winners.

The match seemed to give an indication about the midfield that Saints would put out against Newcastle Falcons, with Christian Wade a possible starter.

Saints Team:

1. Domingo 2. Webber 3. Thomas 4. Davies 5. Wyn-Jones 6. Launchbury 7. Bonnaire 8. Parisse 9. Harrison 10. Giteau 11. Wade 12. Fofana 13. Tuilagi 14. Benvenutti 15. Halfpenny

QUINS SQUAD ANNOUNCED FOR WASPS OPENER

Harlequins have named there squad for the opening game v London Wasps. The squad is provisional and players not involved in the Rugby Championship might be added if not selected for there nations. The squad is heading to Ireland for a training camp this weekend to prepare for what is a huge clash. Steven Sharks had this to say

' We need to start the season off well. We have Wasps away which will be tough but then we have two home games v London Welsh and Sale, and we know we need to win our home games in this league. They are your bread and butter. What you pick up away from home is important but Home games really are what decide the fate of your season'

Squad

Forwards: Joe Marler, Wyatt Crockett/Tony Woodcock/Ben Franks, John Afoa, Kieran Brookes, Schalk Brits, Matthew Rees, Bakkies Botha, Jerome Thion, Steve Borthwick, James Gaskell, Tom Wood, Sam Warburton (C), Dave Denton, Nick Easter, Carl Fearns

Backs: Lee Dickson (VC), Karl Dickson, Greg Laidlaw, Freddie Burns, Jamie Roberts, Felipe Contepomi, Jonathan Joseph, Florian Fritz, Yoann Huget, Tom Biggs, Taku Ngwenya, Luke Morahan, Rob Kearney

Those players not involved in this squad will be at home to Esher as there final preparation for the A league season, and to keep the senior players not involved on the opening day match fit.

1. Will Collier
2. Rob Hawkins
3. Kyle Sinckler
4. George Kruis
5. Hugh Pyle
6. Jamie Gibson
7. Chris Henry (c)
8. Sam Jones
9. Ryan Glynn
10. Ihaia West
11. Joe Rokocoko
12. Jan Serfontein
13. Johann Sadie
14. Anders Mogensen
15. Ross Chisholm

Saracens announce team for London Irish opener at Twickenham along with Captain appointment.


Saracens today released there squad for the season opener against London Irish which see's Joe Van Nikirk confirmed as club captain for the season ahead. Saracens have left out establised internationals Ronan O'Gara and Mike Tindall as well as up and coming stars in the back row Rhys Rudduck and Rapheal Lakafia.

Forwards; Joe Van Nikirk (C) Matt Mullen , Max Lahiff , Hika Elliot , George Chuter , John Smit , Ben Tameifuna , Hoani Tui , Bryn Evans , Ali Williams , Lionel Nallet , Alessandro Zanni , Ross Rennie , Luke Narraway , Phil Dowson.

Backs; Lloyd Williams , Paul Hodgson , Francois Trinh-Duc , Paddy Jackson , Yannick Jauzion , Henry Trinder , Chris Bell , Tim Visser , Mark Cueto , Adam Thompstone , Lachie Turner , Rory Lamount , Tom Catterick.


The players left out will feature in a friendly game against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park which will see former Chiefs star O'Gara skipper the side.

1.Efion Lewis Roberts
2.Scott Spurling
3.Phil Swainstone
4.Tim Swinson
5.James Hudson
6.Rhys Rudduck
7.Shane Jennings
8.George Smith

9.Dewaldt Duvenage
10.Ronan O'Gara (C)
11.Harry Robinson
12.Mike Tindall
13.Nick Tompkins
14.Josh Sharp
15.Sep Visser

ELSOM DEBUTS IN IRISH FRIENDLY WIN

After finishing 4th in the Summer Cup, London Irish travelled to Newport to face the Dragons. Manager stnick took a strong squad with him, including plenty of young faces and new signing Rocky Elsom.

1. Grant Shiells
2. James Buckland
3. Brok Harris
4. Matt Garvey
5. Stuart Hooper
6. Rocky Elsom
7. Hendrie Fourie
8. Sione Kalamafoni
9. Jack Moates
10. Elton Jantjies
11. Marland Yarde
12. Sireli Naqalevuki
13. Max Evans
14. Bjorn Basson
15. Anthony Watson

Newport started the stronger and led 10-3 after 25 minutes, but Irish power shone through and tries from new boy Elsom and Marland Yarde gave Irish a 15-10 half time lead. In the second half, Bjorn Basson and Sione Kalafamoni crossed the try line to put the result beyond doubt. A late try a piece, Naqalevuki crossing for the Exiles, gave a final score of 34-18.

Leciester Tigers today completed their pre-season with a 27 - 21 victory over Irish side Leinster at Welford Road.

The teams were:

Leicester Tigers

01. Andrew Sheridan	09. Dimitri Yachvili
02. Sebastian Bruno	10. Jonny Wilkinson (k)
03. Dan Cole
04. Pascal Pape	11. Ugo Monye
05. James Horwill (c)	12. Maxime Mermoz
06. Sean O'Brien	13. Brian O'Driscoll
07. Francois Louw	14. Vincent Clerc
08. Thomas Waldrom	15. Isa Nacewa

16. Gethin Jenkins 17. Tom Youngs 18. Brian Mujati 19. Simon Shaw 20. Tom Croft 21. Michael Claasens 22. Billy Twelvetrees 23. Dom Waldouck


Leinster Rugby

01. Cian Healy	09. Issac Boss
02. Richardt Strauss	10. Johnny Sexton
03. Mike Ross
04. Leo Cullen	11. David Kearney
05. Brad Thorn	12. Fergus McFadden
06. Kevin McLaughlin	13. Eoin O'Malley
07. Shane Jennings	14. Luke Fitzgerald
08. Jamie Heaslip	15. Rob Kearney

16. Heinke Van Der Merwe 17. Sean Cronin 18. Nathin White 19. Devin Toner 20. Dominic Ryan 21. Eoin Reddan 22. Ian Madigan 23. Gordon D'Arcy


Reaction:

Leicester Tigers named new signings Maxime Mermoz and Dom Waldouck in their 23 man squad against Leinster, with Mermoz starting alongside Brian O'Driscoll at centre which looks a mouthwatering partnership. Manager LukeLovesLuka had this to say about his new recruits:

"It's not been a secret that i've been looking to strengthen our competition for places at centre, and I am delighted to finally see Maxime and Dom in our squad. The negotiationing actually started back in early July, and it was a long drawn out process.
But i'm delighted to have two top players to call upon. Losing Rob (Miller) and Casey (Laulala) was a tough decision to make, and we wish both success in their new start at Bath."

There were rumours going around messageboards this evening that this 23 is the one Tigers will put out against London Welsh next week in the return of Aviva Premiership, but LukeLovesLuka was playing his cards close to his chest:

"We'll name the team early next week as always. I've put out a different side every single week in the Summer Tournament in an effort to trial new combo's and get all of the squad ready for what is sure to be another gruelling season."

Think you stole the wrong team sheet Luke

Lol

London Welsh head coach Ozzy3213 spoke to the press today ahead of his sides first Premiership game at the weekend, against Leicester Tigers.

"The players are all buzzing for what will be a great occasion for the club, and there is a determination to do well for the fans. The game is now completely sold out, and playing in front of a packed, and passionate home crowd will be fantastic for us as we look to get the season started in a positive fashion. Tigers will be a massive challenge for us, they finished in the play offs last season, and have a strong squad to call upon, but we have a quality set off players here as well, and will be looking at winning the key battles out there to ensure that the result goes our way."


Asked about what he saw as being the key battles Ozzy3213 said this;-

"The gainline is all important in the modern game. In attack if you can get across it and either keep the ball alive or recycle quickly, then you really put yourself on the front foot and give yourself every chance of scoring points. Likewise defensively, if you can win the collisions and force the ball carrier back you put yourself on the front foot to either secure a turnover or win the penalty. Ultimately there is more than one way of doing things, but it's an area of the game that we have a real focus on, and will be looking to impose ourselves on Leicester.


Asked about squad movements Ozzy3213 confirmed that Tom Casson, Ben Kayser and James Downey had been released by the club, with Jon Fisher having joined on a 3 year deal, and Mauri Fa'asavalu and Ross Chisholm having arrived on loan. He also confirmed that the club were in talks with Natal Sharks about winger Louis Ludik, and that he was hopeful of completing that deal in the next 24 hours. When asked if there were any other signings on the horizon his reponse was that if the right player became available then the club would be in for them, but players would not be coming in for the sake of having numbers.

Asked for predictions on how the match with Leicester Tigers would go, and how London Welsh's season was likely to pan out he responded by saying;-

"This weeks game will be tough, but we are at home, and that is a positive straight away. Ultimately we will have to see what happens on the pitch, and I expect that it will be a typical early season affair with two fired up sides wanting to get off to a good start. As far as the season as a whole goes, we know that there are 12 very good sides including us in this league, so it will come down to who takes their chances and builds momentum at the right time. We have players in this squad who have experience of doing those things with Saracens, and hopefully that will be something that is useful to us as the season progresses. We want to be the best that we can, and will be doing everything possible to create a real legacy at what is a proud rugby club."

'ARRY EXCITED AHEAD OF OPENING FIXTURE

London Wasps head coach 'Arry spoke of his excitement ahead of his sides opening AP game against Harlequins at Adams Park this week.

'I'm very excited about the new season, everyone is brimming with excitement and anticipation and I cannot wait for that first whistle to go to signal the start of our competitive season. All the boys have been brilliant throughout pre season, we feel that we are a very close and tightly knit group now that are brimming with confidence and excitement. All the new players have settled in fantastically and they are eager to get stuck in.'

'Quins are a quality side, I have the utmost respect for them and they have one very good coach in Steven. They have recruited really well in the off season and I fully expect them to be up at the top of the table challenging for silverware. That's where we want to be, we feel that if we can get off to a good start this season we have every chance of doing it. It will be a big challenge playing Harlequins but we feel that we have the quality, belief and desire to get off to a winning start. The lads have trained really well and are thoroughly looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead.'

'It will be a very physical encounter, they have some big lads but so do we. We have plenty of carriers, the forward battle is going to be relentless and extremely intense. We will look to really take it to them and start as we mean to go on. We feel that our backline has really improved we have added some quality individuals who are winners and players with real desire and hunger for success. All of us here at Wasps cannot wait to get started, hopefully we can get off to the best possible start with a win against Harlequins.'

QUINS SIGN WELCH AND PRE MATCH PRESS CONFERRENCE

Q: First up, How did the signing of Welch come about

Well, Ozzy at London Welsh is in the process of rebuilding after his recent move, and it came to our attention the Will Welch would be available for less than we consider his true value, and EQ back rows with his potential don't come about to often, so we felt we had to take the plunge.

Q: Is that your summer business complete?

He and Mako Vunipola, who we got in on loan from Saints, are the last two signings I expect to make, although you never quite know in this league. We are happy with our summer signings. We have signed what we consider to be some world class players as well as some excellent young talent.

Q: Which summer signing are you most excited about?

Well Bakkies Botha, Tom Wood, Ben Franks and Jamie Roberts might be considered to be our 'Marquee' signings, but the guys I'm most excited about are Jan Serfontein and Chris Feauai-Sautia, who are in my mind the two most exciting young backs in world. To get these guys on long term contracts is a great bit of business and hopefully sets us up well for the future.

Q: Your first game is this weekend against London Wasps? What challenges do you expect to face?

Well, the first challenge we face is beating the side in front of us, which we know will be well drilled and solid as it has been coached by Arry. But we also have to quiet down the Home crowd which will be baiting for us in a local derby on the first day of the season.

Q: Do you feel adequately prepared?

Yes, we have had some great preparation and are fully ready to execute the game plan which we feel will enable us to beat London Wasps. We have a physical pack and an exciting back line which can score tries and play a brand of rugby which allows us to both win and entertain.

Q:Do you have any predictions for the season ahead?

Well, I expect Newcastle, Gloucester and Leicester to be there or thereabouts, and hopefully we will be able to push them all the way and get into the top 4. It will also be very very tight in the middle of the league as usual, with there being very little between being the bottom and top of the league.

SAINTS EYE MAJOR TROPHY - pre match press conference with Northampton Saints Manager Dammit Chris

Q. How do you rate your chances for this season?

Each season we look to improve and we won two trophies last year, so we will certainly be eyeing some silverware in 2012/2013. I will be the first to admit that I have been disappointed with our league performance over the last few seasons, we just haven't been consistent enough. We will be looking to address that this year.

With the additions we've made in the Summer, especially to the front row, I am certain that this will be a big season for the club.

Q. Can we take that to mean you are prioritising the league?

We will go out to win every game we play and will see where that takes us. Our squad can certainly compete for the title and I will be looking to see which of our academy players steps up this year and will be giving quite a few a taste of first team action.

Q. Which youth players in particular?

We've put half the academy out on loan this year to try and get them some first team experience, but I wanted to ensure that guys like Joe Launchbury and Christian Wade were available to me from the off. I'm genuinely excited that our academy snapped up Mark Bennett from Clermont, he's one of the most exciting prospects to come out of Scottish rugby in decades.

Q. Why have you signed Julien Bonnaire?

He's a quality backrow forward and at times last season we struggled against some teams in the lineout, Julien will help us to address that as he's still one of the best lineout technicians in the game.

Q. How much will George Ford feature?

I don;t like to place too much pressure on the young lad, but to me he's going to play a very important role for Saints in the years to come. He's one of the best players I have coached and in terms of talent he has the world at his feet. We just have to make sure he fulfills that talent at this rugby club.

Q. Who are the main threats this season?

The Premiership has got to the stage where every team can pretty much beat any other team, so I wont single out any team especially. We just have to make sure our team continues to play the type of rugby we played at the end of last season, we went ten games unbeaten and scored over forty tries in those games, if we play like that then we are in with as good a chance as any.

'ARRY TAKES POSITIVES OUT OF GAME OF MISSED OPPURTUNITIES

London Wasps head coach 'Arry gave his thoughts on his sides 22–25 opening day defeat at the hands of local rivals Harlequins in their Premiership opener.

'Obviously it’s disappointing to lose your opening fixture, what's more disappointing and quite frustrating is that we played well and had chances to win the game that we couldn't take. Perhaps at times we became too eager and lost our composure.'

'Rhys nailed all four of his penalties superbly, but just couldn't convert the tries we scored. They were difficult kicks right out on the touchline, he's frustrated at himself for missing them. I've told him to focus on the positive aspects of his performance, of which there are plenty.'

'We did play some really nice stuff with the ball in hand, Brads try was really well worked, we strung together several phases of quick ball and managed to create gaps which eventually Brad went through to score.'

'There were other occasions where we made silly unforced errors when we were deep in Quins territory, which is something we will look to improve upon.'

'Had we converted these opportunities on offer, we would've won but that’s rugby for you. Our forwards showed what they are capable of - Marcos try was not one for the purists, it showed that we’re gritty and determined.'

'We'll learn from the errors we made and look to iron out the creases. We did play well and the guys know that. We look forward to next week and the challenge that lies ahead.'

Sale Sharks are delighted to announce the signing of prop Vasil Kakovin.

Kakovin has been a standout in the Top 14 after returning from the Rugby World Cup last season for Brive. His great form saw him named in the Midi Olympique team of the half season and saw European power houses Toulouse, Toulon and Clermount battle it out with Sale to buy his contract out at Brive.

Kakovin will bring a distinctly Georgian look to the Sale front row linking up with international team mate Davit Zirakishvilli at scrum time.
Manager SJE had this to say about his new signing;

“We have been monitoring Vasil over the last year and are delighted to wrap up our summer dealings with his signing. Kakovin, like all Georgian props, brings a great scrummaging game and fantastic work ethic. He’s a very mobile boy and has soft hands for a big lad so we are really looking forward to getting him into the fray.

Mallinder delight at Saints win

Northampton Saints assistant manager Jim Mallinder spoke of his delight after securing an away win against Gloucester in the opening game of the season.

"Gloucester is a tough place to come and get a victory, so of course I am delighted that we came away with a win. I thought at times are attacking play was up there with the best I've seen during my time at the club.

Chris Ashton will obviously get the plaudits for his hattrick, but the forwards put in a tremendous shift for the full eighty minutes and we managed to stop Richie Grey getting over the gainline, which we had set out to do from the off. Dan Lydiate was fantastic in defence, nothing got through him.

It looks like he has taken a slight knock, so we will see how he goes on this week before we name the team for the visit of the Falcons. After beating Gloucester we are going into next week's game full of confidence and aim to make Franklins Gardens a very tough place for any visiting team."

It is expected that Northampton Saints will play the same side next weekend, although the appearances in the second half by Joe Launchbury and Julien Bonnaire will see both push for a starting place.

London Welsh head coach Ozzy3213 today confirmed that South Africans Louis Ludik and Richie Palframan had joined the club last week from the Natal Sharks, along with James Hanks who joins from Gloucester. He also announced that a deal had been struck on Sunday morning which has seen Northampton Saints winger Christian Wade join the club on loan.

"Louis (Ludik) and Christian (Wade) are both exciting attacking players and I am really pleased to have them both here and available for selection this weekend. At times against Leicester Tigers we managed to secure good ball up front, but just didn't quite have the ability to finish things off. The league looks like it will be pretty tight this season, and if we can find a way to come out on top in tight games, then we can put ourself in a decent position to compete. Hopefully these guys will help us to be able to do that.

In the same vein, as the season goes on everyone is going to need depth in their squads, and James (Hanks) and Richie (Palframan) give us that up front. We've alreayd picked up some knocks on Saturday, and will be without Brett Sturgess, Tom Johnson and Tomas O'Leary for a few weeks as a result, and with eight players currently away on international duty as well, it is important that we have the quality int he squad to deal with those sort of losses.

We are still actively looking at players who we think can improve us, both on short and long term deals, and we may be announcing some more activity in the transfer market soon."

Ozzy3213 declined to comment further on specific names that might be in the frame, and when asked about his sides result at the weekend, he simply said that the squad were hurt by the narrow defeat and would be working even harder during the week to make sure that Welsh were prepared for the challenges presented by facing Harlequins this week.

London Welsh this evening have announced on their website that Scotland and Lions lock Nathan Hines has joined the club on a short term from Leicester Tigers, with academy hooker Christopher Tolofua moving the Welford Road on loan for the same period.

They also announce that Tongan international forward Sione Kalamafoni has joined the club on 2 year contract from London Irish, with Johnnie Beattie leaving to join Top 14 side Montpellier.

A club statement read as follows.

"We are pleased to announce that Nathan Hines will be joining the club on a 5 week loan deal to cover the the period of the Rugby Championship. His registration was confirmed earlier today and he met with his team mates this afternoon. He will begin training tomorrow and may be in line for selection to face Harlequins this weekend.

Also joining the club is Sione Kalamafoni. We are excited to see what the powerful Tongan can bring to London Welsh, and he too will be available for selection this weekend. Johnnie Beattie, who has been in talks with Montpellier for some time, has left the club for France, and we would like to wish him every success in the next stage of his career."

Saracens 'A' team to play Dragons


1.Efion Lewis Roberts
2.John Smit
3.Hoani Tui
4.Bryn Evans (c)
5.Tom Jubb
6.Phil Dowson
7.Shane Jennings
8.Rapheal Lakafia

9.Dewaldt Duvenage
10.Paddy Jackson
11.Harry Robinson
12.Ian Humphries
13.Sep Visser
14.Lachie Turner
15.Tom Catterick

Saracens release the team to play Leicester Tigers.

Saracens
Manager – Driver

01.Matt Mullen	09.Jean-Marc Doussain
02.George Chuter	10.Francois Trinh-Duc (K)
03.Craig Mitchell
04.Lionel Nallet	11.Tim Visser
05.Ali Williams	12.Yannick Jauzion
06.Joe Van Nikirk(c)	13.Chris Bell
07.Ross Rennie	14.Mark Cueto
08.Luke Narraway	15.Rory Lamount

16.John Smit 17.Max Lahiff 18.Phil Swainstone 18.Tim Swinson 19.Luke Narraway 20.Paul Hodgson 21.Paddy Jackson 22.Adam Thompstone

EXILES BOSS DELIGHTED WITH 100% START

London Irish head coach Stnick has expressed his delight at his sides good start to the season. The Exiles currently sit top of the table after 2 games, this weekend recording an impressive win against Gloucester at the Madejski Stadium. Young flyer Marland Yarde twice crossed the line to score, with Julien Dupuy sniping over to add to a close range effort from hooker Maa Motu'u. Irish travel to Wasps this weekend where they will look to continue there good form and make it 3 from 3.

Reports are arising that injury concerns over Rocky Elsom may hinder his future at the club. After playing at 6 against Saracens last week, Elsom did not feature against Gloucester, with Jerome Kaino picked at blindside and Hendrie Fourie covering the backrow on the bench. Although no official reports have been confirmed by Irish, it appears Elsoms Exiles career may be cut short.

QUINS 2 FROM 2]

Harlequins have made a 'competitive' start according to their boss Steven Sharks, who whilst delighted at two wins, has stressed there are areas which required improvement.

'Shipping 22 points at home is not on. I want to get that Points Against column looking a lot healthier in the very near future. Defence wins leagues so we need to improve.

In attack we were clinical and played some excellent stuff. We played to our game plan and at time we were unplayable, but for too long in the game London Welsh looked the more threatening and that is something that can't happen at the Twickenham Stoop

We have a chance to resolve this against Sale next week, and we are hoping to make it 3 from 3. We must win our home games and see what we can get away from HQ'

In other news Jamie Gibson has followed Ross Chisholm out on loan, with the 21 year old signing for Bath in the hope that he will see some first team action.

'Jamie is an exceptionally talented backrow forward, but we have a lot of competition in this position. With Sam Warburton, Tom Wood, Michael Hooper, Carl Fearns, Chris Henry and Dave Denton who can play on the flanks and Jamie will be limited to occasional appearances on the bench, whereas at Bath we hope he will see a bit more game time throughout the international period'

'ARRY HOPES VICTORY WILL KICK START SEASON

London Wasps head coach 'Arry gave his thoughts at a press conference after his side recorded their first victory of the competitive season against local rivals London Irish at Adams Park.

'I'm really pleased with the victory today, we played really well and fully deserved to come out on top. To beat an in form London Irish side you have to be on top of your game and the lads were today, every one of them played superbly. We fronted up physically and really took the game to them, our forwards carried superbly and set out a platform for the backs to attack from. We were patient and kept our composure in attack which is something we worked hard on in training.'

'We scored three good tries. Two were from some lovely flowing rugby. Ben's was after several phases of carrying from the pack which topped off a great performance from him. Our set piece work was solid, our lineout functioned really well and it was an all round good performance. Hopefully this victory will kick start our season, we came close to winning in our previous two matches before this one and we're happy to have won today. We look forward to next week away at Gloucester, it'll be a tough encounter, but we will go there looking to attack them and win.'

Tigers Roar To The Top

Leicester Tigers manager has spoken of his delight over Tigers' start to the season. Top of the table Tigers have been in sensational form thus far, with three wins out of three - and two away wins already under their belt.

LukeLovesLuka said "it's been a good start for us, sure. With this league as competitive as it is, home wins are a necessity and away points a rare comodity. To have secured two wins away - to London Welsh and Sarries - has really set us in good stead.

I believe we only won two away games all last season and finished in the playoffs, so to have those two wins tucked away already is a big bonus for us. The league is going to be very tight this year. Beyond Newcastle and maybe Gloucester, there are probably 6 teams in with a hunt of securing a playoff spot, and our whole squad is focused on the season ahead as we aim to repeat, if not better, last season's finish."

On player form and injury news, LukeLovesLuka added "Losing Maxime (Mermoz) and Thomas (Waldrom) in particular was a bit of a blow so early on in the season, but they shouldn't be out for too many more weeks. Ernst (Joubert) has taken on the responsibility in our back row as I expected him to, and some of his work alongside Sean (O'Brien) so far has been wonderful.

Jonny (Wilkinson) is in great form. You always know that he will kick you the goals - I think he has 40 points for us already - but his all round game is excellent. His partnership with Dimitri (Yachvili) is controlling games for us which really gives us the edge"

And on Tigers' next game at home to Quins, LukeLovesLuka said "Quins are a good team. They have had as good a start as us, and we need to be firing on all cylinders. When we play at Welford Road, there is an air of confidence about the players - they know how powerful they are at home, and winning is the only option. It will be a great game, and we'll be giving our all to stay top of the table."

QUINS FACING HUGE CHALLENGE

Harlequins made it 3 from 3 this weekend, with a victory over a very strong Sale Sharks side. The game was a tight affair with Greig Laidlaw's boot eventually proving the difference between the two sides. This weekend see's Quins head to Welford Road to take on Play-off favorites Leicester Tiger's.

'They are favorites, but we are comfortable in the tag of underdog's. Going to Leicester is always tough, but we have 3 wins and feel we can take the game to Leicester and get what for us would be a huge win'

Harlequins are expected to make one or two changes with a side expected to be named on Wednesday. Rumours are rife that Karl Dickson, Carl Fearns and Freddie Burns are lined up for their first starts of the season for Harlequins.

IRISH MIDFIELD SPOTS UP FOR GRABS

London Irish boss stnick has admitted a selection headache for this weekends visit of Bath. Since the injury to Luke McAllister after the opening win over Saracens and the departure of Conrad Smith to the Rugby Championship, Irish have fielded two different midfields with Naqalevuki and Bastereaud both playing 12, partnering Max Evans at 13. Naqalevuki put in a fine shift in the win over Gloucester in Round 2 but failed a late fitness test and was replaced by Bastereaud in the lineup to face Wasps. Bastereaud and Evans failed to get the better of their opponents Barrett and Pisi which has left stnick with a selection dilemma for Saturdays big game.
'In training this week, Sailosi Tagicakibau has been playing at 12 and JP Pieterson at 13. JP has played at 13 before in his career and could line up outside the fully recovered Sireli Naqalevuki. Alternatively, Max Evans could play outside Tagicakibau. We have been trying different combo's and will pick what we feel will be most beneficial against a strong Bath midfield. I tried big Bast at 12 against Wasps which to be honest didnt come off. He is a better 13 and is more comfortable there but I prefer to play him with a creative 12 like McAllister or Geraghty.'

At London Welsh's weekly press afternoon head coach Ozzy3213 spoke this week about the teams start to their first ever Premiership season.

"It's been tough, but we knew that it would be before we started. The fixture computer could have been a fair bit kinder to us, but it is it what it is, and on the positive side we have picked up a point in each of our four games. We have run the league leaders (Leicester Tigers) and current champions (Newcastle Falcons) close, and we have to build on that as we go forwards. There is no panic amongst the coaching staff or players, but we know that it is important that we get that first win sooner rather than later.

This week we face a tough challenge from Gloucester, who were a side that I always enjoyed locking horns with when I was in charge at Saracens. They like to come with a big powerful pack and really wear you down up front, before getting their backs into the game and exploiting any gaps they've created. What you have to do is ensure that you don't let their pack dominate you physically, and I have confidence with the players that we have here, that it's and area in which we can most certainly compete with them.

The weather conditions look good for some attacking rugby, and we have another sell out crowd heading to the Kassam, so hopefully we can send them home in good spirits having seen some entertaining rugby, and also us picking up our first win of the season."

Ozzy3213 refused to be drawn into commenting on Saracens early season form stressing that he was certain that Nigel Wray and Driver would have the club moving in the right direction in due course.

Saracen's boss Driver today reiterated his faith in his Saracens squad that results would come there way sooner rather than later. Saracens have lost to London Irish , Sale Sharks , Leicester Tigers and Newcastle Falcons but have put in some optimistic performances and with Jannie Du Plessie , Flip Van Der Merwe ,Ma'a Nonu and Ben Smith set to return from RC in the next few weeks the future is looking bright.

I'll not beat around the bush , we've started poorly on paper but on the pitch signs are encouraging , we've had a lot of continuallity in squad with regards to selection but there are guys pushing around the fringes all the time and it's getting harder to pick a team.

Tim Visser from our point of view has been the best back 3 player in the league so far this season and is in razor sharp form banging trys in for fun so the backs are playing some quality stuff just not getting the clean ball which they need

Saints record second BP win in a row

Northampton Saints have continued their impressive try scoring record from last season with a second consecutive try scoring bonus point against London Wasps. A brace from in form wing Chris Ashton and a second in two games by Joe Simpson were capped with a fine individual effort from the giant Tongan Sona Taumalolo.

"Obviously I am delighted with the team, to score four tries against a very strong defensive team like Wasps is a great achievement and not many teams will do that this season" stated Dammit Chris.

"There is still room for improvement in some areas, I'm obviously pleased with our attacking options, but to beat Irish next week we are going to have to make sure we clear the breakdown area that bit quicker and due to the intensity of the last few weeks I expect that there will be a couple of changes to the team, especially with Bradley Davies getting through an 'A' League game this morning".

There is mounting speculation that Danny Cipriani and Alyn Wyn Jones could soon be leaving the club. A Saints spokesman declined to comment.

London Welsh head coach Ozzy3213 spoke today at the clubs training ground about a desire to build on the teams first win of the season, a 26-19 victory over Gloucester last weekend.

"Look, I was absolutely delighted with the performance of the team, and the result, against what was a tough Gloucester side, with some world class players in it, but it's done now, and we need to focus on improving every week going forwards. We also have to be flexible in our approach, as what worked against Gloucester in good conditions may not necessarily be what is going to work against Saracens this week, in what looks likely to be a wet weather match."

Asked whether or not that meant there would be changes to side this week, Ozzy3213 responded;-

"We've not decided on our line up yet, but we will pick a side that we think can go out and win the game. Continuity of selection is important, as is ensuring that players get enough rest to remain fresh through a long season. We also have to look at the skill sets of players and work out what is going to suit us best for this particular match. Last week we knew that Gloucester would come with a strong lineout and look to target us in that area, so we brought Kevin McLaughlin into the side to deal with that and he was tremendous. Myself and the coaches have looked at the videos of all of Saracens matches so far this season, and we will sit down this evening to decide on what we will go with in order to effectively deal with what they can bring, and also in order to impose our game on them."


Asked whether the international stars playing in the Rugby Championship would come straight into the side the following week for the Amlin Cup fixture with Stade Francais he said this;-

"The first thing is that nobody is guaranteed a start in this side, I don't work like that. We will need to asses their fitness and fatigue levels when they return, as well as looking at their form, and compare that to the same things for the players who have been here and working hard for us in the first six games of season. I was really pleased with the performances of Duane (Vermeulen), Jaco (Taute) and Bryan (Habana) at the weekend and it will be good to have all of the guys back, giving us a full squad to choose from going forwards. In terms of who plays against Stade, we'll make that decision next week, the only thing we are focusing on at the moment is playing Saracens this weekend."


Ozzy3213 was then asked if this game had any special significance given his sudden departure from Saracens in the summer;-

"It will be a strange experience sitting in the away dug out at Vicarage Road that's for sure, but the game is no more or less important than any other game this season. We want to win, and back up what we did last week, but we know that Saracens are going to come out fighting as they are scrapping for their lives at the bottom of the table. I would imagine that it will be a tough physical encounter, and some of their guys having played under me will want to come out and get one over me on the field. We'll just prepare as we always do, and look to bring our A game for 80 minutes, regardless of whether we are playing the top or the bottom of the table team, and once the game is over hopefully Nigel (Wray) will get the beers in and I can enjoy a pint or two with him and Driver."

OZZY3213 RUES MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

London Welsh head coach Ozzy3213 spoke today of his disappointment with his sides result at Vicarage Road yesterday.

"The boys have come off the pitch there absolutely gutted with that result. After starting slowly we had put ourselves in a good position at the break with some excellent work from our front 5 in the tight areas. I have to be careful what I say but I am still confused by the referees decision to penalise Darren Cave early in the second half. Ultimately that decision cost us 5 points and from there until the end of the game things just seemed to go against us.

To go away from home and have such scrum dominance but not translate that into points on the board is very frustrating, especially given that there was such a high number of scrums as a result of the damp conditions. The league is so tight at the moment and every point counts, so it's disappointing that we have dropped three points this week, which would have put us two places higher in the league table.

We have to move on now though, and turn our attention to Europe this week with the visit of Stade Francais. We will be looking to rest a few players whilst also putting out a strong side as this is an excellent opportunity for us to gain some momentum for when we return to Aviva Premiership action in a couple of weeks time."


(Darren Cave reference made very tongue in cheek )

Saracens team for Ospreys leaked

1.Efion Lewis Roberts
2.George Chuter
3.Ben Tameifuna
4.Tim Swinson
5.Flip Van Der Merwe
6.Phil Dowson
7.Joe Van Nikirk
8.Luke Narraway
9.Will Chudley
10.Paddy Jackson
11.Tim Visser
12.Chris Bell
13.Henry Trinder
14.Adam Thompstone
15.Rory Lamount

16.Scott Spurling 17.Matt Mullen 18.Phil Swainstone 19.Bryn Evans 20.Rhys Ruddock 21.Jean-Marc Doussain 22.Iain Humphreys 23.Mark Cueto

Tigers Boss Wants Run to Continue

Leicester Tigers manager LukeLovesLuka has encouraged his squad to continue their fine run of form into the next three weeks.

Tigers have won all 7 of their opening 7 fixtures this season. Tigers have already beaten the likes of Saracens, Quins, Newcastle and Sale this season, and now face trips to Castres and Gloucester, and play Northampton at Welford Road in their next three fixtures.

LukeLovesLuka said "we've been exceptional in the first two months of the season, but it means nothing if we lose our momentum. It's a long hard season, and we need to keep the intensity up if we want to achieve our goals. Winning breeds winning, and right now the squad are flying - we feel invincible.

We've got a tricky tie away to Castres this week, then a trip to Gloucester who are looking strong again now, and a game against a very in form Saints side. We've got to be at our best in these games if we're going to get anything from them.

Having Francois (Louw) back from the Rugby Championship is a boost, and Kurtley (Beale) and Dom (Shipperley) should be available in the next couple of weeks too, which will give the squad a lift.

Competition for places is invaluable to a successful side, and i've got some tough choices to make over the next period - but i'm not moaning - it's great to have to make these difficult decisions."

EXILES 'A' SIDE IMPRESS AGAINST PIRATES

London Irish 'A' side recorded an impressive win against the Cornish Pirates last night, racking up 7 tries in a 49-20 win. Will Fraser made his debut at openside flanker, whilst there was run outs for Jordan Tau'fua and Guy Armitage. First half tries from Shane Geraghty, Gerard Ellis and Dean Mumm gave Irish a 20-7 lead at half time. In the second half, five tries from Anthony Watson, Guy Armitage, Jerome Kaino and a Bjorn Basson double gave Irish a comfortable win.

1 Grant Shiells
2 Gerard Ellis
3 Brok Harris
4 Dean Mumm
5 Stuart Hooper
6 Jerome Kaino
7 Will Fraser
8 Jordan Tau'fua
9 Jack Moates
10 Shane Geraghty
11 Paul Sackey
12 Guy Armitage
13 Max Evans
14 Bjorn Basson
15 Anthony Watson

DRIVER DEMANDS SARACENS GIVE EVERYTHING IN WASPS FIXTURE

In a blunt interview with 5Live Saracens coach Michael Driver was straight to the point about his sides game against London Wasps.

We're here to win and nothing else , there in the same boat as us but we're going to be the ones who come off best , i expect 120% in this game from my lads and if they can walk off the pitch at the end then they haven't done enough. We've got some fantastic fans and they will be in full voice come kick off.

I'v got a lot of time for Arry , he's had a bit of a rollercoaster ride with Wasps over the years and he's stuck with it when others would throw in the towel but come Saturday we want to put a massive dent in there survival chances and increase our own with a 4 point win and if we deserve a 5 a 5 point win.

This is a big game for us and the guys know that , we've been building for this. Selection this week was splitting hairs we've mixed everything in there with youth and experience.

We want this.

QUINS BOSS PLEASED WITH START

Harlequins boss Steven Sharks has expressed his happiness at his sides start in the league this season. Quins have 5 wins from their first 8 games which included trips to 3 of the current top 4 and claimed a losing bonus point from each of those trips.

'Our home form has been excellent, as it has to be in this league, and we will continue to target home wins and get what we can on the road. We have had numerous players who have stepped up and will not be availible to us during the Autumn internationals, where we face two crucial games when we face Bath at the Rec before we welcome Worcester to the Stoop'

Harlequins are expected to name strong sides for the Anglo-Welsh cup where they face a tough visit to Franklins Gardens first up. Quins look to be hoping to challenge on 3 fronts this season with a superb start to the Heiniken cup campaign.

Breaking news

After another defeat rumours are rife that London Wasps head coach 'Arry will resign from his position if his side do not win 1 our of their next 2 Aviva premiership fixtures against Leicester Tigers at home and Newcastle Falcons away.

Luke Delighted to be Back to Winning Ways

Leicester Tigers manager LukeLovesLuka has expressed his delight over his side's win over Northampton Saints.

Luke said "it was a great game. Saints are an unbelievable outfit, and I'm delighted with the win. It was an exciting finish to the game, and the boys are delighted to have put last weeks narrow defeat to Gloucester behind them.

We go into two Anglo-Welsh cup games now where I'll be rotating the squad to give a few players a game. But we'd like to do well and we'll be looking to beat both Sarries and Irish."

Amid rumours of Wasps manager leaving if they lose their next two games, one of which is vs Tigers, LukeLovesLuka was sympathetic. "Arry is a great guy, and we get on well. He's done a very good job at Wasps and they have a strong squad. But the game won't be any different from others from our point of view. We will be looking to win the game. We have our targets this season and want to accomplish them".

Driver delighted with weekends work

Saracens boss Driver today hailed his side for there second win of the season against local rivals London Wasps.

Driver had this to say on the game 'We played some good rugby at times and our half backs let us direct traffic throughout the game and play it in the right areas. Ma'a made a huge impact at 12 and his direct running proved to a problem for the Wasps defenders. The pass he gave for Viss's try showed what else he has in his locker'

On the subject of Arry...

'Arry is a cracking manager , London Wasps are a quality side and like our selves have a had a slow start to the season but they play some fantastic rugby and have a few real gems in there side. It would be a massive shame to see Arry leave the Aviva.'