Aviva Premiership - Round 4 Preview

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Table:

Friday 27th September

19:45 Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks (BT Sports)
Saints and Sharks enter this fixture both with two wins and separated by a single point in the table. Do not let that fool you into thinking this will be close. Sale are a decent, workmanlike side - but Saints, always powerful, now have a real sprinkling of stardust. Northampton will be hurting from the nature of their defeat last week, but will hopefully have reflected on the things they failed to do to secure the victory Mallinder felt his team deserved. Mallinder has spoken about the need to rotate his team more than they usually do if they are to reach the end of the season with enough left in the tank to win a trophy. With their smaller than average squad, that may be tricky - and for this game probably just means that the Pisi brothers will return to the team.
Steve Diamond was rather cagy when discussing Danny Cipriani's performance last week. He knows that he has a match winner on his hands, but at the same time there is obviously something about Cipriani's dedication that rubs the Sale boss up the wrong way. With Nick McLeod looking to have picked up a serious injury, their is little alternative to the former england man. I do wonder though just how strong the team around him will be. I can see Diamond resting a number of players ahead of their home fixture next week.

Surely a comfortable win for Saints



Saturday 28th September

15:00 Bath Rugby v London Irish
So, did Gary gold and Mike Ford rest players to save them, or did they really think they had the right tactics last week. Irrelevant now, but Gold looked rather chastened in post match interviews. For the return to the Rec we can expect to see the powerful players omitted last week, and George Ford, re-instated to the starting lineup. The LI old boys will be especially keen to impress against their old team. While Jonathan Joseph is in the EPS and Matt Garvey gets the 606 plaudits I reckon that Anthony Watson will turn out to be the biggest success. I fully expect him to show LI what they are missing.
London Irish of course still have some excellent backs themselves, from the experienced Irish half-backs to the every improving Marland Yarde. With 4 tries in 3 matches Yarde has shown power, pace and an eye for the line. Will surely earn more England caps this season. However in the end, like most matches, this will be decided by the battle up front. Bath's pack looks too big and too strong.

Bath to win by more than 7


15:00 London Wasps v Worcester Warriors
The two bottom teams meet in a vital clash. With the number of points that Warriors have been conceding, DR Dean Ryan should perhaps spend more time working on his team's frailties and less on moaning about referees. Worcester do not look like a side who will score lots of tries, so they must improve their defence.
Wasps have garnered 3 LBPs from their 3 matches - all effectively away from home. As they play yheir first match at their own ground this week, they will feel that they are just a tiny improvement away from winning games. Losing however can become a habit and Wasps will be desperate to win this one and avoid heading to Saracens in round 5 seeking their first win.

Gut feel that Wasps will turn it on for a comfortable win



15:15 Harlequins v Saracens (BT Sports)
Probably the highlight of this rounds fixtures, sees the two losing semi-finallists from last season meet for the first time this season. Against a poor Worcester team, Quins showed championship winning form last week. If they can play at, or close to, their best they should be able to win this match. Saracens however are in stunningly good form. If you cannot dominate them up front, they are very good at steam rollering teams. This has already been demonstrated against three packs which, for various reasons, are not the strongest Sarries will face.
Quins will be the toughest match so far for Sarries, but are they strong enough? Certainly the more technical Quins front row will look to get the ref on their side early, whilke elsewhere they will be looking to move the bigger pack around and tire them out. In the end I feel this match will be decided at the breakdown. Sarries are expert at slowing down opposition ball, some would argue killing the ball and Quins have to counter this.

Saracens continue winning ways




Sunday 29th September

14:00 Exeter Chiefs v Leicester Tigers (BT Sports)
In their first televised match of the season, Chiefs welcome the defending champions looking to replicate the results of two seasons ago. Both sides have two wins, and whoever seals victory in this match will find themselves in the Top4. Both sides have injury issues, but then who doesn't. Tigers will need to play better than they have so far this season if they are to travel home with a win.


Newcastle Falcons v Gloucester Rugby
Gloucester secured their first win of the season in controversial fashion last week, while Falcons appeared to gift tigers victory by resting key players. Falcons have to pick a big pack and hope that Blair and Clegg/Godman can keep them in the right part of the pitch. Thing is, even then Gloucester look to have too much ability.

Gloucester to continue the new found winning habit

Yeah true, GF - though you would take it if it was while securing a TBP victory.

And a new page, so subject buried.

What subject I hear you say.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Move Along.

Nothing to see here.

Damn right i would LT  

Actually id be gutted if we lost to a try like that...but i woldnt complain...id be more annoyed that my players werent alert to the "potential" for him to get the ball...

Actually at the minute id be happy just to see us pass/kick the ball intelligently and at the correct time...oh and not knock it on...and tackle well...catch the ball in the lineout...throw the ball correctly in the lineout in the first place....! 

May I suggest that your boys train with a local netball team - they can throw and catch




Right now would you welcome Sir Jimmy of Gopperth back?

Ozzy3213 wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:Sorry, but if this had been David Lemi against Falcons you would not have given a flying f......


Ever since people started talking about him as an England contender you have been disparaging Yarde.

That wouldn't be because he may dislodge one of Ashton or Strettle from the England team is it?  Now I wonder who they play for, let me go and check..........

Oh come on Londontiger and Ozzy that's a load of rubbish.


I mainly criticised Yarde for his try scoring record last season because it was laughably poor - 3 tries in 19 games (perhaps it was 18). Based on that I couldn't understand the hype. I know you'll say but he played in an awful team etc but Wasps aren't the strongest side yet  it didn't stop Wade and Varndell racking up the tries by the bucket load.

In 4 games this season Yarde has already scored 4 tries. I wouldn't have a problem with Yarde in the England side based on his current form. He's actually scoring tries now even if 1 of them in my opinion was morally ambiguous (still counts).

Strettle unfortunately hasn't really cut it at international level. Ashton is another matter - I think he's shown he can cut it at international level but he did have a poor 6 nations.

I wouldn't be upset if Wade gets picked instead of Ashton. Wade needs an opportunity to show what he can do.

LondonTiger wrote:May I suggest that your boys train with a local netball team - they can throw and catch




Right now would you welcome Sir Jimmy of Gopperth back?

Ha ha...mate you might be right!  

I actually believe FH is one of our problems at the minute...some of the decision making, kicking etc has been appalling. I do think Jimmy would help...but i wonder what instructions / tactics the players have been given aswell...ie regarding kicking tactics etc.

Personally i want to see young Joel Hodgson get a run out. I believe despite his age, he has the ability and that spark to make things work. We look more alive when he has been on the pitch.

beshocked wrote:Ozzy3123 can you please get it into your skull that it's not because it happened vs Saracens?

Equally I doubt you would still be responding if it wasn't a London Irish player.

Yappysnap did you lay on the floor "injured" then suddenly pop up as if there was nothing wrong with you to score a try? Never said he planned it but nonetheless he did it.

No but that's more about luck then anything else (and quality of team I was in!). I did find that I could get straight up and run it out for a small amount of time though, so I see no reason why an athlete at the top of his game couldn't either.

Guys, are you still going on about this? Surely it's time to move on. My eyes are cramping up just reading it

Bathite wrote:Guys, are you still going on about this? Surely it's time to move on. My eyes are cramping up just reading it

But I bet if a new topic appears, your eyes will opportunistically jump on it and begin reading.

Bathman_in_London wrote:

Bathite wrote:Guys, are you still going on about this? Surely it's time to move on. My eyes are cramping up just reading it

But I bet if a new topic appears, your eyes will opportunistically jump on it and begin reading.

Brilliant! :laughing: