Aviva Premiership - Round 4

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Table

POS		TEAM			-W-		-D-		-L-		-PF-		-PA-		-DIFF-		-TF-		-TA-		-TB-		-LB-		-PTS-
1		Bath Rugby		3		3		0		0		##		41		72		12		6		2		0		14
2		Saracens		3		3		0		0		96		28		68		11		1		2		0		14
3		Wasps		3		3		0		0		##		64		65		17		7		2		0		14
4		Leicester Tigers		3		2		0		1		74		78		-4		8		9		1		0		9
5		Gloucester Rugby		3		1		1		1		80		74		6		8		10		1		1		8
6		Northampton Saints		3		1		0		2		58		55		3		6		3		1		1		6
7		Exeter Chiefs		3		1		0		2		69		84		-15		8		11		1		1		6
8		Sale Sharks		3		1		0		2		49		55		-6		5		4		0		1		5
9		Newcastle Falcons		3		1		0		2		37		89		-52		3		11		0		1		5
10		Harlequins		3		1		0		2		56		74		-18		6		9		0		0		4
11		Worcester Warriors		3		0		1		2		48		95		-47		6		10		0		0		2
12		Bristol Rugby		3		0		0		3		51		123		-72		7		16		0		1		1

Fixtures

Friday September 21

19:45 Bristol Rugby v Exeter Chiefs BT SPORT
Referee: Tom Foley (21st Premiership game)
Assistant Referees: Greg MacDonald & Paul Dix
TMO: Sean Davey

Exeter travel to Ashton Gate for the first meeting between these two sides since the 2010 playoff final. Bristol will have been shocked by the size of the thumping they received last week, though much better teams than them have struggled when Wasps are in full flight. The longer the newly promoted team go without winning, the harder it gets as nerves set in. This though will probably not be that elusive first win. Exeter, off the back of their own first win of the season in Round 3, should have far too much grunt, skill and application for Andy Robinson’s team.


Saturday September 22

15:00 Harlequins v Saracens
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (19th Premiership game)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Carrick & Phil Watters
TMO: David Grashoff

Quins are struggling for any sort of form, so perversely a visit from reigning champions could be exactly what they need. No-one expects anything from them, so they can adopt a siege mentality and just concentrate on their basics. Mark McCall has been rotating players already, and if Kruis is fit may take the opportunity to give Itoje a rest. He has intimated that Owen Farrell should be fit enough to play some part in proceedings, which will be a huge relief to Eddie Jones. It is hard to see anything other than the Saracens juggernaut continuing on it’s merry way.


15:00 Worcester Warriors v Sale Sharks
Referee: JP Doyle (116th Premiership game)
Assistant Referees: Greg Garner & Roy Maybank
TMO: David Rose

Like Bristol, Worcester are still seeking a first win. With a Sale team that is not at it’s best travelling down the M6/M5 they have every chance to breaking their season’s duck today and perhaps moving a spot or two up the table. Sale have injury concerns at 10, issues with their set-piece. Their game will be built on a ferocious defence but will need their goal kickers to be on form.


15:00 Gloucester Rugby v Newcastle Falcons
Dean Richards (88th Premiership game)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Jackson & Jonathan Healy
TMO: David Sainsbury

It seems rather unfair that this game will be reffed by the visitors DoR . We still do not know what to expect from the home team, consistent only in their inconsistency. Falcons will be hurting after the last two weeks. The positives from last weekend were that their defence kept Tigers well shackled. However they had so many opportunities to take any reffing decisions out of the equation that they can blame no-one but themselves for the defeat. The first 15 minutes had surely provided a template for how they could win – but they stopped playing like that. They were inept at the breakdown and butchered any number of chances. They need to play much better if they are to win. Gloucester need to show the same character they have in the last 120 minutes of rugby. If this is aligned to the flair the demonstrated in the first 40 minutes of the season it could be another long day for poor Falcon’s fans.


15:00 Northampton Saints v Wasps BT SPORT
Referee: Luke Pearce (52nd Premiership game)
Assistant Referees: Steve Lee & Andy Watson
TMO: Rowan Kitt

Fascinating game. Saints will surely try to make it an arm wrestle, of the sort that worked for so long against Saracens. I am looking forward to seeing how the two back rows match up. If his tight five can hold their own, Joe Simpson (assuming Robson still injured) can be expected to try and capitalise on any lack of pace in the Saints team, especially around the fringes. Saints will surely look at sending their big runners down the 10/12 channel.



Sunday September 23

15:00 Leicester Tigers v Bath Rugby BT SPORT
Referee: Matthew Carley (46th Premiership game)
Assistant Referees: Tim Wigglesworth & Gareth Copsey
TMO: Trevor Fisher

To describe Leicester as lacklustre would be kind. They have started all three games so far this season poorly and had to play catch up rugby. They have to be better than they have been, but are they capable of that atm? Too often in recent seasons Bath have come to Welford Road and looked to flex their muscles rather than their brain. Such tactics would be dumb in the extreme. Play as they have done in attack this season and Tigers shaky defence could be conceding yet another TBP.

Itoje's winning run as a starting XV player comes to an end at Quins.

I'll take that win!

Gloucester were pretty awful, offered very little in attack.

Well Frak me!!!!!


Quins you beauties!!! Way to go boys, have some drinks tonight you've frickin earned it.

Saints have gone backwards under Mallinder, I really think they need some fresh thinking. I thought this last year as well though. Wasps on the other hand are great to watch, and have built a really formidable squad.

Bristol don't actually have a bad team, on paper it looks better than say, Falcons team

Really?

On which paper is that?

Granted there's a lot of past-their-sell-by-date familiar names but nothing new coming through.

Bar and impressive backrow, I wouldn't say Bristol look a good team on paper at all. They look like a club who's going to struggle and finish in bottom 3.

As Dai Young said we rode our luck big time today & a combination of great defending & counter attacking & Saints knocking on at crucial times we scraped it.

I thought the loss of Joe Launch & Frank the Tank would be pivotal.

Tough to take if your a Saints fan but they need to sharpen up the attack & handling skills. I was surprised to hear George North hadn't scored a try at the Gardens for 18 months! Looked as though he is hitting a bit of form now though.

Quins highlights for me:

Merrick and Robshaw absolute machines in defence, huge hits.

Swiel starting to become a very good 10, a bit rough around the edges still.

Brown hitting form again, immense under the high ball, aggressive countering and defence.

Says a lot about our intensity that Itoje was completely anonymous, didn't give him a sniff at the breakdown. Goode did his usual trick of weaving through broken field play very well....but ultimately, Quins were the better side, pressured Sarries into making mistakes and forced them to chase the game.

TrailApe wrote:

Bristol don't actually have a bad team, on paper it looks better than say, Falcons team

Really?

On which paper is that?

Granted there's a lot of past-their-sell-by-date familiar names but nothing new coming through.

I might think that because I recognise a few of the names and with Falcons I don't. Either way, Bristol vs Newcastle should be interesting.

If we don't beat Bristol by 10/15pts I'd be disappointed tbh, especially at this stage, they look awful. If we don't beat them, I'd be devastated.

Missed the flippin game!!! Typical

I might think that because I recognise a few of the names and with Falcons I don't. Either way, Bristol vs Newcastle should be interesting.

That's fair enough - but I would point out that the Falcons have some exciting young ones coming through and whilst they are not known to those outside of the Inglish Cognoscenti, there's a good chance some of them eventually will be (playing in Northampton/Leicester etc etc colours unfortunately).

You might be right there TrailApe, it's a feeling I know pretty well. I am well aware of some of the big names to come out of Falcons and get pinched by the midlands teams.

sad_gimp wrote:Quins highlights for me:

Merrick and Robshaw absolute machines in defence, huge hits.

Swiel starting to become a very good 10, a bit rough around the edges still.

Brown hitting form again, immense under the high ball, aggressive countering and defence.

Says a lot about our intensity that Itoje was completely anonymous, didn't give him a sniff at the breakdown. Goode did his usual trick of weaving through broken field play very well....but ultimately, Quins were the better side, pressured Sarries into making mistakes and forced them to chase the game.

All true.

Also highlights how stupid the LDH is when you see the atmosphere at a rammed out Stoop. Home games are very important.

Hats off to our pack today, they've been ripped apart online for how weak they've been so far bit fronted up massively today. The backrow and Chis in particular had big games.

Hopefully though we'll start keeping most of the good,youngsters rather than losing them!

I gather Even Olmstead was outstanding yet again. What a signing he,has,been!!

And Bobby Vickers back from injury doing what he does best. What a player he is. And to think I thought it was,a bad move moving him from hooker to Lh those years ago!!

I'll try and watch the game today.

As a side note, how did Roberts play? I understand that he's been poor lately, in a poor performing Quins team (until yesterday).

Like the rest of the team he played a lot better, especially in defence. Think he had a hand on two key turnovers near our own try line too. Much improved.

Only just realised Glos lost to Falcons. Man after such a bright start to the season they are messin up big time

Sounds like he'll be thrust into the Wales team based on just that then... I hope his form continues to improve.

yappysnap wrote:Only just realised Glos lost to Falcons. Man after such a bright start to the season they are messin up big time

Hopefully my agents are swooping in for some signings; Hibbard, Moriarty and possibly Hook. Also looking at Evans and Henson at Bristol.

Bath by 20.

Welly wrote:
Bath by 20.

Have to agree!

Gameday changes.
Williams @ 10
Tait @ 12
Burns @ 22

Bath
Bowden @ 12
Brew @ 22

Watching the highlights of the Saints game. North should be ashamed that he didn't even get to close to Gopperth when Wasps were on the counter. He's a couple of metres behind about 30 out and Gopperth makes him look slow!


Awkward.

Cockers mind games that he wasn't going to play Tait...

It's a late chnage, there may be a reason from it

Why the bloody hell aren't we bringing in Smith to 12? Tait and Betham gives no easy go forward to Williams. Ideally you want at least one centre that can take the ball into traffic and take the ball forward.

No surprise that Burns isn't starting. With a HIA before kick off after last weekend there was always a good chance he might not make it.

Misfiring lineout then for the tigers based on that

Very quick to call the use it in the maul. Annoying as a Leicester fan but if he keeps it going all game it'll promote more attacking rugby and less ponderous rolling maul based play.

Lineout steal then a 70m run in. Has somebody had a word with Betham? Looks a different player from the first three games.

We look far more controlled with Owen at 10.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Very quick to call the use it in the maul. Annoying as a Leicester fan but if he keeps it going all game it'll promote more attacking rugby and less ponderous rolling maul based play.

Was annoyed with that decision as the bath players swam up the side

nathan wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Very quick to call the use it in the maul. Annoying as a Leicester fan but if he keeps it going all game it'll promote more attacking rugby and less ponderous rolling maul based play.

Was annoyed with that decision as the bath players swam up the side

They did block Youngs in from getting the ball out.

Poor cover on the crossfield kick. JPP doesn't get it and Roko gets an easy run in. The commentators were saying it was a poor kick but Ford gets so much air underneath it that if his man doesn't win it there's a Bath wall behind.

Ford has the ball on string. Off the boot it's magnificent. A level of invention and accuracy out of hand you just don't often see.

Agree ford is looking so good this season

So is roko.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Agree ford is looking so good this season

So is roko.

Roko has been great although he has to careful, he was laying on the ground holding on to that ball there

Stupid bloody ipad

Good half of rugby that, got to gripe about the scrums though. They break up and slow down the game no end, very frustrating as a neutral (and I'm sure a supporter of either team) to watch.

The kick for Roku's try looked underhit, and the Crumbie were excitment for a second. However JPP F failed to attack the ball.


Ford has looked excellent.

Tigers looking so much better this week. Williams at 10 is providing composure and there's clearly more confidence in TV at 15. Tait is using his experience to organise the backline outside of Owen and the forwards have reduced the error count a little (but not enough).

An improvement but it's only 40 minutes, we need to back that up in the second half.

Not in this game at all yet. Lucky to be only 7 behind, as tigers had butchered a few tries. Hoping for a better second half.

Great game so far, Tigers looking much better and playing well.

Ford place kicking consistency however needs work!

Good lord. He's been exceptional on the tee until today. Nightmare

I think tom youngs has had a great game

If you're fly half is taking a tricky kick in the 22 might be best not to stand some 25m away forcing a big pass. Come towards him and it's an easy pass and an easy out.

Different Leicester this week. Far better intensity.

And that's the ballgame. So much better from Leicester, great to see them back on form. Always think they are a better side with Williams at 10. Cracking premiership season!

Watson jumps into contact. Should be a penalty.

Does that apply when you are going for the line? An awful lot of tries should be chalked off if it is the case...

I think it's fine jumping for the line so long as it's not into a tackle

When he's attempting to jump over the tackle yes. If he was going to try and dive under the tackle then that should be fine.

Soft try let's Bath back in.

Tigers very good at having lazy runners just checking Kahn at the ruck. Saving a little second each time. Really savvy.