Aviva Premiership - Round 5

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Table

POS	TEAM	-PL-	-W-	-D-	-L-	-PF-	-PA-	-DIFF-	-TF-	-TA-	-TB-	-LB-	-PTS-
1	Wasps	4	4	0	0	149	79	70	19	9	2	0	18
2	Saracens	4	3	0	1	106	45	61	12	3	2	1	15
3	Bath Rugby	4	3	0	1	127	75	52	14	9	2	0	14
4	Leicester Tigers	4	3	0	1	108	92	16	11	11	1	0	13
5	Exeter Chiefs	4	2	0	2	110	101	9	13	14	2	1	11
6	Newcastle Falcons	4	2	0	2	55	102	-47	5	12	0	1	9
7	Gloucester Rugby	4	1	1	2	93	92	1	9	12	1	2	9
8	Harlequins	4	2	0	2	73	84	-11	8	10	0	0	8
9	Sale Sharks	4	1	1	2	83	89	-6	9	9	1	1	8
10	Northampton Saints	4	1	0	3	73	75	-2	8	5	1	2	7
11	Worcester Warriors	4	0	2	2	82	129	-47	11	14	1	0	5
12	Bristol Rugby	4	0	0	4	68	164	-96	10	21	0	1	1

Fixtures

Friday 30 Sep

19:45 Bristol Rugby v Saracens
Things do not get any easier for Bristol as they entertain the defending champions. Saracens will be hurting after losing their first match since the 6 Nations period earlier this year. The home team’s style of harum scarum attack could be ready made for the wolfpack. Bristol’s best chance was for Sarries to win last week and rest players this week, but as it is I cannot see them breaking their season’s duck.

19:45 Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs BT Sport
Having had the hardest start imaginable to the new season, last season’s runners up have finally hit their stride. The attacking game is starting to take shape and they will travel to the East Midlands with confidence. Saints will be bemused and confused as to just how they lost last week. The controlled that match but could not get the ball over the whitewash. There were far too many individual mistakes for a team that won the title just a couple of years ago. They will be encouraged by the struggles Chiefs are having at scrum time but the match could come down to which team executes their maul game best. Vital for Saints to win as otherwise they could enter the Euro break after round 6 in 11th spot in the table!


Saturday 1 Oct

14:30 Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers
Tigers will travel to Salford buoyed by their best display of the season. However which Leicester will make the journey? Sale came back really well to sneak a draw down at Sixways and unless Tigers hit their straps could well beat the midlanders.

15:00 Gloucester Rugby v Bath Rugby BT Sport
Plougmans vs prawn sandwiches in this West Country derby. How do you even start to try and predict Gloucester as they are consistent only in their inconsistency. Is pressure mounting on Humphreys? His opposing DoR made all the right noises after the defeat at Welford Road, apparently Baths biggest AP defeat since December 2012. However he knows that they need to play much better this week to secure a win as surely Glaws will be fired up for this. We are unlikely to see the sort of scenes from two seasons ago that culminated with Knoyle’s red mist. Hopefully we will see both Ford and Burns the Younger performing well and an open game.


Sunday 2 Oct

14:30 Wasps v Harlequins
Not so long ago this would have been a major London derby, but no more. Buoyed by ending Sarries unbeaten run last week, I am sure Quins will be fired up to do the same to Wasps. How well the visitors can perform may well come down to the state of battered bodies after what was a very physical weekend. Wasps will be heartened that they won in Round 4 when really they could (or should?) have lost, knowing that even when under the cosh they can seal important victories. Dai Young may well look to rotate some players this week – though bringing in the likes of Robson, Halai, Eastmond etc certainly does not weaken the side. Wasps probably too strong, but write off Quins at your peril.


15:00 [Worcester Warriors v Newcastle Falcons BT Sport
Worcester have played two home matches, and drawn them both. What odds on 3 in a row? Falcons are currently in the top half of the table – a position that may well be giving fans vertigo. Far too early in the season to hale matches as must win games, but a win here for Worcester would really pile on the pressure to near(ish) neighbours Bristol at the bottom. If Worcester can attach some composure to the attacking flair they demonstrated last week a first win of the season is eminently achievable. However Falcons will (usually) fight for everything and make things hard for the home team. They will however need their defence to hold firm as right now they do not look like they will be going on any scoring sprees and are easily the lowest try scorers in the AP.

HongKongCherry wrote:Are you taking the proverbial yappy?

He was as dire as always. With Afoa limping off injured we're doomed!

Stick him in a water boy bib, that's what he's made for HK. People keep mixing him up with a prop.

I think that's still beyond his ability

Sgt_Pooly wrote:I'm a little confused also GF. I don't think it's the personnel, it's the tactics or perhaps lack of them.

I understand the box kicking as it can relieve pressure and forces the opposition into having to do something. The problem is, the box kicking is really badly executed and with zero chase, it's basically just giving the ball to the opposition and letting them attack us time after time. You can start to understand why we constantly have the highest tacklers in the AP.

The attack is so toothless, it's insane. I've got to say the midfield isn't clicking, nobody straightens the line and by the time the ball gets out wide, our wingers have 2/3 players on them. You've got to earn the right to go out wide or you're very easy to defend against. Perhaps it's a problem with carriers throughout the team? If so, bloody change it! We've signed enough locks/backrowers!

There is a disconnect between what Dean Richards thinks is happening (or what he's saying is happening) and what the commentators on Sunday's match thought. Austin Healy was highlighting the fact that Newcastle are going wide but not really having earned the right to do it. And the kicking, he talked about that too.

Dean Richards said he was much more pleased with the team's performances this year, he said they'd changed their shape a bit and were adapting to a slightly new way of playing.

Crazily busy atm, so someone else will need to start the Round 6 thread. Back for Round 7 in 3 weeks.