Hair Pulling, Stitches and The Sublime – Aviva Premiership Round 4

'Friday Night Lights' are a fantastic way to finish a gruelling work week... wherever they are in the country the atmosphere is truly special and it was no different on Friday at Franklin’s Gardens. Sale Sharks arrived with the intention to be competitive and play some running rugby however despite their best efforts they were out-classed. It was a strong display from the Saints who provided Stephen Myler with the perfect result for his 200th appearance for the club. 4 games in and yet to add any points to his Northampton name, George North was extremely happy with his ‘gift of a try’ from Jamie Elliott. Let’s hope that Stuart Lancaster was watching carefully from the stands as Lee Dickson & Luther Burrell both put in noteworthy performances. For Sale Sharks it isn’t all doom and gloom (do I sound like a broken record yet), Cipriani continued to show his talents and Mark Cueto continued to defy his years as he scored again adding to his tally of 81 Premiership tries! Despite Sale’s resilience ultimately the night belonged to the Northampton Saints and they continue marching on (sorry it really had to be done) at a blistering pace!

If you have heard anything about the Bath vs. London Irish fixture then you will know that one man made a huge impression on Saturday afternoon… Mr George Ford. Many questioned his move to Bath saying that leaving Leicester Tigers would be a huge mistake and that he was only doing it to be ‘favoured’ by Mike Ford… well clearly that isn't the case. George was sublime throughout, his individual try was the stuff that dreams are made of and he was cool beyond his years. The match itself was one of two halves... Bath stormed the first with 4 tries and 3 conversions and Irish simply weren't there. However in the second Bath failed to score any points at all and Irish woke up. It won't go down in history as the best match that The Rec has ever seen but if Bath had put together 80 minutes like their first 40 then it might have been but their second half slumber dampened the 'brilliance'. For London Irish another week goes by where they didn't perform to their full capability and Brian Smith will again feel frustrated and annoyed that his team didn't show their worth... especially given the opposition. 

Next, to Adams Park for London Wasps vs. Worcester Warriors and two teams who were both desperate to get their first win of the season. After 10 Premiership defeats in a row Wasps certainly had a point to prove and Worcester wanted to show that they will not be battling relegation again this season. Pre-match the feeling was that home advantage would see Wasps through and true to form it did. Joe Launchbury rose like a phoenix from the ashes showing the blistering skills that we all know that he is capable of and Ashley Johnson behaved himself this weekend to put in a sterling 80 minutes... including a wonder break that I'm sure he will enjoying watching back again and again! For Worcester it is almost time to worry with the rounds ticking by and the Dean Ryan effect still not producing any points. 

I have never seen or heard The Stoop more up for a game than it was on Saturday for Harlequins vs. Saracens. The noise was electric and the intensity that the Quins’ players showed on the pitched matched it… however Saracens were just too good and ultimately brushed them aside like an annoying fly. It was a feisty affair with Maurie Fa'asavalu sin binned for pulling Burger's hair, Goode sin binned for his block and Joe Marler sin binned for pulling down, it certainly wasn't short of fire power. Saracens ultimately won due to their epic set piece and ability to move into whole other gear when needed. The Vunipola brothers were huge (in every sense of the word), Farrell was cool and calm with his delicious boot (15 points) and Jacques Burger, the Man of the Match, just dominated, gaining 5 stitches again in the process. I could continue naming the Saracens players that were extremely strong but it would just get boring...! Quins should be praised for their performance, as normal their key men, Brown, Care, Robshaw and Easter, all worked tirelessly and Ugo Monye was the sprightliest that we have seen him in a long time, however it just wasn’t enough. When the only thing you can fault about a team is the colour of their kit, (seemingly the grey and blue stripes of the Saracens away kit are not popular) then you know that they are performing extremely well.

Sandy Park welcomed Leicester Tigers with open arms and with Tigers' ever growing injury list you might have thought that their starting line up would be 'weaker' than normal... don't be silly, they still had 11 Internationals in their starting 15. For the majority of the first half it was all about the Tigers with the Chiefs' line out misfiring and their distinct lack of ball putting them in a little bit of a hole. After half time the Chiefs showed much more fire power, led by Steenson at 10 they had more ball and slowly but surely got themselves back into the game. Tom James continued his superb run of form however it was the experience of Leicester that ultimately provided them with the win. Goneva continued to be a sterling substitute for Manu and Ben Youngs was as nippy as ever. Ultimately Leicester Tigers are Premiership Champions for a reason, they know exactly how grind out a win, even if they are not firing on all 4 cylinders. 

Kingston Park was the venue for the final fixture of Round 4 with the Cherry and Whites the visitors. The match certainly started with a bang... a try after less than a minute for the Newcastle Falcons (their first of the 2013/14 season) and this set the platform for a strong performance. After half an hour all that Gloucester had to show for their afternoon's work was 3 points and it looked like the Falcons were going to nick another win. It was the ever reliable boot of Freddie Burns and the penalty count against the Falcons that brought Gloucester right back in it in the second half and ultimately it was a tense affair right until the final whistle. With breaks from both sides right up to the wire the game was anyone's for the taking however it was Gloucester who ultimately came away with the spoils. 

As we sit back and relax after a hugely energetic weekend of rugby there will certainly be some very sore bodies after the bruising encounters of Round 4. This weekend saw stellar performances from George Ford, Jacques Burger, Tom James and Lee Dickson to name but a few and with no huge injuries, as far as I am aware, we move straight on to the preparations for next weekend. 

Spend the week clearing your diaries because Round 5 is set to be a big one. Without a doubt the pick of the bunch is Leicester Tigers vs. Northampton Saints at Welford Road on Saturday... just thinking about the match ups it is a superb prospect. Get ready for the sparks to fly!! Let's not forget the other fixtures though... Friday Night Lights at Sale against Bath, the London derby Irish vs. Quins at the Madjeski, Sarries welcoming Wasps, Worcester scrapping it out with Falcons and Kingsholm hosting the Chiefs... well hello Round 5, I can't wait for you to start already!!!