High Drama, A World Record & More - Round 18 Review

Round 18 of the Aviva Premiership delivered us with some blistering rugby, dramatic moments and ultimately shifted a few things around in the hunt for the playoffs. After 400 minute of action the Saints have extended their lead on top, the Exeter Chiefs dropped to fifth and Bath and Leicester pushed themselves into third and fourth respectively. At the bottom it is now mathematically impossible for London Welsh catch the Newcastle Falcons who secured a losing bonus point, so their time in the Aviva Premiership will end after Round 22. All in all it was a dramatic round, with a lot of action, so sit back and take it all in with the full Out On The Full Round Review. 

(C) Red Hat Photo

On Friday night Premiership Rugby came back into our lives with a dramatic match at Franklin's Gardens between the Northampton Saints and Wasps Rugby. Wasps meant business form the outset, Christian Wade reminded us all of his unique gifts & Alex Lozowski cooly orchestrated proceedings with expertise far beyond his years. The Saints took a while to get going and were slightly stunned by Wasps' start however the turning point came with the red card decision from referee Craig Maxwell-Keys. Nathan Hughes saw red following an unfortunate and unintentional collision of his boot with George North's head following North's try scoring act. Thoughts are with North and it goes without saying that his return to play must be managed extremely carefully given his recent head injury history. The enormity of the referee's decision cost Wasps their foothold in the game and whilst Dai Young's men played with heart to claw the score back to 30-33 they ran out of resources. When the Saints got into their stride they showed their power, in the set piece and in attack and the result is the first tick in the box for Jim Mallinder's side en route to a home Semi Final. 

In North London Aviva Premiership Rugby arrived at Wembley Stadium and 84,068 people helped to achieve a World Record Crowd for a club rugby match. The crowd were treated to action from the offset as Harlequins' Jack Clifford scored within 30 seconds and the visitors started promisingly. However during the opening half Saracens' wingers showed exactly what they can do as David Strettle and Chris Ashton crossed and Harlequins’ Senior figures uncharacteristically lost their discipline giving away costly penalties. There will have been stern words at half time from Conor O’Shea and Harlequins did tidy up their act, slightly, in the second. Chris Ashton’s second try of the game on 52 minutes made the scoreline a comfortable one and in every facet Saracens over powered their opponents. The result pushes Mark McCall's side up to second place in the table and sends an ominous message to the rest of the Aviva Premiership for they are shifting up the gears with ease and looking dangerous. 

(@LiRFC)

At the same time West of the Captial another celebration was occurring as London Irish held their annual St Patrick's Day party. The Exiles started brightly thanks to Halani Aulika's opening score after 90 seconds and it was clear they were going to attack the fixture with gusto. The Falcons didn't equip themselves as they would have liked to in the opening half, as they failed to make two periods with an extra man count. Promisingly for Dean Richards his side had a superior second and gave Irish fans an emotional end to the game. Newcastle scored two strong from Chris Harris and Adam Powell, the former really exerted himself on the game when he arrived onto the field and the boot of Tom Catterick continued to deliver. Ultimately Irish eyes are still smiling following their most important fixture of the year and it was another 'one we should have won' for the Newcastle Falcons. 

(C) Paler Images

The Leicester Tigers celebrated the 50th meeting between themselves and the Exeter Chiefs with a well earned 25 points to 18 victory. Freddie Burns continued to display the fruits of his hard labour with 20 of his side's 25 points, great accuracy off the tee and dynamism in open play. The Chiefs pressured Cockerill's side for much of the first half however they weren't able to finish off their chances. In the end their early handling errors and two missed penalties proved to be costly however their endeavour warranted their losing bonus point. Both side's clashed with ferocity in the sunshine, with every round Leicester look more like the side we expect them to be every and Henry Slade's break to put Will Chudely away continues to highlight the fly half's prowess and his side's overarching intent. In short it was an intense 80 minute clash between two sides that know the importance of every single point given their precarious positions in the Aviva Premiership table.

(@SaleSharks)

At the AJ Bell Stadium the Sale Sharks pushed themselves into one point of the Top 6 with a comprehensive and impressive victory over Gloucester Rugby. Once again it was Danny Cipriani who caught my eye as he showed that his lack of game time during the RBS 6 Nations hadn't affected him one bit. Alongside Cirpiani's show the home side took control of the breakdown, as they have done on a number of occasions this year and their ferocity in defence defined their victory. Gloucester were disappointed in themselves as they did not apply what David Humprehys described as a 'positive training week' and it looks now their hunt for the Champions Cup is just slightly out of reach. The final word on this game must go to Mark Cueto, who celebrated his 300th appearance for the Sharks, an unbelievable milestone that few in world rugby let alone the Aviva Premiership achieve. 

The final game of the weekend was in Oxford where London Welsh hosted Bath Rugby.  Sensibly Mike Ford had rested Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph, George Ford and Dave Attwood however the team sheet still carried some particularly large names; Eastmond, Burgess, Houston and co. The torrid conditions, ranging from torrential sheet rain to swirling winds, didn’t allow either side to truly flourish in attack however Bath patiently delivered the 4 tries that they required. London Welsh stood up to Ford's side admirably, their lineout and scrum held firm and defensively they were stronger and more structured than we’ve seen them all season. It was much improved and will have pleased Rowland Phillips on his first match in charge, however the fact remains that with Falcons’ losing bonus point it is now mathematically impossible for them to reach the Northern side and as such they are set to be relegated. Bath weren’t anywhere near 5th gear, they were made to work harder than they would have like however it’s the result that counts and their under performance won’t impact their trip to Leinster in the slightest. 

The 2015 Tour De Flats

Since taking over the custodianship of the Aviva Premiership BT Sport have pushed the televisual bar higher than it has ever gone before. BT have done so through the style of their coverage, their esteemed choice of pundits and presenters and of course their weekly offering of Rugby Tonight. From the very first show Rugby Tonight established itself as a must watch and during the course of countless episodes we have enjoyed two Smash-O-Meters, endless digs at Austin's lack of a Rugby World Cup and at the heart of it all informed discussion about some of the most pertinent points in our game. Towards the end of last season, just when we thought that we had seen everything, David Flatman arrived on our screens and the first annual Tour De Flats was broadcast. 

The Tour De Flats came about after the man himself lost the Land Rover Challenge and as a forfeit had to drive to Toulon to perform live the Pilou Pilou. Flats' first sidekick on his memorable tour was the ball of energy that is James Haskell. Hask certainly set the tone for proceedings as he performed a spot of tackling practice on the ferry, showed Flats how he keeps 'his rig' in mint condition by drinking three raw eggs as a car snack and provided general hilarity and banter. However the romantic trip was cut short when Haskell had to return to the day job and left Flats high and dry. It was fortunate for the man at the helm that Ian Balshaw swooped in and supported Flats for the remained of the journey. Balsh's sound advice, dry sense of humour and helping hand guided the journey all the way to Toulon. In short, it was a memorable watch and utterly hilarious. 

This morning, 12 months on, the second Tour De Flats set off from Twickenham Stadium. In 2015 Flats will be travelling the length and breadth of the UK, from Exeter to Cardiff, and visNewcastle and London. Exactly like last year there will be various challenges to cope with on the way and to give you a hint of what lies ahead Flats has an off road Land Rover driving course to contend with, a rendition of the Welsh National anthem to deliver and a test of his skills with the round ball. 

Personally I can't wait to see how this year's tour unfolds and the man in the spotlight is equally excited saying; “I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and on the road again. Tour de Flats was an amazing experience last year and once again I’ll be meeting some stars of the rugby world and having a laugh along the way with some light-hearted challenges that should make for great TV.”

As well as providing us with hilarious viewing the tour aims to assist Land Rover's 'We Deal In Real' campaign. This is a campaign that aims to put grassroots rugby on the global stage and like all promotions of the game at that level is vitally important to continue to deliver the pipeline of tremendous rugby talent that we have in the UK. 

For now it is time to enjoy Round 18 of the Aviva Premiership and consider this post a friendly 'public service announcement' to ensure that we are all ready to take in the wonder that is the Tour De Flats 2015 on Rugby Tonight. 

No Room For Error - Aviva Premiership Round 18

After 17 full rounds of Aviva Premiership action the table is precariously poised with just two tiny points separating second place and fifth place and hardly any breathing space after that. It is the time of the season where the terms; run in, home stretch and business end of proceedings shoot to the top of my vocabulary, so forgive me for that however I do believe that they all are essentials at this point of the season!

The round kicks off at the home of the Champions and league leaders the Northampton Saints as they welcome Wasps to town. Jim Mallinder’s men have a comfortable 9 point cushion at the top of the table and their sole task will be to secure a home Semi Final as quickly as possible, however the boys in black and gold won't make things easy for them. Wasps have been delivering some delightful rugby  this season however they have struggled with true consistency and if they are to really push for a Top 4 spot that is what they will need. The Saints’ have lost just once at home in the Premiership since March 2014 and only 10 of Wasps' 48 league points have been scored on the road. Both side's have points to prove, to themselves and to those around them so expect the round to kick off with a bang on Friday night. 

The Tribe will travel in number to Welford Road

On Saturday afternoon Welford Road is in for a repeat of the recent LV Cup Semi Final as the Leicester Tigers host the Exeter Chiefs. Personally I think that this is one of the most riveting clashes of the weekend and I’ll share why. Over the first 17 rounds Exeter have exceeded expectations however their run in is the toughest of them all and a victory on the road will go a long way towards providing the confidence they will need to face into it. By their own admission the Leicester Tigers were only just getting into their stride prior to the domestic break, they have most of their injured men back and with the emphatic form of the Youngs brothers and Geoff Parling in the RBS 6 Nations the immediate future looks bright. Like a broken record I cannot wait to see the influence that Henry Slade has on this match for his expected match up against Freddie Burns will be just one of a number of pivotal battles. 

Irish throwback 

In Reading the Newcastle Falcons will join London Irish for their annual St Patricks Day party and the Exiles will be desperate to continue to ride the recent luck of the Irish. Glenn Delaney’s side haven’t had the best of seasons at the Madjeski Stadium, having won just two of their Premiership home games and in front of their largest crowd of the season they’ll have to work extremely hard to make it a hat-trick. The Newcastle Falcons will be hugely frustrated with their eleventh place in the table for they have been playing rugby to a standard that far exceeds that, however their issue has been finishing off matches. It was an issue that haunted Exeter last season and look where they are now so Dean Richards and his side will be focused on his ending the year with purpose. 

Last year's pre-game huddle - Wembley

At the same time around forty miles East Saracens will be running out for their annual Derby Day fixture at Wembley Stadium. Harlequins have had a tough season, it will definitely be placed in the ‘development/ground work’ category however with the return of the England men they should look a little more comfortable in Round 18. Throughout the year Saracens have looked confident and assured and in recent weeks you can see them going up through to gears with ease. Last year Conor O’Shea was criticised for resting his England men for this fixture and speaking to Chris Robshaw directly after the France game he is expecting to play this weekend and rest the following week. It should be a brutal head to head for the 80,000 plus spectators and a showcase of the intensity and fluidity of the Aviva Premiership. 

DC will be raring to go

On Sunday rugby returns to the AJ Bell stadium for the first time since February as the Sale Sharks host Gloucester Rugby. This season the trip to Manchester is turning into a particularly tough one for any side to make and with the Sharks still in touching distance of the Top 6 they’ll be going hell for leather from moment one. Gloucester’s last Aviva Premiership outing against the Northampton Saints was one of their best performances of the season and that has to be their benchmark going forwards. Precision will be king for both sides as they each have the talent to throw the ball around and play at pace and tempo. Naturally all eyes will be on the tens with the expected match up on Danny Cirpriani versus James Hook and with wheels galore out wide tries should be the order of the day. 

The final game of the weekend is at the Kassam Stadium where London Welsh welcome Bath Rugby to town. Bath delivered an important victory over Sale in Round 17 to head into the break in third position and poised with the most ‘comfortable’ run in of them all. London Welsh’s last victory at the Kassam was in the first leg of last year’s Championship playoff and whilst their new Head Coach, Rowland Phillips, would dearly love to start this tenure with a victory, with respect I don’t expect that to be the case. If I was Mike Ford I’d put out a strong starting XV for the fixture and task them with finishing the game by half time. After that, I’d bring on the full bench for the second half and preserve the big names. Precision and power will be Bath’s buzz words whilst Welsh must continue to set their own targets and focus on delivering that 80 minute performance that they have yet to do. 

England vs. France - RBS 6 Nations Review

On Saturday 21st March 2015 Twickenham Stadium experienced one of the most dramatic, intense and enthralling games of them all, from the opening minute to the final seconds it enraptured us and the drama was played out in an atmosphere beyond anything that I have ever experienced on home soil. Ultimately the Championship ended in Ireland’s hands however in my eyes England finish their RBS 6 Nations campaign perfectly poised for the coming months even without a title to their name. 

Prior to kick off Ireland had set the bar extremely high thanks to their clinical performance at the BT Sport Murrayfield Stadium, in the words of Stuart Lancaster it was a ‘big ask’ to win by 26 points against any International side let alone a French team that had finally decided that it wanted to play rugby to their full potential. From Scott Spedding to Noa Nakaiaci, excluding his moment of try grounding madness, the French found their velocity in attack, they played with positive freedom and looked like the side that we all expect them to be on paper. It was terrible timing for the English however ultimately job saving for Philippe Saint-André and something to delight a nation. 

The question is where do you begin in terms of analysing England’s performance? Ultimately right now, in the aftermath of such a match, words may not do them justice, however I will endeavour to. England showcased titanic mental strength to absorb the pressure of the task at hand, the ebbs and flows of the match and tremendous fortitude to continue banging on the door until the final seconds of the Test Match. In attack Lancaster’s side played with purpose, precision and ignited Twickenham, Ben Youngs and Jonathan Joseph in particular flew across the turf, leaving the French defenders clutching at thin air and these are the defenders that had only conceded two tries to date in the competition. In the forwards Courtney Lawes’ bone shuddering tackle on Plisson was a physical manifestation of how much this game and indeed this year means to this England side. From Marler to Vunipola and every forward in-between their physicality and proficiency was outstanding for eighty minutes. 

The standards that we have set this England side are extremely high, the very fact that there is an air of disappointment that England were unable to score the 26 points required to hold the trophy aloft says a lot about the expectations placed upon them. They are an extremely talented group of rugby players and this match in particular highlighted exactly what they can deliver, even under the most intense pressure. Crumble they did not, instead they soared and rightly Stuart Lancaster was immensely proud following the final whistle;

‘I said to the boys at the end of the game, I’ve never seen such a courageous performance from a group of players and I’m hugely proud of what that England team has shown out there today and throughout the Championship. Obviously we have come up short at the end but the mindset to play and the ability to go at a high quality French team and score the tries that we did is a testament to the spirit and character that we’ve got.’ 

Naturally lessons will be learned, the greatest lesson that this side will take out of the 2015 RBS 6 Nations Championship is that every single point counts. The ability to deliver flawless execution against every side is paramount.  By their own admission England were guilty of lapses in concentration during this Championship however when they hit their stride, like they did so successfully in this final round, you cannot help but feel tremendously excited at the prospects of Stuart Lancaster’s England in 2015.

England vs. France - RBS 6 Nations Preview

After 400 minutes of English RBS 6 Nations action and with a positive points difference of just 4 at the top of the table it all comes down to this, one match against the most unpredictable and whimsical of them all, France. When the anthems are sung and the fireworks erupt over Twickenham Stadium England will know exactly what they need to do in order to deliver their first title since 2011. This week, much has been discussed about the ‘luxury’ of playing last and of course it is more of an advantageous position than last year however it also provides a huge amount of psychological pressure and complexity as Stuart Lancaster highlighted; 

‘It is certainly going to be an interesting day and it is certainly going to be an interesting coaching challenge when you’ve got to get the psychology of the team right with all of the variables. I can’t actually think of another sporting event that this situation would or does occur.

‘It is very difficult to plan for every scenario, obviously you’ve got to go through the what if situation with your players and there are so many different permutations. You could be in a situation where you’ve got to win by 5 or by 25 or just win. So we’ve talked as a group, the Coaching Team and the Senior Players, as to how we would manage the different scenarios but ultimately it comes down to getting the performance right because if you don’t get that bit right then you lose the game and it is all over anyway.’ 

That performance hinges on delivering everything that they have to date and sharpening it up. English selection has been tailored according to the tasks at hand, first and foremost delivering a victory against a volatile French side and then doing their damnedest to secure whatever points may be required to deliver the Championship. Geoff Parling’s return provides a wealth of experience and lineout proficiency. Nick Easter forms part of an England bench that will play a vital role in this fixture delivering the impact and increased intensity required in the final quarter. It is tough to take for Dave Attwood but this is the reality of this International side in 2015, competition is so tough that hardly any individual’s jersey is truly safe for any amount of time. 

There won’t be anything straightforward about this fixture, the phrase ’you never know which France will turn up...’ is known to be one of rugby’s biggest clichés however in my opinion it is also one of rugby’s truest facts. France are an enigma, they baffle us with their ability to go from the sublime to the abysmal in mere minutes. If Scott Spedding, Yoann Huget and Gael Fickou play their potential they will be a handful, to say the very least. Defensively France have been on the money this Championship, they have conceeded only 2 tries this and Jules Plisson comes in at 10 to orchestrate proceedings. France may not have delivered anything specular this year however my own unsettling belief is that they could put together a performance that blows all of our socks off this weekend, indeed it would be so typically French to do so. 

England could have had a greater points cushion and subsequently some margin for error, however their own imprecision against Scotland negated this and now they must play with the hand that they are dealt and deliver. It is time for Stuart Lancaster's side to put the complete package out on the park, they must replicate last weekend’s try creating masterclass and they must do so with precision and flawless execution. There isn’t any margin for error, their discipline cannot falter and up front they must deliver a ruthless destruction of the French set piece and pristine breakdown fundamentals. 

Everything is in the hands of Stuart Lancaster's men, come 5pm they will know their task and they must deliver the performance to achieve that. It will be the ultimate climax to what has been a whirlwind of the tournament to date. 

England vs. Scotland (RBS 6 Nations)

As the last of the sunshine set over Twickenham Stadium England and Scotland completed their final preparations ready for the 2015 Calcutta Cup. England hadn't lost against Scotland at Twickenham for 29 years and after the hurt of Dublin the expectation was for them to deliver a ruthless, show stopping performance whilst Scotland needed to prove that they are light years better than their bottom place in the table indicates. Personally, I believe that across the eighty minutes of rugby both teams did make their points; Scotland proved to be great warrior’s and delivered positive rugby whilst England didn’t make theirs as empathically as they should have done but the opportunities created  were some of the best of the Championship, even if they all weren’t converted, in short they did right many of the wrongs of two weeks ago. 

The theme of the match from an English perspective was making and indeed breaking chances, the opportunities and breaks created resulted in roars of approval from the 82,00 strong crowd. George Ford dictated from the Fly Half jersey as he ran some sterling lines, distributed with precision and kicked strongly out of hand and off the tee. The line breaks were delivered from all over the park; Mike Brown, Ben Youngs, Luther Burrell and Jack Nowell in particular all exploited Scottish defensive holes. However the pertinent point is that many a time a pass went forward, a strong Scottish cover tackle came in or a decision to go to the wrong side was made. Naturally this is disappointing and the sentiments of all the coaches and players I spoke to afterwards, Stuart Lancaster, James Haskell, Luther Burrell, echoed this however the disappointment and frustration is a positive one and it is a different type to that felt following the Dublin defeat. Stuart summarised this perfectly following the game; 

‘From a performance point of view we are delighted with the opportunities that we created but equally we’ll look back at the tape and think, about the the tries that were disallowed, and the opportunities that we missed and it is frustrating without a doubt. You don’t get try scoring opportunities without good attack, and I think you could see by the shape, the way we played and our intent to play, our breakdown work was much sharper and more effective. We created twelve line breaks I understand but only to convert three obviously is frustrating. The boys are frustrated in the changing room and we’ll definitely review the game, honestly as we always do and we’ll need to sharpen up to beat France.’

If England hadn’t created any opportunities then we should worry, if England have been static, stuttering and nervy, then we should be throwing the sword at them, however England weren’t. The over arching feeling from the players  was that those final errors were the result of it being ‘one of those days’ where the final glue just doesn’t quite stick. Anyone that has played sport to any level, professional or otherwise, knows that those days are a fact of life and it is the way in which you deal with that, that is the most important factor.  

Following the game Stuart proclaimed a clean bill of health for his side and this is hugely important going into the final game, where I expect him to name a largely if not fully unchanged side. The few mistakes from James Haskell may mean that Tom Wood is given a run out however it depends how costly the coaching staff believe them to be and how much they weighted the positivity of his work elsewhere on the field. The men that came back into the side in my eyes were phenomenal and did exactly what they were asked by the coaching staff which was ‘to impart their own game on proceedings’. Courtney Lawes’ physicality and work rate were World Class and Mike Brown’s splendour in the 15 shirt shouldn’t be skipped over. 

Overall we all know that it was not a pristine performance, there is no doubt England should have put at least 6 tries on the board and at times defensively they were looser than they should have been. The missed tries may prove to be costly in terms of the Championship however England must take the positives and press on. Stuart shared that, as always, they will ‘honestly analyse the game’ and you can guarantee that they will be tough on themselves, and will get to the crux of why they were so inaccurate with the try line in sight. 

England would be more annoyed if they didn’t create any opportunities at all, if their set piece was shaky and if they didn’t show the coolness of mind to continue to press and press when final passes didn’t stick. Next weekend France will be an altogether different challenge, England have the luxury of playing however they must focus solely on winning the Test Match. Today at Pennyhill Park they’ll be some sore bodies and pensive England players however their hearts and minds will be in a much better place than they were this time two weeks ago knowing that they have laid the foundations for one final Six Nations' showdown. 

The Bounce Back - England vs. Scotland (RBS 6 Nations)

Shortly the Calcutta Cup will return to Twickenham Stadium for another year and to date England’s home record against the Scots is an imperious one having won every single fixture against their local rivals in London since 1983. Now without appearing to be too arrogant, for we all know that English arrogance has been a hot topic this week, I for one expect them to retain that delightful record on Saturday afternoon. However, I also expect that Scotland will be a handful and will make England work for every single point that they score.  

My confidence is not based on pure patriotism or un-sustained optimism instead it rides on the pertinent point that England let themselves down in Dublin, they did not deliver to their capabilities and on home soil I expect them to. Faltering in Dublin has left a strong, nagging and uncomfortable feeling of disappointment, a feeling that is shared by every single English player and coach. Graham Rowntree admitted it took him until Monday of this week to get over the defeat and that prolonged amount of time to compute what happened was shared by the players. The English feeling of disappointment is also coupled with an even stronger emotion from the players; frustration. The frustration is driven by knowing how much better they are than their output in Dublin portrayed and it stems from the fact that not only did they fail to execute their meticulous preparation and analysis, they were unable to turn things around during the game. England’s loss in Ireland has emotionally fired them up and really got under Stuart Lancaster's team's skin.

Lawes' last HQ action

The reintroduction to the starting XV of Mike Brown and Courtney Lawes adds a tremendous amount to the side. Mike Brown is a fearless competitor, as he has shown time and time again and has the ability to single handedly change games. His solidity under the high ball provides reassurance and his aggression and out and out attacking threats should scare Scotland. Courtney, like Mike, brings multiple attributes to the Twickenham party; his lineout calling ability and subsequent security in that area of the game is vital alongside his almost unrivalled physicality and intensity. Elsewhere the familiar faces of this 6 Nations tournament all must step up and deliver; dominance at the breakdown, a pin point kicking game and intense scrummaging are all non-negotiable outputs for Saturday's match. 

Switching to focus to the visitors; Vern Cotter’s Scotland will know all about the aforementioned feelings of frustration and disappointment. The Scots' rugby output as has sky rocketed in recent months, they have potent attacking threats across their back line and have sured up their set pieces beyond recognition. However, right now, after three rounds of RBS 6 Nations action, they find themselves in a familiar position at the bottom of the table and that will hurt. Andy Farrell described the situation perfectly at Twickenham;

‘We’ve got a wounded animal coming that was beaten by a side that they wanted to beat so it makes it dangerous for us. We can see what type of game is coming, it will be an intense feisty, fiery one, and they’ll try and stamp their authority on the game. A 6-2 bench, the introduction of Hamilton and Denton, all of the boys know what Jim brings to the party and what Denton does, so it is pretty obvious what is coming our way.’

This game means a tremendous amount to Cotter's men, if Stuart Hogg’s statements around respect, are shared by the whole squad then the Scots believe that England don’t take them seriously and that coupled with the frustration of losing to the Italians has the power to ignite a performance beyond what we have seen to date. Finn Russell's return is timely and an essential one to provide that stability from the middle and the ability to push them into the right areas on the pitch. With, Hogg, Seymour and Bennett Scotland they house their own dynamic threats and men England must not take their eyes off for a second.

An intense week at Pennyhill Park

This week, every single member of England's coaching team have stated that this week  has been an intense training week. Stuart described how he had to calm things down a bit when the 15 on 15 boiled over slightly and Andy Farrell's assessment was that training has been 'sharp, on point and had a bit of an edge to it'. This all bodes well for Saturday afternoon, prior to kick off no thought should be given to what is going on in Cardiff instead the focus should be on an English performance. This weekend, a failure to turn up or a failure to deliver to their potential is not an option, instead it is time for England to show exactly what they are made of and remind us all of their excellence against the strongest Scottish side that they will have faced in years. 

The LV Cup Semi Finals

After 32 matches and hundreds of points scored there are just four teams remaining in this year's LV Cup Competition; the Exeter Chiefs, Saracens, the Northampton Saints and the Leicester Tigers. This week Luther Burrell shared with Nick Heath (@RugbyMedia) at  Pennyhill Park the importance of the competition and looked forwards towards his side's Semi Final tomorrow; 

The matches between Saracens and the Northampton Saints are always feisty affairs for there is little love lost between the two sides. Saracens have enjoyed a clean sweep in the competition to date having brushed aside, Harlequins, the Ospreys, London Welsh and most recently the Exeter Chiefs. The Northampton Saints don't share the record of a clean sweep having lost to the Leicester Tigers in a heated East Midlands Derby in January however their final outing was a comprehensive victory over Wasps. Both sides have played sublime rugby during the course of the competition and both have named tremendously talented squads to take on this fixture. Saracens' Ben Spencer has been  excelling at Scrum Half and watching him and Kahn Fotuali'i go head to head will be delightful. The Northampton Saints will look towards the collective physicality of their forwards to impose themselves and provide the platform for their game and their front row of Corbisiero, Haywood and Ma’afu will challenge Saracens. From one to fifteen the positional match ups are enthralling and it has the makings of being one of the best matches of this year’s LV Cup competition. 

On Sunday afternoon the second Semi Final takes place at Welford Road where the Leicester Tigers will host the Exeter Chiefs. Leicester, like Saracens, won all four of their group matches whilst the Chiefs only lost to Saracens. Last year the Exeter Chiefs picked up their first ever piece of silverware thanks to the LV competition and they have their eyes firmly on the target of making it two in a row. For the home side Tommy Bell has been flourishing in the competition after he signed from Jersey, last time out he scored a try and two conversions from Full Back and this weekend at 10 he’ll have even more of an opportunity to influence the game. The man wearing the opposite 10 jersey is Ceri Sweeny, the Chiefs’ Captain and the 35 year old has a number of experienced men with him including Moray Low, Kai Horstmann and Haydn Thomas. Exactly like the game in London this should be an exciting fixture and competitive affair. Home advantage could be an influencing factor in proceedings however the Chiefs have to keep their heads and stick to their game plan of playing positive, inventive rugby. 

These two knock out fixtures of the LV Cup should deliver us with some scintillating rugby of the domestic variety alongside the International action this weekend. The competition continues to provide an all important platform for squad members and younger members of our domestic clubs’ academies to shine and this weekend the intensity will notch up a level as only two sides can make it through to the final at Franklin’s Gardens next Sunday afternoon.

Hanging In The Balance - Aviva Premiership Round 17

Heading into Round 17 there was little room for error for many of our Aviva Premiership side's and after 480 minutes of action that remains the same. This 2014/15 season is one of the most intense ever and it will certainly be the most exciting run ins in recent history. The competition remains on a knife edge, thought we'll have to wait for another Here is the full round review;

(C) Bath Rugby

There is a valid case to argue that Bath’s win on Friday night was one of their most impressive to date, of course that victory over the Tigers supersedes it however in terms of the mental strength required and the manner in which they delivered the result few could have pleased Mike Ford more. It wasn’t a vintage game of rugby, instead it was intensely physical and slightly compact in it’s output. Bath enjoyed the lions share of possession however Sale’s heroic defensive efforts and ability to slow the ball down at the breakdown meant that the scoreline game remained tight. Tom Homer delivered all of his side's points however he did miss 3 other kicks and his understanding of The Rec’s elements will need to improve going forwards. For the Sharks Mike Haley continued to highlight this prowess at 15 however collectively the side looked weary and worn out. Steve Diamond confirmed this following the final whistle due to their small squad numbers and they'll welcome the LV rest. It was essential for Bath to put to bed the demons of this time last year and headed into their run in with a victory whilst Sale will be bitterly disappointed to leave without a losing bonus point.

Loving life up in 2nd.

At Sandy Park the Exeter Chiefs delivered a ruthless performance against London Welsh as they scored 10 tries against a London Welsh side that are going through rugby hell. The Exiles made the opening twenty minutes a competitive and interesting contest however after that the home side turned on the after burners and never, ever looked back. Will Chudley’s opening try for the highlighted Welsh’s ongoing defensive issues and at the set piece it boarded on men against boys as the Exeter pack had a field day. Nathan Trevitt’s and Seb Stegmann’s tries were well worked for the visitors however they found it horribly tough going. Take nothing away from the Chiefs, their performance was ruthless and impressive, individuals delivered and impressed; Hill, Slade, however their real test will come following their LV Semi Final as they have Tigers, Saints, Wasps, Saracens and Sale standing in their way of a Top 4/6 finish. For Welsh the pain continues, how they must be hurting and personally I find it tremendously difficult to see. 

In London Harlequins delivered their fans with another emotional rollar-coaster however for the first time in 3 rounds this one ended in victory. It was a gloriously sunny day in London on Saturday and the home side started strongly; Nick Evans’ boot kicked them to a 9-3 lead thanks to their endevaour in attack however Glenn Delaney’s London Irish weren’t there to make up the numbers and they worked hard to get themselves back in the game with James Short's opportunist try starting proceedings just before the break. Young Tom Fowlie had a delightful day at the office as he gave the visitors real go forward and thoroughly deserved his try along with a pack that really took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second forty. It was one of the closest encounters between the two sides in recent years and Harlequins will be ecstatic with the fact that they dug deep and held on for the moral boasting victory.

(C) Gloucester Rugby

The home fans at Kingsholm also went on a rollar-coaster of their own as their side gave away a 23 points to 6 lead against the Northampton Saints and ended the day sharing the spoils. For forty minutes Gloucester had all the tricks and the Saints couldn’t quite match up. James Hook and Greig Laidlaw highlighted what a formidable force they can be together, from scrum time to the breakdown and everywhere in between Gloucester were on song and playing delightful rugby. It is fair to say the visitors received a Jim Mallinder rocket at half time for they were a different outfit after the break, led by the physical force of nature that is Samu Manoa and the boot of Stephen Myler. Down to the wire it went, it was a match filled with end to end excitement with dynamic work from Billy Twelvetrees, Charlie Sharples and James Wilson to name but a few. Saints' show of determination will have sent shivers down the spines of the rest of the table and Gloucester know that their chances were there for the taking. In short, it was thrilling and compelling Aviva Premiership rugby. 

To start the Sunday Service Wasps hosted Saracens at the Ricoh Arena and delivered another blinder of a rugby game. Exactly like Gloucester, Wasps raced ahead from the offset, they looked sharper and more sprightly than their opponents; Christian Wade's finish for their first try was out of this world and Elliot Daly's own solo try shortly after was up their too. However, as you'd expect from Mark McCall's men they fought back, Saracens were calm and considered and thanks to the delightful half back pairing of Richard Wigglesworth and Alex Goode they pushed themselves right back into the game. Physically it was a brutal encounter and one that cost Brad Barritt of his fitness as he was taken off and now will be out for a prolonged period of time. The breakdown resembled a war zone such was the intensity of the contest, as you'd expect with Jacques Burger, Ashley Johnson and Jackson Wray on the field. Wasps didn't push on how they would have liked and in spite of weathering a period with Guy Thompson in the sin bin they never looked to have the upper hand in the second. A timely reminder of Saracens' brawn and steel, hugely impressive from the London outfit. 

(C) Falcons Rugby

The final game of the weekend was in the far North of the country as the Newcastle Falcons welcomed the Leicester Tigers to town. The home side's position in the table betrays their strong recent form and coupled with a spot of family rivalry it was always going to be a hugely competitive fixture. In front of their second highest crowd of the season Newcastle again played expansive and positive rugby and outscored their visitors in terms of tries, two to one. This is something that they have done during many of their Premiership losses this season and it remains a huge frustration that they cannot find their killer instinct to finish these games. Leicester had the upper hand at scrum time and once again they 'won ugly' and remain firmly poised for their playoff charge. The win was tainted the loss of Tom Croft who suffered what looked to be a dislocated shoulder and he is now out for the foreseeable future. 

Spotlight On; Nathan Hughes

At the beginning of January 2013 it was announced that Wasps’ physical and bulldozing back rower, Billy Vunipola would be leaving the club for Saracens, naturally it was a piece of news that didn’t sit too well with the Black and Gold faithful and indeed even Dai Young was quoted saying that he was ‘bitterly disappointed’ with the decision. However, the very large shoes that Billy Vunipola left have been more than filled by the outstanding rugby player that is Nathan Hughes.

Nathan’s introduction to the sport differed to many of his Premiership compatriots, he didn’t grow up spending hours running rings around others on the mini rugby field or progressing through the age groups, instead he was a talented hockey player and fell into rugby. Nathan was offered a rugby scholarship immediately after he finished a game in which he was asked to play as a ‘ringer’ for his local side, for such an offer to be handed  after 80 minutes of rugby you can only imagine how impactful he must have been. However Nathan is a humble man and when pressed about what he did during that game he simply said that he ‘carried the ball hard, made some line breaks and drove through the gaps’. It was only the third or fourth game that he had ever played for rugby and his ‘informal’ entrance to the sport highlights the enormous amount of natural talent that the Wasp has. 

‘The signing of the century’ are words that I have heard many a Wasps’ supporter say about one third of one of the most impactful back rows in the competition. Nathan’s blend with James Haskell and Ashley Johnson has propelled Wasps forwards this season and his personal contribution is outstanding. After 16 rounds of Premiership action the statistics speak for themselves he has contributed the second most carries of any individual in the competition (188), has made 890 meters, beaten 55 defenders and has made more offloads than any other man, 31. The manner in which Nathan attacks games sets the tempo for the rest of the side however it is the competition from others that is driving him forwards;

‘We have outstanding depth in the back row and week in week out we are fighting for our position. As a back row we need to lead the boys with the carries and lacks and it is the balance that we have between our back row that makes us difference from other back rows in the league. Dai always challenges us to be ‘better than your opposite number’ and that’s what we strive to do.’

Nathan has been credited by his team mates as ‘being a breath of fresh air’, indeed Captain Haskell has openly said that Nathan made him 'revisit and polish' parts of his own game and has been a critical part in 'reinvigorating his passion' for the nuances of the back row. Nathan takes rugby very seriously however if you ask anyone at Wasps they will tell of his great sense of humour and character. Nathan understands how much the Club means to its fans, something I’ll never forget that highlights this is when he gave his boots to a young fan mid way through a team lap of honour. It was a bitterly cold day and had been a hugely physical game however Wasps' Number 8 ignored the elements and continued to take the time to speak to every single fan, shoeless. A small act of kindness that meant the world to that Wasps' fan and something that epitomises the heart of Hughes. 

With more Man of the Match performances than you can count on two hands it is no wonder that all of our thoughts have turned to the 'larger stage', International recognition and Nathan was open and honest about his thoughts on the subject;

‘I haven't set any goals International wise England, I’m playing it match by match and focused on delivering for Wasps. However, when the day comes, on 26th June next year, we will have to see if the coaches like me and if they want to select me.’ 

I think that it is a very safe bet to say that Stuart Lancaster and the entire England set up know all about Nathan Hughes and like us they are counting down the days until he is available. In the immediate future the focus turns to Saracens, completing a strong Aviva Premiership season and learning the ropes of parenthood when Nathan and his wife Ella became parents to a little boy in Early May. They’ve already been told to expect a 10lb baby and if Baby Hughes is anywhere near as proficient at our great game as his Dad is then his future will be just as bright as Wasps' signing of the century.