Aviva Premiership Round 9 - Well That Was Intense...

Although Round 9 of the Aviva Premiership contained one less match than usual it was one of the most enthralling and captivating that we have witnessed this term. The Derby Days at Welford Road and The Stoop particularly caught the eye while London Irish and the Exeter Chiefs both held off second-half advances from their respective opponents to the victories. 

Eddie Jones will have been slightly concerned by a couple of the injuries that occurred, both before, and during the Round. Dylan Hartley was withdrawn prior to Saturday's Derby due to a rib injury, George Kruis was knocked out at The Stoop, Joe Launchbury suffered a head knock at the Ricoh and Jack Nowell limped off after being caught in a two man tackle. That said there was better news for England's boss, who is set to announce his EPS squad on Wednesday, with head turning performances from individuals including Chris Robshaw, Danny Care, Tom Youngs and of course we all witnessed the much anticipated return of Manu Tuliagi. 

Elsewhere in Europe Bath Rugby's performance against RC Toulon was the best of their season, by a country mile, and George Ford upped the ante in the 10 jersey. For now we'll stick with the Aviva Premiership action but look out for a Champions Cup article coming shortly.

The match at Sandy Park wasn't Exeter's most comfortable win of the season however it was another four-points to add to their growing collection. Gloucester Rugby arrived with the wind in their sails after two rounds of positive performances however left themselves with too much to do after a slower start than their hosts. Thomas Waldrom continues to press the 'full steam ahead' button as he recored another two tries and Olly Woodburn's first in a Chiefs shirt gave the home side their 19-0 half-time lead. It must be said that the conditions were not overly conducive to rugby, however neither side used them as an excuse for the parts of their respective games that they were unhappy with. That said, what it did mean thought was that the full eighty minutes weren't of the 'vintage' variety. Gloucester's resurgence in the game came after Greig Laidlaw slotted a penalty after the break and had they surged on after Charlie Sharples' try it could have been a grandstand finish. However the Chiefs saw out the victory and this will be one of those games that Rob Baxter secretly is pleased about because it shows how his side are progressing from last season. Last year they didn't grind out every victory as they should however this time around they are learning how to notch up the points even when the performances aren't always pristine. Key Man: You simply can't look beyond Thomas Waldrom for his impact on the scoreboard - Toot Toot!

At the Twickenham Stoop Harlequins became the first side to beat Saracens this season and in doing so finally broke their hoodoo over their London neighbours, having lost their last 14 competitive meetings against Saracens. By all accounts it was a pulsating fixture and one that contained plenty of drama. James Horwill went from Sinner to Saint in the space of eighty minutes. In the opening minutes the Australian was given a yellow card for his collision with George Kruis however he then went onto score the match securing try in the 80th minute. In between we saw Saracens' develop an early lead, courtesy of a dominant set piece, however Harlequins bounced back with character. Again Owen Farrell's boot was on song and Billy Vunipola carried hard however Saracens' discipline ultimately cost them as Rhys Gills' 65th minute red card turned the momentum against them. In the end a crucial Chris Robshaw turnover, followed by a Jack Clifford's break with just minutes remaining on the clock, secured the home side's territory and led to Horwill's late try. It was a thriller and if you've got a spare 80 minutes this week then do watch it online. Watch out for Harlequins' try from a first-half lineout for it is straight off their training paddock and then you've all of the monstrous collisions and tense moments to enjoy too! Key Men: Harlequins' Chris Robshaw & Danny Care - both held their hands firmly in the air for Eddie Jones!

(C) Paler Images

At Welford Road it was the 235th meeting between the Leicester Tigers and the Northampton  Saints and it was, yet another, Derby Day to remember. The home side enjoyed the perfect start to the match racing to a 21-0 lead after just 23 minutes however importantly the Saints kept their cool and Teimana Harrison's try just before half-time gave the second-half a different completion. George North's interception added to their comeback and as the match progressed the intensity continued to rise with every minute played. As has become customary with Derby Days there were talking points - the denial of Paul Hill's try of his life was one and then of course the final penalty against Courtney Lawes will both be debated by some Saints fans. However, from a neutral perspective I'd prefer to focus on the incredible rugby and physicality that we witnessed. Freddie Burns showed nerves of steel to nail the final penalty, quite possibly the most important of his club career, and across both sides we were privileged to witness immense individual performances. For the home side Lachlan McCaffrey was utterly colossal, Tom Youngs led by example and of course it was great to see Manu Tuliagi re-enter the Premiership after so long out. For the visitors Victor Matfield used every ounce of his experience, Tom Wood was stoic and George North showed more direction than we've seen from him in a long time. If you haven't yet seen it yet then I implore you to add this to the 'to watch' collection for the week', for it deserves 80 minutes of your life.  Key Men: Lachlan McCaffrey for his industry & Freddie Burns for that final penalty & handling the pressure of entering the fray for Owen Williams 

In spite of it being only January Sunday's match between London Irish and the Newcastle Falcons had high stakes and both sides knew it. To their credit neither caged up or wilted under the pressure instead the game developed as the eighty minutes unfolded and contained some enterprising rugby. After 46 minutes London Irish had a 20-0 lead, they exploded out of the blocks after half-time with Alex Lewington scoring immediately off the restart and then Topsy Ojo gained his first try since March 2014. However after that they slightly took their eye off the ball and Newcastle pounced. Nili Latu, Marcus Watson and the boot of Andy Goode drew the match back to within a single-score and as the time went into the red Falcons were pressing. Eventually, after what must have seemed like a lifetime to the Exiles' coaches and players, Luke Narraway gained the final penalty and with it another very important victory for the home side. Key Men: Alex Lewington's outstanding acceleration and Shane Geraghty's ability to remind the home crowd of his value!

The match report of Wasps hosting the Worcester Warriors at the Ricoh Arena will be en route shortly. I'm just waiting for the full match replay to pop up on Premiership Rugby.TV, and then the words will flow!!