It’s a Knockout – Aviva Premiership Semi Finals

After 22 rounds of electric action it is time for the Semi Final knockouts... these two fixtures do not need a lengthy introduction as the word knockout says it all. It is sink or swim time for four giants of the Aviva Premiership and as spectators we are in for an almighty treat.

The first Aviva Premiership Semi Final kicks off at 7.45pm on Friday Night at Franklin’s Gardens as the Northampton Saints welcome the Leicester Tigers to town. Within the Aviva Premiership there are rivalries between sides that date back for centuries and local Derby Days were well known for their incomparable levels of drama and action, a Derby Day victory means that little bit more to all of the players and tastes just a touch sweeter than a usual Premiership win and the East Midlands Derby is one of the most intense rivalries of them all. 

Image Claire Jones 

Last weekend the Northampton Saints ran in 11 tries and obliterated London Wasps and they will need every ounce of that precision and confidence on Friday Night. In recent years the Tigers’ have been their ‘bogey’ team; indeed they have lost their  last three derbies at Franklin’s Gardens and then there was the small matter of what happened at last year's Aviva Premiership Final. Therefore the question must be asked does this make Northampton underdogs? In my eyes not necessarily, the Saints have a few new weapons in their armoury and some of their older ones have been given a new lease of life this year. The added fire power that George North and Kahn Fotulali’i provide should not be underestimated, they have the ability to win games single handedly and are experienced at delivering on big occasions. Stephen Myler is a different man this season, now he oozes confidence, albeit in a quiet unassuming manner, and has been instrumental in everything that has been brilliant about the side this year. The dependability and talent of their Old Guard should not be forgotten; the likes of Tom Wood, Phil Dowson and Ben Foden will lead the side and whilst the loss of Dylan Hartley to injury is a blow it is not necessarily a killer one. All in all Saints are different prospect to the one that they were almost 12 months ago, over the last 8 months they have made other Premiership sides look like child's play and on Friday night Franklin's Gardens will be rocking and Mallinder's men will feel believe that they are more than capable of winning the most important Derby Day of the season.

Last weekend at Welford Road the Leicester Tigers were finally able to field an almost fully fit squad for the first time in an extremely long time, their season, like others, has been decimated by injuries and it has pushed their resilience almost to breaking point. There were moments during the year when we doubted that they would even reach the playoffs however they have fought harder than they have ever done before to be in with a shot of retaining their Aviva Premiership Title. In The Rugby Paper this week the Tigers’ pack were described as ‘gnarly’ and for me that is an extremely fitting description of Cockers' forwards. The forward battle on Friday night will be gigantic and personally I cannot wait to see it, now for those of you that know me well that is a big statement, as normally my focus is a little biased towards the beauty of the backs!! Tigers' back line flair will be delivered by the dynamic Manu Tuilagi, whose battle with Luther Burrell makes me almost giddy with excitement and the insatiable Vereniki Goneva. Tigers’ season may have been difficult however right now they will have confidence in themselves and believe that they can continue their stranglehold over their East Midlands Rivals and progress forwards into yet another Aviva Premiership Final.

Premiership Final place please!

The second Semi Final is on Saturday afternoon in High Barnet between the league leaders, Saracens and the big finishers, Harlequins at Allianz Park. Saracens have dominated proceedings since September and I believe that they only relinquished the top spot of the Aviva Premiership Table for one week in the entire year. They have delighted us with their progression from a slightly one dimensional team to a team that is truly exciting and exhilarating to watch. In Europe they delivered one of the best performances from an English side that we have seen in years and if they do that again on Saturday afternoon then boy are we in for a treat and a half! Just why are Saracens so good!? In my eyes it is the blend of brute power and strength coupled with their hunger to score tries and run the ball, the leadership of Steve Borthwick, the fineness of Owen Farrell, the feet of Chris Ashton and David Strettle and the all around awesomeness (I believe that, that is a word) of Schalk Brits and Jacques Burger are just some of their major assets. The question of emotional wear out will not raise its head just yet for Saracens, this Semi Final the start of the biggest month in the club’s history and it is vital that they begin it with a win.

Harlequins’ season, like Leicester’s, has been absolutely ravaged by injuries and just a month ago many fans believed that their playoff dreams were down and out however the players had other ideas. In my eyes Harlequins are the team with the greatest momentum going into these knockout matches and the confidence that they gained beating Bath last weekend should not be underestimated. Harlequins have their own outrageously brilliant talents and assets and that makes them an extremely exciting team to watch. Quins rarely play a boring game of rugby and instead treat us all to scintillating games filled with excitement and the odd heart in mouth moment when they choose to run from extremely deep!! Chris Robshaw’s leadership and work-rate is just one of the critical elements they will need this weekend, the others are the experience and vision of Nick Evans, the enforcing nature of Nick Easter, the spectacular hands and feet of Danny Care and of course every element of Mike Brown! Will their pack have enough to fight the Wolfpack!? Who knows... however I can tell you one thing and that is that they will put up an almighty fight at Allianz Park. If Quins take the lead early and continue to ride on their wave of momentum and confidence we could see one of the biggest upsets in the history of the knockouts... who knows!?!

As you can probably tell I am like a child at Christmas ahead of these two immense Semi Final fixtures, we have 4 sides that are filled to bursting point with World Class talent and just 2 tiny spaces in the Aviva Premiership Final. Now is not the time for the fainthearted, the rugby will be fast paced and brutal and the players must be fearless in their quest for victory. It is time to brace yourselves because these matches will be unlike anything that we have seen this season, why? Because it's a knockout! 

Northampton Saints Photos © Claire Jones RedHatPhoto.com all proceeds supporting Restart, the rugby players' charity.

Brutal and Extremely Emotional - Aviva Premiership Round 22 Review

There you have it, the regular season is over, *insert a large sigh or even a little sob here, it has been a dramatic season of rugby and Round 22 was the icing on the cake. So let's dive into a full review of the action; 

At 3.15pm The Stoop and Harlequins braced themselves for the most emotional game of the

season, as Bath Rugby arrived in town for their head to head, winner takes all, playoff shoot out. With so much on the line it was always going to be physical but my goodness me it was difficult to watch at times, even the players on the benches were wincing at some of the hits. The first blood, went to Eusebio Guinazu and Bath’s hooker crisis was tested however Tom Dunn stood up well to the task at hand. O'Shea's men were brutal and unsurprisingly George Ford received a huge amount of ‘special attention’ as they ran at him time and time again however he is a tough young man and relentlessly took the hits. It was George's stunning piece of brilliance that gave Bath their try and whilst they made multiple line breaks they didn't finish them all and it was their lack of clinical precision that cost them the game. Harlequins’ big game players delivered as we all knew that they would; Chris Robshaw, Nick Easter, Mike Brown, Danny Care and Nick Evans all were electric and I think that young Dave Ward booked his seat on the plane to New Zealand. Bath’s pack stood up as they have done all season however Harlequins simply had 1% more than their visitors; Bath were courageous and they gave it absolutely everything that they had however in the end it wasn't enough and Quins' stunning resurgence continues. Final Score Harlequins 19 Bath 16

Image Claire Jones

Northampton needed just one point to book their home Semi Final and they achieved that within 38 minutes. London Wasps raced to a 13 - 0 start thanks to tries from Charlie Davies and Tom Varndell however after that they didn't score again in the match and Northampton Saints ran in 11 tries! It was the largest win of the season and for London Wasps it was a nightmare; Dai Youngs said that the performance was 'pretty embarrassing' and it was certainly a huge comedown from the high of qualifying for Europe last weekend. Northampton had a ball, they relaxed and opened up to devastating effect; captain Phil Dowson scored two, as did Lee Dickson and George North stretched his oh so powerful legs. Alex Corbisiero enjoyed a good half an hour of rugby and it was great to see him back on the pitch again after such a long spell  out. Saints' record breaking win sets them up for their outrageously exciting Semi Final against the Tigers whilst Wasps must regroup quickly to host Stade Francais at home. Final Score Northampton Saints 74 Wasps 13

Talking about Leicester they welcomed a 'young' Saracens side to Welford Road, on paper it was supposed to be a walk in the park for Cockers’ men however in practice it was a little more challenging. Toby Flood’s pinpoint kicking was fitting of his final home match at Welford Road whilst the emergence of Tom Croft from the bench with 10 minutes to go made the whole country smile and not just those at Welford Road. Saracens’ strong performance was jaded by a red card (just after half time) to German International Justin Meck as it was thought that he had eye gouged another player, Saracens are working hard to have this decision overturned as soon as possible as it is believed to have been a terrible mistake on the part of the officials. Young Maro Itoje (England U20 Flanker) enjoyed his first ever Premiership start, Ben Spencer ignited proceedings from scrum half and overall it was a competitive affair and more thrilling than it should have been in the circumstances. Leicester finished the day unscathed and now they will travel to Franklin’s Gardens for a repeat of last year’s Aviva Premiership Final. Saracens head home to Allianz Park where most of this squad will not feature heavily in their Semi Final  against Quins however they all will be richer for their Welford Road experience. Final Score Leicester 31 Saracens 27

Worcester ended their Premiership campaign at Sixways and gave their extremely loyal fans something to smile about recording a 28 - 27 win over Gloucester. Dean Ryan's men showed tenacity and character to overcome a slightly depleted Gloucester side and finished their Premiership season with a smile. It was a day to remember for two reasons for Freddie Burns, firstly it was his final game for the Cherry and Whites and secondly due to the fact that he ran out with his younger brother Billy for the first time. Sticking with the visitors in attack they opened up, Jonny May reminded us all why he is considered to be a 'special talent' and Shane Monahan added to his try count. Gloucester's game summed up their season as they gave away some silly penalities and stupid errors... the famous d word, discipline, cost them yet again. Worcester's resurgence came too late however hats off to their backbone Jonathan Thomas and Chris Pennell for leading the side with dignity and charisma throughout this match and the season. The Championship awaits for the Warriors and we all wish them extremely well whilst for Gloucester it is holiday time!! Final Score Worcester 28 Gloucester 27 

London Irish's last game of the season was at the Madjeski against the Sale Sharks. The home side's recent Aviva Premiership form has been less than ideal having lost 7 of their last 8 fixtures and they targeted this match to finish with a bang. For the Sharks it was a 'nothing game' they had 80 minutes to enjoy before the off-season and by their own admission they struggled to get motivated for the match. Two of Irish's departing Exiles signed off in style; Marland Yarde crossed with a trademark blistering run whilst James O'Connor's boot added valuable points to their tally. Andrew Fenby continued his stunning form with two tries and that was that. If this match had been played during the middle of the season Steve Diamond would certainly have had something to say to his men who 'threw away' a 17-7 lead instead he is more concerned that they won't have any buses close by for their end of season party, I promise that wasn't made up he was quoted saying that!! As a team the Sharks have been extremely impressive and now the focus shifts to one Shark in particular to see if he will be on the plane to NZ. Good Luck Mr Cipriani!  Final Score London Irish 22 Sale Sharks 20

The final match of the weekend was between the Newcastle Falcons and the Exeter Chiefs up at Kingston Park or as many would call it a ‘dead rubber’ match, however for 20 year old Luke Cowan-Dickie it was one of the biggest match's of his career as Stuart Lancaster was sat in the stands just to watch him. England’s hooker crisis is well documented and indeed a problem however Luke passed his audition with flying colours, he scored a try and worked tirelessly for 64 minutes, his performance shouted; “Hello Mr Lancaster I’m your man, I want to help you out!!” Switching the focus to the Newcastle Falcons they went into the match with a fifteen match winless run and sadly they didn't break that however in parts they played some good rugby. I keep banging on about him however young Joel Hodgson turned heads once again and commanded the game... after another off season of gym work expect him to return to the Premiership bigger and stronger again. The Chiefs successfully released a lot of their frustration after their topsy turvy season and Henry Slade reminded us all of his credentials for now and the future. Exeter will aim for a touch more consistency next year whilst Dean Richards has already said that he will change his side’s game plan completely and utilise his new signings (notably the two Tuilagi brothers) to great effect in the 2014/15 season. Final Score Newcastle Falcons 13 Exeter Chiefs 23

So that is that... after 22 rounds of rugby we have our four Aviva Premiership Semi Finalists and now I suggest that you fasten your seat belts because from hereon-in it is going to be a bumpy ride through to the Final on 31st May.  

Northampton Saints Photos © Claire Jones RedHatPhoto.com all proceeds supporting Restart, the rugby players' charity.

Winning Is Everything - Aviva Premiership Round 22 Preview

So here we are, we have reached the final round of the Aviva Premiership 2013/14 season, and it has been one of the closest and most dramatic seasons of recent years. Over the past 8 months there have been twists and turns in the race for European action, some clubs have exceeded expectations whilst others have fallen short and as fans we have delighted in countless minutes of outstanding action. Now, it all comes down to this; six matches, one round of rugby, and then it is time for the knockouts. Courtesy of Round 21 we now have our very own Aviva Premiership Quarter Final Match as well as five other extremely competitive fixtures that will complete the 'group' stages of the Aviva Premiership. On Saturday afternoon all of the fixtures will all kick off at 3.15pm, so without any further introduction for the last time let’s dive into the action and preview the forthcoming round of Aviva Premiership Action;

In the North of the country the Newcastle Falcons welcome the Exeter Chiefs to Kingston Park. The Falcons and their supporters can now breathe a huge sigh of relief after they secured a place in Premiership for another year last weekend. Dean Richards’ side have had quite a challenging season, as do so many clubs that are newly promoted from the Championship however they have survived and they will want to showcase their full repertoire of skills at the weekend. The Exeter Chiefs have also had their fair share of challenges this year, from the highs of their early season form and their LV Cup winning performance to their Round 20 low against the Sale Sharks... it must have been emotional to be part of the Tribe this year. The Chiefs so narrowly lost out to Harlequins in Round 21 and it is certain that Dean Mumm and his men will want to show just how much further on they are in their development than the Falcons. If the sun is shining then I’m expecting another fast paced game, both sides have some stunning runners; Sinoti, Cato and Vainikolo are the most prolific and if either forget to pack their defence then we could be in for another try fest.

Welford Road is likely to be an emotional place this weekend as the fans will say goodbye to Club Captain Toby Flood before he heads to France. The Tigers are hosting Saracens in what could be a rehearsal for an Aviva Premiership Semi Final however that all depends on the outcome of the match at The Stoop. Arguably the best way to describe Leicester’s season would be to say that it has been a bit of a nightmare, however like the true champions that they are they have battled through and secured themselves a playoff spot regardless. It says an awful lot about Richard Cockerill, his coaching team and the players that they have pushed themselves into such a strong position in spite of everything and I expect them to continue pushing hard this weekend to retain their momentum. Saracens have blossomed, in this month’s Rugby World Richard Wigglesworth said that his team has ‘evolved’ and they consciously made a decision to ‘stop forcing tries’ and boy has it paid off. Saracens put out a nearly full strength squad against Worcester however this weekend they have decided to utilise their full squad, Jamie George will captain the side from Hooker in a 'young' line up... with a few experienced heads thrown in there. 

At the Madjeski Stadium London Irish will welcome the Sale Sharks for both sides’ last game of the season... signing off on a high will be the aim and I suspect that tries will be the result. Steve Diamond is a very strong contender for the DoR of the Season and rightly so as he has unlocked the best from his side after last year’s skirmish with potential relegation. This year Sale have been a tight unit, they have been powerfully led from the front by Dan Braid and his pack whilst in behind them Dwayne Peel and Danny Cipriani have pushed the charge from the half backs. Since the arrival of James O’Connor in late October London Irish have played with more confidence though they haven’t delivered the type of consistency that they would have hoped. Alex Lewington has made headlines with his performances and up front Blair Cowen has been phenomenal. On Saturday afternoon the Exiles will wish to give their home crowd a show whilst the Sharks will want to end the year as they started it with a big fat W next to their name.  

Worcester’s last game in the Aviva Premiership will be on home soil at Sixways against Gloucester. It must be extremely difficult to go through the emotions of being relegated and still have to pick yourselves up and play one final match however the Warriors certainly know a thing or two about resilience so I expect them to fight hard at home. Gloucester, have had a really tough year, watching Charlie Sharples on Rugby Tonight last week it appeared even the players can’t quite put their finger on why things just haven't gelled on the pitch. Gloucester’s players like their supporters are proud rugby folk and I would bet my house (if I owned one) on the fact that they won’t have another season like this one for a number of years. For 80 minutes pride will be at stake for both sides, a win for Worcester may be immaterial however it would mean the world to the squad whist the Cherry and Whites will be targeting a bonus point victory that screams class.

Image Claire Jones

The first of the two televised matches is at Franklin’s Gardens where two teams that will be very happy with themselves face each other; the Northampton Saints versus London Wasps. Northampton’s happiness stems from the fact they have sewn up their home playoff position after that dramatic draw against Bath whilst Harlequins did London Wasps a huge favour beating the Chiefs last weekend and guaranteed them a trip to France for the European Playoff. Northampton have reintroduced, George North, Christian Day and Lee Dickson into the starting line up to  them game time following their various injuries and it is great to see Alex Corbisiero is back on the bench after a very long spell out of the game.  London Wasps have rotated their side to rest a number of players with knocks (Masi, Helu, Cooper-Wooley, Myall) or wrap a couple in cotton wool (Haskell, Simpson, Mullun). Dai Youngs sums it up perfectly; "We want to win every match we play and we are determined to get something out of this game. We also know we have a huge couple of weeks ahead of us in the home and away play-off for the European Rugby Champions Cup. We are not yet in a position where we can match the depth of squad of a club like Stade Francais and so we have had to be sensible in our selection, resting some players who have niggles to make sure they are fully fit next week, while also giving some players needed game time to ensure we are selecting from a balanced squad.” 

The final game to preview is what is now known as the Aviva Premiership Quarter Final, the knockout game between Harlequins and Bath at The Stoop. It is very simple, winning is everything, the winner takes all and will progress into the playoffs. There will be no speculation regarding selection decisions, both sides will field their strongest match day 23's possible and it will be epic. Bath and Harlequins have the potential to play stunning rugby; they have delicious combinations of ferocious forwards and blistering backs and light up whichever stadium they are playing in. Nick Easter will make his 232nd appearance, equalling Ceri Jones' record for the highest professional appearances for the club. Crucially Mike Brown is fit to start and George Robson returns to the starting line up.... two huge assets for the side and today supporters can breathe a sigh of relief. Bath have made just one change to their starting line up from Round 21 and that is to sort their own 'hooker crisis' as Eusebio Guinazu replaces the injured Rob Webber in the number two jersey for the winner-takes-all game, with Tom Dunn coming onto the bench for Ross Batty. The stage is set for a humongous battle at The Stoop... winning is everything. 

All that is left for me to say is let the games begin....

Out On The Full Introduces Rugby's Big Try Out

The Aviva Premiership is without a doubt one of the most exciting competitions in the world, for 9 months of the year our lives are enriched by the outrageously brilliant talents of our Aviva Premiership on the field and this May we are going to be treated to some of their off the field talents at ‘Rugby’s Big Try Out’.

Rugby’s Big Try Out is a fundraising event for The Matt Hampson Foundation and it will take place in London in just a couple of weeks time. The Matt Hampson Foundation continues to grow and develop helping those that have been seriously injured through sport. Matt Hampson is a truly inspirational individual and the work that he does through his foundation to assist others that have had their lives changed forever due to sports injuries is phenomenal. 

So just what is ‘Rugby’s Big Try Out’? Well if you think Britain’s Got Talent minus Simon Cowell and the dancing dogs then you won’t be far away!! The individuals whose talents will be judged will come from a range of our Premiership and Championship clubs... the players have been asked to bring their A Games in order to show us all, judges included, exactly what they are made of off the pitch!! The host for the evening and the man who will be keeping the proceedings and players in check is Mr George Chuter and I’ve been told from the organisers that the acts are deep in rehearsals already! Rumours of a boyband, a comedy act or two and even a magic set have reached me at Out On The Full, so I, like you, am hoping that we are going to be in for a great evening of entertainment!  Kelly Brown has confirmed that he will be performing on the night and I spoke to him about his act and why he has chosen to perform;

"The Matt Hampson Foundation is a fantastic charity and it is something that we at Saracens really relate to because of Henry Fraser so as soon as I was asked to take part I was absolutely delighted to say yes. When I was at school I used to sing, in choirs and school shows so now whenever I'm asked to sing on the bus I struggle to look as reluctant as possible and then I get up there and enjoy belting out a song. I know that to quite a lot of people that rugby players are simply seen as 'meatheads' but I think see if we have any other talents."

The evening will take place at The No1 Sports Bar in Moorgate, London on 20th May and is set to be a once in a season experience! Tickets are available here and all proceeds from the night will go directly to The Matt Hampson Foundation. I can't wait to see what the players have in store for us and am hoping that it will be a truly unforgettable night!!! 

Now That's What I Call Rugby - Aviva Premiership Round 21 Review

Round 21, the sharp end of proceedings, the business end of the season... whatever you wish to call it this weekend the Aviva Premiership got serious, very serious and we were treated to some tumultuous matches as a result. On Friday we still had twelve teams in the Aviva Premiership, we still had no idea which team would take on the European challenge or which teams would be in the playoffs in a few weeks time... now after a staggering 46 tries things are a little clearer!

The action started underneath the Friday Night Lights at The Rec, it was a gladiatorial battle between Bath Rugby and the Northampton Saints that was filled with drama from minute one to minute eighty one. The game was eye wateringly physical, the defensive intensity was up there with the level that we see in Test Match Rugby and both teams should be immensely proud of their efforts. The moments of attacking magic that penetrated the brutal defence were provided by the fly halves; George Ford’s sublime individual try enthralled us all whilst Stephen Myler showed his full box of tricks with a stunning offload to put in young Jamie Elliott. Amongst all of the brutality there was the small matter of the ‘hooker/no hooker, 14/15 men’ puzzle to decipher and in the end Nathan Catt showed a huge amount of character and heart and stepped in to play Hooker for his side instead of reducing them to 14 men and uncontested scrums. The immense effort that he showed epitomised the desire of both teams and the 19 apiece final score was fitting for what was a truly gutsy game of Premiership Rugby. 

On Saturday at Adams Park London Wasps hosted Newcastle Falcons and the crowd were treated to an 82 point thriller courtesy of 11 tries! Newcastle were quickest off the blocks in both halves and Dai Young's will certainly wish to sort out his side's tendency to let teams go ahead before they play their best rugby quickly. Throughout the game Newcastle's wingers Sinoti Sinoti and Noah Cato proved to be difficult for Wasps to handle and Joel Hodgson had a near-on faultless day at the office. However the home side really took it to Wasps up front and in the back row. Will Helu scored what could be a very strong contender for try of the season and eventually the experience of Wasps proved too much for Dean Richard’s side. Wasps had a nervous wait to find out if their bonus point victory was enough to secure them the European playoff spot and reliable on Harlequins to do a job at Sandy Park, thankfully they did and Wasps will now head to France to take on Stade Francais in their quest for European Rugby next year.

  

Kingsholm has seen its fair share of ‘interesting’ displays this season however things ended on a high this weekend in front of almost 15,000 fans as Gloucester held on to secure a hard fought win over London Irish. Neither side has consistently delivered form that befits their on paper potential however both did deliver in Round 21. The game was a swinger in terms of the scoreline with Gloucester going 17-5 up before Irish pulled back to 27-25. Shane Monahan and Marland Yarde both scored hat tricks and Freddie Burns signed off his tenure of Gloucester with a reminder of how well he can play. An ankle injury to Billy Twelvetrees will need to be quickly assessed and treated if he is to take part next weekend and then be on the plane for England's Summer Tour and equally Charlie Sharples’ dead leg may give Stuart Lancaster cause for concern. In the hours after the game it came to light that Mike Tindall looks set to retire from rugby, at the age of 35 he has had a glorious career and you can't blame him for wanting to enjoy family life and fatherhood however what did surprise me was the fact that that the option of playing for another year wasn’t given to him... surely Mike Tindall MBE is an asset to any squad in particular Gloucester ?

The AJ Bell Stadium enjoyed one of its largest crowds of the year as over 10,000 fans watched the Sale Sharks take on the Leicester Tigers. Leicester needed a bonus point win to guarantee their playoff position and they secured it pushing aside a Sharks side that just weren't quite clinical enough when it came to putting the points on the board. The Tigers’ End of Season award winners were all in fine form; Mulipola, Gibson and Williams showcased their talents although Owen Williams will be less than happy with his couple of misses. Sale did eventually score some tries; Mike Paterson, departing prop Henry Thomas and Johnny Leota all crossed to make the score look much more respectable however the game was out of their reach. It must be said that Leota's try was particularly spectacular and I'll confidently eat my hat if it isn't part of the Try Of The Week contest however it was too late. A certain Stuart Lancaster was once again in attendance and it will be interesting to see if he thinks that Danny Cipriani has done enough to be included in the touring squad over the summer, as I've said before I do hope so. On the whole it was the visitors’ day; they secured their playoff position for the tenth year in a row and can relax in Round 22 before the real work starts again the week after. 

  

At Allianz Park Saracens dealt Worcester the killer blow that confirmed their relegation from the Aviva Premiership and they did so with some force. The question of whether Mark McCall was going to rest all of his key men was answered on Friday lunchtime when he announced a near full strength squad for the match and from that point onwards you felt that it was always going to go Saracens’ way. Dean Ryan’s men showed tenacity and character throughout, as they have done all season however Saracens were simply too strong and too powerful. Jackson Wray will rejoice in his hat trick of tries for a long time to come and the try scoring machine that is Chris Ashton added another two to his tally. Casting an eye over the Warriors I make no apologies for singling out Chris Pennell once again as he oozed class and the Aviva Premiership will be a poorer place without him. After the game Dean Ryan spoke candidly; "What happened to this club had to happen, there aren’t many clubs that would have the balls to take the drastic change that was needed and we are going to try and grow a proper rugby club. There are some big players in that changing room and being in the Championship is going to hurt egos and test humility but it’s a drive to make sure we come back to this level and grow”. We wish the Warriors well in the Championship and hope to see them back very soon.

The final game of the weekend was by far the most dramatic as the Exeter Chiefs welcomed Harlequins to Sandy Park and the result was a blockbuster.  The home side had a lot of making up to do after their Round 20 ‘Sale Slump’ whilst Harlequins had their playoff destiny in their own hands. Harlequins' were dealt a huge blow before kick off when Mike Brown and Sam Smith were both ruled out due to injuries. The loss of the two men did make a difference, Brown in particular however Harlequins are made of strong stuff and boy did it show. Dean Mumm added a lot of the stability that they were missing and scrum half Dave Lewis lead from 9 brilliantly.  Exeter certainly buried the demons of Round 20 however they will be bitterly disappointed to not have hung onto the match and kept their European hopes alive. Harlequins’ never say die attitude was simply outstanding coming back from 23-5 down to win the match. Man of the match Dave Ward continued to showcase his very large box of talents whilst Robshaw, Easter and Evans all used their years of experience to drive their team to the narrowest of victories. The result means that next weekend at The Stoop it is a winner takes all match between the home side and Bath Rugby for that final knockout position... it really be absolutely cut-throat and I can't wait to watch it unfold.

So there you have it Round 21 was befitting of a gloriously sunny May Bank Holiday weekend, at times it has a certain Super 15 feel to it such was the flow of tries. Now that the action is over there is only one unknown left, which team will secure that final playoff place? Will it be Bath or will it be Harlequins? Only time will tell...

Northampton Saints Photos © Claire Jones RedHatPhoto.com all proceeds supporting Restart, the rugby players' charity.

Thriller Time - Aviva Premiership Round 21 Preview

After a scintillating European weekend that involved four of our Premiership teams the domestic competition will resume this weekend for its penultimate hoorah before it too reaches the knockout stages. At this point in the season it is appropriate to use one of my favourite phrases in order to describe the situation in many places of the Aviva Premiership table; it is 'tighter than a pair of budgie smugglers on a prop'!! There is still everything to play for and Round 21 is packed with scintillating fixtures so let's dive straight into the Out On The Full preview;  

Image @Katelm76

On Friday Night The Rec opens its doors for a rather large clash with between Bath and the Northampton Saints. Bath are the side with everything to play for as they haven't yet secured their playoff spot whereas the visitors can rest easy knowing that they will play in a playoff fixture the question is just where? The match is a rehearsal for the Amlin Challenge Cup Final in a few weeks time and depending on how the results pan out in Rounds 21 and 22 it could be a rehearsal for an Aviva Premiership playoff fixture too... needless to say these two are going to get to know each other well over the next month. Jim Mallinder has decided to field his big guns for the clash; Ben Foden, Ken Pisi and Luther Burrell all return to the starting line up along with Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood, who captains the side. Clearly the thought of risking injuries is nowhere near Jim Mallinder's mind and personally I say good for him... momentum is critical and win away from home at The Rec will certainly create that. Mike Ford has named a full strength Bath side with a couple of exceptions; Semesa Rokoduguni will play for the Army on Saturday afternoon so he is replaced by Anthony Watson in the starting line up, Matt Garvery is forced out due to an injury that he sustained at Wasps last weekend and he is replaced by the mighty Carl Fearns. Stuart Hooper will lead the side out for his 200th Premiership appearance, it is a huge personal milestone and it will be a proud moment for the Captain.  Both teams will play some first class rugby this weekend, both will be brutally clinical and efficient in their assault of the other and The Rec is in for a treat and a half this Friday Night. 

Gloucester Rugby's season has been one to forget; following their defeat to London Wasps at Twickenham Nigel Davies looked like a man that just needed a good cuddle after his side once again gave a performance that doesn’t do their talent justice. Kingsholm isn’t quite the fortress that it once was but you know that the men in Cherry and White will raise their game in front of their home crowd. Freddie Burns will start at fly half for his last game at Kingsholm London Irish's second half performance against Saints was a superb and they must press on from that and forget about the 'what ifs' from that match. Chris Hala’ufia returns to the side and he will certainly add some bulk to proceedings whilst Tom Homer will make his 100th appearance for the club this weekend after a season that has been littered with injuries. Gloucester need to go back to basics, they need to secure their own ball particularly from the lineout and after that not panic; Charlie Sharples and Jonny May can work their magic out wide and a stronger defensive display will pay dividends. All in all for Gloucester a large performance is absolutely critical to salvage some pride on the other hand London Irish will fancy their chances of gaining their first set of back to back wins at Kingsholm ever.

London Wasps performed well at the weekend in their Amlin Challenge Cup Semi Final against Bath however they were their own worst enemies and will wish to make amends in Round 21 at home against the Newcastle Falcons. This week Wasps announced the signing of the electric Alapati Leuia from the Hurriances, this is great news for the club and Premiership Rugby given the man's talents!! Wasps have their destiny in their own hands, they are in prime position to secure that coveted 7th placed and must go for broke this weekend at home. Wasps only changes are enforced due to injuries that they picked up in that Amlin Game, Charlie Hayter starts in place of Chris Bell at 12 and Tom Palmer replaces Kearnan Myall in the second row.  The Falcons won’t be short of a spot of confidence after pushing Saracens all the way in Round 20. Kieran Brookes returns from his suspension and Dean Richards has fielded a new look front row for the occasion with Rob Vickers and Scott Lawson packing down with Brookes. Both sides have an awful lot of power in their ranks, expect Nathan Hughes to be a one man crusade for Wasps whilst Newcastle's Sinoti Sinoti should enjoy the firm ground at Adams Park... all in all I’m expecting a pretty feisty and fast paced match in High Wycombe. 

Deservedly Saracens are the talk of the town after they blasted Clermont Auvergne into next week in the Heineken Cup Semi Final... it was a result that sent shockwaves through the rugby community and it is one that will be talked about for years and years to come. In the post match press conference Mark McCall was very open about the fact that he will utilise his full squad for Rounds 21 and 22 of the Aviva Premiership however this weekend it appears to be business as usual in terms of the rotational policy. Steve Borthwick and Jacques Burger are both rested, you can understand why given their contribution over the season, however the Saracens squad is a strong one. Their opponents are the Worcester Warriors, a team that are undoubtedly building in terms of their confidence and their performance levels however you suspect that this weekend might be the weekend when their dream of pulling off the Great Escape is dashed for good. Jonathan Thomas will captain the unchanged side this weekend. Personally I hope that Worcester do have a jolly good go at Saracens and really attack the match because it is their last chance saloon, however I do expect Saracens to showcase their strength in depth and just edge the match regardless.

At the AJ Bell Stadium the Sale Sharks welcome the Leicester Tigers to town and this will be a colossal battle of wills between two sides that won't take any prisoners in their quest to end the day with at least four points. The Sharks recorded one of the most emphatic victories that the Aviva Premiership has seen in Round 20, they were brutally efficient against a shell shocked Exeter Chiefs whilst their opponents were left wanting slightly against Harlequins. Unsurpsingly Sale have announced a team that contains only one change from their last outing with Andrei Ostrikov coming into the side and Dave Seymour takes the captaincy duties once again. The Sharks' opportunity to gain a playoff place is more of an outside chance however they will certainly relish the thought of spoiling the Tigers' playoff party. Sadly they will be without captain Dan Braid, Dan had minor surgery recently and will be out for the rest of the year, losing him will be a blow however hopefully not a killer one for the Sharks. Ben Youngs makes his 100th Premiership Rugby appearance as he partners Owen Williams in the half backs and Geoff Parling will start his first full game back from injury. We all know that Leicester are the kings of peaking at the right time so expect Cockers’ men to be firing on all four cylinders this weekend and gunning for that bonus point victory that would secure them a playoff place for a tenth successive season in a row. 

The final game of the weekend is on Sunday at Sandy Park where the Exeter Chiefs host Harlequins and the home side will be desperate to erase the horrific memories that they have of their defeat to the Sale Sharks. Both sides need as many points as possible in order to stay in touch with those above them and both will need results elsewhere to go their way. Exeter must start afresh, two weeks off will have helped them to regroup and they will be absolutely bursting to get out and show what they are made of. I’m predicting a particularly brutal first twenty minutes from the home side and an equally strong retaliation from a Harlequins side that will once again be treating this game like a Cup Final. Harlequins will be thankful that Nick Evans has recovered from his injury and will start alongside Danny Care in the half backs as he is vital to them playing their very best rugby and the return from injury for Dean Mumm will be equally as critical for the home side. For the sake of the Exeter Chiefs and the Sandy Park faithful I hope that the Chiefs put in a stonking performance and for the sake of a great game I hope that Quins are equally competitive because that will make for compelling Sunday afternoon viewing.

           

Out On The Full Meets Anthony Allen

Anthony Allen has certainly had a dramatic season and not one that could have ever predicted or wished for; it has been a roller-coaster from start to finish that has included some stunning rugby and arguably one of the most serious injuries he has ever had to endure.  Out On The Full spoke to Anthony on the Tuesday before Round 21 to find out just how he has coped with such a season. 

Anthony started his Premiership rugby life at Gloucester Rugby, he made the move to the Leicester Tigers five years ago and throughout his career he has made significant waves both on a domestic and International level. Allen carves his trade at Inside Centre and does a stunning job there, he is often described as the ‘unsung hero’ of the Leicester back line whilst his very famous centre partner; Manu Tuilagi makes the headlines. I was intrigued to find out just what it is like to partner the mountainous Manu;

"Well I’m mighty glad that he is on my team and that I’m not playing against him that’s for sure!! It is great having him there; he is always an option and a threat but he also pulls people towards him and makes life much easier for the rest of us. It is equally important that we all play well and pull the right triggers in order to unleash him."

Leicester will need every ounce of muscle from the entire squad in order to tackle the last two rounds of the domestic season, the first stop on their journey is a tasty fixture away to the Sale Sharks. The Sharks have been flying recently and whilst Anthony didn’t share too much in terms of their game plan they certainly have one man in particular on their radar;

“Obviously Danny (Cipriani) has been playing extremely well and we will need to put as much pressure on him as possible when he gets the ball. Equally from a personal perspective I’ll be paying close attention to the centre partnership that has been going well recently, Tuitupou and Leota and will be focused on shutting them down and not giving them any room to move at all.”

What was extremely clear from speaking to Anthony was just how relieved he is to be back playing week in week out, for those of you who aren’t aware Anthony was part of Leicester’s injury crisis this season as he spent 3 months on the sidelines between October 2013 and January this year. Whilst many Premiership players have had to contend with ruptured biceps Anthony’s injury was a little more unusual than the rest and extremely serious;

“On 5^th October I think it was, we played against Northampton, I was picking the ball off the floor and in the motion of getting tackled I got my foot stuck and ruptured a muscle on the side of my calf. Initially it felt like just an impact injury, the X-Ray didn’t show a break so I just put it down to impact, however after an MRI we found it to be a little more serious and found what is called compartment syndrome and that meant that I had to have quite a major operation.”

Compartment syndrome is most commonly found after road traffic accidents, I believe that it is when a muscle is so badly compressed that it struggles to get blood to it and if it is not treated then it can result in a loss of limbs. Thankfully the Leicester Tigers medical team and specialists that were looking after Anthony caught it early and thoroughly treated it through a rather gruesome sounding operation. 

"When they went in to sort things out the muscle kind of fell out of the side of my leg, then they removed about 65% of it and then reattached what they could." 

Hearing Anthony talk about his surgery in such a matter of fact manner proved just how mentally and physically strong our Premiership players are, it sounds obvious but it hammered home to me just how much this game isn’t for the fainted hearted. Injuries are part of the course as a professional rugby player, very few players go through their career without experiencing a period of the sidelines however as inevitable as they are it doesn’t make dealing with them any easier;

"It is frustrating, normally you are by yourself rehabbing and trust me it can get pretty monotonous doing the same thing over and over again by yourself.... however luckily for me this year there were quite a few guys out at the same time so I had company. You certainly feel a little bit better with friends and you can bring in a competitive element through little games in the rehab gym in order to keep the banter flying. However it is really difficult, especially when you see that the team is struggling to perform on the pitch and you can’t do anything to help."

Anthony worked extremely hard to get back into action as quickly as possible, often the fans and even sometimes the pundits expect players to be at their very best immediately after an injury and that is an extremely tough ask especially given injuries of such a serious nature;

"My first game back was against Treviso in the Heineken Cup, I played for about 35 minutes off the bench... playing your first game back after injury is nerve-wracking, no matter how much training you put in you cannot replicate the intensity of a game and in the back of your mind you do doubt your injury still slightly. It took a good five or six games for me to really stop thinking about it and get the body match hardened again."

Richard Cockerill describes Anthony as a 'consummate professional' and speaking to him you can understand why, he has dealt with a most serious and frightening injury like it was breaking a finger-nail and it is no surprise that his return has coincided with an upswing in his team’s form. Leicester have a job on their hands if they are to push for their tenth consecutive playoff and then look towards retaining their Aviva Premiership Title however with players like Anthony Allen in their ranks you’d be foolish to dismiss them just yet, even if others are flying high at this moment in time.

Anthony Allen Photos - Tigers Images 

The Heineken Rugby Show - The Semi Final Edition

The Heineken Rugby Show has been a firm fixture in the Out On The Full diary throughout the competition and I'm hope that a few of you may have read about it here or have caught an episode on YouTube however for those of you that are completely new to the show allow me to provide you with a short introduction to The Heineken Rugby Show. 

The concept is simple, in front of a live audience three very well known rugby experts, Will Carling, Scott Quinnell and Matt Dawson, enjoy a few beverages of the Heineken variety in the Cabbage Patch Pub in Twickenham and discuss anything and everything to do with the Heineken Cup. The key individuals and moments in all of the European matches are discussed and often the conversation often extends well beyond the field of play!! On number of occasions this year audience members were delighted by tour stories that haven't previously been shared with such a large audience before and the philosophy of 'what is said at the Heineken Rugby Show stays at the Heineken Rugby Show' was definitely employed! 

This week it was time for the fifth Heineken Rugby Show, as always Will, Matt and Scott were on fine form and they certainly had a lot of action to talk about given the two monstrous Semi Final matches that took place. Naturally a lot of the discussion was about Saracens' astounding performance against Clermont and trying to dissect exactly what went on inside Twickenham Stadium. There were a number of other points on the agenda including a debate about the England futures of two key men; Chris Ashton and Stefan Armitage, needless to say opinion was split on both. 

The quote of the night was provided by Mr Quinnell who described a certain Mathieu Bastareaud as a 'mini-van' given his size and the rather large VW symbol on his chest, however even the mighty 6ft 4in, 18 stone man that is Scott Quinnell didn't fancy repeating this to his face in a couple of weeks time! During the night Matt flicked through his phone book and found another celebrity friend to call in order to get their take on the Heineken Cup, in previous shows he called Tuffers (Phil Tuffnell), Ben Cohen and Justin Rose and the Semi Final Celebrity of choice was equally high profile! 

For those of you that do follow Will on Twitter (@willcarling) you will know that midway through the Saracens versus Clermont match he bet his house on Clermont winning and suffice it to say that he received a huge amount of stick for this throughout the evening and I don't believe will be able to live that one down for a long time!!! 

As always it was a fantastic night in great company, the Cabbage Patch was full of extremely knowledge and fun rugby supporters and as always Heineken were superb hosts. The full show will be on YouTube very shortly and watch out for a Heineken Rugby Show selfie that will be doing the rounds on Twitter... you'll be pleased to know that for once I refrained from spoiling the picture so feel free to Retweet it at will!!

After 306 tries and 3,129 points scored there is just one more game left in the 2013/14 Heineken Cup and it is a huge one. Scott, Will and Matt are just as excited as we are to watch two powerhouses do battle in the beautiful surroundings Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in just a few weeks time... what a fitting finish it will be to what has been an outstanding competition. 

Here is the full show... Happy Viewing!!  

Images @TomCarling

Out On The Full - The View From Twickenham, European Style!

Two years ago Clermont beat Saracens 22-3 in the Quarter Final of the Heineken Cup and on that day Saracens were thoroughly embarrassed, it was a case of men playing against boys. Two years on, on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the home of England Rugby the tables were turned a full 180 degrees as Saracens taught Clermont a lesson in how to play knockout European Rugby and blitzed them off the park.

The key message before the game from a reasonably calm Mark McCall was about his squad delivering a performance that they would be proud of and my goodness me did they do just that... his men came out of the blocks firing on about a million cylinders and never, ever let up. If you are a Clermont fan then you will say that Saracens were ‘lucky’ and enjoyed the run of the whistle from referee Nigel Owens early on in the match however if you are more neutral than that then you will disagree and simply applaud the stunning performance that Saracens delivered. From minute one Jacques Burger showed why he is on the shortlist for the Aviva Premiership Player Of The Season and after twenty minutes there was never any doubt that he would be the man of the match...  he made a staggering 27 tackles and played as if his life depended on it. Chris Ashton emphatically smashed the record for the most tries in a single Heineken Cup campaign crossing the line twice, Alex Goode looked back to his very best form and in spite of the news pre-match that Owen Farrell would be operating on ‘one foot’ he sparkled as he always does nowadays on the Twickenham stage. Schalk Brits’ dancing feet and enigmatic running were present throughout however it was his defensive efforts that were most potent. Clermont were kept terribly quiet, Parra tried hard to orchestrate his men however the word tried should be emphasised heavily. Sivivatu and Nalanga didn’t sparkle and whilst Cudmore, Hines and Bonnaire were brutal at times it simply wasn’t enough to weather the humungous Saracens storm. 

The question on everyone’s lips at half time was ‘is this game done and dusted already!?’ The answer we found out was yes, after the break Saracens pressed on and shifted into tenth gear (saying fifth didn't seem appropriate, they were that good). Clermont chased the game and in the end they gave up, at times they had the upper hand at scrum time however it was little consolation for Cotter's men.  

After the game a battered, bruised and tired Jacques Burger articulated the team's goal clearly when he said 'it is eighty minutes and you can't leave the pitch thinking that we should have done this or we should have done that and today we played without regret'. Interestingly Owen Farrell felt that the side 'left opportunities out there' and he wasn't quite as visibly elated as his teammate however you knew that behind that cool, calm exterior there was a deeply satisfied rugby player. 

After all of that action let's just pause and take a moment to soak in what happened at Twickenham in the Heineken Cup Semi Final 2014; going into this match it was billed as a nail-biter, it was billed as a match that was almost too tight to call however for eighty minutes in the sunshine there was only ever one team in it and one team that would end the day victorious. Saracens were cut throat, they were relentless and they were absolutely brutal as they chewed up and spat out one of the best teams that Europe has to offer. Mark McCall's men now head to Cardiff for the Heineken Cup Final for the first time ever, they have extradited their European Semi Final demon in the best possible way and now they have a shot at European Glory.