Round 4, the point when teams can no longer blame rustiness for a poor performance, or palm off a defeat as 'getting back up to speed'. With 240 minutes of competitive rugby behind them every single one of our 12 Aviva Premiership teams should be entering this weekend at full pace... showing us, and each other exactly what they can do. The schedule of matches is as tantalising as ever, so let's have a little look at what is in store for us this weekend.
This week’s
Friday Night Lights are at Franklin’s Gardens where Northampton Saints host an
in form Sale Sharks. Both teams enter the fixture from unusual positions and
both teams have equally strong points to prove; Sale arrive off the back of a
win against Wasps and wanting to show that they are not a ‘one hit wonder’ and
Northampton arrive off the back of that defeat against Gloucester and want to
show that their loss was a minor black mark on their report card. Without a
doubt it will be tough one for Sale… with Northampton’s North clearly getting
into his stride, Foden proving his value at 15 and Burrell looking to show
Stuart Lancaster that he could be the answer to all of his injury prayers I
think that Northampton will come out with all guns blazing. Sale, well Sale
need Steve Diamond & Bryan Redpath to put their faith back into Danny
Cirprani and start him, because if anyone can ignite some fire power and add
numerous points onto the score board then it is him and after all we all know
that points mean prizes in this business.
 |
| Steven Myler 200th appearance @SaintsRugby on Sat |
Let’s begin
at The Rec for the Saturday fixtures; Bath vs. London Irish. This will be the
first time that these two teams have met since the mass exodus down the M4 of
the London Irish ‘one’s to watch’; Matt Garvey, David Sisi, Anthony Watson and
Jonathon Joseph. Ex-team mates playing against each other always provides a
little extra fire power to a match and couple that with ex-coaches and we
have ourselves a truly tasty fixture. The talent on display from both teams
including, Tomas O’Leary, Marland Yarde, Gavin Henson and George Ford will
mean that the rugby is fast paced and of the champagne variety. Let’s all
pray for a dry afternoon to ensure that this fixture lives up to it’s onto
paper billing.
 |
| Ford a critical part of Saturday's Fixture at The Rec |
Next, off to
Adams Park for Wasps vs. Worcester – the battle of the bottom of the table!
With Wade and Varndell the first names on the Wasps' team sheet, few would have
predicted them to be 11th at the start of Round 4. Despite this poor position
Dai Youngs is confident that a trip back home will help kick start a ‘great run
of form’ for his men and boost them up the table. Worcester’s lack of wins
certainly isn’t viewed as negatively as Wasps'… in fact many can see promise in their
play and aren’t too worried. The Dean Ryan effect is slowly building and new Dad, Chris
Pennell is turning heads at 15. One question though, how long will
it be until the Dean Ryan effect translates into ‘meaningful points’?
Now to South
West London, Harlequins vs. Saracens… billed by most as the pick of the
weekend’s fixtures with the most exciting clashes of personnel. The Stoop will see the likes
of Vunipola, Burger, Joubert match up against Fa’asavalu, Robshaw and Guest...
add in Tom Williams making his 200th appearance, Alex Goode vs. Mike Brown, Chris Ashton coming back into form and Owen Farrell
vs. Nick Evans, and you have yourself what I believe is called a right humdinger of a fixture!!
Elsewhere
the Exeter Chiefs host Leicester Tigers… back home at their Sandy Park Fortress
Exeter will need to step up big time to avoid being walked all over by the
Champions. They showed glimpses against the Exiles last weekend but this fixture will require about a million percent more, if they want to take anything away from it. The news of Manu’s injury this week is a huge blow to the Tigers
(and England) but with most of their Lions now back and firing on all four
cylinders I think that their power and strength will out muscle the Chiefs.
Watch out for Dan Bowden who seems to be
loving life in the Midlands showing some serious rugby skills!
The finale
of the weekend is at Kingston Park for Newcastle vs. Gloucester. After a hard
80 minutes last weekend being re-acquainted with the Premiership Champions the
Newcastle Falcons run out again at home hoping to deliver the ‘shock
of the weekend’. Gloucester will be looking for something a little more
comfortable than their fixture vs. Saints and certainly will be hoping to need a
little less reliance on the referee. Burns, Sharples, Trinder and the England
‘declining’ Simpson-Daniel will all need to put in big displays to secure a
comfortable win and Newcastle will be hoping that the feet of Noah Cato and boot of
Rory Clegg will steer them to another shock victory.
With work more day of the working week left it now is the time to man up and power through because it soon will be rugby time... and that is definitely worth working for!
