A Little Crunch... England vs. France

Can you believe that the 2014 RBS 6 Nations are here already? It seems like only yesterday that we were discussing the Autumn Internationals and now at the start of a brand new year we are ready to witness what will undoubtedly be one most competitive and thrilling 6 Nations tournaments of recent years. 

Here we go!

Just like in the autumn the greatest scrutiny will be reserved for Stuart Lancaster and his team and with the number of matches before 2015 decreasing in number we are already at the stage where every single performance counts. Le Crunch is always a tasty fixture however this year’s fixture has a little more bite than last year's… and yes I did just put two puns in one sentence!!  Why does it have more bite? Well for a start it is in Paris and secondly the French have a point to prove, after winning just twice last year against Scotland and Tonga. It is a fact that France play much, much better rugby when their pride is hurt and going into the match fresh, as opposed to on the back of two losses like last year will also help them. It goes without saying that the loss of Thierry Dusautoir to a bicep injury was a blow however not a killer one as Pascal Papé is more than capable of stepping in as captain and they still have some of other key threats. Who or what are these key threats? Well unsurprisingly I’m going to mention Wesley Fofana first… the man has one of the most delicious step's in the whole of the RBS 6 Nations and can create opportunities out of nothing. Brice Dulin is another worthy of an individual mention and of course the French pack are huge and mean business. However like a broken record unless Philippe Saint-Andre sorts out an expert half back pairing once again it could be all talk and no trousers for Les Bleus. Am I being an overly-optimistic English fan here with this assessment? Maybe… however I can assure you that some solid rugby logic and thinking has been put into it too!!

Mr Fofana... A Key French Threat

Turning the spotlight onto England this week Stuart Lancaster made the big calls… the calls that many have wanted to happen for a long time; Chris Ashton is out along with Ben Youngs who has been dropped for the first time in his International career. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Chris was included in the squad however reflecting on this selection decision I believe that it is absolutely the right one as the time is right to ‘try out’ Nowell/May/Watson. Whilst all three are young their talents speak for themselves and the X Factor each will bring to the back line will be essential for Le Crunch. Danny Care looks set to start in Paris and given his form in the Aviva Premiership I cannot wait to see him put on that number 9 shirt… his dynamism and vision is unrivalled and his partnership with Owen Farrell, the likely 10 will be a strong one. Last time out against the All Blacks England did everything right up front and I expect there to be little change in the forwards (injuries excluding)… personally I think Dylan Hartley will be huge at the weekend and throughout the tournament and the usual suspects, Robshaw, Wood and Launchbury will drive this England team on. Yes we are missing the mighty Manu, the reliable Parling, the dynamic Corbisiero, the workhorse Croft and the electric wing men of Yarde and Wade however this England team certainly gets my rugby pulse racing. This England XV is steady and reliable up front with a huge amount of X Factor in the back line... all that all that means that my expectations are extremely high and I do believe that England will prevail this weekend in Paris.  

Anthony Watson... one of the new boy's in town! 

Out On The Full Get's Busy Living for The Matt Hampson Foundation

As you will see from this morning's announcement it is time for me to get my running shoes on and hit the roads in order to take on the Kingston Half Marathon in aid of the Matt Hampson Foundation. I've sensibly  chosen a half marathon in just over 8 weeks time and being the competitive person that I am I do want to run it in a respectable time!!!

The choice to run for the Matt Hampson Foundation was the easiest decision that I have ever made... in March 2005 Matt’s life changed forever doing the thing that he loved most in the world, playing rugby, as at the England U21 training camp he was paralysed from the neck down after a scrum collapsed on top of him. Some would see such an injury as the ‘end’ of their life however Matt is certainly not your average individual and instead he has focused on what he can do to help and inspire others. The Matt Hampson Foundation aims to provide advice, support, relief and/or treatment for anyone suffering serious injury or disability which has arisen from any cause, but in particular from participation in or training for any sport, sporting activity or other form of physical education or recreation. Matt is an inspiration to every single one of us and the work that he does through his foundation is simply phenomenal.

This half marathon is simply the start of Out On The Full becoming involved with the Matt Hampson Foundation and I aim to generate further awareness and of course funding over the coming months and years. As well as training hard over the next 8 weeks I also will be interviewing and speaking with some the inspirational individuals that the Foundation supports and providing you with an insight into the Matt Hampson Foundation.

The Important Details

The Matt Hampson Foundation; Website, Twitter

Just Giving; Out On The Full Get's Busy Living for The Matt Hampson Foundation ;  Out On The Full MH

The Most Exciting Squad Yet.... England Saxons

The England Saxons are no longer regarded as the forgotten England team they are very much at the heart and soul of our national set up and with injuries becoming more and more frequent the distance between being a Saxon and running out on the pitch as part of the England match day squad is now smaller than ever... just ask Matt Mullan! The question that I’ve been toying with ever since the squad was announced is just who are the one's to watch out of this extremely exciting Saxons squad personally I think there are a few key forwards and a few stand out backs to watch; 

Sam Dickinson, the Northampton Saints powerhouse who has been turning heads since day one of the 2013/14 Aviva Premiership Season. Sam signed for Saints in the summer of 2012 from Rotherham Titans however a broken arm meant that he didn’t play a single game last season... needless to say he has certainly made up for it this year. Sam is a regular feature on the Opta Team of the Week, he picks up Man of the Match awards for fun and anyone who is anyone in English rugby is talking about him... this man is the real deal!!

Someone else who is relatively new on the scene but equally as exciting is Exeter Chiefs' very own Dave Ewers... Dave may only be 24 but my goodness is he one heck of a player, like Sam he is a huge ball carrier, he has a phenomenal work rate and a knack for scoring tries! Already this season Ewers has faced up against more experienced International players, this likes of Sam Warburton, Ben Morgan and Matt Kvesic and every time he held his own and certainly made a nuisance of himself in the best possible way. 

Luke Wallace is a name that many people in South West London have been talking about for a very long time, indeed he has already made 70 appearances for Harlequins and last season he captained the A League and LV Cup winning sides. This year he is no longer in the shadow of Chris Robshaw, instead he can be seen stepping out next to his more experienced team mate week in week out, supporting the England Captain and being half of a hugely formidable partnership. What does Luke do so well? Well just about everything, he has great hands... he does sterling work on the floor... he can offload all day long and makes breaks for fun! Luke is one of those players that you thank your lucky stars that he is on your side and not part of the opposition.

Henry Slade has enjoyed a sterling season so far, the improvement that he has shown over the course of 12 rounds of the Aviva Premiership and 6 rounds of the Heineken Cup is visible to all and outstanding. Henry’s game management is tremendous and makes you forget that he is only 20 years old and his kicking off the tee certainly isn’t bad either. Whilst George Ford may be slightly ahead of him in terms of the current England pecking order I wouldn’t be surprised if this time next year, or maybe even sooner, Henry was knocking on the door and competing with Owen and George. 

Although Semesa Rokoduguni is set to miss this weekend's fixture due to a swollen knee I couldn't not remove him from this article as he is an extremely special talent. Semesa is a serving soldier in the British Army with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, and by all accounts is a try scoring extraordinaire. Semesa makes things happen from absolutely nothing, he is outrageously fast and has a huge amount of strength in his personal armoury. The statistics and performance that won him the October Gatorade Game Changer Award illustrate his talents beautifully; in one match he covered 106m, registered 13 carries and beat 9 defenders in total... impressive by anyone’s standards! The Bath man has the full support of Mike Ford and all at his club and personally I can see him going from strength to strength and progressing forwards into the EPS Squad.

Wasps’ Joe Simpson has already made over 100 appearances for the club and is in the form of his life, his performance against Exeter in Round 11 sums up just how much he can contribute to a game... in this case he scored a superb try and then made a hugely impressive try saving tackle which kept Wasps’ in touching distance of the Chiefs' before feeding Andy Goode the perfect pass to kick the winning drop goal. Personally I see Joe as a hybrid between Ben Youngs and Danny Care... he has the sniping properties of Danny and the calm tempo of Ben... all in all it is great to see him back in the England set up, fit and ready for action.  

As I mentioned at the top of the article this really is one of the most exciting Saxons’ squads that I have seen in a long time and whilst already changes have had to be made due to injuries the group remains jam packed with X Factor and talent. You may have your own personal favourites to add into the equation and at the end of the day it is about how this group of talented individuals gel together as a team. Personally I don't think that this will be a problem and I believe that the Irish Wolfhounds are in for a tough time at Kingsholm on Saturday night.

England Saxons to face the Irish Wolfhounds, Kingsholm, 5pm KO (Sky Sports)

Forwards - Nathan Catt (Bath), Calum Clark (Northampton Saints), Sam Dickinson (Northampton Saints), Dave Ewers (Exeter Chiefs), Jamie George (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Charlie Matthews (Harlequins), Tom Mercey (Northampton Saints), Elliott Stooke (Gloucester), Luke Wallace (Harlequins), Alex Waller (Northampton Saints), Dave Ward (Harlequins), Scott Wilson (Newcastle Falcons).

Backs - Freddie Burns (Gloucester), Elliot Daly (London Wasps), Sam Hill (Exeter Chiefs), Matt Hopper (Harlequins), Dave Lewis (Exeter Chiefs), Rob Miller (Sale Sharks), Joe Simpson (London Wasps), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester)

The Heineken Rugby Show - Episode 3

“The Epic Journey”, three words that say everything that you need to know about the Heineken Cup, it is the pinnacle of Europe and a competition that the best players in the world want to play in. So far we have enjoyed six rounds of outrageously brilliant rugby, we have witnessed some of the most bruising encounters in recent years and the great news is that the competition is only just approaching the knock out stages where things will hot up even more! 

As with all good competitions a hearty discussion about it is necessary and last night I made the short trip down the road to Twickenham to do just that with a couple of well known gentlemen. For those of you who haven't read about the Heineken Rugby Show at Out on The Full or seen it on YouTube allow me to briefly explain the format; the show is filmed at the most famous rugby pub in Twickenham, The Cabbage Patch and three legends of the game discuss anything and everything to do with the Heineken Cup in front of a live audience. The Heineken Trio of Legends are Will Carling, Matt Dawson and Scott Quinnell and boy do they know how to put on a good show!

  

The Heineken Show Legends

Rugby wise the discussion focused on the intense encounters that we witnessed in Rounds 5 and 6, which teams would progress further in the competition and the brilliance of Ruan Pienaar. With a Welsh Legend in the room it was only right that the future of the Welsh Regions was discussed and it was great to hear Scott's view on the subject. I'm pretty sure that his views will make the final edit so I certainly won't steal his thunder on that one as he has a lot more knowledge on the subject than I do and a much better accent!!

As usual the evening had a number of more light-hearted moments and discussions as well; Scott had a little moment reminiscing about knocking Matt out on the pitch... well I say little, in fact he enjoyed reminiscing about it for a good five minutes or so, but declined when asked to demonstrate it again!! Once again Matt opened his legendary celebrity phone book and phoned a friend... this time it was Mr Phil Tuffnell who's rugby knowledge surprised everyone and he became the ‘prediction octopus’ of the night. However there was one moment that I personally enjoyed above all and that was Mr Will Carling's moment under the spotlight where he shared with us openly the difficulty of shaving his world famous bum chin...!!! 

Shaving tips all part of the course at the H Show!

I must say that The Heineken Rugby Show is fast becoming a highlight in my rugby calendar and with one more to go before they head on the road I suggest that you beg, borrow or steal a ticket for the next one in order to enjoy a fabulous night at The Cabbage Patch discussing anything and everything Heineken Cup related with some absolute legends!! Thank you again to The Cabbage Patch for being such superb hosts and to Heineken UK for the invite. 

Follow @Heineken_UK on Twitter for all of the ticket details to be at the next Heineken Rugby Show

Out On The Full Does Europe!

The Heineken Cup is approaching the business end of proceedings, we have enjoyed 5 phenomenal rounds of rugby that showcased some of the best talent that Europe has to offer and next weekend we will know which teams will battle it out to the bitter end. As you are all well aware not every one of our Aviva Premiership teams were given the chance to fulfil their European dreams and the burden of expectation was this year shouldered by Saracens, Harlequins, Gloucester, Northampton Saints, Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers. With one round left in the pool stages it is the perfect time to have a little European Review and see which of our Premiership teams blossomed in Europe and which sadly wilted; 

Let’s start with the Exeter Chiefs… their European journey has certainly been a mixed bag. In Round 1 against the Cardiff Blues they produced the best 40 minutes of rugby that the club has ever seen… they were ruthless, absolutely cutthroat and demolished the Blues as if they were amateurs. However since then their form has dipped… despite a strong showing at home against Toulon they were out muscled at the Stade Mayol and surprisingly lost both of their matches against the Glasgow Warriors. All in all despite early promise Europe hasn’t quite gone to plan for the Chiefs and they will be disappointed in themselves. However let’s not be too harsh on the young side as lessons will have been learned and these European defeats will make Rob Baxter’s team stronger.  

The joy of Round 1 sadly didn't continue...

Gloucester Rugby’s woes in the Aviva Premiership have been discussed at length by anyone who is anyone in the world of rugby and sadly for the Cherry and White faithful these woes transcended across into Europe. Their last gasp win against Perpignan in Round 1 was a shining light for the club, however narrowly losing to Edinburgh at home was symptomatic of their troubles.  Last weekend’s gallant defeat against Munster showed glimpses of the team that we all expected Gloucester to be this season… sadly it was a case of too little too late for this year’s HCup, however hopefully it will provide a platform for the rest of 2014 and beyond. 

 

Europe is now out of the C&W grasp (Image Getty)

Leicester Tigers’ Aviva Premiership has been surprisingly shaky, who would have predicted that the reigning Champions would be lying in 5th at the end of Round 12 and have lost 4 matches already? However their form in Europe has been stronger… having not won the competition in more years than they would care to admit to the expectation and desire to win it is stronger than ever and this has shown in their performances. Whilst Ravenhill was their undoing in Round 1, doing the double over Montepellier and eventually settling things at Treviso has put them in a very strong place. Personally I can only see Leicester going from strength to strength now especially with the return of Anthony Allen and Manu Tuilagi, both men are game changers and both could lead Leicester to a very strong finish!   

 

Tigers slipping under the radar in Europe...

Harlequins’ European journey has been tumultuous and an emotional roller-coaster for all involved at the club… being played off the park at home is never really how you wish to start a European campaign and with things shaking badly in the Aviva Premiership a trip to the Stade Marcel Michelin was not really what you wanted to see next on the calendar! However the manner in which Conor O’Shea’s men fronted up and gained a losing bonus point set up their revival and a clinical double against Racing meant that the Quins shaped phoenix had almost risen from the ashes completely. Here is where the emotion kicks in again as for 40 minutes last weekend they looked as if they were going to pull off the unthinkable however Clermont cruelly snatched the game away from then and it was bye, bye to the HCup dream for Quins.  

 

Charlie Walker inflicted double damage on Racing!

Northampton Saints have been flying high in the Aviva Premiership and along with Saracens, who I will talk about in a moment, have been bulldozering every other team in their way week after week however in Europe they have experienced more than their fair share of ups and downs! Two strong wins against the Ospreys and one narrow defeat to Castres were punctuated by the most memorable back to back clash in recent times. Categorically smashed is the only way to describe Northampton during that Saturday afternoon fixture on 7th December however exactly one week later they blew us all away and did the unthinkable beating Leinster in their own back yard. Northampton and all that they have achieved to date are to be admired and it will be interesting to see where they do end up this season!

 

A Back to Back We Will Never Forget....

Saracens’ European progression ultimately rested on how they fronted up against Toulouse at the front and back ends of the pool stages... that thumping encounter at Wembley set up a mouth-watering return leg last weekend however sadly for Mark McCall’s men Toulouse upped their game exactly when it mattered. The Wolfpack have Connacht left to get their teeth into and I think it is fair to say that there will be a lot of pent up frustration that will be unleashed at Allianz Park this weekend. Premiership high flyers they may well be, certain European qualifiers they are not… yet!?

 

The Clash of the Titans...

All in all the Heineken Cup is a special competition and as I mentioned at the start of this piece the quality of the rugby that it produces is simply outstanding... whenever the powers that be have sorted their European differences I hope that there is a competition left that will fill the shoes of this outstanding one because it would be a great shame to lose something so very, very special.

New Year... New England - EPS & Saxons Squad Update

2014, a brand new year and a brand new EPS squad, well not exactly brand new as it is filled with many familiar names however there are a few notable additions in personnel. Another addition is the fact that we have an EPS Squad and a 6 Nations Squad... why?  Well this is due to the fact that Stuart Lancaster is faced with a very lengthy injury list, one that sadly we are all too familiar with right now!! I don’t wish to start this article on a morbid note however it must be said that with two huge rounds of Heineken Cup action left before England assemble in camp the law of averages does suggest that there might be a couple of additions to that lengthy list. However let's park the injuries for the moment and have a little look at the changes that have occurred and a few of the key talking points;

The changes in a nutshell;

• Ford in for Flood permanently
• 8 Saxons are training with 6 Nations Squad to cover for injuries they are Burrell, Johnson, May, Mullan, Nowell, Slater, Thomas and Watson
• 3 extra Saxons will train with the 6 Nations Squad; Myler, Webber and Wigglesworth
• 8 Changes in the Saxons Squad, the players coming in are Catt, Mullan, Collier, Dickinson, Ewers, Slade, Trinder and Watson and those leaving are Myall, Wood, Doran Jones, Crane, Waldrom, Strettle, Ford (into EPS) Sharples (into EPS)

Naturally there are a few points to discuss coming out of that short list of changes and where better to start than with the Number 10 shirt;

It was the worst kept secret in rugby that Toby Flood is off to France next season therefore his removal from the EPS Squad was a full gone conclusion before Stuart even sat down yesterday however what wasn't so clear cut was who would replace him. For the past few months England has been divided into 4 distinct fly half camps; a Burns camp led by Austin Healey, a Cipriani camp, a Myler Camp and a Ford camp and unsurprisingly George Ford was given the nod ahead of his compatriots.

George Ford has picked up more man of the match performances this season than I can count and has led Bath to their best start to the Aviva Premiership in a very long time. All in all he has certainly put up two fingers, in a nice way, to those who said that leaving Leicester was the dumbest idea in the world.  

Stephen Myler pops his head in front of Freddie Burns as he is asked to train with the EPS Squad whilst Freddie is left in the Saxons. On current form this is the right choice... Myler has been instrumental at Saints, orchestrating everything that is sublime there; whereas Freddie Burns has been stuttering, with contract negotiations seemingly the cause of his dip in form. Freddie’s potential is still there however at the moment he isn’t quite at his best. 

Finally that man Mr Cipriani... there isn't a place for him at the moment but it wouldn't surprise me if he was taken to NZ this summer if his form continues to improve. My view on this is that if he really wants it he'll have a stormer of the rest of the season and force SL to sit up and take notice... and I can't wait to to see him do this! 

Of the 8 Players that are elevated from the Saxons to cover for injuries a name that sticks out  for me is Luther Burrell... 12 and 13 are two other positions that have been discussed until the cows come home already and I'll make no qualms about the fact that my personal 12, 13 combination includes the big man Luther. He is more controlled than he once was and my goodness me can he pack a punch when it comes to physicality. I think his power and stature would add a lot to our Six Nations campaign and I hope that Stuart agrees too. One other mention must go to the exciting talent that is Jack Nowell... he is one of the gems of Sandy Park will certainly want to put up his hand to be in contention for a place on the bench or even a starting spot.  

Shifting focus to the core Saxons Squad there are a few new names on the list and I was delighted to see; Dave Ewers, Henry Slade and Sam Dickinson. Henry Slade is a player who is coming of age fast... this season he's already proved himself against the best in the business, Mr Wilkinson, and after watching him play with such confidence and ease at Adams Park last weekend I believe that he is certainly one to watch. Sam Dickinson and Dave Ewers are two players that I have been raving about since day one of the Aviva Premiership this season; two powerhouses, two huge workhorses and two outstanding players to have in our Saxons Squad. I can't wait to see them get some game time in an England shirt and I wouldn't be surprised if they were pushing for EPS places soon.

Obviously between now and February 1st there will be a lot of discussion about the makeup of our England Squad, predicting starting XVs and match day 23’s will be the order of the day and strong opinions will be thrown about all over the place. All in all the  countdown is well and truly on... we are marching towards the first big International competition of the year and from here on things get tough. There is certainly much more that I could write about our EPS, 6 Nations and Saxons Squads, I could go on for hours in fact, however I'll resist that temptation!!! Enjoy Europe and a try not to burn yourselves out because the 6 Nations are in sight and it is almost England time! 

EPS & Saxons Squads - View Here 

RBS Six Nations Fixtures - View Here

It Is Not Over Until The Fat Lady Sings – Aviva Premiership Round 12 Review

In January it is critical to start the year as you mean to go on and for our Premiership team’s that meant delivering a match day performance that they were proud of and achieving a solid Round 12 win. We have now passed the half way point in the season and it is the time when I am allowed to start talking about winning momentum, securing a playoff place and European qualification, I would have said Heineken Cup qualification but who knows what is going on there... all in all we are shifting nicely into the business end of proceedings.  So without further ado let’s review Round 12 in all of its glory;

The first set of Friday Night Lights were a Northern set at Kingston Park where the Newcastle Falcons hosted their ‘local’ rivals the Sale Sharks. In the cold night air the visitors broke Falcons’ hearts taking the win and denying their hosts a losing bonus point with late penalty from substitute Nick MacLeod. However Newcastle's new signing Sinoti Sinoti did give the home team something to smile about making an immediate impact, it will be exciting to see what he can do over the course of the coming rounds. The Sale Sharks will wake up this morning content with life and very happy to have won 'up North' as it was only their second win at KP in 21 attempts! Both teams now head into the Amlin for a little European fun!! 

  

Further down South there was the small matter of the Northampton Saints entertaining Harlequins at Franklin’s Gardens and what an encounter this was. Whilst the first half was certainly one for the purists as it involved a lot of big hits, scrummaging and forward play it was still captivating for all to watch. With 6 points a piece at half time there was everything to play for in the second forty, however the second half belonged to Saints and Saints only. The catalyst was a powerful George North try on 45 minutes and from then on Jim Mallinder’s men never, ever looked back. Hartley’s opportunistic try made the score line unflattering to Quins and put the game well out of their reach. It is the first time that Northampton Saints have done the double over Quins since the 2004/5 season and unsurprisingly Franklin's Gardens was rocking. The visitors left feeling aggrieved and a little hard done by however with 6 home games in a row they will still be eyeing up a strong Top 4 finish. 

As predicted it was a dog fight at the Madjeski between London Irish and Worcester Warriors and the nerves were certainly evident early on when both teams were guilty of trying far too hard to make things happen. In the first half Irish enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession however they didn’t convert this into points and at half time the score read 6 all. Clearly strong words were said in the Irish dressing room because after half time the team displayed a level of intensity that we have only seen glimpses of before this season and they took it to Worcester. For the first time we saw just what James O’Connor can do when he is given a bit of the ball and the kicking duties... he scored all 22 of Irish's points and had a stormer! Today Worcester will hurting, they are now 11 points adrift and hosting the Leicester Tigers at home in Round 13. It certainly looks to be a very difficult run in for Dean Ryan’s men and I just hope the players and supporters can try to enjoy their rugby and not focus too heavily on the now seemingly inevitable prospect of relegation.

22 points from Irish's Australian Wonder

The most talked about team of the weekend were Gloucester however sadly for all concerned at the club it was for all of the wrong reasons. ‘It was probably the worst Gloucester performance I have ever seen’ wrote Stephen Jones in The Sunday Times and he has been watching and writing about rugby for more years than I have been born. ‘Too many passengers in the Gloucester pack at the minute. As a player if you want to watch then you can pay £30 like the other 13,800!!’ tweeted Lawrence Dallaglio during the first half... all in all the work rate and desire to wear the shirt seemed to be lacking and was heavily criticised. Gloucester Rugby are a proud team and they will rectify this, however it pains me to see a club with such history falling short. Saracens, well they certainly did not fall short, once again they played with ruthless efficiency, their form is undeniable and the only team I can really see challenging them at this moment in time is Northampton Saints... Neil De Kock showed that there is life left in his legs and Brad Barritt had an strong return back from injury even taking the time to moonlight flanking! I could continue name dropping; Goode, Farrell, Bosch, Brits, Hargreaves, but enough is enough, we all know that they are a force to be reckoned with. All in all Gloucester need to take a long hard look at themselves and pick themselves up quickly before they head back into Europe and Round 13 whereas Saracens will look forward to heading to Toulouse and beyond!

'Alex Goode; the best player in England' said Will Greenwood 

On Sunday we experienced two huge matches between Leicester and Bath and Wasps and the Chiefs...  both were tempestuous affairs and both had climatic endings. Up at Welford Road it was an intense affair between two team’s who have enjoyed differing journeys to date... Bath have been flying high in all competitions with the minor exception of a drumming from Sarries whilst Tigers have been off colour but still recording the wins. However their historical form didn’t matter as on Sunday it was all about the here and now with many calling the match a 'mini England audition’ with the EPS squad imminent and the likes of Joseph, Ford and Watson on the pitch. It was a lively affair and those under the spotlight shone, in particular the two youngest George Ford and Anthony Watson. For Tigers it was also a young gun who also stood out... Jamie Gibson had an absolute stormer and saved the day with a last minute try. 

The match saving Jamie Gibson

At Adams Park it was an equally close affair between London Wasps and the Exeter Chiefs... the Chiefs were first to cross the try line and in the first half pacified Wasps and looked to be the stronger of the two teams. Henry Slade enjoyed a dominant performance from the boot and things were looking rosy for Rob Baxter’s men at half time. However like the Tigers the home team refused to be beaten and their comeback was led by MOM Joe Simpson who scored a beautiful scrum half sniping try and made a try saving tackle in the second. Andy Goode, by his own admission on Twitter ‘played like a tool’ for 79 minutes, not finding touch at all and generally having an off day, however that was all erased when he landed a thumping drop goal with the final kick of the game to secure the win. The final score Wasps 19 - Exeter 16... did Exeter deserve to lose? Probably not, however that is competitive sport, it can be cruel and heartbreaking.

Superb celebrations at Adams Park

So there you have it that was Round 12; it was certainly a tempestuous one that was filled with pulsating fixtures and spellbinding finishes. Now it is time to head into another European break as Round 13 doesn’t kick off until 7th February... between now and then we will find out who is in and who is out of Stuart Lancaster’s 6 Nations EPS & Saxons squads, we will find out who marches on in Europe and we will of course enjoy the small matter of the first weekend of the 6 Nations. So sit back, relax and get ready for a lot more rugby...!

Starting The Year With A Bang - Aviva Premiership Round 12 Preview

January 2014 and the start of a brand new year, whilst many people are busy making resolutions and vowing never, ever to drink again our Premiership players have been working very hard in preparation Round 12. Starting the year with a strong win is the ambition for every single one of our Premiership Clubs however as we all know there can only be one winner on the day, unless we see 6 draws which I think is fairly unlikely. Round 12 is a monstrous round of rugby and filled with huge clashes so let’s dive straight in and preview all of the fixtures;

The Northampton Saints versus Harlequins, what a way to kick off Premiership Rugby in 2014, this is a clash of epic proportions and one that undoubtedly will deliver some stunning rugby. What a difference a few months makes… Harlequins are no longer a team that are struggling to find their feet instead they are back to their best playing that delightfully entertaining ‘Quins’ Style’ of rugby. The Big Game will have been a huge confidence boost for Conor O’Shea’s men however missing out on the bonus point victory will have provided a suitable platform of frustration to work off for this huge away encounter. The Saints’ dismissal of Bath last weekend was ruthless and cut-throat, they have a squad filled with outrageous talent and bruising men who never take a step back. Anticipating the team selection it will be a phenomenal game with North, Hartley, Manoa, Day, Easter, Walker, Care, Brown all going at each other on the same pitch. Which way do I think it will go??! It’s a tough call but I think that Saints, no Quins, no Saints, I'm going with Saints... might just have the edge, however it is going to be close, very close. 

The other set of Friday Night Lights are back up at Kingston Park where the Falcons host ‘local’ rivals Sale Sharks… and whilst it might not contain as many big names as the encounter at Franklin’s Gardens it will still be a hotly contested game of rugby. Newcastle are likely to field their new Samoan winger Sinoti Sinoti for the first time who will hopefully be able to add to their tiny try count. Look out of the return of Richard Mayhew and as ever I’m predicting that Mike Blair will orchestrate things well from 9. For Sale it will be all about the usual suspects… Mike Paterson, Mark Cueto and if he is back from illness Danny Cipriani. The Sharks will be disappointed that they did not take more from their trip to Welford Road and of course all eyes will be on Dean Richard’s assessment of Steve Diamond and his teams’ scrummaging… let’s hope that the post-match interviews are a little less heated this week shall we!!

On Saturday the London Irish host the Worcester Warriors at the Madjeski Stadium and boy is there a lot riding on this match for both teams. Speaking to Blair Cowen this weekend at Irish’s Media Day he described the mood at Irish as “extremely disappointed and frustrated” as they feel they are a much better side than any of us have seen yet this year.  He feels that they are a team that should be achieving winning bonus points not just gaining losing bonus so expect a big performance from the men in Green this weekend. Whilst the Warriors did lose quite heavily last weekend to Saracens the scoreline does them a disservice as again their performance improved. Sadly they are currently breaking records for the wrong reasons as they are only the third side in the history of the Premiership to reach the halfway stage without gaining a victory however a win on the road would be absolutely tremendous for Dean Ryan and his squad. 

Kingsholm will certainly be hoping for a more prosperous New Year; however the very loud rumours that Freddie Burns has signed on the dotted line at Leicester Tigers isn’t perhaps the way that they would have wanted it to start! Gloucester ground out a hard fought win on the road last weekend against London Irish and whilst that will have provided some confidence Saracens are a completely different kettle of fish. The visitors are scoring tries for fun and the notorious Wolfpack will be smelling blood this weekend especially with the loss of Akapusi Qera to Toulose. It isn’t all doom and gloom for the Cherry and Whites; Charlie Sharples and Jonny May both looked sharp against Irish and they will certainly need to get into the game this weekend if the home team have any chance of turning over the league leaders.

Leicester Tigers will be pleased to have a second home game in the same number of weeks in order to try and steady their slightly rickety ship however Bath will certainly not be an easy opponent. Personally I hope that Owen Williams is given the chance to start at fly half again so that he can develop in confidence and build on his superb performance last weekend. In the centre Dan Bowden is out with a nasty injury "multiple fractures of his cheekbone and eye socket" however Anthony Allen does return into the match day squad. Let’s hope that in 2014 the ‘centre curse’ lifts and Tigers can start to enjoy an injury free run. Turning the spotlight on Bath Rugby they will arrive at Welford Road with a bee in their bonnet, it certainly wasn’t the plan to be so comprehensively outplayed by Northampton Saints last weekend, especially up front and this is their chance to put it right, on a big Welford Road stage.

Finally London Wasps host Exeter Chiefs at Adams Park… two teams who enjoyed very different weekends in Round 11; Wasps controlled the game at Kingston Park and recorded a solid away victory whilst Exeter were caught out and didn’t show their true colours in front of seventy odd thousand at HQ. Wasps will understand that if there is a time to beat the Exeter Chiefs then it is now and they’ll look towards their big men to do so. The Chiefs will be hurting and will want to bounce back in style in order to prove that last weekend was simply a one off. Personally I’m looking forward to the battle of the back rows… the prospect of Ashley Johnson, James Haskell and Sam Jones going up against Tom Johnson, Ben White and Dave Ewers is a delicious one… expect great line breaks and huge hits  that are returned with interest… and let’s not forget Steeno vs. Goode battle at 10! All in all Adams Park is in for a treat!!