With a whole host of extremely
exciting transfer news off the field as well as some outstanding rugby on it in Round 14 the Aviva Premiership really is the competition that just keeps on
giving. Due to the RBS 6 Nations, the Round 15 kick off times have moved
slightly and all six will be played on either Saturday or Sunday as the Friday
Night Lights are saved for the Millennium Stadium.
The action starts with the club
who have enjoyed their fair share of headlines this week; Bath. Now before I speak
about their fixture let me just say once again how
amazingly excited I am about the signing of Sam Burgess… the man’s athletic talent is phenomenal and that coupled with his worth ethic means that
I’ve no doubt that sparks will fly as soon as he arrives. Sadly October is a
while away however I’m sure that the men in black, blue and white will have all been boosted by the news and it will show at the weekend. Performance wise the home team simply need to continue doing what they
have been doing as they haven't lost in the Premiership since September last year! On the other hand their opponents, London Wasps, need to buck their ideas up after
a less than ideal performance against London Irish in Round 14. Both teams have
huge packs and electrically exciting backs when they are on form and if all 30
men on the pitch play to their potential this will be an extremely exciting clash indeed.
The next stop is at Kingsholm where
Gloucester welcome Harlequins to town. Gloucester’s home record isn’t too
sparkling as they have won only two out of their seven home matches this season
however their performance against Leicester last weekend was gusty and full of
promise. I don’t expect Nigel Davies to make too many personnel changes and if
they bring that same level of intensity the Shed will be a happier place than
it has been recently. Once again Harlequins won the hard way in Round 14 and
will want to amend the fact that they haven’t won at Kingsholm in the Premiership
since February 1999. Off the field we now know that Sam Smith who has been the
try scorer in their last two fixtures, will be heading up to Worcester next season and despite others arriving to The Stoop there is no doubt that he will be missed.
The final Saturday fixture is at Sixways where Worcester welcome their local rivals the Sale Sharks to town. The
Warriors are still searching for that elusive first Premiership victory and I expect that Dean Ryan will have had
words with his squad during the week about their discipline to ensure this doesn't derail their chances. Sale will hope that the
external elements are a little kinder to them this week and will be looking to
win their first set of back to back away matches since 2008! Watch out for newbie Ryan
Lamb’s name on the Worcester team sheet and his battle with Mr Cipriani will
certainly be an interesting one if both are picked to start!
On Sunday the fixtures start at
the Madjeski Stadium where London Irish take on the Leicester Tigers. Irish will
look to continue their strong run of form having won their last seven fixtures
in all competitions. Rumour has it that Marland Yarde might be fit to play some
part in the match which would certainly please many around the UK. Leicester’s
focus is likely to be on their own performance because although they have been
winning in the Premiership, in recent times these wins have been
less than pretty ones… and I believe that assessment is being rather polite!!!!
At Kingston Park the Newcastle
Falcons welcome the Northampton Saints; the Falcons will be searching for their
first win in the Premiership since October. In contrast Northampton haven’t
lost in the Premiership since the end of September and take with them to
Kingston Park a superb away from home record having won their last eight away
games in all tournaments. If you believe everything that you read then Northampton could also be taking with them their own golden man; Mr Ben Foden!
The final fixture of
the weekend is at Allianz Park between Saracens and the Exeter Chiefs. Saracens
haven’t lost successive home games in the Premiership in the same season since
February 2006 and will wish to bounce back from that shocking defeat to
London Irish in Round 13. The Chiefs continue to end up on the wrong side of
the score sheet and are still searching for their first Premiership victory in
2014. Rob Baxter has said that he has imparted a few home truths on his men this
week and it will certainly be interesting to see the results of those words out there on the pitch.!
So there you have it... the full Round 15 Aviva Premiership Preview and with the changed kick off times there is absolutely no reason whatsoever not to devote yourself entirely to a huge weekend of rugby! There are 3 televised Aviva Premiership Matches plus 3 RBS 6 Nations matches so I suggest that you clear your diaries, ensure that you have a suitable vantage point ready that has first class sustenance and hydration and get ready for another bumper weekend of rugby action.
