BT Sport Rugby - Still Going Strong

For those of you who have followed Out On The Full for a while now you might remember that at the beginning of the season I wrote an article entitled “BT Sport Off To A Flying Start” and after 18 Rounds of Aviva Premiership Rugby whilst we have a very short European break, I felt that the time was right to follow up on the article. 

If you haven’t read the previous piece allow me to provide you with a brief summary of its contents; in short the first few weeks of the BT Sport coverage were refreshingly brilliant, the informal yet knowledgeable format made for compelling viewing and the team dynamics were absolutely spot on. So the lingering question is have things changed over the past 5 months? In my opinion the answer is yes, they have improved even more as the team have settled into their various roles. 

First show of the year JPMorgan 7s @andNickMullins

Now before you ask no-one from the BT Sport team has asked me to write an article like this, or like the previous one, I think that you all know me well enough by now to know that I wouldn’t do that. I’m proud that in Out On The Full I can express my views and opinions on things, be it teams, players or coverage and that they are received with open arms, even if they aren't always agreed with by all. The reason that I would like to once again sing the praises of the BT Sport team is due to the outstanding coverage that they have delivered week in week out showcasing what has undoubtedly been one of the most exciting Aviva Premiership seasons in recent years. 

On Sunday I spent the day in the BT Sport Studio to enjoy the bottom of the table clash between Newcastle and Worcester with the team, any of you that watched it will know that in the first half it certainly wasn’t the most exciting game of rugby ever and instead of feigning false positivity at half time Craig Doyle said what all of you were thinking; "Well this really hasn’t been great has it…!?!" Personally I thought that, that was a moment that epitomised the team, they aren’t afraid to say the slightly ‘controversial’ things that every single viewer is thinking however crucially they never, ever over step the mark, even Austin!!! The team of presenters and commentators are true professionals, they eat, sleep and breathe their rugby… they spend hours researching, pouring over statistics and traveling all over the country to matches to deliver coverage that is informal and jovial but has the crucially important backbone of the solid rugby information and knowledge that we all crave. Personally I couldn’t think of a better job in the world and I know for a fact that they all absolutely love being a part of it. 

You may be thinking now what the point of this article is, well really it is my way of saying thank you… obviously I have and will do so again in person, however as you all know a blog is there to inform and also to express an opinion and this is mine. Speaking to supporters throughout the country on my rugby travels I believe that most of you do agree with these opinions; the live matches are sleek and professional and Rugby Tonight has now become a Wednesday night institution… I know that some find that particular programme a little too ‘silly’ however the consensus is that it is a job well done and that the Smash-O-Meter is the single ‘toughest’ rugby challenge around!!!

Who knows if there will be a European competition next year or if the BT Sport team will cover it? Regardless I cannot wait for the reason of this year’s campaign to be delivered by an outstanding group of individuals reporting on first class rugby that we all love and live for week in week out.

Late Changes, Derby Days & Scrums - Aviva Premiership Rugby Round 18 Review

As every Aviva Premiership Round finishes you think that it cannot get any more dramatic but the next round arrives and proves that it absolutely can do!! This weekend we witnessed more drama than a soap opera and more importantly witnessed a historical event... a Worcester Warriors win!! Yes you are reading that right... so let's review all of the action from Round 18;

On Friday Night at The Rec the Southern high flyers Bath hosted the Northern underdogs the Sale Sharks… the drama unfolded before the starting whistle was blown as Sale Sharks were stripped of two of their greatest assets due to warm up injuries; Dan Braid and Mark Cueto. Bath should have been licking their lips in glee and should have started with a bang however the first half actually belonged to the visitors even without their star men. Tom Arscott shone at full back and their lineout king Mike Paterson continued his impressive form. Bath’s intent was there however their execution wasn’t quite on the money and that meant that they lacked their usual penetration. At the start of the second half Bath looked slightly frustrated and The Rec fell ever so slightly quiet, 9 minutes of scrums did nothing to lift spirits as home fans' cries for a penalty try were unheard. Sale were resilient and to use England coach Andy Farrell’s phrase “showed massive balls” to hold on to their lead. It wasn’t George Ford’s night as he missed a couple of critical kicks and two drop goal attempts that would have sneaked it at the end. Whilst Bath look to regroup and find their plan B, Sale continue onwards and upwards… they are no longer flying under the radar, instead they are real Top 4 contenders and every single Premiership team should stand up and take notice of Steve Diamond and his men!

At Adams Park the London Wasps hosted Saracens and whilst the hosts worked themselves into the ground they were unable to take anything away from the match. It was always going to be a tough ask for Dai Young’s men however they really didn’t help themselves by conceding basic penalties throughout. Saracens simply went through the motions and didn’t do anything too flashy; Charlie Hodgson and Owen Farrell both kept the scoreboard ticking along and the Wolfpack asserted themselves. Wasps’ tries came from their two young wingers Jonah Holmes who returned from his loan at Leeds and Tom Howe who made his Premiership debut, neither looked out of their depth which will be pleasing for Dai Youngs given his injury situation out wide. Andy Goode’s has had better days at the kicking tee as he left points begging however all in all the Wasps Director Of Rugby was happier with his team’s performance. Saracens, well they got the job done; they weren’t perfect and they did switch off at times however a bonus point win after a week’s jolly that meant that trained only once is a case of job done!

As expected from an East Midlands Derby the match at Franklin’s Gardens sizzled from minute one until minute eighty and ended controversially. Leicester looked the more comfortable of the two teams throughout however Northampton never, ever gave up and pressured right until the bitter end.  Leicester lost Matthew Tait to injury before the match started but it was the Northampton Saints who suffered during the match with Dylan Hartley and Salesi Ma'afu both picking up injuries in the first half. Leicester threw everything at Saints, including the kitchen sink, and although the Saints defence was monstrous it wasn’t impenetrable. Owen Williams showed his maturity as he took his first East Midlands Derby firmly in his stride however in contrast young Will Hooley had a mixed day, despite defending like a Trojan he missed critical kicks and let 8 points go begging. Standout Saints stand out mentions must go to Kahn Fotuali'I who showed his class throughout and fellow international Ben Foden however the day ultimately belonged to Leicester Tigers who were led from the front by their captain Ed Slater. Slater has already grown into his new role as Captain and continues his impressive unbeaten run wearing that captain's armband.

At Sandy Park it was a physical encounter between two teams that were desperate to get one up on the other, it was an open game in the Devonian sunshine that ended in dramatic fashion when Gareth Steenson missed the kick that would have snatched the match for his side. In the first half Exeter had a lot of the ball and threw it about nicely with Tom Johnson and Luke Arscott making breaks and playing the type of rugby that the Sandy Park crowd love to see however Gloucester worked hard in defence and didn’t let the game slip away from them. The Cherry and Whites’ hard work was rewarded after the break in the form of a Charlie Sharples try and Rob Cook’s steady boot. Gloucester pressed on but ultimately the two yellow cards to Sila Puafisi and Sione Kalamafoni gave Exeter the space to cross at the death however as mentioned Steeno didn’t add the extras. Unsurprisingly Nigel Davies was the happier of the DoR’s afterwards crediting his side's endeavour and hailing the win as a ‘pretty significant’ one. Rob Baxter was harsher in his assessment of his men as their up and down season continues; “I am not going to hide my disappointment because I don't think that we played particularly well. I said to the guys afterwards that if you want to win Premiership games you have to go out there and play really well.”

In South West London there was yet another local derby and the main story at The Stoop was the return of Harlequins' England Internationals; Danny Care, Mike Brown, Joe Marler and Chris Robshaw all of whom have been sorely missed over the past few months and all needed big games to make up for their absence. Thankfully for Quins fans they did and were integral to their teams' victory along with the extremely experienced Nick Evans who put in a strong shift at fly half. London Irish were yet another team to fall foul to late injuries as they lost Eamonn Sheridan, George Skivington and Kieran Low before the match and in fact they ended up with seven props in the match-day squad.... less than ideal!! Young Tom Fowlie, who started his first ever Aviva Premiership Match, shone at Inside Centre and is certainly one to watch for the future however on the whole Irish didn’t really get going against their local rivals. Whilst Quins gained the win they did miss out on the bonus point and that could be costly in their fight for that final playoff spot, especially with Sale winning away from home at The Rec.

The final match of the weekend was a Kingston Park where the Newcastle Falcons hosted the Worcester Warriors, although I have said it time and time again it really was a case of do for die for Worcester. The first half was a tense affair, both teams were reading each other like a book and defensively just looking to smash the other into next week and at the break the scoreboard read 9-6 to the home side. As Lawrence Dallalgio described it, it was a 'classic basement battle' and you felt that something or someone had to provide a spark in the second half to pull them apart. The difference was a scintillating break from Andy Symons who put in Josh Drauniniu for the match winning score. The try itself was slightly against the run of possession as young Joel Hodgson, who came off the bench, was pulling the strings well for the Falcons however Worcester did what they haven't been able to do all season and held on to secure their first Aviva Premiership victory. It was a colossal win for Dean Ryan and his side... they have been gallant in defeat all season and thoroughly deserve their 4 points. 

The Aviva Premiership now takes another short break whilst a few rather large European fixtures are played but rest assured it will be back with an outrageously large Round 19 in the blink of an eye!

Out On The Full Meets Chris Bell

London Wasps is a club with a huge amount of history, over the years it has attracted some of the most talented rugby players that this country has seen and in 2014 the talent within its ranks is as strong as ever. At the helm of this great club is centre Chris Bell who was given the captain’s armband at the beginning of the 2013/14 season after just two years at the club. I think you'll all agreed that, that is some achievement and naturally I was keen to find out more about the man who is now leading this historic club. 



We’ve seen in recent years quite a number of players who turned down the chance to captain their side in favour of ‘focusing on their own game’ however for Chris that was something that never came into his mind;

“It was quite an easy decision really, Dai called me and asked if I would do the job and naturally I accepted immediately. It really was quite a short conversation as it was something I’d always wanted to do... there wasn't anything to think about!”

Chris arrived at Wasps at the beginning of the 2011/12 season after 5 years at Sale Sharks and prior to that 2 years at Leeds and 3 at Harlequins, during his time at all of his previous clubs he had experienced ups and downs and these certainly set him in great stead for the task at Wasps; 

“At Sale in particular I experienced the good, bad and the ugly, it was a bit of a rocky period and whilst I enjoyed my rugby and made some good friends it wasn’t the most successful time for the club. Certainly experiencing that taught me a lot and has made me the player that I am today” 

Wasps themselves have experienced their own 'rollercoaster ride' as Chris described it since he joined; battling relegation in his first season was intense, last season was a little more comfortable and this one, well it is fair to say that it has been turbulent; 

"At times it is frustrating we set high standards for ourselves individually and collectively and sometimes we haven't achieved them, the focus is to reach them week in week out." 

The characters within the Wasps’ squad are well known and some are quite headstrong, for want of a better word, so I was intrigued to understand just how Chris manages and leads such a mix of individuals; 

“Everyone is different, you interact with each person differently, there are obviously some experienced players in the team that don’t need any help and for some of these guys it is actually a case of calming them down a bit and reigning them in!!! Whereas there are others may need more support and as captain that’s what I am there for and I hope that I do that job well.” 

“We have a mantra here where everybody leads so that we all drive the club forward, it doesn’t just rest of my shoulders, everyone steps up and plays their part." 

Chris is hugely passionate about his club, he leads by example and let's his rugby do the talking, speaking to him and seeing him play he reminds me a lot of another well know Premiership Captain, a Mr Chris Robshaw. You won't find either Chris screaming and shouting the house down but rest assured their clubs means everything to them. Chris’ passion for Wasps was clearly evident when asked him what it meant to him to play for and lead London Wasps;

“It is a huge honour to lead the squad. London Wasps as a rugby club is hundreds of years old and it will continue for another hundred years, if you are on the pitch at the weekend or at the training ground then you are just borrowing your shirt from the club and you’ve got to give your best in it. You want to be able to hang that shirt up after the game or training and know that you gave absolutely everything you could to do it justice.” 

“They’re quite old values but they are vitally important to who we are and how we operate. I’m privileged to be given the role as Club Captain, I don’t take it for granted, it is something I really enjoy doing and will continue to do as long as I deserve to” 

Wasps’ difficult past few weeks has meant that their road to a Top 6 finish is a challenging one, naturally Chris and his team are ‘taking each game as it comes’ starting with Saracens this weekend. Mark McCall’s men are in imperious form and I was keen to understand where Wasps are going to target them; 

“I can’t give you our game plan, you might tell them!!!! In all seriousness, we’ve picked a few areas to look at, Saracens are a very efficient and strong team but you always try to find a little chink in their armour. Obviously there are a few things that we need to sharpen up on our own performance too as well.” 

Wasps task is a tough one, they are fully aware that they haven’t put themselves in the best position to press forwards however that could all change with a big result against the league leaders this weekend.

Chris may have only been at Wasps for a relatively short time compared to some of the other Aviva Premiership Club Captains however that fact is immaterial. As I mentioned earlier Chris’ professionalism and leadership is up there with the best of them, he leads by example on and off the field and London Wasps are certainly are in very safe hands whilst he is at the helm.

Sink Or Swim Time - Aviva Premiership Round 18 Preview

Have you recovered from the drama of Round 17 yet!? I do hope so because we are about to do it all over again in just a few days’ time and Round 18 is set to be just as emotionally draining as the last!

The Friday Night Lights always deliver mouth-watering clashes and I fully expect Round 18 to follow suit as Bath host Sale at The Rec. Bath rained on the Irish St Patricks Day party last weekend and they did it in style, Mike Ford’s men are looking stronger than ever and their strength isn’t just provided by one individual, it is a collective strength and that is what is making them so powerful. Up front and in the back row they are smashing the set piece and the breakdown whilst in the backs they are running delightful moves that get your rugby juices flowing. However it certainly won’t be all about them on Friday Night because their opponents Sale have been doing exactly the same thing just a little further north. Steve Diamond’s men delivered a hugely impressive performance in Round 17 to pacify the mighty Northampton Saints. Led by the prolific Dan Braid and masterminded by Danny Cipriani in the backs they have been quietly climbing the table and showing everyone exactly how it is done. There isn’t really much to choose between these two, both have only lost once in their last six Premiership fixtures and both know that a win will be vital to continue their quest to be in the mix come Round 22.  

The Exeter Chiefs haven’t had the best of weeks, they were steamrolled by a rampant group of Tigers at the weekend and to top it off they have lost one of their most promising players as Chris Whitehead was forced to retire with a neck injury. Exeter are a tightknit squad, there will be a huge will to win it for Chris this weekend and the fact that it is a ‘local’ derby adds even more spice to this Round 18 fixture. The Chiefs should have the upper hand up front, particularly at scrum time, although Gloucester’s has improved it is not quite the finished article yet. Behind the scenes it has been a busy week at Kingsholm as they have announced three further signings; Championship star Mark Atkinson, Scarlets ' Aled Thomas and Ospreys Centre Tom Isaacs to join their other notable signings; Afoa, Galarza, Hibbard and Laidlaw. However Gloucester must focus on the here and now and ensure that they are on the money for the full 80 minutes, both in defence and in attack, to gain as much as possible from Round 18.

Saturday's fixture will be Harlequins’ second London Derby in the same number of weeks however there are a few vital differences to last weekend, the first is that they will be at home and not at Wembley and the second and most important one is that they will have their full International contingent back on the field. Can I get a ‘Whoop Whoop’ from Quins fans!?!? The sparkle that Brown and Care will bring in attack and the workrate of Robshaw and Marler should be more than enough to seal a strong home victory against their London rivals. London Irish will be disappointed with the result of their St Patrick’s Day Party, much has been spoken about ‘that TMO’ decision however as Brian Smith rightly pointed out after the game his team needs to respond better than they did to what he called ‘unfair decisions’. Irish’s powerful back three O’Connor, Ojo and Yarde have the potential to inflict major damage however they need to turn this potential into action on Saturday afternoon at The Stoop.

London Wasps Club Captain Chris Bell likened his teams’ performance against Worcester to a ‘stuttering car’; one that didn’t really run smoothly but made it to their destination regardless, therefore continuing on that theme let’s hope that this weekend their car has been amped up, re-sprayed and given the engine of an Audi R8 before hosting Saracens. Saracens are sitting pretty at the top of the table and are in menacing form, cutting off their half backs will be critical to Wasps’ chances of ‘doing a Sale’ and delivering a large Premiership shock. Look out for some thunderous hits at Adams Park; James Haskell and Sam Jones will certainly enjoy getting to know Jacques Burger and co and both sides will wish to throw the ball around. Wasps will be hoping that their opponents have enjoyed themselves a little too much on their ‘jolly’ in New York this week whilst Saracens will aim to replicate their Round 17 performance just with a touch tighter discipline than they showed at Wembley. 

Whilst the Northampton Saints weren’t on the best of form last weekend against the Sale Sharks you can bet your bottom dollar that they will have regrouped quickly and will now be more than ready to host the Leicester Tigers this weekend. Most would say that this is the biggest derby in the land and my goodness me will it be a firecracker. Leicester gave the performance of their season in Round 18, they were efficient in defence and spirited in attack led by huge performances from Niki Goneva, Logovi'i Mulipola and the Youngs brothers. Northampton fans will be hoping that Stephen Myler has recovered enough to take his place in the starting XV and that Luther Burrell, Dylan Hartley, George North and Tom Wood can get back to their ‘team smashing’ best. It will be an absolute blinder at Franklin’s Gardens with two immense sets of forwards introducing clashing and two talented back lines looking to run rings around each other, get ready for a thriller! 

This is the monster clash, the one that both teams have on their radar for a long, long time… for Worcester it really is do or die, and I know that I have said a few times previously, however this time I truly mean it. If Worcester don’t get a result at Kingston Park then the Championship becomes almost a certainty. On the flip side Newcastle know that their fate is in their own hands, they’ve announced a number of signings and contract extensions in the lead up to the fixture and a win would be the icing on the cake. I don’t think it will be the cleanest of matches that we have seen this year… nerves are likely to induce quite a few dropped balls and moves that don’t quite work out but I can guarantee that the level of raw emotion and desire will make up for that. Chris Pennell and Jonathan Thomas need to lead their men fearlessly and Ryan Lamb needs to pull ‘one of those’ performances out of the bag. For Newcastle they need their experienced men to step up and be counted for; Mike Blair must boss his forwards and Godman’s kicks will be critical. The match will be dramatic and it will be a nail biter from start to finish... the result, too close to call in my opinion.