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. 

Amlin Challenge Cup - An All English Affair

The quality of the rugby that has been played in this year’s Aviva Premiership has been something to behold and it is a testament to the intense competition that has been ongoing week in week out that for the first time in history all four of this year’s Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finalists are English sides.

On Friday Night the Northampton Saints hosted their second knockout match of the season as they welcomed Harlequins to town. It was clear from the outset the Saints meant business, they didn’t let an early period with fourteen men phase them and after that they never looked back. In a stark contrast Harlequins never looked like they were going to find their stride in the match and were a shadow of the team that that successfully put Leicester in their place just seven days ago. Conor O’Shea’s side massively missed the experience and accuracy of Nick Evans at fly half and were out muscled for the majority of the match by a determined and focused Saints squad.

At the heart of the Saints’ dominance were two men in particular; Kahn Fotuali’l and Sam Dickinson; whilst they were on the pitch Fotuali’l flourished and Dickinson devastated. It was Fotuali’l’s lighting quick ball that gave the Saints the platform to strike off and his marshalling of the pack they allowed them to be brutally efficient. Sam Dickinson worked like a Trojan from start to finish; he was the top tackler of the day and carried hard for his team and surely a shift like that wouldn't have gone unnoticed by a certain Stuart Lancaster who was watching from the stands. Elsewhere for the home side young Tom Collins flourished bar his sin bin indiscretion, Stephen Myler went about his business with the efficiency that we have come to expect from him and as mentioned the forwards collectively took the match by the scruff of the neck and made it theirs.

Harlequins really didn’t have a great day at the office, Conor O’Shea highlighted the ‘little energy moments’ that didn’t go their way as their downfall however a few Quins fans may argue that it was more than just 'little moments' that were the problem. Focusing on the positives there were a number of individuals that gave their hearts and souls to the cause; Chris Robshaw and Nick Easter played as if their livelihoods depended on it and must be praised for their outstanding contribution to what was ultimately a lost cause. Charlie Walker had a great first game back after 3 months out and Dave Ward continued his stellar season although for once his throwing could have been a little more accurate.

Unfortunately both sides were plagued by injuries throughout the game, for Saints the sight of George North limping off after twenty minutes was never part of the pre-match script however it was Harlequins that came off worse with Mike Brown, George Robson and Jordan Turner-Hall all picking up blows. The extent of all of these injuries will be assessed over the next for days and both sides will be relying heavily on their medical teams in order to get these key individuals back as quickly as possible for their final matches of the season. 

In front of a noisy and expectant crowd at Adams Park the second Amlin Challenge Cup Semi Final took place between London Wasps and Bath Rugby... the last time that Bath were at Adams Park they taught Wasps a lesson in how to play rugby and that is something that the men in black and gold desperately wanted to make amends for in this knockout match. 

Bath’s form in the Amlin Challenge Cup has been devastating and whilst they have gone off the boil ever so slightly in the Aviva Premiership on Sunday afternoon they arrived with their A Game and delivered a gutsy display in order to end the afternoon victorious once again. Whilst losing a knockout match isn’t ideal Wasps will be pleased that they gave a very strong account of themselves and had it not been for a basic missed lineout or two things could have ended very differently. Both sides played the match a breakneck speed, at times it was simply exhausting to watch and it also was a brutally physical one that contained some bone crunching hits. 

Wasps lost Captain Chris Bell early on to a titanic collision with Nick Abendanon in midfield and that certainly set them back.... Bath had done their homework, they marked Nathan Hughes like a man wanted for crimes to rugby and didn’t give him any space to play in and all of their big game players delivered; Matt Garvey played in a manner that was reminiscent of a certain Jacques Burger, Nick Abendanon made double the number of metres of any other player on the pitch and George Ford had one of those days that makes you realise just why so many people are tipping him to be England’s future at fly half. In all fairness to London Wasps they never ever gave up and pushed Bath right until the bitter end; Joe Simpson and Elliot Daly both provided a lot of finesse and class, Andy Goode added his experience and James Haskell showed no regard for his own personal safety as he worked himself into the ground however all in all it just wasn’t enough. 

So there we have it... the Northampton Saints and Bath Rugby will fight it out to be crowned the Amlin Challenge Cup Winners and what a match that will be... both teams combined immense forward power with electric running backs and under the Friday Night Lights of the Arms Park in Cardiff it will be one hell of a final. 

For all the photos from Wasps vs. Bath see the Out On The Full Flickr Page here

Out On The Full Does Europe - The Knockouts

As the domestic competition takes a break for a week some of our Premiership teams will enjoy an uninterrupted block of training before Round 21 however for five of our teams the pressure continues as European rugby arrives in town. The Northampton Saints, Harlequins, London Wasps, Bath and Saracens all have the small matter of the knockout stages to contend with this weekend.

Now as you may know Out On The Full doesn’t feature European rugby week in week out however given the very prominent Premiership representation at this point in the competition it would be remiss of me not to cast an eye over the fixtures that include our domestic teams.

Let’s start with the Amlin Challenge Cup, where for the first time in 6 years all of the semi finalists are English Clubs and every single one of these clubs has won the competition at least once before. 

The first Semi Final will be played underneath the Friday Night Lights at Franklin’s Gardens as the Northampton Saints welcome Harlequins. In spite of the fact that the home side dropped down from the Heineken Cup their form has been extremely strong and was particularly prominent in their Quarter Final when they clinically dismissed the Sale Sharks. Harlequins were equally impressive over in France where they made light work of Stade Francais and during the last few weeks in the Aviva Premiership they have really cranked things up a notch and are back playing the type of rugby that secured them the Aviva Premiership title just a few years ago. 

Northampton already have all of their domestic ducks in a row and Harlequins are still chasing a playoff spot, however this hasn’t affect team selection in the slights as Conor O’Shea’s as fielded a full strength squad. The enigmatic Charlie Walker will return from injury after 3 months out and Quins will be showcasing their full collection of England stars underneath the Friday Night Lights. The only major asset that they are missing is Nick Evans who will miss the match due to a niggle sustained against Leicester and his place is taken by Ben Botica and with Stephen Myler fit again for the Saints his could be a tipping point in favour of the home side. Jim Mallinder has stayed true to his word and ‘freshened things up’ slightly bringing in Calum Clark up front and igniting the back line with his talented youngsters; James Wilson and Tom Stephenson. Northampton’s bench is full of impact with Tom Wood, Courtney Lawes and Luther Burrell amongst those ready to come into the game at any point. 

Northampton must deliver a huge amount of physicality to combat Harlequins’ champagne style of rugby and be patient with their own game, whilst for Harlequins tempo, tempo, tempo will be the key to their success. Both teams are extremely hungry for silverware and underneath the Friday Night Lights at Franklin’s Gardens it could come down to the smallest of margins.  

The second Semi Final is at Adams Park where the London Wasps take on Bath Rugby and whilst they are familiar with each other in the domestic league, the two haven't met in the Europe since 2003. 

Bath have an outstanding record in the Amlin Challenge Cup having won 22 of their last 23 fixtures and have been impressive from day one in all competitions this year. Mike Ford is fiercely ambitious and demanding of his squad and has fielded a very strong side for this weekend's game. He has made 6 changes to the side that beat Worcester in the Premiership last weekend bringing into the starting line up; Anthony Perenise, Dominic Day, Guy Mercer, Peter Stringer, Jonathan Joseph and Semesa Rokoduguni. This means that there is an equally strong bench housing Carl Fearns, David Wilson and Anthony Watson to name but a few. Dai Youngs has chosen to follow the motto 'if it ain't broke don't fix it', there is only one change to the side that bulldozed Gloucester at Twickenham last weekend and that is forced due to injury; Phil Swainston repalces due to Jake Cooper-Woolley's injury.

The whole match will be a huge battle, and the most ferocious will be between the two back rows, Garvey, Mercer and Houston versus Johnson, Haskell and Hughes is simply mouthwatering prospect and one that brings tears to the eyes thinking about the hits that they will dish out to each other! Elsewhere on the field both sides have a serious amount of firepower in their backlines; Eastmond, Rokoduguni, Daly, Varndell, Abendanon and so on... therefore expect an exciting game that is likely to be just as tight as the one at Franklin’s Gardens.

Finally in the top tier of the European competition Saracens will host ASM Clermont Auvergne at Twickenham in a bid to reach the Heineken Cup Final. Saracens will be hoping that it is third time lucky as they have lost their two European Semi Finals, one against Munster in 2008 and the other against Toulon last year and to top things off they have never actually beaten their opponents in the competition before.

Saracens have within their ranks the tournament’s top try scorer; Chris Ashton, one of the most prolific ball carriers; Billy Vunipola and a huge amount of collective experience and expertise. They have led the way in the Aviva Premiership and were pushed almost to breaking point in the cauldron that was Ravenhill a few weeks ago, but somehow they emerged victorious. Unsurprisingly Saracens have fielded their strongest side for the clash, Owen Farrell has been cleared fit to play and his half back partner of choice is the very experienced Neil de Kock. Steve Borthwick will lead the team in their quest for their first ever Heineken Cup Final Neil de Kock For Clermont there is good news and bad news... Sitiveni Sivivatu is fit however captain Rougerie misses out. Morgan Parra combines with Brock James in the middle and up front the big men are out to play; Jamie Cudmore, Nathan Hines and Julien Bonnaire who has the honour of captaining the side. Vern Cotter’s men showed a huge amount of grit and determination against Leicester in their Quarter Final and they will need every ounce of that this weekend at Twickenham.

It will be an absolutely electric match, the hits will be heard back in France along with the noise that Clermont's travelling fans will make. Saracens are in for one hell of a battle and will need to be on top of their game if they are to finally put to bed that Heineken Cup Semi Final demon and progress forwards in the competition.

So there you have it, the five Premiership teams that are heading towards the European stage in a few days time... all five are desperately hungry for success however only three will end the knockouts happy. Europe, we are ready for you... 

Out On The Full - The London Floodlit 7s

As you all are well aware I’m a sucker for an evening kick off; there is something special about finishing a long day at work and unwinding with 80 minutes of outstanding rugby, so it will be of no surprise to you that I am very much looking forward to this year’s London Floodlit 7s Tournament that is coming up very shortly (8th May).

The profile of Sevens has risen greatly over the past few years and there are competitions springing up all over the place however the London Floodlit 7s has been around for a number of years as the first Floodlit 7s took place in 1975.

It is a tournament that has grown significantly in recent years and now it attracts some of the best Sevens teams in London and being held at the beginning of May very near to the start of the traditional summer sevens season it is a great way for these teams to get some competitive rugby under their belts.

The tournament is held at Rosslyn Park in London, Rosslyn Park boasts an impressive array of International Stars that have been a part of the club over the years including Danny Cipriani, Adam Thompstone and ex England fly half Alex King. Currently their first team play their rugby in National League 1 and will be one of the teams fighting it out for the title on the 8th May.

The other teams confirmed to date are a who’s who of London clubs and a few other extremely strong sevens teams; Harlequins, Saracens, Wasps, London Irish, London Scottish, Ealing, Blackheath, Esher, Richmond, Invitational Side the Serious Stuff Pups  and of course The Army.  

As I mentioned I attended this event last year and the quality of rugby was top notch, every match was fiercely contested and the fact that lot of the teams play each other week in week in the XV’s game really spiced things up. Harlequins ran out winners for the third year in a row and this year will be looking to make history and achieve the most consecutive tournament wins ever. As with all good rugby tournaments once the action is over the Clubhouse opens and the relaxation and re-hydration begins; this year once again there will be a DJ and I can testify from experience that the post Sevens at Rosslyn Park is as good as the tournament itself, so it might be a good idea to book the day off after in advance!!! 

It really will be a cracking evening of rugby and socialising, tickets aren’t expensive so I suggest that you open your diary, check that it is free and head over to Rosslyn Park to enjoy all of the action underneath those very special Floodlights!

Important Information; the action starts from 5pm and tickets can be purchased in advanced here. 

Tries, Tries and More Tries - Aviva Premiership Round 20 Review

Round 20 provided us with an Easter treat that was more delicious than a family sized box of Cadbury's Creme Eggs, other chocolate brands are available (!) as we were delighted by 339 points and a whopping 39 tries, yes I did say 39! Time to get comfortable and review all of the action; 

During their pre-match interviews both Richard Cockerill and Conor O’Shea stated that their players’ intended to play some expansive rugby and my goodness me did they do just that! Underneath the Friday Night Lights in South West London the game was played at a ferocious pace with breaks made all over the field from both sides. Leicester were quickest off the mark thanks to the cool head of Toby Flood who stepped into the 10 shirt as if he had never been away and Ed Slater who continued to marshal and captain his side as if he had been doing it for years, not just a matter of weeks. Harlequins' Nick Evans kept the home side in touch as he utilised his full box of tricks and the dynamic England duo of Danny Care and Mike Brown were on fire and proved to be the difference between the two sides. The ferocity of the game boiled over at points and once again referee Tim Wigglesworth was perhaps a little too prominent for some people's liking however that should not cloud what was a stunning advert for Premiership Rugby. Whilst the Leicester Tigers fought until the bitter end the night belonged to the Harlequins' players and supporters... Quins played the type of rugby that secured them the Aviva Premiership title just a few ago and even though both Bath and Leicester are now six points ahead of them they won’t have given up hope of gaining a playoff position just yet. 

On Saturday London Wasps had the honour of calling Twickenham Stadium home for their huge Stinger fixture and underneath the blissful sunshine in South West London Dai Young’s squad delivered the bonus point win that they so desperately needed in order to keep their European rugby hopes alive. Once again Gloucester were forced into a late change due to Martyn Thomas' injury and that resulted in a drastically reshuffled back line which included a rare appearance from Freddie Burns in the role of fly half. Charlie Sharples and Jonny May both ran some stunning lines and the men Cherry and White played with intent and endeavour however their inability to dominate at the set piece and pacify Wasps’ large ball carriers meant that in the end the result slipped away from them as it has done on so many occasions this year. London Wasps fought hard for their victory, captain Chris Bell played a blinder, obviously inspired by leading his team out at HQ for the first time and the whole back row were outstanding. Nathan Hughes deservedly was given the MOM award for his storming performance and finally Tom Varndell slipped back into action as if he had never been away. According to Dai Youngs in the post match press conference his men had to 'win the game two or three times' and should have been a little more clinical however on the whole he was a happy man. The result means that Gloucester now slip to ninth in the table whilst Wasps leap frog Exeter into that much coveted 7th place position. 

On the Chiefs’ website their match report begins with the following words; ‘Those of a nervous disposition had best look away now……as the this doesn’t make for happy reading if you follow the fortunes of Exeter Chiefs.’ and I really couldn’t have put it better myself. On Saturday afternoon Baxter's men had an afternoon that they will wish to forget and not repeat for a long, long time. The Sale Sharks arrived at Sandy Park with the bit between their teeth after their lackluster performance against Harlequins last Friday Night and my goodness me did they raise their game... the Sharks scored no less than 8 tries and secured their place in Europe in style. Exeter lost Captain Dean Mumm before the match after he failed a late fitness test on his shoulder and sadly for the home side he was sorely missed. The Chiefs never were allowed into the game and individuals weren’t allowed to play to the best of their abilities due to the Sharks dominance. As ever Mike Paterson was outstanding, Dwayne Peel was effervescent and another individual shone too; Mr Danny Cipriani. Andy Farrell was sat in the stands and I hope that he noticed Cips' outstandingly assured performance and made a note of it with a certain tour coming up very shortly!! All in all it was as great weekend to be a Shark and a character building one if you are a Chief.

At The Rec both teams had a huge amount to play for and boy did it show in the rugby on the pitch... the Worcester Warriors pushed the home side all the way in an attempt to keep their Aviva Premiership survival hopes alive and kicking however once again they didn’t quite finish the job. What will be most upsetting for Dean Ryan’s men was the fact that it could have ended so differently had they secured the 13 points that they missed from place kicks. As usual Pennell oozed class and their inside centre Andy Symons had a stormer and asked questions of the opposition throughout... whilst it is superb to see their fighting spirit you get the feeling that it is simply too little too late for Ryan's men. For the home side their class act Nick Abendanon was as prolific as ever, Micky Young had a great day at scrum half and outside of him young Ford showed his full repertoire of tricks however as Daddy Ford said after the game defensively they all should be been better. The result and the achievement of a bonus point means that Bath now move up to third place in the table above the Leicester Tigers, however neither are 100% guaranteed a play off position just yet. 

Image Claire Jones Red Hat Photography

The Northampton Saints booked their ticket into the Aviva Premiership playoffs thanks to a five try display at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday afternoon against London Irish however it wasn’t all plain sailing for the home side. Northampton chose to start with Kahn Fotuali'i at scrum half and it was a superb decision; he ignited the match and set an extremely quick tempo for the game. One of Saints' big men, perhaps even their biggest depending on what criteria you employ; Salesi Ma'afu worked his socks of all day and thoroughly deserved his MOM award after a shift of gargantuan proportions. At this point allow me to send hooker Matt Williams the warmest of recovery wishes after he left the field with a horrific looking leg injury after only just returning to full fitness. For London Irish Tom Homer, Blair Cowen and Jebb Sinclair were all outstanding however it was Shane Geraghty who was their standout player as he relished captaining his current side against his former club. The match itself had many twists and turns... Saints raced to a healthy lead however then Irish scored twenty one unanswered points in the second half and it could have been twenty eight had it not been for a rather large forward pass decision from the TMO and JP Doyle. What happened to Saints!? Well they were caught napping and unsurprisingly Jim Mallinder was annoyed at this however when the final whistle blew they had done just enough and recorded a big, fat W against their name and ticked that Aviva Premiership home semi final playoff box . 

The last match of the weekend was up at Kingston Park where the Newcastle Falcons had everything to play for against Saracens... if the Falcons had won then they would have been guaranteed survival for another year however it was not to be. Mark McCall picked a side that showcased the depth in the Saracens squad and whether you like that or not you can surely understand why; Newcastle are/were a full ten places behind them in the table, they have already secured their home playoff fixture and there is the small matter of Clermont in a few days time. Newcastle fielded a familiar squad with the exception of young Joel Hodgson who made his first Aviva Premiership start at fly half. Joel certainly held his own and has come on leaps and bounds this year under the tutelage of Dean Richards. For a team that had lost their last thirteen consecutive matches and had a shocker against London Irish last weekend Newcastle equipped themselves well from early on and pushed Saracens all the way... they were led by their speedster Sinoti Sinoti. For Saracens it was fantastic to see that Al Hargreaves, Alex Goode and Will Fraser were back on the field after their respective injuries and all put in strong shifts, in particular Alex. Saracens more experienced men in the half backs, Wigglesworth and Hodgson, combined well to help secure what was a tough fought victory up in the Toon. After the game McCall hailed his squad's effort whilst Richards and his men have to wait a couple more weeks in order to try and secure their Premiership safety. 

After all of that Easter action it is now time for another short European break... Round 20 has certainly sorted a few things at the very top of the table as both Saracens and Northampton safely secured their home playoff fixtures... however everything else remains unclear! The third and fourth playoff positions are by no means decided... Leicester, Bath, Quins and maybe even Sale are battling it out between them for those precious spots. In the middle even though Wasps now look to be front runners for that 7th place European playoff spot there is still a lot of rugby left to play and finally at the bottom of the table Worcester are clinging onto a tiny, tiny thread of hope! Needless to say Round 21 will be as nail-biter across the country, so do enjoy the forthcoming European action but please save a spot of energy for the Aviva Premiership because Round 21 will be an absolute belter of a round. 

Crunch Time - Aviva Premiership Round 20 Preview

Round 20 is the round that no-one can afford to lose... it is a weekend filled with humongous Aviva Premiership clashes that mean absolutely everything to the teams involved... it is a round that needs no further introduction so let’s dive straight into the full preview;

Last Friday Night Harlequins produced an extremely assured and impressive performance against the Sale Sharks up at the AJ Bell Stadium and they will need to replicate that and add a little more in order to put away the mighty Leicester Tigers. The Tigers truly deserve their aforementioned description thanks to their declining injury list and building form. For both teams the securing four points, at least, is critical in terms of their playoff ambitions; Harlequins must win in order to have any hope of catching Bath in fourth whilst Leicester must win in order to continue to push for that precious home semi final. For the vistiors all eyes will be on a certain Toby Flood who takes the place of Owen Williams and of course their centre partnership of Allen and Tuilagi whilst for the home team their England quartet and Nick Evans will be the driving force behind absolutely everything. Needless to say it will be a closely fought affair; will Leicester out muscle their opponents up front or will Harlequins front up and then outpace their visitors? Home advantage could be king but Leicester aren't afraid of a little away action and it will be a very tasty affair underneath those fabulous Friday Night Lights at The Stoop.

Bath Rugby certainly had their fair share of drama to deal with last weekend and will be hoping for a spot of normality to resume at The Rec in Round 20... by normality I mean a few less cards and a spot of the beautiful rugby that we know that they are capable of. This week Matt Garvey said that his team have earned the right to be serious title contenders and personally I am inclined to agree with that statement however only if they secure a win at the very least this weekend. Their opponents the Worcester Warriors will be a huge handful... Dean Ryan’s players are now just as steely and tenacious as their Director of Rugby and they won’t be daunted by a trip to The Rec. On paper Bath are the stronger side, their individual and collective wealth is greater with the likes of Ford, Abendanon, Garvey, Houston and more within their ranks however Worcester have a lot to lose and you know that they will put every bit of their hearts and souls into this fixture as they continue to fight for the Premiership lives.

Exeter Chiefs' fans have experienced a fair amount of drama themselves this season due to their team’s undulating form and in Round 19 their nerves were tested again thanks to a resurgent Warriors side. Rob Baxter hailed their victory as one of their most critical however this weekend is just as important, if not more so, for his side who currently lie in 7th place just one point ahead of London Wasps. The European play off has added a huge amount of spice to the middle section of the table and their opponents Sale will certainly want to rain of the Chiefs' parade on Saturday afternoon. Last weekend Sale stuttered slightly and lacked energy however this should have been rectified by a slightly lighter week of training and a few words from the coaching team. I expect Sale to be back with a bang and ready for this monstrous away fixture  because if the Sharks do win then they will be guaranteed a place in Europe next year and that is a HUGE deal!! The fans at Sandy Park this Easter weekend will be in for a real treat as both sides aren't afraid to throw the ball around and equally both teams build their games on solid physicality and forwards pressure.

This weekend London Wasps have the honour of calling Twickenham Stadium home as The Stinger arrives in town! The match is a huge event for the club and over 35,000 people are expected at HQ to enjoy what will be an intense encounter between two clubs that know each other very well; this will their fourth encounter this season in various competitions. Both teams are vying for that 7th place finish and like so many others this weekend neither can afford to lose. London Wasps may be boosted by the return of Tom Varndell however that all hinges on a late fitness test although rumour has it that things are looking fairly positive on that front! I have absolutely no doubt that Gloucester’s discipline will be much improved this weekend, referee Wayne Barnes is experienced and I’m sure that he will lay down the law to both teams early on in the match however let’s park that for the moment and focus on their playing strengths. Although we haven’t really seen them really open up this year we know that when they do get it right they can make waves and really ask questions of their opposition; it is vital that Tindall, Trinder, May and Sharples get into the game and take advantage of the sizable Twickenham pitch. It will be interesting to see Dai Young’s squad selection after he made 6 changes in Round 19 that in my eyes proved to be fairly successful ones... will he stick with that starting XV or will he make a number of changes again for this critical encounter at Twickenham?

The Northampton Saints return to Franklin's Gardens with a job to do against London Irish, they have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions and have the Leicester Tigers, in third place, breathing down their necks. Their final 15 minutes against Saracens illustrated their quality and fighting spirit and they will need to show this for the full eighty in order to drive for the necessary bonus point victory. It was great to see Stephen Myler back last weekend and his expertise will be a critical platform to drive off for the home side. London Irish are a different prospect than Saracens and whilst their form has improved in recent weeks I think that they will be brushed aside against a frustrated Saints team. Irish notched up an impressive number of tries last weekend and certainly will wish to play at the same tempo at Franklin's Gardens. Due to injury they will be without James O'Connor however expect big bruising games from Blair Cowen, who has been a standout individual for them this season, and of course captain George Skivington. The Saints know that points mean prizes and they must be careful not to force the game however with the experience of Foden, Dickson, Dowson, Myler, North and more within their ranks I can't really see this one going any other way than theirs. 

The final game on Sunday afternoon is at Kingston Park where the Newcastle Falcons welcome Saracens to town. Looking at the visitors first, Mark McCall was extremely pleased with his side’s performance against Northampton concluding that it was 'as good as they'd played all season' and I totally agree him. Saracens may have let Saints back into the match however for much of the game they looked in control and played some outstanding rugby. McCall's men have their place in the Premiership Semi Finals in the bag already however don't expect them to take their foot off the gas just yet; yes they will employ their rotational policy so expect a few different starters however their level of intensity will remain the same. The Newcastle Falcons certainly have a job on their hands having lost their last thirteen Aviva Premiership matches in a row and last weekend didn't go according to plan for the full eighty minutes. Their first half was described by Dean Richards ‘the worst first half of rugby that he had seen ever however he did praise their endeavour and effort in the second which will be some consolation for his men. Worcester are still battling to catch them so it is vital that they come away with at least a point from the fixture if not more... Sinoti and Cato certainly need to produce some magic and collectively their forwards must be prepared for an onslaught of physicality from the Wolfpack and try to return it with equal measure. 

So there you have it the Aviva Premiership Round 20 preview... it is the round that no-one can afford to lose and that means that we are in for a huge, huge treat of the rugby variety this Easter weekend. 

Sprinting Towards The Weekend - The Stinger

Monday is a difficult day of the week, with the longest amount of time until the weekend the Monday’s blues often catch up on you and challenge even the most positive of souls... I, like so many, have experienced these feelings on more than one occasion however this Monday it was so very different!!! Why!?! Well that is because I spent the afternoon indulging in a spot of sprint training on the pitch at Twickenham with a couple of rather well known Premiership Rugby Players... and if I had my way that is how every single Monday afternoon would be spent and the Monday blues would never, ever appear again!! 

Allow me to explain further how I ended up at Twickenham Stadium polishing my standing starts and endeavouring to set a personal best time over 50m, throughout the season on a weekly basis every Premiership team designate one afternoon for their media duties in order to preview the weekend’s fixture. This weekend London Wasps are borrowing Twickenham for their Premiership encounter with Gloucester Rugby, the match is entitled The Stinger and is a slightly larger fixture than normal. Owing to the size and magnitude of the fixture it was only right that it had a slightly larger media afternoon than normal to accompany it... hence sprint training at Twickenham followed by interviews.

Now I must admit that I was slightly apprehensive on route to Twickenham, I am certainly not a couch potato, I frequent an outrageously tough but amazing functional fitness gym called Reach Fitness in Clapham at least four or five times a week, however I was rather concerned about showing myself up over 50m. As usual I was the only lady and let me tell you that being watched by all of the other media participants, the cameramen and of course the designated London Wasps sprint coaches, Joe Simpson and Tom Varndell made me feel very much under the spotlight! 


It was a gloriously sunny afternoon and HQ looked as resplendent as ever, the size of the stadium really does hit you when it is empty and being allowed to see the new changing rooms and walk out of the tunnel was a huge, huge honour and something that I never thought that I would be allowed to do! It is difficult to find the right words to describe just how impressive Twickenham is and I can only begin to imagine what that must feel like for a player to run out in front of thousands on a game day, overwhelming is the only word that springs top of mind. During my interview with Joe Simpson he described Twickenham as the ‘best rugby stadium in the world’ and I have to say that I totally agree with him, obviously being English that does make me slightly biased however I believe that a few from outside of England would also agree with that assessment.

Focusing on the rugby for a moment the two teams that will run out on Saturday afternoon are London Wasps and Gloucester Rugby, both have a huge amount to play for as there are just 3 rounds left to go in the Aviva Premiership and  both have their eyes firmly set on that 7th position European playoff prize. Gloucester and Wasps know each other well, this will be their third meeting this season, and their second in the same number of weeks. After the sprinting was completed (more about the results later) I spoke to Joe Simpson and it was clear that the Wasps players are more than ready for the task;

“Certainly there is a little added impetus with the 7th place playoff... you want to be playing on the big stage in front of big crowds with a lot riding on it... this is why you play rugby. We played them the other week so we had a good look at them then and we know what we need to do. For me personally Twickenham is the best stadium in the world, as an Englishman there isn’t a bigger stadium, it really is a special experience.”

The game is set to be fast paced with both teams filled with creative backs and as Joe rightly pointed out the contact area will be king. Personally I can’t think of a better way to spend Easter Saturday than at the home of England Rugby enjoying a spot of Aviva Premiership action and with the heat wave set to continue it should be a stunning day in all respects. The match will be shown exclusively on BT Sport with Craig Doyle, Lawrence Dallaglio and the rest of the team recording and analysing every moment… as always the team will bring their fresh approach and outstanding expertise to what will be a massively exciting battle.  

On a final note you'll be pleased to know that thanks to the expertise and guidance of Mr Varndell and Mr Simpson I did mange to record a respectable 50m time that improved after a spot of coaching!!! The pressure that I felt is incomparable to how the two squads will be feeling whilst they are warming up to the sounds of Little Mix on Saturday afternoon however they will be more than ready for this bruising encounter after all that is why they are professional rugby players and why I simply put pen to paper and record their achievements! 

London Wasps take on Gloucester Rugby in The Stinger on Saturday 19th April at 3:15pm, exclusively live on BT Sport. Ticke​ts are available at ticketmaster.co.uk/wasps​