The Out On The Full Photo Diary of 2014

2014 has been quite the year in the world of Aviva Premiership Rugby and England Rugby so in the final few hours I thought that I'd look back at some of the most memorable moments on the year, in pictorial form. Below are a selection of memories from what has been an action packed year, from January to December we have witnessed a lot of highs and the occasional low so let's reminisce;

From an England perspective the year started with the RBS 6 Nations as over the course of 5 weeks our home nations and Italy battled it out for supremacy. England faltered in Paris however really matured and developed during the course of their other matches and delivered two outstanding performances at Twickenham Stadium. One performance that put to bed all of the demons from Cardiff last year against Wales and the other was inspired to beat Ireland on BOD's last trip to the home of England rugby. Stuart Lancaster's side showed a promise and maturity that we hadn't seen from them before and took their performance levels to new heights. Personally I think it was one of the best RBS 6 Nations campaigns that we have seen in a while... hopefully to be eclipsed by an even better one in 2015. 

The 2013/14 domestic season proved to be a fairly eventful one, we witnessed Harlequins' end of season surge to set up that memorial 'quarter final' fixture with Bath at The Stoop and then charged head on into the Semi Finals. The Leicester versus Northampton Semi Final at Franklin's Gardens was one of the best games of rugby of the season, only the final eclipsed it in my eyes. Northampton laid their Premiership Final demons to rest in that thrilling 100 minute encounter Twickenham Stadium against Saracens and cemented what was one of the greatest seasons in the club's history. 

The Final at Twickenham was also extremely special for another reason as an inspirational young man Luis Ghaut lead out the team with Tom Wood. Luis’ bravery and love for Northampton Saints warmed the hearts of the entire country and in particular those close to him. He taught us all to live life to the fullest in spite of adversity or odds staked against us. Luis sadly lost his fight with Osteosarcoma towards the end of September however he will forever be a Saint and was truly a hero to his heroes. Rest In Peace Luis the rugby community was proud to have you as such an inspirational member. 

During 2014 a number of legends hung up their boots; from Steve Borthwick at Saracens to James Simpson Daniel at Gloucester and a number of others in between changes of the guard happened at clubs across the country. On the International stage two giants of the modern era also hung up their boots, and in some style, Jonny Wilkinson and Brian O'Driscoll. Jonny's Heineken Cup and Top 14 double was nothing less than he deserved and the same must be said about Brian O'Driscoll's Pro12 victory and the RBS 6 Nations triumph in the emerald of Ireland. Both men defined the word professional and could do things with a rugby ball that so many of us can only dream about. On and off the field they were role models of the highest order and both are fast becoming two extremely distinguished pundits for their chosen broadcasters. 

2014 was the year in which Saracens delivered one of the best performances of their history as they annihilated Clermont Auvergne at Twickenham Stadium and Jacques Burger put in the ultimate shift with his colossal tackle count. I remember it well, sitting on the press bench pre game thinking whatever happens, whichever side wins this match it will be an epic adventure however I wasn't expecting what followed. 46 points to 6 was the final score and although some people may argue that Brock James' yellow card and the penalty try early on gave Saracens an unfair advantage I believe that on that day they could have beaten anyone, even Toulon, because they were in the zone. It is just a shame that 7 days later they couldn't reach the same heights in Cardiff. 

On a domestic front it was the year in which Wasps secured their own home and made the move to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Wasps have always made it very public that they have been searching for their own home for a long time and in 2014 Derek Richardson secured that for them and with it their financial future. Naturally it was a decision that took time to digest however when the facts were delivered and the clear message 'move or Wasps will cease to be a club' was delivered the overarching emotion changed from anger to understanding. Wasps are now approaching 2015 in the healthiest shape of their lives and both on and off the field the only way is up. 

Finally, it was a year in which England's Women delivered the game with the ultimate prize, a World Cup. Katy McLean's  side proved that hard work, exceptional talent and a huge amount of dedication  can secure your dreams. Gary Street and his squad headed to France knowing that they were in the shape of their lives and they were totally focused on their goal. The Women's World Cup was a huge triumph not only because of England's victory but due to the calibre of the competition and how much it thrust women's rugby into the spotlight. England Rugby are committed to developing the game and the legacy from 2015 will live long into the future. It was a honour to be at the World Cup Winner's Press Conference and to ask Gary and the ladies first hand exactly how they were feeling after achieving the ultimate prize and for England Women the only was is up. 

Naturally a lot more has occurred during the 365 days of 2014 in however if I covered every club and featured every event we would be here until next December. It has been a stellar year and the most exciting thing is that next year we will have all of this plus a home Rugby World Cup. I cannot wait to bring you all of the news through Out On The Full and do hope that you will continue with me during what will be one of the most exciting year's in the history of the game in England. 

To enjoy a few more 2014 pictures have a nosy through Out On The Full's flickr page where all of the pictures I've taken at every event this year are stored. Enjoy --> here

Starting 2015 In Style - Aviva Premiership Round 12 Preview

Welcome to Round 12, the round of the Aviva Premiership that will kick off 2015 in style. Throughout 2014 we've been thoroughly entertained by the quality of the competition and the great thing is that 2015 will take things up a notch we hurtle towards the business end of proceedings. 

Franklin’s Gardens has the honour of hosting the first Friday Night Lights of 2015 as the Newcastle Falcons come to town. In Round 11 the Northampton Saints proved that you don’t need to have a lot of ball to win matches as they amassed 30 points with precious little possession. The Newcastle Falcons were the talk of the round as they delivered a hugely respectable performance against Saracens that showcased to us all exactly how much they are progressing under Dean Richards. Progression is king for the Falcons and another similar 80 minutes will cement their upward trajectory however I expect Mallinder’s men to be too powerful at the Gardens for it is their fortress and no-one is expected to rock it without colossal strength.

In the past two rounds Saracens have really started to sing again after a few weeks in which they looked a little off colour. Owen Farrell is leading proceedings and out the back Alex Goode continues to play with fire in his belly. London Irish gained their first home win of the Premiership season on Boxing Day against London Welsh. London Irish are one of the only Premiership teams to ever have beaten Saracens at Allianz Park and they did so on the 8th February 2014. It was a superb match form the Exiles in which they took on Saracens up front and young Alex Lewington excelled in the backs. Brian Smith's men must bring precision and intensity to the match to compete with the Saracens machine.  

The Exeter Chiefs return to Sandy Park after participating in a hugely competitive game of rugby at The Rec last weekend whilst Gloucester ended their match frustrated in defeat. The Chiefs’ Tom Johnson enjoyed a welcome return to the field after his injury spell as he ran out for the Exeter Braves on Monday night and it would be great to see him back in the Premiership this weekend. Gloucester’s word of the day will be discipline and you sense that David Humphreys is just looking at all of his options for this weekend Charlie Sharples starts at full back with David Halaifonua gaining his first start on the wing. As Nick Mullins rightly said today, tough start to the year for Steve McColl. 

At Welford Road the Leicester Tigers host Bath Rugby in what will be one of the clashes of the weekend. Richard Cockerill’s men will vividly remember that sunny Saturday afternoon in September when they were humiliated with that 45-0 defeat and this return fixture will have been highlighted on the fixture list since then. The Tigers should take a lot of heart from their away win at Sale last weekend so are poised for a big come back. Bath, well Bath should be confident that they can do the double over Leicester because they really are looking like a class act at the moment. Watch out for Sam Burgess starting at 13 with Kyle Eastmond the man on his inside that will be enthralling to watch. For the home side Julian Salvi makes his 100th appearance as a Tiger and I'm sure that the 24,000 strong crowd will salute him for it. 

Wasps welcome the Sale Sharks to the Ricoh Arena in what will be another belting clash. Dai Young will want his side’s undefeated home record to stay in tact however the Sharks are stiff opposition and won’t back down without a fight. The Sharks are without captain Dan Braid who picked up a knee injury last weekend and that is a big blow, also Steve Diamond is staring with Cips and Cusiter on the bench for the starting jerseys are handed to Will Cliff and Joe Ford. Wasps welcome back Carlo Festuccia into the starting line up and also hand starts to James Gaskell and Rob Miller against their former club. Wasps have announced that there will be 17,000 at the Ricoh for what should be a cracker of a match. 

The final game of the weekend is at the Kassam Stadium where London Welsh will host Harlequins. Life in the Aviva Premiership hasn’t been easy for Justin Burnell and his men and they’ll be without Captain Tom May after his over-zealous scuffle with Dan Leo on Boxing Day. Harlequins’ Big Game 7 didn’t end in victory however it was a ‘huge step forward’ according to Conor O’Shea, for his side ‘looked like themselves’ and played with much greater intent going forwards. Harlequins should have too much for Welsh however you can guarantee that the home side will give it everything that they have got, they always do. 

Christmas Cards, A Big Game & More - Aviva Premiership Round 11 Review

A Festive Feast of Rugby... that is how I would describe Round 11 of the Aviva Premiership as we witnessed 296 points and some absolute Christmas crackers!! The order of the weekend was that the matches had to go down to the wire and boy did it make things interesting! Here is the full Out On The Full Round 11 Review;

On Boxing Day London Irish hosted London Welsh at the Madjeski Stadium in a game that exceeded expectations. Pre-match it was deemed by many that it would be an 'average' game however in actual fact it was filled with drama and some good rugby, considering the terrible conditions. Tom May and Dan Leo both saw red from referee Greg Garner after an emotional scuffle that epitmoised the power charged game. Irish's tries came from Tom Court and Geoff Cross on a day in which the Exiles' forwards really stepped up to the mark. Welsh will be disappointed with their precision for they made many of the right moves but a missed pass here and a knock on there squashed any fluidity. Irish will be delighted with their first Premiership win in three months and they will need every ounce of confidence for their trip to Allianz Park in Round 12 whilst Welsh continue to dig deep into their emotional reserves. 

BT Sport

In a fixture that has been traditionally dominated by Bath, this Round 10 derby was far from a one horse show as Exeter ruffled feathers at The Rec. It was one of the most enjoyable fixtures that I have seen this season as both teams delivered 80 minutes of super rugby. Positivity was the word of the day, epitomised by the tries from Matt Jess and Kyle Eastmond both of whom had great days at the office. The strength of Bath’s bench proved to be their ace card as the fresh legs of Paul James and David Wilson in particular added extra spice up front. Mitch Lees’ yellow card for going in at the side with ten minutes to go meant that Baxter’s men struggled to find the final push for the losing bonus point and were exposed out wide for Anthony Watson’s final try on 77 minutes. 

On a frosty day in South West London Harlequins made their annual trip to Twickenham for their Big Game. Harlequins’ form has been patchy but there is nothing like a crowd of 82,000 to inspire you to your best performance of the Premiership season so far. Statistically it was all about Nick Easter’s men as they dominated in terms of the possession (75%) and meters made (487 to 158)  however the Saints showed why they are Champions as they defined clinical and made the most of their limited ball. Samu Manoa excelled and he showed exactly why Toulon have reportedly paid the big Euros for him! It was great to see Alex Corbisiero back on the field for Saints and their forwards certainly had the upper hand throughout. Harlequins should take much confidence from their performance level and as Conor O'Shea said afterwards 'they'll win a lot of games if they play at that level'. Saints impressed and proved they can the ugly ones too!

@AntolRay

Once again the Newcastle Falcons pushed Saracens to the wire on Saturday afternoon. Saracens headed into the final five minutes with a comfortable 25-13 lead and the match in their palm of their hands however an over zealous pursuit of the bonus point almost cost them the match as Chris Harris delivered two tries for the home side. Chris who was on a dual registration agreement with Rotherham isn’t likely to go back now according to Dean Richards such was the impression that he made! Juan Pablo Socino just pulled the conversion wide in what otherwise a great day for him. Saracens’ Farrell contributed 10 points and continued to look sharp however this was a game that was all about the respect that Newcastle commanded from McCall’s men and the manner in which they asserted themselves.

Steve Diamond sighted a spot of inexperience from his side as they lost by two points after having had a handsome 30 points to 15 lead. It was exactly that type of grit and determination that Leicester are historically famous for and they needed every inch of experience that they had to secure result at the place that is fast becoming one of the most difficult grounds to visit, the AJ Bell Stadium. Leicester had to contend with two changes prior to kick off as Graham Kitchener and Anthony Allen both withdrew however their replacements Sebastian de Chaves and Seremaia Bai in particular conducted themselves well. Sale will be kicking themselves for the game was there for the taking, Chris Custier stole the show on what was a good but heartbreaking day at the office for Sale. For the Tigers it could be the game that ignites their Premiership campaign although Cockers is still less than impressed by his team’s defensive ability. 

The final game of the weekend was at Kingsholm where Gloucester hosted Wasps. As expected with two exciting back lines it was a high scoring match, Gloucester ignited the home crowd after just 49 seconds thanks to the feet of Jonny May but Wasps clawed themselves back into proceedings due to their collective cool heads and the impressive nature of their backs. Gloucester raise their game in the second forty with Billy Burns coming on at fly half and making an immediate and direct impact on the game with his eyes up style of rugby. Gloucester played sensible rugby and kicked their way back into the game whilst Wasps just lost a little bit of their penetration. The boot of Elliot Daly, from 50m, slotted the penalty that secured the visitors the game and their first win on the road this year. The Shed ended the day a little restless as this was the Cherry & Whites' fifth loss in a row at home. 

All the Out On The Full pictures from Twickenham are here

View the Full Premiership Table here

'Tis The Season For Rugby - Aviva Premiership Round 11 Preview

Season’s Greetings to one and all, I hope that this Aviva Premiership preview finds you in jolly good spirits and ready for a superb festive season! As we rest up and enjoy eating our body weight in food our Aviva Premiership players will be exercising restraint as for them it is just another working week with Round 11 at the end of it.

The round kicks off on Boxing Day at The Madjeski Stadium where London Irish host London Welsh. London Irish’s only victory in their last eight fixtures in all competitions was at against Cardiff Blues in the European Challenge Cup. London Welsh, as we all know, have yet to win a match. London Welsh have beaten the Exiles before, 15-9 at the Kassam in December 2012 and what a Christmas present it would be if they did it again. Both sides know how important this match is and that will translate into the intensity on the pitch. The side that is precise in their actions and the most clinical with their possession will be victorious and at this moment in time you expect that to be London Irish. It may not be beautiful but it will be striking, festive battle awaits on a day that is traditionally a little sluggish in its manner. 

On Saturday we will enjoy a heated affair in the West Country as Bath Rugby welcome the Exeter Chiefs to town. Bouncing back will be the order of the day for Rob Baxter’s men who were uncharacteristically bullied by a strong Sale Sharks side last Friday night. For the home size ‘more of the same’ will be their festive motto as they continue to impress us all with their depth and finesse. As you might have guessed already I’ll be focused on two of the most talented young men in the Aviva Premiership; George Ford and Henry Slade whilst the breakdown battle will be extremely interesting with two quality back rows likely to be selected. Exeter should raise their game back to the standard that they have set themselves, as long as they hold their discipline, and that will make it into a cracker of a fixture (Christmas pun intended)!

At the same time in Manchester the Sale Sharks will be facing off against the Leicester Tigers. Sale’s assured performance turned heads last week as they looked better than they have done all season. The Tigers, well we all know what happened to them at Franklin’s Gardens and not for the first time I wouldn’t have wanted to be part of their analysis session yesterday. Speaking to Jamie Gibson today he shared the desire that the players have to 'do themselves and the club's history justice' and that should show from the first whistle. The AJ Bell Stadium isn’t an easy place for any side to travel to and Cockers will reflect that in his selection. In my eyes this has the makings to be one of the matches of the round.

At Kingston Park the Newcastle Falcons will enjoy a Christmas with a difference as they will be able to play a festive match without wallowing knee deep in mud thanks to their new hybrid pitch. Saracens are their opponents and the last time they met it was a close fought encounter  however Mark McCall's men will breeze into town oozing with confidence following their biggest ever victory in the Aviva Premiership in Round 10. Newcastle are another side that are looking to channel some frustration into a fixture as last weekend they gave away a game that they should have won. Personally I’m not betting against the depth of Saracens, they should win this game and win it comfortably if they field a full strength XV, whether they will or not is another question!?

At Twickenham Stadium Harlequins will host their Big Game 7; Harlequins have a great record at Twickenham Staduim having won on their last 6 visits there however their opponents the Northampton Saints are something else! Northampton’s Round 10 performance was one of the performances of the season and they did so with 14 players, with 15 they should replicate a performance akin to their last outing on the Twickenham turf. This season Harlequins’ Aviva Premiership form hasn’t been of the champagne variety, Nick Evans is set to return to the starting XV which will make a huge difference. O’Shea’s men must be inspired by the occasion and they must find a way to make clean breaks and penetrate the Saints’ defensive line, if they don't then it won't be a happy occasion at 'The Big Stoop' for Saints will punish them. 

The final game of the weekend is at Kingsholm where Gloucester Rugby will want to give their fans something to cheer about as they welcome Wasps to town. Gloucester’s home record remains worse than they would like having lost three of their last four matches there however it is a place that Wasps find notoriously difficult to travel to.  David Humprehy’s will have stressed to his side about the importance of converting possession into points and accuracy will be their key focus for the match. Wasps, well Wasps will simply want to replicate their second half performance from Round 10 in which they were dynamic in defence and utterly clinical in attack. If I was Dai Young I wouldn’t change my selection, bar injuries, to give that starting XV the opportunity to press on together. If Wasps pull it together an away victory is a distinct possibility but not if Gloucester stifle them from the word go and then let the Shed get involved!

Out On The Full Flashback - An Insight Into Life After Rugby

One article that was featured in Wasps’ Stinger Programme at Twickenham was a piece that I penned after attending an extremely interesting business breakfast one Friday morning on April... however it  dawned on me last night that I never pushed the publish button for the post to be featured here on Out On The Full. Therefore as a little festive throwback here is the full ‘Life After Rugby’ article and I do hope that you enjoy it;

“Life is rugby, if you are in any doubt about that just watch the range of emotions that I go through when I watch Wasps” those were the words of Wasps' Club Chairman and former player Mark Rigby or ‘Riggers’ as his team mates knew him. 

Mark was speaking at the Wasps Business Club Breakfast held at the headquarters of his company CVS. In the modern era, retirement and indeed the forced early retirement of players is something that we are all too familiar with and this Business Club Breakfast provided the opportunity to delve deeper into the subject and to look at what our Aviva Premiership Clubs and the Rugby Players Association are doing to support players during this time of great change in their lives.

It was a privilege to hear the stories of five extremely well known individuals; Tim Payne, Andy Gomarsall, Tom Voyce, Hugo Southwell and Damian Hopley. The discussion was led by the accomplished and experienced sports broadcaster, BT Sport commentator, Nick Mullins and it really was a captivating morning.

No two players follow the same path when it comes to their career and indeed the end of it and that was evident from the differing stories that the panel shared; retirement was forced upon some whilst others chose to hang up their boots at a particular moment in time. Regardless of the different journeys there were some clear similarities and pertinent points raised during the morning’s discussion. Damian Hopley hit the nail on the head when he said that "Professional sport is the only career that, when you retire, you have to start working again" and a key point highlighted by every single former player was the feeling of 'losing your identity' the moment that you hang up your boots.

Damian likened the process of going through his retirement to going through a personal bereavement, he explained that for him life stopped in its tracks and for a long period of time he couldn't figure out who he was or what he wanted to do. Wasps’ captain last season Hugo Southwell found it tough to talk about the day when he was told that he had to retire, it was only three short months ago, and he said that the atmosphere in the consultancy room was 'as close to a morgue as you can imagine'. Believe me when I say that these words are not exaggerated in the slightest; retirement from rugby be it forced or unforced can 'break' even the toughest of characters.

Tom Voyce isn't short of a spot of confidence or two, that was clear from the manner in which he spoke and the jacket that he had selected for the morning (!) however he recalled just how challenging the transition was for him and how he actively sought the help of a councillor provided through the RPA. 'I thought I was mentally very strong, I'd done things in my career that many couldn't do and yet I found this battle in my head. It was a case of having someone who I could talk to who looked into my life and said that it was going to be alright, having someone to give you that knowledge that you can do it and that things will be ok.'

Today's players have a bulletproof mentality, they believe that they are untouchable and you can understand why given the physicality and brutality involved in the modern game however as we all know that isn’t always the case. Planning for life beyond rugby whilst playing the game almost seems like flirting with fate and subconsciously inviting injury to happen however as every former player stressed that is not the case and it is an absolutely vital thing to do. Now Premiership Clubs are working closely with the RPA to structure this process and really ensure that current players plan early in order to ensure whenever they do retire their transition is as seamless as possible. This support is provided not only by individuals Clubs but also by the RPA’s Player Development Programme and their Player Development Managers. The most recent retiree Hugo Southwell credited the work of Ben McGregor, the London Wasps PDM, who he said had been ‘absolutely instrumental’ in helping him to move forward and structure his future away from rugby.

Now you may think all of this planning could be a distraction for our Premiership players however in fact many players find having plans in place enables them to ‘free up some head space’ and really focus on their rugby. Indeed Andy Gomersall said that he ‘became a better rugby player overnight’ as soon as he sat on the board of a company due to the skills that he learnt from his colleagues and that he found rugby to be a ‘piece of cake’ after the trials and tribulations of board life!

Hearing from the 5 former players it was crystal clear that the transition from a headline grabbing rugby player to a mere mortal, as Nick Mullins described it, is not an easy one. The shift from training with 35 of your best mates every day and being part of a changing room where no stone is left un-turned to suiting up on a daily basis and hitting the more formal corporate world is challenging for even the toughest of men. One added hurdle that the panel spoke about is the task of getting away from their former lives and becoming an established and credible professional in a new industry; after-all what does a Rugby World Cup winner know about technology or Foreign Exchange?!?

To reiterate Damian’s quote "Sport is the only career that, when you retire, you have to start working again" and the process of starting over is one of the greatest challenges that any professional rugby player will ever face. The work of the RPA together with the individual Premiership Clubs is vital to ensure that stars of today can go on and be equally successful in their second careers as and when they do retire from the game. All of the five former Wasps were extremely open and honest about their individual experiences and it was fantastic to hear about their stories and to understand just how our Premiership Clubs are equipping today’s players for ‘Life After Rugby’.

Statistically Speaking.... 10 Rounds of Aviva Premiership Action

As we all know the Aviva Premiership action is fast paced and frenetic at times so hats off to the Opta Statistics team that keep track of our player’s every movements. After 10 rounds of action I thought that it would be a good time to review some of the cumulative statistics and see exactly who has been making the waves numerically after 60 games of Premiership rugby. 

We’ll start with the big hitters for it is an area that is always gets rugby pulses racing… sitting pretty at the top of the tree is none other than Leicester’s Julian Salvi, a man that has been described by Will Greenwood as the Tigers’ ‘hidden gem’ due to his endless work rate and ability to make turnover after turnover in a game. In this key statistic Salvi highlights his physicality having made 129 tackles to date, 19 in the most recent round of action. Behind him are three Newcastle Falcons, all of which have impressive counts; Ali Hogg (120), Calum Green (114) and Mark Wilson (99). Interestingly the only back in the Top 25 tacklers of the first 10 rounds of action is Bath's Jonathan Joseph with 82 tackles, no other back line player makes the list.

Top Tacklers - Julian Salvi (Leicester Tigers) 129, Alilster Hogg (Newcastle Falcons) 120, Calum Green (Newcastle Falcons) 114, Mark Wilson (Newcastle Falcons) 99, Graham Kitchener (Leicester Tigers) 98 and Jamie George (Saracens) 98

Next we turn to carries and topping the charts are two men that I have talked a lot about during the course of the season so far; Exeter’s Thomas Waldrom (120) and Wasps’ Nathan Hughes (116). As you may have read in the Round 10 statistics Waldrom has scored 10 tries to date this season and that is one less than he scored in the three years between 2010 to 2013, astounding! Nathan Hughes is flourishing at Wasps and in my eyes could be one of the great back rowers such is his natural talent and work ethic. Hughes is getting better and better each time he players and that is shown in all of his statistics, not just his carries. A notable mention must also go to Seb Jewell who is working tirelessly at London Welsh and showcasing his own Premiership credibility in spite of their challenging season to date. 

Carries - Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs) 120, Nathan Hughes (Wasps) 116, Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints) 101, Billy Vunipola (Saracens) 94, Sione Kalamafoni (Gloucester 93), Seb Jewell (London Welsh) 91. 

(C) Claire Jones

Time for the quick men to take centre stage as we move to the meters made category... interestingly Sinoti Sinoti heads the list by a considerable way with 739 meters to his name. Sinoti has been developing in stature over the course of ten rounds and has really worked hard on his all around game. I talk about it a lot but really did you actually believe for one second that Thomas Waldrom would be second on the meters made list and have made more meters than two full backs that have played for England!? I certainly didn’t but I’m loving watching him do so! Ben Foden’s class shone through on Saturday at Franklin’s Gardens and personally I find him to be a really exciting player to watch and one that I would have in my own fifteen any day of the week. 

Meters Made - Sinoti Sinoti (Newcastle Falcons) 739, Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs) 673, Ben Foden (Northampton Saints) 663, Alex Goode (Saracens) 613, Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby) 595, Rob Cook (Gloucester Rugby) 512. 

A few of the same individuals crop up in our defenders beaten list; Sinoti Sinoti, Semesa Rokoduguni and the familiar face that is Nathan Hughes. The two men that some may be less familiar with are Simon Hammersley and Andrew Fenby. Hammersley has been enjoying life in the North East, he is quite a slight player however on the pitch he has great feet and doesn’t take a backward step, something you have to salute him for. London Irish secured the services of Andrew Fenby from the Scarlets and since his arrival he has enjoyed himself, 22 defenders beaten to date isn’t bad within an Irish side that hasn’t found their form so far in the competition. 

Defenders Beaten - Sinoti Sinoti (Newcastle Falcons) 40, Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby) 38, Juan Socino (Newcastle Falcons) 31, Nathan Hughes (Wasps) 24, Simon Hammersley (Newcastle Falcons) 22, Andrew Fenby (London Irish) 22

(C) Claire Jones

The final statistic to cast our eyes over is breaks and you will not be surprised to know that Welsh International and all around rugby god George North is top of the tree with 14 however he must share the top spot with Bath’s Jonathan Joseph. Joseph has had a rip roaring season and in most of our eyes was unlucky not to have the opportunity to showcase this on the International stage however if his form continues who knows what could happen!? Christian Wade hasn’t been firing on all cylinders all year however at the Ricoh on Sunday he looked back to his best. 

Breaks - George North (Northampton Saints) 14, Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby) 14, Christian Wade (Wasps) 14, Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby), 13, Tom Arscott (Sale Sharks) 12, Chris Ashton (Saracens) 11

So there you are a few of the key Opta Statistics from what has been a whirlwind season to date… 

Northampton Saints Photos © Claire Jones RedHatPhoto.com all proceeds supporting Restart, the rugby players' charity. 

Derbies, Cards & A New Era - Aviva Premiership Round 10 Review

If this weekend’s Premiership Round was an episode of Eastenders then it would most certainly be the Christmas Special, you know exactly the one I mean, the one in which the Mitchell family have an almighty row in the Queen Vic and something jaw dropping happens. It was without a doubt the most intense and dramatic weekend that we have seen so far in this the 2014/15 season and will take some reviewing, so sit down, relax and enjoy the full, Out On The Full Round 10 review;

On Friday the action started on a wet and windy night in Manchester, where the Sale Sharks hosted the Exeter Chiefs. I have to admit that I did predict an Exeter victory however as we all saw that prediction was blown out the water by a sterling effort from the entire Sale squad. In less than perfect weather Steve Diamond’s men squeezed the Chiefs and as Rob Baxter said Sale ‘got the important bits of the game right’. Those important bits were the set-piece battle, territory and discipline. The territory was thanks to the sublime kicking game of Danny Cipriani who shone in front of a watching Stuart Lancaster and in my eyes was majestic during the time that he was on the field. Henry Slade wasn’t far behind him, performance wise, he made even the most difficult situations look utterly effortless and was a joy to watch. All in all it was a bump in the road for the Chiefs and the most impressive win of Sale’s season to date. 

At The Stoop Harlequins were made to work extremely hard for their 4 points in a game that the Newcastle Falcons deserved to get much more from. For forty minutes it was all about Dean Richard’s side, they had all of the possession and all of the intent with Alex Tuilagi acting like a one man wrecking ball in attack on the wing and the new half back partnership of Tom Catterick and Mike Blair proving to be effective. However it was their own handling errors that handed the hosts the game for throughout Harlequins looked extremely lateral in attack and missed the ability to consistenly pentane the Falcons’ defence and the gain line. Tim Sweil’s boot delivered the home side with the points that they needed but in 6 days time Harlequins must delivered a hell of a lot more against the Northampton Saints at Twickenham.

(C) Claire Jones

Saturday 20th December will long be remembered in the history of the Northampton Saints for triumphing over the Leicester Tigers with 14 men for 60 minutes doesn’t happen all the time does it!? Did Dylan Hartley deserve a red card or would a yellow have been sufficient? That is a question that will be talked about for weeks to come and one that will divide the country however what will be unanimously agree upon is the fact that the card was a catalyst for the Saints to showcase their very best rugby. Northampton’s balance of beautiful attacking flair mixed with bruising defensive intensity was sublime to watch. Luther Burrell, in particular, did everything that was asked of him and more and to a man Mallinder’s side deserved their victory. The Leicester Tigers exploited their numerical advantage for Niki Geneva’s two tries however as Cockers highlighted post game in the second half their defence went a little AWOL. I could continue and provide a blow by blow account but I won’t, instead I’ll say this; in my eyes it was one of the best Aviva Premiership games that we have seen this season. 

At Allianz Park Saracens were ruthless and showed no mercy as they ran in 11 tries against a hurting London Welsh. As the 78-7 scoreline suggests Saracens were dominant in absolutely every single aspect of the game and they didn’t take their foot off the gas for a second, from a Welsh perspective it was very difficult to watch. One Saracen in particular should be called out for his input into the end result and that is Owen Farrell, who showcased his all around game and delivered a performance that should have answered many of his recent critics. Fellow England International Mako Vunipola also looked sharp and for Saracens it was a timely confidence booster going into a run of two games that they should win comfortable against the Newcastle Falcons and London Irish. For London Welsh their Aviva Premiership journey continues to be an extremely testing and hurtful one. 

Winning Selfie @DomDay5

The second Derby of the weekend was at Kingsholm where Gloucester Rugby hosted Bath Rugby. The last meeting between these two was the famous yellow and red card debacle and thankfully this match had a little more structure to it! Bath put in a master class of how to defend, they were resolute and at many times in the game absolutely impenetrable. George Ford’s contributions were notable and stunning slotting five penalties in the first half and 3 conversions and a penalty in the second. The Gloucester pack had a tough day at the office conceding more penalties than Director of Rugby David Humphrey’s and indeed their fans would have liked and their penetration in attack also needs to be reviewed. These are both areas the Cherry and Whites are capable of changing and they'll want to do so before Wasps arrive in town next week; Bath will march confidently on to host Exeter next weekend. 

In the final match of the weekend Wasps welcomed London Irish to their brand new home; The Ricoh Arena. In front of 28,254 people, Wasps hosted the perfect house warming for their fans as a phenomenal second half performance delivered a 48-16 win. It was the stuff that dreams are made of for fly half Andy Goode as he had one of his best day’s at the office ever, providing 33 of  Wasps’ 48 points; an Aviva Premiership Record. At first it looked like Irish were going to spoil the party, Blair Cowen was exerting his dominance across the park and for forty minutes Wasps looked nervous. However Dai Young’s men considerably upped their game in the second thanks to the feet of Christian Wade who showcased great form and the efforts in particular of Elliot Daly and Joe Simpson. It was a historic afternoon for the players and indeed all of the individuals at Wasps that have worked tirelessly for months to secure its the club’s future, they couldn’t have asked for anything more than starting life in the Midlands with a bonus point victory.

Northampton Saints Photos © Claire Jones RedHatPhoto.com all proceeds supporting Restart, the rugby players' charity. 

Ten Out Of Ten - Aviva Premiership Round 10 Preview

After two weeks of European adventures our Aviva Premiership sides are back on home soil and ready to reignite their domestic campaigns. As always we have a jam packed weekend of rugby action, complete with a couple of derbies and a house warming party for Wasps. Here is the full Out On The Full Round 10 preview;  

The round kicks off at the AJ Bell Stadium where Steve Diamond’s Sale Sharks host the in form Exeter Chiefs. Rob Baxter’s men are flying so high at the moment and quite frankly it is nothing more than they deserve. Thanks to their solid foundations and coming of age they have amassed 8 victories on the bounce in all competitions. The Sharks had a tough two weeks in Europe but certainly made Saracens work for every point. Nullifying the confidence of Exeter will be their first job, followed by ensuring that their key men input greatly into the story of the match. The breakdown battle will be critical as well as the boots of both fly halves… personally I wouldn’t be surprised if Exeter extended their winning record but it won’t be a straight forward victory.

Welcome to a good old fashioned East Midlands Derby… like every single derby that has ever been played between these two it will be a game filled with drama and a whole lot of passion. In Europe the Leicester Tigers started to find some form against a hugely impressive Toulon side and with the news that their first choice front 3 have all extended their playing contracts with the club things are looking up, the only piece left now is Manu! Northampton have only lost one game in the last nine games and like the Chiefs’ their confidence is sky high. They also had their own personnel boost today as 6 of their most influential players re-signed including Dylan Hartley who was extremely open about the offers he turned down. The last time these two met it was that epic, power charges 21-20 semi final encounter and if this game is even 80% as good as that one was we are in for a treat.

The Stoop opens its doors once again to host the Newcastle Falcons on Saturday afternoon. As we all know during the International period Harlequins’ form was patchy at best however as soon as their key men have returned they are a different side. Chris Robshaw’s injury absence is a blow however against the Falcons they should be fine. Newcastle have been developing their style of rugby all season and the fruits of their labour are starting to come through both in the Premiership and in Europe. The blend of pace and power in their back line with the likes of Matthew Tait and Alesana Tuliagi is turning heads and I expect them to put up a good fight at The Stoop this weekend.

During the course of the European back to backs Saracens have started to look like the side that we know them to be as they delivered precise tries and domination up front. London Welsh’s last victory against Saracens was on the 12th September 1987, and I can save your maths by telling you that, that was 27 years ago because I was born a little over 2 months later!  It must be hugely testing to be a member of the London Welsh squad at the moment, for in spite of their visible improvements an Aviva Premiership win still seems a little far away. The cliches of 'going for broke' and 'having nothing to lose' apply however I can’t look beyond a Saracens’ bonus point win at home. 

The Shed will be in fine voice in Round 10 as Kingsholm and Gloucester Rugby welcome Bath Rugby to town in what will be another feisty derby. Gloucester will be desperate to put right the fact that they have lost their last two Premiership fixtures at home and will look towards their captain Billy Twelvetrees to inspire them to victory. Bath Rugby are one of the leaders of the pack with their impressive domestic and European form. As I’ve said before their squad depth is superb and I expect that Mike Ford’s selection meetings take a little while right now. Exactly like the East Midlands Derby it is going to be a humdinger of a fixture and one I can’t wait to see unfold. 

The final fixture of the weekend is a historic one as Wasps will play their first ever home game at the Ricoh Arena. Already ticket sales have soared well into the mid twenty thousands and we still have a few days left. Wasps last run out was an impressive one in particular thanks to their back row of Nathan Hughes, James Haskell and Ashley Johnson that is the envy of many a club. London Irish have had a tough period of late and rumours are circulating surrounding Brian’s Smith position however the players’ sole focus will be on the job at hand, spoiling Wasps house warming party! Personally I think Wasps will hold strong and deliver their new fans with a performance to be proud of, for losing in front of a new crowd really isn’t an option and the players will know that.