In Round 16 teams across the country had to work extremely hard for their victories, there were few truly vintage performances and instead heart, guts and a spot of luck in places delivered the results.
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| 12 points clear for Mallinder's men (C) Red Hat Photo |
Franklin’s Gardens was the venue for the opening match of Round 16 as the Northampton Saints hosted Harlequins. Jim Mallinder’s men were made to work extremely hard for their victory as Harlequins battled against their opposition and their own demons. Harlequins have struggled with their precision and finishing off their endeavour and although this continued it was a much more encouraging performance from O’Shea’s men. Marland Yarde and Charlie Walker in particular provided the sparks and collectively they dug deep to make Saints think at the set piece and work for the full eighty. Courtney Lawes returned for the home side and was inspired, he didn't show a single sign of rustiness and on the back of that performance I expect him to be starting for England's game against Scotland. Saints’ collective physicality and accuracy delivered another win, it wasn't vintage Saints but it did the job nicely.
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| Ben Kay's inventive score card (C) Nick Mullins |
In the West County Exeter ticked off the last remaining Aviva Premiership team that they had yet to beat as they ran out 16 points to 6 winners over Bath Rugby. It was a victory that meant a huge amount to the club and the emotion they had invested in the fixture was highlighted in the manner in which they attacked the game. After an evenly matched opening forty the Chiefs threw everything at Bath and for almost half an hour Bath repelled them. Bath's defence was heroic from the smallest man on the field to the largest they put their bodies on the line and held strong, however eventually the boot of Henry Slade and the feet of Will Chudley dealt the killer blows. Exeter’s endeavour, purpose and all around intent was sensational, and right now in March 2015 they are the real deal and if this form continues a goal of a Top 6 finish should be the bare minimum. Bath missed their grand masters in the backs but given their run in you still expect them right in the mix come Round 22.
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| Smiles pre-kick off (C) London Welsh |
London Welsh’s Aviva Premiership nightmare continued as London Irish flew into town and broke hearts on St David’s Day weekend. For the Irish Exiles it was a performance to build from as they enjoyed throwing the ball around and dominating at the set piece. Shane Geraghty reminded us all of his prowess as he played every trick in the book from precise cross field kicks to beautifully weighted missed passes, in short he and Alex Lewington another stand out performer had fun! London Welsh did enjoy a few of their own moments in the sun thanks to James Tincknell and Taione Vea both crossing for tries however it was much of a muchness for Welsh as their own knock ons and imprecision cost them.
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| (C) Leicester Tigers |
In the Midlands Richard Cockerill’s Leicester Tigers put in their best performance for a number of rounds as they comprehensively beat the Sale Sharks. Sale had been building well but at Welford Road they took a step back as they were squeezed by a Tigers side that dominated from the opening minutes onwards. Two yellow cards in the opening half highlighted Sale’s frustration whereas the Tigers showed the brawn that they have been historically famous for. Captain Jordan Crane and England man Geoff Parling led the way in terms of their individual performances. The Sharks showed more of themselves in the second half, Tom Arscott's try scoring finish was an absolute corker and Josh Beaumont continued to turn heads and Magnus Lund put in a physical shift however they lacked bite for the full eighty.
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At Allianz Park Saracens were pushed all the way by Dean Richards’ Newcastle Falcons. The Falcons arrived in London in an imperious mood, ready for their first big scalp of the year however agonisingly they didn’t quite finish things off. Saracens were dealt a huge blow in the first half as they lost both Charlie Hodgson and Neil De Kock to injuries, however Ben Spencer seized his opportunity at scrum half and took on the kicking duties. Ben has been patiently waiting for an opportunity, he has delivered consistently in other competitions and his command of the game, along with Man of the Match Itoje, made the difference. The Falcons continued to show huge improvements, they are far from the nervous, stuttering side that they used to be, instead they played their part in a riveting game.
The final match of the weekend was at Adams Park where Wasps hosted Gloucester Rugby. It was fast paced game of rugby and Wasps were made to work extremely hard for their victory. The home side's drive and impetus came from the man filling the boots of James Haskell, Thomas Young and he did so with some style, scoring two tries and delivering his best performance of his Wasps' career. Gloucester were quickest off the blocks and appeared to be ready to ruffle feathers with James Hook, Mark Atkinson and Dan Robson all delivering some outstanding rugby. Gloucester meant business however so did the home side. By Wasps' own admission they weren't as fluid as they would have liked to have been however their quick thinking and key men; Simpson, Goode, Wade and Thompson all delivered what was required. Wasps' 100% Premiership record at the Ricoh Arena remains and they move up into fourth position. 