Round 19 was a captivating round of Aviva Premiership action as across the country we witnessed some tremendous rugby and some superb individual and team performances. The ensuing results have shifted proceedings slightly in the table however it still remains tightly packed with just three rounds to go until the 2014/15 playoffs.
On Friday Night Bath Rugby headed to Kingston Park after a tough European loss to face a Newcastle Falcons side that had endured the same fate. The Falcons’ desire was to ‘do what we want to do and see how they cope with it’ and Dean Richards’ side weren’t really allowed to fulfil that desire due to the prowess of Bath’s defence. In the set piece the Falcons were strong and did ask questions of Bath however it was the collective prowess of Mike Ford’s side with the ball in hand that punched holes in the home side’s defence. Ollie Devoto picked up Man of the Match as we saw him in his natural habitat at Centre and his partnership with Ford looked accomplished. Sam Burgess looked the most comfortable that he has done on a Rugby Union pitch in the back row and all in all it was a successful day at the office for Ford’s side.
On Saturday afternoon it was third versus fourth at Allianz Park as Saracens hosted the Leicester Tigers. Both sides knew that a victory was imperative to keep their eyes on the playoff/second home Semi Final prize and initially it looked as if the Tigers were going to spoil Saracens’ winning streak and confidence as they enjoyed much of the possession and opened the scoring with two Freddie Burns penalties. However Saracens felt their way into the game and it was the yellow card shown to Tom Youngs on 37 minutes for taking out Chris Ashton off the ball that helped to swing the momentum in the home sides’ favour. Saracens' fourteen points during the time with an extra man and their three tries in 9 minutes sealed the game. For the final quarter Leicester enjoyed all of the possession however they did not gain a single point from their efforts for their attack simply wasn't proficient enough to penetrate the wall that was Saracens' defence and the match finished Saracens 22 Leicester Tigers 6.
On a Sunday afternoon in Devon the Exeter Chiefs became the first side to do the double over Jim Mallinder's men this season as they beat the Northampton Saints by 21-10. Phil Dollman's opening try was a sublime finish and it set the tone as Rob Baxter's side put their home advantage and sky rocketing confidence to good use. At the break it was fairly even however the Saints uncharacteristically failed to finish their chances throughout and when consecutive yellow cards reduced them to 13 men the Chiefs capitalised. One penalty, one penalty try and a conversion was the result and it gave the home side the platform they needed. Dave Ewers was industrious in the back row and turned heads as did the Chiefs' young twenty two year old tighthead prop Tomas Francis. Francis was a fundamental part of Exeter's strength at the set piece and it was their forwards that provided the platform for the victory. Saints' final try was a product of hard graft however provided little consolation as they head into European beak thinking of missed opportunities and looking the re-find their form.
East of Sandy Park, Wasps headed to London Welsh with only one thing on their mind, 5 points. Dai Young stated before the game that if his side didn't achieve that goal then they wouldn't be worthy of a Top 6 finish and thankfully for all concerned in black and gold they put 40 points past London Welsh and scored 6 tries. Tom Varndell showed Bristol what they would be gaining next season with his hat-trick however in spite of the scoreline it wasn't all plain sailing for the visitors. London Welsh continued to deliver positives for their new coaching staff, Chris Elder marked his first Premiership start with a try and Opeti Fonua's large frame finished off a period of admirable Welsh play in the mid section of the game with a score of his own. Ultimately though Wasps' superiority reigned firm and their focus will switch straight away to preparing to host the Exeter Chiefs at the Ricoh Arena in two weeks time... what a game that will be.
In the final game of the weekend London Irish and the Sale Sharks locked heads in a compelling battle that enthralled neutrals everywhere and gave fans of either side a whirlwind journey throughout the eighty minutes. Initially it looked as if Sale were going to dominant as Tom Arscott went over after just three minutes for his first try of the game and enjoyed much of the opening possession. Similar to the game at Allianz Park the turning point arrived just before half time; following an unsuccessful Chris Noakes penalty attempt Sale's Full Back Mike Haley fumbled Danny Cipriani's pass and Andrew Fenby capitalised with a try. It was the moment that gave Irish the lead and the belief heading in the second half however they didn't make things easy for themselves. In all the Madjeski Stadium witnessed four yellow cards and six tries, Steve Diamond wasn't best pleased with the officiating however his side's away form will displease him more as they have only won one match away from home since November.
On Friday Night Bath Rugby headed to Kingston Park after a tough European loss to face a Newcastle Falcons side that had endured the same fate. The Falcons’ desire was to ‘do what we want to do and see how they cope with it’ and Dean Richards’ side weren’t really allowed to fulfil that desire due to the prowess of Bath’s defence. In the set piece the Falcons were strong and did ask questions of Bath however it was the collective prowess of Mike Ford’s side with the ball in hand that punched holes in the home side’s defence. Ollie Devoto picked up Man of the Match as we saw him in his natural habitat at Centre and his partnership with Ford looked accomplished. Sam Burgess looked the most comfortable that he has done on a Rugby Union pitch in the back row and all in all it was a successful day at the office for Ford’s side. On Saturday afternoon it was third versus fourth at Allianz Park as Saracens hosted the Leicester Tigers. Both sides knew that a victory was imperative to keep their eyes on the playoff/second home Semi Final prize and initially it looked as if the Tigers were going to spoil Saracens’ winning streak and confidence as they enjoyed much of the possession and opened the scoring with two Freddie Burns penalties. However Saracens felt their way into the game and it was the yellow card shown to Tom Youngs on 37 minutes for taking out Chris Ashton off the ball that helped to swing the momentum in the home sides’ favour. Saracens' fourteen points during the time with an extra man and their three tries in 9 minutes sealed the game. For the final quarter Leicester enjoyed all of the possession however they did not gain a single point from their efforts for their attack simply wasn't proficient enough to penetrate the wall that was Saracens' defence and the match finished Saracens 22 Leicester Tigers 6.  |
| Adidas capture the backs mid game (@AdidasRugby) |
In South West London both Harlequins and Gloucester Rugby took their fans on an emotional roller coaster at The Stoop. Harlequins had only won one of their last seven first team matches and it took every ounce of physical and mental strength to secure their second. Gloucester enjoyed dominance at scrum time with Nick Wood, in particular, giving Matt Shields a very tough time of it. Individuals on both sides stepped up to the mark, having moved into the centres Asaeli Tikoirotuma proved effective and purposeful and Marland Yarde had his best game for a while. For the visitors James Hook played with confidence, the aforementioned pack were strong and Charlie Sharples enjoyed the fast track. Gloucester Rugby’s post match report on their website is titled ‘Gloucester cruelly and controversially denied at the Stoop’ and it clearly highlights their discontentment at the two yellow cards shown to Moriaty and Sharples that resulted in them conceding two late tries. Dan Robson did cross for the final score of the day however the home side held on for a memorable and important victory.
On a Sunday afternoon in Devon the Exeter Chiefs became the first side to do the double over Jim Mallinder's men this season as they beat the Northampton Saints by 21-10. Phil Dollman's opening try was a sublime finish and it set the tone as Rob Baxter's side put their home advantage and sky rocketing confidence to good use. At the break it was fairly even however the Saints uncharacteristically failed to finish their chances throughout and when consecutive yellow cards reduced them to 13 men the Chiefs capitalised. One penalty, one penalty try and a conversion was the result and it gave the home side the platform they needed. Dave Ewers was industrious in the back row and turned heads as did the Chiefs' young twenty two year old tighthead prop Tomas Francis. Francis was a fundamental part of Exeter's strength at the set piece and it was their forwards that provided the platform for the victory. Saints' final try was a product of hard graft however provided little consolation as they head into European beak thinking of missed opportunities and looking the re-find their form.  |
| (C) Paler Images |
