Aviva Premiership Round 3 - Preview

So here we are looking ahead to Round 3 of the Aviva Premiership and a weekend that also includes the small matter of the Rugby World Cup Final. After twelve matches I hope that you are all back into the swing of Aviva Premiership life and are looking forward to the weekend's fixtures. With so much discussion about matters off the field let's park that to one side and focus on what is going to happen on the turf this weekend shall we?

The opening game on Saturday afternoon is at Allianz Park where Saracens will host London Irish. Saracens are one of only two sides to remain unbeaten heading into Round 3 and will feel confident to retain that record at home. London Irish’s opening two rounds have been challenging however they are one of only three sides to have beaten Saracens at Allianz Park. Exactly like in the opening two rounds London Irish's focus remains on perfectly executing their basics and playing to their potential, chances were made at Sandy Park but dashed by errors and that cannot happen again. Mark McCall has rotated a number of his squad notably Ben Spencer will don the 9 jersey, Maro Itoje comes into the row and Ernset Joubert at Number 8 . 

126 miles away Bath Rugby will return home to The Rec and host Harlequins. Bath’s record on home turf is impressive having lost just once there in their last fifteen Aviva Premiership fixtures. That said Harlequins have looked purposeful in the opening rounds and will be filled with the confidence. Conor O'Shea has reinstated his England contingent into the starting line up including handing Chris Robshaw his first domestic action since the Rugby World Cup. Bath Rugby can't have had the easiest week with all of the Sam Burgess speculation and had a number of injury concerns earlier in the week. Mike Ford has made 5 changes in the pack and one out wide. An entirely new front row will face the experienced Harlequins front three, Max Lahiff, Rob Webber and David Wilson and in the backs Matt Banahan returns the left wing leaving Anthony Watson to flourish from full back. 

Kingsholm welcomes its second Premiership game in as many weeks as Gloucester Rugby welcome the Worcester Warriors to town. The last outing between the two was Worcester’s last match in the 2013/14 Aviva Premiership season which they won 28-27 however the Cherry and Whites are a very different prospect now. After a solid pre-season David Humprehy’s side look content and settled with life in the opening two rounds and are expected to make things vey difficult for the Warriors. The scrummage should be an area of power for Gloucester’ as their front three are much more experienced than the Warriors however the visitors should fire a few shots out wide with Tom Biggs, Chris Pennell and Cooper Vuna.

The Sunday service starts at Kingston Park where Dean Richards’ Newcastle Falcons will be going in search of their first Aviva Premiership victory of the season against the Exeter Chiefs. Dean Richards has made sweeping changes to his starting lineup in a bid to deliver their first Aviva Premiership victory of the season. Those changes include Alex Tait making his first start of the season and Michael Young donning the 9 jersey after a head turning display off the bench last weekend. The Exeter Chiefs have also tinkered with their starting line up, Jack Nowell doesn’t make the trip due to the surface and his place out wide is taken by Matt Jess making his 100th club appearance. Dave Ewers, Julian Salvi and Don Armand will combine for a new look back row and one that should enjoy a good dual with Will Welch, Nili Latu and Ally Hogg.The Falcons have beaten the Chiefs just once in their last eight encounters in all tournaments and with all due respect to the home side I expect the Chiefs to record their ninth victory on Sunday.  

At the AJ Bell Stadium the Sale Sharks welcome the Northampton Saints to town. Sale looked much more comfortable back on home turf in Round 2 however the Northampton Saints also found their groove. Interestingly Jim Mallinder’s side haven’t been victorious away from home, in any tournament, since February however they’ll fancy their chances on Sunday. The Saints’ Director of Rugby has made three changes to the lineup that beat the Falcons with Kahn Fotuali'i, Mikey Haywood and Michael Paterson replacing Lee Dickson, Dylan Hartley and Christian Day respectively. Sale must just one change handing TJ Ioane a start on the blindside. The AJ Bell Stadium is never an easy place to travel to however the Saints will be confidence and ready to spoil the party in Manchester. 

The final game of the weekend is at Welford Road and provides us with the first East Midlands’ derby of the season between the Leicester Tigers and Wasps. This game is guaranteed to have plenty of bite to it with both sides going well in Round 2. The Tigers are unbeaten at Welford Road in their last ten Aviva Premiership fixtures and Wasps haven’t won there in the competition since 2008 however Dai Young’s side look ready to rumble. Dai has mixed things up and aims to highlight the depth of his squad with Dan Robson starting at scrum half, Kearnan Myall in the row, James Downey at inside centre and Ruaridh Jackson moving to Full Back. The Tigers unleash Opeti Fonua for the first time at Number 8 and Dan Cole will start for the first time since the Rugby World Cup. In this type of pressurised derby I expect the leaders on both sides to excel and after their feisty encounter at the end of last season the hope is that discipline and cards will not play a part in deciding the outcome. 

Aviva Premiership Round 2 Reflection

In the film industry, bar James Bond, you often find that squeals just aren’t as good as the original however the same cannot be said for the Aviva Premiership. This weekend Round Two proved to be just as enthralling, if not better, than Round One as our Aviva Premiership sides are starting to settle back into the swing of things.

Last season we saw our Aviva Premiership back rows flourish and when it came to choosing the Green Flag Forward of the Season it didn’t surprise anyone that our shortlist was filled with back row forwards. Prior to the 2015/16 season it was clear that the performance bar was going to rise again with the individuals arriving and this was evident at the weekend. At the Ricoh Arena Wasps Rugby fielded the Haskell, Smith and Hughes combination for the first time and it certainly gave the home crowd something to shout about. James Haskell had refund his handling skills after a difficult day for England in Manchester and George Smith is simply a sublime rugby player however it says a lot about the talent of Nathan Hughes that he was the standout individual. Nathan’s ball carrying, handling and defensive work are all sublime and the day cannot come quick enough for him to be eligible for England. Elsewhere Will Fraser showed exactly what he is made of coming early at Kingsholm. There has been endless conversation and discussion about 'true sevens' and Will certainly knows his way around the breakdown. If the Saracen has an injury free season then I expect him to be pushing hard for inclusion in England's squad either for the RBS 6 Nations or for a trip to Australia next summer. 

Across the country a number of new signings showed that already they are very much at home at their new clubs. At the Stadium MK JJ Hanrahan was instrumental in the Northampton Saints’ five try victory over the Newcastle Falcons. JJ came on early in the match for George Pisi and his sharp handling, vision and quick feet were too much for the Newcastle Falcons to handle. Over the water in Ireland JJ has been tipped by many for great things and if Saturday’s performance and his pre-season outings are anything to go by the Saints have bagged themselves a stellar signing. Another Premiership newbie that has settled in brilliantly is Gloucester Rugby’s Willi Heinz. Willi’s six years in Canterbury New Zealand has giving him an eye for a fast paced game and he combines a will to attack with a strong kicking game. As Scotland have now left the Rugby World Cup the competition between Willi and Greig Laidlaw will be fascinating to see and is certain to push both players to even greater heights. 

On the basis of two rounds of rugby it is fair to say that not all of our Aviva Premiership sides are firing on all four cylinders yet. With the Rugby World Cup forcing the longest pre-season ever the assumption was that all twelve sides would start the new campaign at a fast pace however the reality is some are still building. London Irish's start is akin to that of Gloucester Rugby's last season and it is clear that bedding in new management isn't a two minute job. The Newcastle Falcons will be disappointed that they haven't been able to transfer their pre-season form into the competition, after a strong and confident victory over Georgia and some positive performances in the Kings of the North competition the opening two rounds have been tricky, mostly down to their own discipline. Finally last year's Aviva Premiership finalists Bath Rugby are yet to hit the heights that we expect from them. Bath had so many of their key players away over the summer break that they look to be a couple of weeks behind everyone else. This will be frustrating for the side that would have wanted to press on strongly from the heights of their 2014/15 campaign however as individuals arrive back I expect them to start putting their foot strongly on the accelerator in the next couple of rounds. 

Aviva Premiership Round 2 - Dramatic Finales

Round Two of the Aviva Premiership continued where Round 1 left off with plenty of action, some head turning performances and just a touch of drama!! After two rounds Saracens and the Leicester Tigers remain the only unbeaten sides and two teams, London Irish and the Newcastle Falcons, are yet to record victories. The round delivered us with 245 points, stand out performances from JJ Hanrahan, Josh Beaumont and Jack Nowell and included 21 tries across the 6 matches. 

On Friday night Kingsholm witnessed an arm wrestle of a fixture between Gloucester Rugby and Saracens. There was little to write home about in terms of free flowing attacking rugby but plenty of brute force. Mike Ellery’s try mid way through in the opening half was the only score of the night however had Billy Twelvetrees shipped the ball wide to Jonny May that could have changed. In a tense affair individuals shone, Will Fraser came off the bench early for Michael Rhodes and made the breakdown his domain and Jamie George stepped up as captain. For Gloucester Rugby Willi Heinz had another storming match at scrum half and the contest between him and the returning Greig Laidlaw should be fascinating. Ultimately Gloucester will feel that the game got away from them, whilst Saracens will be quietly content snatching the match and making it one apiece in terms of dramatic finales at Kingsholm. Full Time Gloucester Rugby 15 Saracens 17. Men Of The Moment - Saracens’ Will Fraser & Owen Farrell 

(C) Creative Capture

Back on home soil the Sale Sharks recorded their first win of the year over the tenacious Worcester Warriors. In attack the Sharks cleaned up their handling however it was their pack that provided the platform for this victory with beautifully executed driving mauls. Josh Beaumont put in a stellar shift at Number 8 showing his full box of tricks from chipping delicately into space to hard nose ball carrying. The boot of Worcester Warriors’ Ryan Mills excelled from the half way line and delivered a warning to all sides of their ability to punish however defensive holes cost them on the scoreboard. Sale showed a spot more nous to snatch the losing bonus point with the last play of the game however make no bones about it the Warriors are here to compete. Full Time Sale Sharks 27 Worcester Warriors 13. Man Of The Moment - Sale Sharks’ Josh Beaumont

(C) Red Hat Photo

At the Stadium MK patience was the name of the game for the Northampton Saints against the Newcastle Falcons and new signing JJ Hanrahan showed exactly what type of asset he'll be  with a stellar outing. The match was poised at half time, 16-9, however when Todd Clever went to the bin the Saints pounced with two quick tries and took the game away from the visitors. Christian Day had a barn-storming day and was part of a dynamic and purposeful Northampton Saints pack that will have pleased Jim Mallinder no end. The Falcons’ rued their own reactions to the referee and still go in search of their first Aviva Premiership victory of the season. Full Time Northampton Saints 42 Newcastle Falcons 16. Man Of The Moment - Northampton Saints’ JJ Hanrahan 

At the Ricoh Arena Wasps and Bath Rugby battled against each other and the less than ideal weather conditions on Saturday afternoon. Dai Young’s side brushed off their opening round defeat with a more purposeful adventure out on home soil and were boosted by the reintroduction of James Haskell and Joe Launchbury. On the whole Bath Rugby still look a little rusty and aren’t up to full speed just yet, likely to be due to their fragmented pre-season with so many individuals away on International duties. Full debutant Niko Matawalu had a mixed day at the office, his enthusiasm and eye for a positive break were clear however his personal infringement, pulling back Nathan Hughes in sight of the try line, earned him ten minutes in the sin bin and Wasps a penalty try. Wasps were guilty of an old sin, having to win the game more than once as Bath Rugby pushed in the final minutes, however they stayed strong defensively. Full Time Wasps 16 Wasps  Bath Rugby 9. Man Of The Moment - Wasps’ Nathan Hughes 

The Exeter Chiefs returned home with a bang as they brushed aside London Irish at Sandy Park. The Chiefs’ looked comfortable throughout and their wide wide approach to rugby was delightful to watch. Jack Nowell looked hungrier than I’ve seen him before and it was his electric reactions and pace that delivered two tries for the home side with the latter a length of the field solo score. It was another reminder that the Exeter Chiefs mean business this season and it will take something special to beat them at home. London Irish had a slow start to the match and again managed to shoot themselves in the foot on a number of occasions from a handling perspective. Blair Cowen’s addition at half time added much to their performance and he fully deserved having his name on the scoreboard. Overall Tom Coventry will be pleased with the output Brendan McKibbin at scrum half and how sprightly Sean Maitland looked when he came on however he still has plenty to work on at Sunbury.  Full Time Exeter Chiefs 38 London Irish 11. Man Of The Moment - Jack Nowell 

At Welford Road the whistle of referee Tom Foley dominated much of the match between the Leicester Tigers and Harlequins and left Conor O’Shea seething at full time. The first half was a tight affair with both fly halves showing their perfect radars and it could have continued that way for the eighty had it not been for Harlequins’ bench. The visitors unloaded Danny Care, Nick Easter and Joe Marler on 50 minutes and subsequently enjoyed 93% of possession for the next 10 minutes, however 3 points was their only profit. Laurence Pearce scored a trademark Leicester forwards’ try however Harlequins pressed and pressed, they turned down an opportunity to draw the game but just couldn’t get themselves over the line. Conor’s frustration was focused on the yellow card delivered to Sam Harrison with the try line in sight but no hint of a penalty try. Full Time Leicester Tigers 22 Harlequins 19. Man Of The Moment - Leicester Tigers’ Tommy Bell

In Case You Missed It Moment - Round 1

Owen Williams delivered this superb kick to touch during Leicester Tigers' game against Harlequins, one for kicking coaches everywhere to enjoy...

Aviva Premiership Round 2 Preview - Take Two

They say that good things come to those who wait and it certainly feels that way as Round 2 of the Aviva Premiership is already upon us. This weekend there are a number of recognised individuals returning from International duties with the likes of Owen Farrell, Tom Youngs and Courtney Lawes and Alesani Tuliagi all starting for their respective clubs. We also have the pleasure of welcoming some new faces to the Aviva Premiership as Frank Halai starts at Wasps, Sean Maitland will feature off the bench for London Irish and Giovanbattista Venditti makes his debut at Falcons. With two Rugby World Cup Semi-Finals and six cracking Aviva Premiership fixtures I hope that you are all ready for a huge weekend of rugby?!

Tonight Kingsholm will host its first set of Aviva Premiership Friday Night Lights as Gloucester Rugby host Saracens and both sides should arrive with a significant amount of confidence. Ben Morgan, Jonny May and Owen Farrell are all back in their respective side's starting XVs and all should add significant firepower to proceedings. This should be a brutally physical and highly charged match, as they always are between the two sides that notoriously aren't too friendly with each other. Their last meeting was decided by that memorable James Hook penalty and this one could be equally close. Gloucester haven’t recored victories in rounds 1 and 2 since the 2007/08 Premiership season conversely Saracens have won their two fixtures of a season every year since 2011/12. Key Men - Gloucester Rugby’s Billy Twelvetrees & Saracens’ Mako Vunipola.

The AJ Bell Stadium will open its doors for the first time this year as the Sale Sharks host the Worcester Warriors on Friday night. The two had polar opposite starts to their Aviva Premiership campaigns last weekend as the Warriors showed huge grit and recorded a potentially season defining victory whilst Sale struggled on the road. On home turf the Sharks must sharpen up their act and deliver strong basics which will allow them to play a spot of rugby. The Warriors will need to ensure that they are ready to put in another very large shift... the side remains unchanged, they’ve set their benchmark and now they must stick to it. Worcester haven’t won on Sale soil since a trip to Edgeley Park in November 2008, could they delivered another dramatic victory? Key Men - Sale Sharks Dan Braid & Worcester Warriors GJ van Velze. 

The Stadium MK will host the Northampton Saints and Newcastle Falcons whilst the final work is completed at Franklin’s Gardens. The message for both sides from their respective Directors of Rugby will be ‘up your game and deliver’ for neither reached their full potential in round 1. The Saints bring Tom Wood, Courtney Lawes and George Pisi into their starting XV that should add leadership and power. Newcastle’s Alesana Tuilagi will make his first start of the season and Giovanbattista Venditti will make his club debut out wide. The Falcons must front up against what is likely to be a smarting Saints side and need to lower their penalty count significantly in order to allow themselves the opportunity to put their game on the part and compete. Key Men - Northampton Saints’ Tom Wood & Newcastle Falcons’ Ally Hogg 

The Ricoh Arena is set to start its first full year as an Aviva Premiership venue with a cracking match up between Wasps and Bath Rugby. Bath Rugby’s handling and lineout left us wanting last weekend whilst Wasps didn’t find their groove in London so I expect both to step things up a few notches burst onto the newly laid Wasps’ turf. The two sides are fully introducing back their internationals and as a result there are thrilling match ups all over the park. Jimmy Gopperth and George Ford will go toe to toe in the middle, James Haskell and Matt Garvey will get well and truly stuck into each other at the breakdown and as for the clashes between Nathan Hughes and Leroy Houston, well their going to be seismic aren’t they?! Bath head on the road in search of their fourth successive Premiership away victory and if they achieve it, it will be the first time since March 2010. Wasps will be looking to kick start their home season well and christen a new season at the Ricoh appropriately. Key Men - Wasps’ Frank Halai and Bath Rugby’s Kyle Eastmond

The Exeter Chiefs return home to Sandy Park ready to impress their home crowd after a strong, but unfulfilling, performance at The Rec. Henry Slade, Jack Nowell and Tomas Francais all return into the starting XV and with Julian Salvi, Geoff Parling and Sam Hill on the bench the strength of Exeter’s squad is clear for all to see. London Irish also have their own firepower on the bench in the form of Scotland International’s Blair Cowen and Sean Maitland and Aseli Tikoirotuma will start his first game for the Exiles out wide. On the road Irish must sharpen up their game in terms of their handling and face into the storm for Sandy Park is a tough place to travel to. Conversely Exeter just need to relax, play their rugby and then sharpen their claws to finish the job in the last quarter. Key Men - Exeter Chiefs’ Jack Nowell & London Irish’s Chris Noakes 

The final match of the weekend is at Welford Road where the Leicester Tigers will welcome Harlequins to town. Harlequins have changed just one of their starting XV that beat Wasps in Round 1 with Mike Brown returning to the 15 jersey whilst the Leicester Tigers welcome a number of men back into the mix. Tom Youngs impact will be notable and with Dan Cole ready to fire off the bench the Tigers are ready for the confrontational forward battle that will ensue. Peter Betham looked purposeful last weekend so watch out for more of his powerful running from outside centre and a Luke Wallace versus Tom Croft blindside match up will be fascinating. This should be cracking fixture, the Leicester Tigers have lost just one of their last 18 home games at Welford Road in the tournament however Harlequins were sharp and menacing last weekend. Key Men - Leicester Tigers’ Tommy Bell & Harlequins’ Marland Yarde 

Aviva Premiership Round 1 Reflection

They say that good things come to those who wait and after 19 weeks and 6 weeks Aviva Premiership rugby returned to our lives on Friday night. The round delivered everything that we could have hoped for with fiercely competitive contests, electric tries and sensational drama. Now that the dust has settled here are a few observations from the six Aviva Premiership openers. 

The televised fixture on Friday night gave us all the opportunity to witness the Worcester Warriors’ first steps back in the Aviva Premiership. Pre-match Dean Ryan articulated that an objective of the fixture was to ‘asses the gap’ between his side and those familiar with Aviva Premiership rugby and on the face of the eighty minutes that ensued the gap is perhaps smaller than many thought. One of the most pleasing factors for Dean Ryan will be the belief that his side showed to secure a victory against opponents that were supposed to beat them handsomely. In the face of intense pressure the Warriors delivered, exactly as they did so in the final leg of the Championship playoff, and on the Premiership stage composure is king.  In attack Worcester grew in confidence and in defence they were sturdy, industrious and purposeful. Of course this is eighty minutes of rugby however the confidence that a win of that nature will deliver bodes well for future rounds. The relentless schedule of this year could be their undoing however I really hope not because all of the signs that we saw on Friday night point to a positive and competitive season for the Worcester Warriors. 

(C) Kate Martin [@KATELM76]

Across the Aviva Premiership we had a number of England players returning straight back to their clubs after the Rugby World Cup and the question was would they be ready to bounce back so soon after such an emotional exit? Mike Ford articulated it well in his post match interview at Bath Rugby when he said that as a Director of Rugby you never truly know how your internationals are going to bounce back until they get onto the field. Professional athletes will often say that they are fine however the proof is in the pudding and their performances. Both George Ford and Anthony Watson were instrumental in Bath's close victory, Alex Goode had a stormer at Saracens and at Harlequins Mike Brown, Joe Marler and Nick Easter all delivered impactful performances off the bench. Clearly man management is a critical skill of being a successful coach and over the course of the next few weeks it will be down to the clubs' Directors of Rugby/Head Coaches to manage their players carefully. Some may be firing on all four cylinders now still coming down from the whirlwind that was the unsuccessful Rugby World Cup and the emotions of the tournament may hit them in a few weeks.

It has never been in doubt but this weekend’s action again proved the importance of having a first class fly half at the heart of a side and the impact they have on matches. On Friday night at the Twickenham Stoop Nick Evans continued to show that age is nothing but a number as he pulled all of the strings brilliantly against Wasps. It was Evans that profited from Karl Dickson’s chip through for their first try of the day and his accuracy off the tee continually kept the scoreboard ticking along for Harlequins. 322 miles away Billy Twelvetrees was doing exactly the same thing for Gloucester Rugby as he made Newcastle pay for their poor discipline. In the fly half role Billy hasn’t always looked comfortable however on Friday night he was their driving force and delivered the type of consistency that David Humprehy’s needs from his captain. Finally at The Rec the aforementioned George Ford took the game by the scruff of the neck for his side. George kicking out of hand provided Bath the territory required at key moments and off the tee he cooly slotted everything that was asked of him.

The final observation is that there is still much more to come from our Aviva Premiership competition for not every side fired the shots that they would have liked this weekend. Some started strongly however others will wish to sharpen up their output namely the Sale Sharks, London Irish and Newcastle Falcons even last year's runners up Bath Rugby were uncharacteristically off kilter in their output. Round 2 is packed with tasty match ups from the Friday night lights at Kingsholm between Gloucester Rugby and Saracens right through to Sunday's match between the Leicester Tigers and Harlequins. Across the board we'll see more returning internationals and after a productive and focused week of training I expect Round 2 to deliver handsomely. 

Dramatic Finales & Formidable Fly Halves - Round 1 Review

Round 1 of the Aviva Premiership delivered the full spectrum of matches from convincing victories to single point steals. It was as enthralling and dramatic as we'd all hoped that it would be and with the presence of the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals it was a weekend to savour from a rugby perspective. 

At the Twickenham Stoop Harlequins started their season with a positive victory over Wasps however they were made to work harder for it than they should have been. As a collective Harlequins put together a strong performance in all areas of the field with stand in captain Nick Evans delivering 21 of their 26 points. In the second-half Dai Young’s side had plenty of possession however, uncharacteristically, didn’t find the go forward to convert this into points. Wasps simply didn't show their full hand on Friday night and credit must go to Harlequins for un-nerving them. Now, Harlequins will head up to Welford Road with a spot of confidence whilst Wasps must go up the gears on home soil against Bath next weekend. Full Time Harlequins 26 Wasps 21. Man Of The Moment - Harlequins’ Nick Evans

If you are a Worcester Warriors fan then you must have a strong constitution for they started their Aviva Premiership season in the same dramatic fashion that they finished  the Championship one. Tom Heathcoate showed nerves of steel to nail the final drop goal and the victory was nothing less than Dean Ryan's side deserved. The Northampton Saints weren’t allowed into their stride by the Warriors and Jim Mallinder will want his side to really put their foot in the gas in attack next weekend. Across the board the home side's defence was robust and they gained in confidence moving forwards. Phil Dowson’s industry was phenomenal, he passionately fired up the team in the huddle pre-kick off and lead from the front throughout. Northampton will believe this is just a blip on their radar and Dean Ryan knows that this is only one game however what a way to start the year for the Premiership new boys. Full Time Worcester Warriors 13 Northampton Saints 12. Man Of The Moment - Worcester Warriors’ Phil Dowson

At Kingston Park Billy Twelvetrees scored 29 of his side’s 39 points to steer them to their first Aviva Premiership victory of the season. On home soil the Newcastle Falcons struggled to adapt to referee Tom Foley’s whistle and Gloucester were ruthlessly efficient in profiting from their opposition's ill discipline. Dean Richards' side showed much greater purpose in the second half scoring three good tries however they'd left themselves too much to do. Both fly-halves impressed me, I expect that Mike Delaney will develop nicely in the middle for the Falcons and Billy Twelvetrees showed a consistency that I haven't seen for a while. Gloucester head home to face a confident Saracens whilst Newcastle are off to the Stadium MK to face Northampton. Full Time Newcastle Falcons 27 Gloucester Rugby 39.  Man Of The Moment - Gloucester Rugby’s Billy Twelvetrees

At The Rec Bath Rugby started their year off by what can only be described as ‘winning ugly’. The Exeter Chiefs arrived in town hell bent on causing a stir, they played all of the rugby and should have taken the spoils. Rob Baxter’s men looked fit and sharp with Matt Jess having stormer. Bath were their own worst enemies with a haphazard lineout and poorer handling than we’ve seen from them in a long time however George Ford took the match by the scruff of its neck. As a whole Bath showed a spot of character to repel Exeter’s multiple advances and ride out a two sin bin periods and that will please Mike Ford. The Chiefs head home to face London Irish whilst Bath will be welcomed by Wasps at the Ricoh Arena. Full Time Bath Rugby 19 Exeter Chiefs 17. Man Of The Moment - Bath Rugby’s George Ford

In North London last year’s Champions Saracens set out their intent with a barnstorming performance against the Sale Sharks. The Sharks will be disappointed as Saracens had their scrum on toast and their own handling faltered especially close to the try line. Across the park Saracens looked purposeful, from Alex Goode's sublime hands to put in Mike Ellery on the left wing to the forwards powering  a driving maul that Michael Rhodes finished off with a score. Sale's second half had more purpose however like others this weekend the damage was done early on. It will be onwards and upwards for Saracens  as they head to Kingsholm whilst for Sale a quick regroup is in order before a motivated Worcester Warriors come to town. Full Time Saracens 41 Saracens 3 Man Of The Moment - Saracens' Michael Rhodes

The final game of the weekend was in Reading where London Irish hosted the Leicester Tigers. It started as a wholly competitive affair however like others in Round 1 London Irish shot themselves in the foot time and time again. The Tigers were handed a blow in the build up with Freddie Burns' broken jaw however Tommy Bell delivered a sterling performance in the 10 jersey scoring 23 points off the tee and managing the game well. Leicester showed more purpose in attack than we've seen in a while and were deserving of their victory whilst Tom Coventry's side need to ensure that their basics stick and fast for you cannot win matches with 19 handling errors. Full Time London Irish 16 Leicester Tigers 28. Man Of The Moment - Leicester Tigers' Tommy Bell 

This week the work continues in earnest for our Aviva Premiership sides, round one will have focused the minds and given their Head Coaches/Directors of Rugby plenty to ponder on. With the weekend's recovery and the review sessions now in the bag all eyes will be pointing towards Round 2 and a stellar set of fixtures.

In Case You Missed It Moment - Round 1

Joe Marler is always a man to say it as it is and this conversation with referee Luke Pearce can't fail to bring a smile to your face... 

Aviva Premiership Round 1 Preview - Welcome Back

It has been 19 weeks and 6 days since the Aviva Premiership Final however tonight normality resumes as the domestic competition returns to our lives for good. We have 135 matches ahead of us and personally I couldn't be more excited about this year's competition. 

It will be a season unlike any other given the later start and will test the Head Coaches and Directors of Rugby as much as the players for rotation & player management will be king. All twelve of our Aviva Premiership sides have points to prove and all have recruited strongly bringing in high quality individuals. The stage is set for the most intense and enthralling Aviva Premiership competition ever, so let's get down to it and look ahead at the six Round 1 fixtures. 

On Friday night Harlequins will welcome Wasps Rugby to the Stoop, meetings between the two are always tightly contested and high tempo affairs indeed the last three held at the Stoop have been decided by less than three points. Across both sides a number of high profile Aviva Premiership signings will be introducing themselves to the competition with Adam Jones, James Horwill, Jimmy Gopperth and George Smith all making their debuts. There are plenty of match ups to look forward to including the Yarde vs. Wade battle out wide and the Evans vs. Gopperth show in the middle. It’s set to be a dry night in London so I expect plenty of rugby, on point set piece work and fiercely contested breakdowns.

At Sixways the Worcester Warriors face the ultimate test for their re-introduction to top flight rugby as they will host the Northampton Saints. History shows us that the Northampton Saints like starting with a bang as they have won their season opener for the past nine seasons in succession. Dean Ryan is handing debuts to 5 key summer signings; Donncha O'Callaghan, Phil Dowson, Wynand Olivier, Tom Heathcote and Darren Barry and all will need to deliver. The Saints lineup looks ominously strong and it will be great to see Ben Foden back on a rugby field again after his injury troubles. On home soil I'm expecting Dean Ryan’s side to front up and be counted for however with a boosted squad the Northampton Saints should continue their opening round trend. 

In the North East the Newcastle Falcons will be welcoming Gloucester Rugby to town. After impressing in pre-season Mike Delany is handed the starting role at 10 and they'll be a fair few eyes on the sublime feet of Sinoti Sinoti. In comparison to many Gloucester Rugby will arrive at Round 1 with a settled team and their buzz word of this season is consistency. Richard Hibbard and John Afoa will be keen to get stuck into Falcons' scrum and in the absence of James Hook, Billy Twelvetrees moves to fly-half. On paper Gloucester have the edge however home advantage and a pumped up Falcons side could see this one being a closer than some would predict. 

On Saturday afternoon The Rec will host the Exeter Chiefs for the second time in two weeks after their final pre-season head to head. The Chiefs ran away with the result last Saturday and have fielded the same starting XV however I don't expect them same to happen this time around. Bath Rugby are boosted by the return of their England players with George Ford and Anthony Watson heading straight into the starting line up and David Wilson and Sam Burgess on the bench. Watch out for Niko Matawalu's introduction off the bench for Bath Rugby and of course the Exeter Chief whose reputation precedes him Thomas Waldrom. Bath haven’t lost on the opening weekend since 2006 however after an unbeaten pre-season the Exeter Chiefs will arrive confident and be ready to cause a stir. 

The current Aviva Premiership Champions will open their account at home against the Sale Sharks. Saracens’ off season has been a settled one and their selection reflects that with a host of familiar names. The Sale Sharks are looking to surprise a few people this season and at the heart of that will be Danny Cipriani. There's a lot to take in at Allianz Park, the lineouts should be fiercely contested with Maro Itoje and Jim Hamilton up against Josh Beaumont and Bryn Evans and for those that like a scrummage watch out for the Jamie George and Tommy Taylor head to head. The Sharks have won just once on Saracens soil in Premiership Rugby history the question is can they double their victory count this weekend?

The final match of the weekend will be at the Madjeski Stadium where London Irish will face the Leicester Tigers. Both sides have new management and this first outing will test just how productive their respective summers have been. For the Tigers Logovi'i Mulipola and Tom Croft are two welcome returnees and familiar faces amongst a line up that contains a 5 Premiership debutants. London Irish are handing the reigns at 10 to Chris Noakes who will partner up with Brendan McKibbin and they’re boosted by the return of internationals Jebb Sinclair and Halani Aulika. History points the odds in the direction of the Leicester Tigers - they’ve won their last three season openers and London Irish have beaten them just once in any tournament since 2009 however Tom Coventry and London Irish will be keen to start their campaign positively on home soil.

Aviva Premiership Spotlights

After a long break the Aviva Premiership is back and normal life can resumes again with weekends filled with domestic rugby. In order to prepare for the 2015/16 season I've shone the spotlight on every single Aviva Premiership club reviewing their recruitment and prospects for the forthcoming domestic campaign. In case you missed any here are the links to all 12 Aviva Premiership Spotlights, I hope you enjoy them;

  

 

 

 

 

 

Spotlight On - Worcester Warriors

If you cast your minds back to the denouement of the Championship Season it was more thrilling and dramatic than any of us thought possible. The side that will now take their place in the Aviva Premiership competition battled back from 14 points to down to draw the final playoff and that was enough to put themselves back into this competition.

The Worcester Warriors put their game on the park from moment one in the Championship, they didn’t let their foot off the gas and were justly reward for their efforts. It has been no secret that Dean Ryan has arrived and shaken things up at Sixways, for the better and  at the Aviva Premiership launch he spoke to me about his approach and reasons for doing so:  

Getty for Prem Rugby

“Fundamentally we changed the type of person that came to Worcester, I think that it i had become a place where people came at the end of their careers and they were well paid and if they got another contract off the back of that it would be outstanding for them. They never came to be successful and I think that in itself tells it own story.”

“To do that you have to go to a younger pool of players and you have got to try and culturally get the right people in the middle of the business to try and move that group on. That has to go in hand with targeting the right experience, people like GJ van Velze, Chris Pennell, Phil Dowson and looking over the summer Donnacha O’Callaghan - we need the right type of experience to allow the group to grow. This is a very different Worcester to the Worcester that was there two or three years ago.”

“We’ve recruited people and I mean that in the sense that we targeted personalities and we targeted characters to be in the middle of the business, then we targeted potential to be around it. People like Ryan Mills and youngsters like that we felt were frustrated at other clubs and we obviously need them to work for the club to grow and we won’t know that until we get in and see if they adapt.”

The interesting thing about Dean Ryan is that he has openly acknowledge that the Worcester Warriors are going to be up against it and that there is, what he calls ‘a gap’. Previously promoted Head Coaches or Directors of Rugby haven’t openly said these words however Dean Ryan is a honest and articulate man who doesn’t shy away from anything. There are plenty of familiar faces at the Worcester Warriors; Ryan Lamb, Tom Biggs, Sam Smith, Tom Heathcoate, and to reiterate Dean’s words ‘many have been frustrated by a lack of opportunity or have been told that they are not Premiership players’. The opportunity to prove people wrong in the stage that 'you aren't right for' is a powerful motivator and will be fuelling individuals’ performances. 

The set up at the Warriors Warriors is a strong one, their management and focused, their facilities are excellent and having being through a year in the Championship with that kind of ending they are a tight unit. The challenge for this close group of players will be coping with this arduous season and picking themselves up if the tough times arise. It is something that they’re prepared for;

“We know the gap but we are determined not to let the experience go past us because the only way that we are going to find a way of being competitive in this is to keep our heads up, keep enjoying it and be prepared to learn from whatever happened at the weekend.”

Only time will tell if the Warriors will be competitive however I for one hope that they deliver a strong account of themselves over the course of 22 rounds of Aviva Premiership Rugby. There’s no question that their starting XV will be ready but beyond that there are a few question marks, it is time for the entire squad to step up and be counted for. 

Players In - Andy Short from Bristol Rugby, Phil Dowson from Northampton Saints, Carl Kirwan from London Welsh, Tom Heathcote from Edinburgh Rugby, Luke Baldwin from Bristol Rugby, Sam Lewis from Ospreys, Cooper Vuna from Toshiba Brave Lupus, Derrick Appiah from Mogliano, Na'ama Leleimalefaga from  Montpellier, Darren Barry from Cornish Pirates, Bryce Heem from Chiefs, Donncha O'Callaghan from Munster, Tevita Cavubati from Ospreys, Mike Daniels, Christian Scotland-Williamson & Tiff Eden Promoted from Academy

Players Out - Andries Pretorius (Retired), Mike Williams to Leicester Tigers, Alex Gordas to CSM Bucresti, Sam Windsor to Ulster, Agustin Creevy to Argentina Super Rugby, Leonardo Senatore (Released), Jack Cosgrove to Edinburgh Rugby, Josh Drauniniu to London Welsh, George Porter to Ealing Trailfinders, Rob O'Donnell to Yorkshire Carnegie, Richard de Carpentier to  England Sevens, Josh Watkins to England Sevens, James Percival to Grenoble, Shay Kerry to Oyonnax, Ofa Fainga'anuku  (Released) & Ignacio Mieres (Released)