Aviva Premiership Round 8 Preview - Start As You Mean To Go On

While some will be nursing the mother of all hangovers on New Year’s Day and wishing that they'd taken it a little bit easier the night before I, smugly, will not be one!! Instead I'll be winging my way to Franklin's Gardens for the start of Round 8 of the Aviva Premiership and all our domestic teams will be endeavouring to start their year as they mean to go on, victorious. 

Due to later start to the season we are not yet half-way through the competition and in 2016 the presence of the RBS 6 Nations has the potential to be quite a major curveball. This year there are 7 domestic rounds during the course of the competition and who knows which players Eddie Jones will be calling up to his squad. However, before we get too carried away let’s take it back to the here and now and focus on the next set of six matches and Round 8 of the competition. 

The Northampton Saints have the honour of kicking of 2016 by hosting the Exeter Chiefs at Franklin’s Gardens. The home side’s season hasn’t been close to where they would like it and I think that it is fair to say they're frustrated. Conversely the Exeter Chiefs are the best team in the competition over the last six rounds, having dropped only two possible league points in that period. Rob Baxter is dealing with a suite of injuries of which Damian Welch is the latest, joining Henry Slade, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Dave Ewers on the sidelines however their squad depth is holding well. This match will be a test of every facet of Saints’ game, Exeter have a pack to match their hosts and we all know what the visitors’ backs can do with ball in hand. We all know what Saints can do if they put their whole game on the park however the form book points at Exeter Chiefs prevailing away from home. 

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David Humprehys’ Gloucester Rugby played their part in a thrilling Round 7 fixture at Twickenham Stadium and back on home soil they'll be looking to go one better and gain the victory. London Irish gained their first four-points in the competition against the Northampton Saints and this weekend we’ll see just how much of an impact that has had on their confidence. Both sides have powerful back rows that I’m looking forward to seeing go against each other, whichever iterations their respective Directors of Rugby choose to select, and out the back we’ll see the wheels fly. For the Exiles Sean Maitland impressed me at full-back against Saints and centre Johnny Williams is growing with every game, this one will be a test for the 19-year old against far more experienced opposition however he handling Saints handsomely. Back on home soil the Shed will roar their side on and I hope that we see the best of both sides in order to make it a wholly competitive affair that contains wealth of positive rugby. 

At Kingston Park the Newcastle Falcons will host Bath Rugby. Last weekend the Falcons struggled with their patience against the Leicester Tigers and will want to rectify this on home soil. Bath Rugby recorded a well needed victory against the Worcester Warriors however haven’t yet won back-to-back domestic matches this term. If I was Mike Ford I would continue with the side that delivered their Round 7 victory and use the weekend to rest others given their outrageously large January calendar that includes Toulon twice, Leinster and Saracens. If he wants, Dean Richards has a new fly-half to field, and I expect that Andy Goode will be part of the match day squad. Whether Andy starts or not will depend on how up to speed he is after just a week however a man of his experience can only add value. Bath have won on their last 10 visits to Kingston Park since their last defeat there in October 2003 and if they play to their potential should delivered number 11 but the Falcons will be gunning of a point at the very last, perhaps more. 

Down at Allianz Park Saracens will welcome the Leicester Tigers to town. The approach that Saracens take to winning games may not be loved by everybody however the fact of the matter is that they are unbeaten after seven rounds of domestic rugby. This season the Leicester Tigers are a side reborn, although their Round 7 outing wasn’t their most beautiful of the season, they are strides ahead of this time last year. There are plenty of individual match ups and England potentials to watch out for in this one; Mako Vunipola v Dan Cole, Jamie George v Tom Youngs and Richard Wigglesworth v Ben Youngs to name but a few. Needless to say I expect Eddie Jones to be in attendance, or at least watching very closely, and this to be a niggly affair because neither are terribly fond of the other!

DC - always one to watch 

Both teams at the AJ Bell Stadium will be looking to bounce back from their respective Round 7 losses as the Sale Sharks face Wasps. Last weekend Steve Diamond’s side were in it for 60 minutes but just lost a touch of focus and the Exeter Chiefs capitalised. The same can be said for Wasps as they let slip two tries in four second-half minutes against Saracens. As always is the case when these two sides meet my eyes will be transfixed on two elements; the breakdown battle between the two back-rows and the form of Danny Cipriani. My hope is that both sides choose to play rugby and let their back lines loose for if they do we will be in for an entertaining game. 

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The final game of the weekend, and indeed the only Sunday fixture, will be between the Worcester Warriors hosing Harlequins. Dean Ryan’s side were physically imposing last weekend against Bath Rugby however struggled at the set piece and against Harlequins’ forward pack may do so again. Harlequins were guilty of playing a spot too much against Gloucester Rugby at Twickenham Stadium however there is no denying the power within their ranks. Will Conor O’Shea mix his selection up slightly? Potentially if individuals are bumped and bruised following their 39-39 encounter however he’ll be preparing his side thoroughly for their trip to Sixways. Dean Ryan is continuing to impress on his side the importance of picking up points from every single outing, he is well aware of the importance of every single table point be it from a victory, try scoring bonus or a losing bonus and this weekend the objective will be to come away with a minimum of one from their home outing. 

Full Fixture List

Fri 2 Jan - Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs (Franklin’s Gardens, 3pm)

Sat 2 Jan - Gloucester Rugby v London Irish (Kingsholm, 3pm) 

Sat 2 Jan - Newcastle Falcons v Bath Rugby (Kingston Park, 3pm) BT Sport

Sat 2 Jan - Saracens v Leicester Tigers (Allianz Park, 3.15pm) 

Sat 2 Jan - Sale Sharks v Wasps (AJ Bell Stadium 5.30pm) BT Sport

Sun 3 Jan - Worcester Warriors v Harlequins (Sixways, 3pm) BT Sport