Premiership Rugby - Round 12 Preview

I don’t know about you but I can’t believe that we are at the halfway stage of the Aviva Premiership season already? It seems like only yesterday that we were getting prepared for Round 1 and in a flash we are about to toast the start of 2017 and 11 rounds have been completed. 

Of course the second-half of the season will deliver the race for the Premiership playoffs, a RBS 6 Nations Championship that will impact on clubs' form, and potentially results, and of course a whole truck load of discussions about a potential Lions squad. 

Just because the New Year celebrations are arriving the Premiership doesn’t rest up. While the majority of the UK will be seeing in 2017 with a few beverages and a verse or two of Auld Lang Syne our Premiership teams will be focused on securing critical table points and victories. 

In Round 11 Dai Young’s Wasps showcased the full extent of their attacking prowess and in chilly Newcastle I expect them to do the same. They’ve scored 12 more tries that any other side in the competition and despite rotating in their midfield have the squad depth to continue that trend. Newcastle are going about their business efficiently and have won two of their last three matches in the competition. Captain Mark Wilson has made more tackles than any other player in the competition (136) and his industry and work rate will be vital to ensure that the Falcons deliver defensively. Newcastle need to stem the Wasps tide and then ensure that they finish their opportunities. Without question Wasps are in form right now but as we've seen before a Friday night at Kingston Park can be challenging for even the top teams. Match Fact: Wasps have won only once on the road in any competition since September, 26-12 at Worcester in Round 10 but they are unbeaten in their last eight fixtures with the Falcons. 

The New Year’s Eve Premiership action focuses on The Recreation Ground as Bath Rugby and Exeter Chiefs do battle. Personally I’m looking forward to this fixture as both sides have an ambition to play positive rugby and combine that with hard working and physical forwards. After Exeter’s positive bonus-point victory over Leicester Rob Baxter has the luxury of picking a largely unchanged side however Henry Salde’s neck/shoulder injury is a concern. For Bath they shift slightly in the pack with Tom Dunn starting at hooker, Matt Garvey shifting into the second row and Tom Ellis and Zach Mercer coming into the back row. Without a doubt Anthony Watson will get a huge cheer if he heads onto the field today after his unfortunate injury at England’s training camp and with the RBS 6 Nations fast approaching both he and Jack Nowell will want to press their case in front of a watching Eddie Jones. Match Fact: Bath are attempting to achieve a first Premiership Rugby double over the Chiefs since season 2013/14 whilst Exeter’s only previous victory at Bath in any tournament is 22-19 in the semi-final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup in March 2014. 

With four Premiership matches on New Year’s Day 2017 will be starting in the right way. The first to kick off will be at the AJ Bell Stadium as Sale Sharks host Bristol Rugby. In my book this is an intriguing clash as Bristol will be greatly boosted by their victory over Worcester while Sale looked flat against Northampton Saints. Steve Diamond has shifted Sam James to ten and his partnership with James Mitchell has to be an assertive one and one that brings into the game the firepower of Josh Charnley and Denny Solomona. For Bristol their challenge is to prove that Round 11 wasn’t a one off and to show the competition that they really do mean business. The visitors need to keep their processes and structures and build upon on the impressive game management that they showed against Worcester. Match Fact: Sale Sharks have lost their last seven matches in all tournaments however Bristol have not won successive matches in the Premiership since March 2008 

In one of three 3pm kick offs Welford Road is set to welcome 24,000 plus fans as Leicester Tigers host Saracens. Richard Cockerill’s side made a slow start against Exeter at Sandy Park and that ultimately that cost them a chance at getting back on level terms. Needless to say that cannot happen again in Round 12 because Saracens will be their usual ruthless selves. The onus also is on Leicester’s attack to fire as their visitors have conceded only 9 ties in the first half of the season, 8 better than the next best club. With Tom Youngs, Ben Youngs and Dan Cole arriving back into the mix the hosts have experience and in particular Ben will want to remind us all of the form he showed during the Autumn internationals. Leicester have a strong record at Welford Road but this Saracens we’re talking about, matches between the two always contain a little extra firepower and it should be a physical old encounter to start the new year. Match Fact: The Tigers only defeat at Welford Road in their last 14 matches in all tournaments was to Wasps in round 2 of Premiership Rugby. 

The final game of the Premiership weekend will be at Sixways where Worcester Warriors are hosting Harlequins. Carl Hogg’s side have to show greater invention than they did against Bristol in order to ensure that Harlequins’ difficult run on the road continues. John Kingston’s side haven’t won away from home yet but should be boosted by their recent outing at Twickenham Stadium. Carl Hogg makes five changes and needs to see this side really take charge of the game and not look a little lost. As you’d expect the visitors are largely unchanged because they’re well aware that they need to notch up as many points as possible before they lose all of their international players again. Match Fact: Harlequins have won fourteen of their last fifteen encounters with the Warriors in Premiership Rugby, the exception being a 15-21 reversal at The Stoop in round 17 last season. 

Full Round Schedule

Fri 30th Dec - Newcastle Falcons 30-34  Wasps 

Sat 31st Dec - Bath Rugby v Exeter Chiefs (3pm) Live on BT Sport

Sun 1st Jan - Sale Sharks v Bristol Rugby (2.30pm) 

Sun 1st Jan - Leicester Tigers v Saracens (3pm) Live on BT Sport

Sun 1st Jan - Worcester Warriors v Harlequins (3pm) 

Sun 1st Jan - Gloucester Rugby v Northampton Saints (3pm) 

Premiership Round 11 - Review

First and foremost I do hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and followed the script in terms of eating, and drinking, just a little too much and enjoying watching those around you open their presents as well as receiving a few gifts of your own. Of course it was an extremely busy time for our Aviva Premiership teams and for the second to last time this calendar year let's review the domestic action in full. 

The evening of Friday 23rd December was a pressured night for Northampton Saints and instead of wilting under the intensity of the spotlight on them they pulled it out of the bag. The Saints' performance was one filled with real gumption and it was great to see. In every regard Tom Wood led by example and during his 69 minutes on the field he made 22 tackles and drove the squad through his own actions and leadership. Defensively Courtney Lawes also stepped up and in the middle of the park Stephen Myler and JJ Hanrahan worked well together. No doubt Saints' early score would have settled a few nerves that were jangling around and as a whole they handled the occasion well. Conversely Sale Sharks’ performance concerned me a touch as they lacked any real cut through and the ability to get good, quick ball to their backs. Newbies Josh Charnley and Denny Solomona are dangerous players, the latter showed that with his out of this world finish, but they can’t influence a game with zero ball. Without a doubt Sale need their half-backs to step up and start bossing matches or they’ll continue to deliver a limited amount of effective rugby. Sale had 62% territory and and made double the number of carries as Northampton yet those carries didn’t deliver the metres required or challenge Saints’ defence. It’s onwards and upwards for Saints while there’s a spot of work to do for Sale. 

Once again Newcastle Falcons proved that they are ticking along nicely as they made Saracens think about their victory at Allianz Park. However Mark McCall’s side are experienced enough not to let a good challenge faze them and instead did what we’ve seen them do countless times and secure the victory they needed. Of course the headlines since have all pointed at Chris Ashton as it was his late try, on his return from his ban, that sealed the deal for the home side. Without question that try will have felt fantastic for the winger and I guarantee that he'll keep on delivering them until he leaves for the Cote D'Azur at the end of the season. The Falcons will be pleased with how they battled and really made their hosts think and just need to continue to increase their finishing rate in terms of converting their chances into points. Dean Richards head back to Kingston Park to hosts Wasps, a challenge they must relish, while Saracens are off to Welford Road for a good old ding-dong! 

Matches between Wasps and Bath are always fixtures that keep you glued to the screen or to what's going on in front of you and Christmas Eve's followed suit. The match fizzed from the off as we saw both sides set out their stalls with high paced rugby. While Bath were still in the game at the break it was their own errors after it that meant chances to wrestle back the momentum and points went begging. That will be something that they are frustrated about and I expect them to sharpen up that area at The Rec against Exeter on New Year's Eve. Conversely Wasps took their opportunities well, their backline is absolutely lethal and after a bit of a try doubt Christian Wade will be happy that his tries arrived like London buses! Bath definitely deserved their losing bonus-point but it was Wasps that sent the louder message to Saracens that they have real competition for the top spot (and perhaps title) if the season continues in this manner. 

At Sandy Park Rob Baxter’s Exeter Chiefs provided the home crowd with the perfect Christmas present as their bonus-point victory firmly put to bed the difficult start that they had endured to this Premiership season. The Chiefs put everything into the opening of the game to ensure that they had the cushion that they wanted and from just had to make sure that they managed the game well to deliver the W. Richard Cockerill's Leicester Tigers didn’t fire from the off and we all know that in this competition that doesn't cut the mustard  Whatever the reason for that it needs to be eradicated before they take on Saracens at Welford Road because the reigning Champions are one of the best in the business at punishing sides. On Christmas Eve the Chiefs’ composure and belief in their own processes and abilities came through and it was a pleasing result for all concerned with the West Country side.

After the delights of Christmas day Bristol Rugby and Worcester Warriors had the task of duelling on Boxing Day. This game was always going to be massive for both sides and when Tusi Pisi received a red card after just 12 minutes it looked like Bristol's early ambition was about to take a nose dive. However as we’ve often seen the card actually galvanised the hosts and they showed tremendous heart and character to hold firm. Throughout the course of the match Bristol created more opportunities and played with greater precision and accuracy than their visitors. Worcester should have taken hold of the game immediately after the red card but they didn’t and that will disappoint Carl Hogg greatly. Tom Varndell had the type of game that Bristol signed him for as he showcased the full extent of his experience and finishing skills. It was a vital win for Bristol and could be a significant moment in the Premiership season. 

The final match of Round 11 took place at Twickenham Stadium as supporters filled the home of England Rugby for Harlequins' Big Game 9. The packed house looked forward to a Christmas cracker and instead the first half was filled with set pieces and little more. Joe Marchant's try and the boot of Ruaridh Jackson gave the hosts their half-time lead but at the break we all prayed for a better second half because the first wasn't anything to write home about. Thankfully the rugby gods heard us because the second forty minutes gave us so much more to enjoy. Two tries each ignited our viewing and then when Motu Matu'u scored for Gloucester just after Jack Clifford had been sin-binned the box office finish was set. The Cherry and Whites pressed until the final move of the game but ran out of room on the field and the game finished in Harlequins' favour. The W is vital for John Kingston's side because before long they'll be losing all of their internationals again while for Gloucester it was another 'nearly match' to add to their collection. They certainly deserved their bonus point and their attentions now focus on hosting Northampton Saints on New Year's Day. 

Premiership Rugby Round 11 - Preview

Season's Greetings! After a November filled with international rugby and two rounds of European action Out On The Full's Premiership coverage is back. It may be the time of the year when many people slow down and take on a personal challenge to eat as much as possible but for our Premiership teams it's business as usual and a vital time in the season. For some this weekend is all about ensuring that they have a chance at finishing the calendar year in a promising position and for others it's all about cementing the good work that they've put in since Round 1. 

Franklin’s Gardens starts the festive fixtures and the home side know that this result needs to go their way. Northampton’s last few weeks have been a whirlwind of stress and difficulties and some festive feel good, in terms of a W, would be a welcome relief. They have lost their last four matches in all competitions and Tom Wood has been open and honest about the feelings at the club. Needless to say on Friday night they need to be physically robust, on it energy wise and find sparks in attack. Sale Sharks’ run isn’t any better than their opponents’, in fact it’s worse, as they have slipped to six straight defeats. That said the introduction of Josh Charnley and Denny Solomona, and the fresh outlook that both have brought, has given the Sharks more of a spring in their step. Given the stakes this game could be one of those classic nervy bore fests but instead I hope that huge performances stem from the tension and as a result we get to see a good old tussle. Opta Match Fact: The last seven meetings between the two clubs in Premiership Rugby have all been fairly comfortable home victories, with the only losing bonus point in that sequence grabbed by the Saints at Salford last November. 

Christmas Eve will start with Saracens welcoming the Newcastle Falcons to Allianz Park and looking to extend their winning-run over the side from the North East. In terms of the home side's team news then Chris Ashton's name on their bench is a notable one as is the move for Maro Itoje from lock to the back row. Of course this is to ensure that both he and Will Skelton are in the mix and I'm sure Eddie Jones will take note of Maro's performance. Dean Richards has the luxury of welcoming back Vereniki Goneva for the trip down south and his side have won three of their last four in all competitions. So as we can see the Falcons are ticking along nicely but in all honesty Saracens are a different kettle of fish and I can't see them being pushed over any time soon.  Saturday's match is a test of Newcastle's development so far this season, they have to prove that they can handle the best in the business and if they do will put in a good showing but I still expect Saracens to prevail. Opta Match Fact: Saracens have won their last fifteen fixtures against Newcastle in all tournaments since the Falcons 13-9 victory at Kingston Park in Premiership Rugby in February 2009 

Next Dai Young's Wasps host Todd Blackadder's Bath at the Ricoh Arena and I have to say this one should be a belter of a match. Wasps have sold over 25,000 tickets and alongside those watching on BT Sport all should be in for a Christmas treat. Wasps welcome back Danny Cipriani into their backline and as a result Kurtley Beale will be given the space to roam, something I'm looking forward to watching. Bath also have added ammunition in their side as Semesa Rokoduguni and Matt Garvey both return. The duo have been outstanding in their respective parts of the field for Bath and will add enormously at the Ricoh Arena. Last season the two sides met four times but Bath were only able to take one victory, however we all know that this Bath side have their confidence back and with the expertise of their half-backs mean business again this season. Opta Match Fact: Wasps have won their last 17 matches at the Ricoh Arena since Saracens beat them there in Premiership Rugby on 27th December 2015. 

Sandy Park is the final venue to open its doors on Christmas Eve as Rob Baxter's Exeter Chiefs host Leicester Tigers. The Chiefs have their eyes on a victory and as a result a spot in the Top 4 and that would be an impressive turnaround after their shaky start to the domestic season. While Leicester know that building on their gritty Champions Cup victory against Munster is vital in order for them to start finding a spot of consistency of form. Mike Williams is back for the Tigers, hopefully he stays fit for a prolonged period of time, and Freddie Burns shifts to full back as Owen Williams retains the fly-half jersey. Exeter's line-up welcomes back Gareth Steenson pull their string while Henry Slade and Ollie Devoto will be the centres trying to keep Manu Tuilagi nice and quiet. I expect that Sandy Park will be rocking and the hosts really need to set their stall out early, be clinical and never let the foot off their gas in order to take the Christmas spoils. Match Fact: Leicester have lost just one of their last eight encounters with the Chiefs in Premiership Rugby: 6-19 at Sandy Park in November 2015. 

Once we've all eaten far too much and opened a few Christmas presents Boxing Day provides an intriguing fixture with Bristol Rugby hosting Worcester Warriors at Ashton Gate. Bristol have scored 9 tries from their last two matches and their two bonus-point Challenge Cup victories couldn't have come at a better time. Reigniting that winning feeling and being able to take that confidence into this crucial home match could be invaluable. Jason Woodward has been going extremely well in their backs and a big plus for the hosts is that Tusi Pisi is fit to return to their starting XV. Worcester Warriors will need to arrive and calmly go about their business. They don't need to try too hard or over think the match instead just put their game on the park. Bristol's fans must make themselves heard and from there anything could happen... personally I'm looking forward to seeing how this one pans out. Match Fact: Bristol and Worcester have not clashed in Premiership Rugby since Bristol’s 37-18 victory at Memorial Stadium in March 2009. 

For the final game of the round we're heading to Twickenham Stadium as Harlequins host their annual Big Game. Once again this season's opponents are Gloucester Rugby and would it be too much to hope for another 39-39 thriller like last season? Harlequins are fielding a pack entirely made up of academy graduates while Gloucester's pack has a bit more of an international feel to it! Both sides have backs that can light up Twickenham Stadium and boast a number of internationals that know the ground well. Ben Morgan and Jack Clifford's duel at No 8 will be an interesting watch as will be Greig Laidlaw and Danny Care facing off at nine. In terms of their Big Game results then Harlequins have won three, drawn two and lost three and need to ensure they pick up another victory before they focus on their away form next calendar year. While Gloucester need to deliver the type of form that say them brush aside La Rochelle at Kingsholm and not dip below that intensity. Match Fact: Gloucester Rugby have not won away from home in Aviva Premiership Rugby since the trip to Sale Sharks in Round 3 but were unbeaten against Harlequins last season.

Back2Fitness - Neil Back

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year when it comes to indulging and enjoying the finer things in life but with that also comes a little lapse in fitness and general movement. In my book this isn’t wrong, just a fact of life, but kick starting following the Christmas lull can be a challenge especially when your gym membership was often used for the sauna in the first place!!

With work, family and children there are so many things that fill up time in everyone’s lives and naturally fitness is often goes by the wayside in order to fit them in. Yet one very well known England 2003 World Cup Winner, Neil Back, has found that it is possible to juggle them all, you just need a little helping hand to do so.

Neil has been retired for a number of years now and like so many in his position juggles a full on work life with a very busy family schedule and his continued rugby commitments. It’s a challenge and one that led to him putting his own fitness on the back burner to give others his full attention.

Neil’s daughter Olivia is an extremely successful hockey player, like her Dad she has tremendous sporting ability and is currently representing England U18, and she wanted a spot of help with her S&C requirements. Olivia knew of a local coach with an extensive S&C and hockey background, this is when Neil met Sam Yassin. Whilst Sam was taking the Back family through his long-term plan for Liv’s development they got talking about the concept and need for a programme such as Back2Fitness and they soon realised it was the perfect partnership!

The aim of the three tiered fitness packages is to provide you with all of the elements to really kick off that fitness regime you’ve thought about for a while. It’s designed to make sure that in 2017 you’re not concerned about that little bit of extra timber and winter padding and instead actually feel in better shape than ever before. Base levels of fitness don’t matter, it’s not where you start but the amount that you put in and the knowledge you learn as a result of Back2Fitness. Of course Neil’s start point is slightly different to some but with respect he's not a whipper snapper any more and yet after his 12 week program looks like he's back with the physique he had while playing, albeit 10kg lighter in lean mass. 

It is challenging to manage all of the different elements of people's lives yet often a helping hand and a nudge in the right direction is all that it takes. Everyone is different and the thing that I would say is that exercise really does help clear the brain and gives you a chance for a spot of ‘me time’. The thing with training is that it can be a bit of a maze and if you dive in without some guidance then you can be plugging away without realising too many results. So, if you have been umm’ing and ah’ing about maybe getting in shape, or know of someone that feels that way, then why not let an England 2003 World Cup winner who has followed the programme himself lend you a hand! 

Back2Fitness has Bronze, Silver and Gold Packages all delivering 12 weeks of a tailored fitness & nutritional programme and the guidance needed along the way. Christmas is fast approaching and orders by 22nd December will arrive in time for Christmas day. Head to https://back2fitness.co now for the details or follow @B2F_SYPC or @NeilBack on Twitter. 

Champions Cup Round 4 Preview

Blink and a week flies by! Already it’s time to look towards the second acts of the European Champions Cup back-to-back fixtures and after an eventful start last weekend there’s plenty to talk about. 

From a Premiership point of view Round 3 didn’t deliver a full set of positive results instead some tough times were had by a few sides. Bouncing back will be the order of the day for Exeter, Leicester, Sale and Northampton but the question is will they be allowed to, or be able to, given the strength of their respective opponents?

Looking at the Exeter Chiefs first and Rob Baxter had decided going into these back-to-back fixtures that he wouldn’t run with the same 23 in both games and as a result has mixed up his side. Returning to the line-up are Luke Cowan-Dickie and Phill Dollman, both back from injuries, and we will also see the likes of Mitch Lees, Thomas Waldrom and Olly Woodburn running out in France. Realistically Exeter’s chances of Champions Cup progression are limited but they will still want to improve on last weekend’s performance in order to provide a platform heading back into the Premiership. The Chiefs didn’t take their opportunities at Sandy Park and must do so from the offset in France. Rob Baxter wants them to “show the qualities I expect of them” and it’s clear that performance is king over in France. Match Fact: Bordeaux-Begles haven’t been beaten at the Stade Chaban-Delmas by a non-French side in the competition.

At Welford Road Leicester Tigers’ task is a sizeable one as they face exactly the same Munster starting XV that did a job on them at Thomond Park. Rightly so Rassie Erasmus has stuck to his guns and makes just one change on their bench as loose-head prop James Cronin returns to take the place of Thomas du Toit. Leicester welcome back Mike Williams onto their bench and notably in their backs Richard Cockerill has shifted Owen Williams to fly-half after injury to Freddie Burns. Leicester’s record at home in the European Cup is impressive, in their last 33 matches they’ve won 30 and drawn 2 yet it will be a tough, tough ask to maintain that this weekend. We all know how Leicester can respond at Welford Road, we saw that in Round 2, but Munster are a quality outfit brimming with confidence. As much as I think we will see a marked improvement from Leicester I expect Munster to take the spoils and topple the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. Match Fact: Munster the only club in the competition with a tackle success rate above 90%, they’re at 92%. 

Another side that found Round 3 tough going was Northampton Saints and an inexperienced squad will be making the trip to Dublin in order to try and put that right. Can they? Well like Leicester I believe that the effort and performance levels will improve but in terms of pulling a result out of the bag I think that could be a challenge too far. Leinster, at the Aviva, will be acutely aware that this is their chance to make another big European statement and they’ll be focused on ensuring that a repeat of 2013 (when they lost heavily after a handsome win the week before) doesn’t happen. For Jim Mallinder’s team it will be about showing the physical effort and intensity that they believed was lacking at Franklin’s Gardens and trying to ensure that they are pushed around up front. Personally I’m surprised that there aren’t a few more experienced faces in Saints’ XV, I understand their focus on the Aviva Premiership but will those wiser heads be missed in Dublin? You bet they will. Match Fact: Leinster are one of four clubs yet to lose a scrum on their own feed. 

Wasps’ trip to The Sportsground in Galway should be another belter give both side’s intent to play but Connacht’s lack of fit backs must be a slight concern for Pat Lam. Stacey Ili and Cian Kelleher suffered injuries during Round 3 and in total the hosts’ injury count currently stands at 19 players. On the other hand Wasps are fairly well settled and that could pay dividends. The atmosphere in Galway is always a sensational one and Wasps know that they are in for a challenge. I expect the same individuals to step up to the mark that did at the Ricoh Arena with Joe Launchbury leading the charge. I don’t know about you but I’m looking forward to watching Kurtley Beale continue to get his feet under the table because he looked sharp last weekend and you just know that there's more to come. Match Fact: Wasps hold the highest goal kicking accuracy of any side in the Champions Cup at 91%. 

Finally Saracens and Sale Sharks will duel at the AJ Bell Stadium in Pool 3. Last weekend there was only one team in it and just because this match is back in Manchester doesn’t mean that it will automatically be a different story. Saracens are primed and ready repeat the same feat on the road and if they do then they will equal Munster’s record for consecutive wins in the competition (13). Sale are welcoming their new signing Denny Solomona straight into their starting XV and with Josh Charnley on the other wing that means that their back three doesn’t have a whole host of experience. While both are proven finishers Saracens’ experienced half-backs will look to expose them. Needless to say Sale need to go for broke while Saracens will just calmly approach the match like any other and I expect deliver the result with ease. Match Fact: Saracens boast an average winning margin of 21 points against Sale in Europe. 

Elsewhere we have part two in the classic that is Ulster facing ASM Clermont Auvergne and an equally intriguing watch should be Glasgow Warriors hosting Racing 92. Ulster must embrace the intensity of the Stade Marcel-Michelin while Glasgow need another huge performance to make a real statement in Pool 1. 

Round 3 provided us with a little bit of everything and I hope that Round 4 will do the same. If you’re heading on an away trip then have a superb time because European weekends are always special trips away. If you're staying in one place then don't be derailed by the need to buy Christmas presents, instead do it online and devote the weekend to the rugby!! 

Champions Cup - Round 3 Review

As I said prior to Round 3 starting the Champions Cup back-to-back fixtures are a fascinating dynamic and a time of the year that I love. The first half of this two part series delivered some big results but from an Aviva Premiership perspective it wasn’t a wholly successful weekend. 

Of course it all kicked off on Friday night at Franklin’s Gardens and Saints’ 100th European outing was one that will be remembered, but not for the reasons that they would have liked. Dylan Hartley’s red dominated the post match headlines and meant that their uphill battle during the game got an awful lot steeper than it already was. The Saints are in a bit of a pickle right now as confidence is low and they seem to be lacking a spot of drive and cohesiveness. After the game Tom Wood openly discussed his quest for answers as to why they were flat and the flanker spent over an hour completing his media duties and meeting with fans before heading for a shower. Personally I have an enormous respect for the way that he conducts himself and the side need leaders like him during these challenging times. Northampton’s challenge is a large one, as I say they are in a difficult spot right now and face the prospect of heading to a buzzing AVIVA Stadium and meeting a Leinster side that are capable for doing another number of them. A week is a short time to fix their issues but they need to because otherwise it could get ugly in Dublin. 

Sticking with Premiership sides that had difficult weekend  and Leicester Tigers’ nilling by Munster Rugby will have hurt Richard Cockerill and his squad greatly. The Tigers are a proud bunch, especially in Europe, and delivering so little at Thomond Park won’t have been acceptable. Anyone that watched the game will have seen that Munster outclassed the Tigers in every single regard and the statistics highlight that. Munster beat 18 defenders while Leicester only managed to make their way past 2, the Tigers made half the number of metres of their counterparts and operated on only an 86% tackle success rate. In short they got their pants pulled down by a hugely motivated Munster side and right now you wouldn’t bet against Munster prevailing at Welford Road too!

Exeter Chiefs’ hopes of progressing in Europe were well and truly dashed on Sunday evening after they couldn’t find their way past Bordeaux-Begles. The Chiefs knew that nothing less than a bonus-point victory would suffice yet in the mist and fog Rob Baxter's team couldn’t find a way to really impose themselves on their French opponents. It was disappointing for Exeter as they seemed to have found their straps of late, with three victories on the bounce, but they didn't take the chances that they needed to. Last season Exeter managed to find a away into the European knock-out stages but in all honesty I think that this time around their focus will swiftly hift back to the Premiership. 

At the Ricoh Arena Wasps’ outing against Connacht Rugby was a match that I really enjoyed watching. It’s fair to say that Kurtley Beale’s impact on the game was impressive especially given then amount of time that he's had out with such a serious injury. His yellow was contentious and despite Connacht scoring during his sin-bin period thankfully it didn’t have an impact on the final result. Connacht’s outing was tainted by various injuries in their backline and that could be a big factor in the two sides' Round 4 meeting. However if the Irish province mange to patch up their wounds then they will fancy themselves at home because The Sportsground is an intimating place to travel to and they're a great side. Personally I though that Joe Launchbury had a captain’s innings and would have been my selection for man of the match, he fully deserved his try and was outstanding all over the park. 

Finally the match at Allianz Park belonged to Saracens as Mark McCall’s side again showed their prowess. In pretty dismal conditions the hosts brushed aside Sale without a second glance and made their Premiership rivals look distinctly ordinary. In all honesty it looked like Saracens were going through a training run such was the ease with which they put their points on the board and Steve Diamond’s frustration post game was clearly evident. I imagine that Sale's Monday review wasn’t a pleasant one but they do have the prospect of Denny Solomona making his club and European debut this weekend. Needless to say if ever there was a time that Sale needed their home fans to come out in force then it’s Round 4 because the reigning European champions will be ready to do it all again on Sunday afternoon.

Looking at the competition as a whole without doubt the match of the weekend was Ulster Rugby hosting ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Kingspan Stadium. If you haven’t watched the game then I implore you to find a little YouTube link to the game and take 80 minutes out of your day to enjoy it. If you do then you’ll witness nine tries, countless gorgeous breaks from both sides and Charles Piutau’s genius. It’s well worth the watch and is one of the best games that I've seen, in any competition, this season. 

So now all of the Champions Cup sides turn their attentions to Round 4 and for some it is the time of the year when we will see the true extent of their character. While there were mixed fortunes for the Premiership sides as a whole Round 3 of the Champions Cup was enthralling and displayed some outstanding rugby. Personally I can't wait to see which sides use Round 4 to bounce back in style and which sides take it up a gear to ensure back-to-back victories... Roll on the weekend's rugby!

Canterbury Mental Masterclass - Committed To the Game

The psychology of professional sport and those that are at, or have been at, the very top of their games is an area that I find fascinating and it’s something that we don’t discuss on a regular basis.

A short time ago Canterbury ran a session with four of their ambassadors designed to dive into the psychology of an elite athlete and I jumped at the chance to be there. Will Greenwood, Danielle Waterman, Geoff Paling and Kevin Sinfield were all incredibly open about their feelings and emotions and I think you’ll find their experiences and honesty fascinating and if you have family members that are aspiring to reach the top level then they might feel assured or comforted by the some of the feelings articulated by the four. 

As I mentioned when you’re watching professional athletes partake in a match at the weekend the best make it look effortless and yet all four shared that self-doubt plagued them throughout their careers. England’s Rugby World Cup victory at the Telstra Stadium back in 2003 is something that will never be forgotten, it was the greatest achievement by an England side, yet Will considered not being part of it:

“I couldn’t eat, felt physically sick the day before a Test match. I haven’t said this very regularly but I considered pulling my calf muscle in training the week before the World Cup Final because I was terrified.”

Those feelings of concern are ones that Kevin Sinfield, arguably the greatest Rugby League player of all time, also knew extremely well and went through countless occasions during his career in the build up to matches.

“So I struggled eating, butterflies like you wouldn’t believe and wouldn’t be able to sleep properly. All those things but I actually at times, as I got older, I tried to embrace them because that nervousness and ‘excitement’ for want of a better word  let me know that I genuinely cared about what I was about to go and do. 

“Having that drive and nervousness certainly gave me an edge. Towards the back end of my career I felt that I’d put myself through that so many times that when I got onto the field I wasn’t going to let anything stop me, or stop the team, from achieving. If I’ve got to go through all of that to make sure that we win today then so be it.

“I think self-doubt is quite common, people question themselves no matter how good you get at something there’s always something in the back of your mind that says ‘I’m going to get found out, I’m a fraud’. Even though you’ve put in hours and hours of work you look at yourself and still see that young lad that’s trying to get somewhere.”

Between the four of them they’ve won domestic titles, World Cups and European trophies and yet when they all look back on their careers the moments that stick in the minds aren’t necessarily the ones that you would think:

“I wish that winning a title or a cup felt as good sometimes as losing a big chance and a big moment feels bad because sometimes it doesn’t to me,” explained Geoff. 

“It goes too quickly,” added Kevin. “Winning trophies and that feeling of satisfaction is gone 40 minutes after the game. When you lose, when you get it wrong it is still with you now.”

All four could remember their ‘that’ moment, the one that they still relive in their minds no matter how many years have gone by and think ‘what if’. I was taken aback by the openness of Geoff who discussed his feelings about the final moments of the game against Wales at Twickenham last October:

“A pretty well known one is the Wales game in the Rugby World Cup. At the end of the game the decision to kick for the corner, I backed the decision and I called the lineout to the front. It gets rolled backwards, we don’t set up the drive and we don’t score. 

“I’ve played games after that obviously, called loads of lineouts to the front and we’ve scored and it’s been completely fine. The reason that it didn’t work was because they hit it really early, it was a dead set penalty to us, they hit when Robbo’s feet were probably two feet in the air. 

“But, that might not have happened if I had called it in the middle. So I would still use that call again but it still does really play in my mind that actually I could have called it somewhere else and we might have snuck over.”

So what was their advice to young players coming through the ranks and looking to wrangle with their own psychology, nerves, self-doubt or critique. Well, Danielle articulated that it’s not just about an individual’s work, a team should be involved too:

“It’s actually about creating an environment that encourages errors and encourages making mistakes because if you make those then it means that you’re trying. The difficultly is not when you’re in the game, it’s afterwards and it’s the constantly critic of yourself.

“I play a game over and over again. I was just to 14 minutes of putting stuff to bed [during Rio] but now I have 80 odd minutes to play before I can go sleep. 

“As a youngster it’s encouraging them to try and draw a line under a game quickly and focus on the next game or improvements next time.”

Throughout this discussion what struck me, alongside the four individuals’ honesty, was the fact that even those that are at, or have been at, the very top of the tree all performed while combatting often overwhelming emotions. Elite sportspeople aren't super human instead learn  to manage and deal with things in their own manner. There's no hard and fast rule when it comes to preparing for a match or training instead finding your own way to manage emotions and the psychological side is part of the process of maturing as an athlete. 

Physical strength can be seen on the field of play but all four have learned their own way to gain mental strength. Without question the psychological side of sport is vital for performance and ensuring that players are mentally strong will go a long way to developing and an effective, and winning, team. Just ask Eddie Jones where a big area of focus has been with his current England side!

Geoff Parling, Kevin Sinfiled, Danielle Waterman and Will Greenwood were speaking at Canterbury’s Mental Training Masterclass. Canterbury’s 2017 Training Range is available in the new year. Visit www.canterbury.com