In Round 10 of the Aviva Premiership we witnessed some sides flourishing without their key Internationals and others found life altogether more challenging. It was a round in which we witnessed matches turn on their heads in the second-halves and was further proof that season isn't going to be a predictable one!
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For forty minutes on Friday Night Wasps seamlessly transferred their immense European form into the domestic competition and blew Northampton away. Dai Young’s men made rugby look like the simplest game in the world as they scored three delightful opening-half tries. Rob Miller was instrumental in their attack and filled the very large shoes of Charles Piutau with ease and it was great to see Nathan Hughes back bulldozing holes all over the park. In the second forty the Saints did pull their socks up and surprisingly Wasps couldn't find the bonus-point score however the result was never in doubt. Jim Mallinder didn’t hold back with his assessment of the evening calling his side's performance ‘terrible’ and ‘unacceptable’ while Dai Young had a smile on his face and made light of their inability to press on. Wasps' captain George Smith was world-class and under his leadership we saw the depth housed in Wasps' squad as their DOR declined to re-introduce those left out of International plans.
On Saturday afternoon Kingsholm was at full capacity for the visit of the Leicester Tigers however the Cherry and White fans were left brokenhearted courtesy of the power of Logovi’i Mulipola and the cool head of Tommy Bell. Gloucester Rugby had entertained a healthy 15-7 lead at the break as they delivered the type of half that their coaches had been looking for however couldn’t continue their rich vein of form for the full eighty. Ultimately, like other matches this weekend, the forty minutes after the break decided the outcome and after Leicester had absorbed huge amount of pressure they flicked their switch to deliver their own sublime length-of-the-field score. It has to be said that Ben Morgan’s yellow was one of the softest I've seen in a while and clearly the one-man advantage helped the visitors overall Leicester did have more in their attacking tank than their hosts. Leicester's route to victory impressed me as they stuck to their guns with their new all court game in a way that would have been inconceivable last year.
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At the AJ Bell Stadium the Sale Sharks added to their unbeaten home record with a bonus-point victory over London Irish. Although the opening-half was slightly challenging for both sides given the conditions Steve Diamond's side had the confidence and skill to push away from their visitors after the break. Sam James had another outstanding afternoon and the feet of Nev Edwards continue to devastate opponents; Nev has now notched up 6 tries in 4 matches and Sale's positive attacking game was matched by their forwards' work rate and strength in the closer quarters. While Sale comfortably accelerated after the break the Exiles weren't able to do the same and it now puts them in a sticky situation due to Falcons' victory. Tom Coventry has a spot of thinking to do and he must contemplate the coming matches knowing that he won't have the services of his Alex Lewington in the short-term or World Cup winner Ben Franks in the slightly longer-term, two key losses.
At Allianz Park Saracens put in a gutsy second-half performance to push passed a determined Bath Rugby side. Heading into the game the expectation was that it could be a challenging day at the office for the visitors however they attacked the opening-half with the type of vigour and purpose that Mike Ford has been looking for. Bath Rugby won the collisions and comfortably dominated on the scoreboard by 13-0 at the break. However instead of pressing on Bath were pinged too many times by referee Dean Richards and their lack of true confidence proved to be their achilles heel. The momentum swung quietly at first and then accelerated in the favour of the home side; 21-year-old Maro Itoje was everywhere, Schalk Brits’ finish for the try was typical of the athletic hooker and Charlie Hodgson’s steady boot did the rest. After the match Mark McCall described it as the ‘most satisfying win of the season’ while the visitors were left to contemplate the 'small margins' that Mike Ford described had contributed to the result.
On Sunday afternoon the Exeter Chiefs were made to work hard for their victory over the Worcester Warriors but showed exactly the type of metal that Rob Baxter has been asking from his side. The opening half was a tense affair, and in spite of the Chiefs' tries being scored with relative ease, Dean Ryan's Warriors were determined to keep their opponents in check. So far this season Tom Heathcoates' place kicking has been hit and miss however he showed great accuracy to ensure that at half-time it was 12-12. It was the ability of the Chiefs to take things to a higher level took the match away from the Warriors. Indeed Dean Ryan sighted their opponents' 'speed of thought and decision making' but rightly so he was pleased with his team's day at the office. The Chiefs' victory moves them within 2 points of the side that they'll be facing next weekend, league leaders Saracens, and what a game that will be!
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The final match of the weekend was at Kingston Park where the Newcastle Falcons hosted Harlequins. Surprisingly to many Conor O'Shea's Harlequins were unable to deliver the victory against the Newcastle Falcons instead they let a 19-10 lead slip and suffered due to the Rob Vickerman's try and the evergreen boot of Andy Goode. Goode came off the bench with 20 minutes to go and within 10 minutes had nailed three penalties, two from just inside Quins' half and ended up delivering 11 of Newcastle's final 16 points. Of course matches aren't always about one person however this is exactly why Dean Richards persuaded Andy out of retirement and if he continues in this manner Falcons will feel confident to avoid the drop. For Harlequins it wasn't the performance that they wanted, far from it, although there are extenuating circumstances with key men missing away on International duty and a key injury to Karl Dickson. That said, Conor O'Shea will have had a few words with his squad early this week in order to pick them up and get them ready to face the Northampton Saints at home on Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday afternoon the Exeter Chiefs were made to work hard for their victory over the Worcester Warriors but showed exactly the type of metal that Rob Baxter has been asking from his side. The opening half was a tense affair, and in spite of the Chiefs' tries being scored with relative ease, Dean Ryan's Warriors were determined to keep their opponents in check. So far this season Tom Heathcoates' place kicking has been hit and miss however he showed great accuracy to ensure that at half-time it was 12-12. It was the ability of the Chiefs to take things to a higher level took the match away from the Warriors. Indeed Dean Ryan sighted their opponents' 'speed of thought and decision making' but rightly so he was pleased with his team's day at the office. The Chiefs' victory moves them within 2 points of the side that they'll be facing next weekend, league leaders Saracens, and what a game that will be! 
