Champions Cup Quarter-Finals

… and then there were eight! 

It’s Champions Cup quarter-final time and this season’s four fixtures have had us all enraptured since they were decided at the end of January. Last season the latter stages of the competition was dominated by English and French sides but with Munster and Leinster firmly back in the mix the provinces are flying their flags high and are firmly in the mix. 

Of course one of the unique features of the Champions Cup is the break between the Pool stage finishing and knockout rugby arriving and it does add another dimension to consider. That said if anyone saw Saracens play at the weekend it’s clear that the best of the best can spring straight back into fifth gear in the blink of an eye. 

There’s no questioning the fact that the home teams go into every set of European quarter-final as favourites. Historically there has been a 76% success rate to the home sides and that needs no further explanation as to why because would you fancy heading to Thomond Park or the Stade Marcel-Michelin to play an all or nothing game? No, neither would I!

Leinster Rugby v Wasps - KO 15:15 live on BT Sport 2

So what of the individual matches themselves? Well let’s start at the top with Leo Cullen’s Leinster hosting Wasps and as long as the weather plays ball this promises to be a belter. Together they’ve scored 172 tries this season and we’ve seen some crackers in Europe including Jamison Gibson-Park’s solo score at Franklin’s Gardens, Dan Robson’s snipe at the Ricoh Arena and many more. Both love to play with ball in hand and entertain the crowd but Isa Nacewa said to me that they’re well aware that the type of rugby you play in the Pool stage often needs just a little tweak to it to ensure that the W is delivered in a knockout match. That said I’m not expecting Leinster to go into themselves but we’ll see the fruits of the likes of Jonathan Sexton at 10 as he knows how much to distribute versus putting boot to ball and gaining valuable territory or points. 

We’ve seen this season that Wasps don’t mind shipping the odd try or two and instead outscore their opponents but Leinster aren’t any ordinary side and rock solid defence will be critical form the Premiership side. Both have benches with power that should arrive and make a difference in the game and my feeling on this one is that it’s going to go right down to the wire.

In my opinion last season’s shellackings when Wasps put Leinster to the sword will have absolutely no bearing on Saturday’s outcome. A year or so on Leinster are an altogether different side, they are in a wholly different place right now and in front of a packed house they know what’s expected from them. Equally Dai Young’s Wasps know the quality that they have within their ranks and know that it’s going to take something very special from their opponents to contain them. On the whole this makes the first game of the weekend a potential humdinger and one that will start the quarter-finals on absolutely the right foot. 

Match Fact: This will be the eighth meeting between the two clubs in the European Cup and is Wasps' 100th appearance in Europe's top flight. 

Munster Rugby v Toulouse - KO 17:45 - Live on Sky Sports 2

Next Thomond Park opens its doors for Munster Rugby against Toulouse and in my opinion this game is very easy to call as I’m sure that you’ll all agree. 

Of course Toulouse are the most decorated side in European history yet it’s no secret that they are not the Toulouse of old. The class of 2017 have to try recreate some of the pomp and swagger that they used to have of old on Saturday early evening or else they’ll be wholly swallowed up by the emotion and intensity of Thomond Park.

The tragedy that befell on Munster Rugby earlier this season still hurts them all acutely and from the outside looking in they have continued to play with a 16th man since. On the field Munster’s rugby was focused after Anthony Foley's passing and their form since has turned heads all over the pace. The 8, 9 and 10 axis of CJ Stander, Conor Murray and Tyler Bleyendaal is dynamite and when you throw in the likes of Peter O’Mahony and Simon Zebo as well as many others it’s a winning combination. 

The atmosphere at Thomond Park will be like no other and Toulouse have to keep their heads and take themselves to a level that they haven’t reached of late. Personally I think that’s asking too much of Ugo Mola’s side and while they may raise their levels to compete I don’t see them prevailing away from home.

Match Fact: Munster have won 31 of their last 34 games at home in the competition.  Both sides are through to the knockout stage for the 16th time and each will be recording their 157th appearance in Europe's top flight. 

Saracens v Glasgow Warriors - KO 13:00 - Live on Sky Sports 4

I don’t think that anyone who saw Saracens’ final half-an-hour against Bath would dispute the prediction that if they do that again they will be unstoppable. Saracens have been there and done it all before whereas Glasgow are stepping into the European knockout arena for the first time, the key for them will be to control their emotions and play their game. 

Under pressure Saracens make teams veer off course. It happens time and time again where we see opponents fall into the trap of  ending up trying to play Mark McCall’s side at their own game. These opponents may have had every intention of not doing so to but on the day, in the intense environment that Saracens create on the field they can’t help it. The challenge for Glagsow is to stay well away from this trap and put their own style and game on the park, if they do we'll see the best of Gregor Townsend's men akin to their performances against Leicester in particular in the Pool stage. 

In all of these quarter-finals there will be internationals galore and in this game in particular those that were present in Scotland's game against England will want to prove that they do have the metal to deliver on the largest of stages. Throughout the weekend Warren Gatland will be keeping a close eye on all players and those that he’s undecided on can do themselves great favours in their quarter-finals. Lions aside I’m going to call this one and it won’t surprise you to read that despite Glasgow putting on a good show I’m tipping Saracens to deliver and progress. 

Match Fact: This is the seventh time Saracens have reached the quarter-finals and their sixth season in a row. The clubs have met twice before with Saracens winning both Pool stage encounters in the 2007-8 season. 

ASM Clermont Auvergne v RC Toulon - KO 16:15 - Live on BT Sport 2

An all French quarter-final will complete the set on Sunday afternoon as ASM Clermont Auvergne host RC Toulon at the Stade Marcel-Michelin. 

On paper this seems like an easy one to call, Clermont Auvergne are the top seeds and they played some of the most positive attacking rugby that we saw during the Pool stage. On the other hand Toulon ground out their victories, turned it on to gain vital bonus points and forced themselves into a qualifying spot. The theory says Clermont at a canter but in practice it could be different. 

Clermont Auvergne are European Rugby’s perennial bridesmaids and that is something Toulon must play on and awake in their opponents from early on. The element of doubt must be delivered as soon as possible to make their hosts shake. Toulon's extremely experienced individuals have to step up and deliver, their start must be on the money and they cannot let their intensity slip for a moment. It will be about drawing on all of their knowledge and really exposing that potentially exposing element of Les Jaunards. 

When it comes to the hosts well it’s very simple for them, they need to start at a belting pace, put early tries on the board and thrive in their home atmosphere. A European match day at the Stade Marcel-Michelin is like Thomond Park - loud, intimidating and full on. The hosts must grow taller and embrace the burden of expectation on them and simple deliver as they did in the Pool stage. 

Personally I’m hoping that we see the very best of both of these two giants of French rugby and that it results in a tremendous finale to what should be an outstanding weekend of European action. From hereon in it’s the best of the best and the quarters should deliver us with four humungous clashes. 

Match Fact: The preview two meetings were both finals (2013 and 2015) which Toulon prevailed in each time. Clermont were the most disciplined side in the Pool stage conceding a competition low of just 7.8 penalties per game. 

Six Nations - Ireland v England Review

“We weren’t good enough and the players have to accept that. My message to the players? ‘Be proud of yourselves, we are back-to-back RB6 Nations champions which is a fantastic achievement.”

Eddie Jones’ post match assessment was as straight down the line as ever and in my eyes wholly accurate. He didn’t sugar coat it but he did take defeat magnanimously and his players followed his words and raised a smile to their back-to-back titles. Lifting a trophy after a defeat is such an emotional dichotomy but I hope that on reflection they will look at their achievements and winning run positively. 

I, like many others, were sure that it would be England’s day on Super Saturday and that they would prevail in Dublin. They looked fiercely focused and in the form required to do so yet Ireland put them under intense pressure and were driven by huge performances from the likes of Peter O’Mahony and Iain Henderson. It was another example of the fearless nature of Irish Rugby and Joe Schmidt, his coaching staff and squad can now add ‘double record spoilers’ to their CVs! The loss of Conor Murray and Rob Kearney was less acutely felt than so many of us expected and credit must go to Ireland's full squad for their performance and victory. 

Below Eddie Jones’ words dive further into his assesment of the match - or at least the assessment that's open to the public - I'm sure behind closed doors greater detail will be added but here's what we're privy too. 

“Sometimes you play against a team that’s better than you and they were better than us today, they were fantastic around the breakdown. There are technical issues around the game that we have to look at but I don’t think that we had any attitudinal problems, I think that our attitude was good - you could see it was still only 13-9 at the end of the game and we didn’t play well.”

Of course these 'technical issues' like struggling with the intensity of Ireland's defence and not handling the conditions as well as they would have liked aren't ideal but it's sport and things like this happen. The area that I believe will hearten Eddie Jones, and not for the first time, is the attitude of his players and how they handled mentally the magnitude of the week and day. Dylan Hartley and his squad were not overawed, did not go into their shells and did not lose due to psychological wobbles, instead Ireland went above and beyond physically. Mental fragilities are so much more challenging to amend than ones that can be changed on a training pitch and the steel that this England squad has will hold them in good stead moving forwards. 

For now you’d hope that the players themselves will be given a bit of a rest - yes there’s a Premiership weekend ahead but with the Champions Cup quarter-finals for some after that a week in the sunshine somewhere would be the best course of action. In the build up to Dublin England’s progression lauded and praised to the hills and even in the face of defeat I hope that this continues. They’ve spent around 30% of the time that they will together as a group under this management, have lost one game in their last 19 and have pushed their performance levels forwards with vigour and purpose. It’s been a productive year or so and this just the start leading to 2019. Bumps in the road are necessary and required for teams and individuals to thrive and I remain wholly confident that this group of players and management are on exactly the right track and course of action.  

A big question that remains up in the air now is whether or not New Zealand will feature as one of England’s opponents in November? Neither you or I know the answer to that and in the immediate aftermath of defeat there will be calls all around that it's 'too soon' for England to play them. Personally I think that's not the case but it would be a real challenge if England's opening autumn international after a huge Lions series was against the World Champions. Personally I have no qualms about putting it on the other end of the series - as long as players are given adequate rest as a result of an extra international - because the game would be thunderous.

Next we all turn our attentions to Warren Gatland and the Lions Squad debate goes into overdrive. The Six Nations will have taught him a lot and while England's final performance didn't culminate with a W and a double Grand Slam there still should be a very large proportion of the squad on the plane to New Zealand this summer. 

Six Nations - Ireland v England Preview

When Eddie Jones reflected on England’s opponents this weekend he used the words ‘most teams in the Six Nations have one big performance - we’ve seen that from all of the teams’. 

Of course the immediate question shortly after was does that mean that we saw England’s against Scotland (?) because let’s face it, it was a pretty impressive performance. His answer was clear and tells you everything that you need to know about the belief that he has in his side and how he instils that belief into his players;

‘When I said 'most teams' we are not 'most teams'. We are a different team and I think that we've showed that, and we are ready to take it to another level on Saturday.’ 

Ireland may be without some key players but on home soil, with British & Irish Lions places on the line and the chance to stop England in their tracks Joe Schdmit’s team will be inspired and England will have to push themselves higher. It’s a tough ask and it’s not easy but I believe that we’ll see this England side prevail in Dublin. Why? Well because of the power of their physical and emotional preparation and I’ll expand on both below. 

I’ll start with the emotional elements first because this is an area that I find fascinating and also the area that I think we see Eddie Jones’ influence in full glory. England’s head coach always sets the agenda for the next game during the post match assessment of the last. We’ve seen this time and time again and last weekend he immediately focused on Ireland’s psychological advantage and the fact that his players have the chance to achieve greatness. These are two big statements and are the two critical emotional elements that must be handled by his squad in order to deliver in their final Six Nations match. 

During Thursday afternoon’s team announcement Eddie Jones expanded on the road to greatness and gave us all a flavour the types of conversations that will have been going on behind closed doors at Pennyhill Park all week;

“To go from where we go to greatness takes another step of endeavour. It takes greater focus, it takes greater persistence, it takes greater emotional output. It is like climbing up a mountain; every time you go to another level of the mountain it becomes more unstable. The ground becomes more unstable, your ears hurt, your nose hurts. 

It is exactly the same when you are climbing the ladder of success - everything becomes a bit harder and sometimes you have got to just stop and say, ‘Right, this is what is ahead of us.’ And probably we weren’t very good at that. In retrospect, that’s my fault. We have done that and I think the players have understood the challenges ahead and re-equipped for the challenges ahead.”

Addressing these emotions head on a vital step towards dealing with them and addressing them in a frank and open manner shows to their opponents that they know what’s ahead and are ready. There’s no shying away from that fact that this isn’t just another match, the stakes are higher and the pressure is greater. Right now there’s a focus, a steel and a hard edge around this England rugby squad and it comes directly from the top. In years gone by pre-match conversations on Saturday in pubs arounds the country would contain whispers of ‘do you think England have the nerve?’. 'Will they have the bottle and deliver?'. Now, with 18 successive victories in a row  behind them and the manner in which some of those were achieved the prospect of having to prosper in Dublin doesn’t make players or fans bat an eyelid - it can and should be done. 

Looking over to the physical elements it’s clear that England are in tremendous nick… yes that’s a slightly informal phraseology there but it’s true. Performance levels haven’t been sky high this Six Nations but physicall England have excelled. Fitness hasn’t ever been an issue and they will mach Ireland pound for pound. Without question England’s bench is one of the very best in the world right now, it allows them to keep upping their intensity throughout the 80 minutes and also provides different levels to pull and types of game plan to pull out as and when is necessary. Ireland will deliver all guns blazing and their reaction to last weekend's outing will be strong but there’s no shying away from the fact that they will greatly miss the experience of Conor Murray.

This Six Nations hasn't been vintage in terms of performances from England but the results have arrived regardless and Saturday afternoon’s match is another opportunity to really stamp their authority on the world game. We’ve seen Steve Hansen’s back handed compliments arrive already and with so much on the line in Dublin, prevailing and doing so in some style, would send out further signals of the potential that England have to achieve their 2019 ambition. Super Saturday’s finale will be tumultuous, Ireland will give it absoultely everything but I cannot wait to see what England deliver because I believe, like I did so before the Scotland match, that it could be something very special indeed. 

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs; 1 Joe Marler, 2 Dylan Hartley (C), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Courtney Lawes, 6 Maro Itoje, 7 James Haskell, 8 Billy Vunipola. Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Tom Wood, 20 Nathan Hughes, 21 Danny Care, 22 Ben Te'o, 23 Jack Nowell.

Six Nations - England v Scotland Review

Before the game Eddie Jones said the words ‘we’ve been pottering along and today I think that you'll see a much improved performance from us.’ While I wouldn’t have perhaps used the word pottering I did share his viewpoint that this England squad were due a big performance and that's exactly what they delivered at Twickenham Stadium. 

Trust me I’m not just jumping on the Australian’s coat tails here the words in my match preview ‘there’s an almighty performance brewing and one that will be unleashed on Scotland’. However what I don’t think that any of us saw coming was Scotland’s struggles especially not after their blistering second-half against Wales. From early on they looked like rabbits in the headlights and while they worked tirelessly until the final whistle I expect to see a huge reaction unleashed on Italy whom I feel sorry for.

Let’s turn our attentions to England shall we? Needless to say if you’re going to win a Test match, take the Six Nations title for a second year in a row and equal New Zealand’s record number of consecutive victories they you really do want to do it in style and that’s what they did. The key elements were all there from a solid set piece to the potency in attack that’s required at the very hightest level. In short England looked like the No 2 team in the world and we all know their ambitions are higher than that. 

Of course in any Test match individuals catch your eye and it’s obvious to start with Jonathan Joseph. The Bath man was in the zone and thrived off the space created on the field. His footwork was mesmeric and his pace, that's often forgotten about was shown in full glory. Much of the 25-year-old's head-turning work this Championship has been defensively and yet this time around he coupled that with the genius that he possesses going forwards.  In short he did his Lions chances no end of good and set his own benchmark from hereon in at Test and club level. 

Courtney Lawes may not have gained the same headlines but was described as ‘superb’ by his head coach and rightly so. The Northampton Saint is a player that’s flourished under Eddie Jones’ man management - he’s raised his own standards and is realising his very great potential. Lawes is an abrasive and gnarly presence in England’s engine room and one that has great lineout proficiency too. The lock's star is rising game by game and if selected there's no question that he will get stuck in at the Aviva Stadium. Of course there are others - Owen Farrell shrugged off his dead leg with ease and alongside George Ford made the game sing in only the way that the duo can, Billy Vunipola arrived back with a bang and Mike Brown was solid as a rock at the back. 

At 30-7 up Eddie Jones' half time message was simple and again highlights the impact he’s having on them; 

"That we were ruthless [the message was] and that we behave like the number one team in the world. The number one team in the world goes on and finishes that off. I think there were some great lessons for us today.”

As always this England side will analyse their output to the nth degree and take their lessons into the intense arena that will be the Aviva Stadium and do battle with an Ireland team that according to England’s head coach ‘love to spoil parties’. He’s right and this party would be the biggest of them all - not only halting a Grand Slam but stopping their opponents from breaking New Zealand’s winning-record. As he does Eddie Jones took the oportunity to set the agenda early and personally I can't wait for the build-up to continue towards this electric encounter. 

“Ireland psychologically are in a very strong position. They’re beaten, they’re out of the tournament and they love spoiling parties. The party that they would love to spoil the most if the England party. 

So, they have got an enormous amount of psychological advantage. We are vulnerable because we have won, we are Champions of the Six Nations. We are in the most vulnerable state and we are going to have to work hard to get ourselves right for the game. And, we will work and we will be right”

Here’s the thing, with this group of players under the management in place you do believe that they will be right. Ireland will react big time after their loss in Cardiff but if England take their performance from Twickenham Stadium and step up again then they will finish the job. A three Test tour in Australia showed that this team have no qualms about playing away from home and at the end of the day the Aviva Stadium is just another venue with green grass and the right sized pitch. It will be brutal, it will be intense and without question it will finish the Six Nations with a bang. Can’t wait for ? Neither can I! 

Six Nations - England v Scotland Preview

“It will be the most competitive Calcutta Cup in years.” 

That’s the phrase on everyone’s lips right now and rightly so because despite Scotland’s last win at Twickenham Stadium being back in 1983 this Scotland side have have shown the facets needed to ruffle English feathers on Saturday and believe that they can win. 

Here's the thing... I would add a suffix to that phrase and it would contain the words 'but England will prevail.'  By all accounts it should be an excellent rugby showcase however I believe that on home soil England will take the victory and press on with their quest for another Grand Slam and putting their names in the record books.

Why? Well, this England side know that they haven’t hit their straps performance wise during this Six Nations yet they've continued to win. Over the course of their winning-run they've developed a hard edge and a belief. They're combative and experienced and the feeling that I get is that there’s an almighty performance brewing and one that will be unleashed on Scotland.

Of course the memories of what most refer to now as 'ruck gate' are still fresh in many people's minds and as you'd except Eddie Jones was asked about that topic during his press conference on team announcement day. England's head coach made it perfectly clear that that he doesn’t believe Scotland will duplicate such actions this weekend:

“There’s the spirit of the game and I know Scotland are going to participate in the spirit of the game, so we don’t need to worry about anything.”

With this one statement he’s both praised Scotland and laid down a challenge to them. That challenge is this; beat us at your own game and the game that we’ve seen you deliver all Six Nations. That game thrives off the instincts of the likes of Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell and is based on the more 'unsung' work of those around them. Like Eddie Jones I doubt that Vern Cotter’s side will choose to employ a deviation from what's got them to this point and if they do then I expect England to react sharpish and with purpose. 

Now we’re all very used to the phrase ‘starters and finishers’ now - whether you like it or not it's here to stay - and it's fair to say that England's finishers catch the eye. In amending his labels Eddie Jones has stressed the point, time and time again, that rugby is a 23 man game and I believe that we'll see that more than ever on Saturday. If benches didn't come into it then Scotland have their eyes fixed on the prize yet with two Vunipolas, Tom Wood's work rate, Danny Care's tempo, Anthony Watson's finishing and the directness of Ben Te'o England have considerable firepower. In listing those players I haven't even come onto their replacement front row that David Flatman said said could cause 'outright carnage' and there's a man that knows his onions! We saw the impact of England's quite clearly against France and I wouldn't be surprised if again they swung the match on Saturday early evening. 

Nearly clearly the news of the day today (Thursday) was the concern about Owen Farrell and the leg injury that he looked to pick up at the end of training. Despite Eddie Jones’ slightly elusive answers regarding what happened to the back during his press conference, he expects the Saracen to take to the field on Saturday. The character of Owen Farrell is that unless he is on one leg he’ll get out there and deliver. Of course it adds a whole new dynamic the inside-centre isn't available but we'll cross that bridge if we have to come to it and further OOTF thoughts will arrive if required! 

The long and the short of this Calcutta Cup clash is that Scotland are in a great place and are set to play their part in what I believe will be an outstanding showcase of RBS 6 Nations Rugby. Vern Cotter's backs are evasive and challenging and their locks industrous yet they could struggle at the set piece. A fast start is what England desire - they haven't had one yet this campaign - however if it doesn't arrive that doesn't mean that it's game over. 

Personally I'm hoping for a tremendously physical Test match with both sides' backs showing off to each other in order to put points and the board and the 2017 Calcutta Cup being a game that goes down in history as one of the best contests of all-time. Too much to ask for?!? Of course not because I believe that it's good to aim high and that both sides will deliver on Saturday afternoon in South West London. 

England: 15 Mike Brown 14 Jack Nowell 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Owen Farrell 11 Elliot Daly 10 George Ford 9 Ben Youngs 1 Joe Marler 2 Dylan Hartley (c) 3 Dan Cole 4 Joe Launchbury 5 Courtney Lawes 6 Maro Itoje 7 James Haskell 8 Nathan Hughes Replacements: 16 Jamie George 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Tom Wood 20 Billy Vunipola 21 Danny Care 22 Ben Te'o 23 Anthony Watson.

Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg 14 Tommy Seymour 13 Huw Jones 12 Alex Dunbar 11 Tim Visser 10 Finn Russell 9 Ali Price 1 Gordon Reid 2 Fraser Brown 3 Zander Fagerson 4 Richie Gray 5 Jonny Gray 6 John Barclay (c) 7 Hamish Watson 8 Ryan Wilson Replacements: 16 Ross Ford 17 Allan Dell 18 Simon Berghan 19 Tim Swinson 20 Cornell Du Preez 21 Henry Pyrgos 22 Duncan Weir 23 Mark Bennett.

Eddie Jones - Calcutta Cup Press Conference

On Thursday lunchtime Eddie Jones addressed the media ahead of England's Calcutta Cup match against Scotland. 

Take a listen to the live press conference below and watch out for the Out On The Full words arriving a little later on.

Premiership Round 17

Five out of six away wins, standout performances at both ends of the table and a potential resignation on social media. It’s fair to say that Round 17 was an eventful one and one that is going to take some digesting. In a change to the normal format I'm going to dive into detail on a few of the key talking points from the Round instead of looking at things match by match. 

First and foremost let’s start at Sixways and discuss the basement battle that took place between Worcester Warriors and Bristol Rugby. Nearly every season we get to a point where the two teams meet for a season-defining match and more often than not these duels are cagey affairs. Often both sides are scared to lose and therefore go into their shells with one just prevailing marginally at the end. On Sunday Worcester Warriors emphatically tore up the history books and showed us all that there's another way to do it. 

In my book Round 17 was by far Worcester’s best performance of the season - it eclipsed their win over Saracens due to the way in which they embraced the occasion and the pressure that was on them. They were inspired from the very first minute and their slick output contrasted with the stutters that we saw from Bristol. At the heart of their output was Francois Hougaard - he is their spark, their general and the man that instills confidence in those around him. Hougaard is perhaps the most important bit of recruitment any side has done over the past few seasons and with his distribution, energy and eye for a try they delivered. Indeed the challenge for Worcester now is to produce at that intensity each week -  as we all know consistency is king in this league - and if they do they’ll not be hanging around in the bottom two nearly as much. 

So the question is what now for Bristol? Well their match against Gloucester at Ashton Gate is it. There aren't any second chances, it's the real deal and in front of their home fans they have to condure the belief and performance to pray on Gloucester's own worries and gain the result. At Sixways key players didn't deliver and that cannot happen again they need to do to Gloucester what Worcester did to them which is to dictate the game from the opening moments and never look back. It's a huge ask however given what I'm just about to talk about regarding the Cherry and Whites there is a spot of hope.  

I think it’s fair to say that most weekends the Premiership discussion centres largely around the televised fixtures yet in Round 17 another caught all of our attentions - Gloucester v Harlequins. After 55 minutes Gloucester looked to have the game in the bag alas their final quarter curse struck and John Kingston's side travelled back home elated with their smash and grab victory. Obviously credit must be heaped on the shoulders of Harlequins for their ability to keep going and take the game however it is worrying for the Cherry and Whites that this type of finish happened again. It goes without saying that it sends signals to other teams in the competition of just how vunerable they can be in the latter stages and shaky confidence is something that's so difficult to get rid of. Being on the outside of Gloucester’s camp I don’t know the root causes for their difficult final quarters but answers need to be found and found fast. Given Laurie Fisher's comments on Twitter afterwards saying that it's ‘time to make room for someone else’ change in the set-up might arrive quickly at the club and we'll wait for the club's comment on those matters. For now they have to try and erase the hurt of the weekend and answer those questions to ensure that no further capitulations happen. 

Elsewhere Exeter Chiefs impressed with their performance at Welford Road as did Wasps at The Recreation Ground. Rob Baxter’s Chiefs are a world away from their difficult start to the new Premiership season - they have their all-court game back and are riding confidently into the final rounds of the season. With three home games and trips to The Stoop and Kingsholm left you’d fancy them to secure a home quarter-final but if Saracens sneak ahead then they won't be too fussed about heading away from home. The same can be said for Dai Young’s Wasps who are ticking along very nicely indeed and showing the full extent of squad depth. Kurtley Beale, Tommy Taylor and Danny Cipriani stole the headlines at The Rec and rightly so but it’s the work of the collective that’s pushing them forwards each week and they’re looking good for honours this season aren’t they? 

With a couple of Anglo-Welsh Cup weeks on the way Out On The Full's focus will now shift back to the RBS 6 Nations and England's final two rounds. It promises to be an enthralling finish to the competition and after that Round 18 of Premiership arrives in town before the European quarter-finals. It's a great time of year as pieces of the puzzles in all of the different competitions are starting to fall into place and as always we're expecting a few twists and turns before they are firmly fixed in and fates at the top and bottom of the table are decided. 

Premiership Round 17 - Preview

So here we are with just six rounds of the regular Premiership season to go… yes six! I know that I say it every year but I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by. With the presence of the RBS 6 Nations and there being just one of me I’ve focused on England’s progression for the last few rounds but with a fallow week it’s time to turn Out On The Full’s focus back to the domestic competition. 

Table wise it’s intriguing with just seven points separating the teams from second to fifth, then there’s five points between fifth and ninth. Of course when it comes to the latter end of the season the focus sharpens on the foot of the table and Bristol’s victory over Bath (inspired by big Gav) means that they’re two points off Worcester and of course they will meet each other at Sixways on Sunday. 

Round 17 starts at Welford Road and I’m really looking forward to seeing this one pan out - I will be a little late watching due to working on the Las Vegas Sevens at the time but will enjoy it in full. Leicester’s revival of late has been impressive and with three Premiership wins on the bounce confidence should be building. Confidence is exactly what they’ll need against the Exeter Chiefs because Rob Baxter’s side are unbeaten in their last nine Premiership matches… nine! Personally I’m looking forward to seeing the game management of both Owen Williams and Henry Slade in the 10 jerseys while Olly Woodburn’s clash with JP Pietersen out wide will also be an interesting watch. Without question most people’s heads say Leicester but Exeter have the ability to ruffle feathers and I hope that the weather plays ball for a big start to the round. Match Fact: The last four Premiership Rugby fixtures between the two clubs have all been won by the home side. 

Elsewhere on Friday night the AJ Bell Stadium will open its doors as Steve Diamond’s Sale Sharks host Northampton Saints. The real blow for Sale is the injury to Will Addison that rules him out for the rest of the season - he’s been at the heart of their upswing and it's such a shame he's now out. Interestingly this is Northampton’s third away trip in four Aviva Premiership weekends and their two victories in their last seven Premiership away games were won by just a single point. In my view Sale always bring that little bit extra at home and by my reckoning this could be a niggly old game. Match Fact: Northampton’s last two victories at AJ Bell Stadium were back in November 2012 (Premiership Rugby) and April 2014 (European Challenge Cup). 

Saturday’s Premiership rugby will start at The Recreation Ground where Bath host Wasps. Both sides have been hit with injuries but the depth in Wasps’ squad is such that their back line still boats a plethora of highly experienced individuals while Bath must put their faith in young Adam Hastings at fly-half. He’s a talented player but will be thrown in at the deep end and it will be up to his half-back partner - Chris Cook - to use his experience to full effect. Anthony Watson’s return is great to see and in the forwards both packs contain big old units that love to carry and carry with purpose. History shows that matches between these two are always enthralling encounters and I hope that this one follows suit. Match Fact: Wasps have won on their last two visits to The Rec in all competitions, but have never won three in a row at the venue in the professional era. 

A short distance down the road Gloucester Rugby will welcome Harlequins to Kingsholm. The home side are boosted by the return of Billy Burns after that worrying knock that he sustained against Saracens. He’ll partner Willi Heinz  and is the only change to a back line that’s really been firing of late. Elsewhere Yann Thomas, John Afoa and Mariano Galarza all come into the pack. Like Bath Harlequins have lost their experienced 10 to injury so Tim Swiel will take the reins while Tim Visser and Kyle Sinckler both return from international duty. With the race for sixth position and automatic Champions Cup qualification hotting up this is a crucial match and a real test of Harlequins’ nerve and their slightly away Premiership form. Match Fact: Gloucester’s solitary defeat at Kingsholm in any tournament since early October was by a single point to Northampton Saints in Round 12. 

The Sunday service starts at Kingston Park where Newcastle Falcons host Saracens and the big news is Billy Vunipola’s return to the latter’s starting line-up. Many expected him to feature but perhaps not to start however from where I’m sitting it’s a sensible move as he warms up and goes straight into the action instead of sitting back on the bench and getting cold. We all know what his impact will be and it’s great to see him involved so quickly again. Falcons have impressed us all so far but as we all know Saracens remain one of the bench marks (one alongside Wasps) and without question all 23 of Dean Richards’ men must take their output to another level. With the form they’ve been showing Falcons have the potential to go well but Saracens’ record against them is impressive and I see that continuing this weekend. Match Fact: Saracens have won their last sixteen fixtures against Newcastle in all tournaments since the Falcons 13-9 win at Kingston Park in Premiership Rugby in February 2009. 

The final game of the weekend is a big’un at the bottom of the table between Worcester Warriors and Bristol Rugby. Two points now separate them and with six rounds to go the time pressure is mounting and every single point counts. Both sides know that a victory and potentially denying the other any table points could be vital and both have key players available for the outing. Gavin Henson looked superb against Bath at the weekend and another game like that from the fly-half will put his side in the right position while I’m interested to see what approach Worcester take. Will the home side have the courage of conviction to run the ball and keep ball in hand or will they put boot to ball more often that not? With the ball players in their back line I know which I would pick. Of course there’s a lot on the line with this game so I wouldn’t be surprised if it became a cagey old battle but before kick-off I’ll cling to the hope that we’ll see some free flowing rugby at Sixways given the personnel on both sides. Match Fact: Bristol beat Worcester 28-20 at Ashton Gate in round 11 and have not achieved a Premiership Rugby season’s double over the Warriors since 2006/07 although they did achieve a double in the regular season of the Championship in 2014/15.