Eddie Jones on 'popular rugby', competition and more

At Twickenham Stadium on Friday morning Eddie Jones discussed his 33-man training squad for their three-day camp in Oxford next week. In just over a month’s time he will name his squad for the three Old Mutual Wealth autumn international matches and as you’d expect a clean sweep of victories is his target. 

The squad itself is very much for the here and now and solely focused on the first fixtures against Argentina. The players selected in it have been given a 'head start' in terms of selection however Eddie Jones then caveated that with 'well nothing is guaranteed'. 

England's British & Irish Lions that are returning to action are being handled on an individual basis and some players have also been told to up their games and find some form. As always England’s head coach was engaging and open about a number of subjects including the subject of ‘popular rugby’ and the competition that they’re developing within the squad. 

On the subject of England’s first opponents in the autumn - Argentina -  the head coach gave his current thoughts about the side having just met them back in June. 

“It's been a tough season for them again. They're trying to find themselves and trying to find that balance between playing traditional Argentinian rugby and moving with the popular rugby at the moment which is obviously led by New Zealand. So they're trying to find that balance but it’s difficult for them.”

This led him into elaborating on the term ‘popular’ rugby. As we all know by now the Australian is not one to follow suit for the sake of it and his elaboration on the subject highlighted that once again. 

“It’s popular mate but it doesn’t mean that it’s right. Spending your whole life on your iPhone is popular, that doesn’t mean that it’s right. There’s a certain sort of rugby that we need to play to win the World Cup and it’s not going to be popular rugby. We’ll play the rugby that suits us. We will play our own rugby. We don't need to copy New Zealand.”

One clear message from the squad announcement was that every player will continue to be kept on their toes, whether they are the most or least experienced there. Not for the first time the Australian left a spot of ambiguity in the air when it came to the captaincy and Dylan Hartley’s hold on it. 

“We’ll see how he is at the camp. He understands that every time he comes in it’s like an audition, if he keeps doing the job well he’s got the job for that period of time. But he’s got good hookers underneath him biting at his ankles. 

“Jamie George is a good player, Dunn has impressed us for Bath, a good, strong, competitive player. Luke Cowan-Dickie will come back from injury shortly so there’s plenty of competition there.”

The head coach continued to focus on the competition that has now developed within the squad. It's crystal clear that with every month that goes by this level of competition is increasing significantly and that was the aim of selecting the squad that he did for the June tour to Argentina. 

“That’s the great thing, if you look across the squad, there’s real competition for places and no player can feel like they can just turn up and go through the business. You know, bowl your 10 overs for 30 runs and be happy. You can’t do that anymore for England, you’ve got to get there, you’ve got to compete and be at your best. Because the only way we’re going to be the best team in the world is if we’ve got that, and that’s what we’re moving towards.”

Of those not selected in his squad it was the turn of Exeter Chiefs’ Sam Simmonds to be name checked by the 57-year-old. The young back row forward was the player who was highlighted as a standout Premiership individiaul not included in the training group. Once singled out the assessment was that the Exeter Chief had ‘been impressive’ and ‘done well’. Interestingly Eddie Jones also sees him as a seven for England as opposed to a No.8. 

Finally when it came to looking further ahead towards Rugby World Cup 2019 England's head coach highlighted that he’s keeping his eye out for something specific over the next year or so. 

“What I would like to find is someone like a Milner-Skudder, someone who comes out of the blue and gives you something so different in a World Cup year. I reckon now we have 80% of the squad about right but we’re are looking for the X-factor rookie to come out. There’s a place for that sort of player and it could be someone like Marcus Smith, who knows?”

Eddie Jones' Training Squad for Oxford

At Twickenham Stadium Eddie Jones announced his training squad for a three-day camp in Oxford next week. It contains 33 players in total and will be followed by a full squad selection for the autumn series on 26 October. 

The squad itself is packed with talent and yet doesn't include some of the more familiar names such as George Kruis, Kyle Sinckler, James Haskell and Jonathan Joseph. However, in Eddie Jones’ mind this group is solely focused on the here and now. Those returning to action, be that from injury or British & Irish Lions action, are being managed on an individual basis when it comes to their workloads. 

Alongside this he did make it clear that there are players that he wants to see a little more from over the coming weeks with regard to their form. As you'd expect individual names weren't mentioned - that's not Eddie Jones' style - but 'they know who they are' and the lines of communication are clear. With two further rounds of Premiership action before European rugby rolls into town there will be opportunities aplenty for individuals to step up and we all know that if they don't then someone else will glady grab their spot with both hands. 

At this point in time those that are going to Oxford do, in the Australian’s words, ‘have a head start on selection’ for that Test match however he quickly caveated that statement by saying that 'nothing is guaranteed'. Needless to say the long and the short of it is that perhaps looking beyond next week’s camp and trying to predict the exact Old Mutual Wealth series squad and 23 to face Argentina now isn’t wholly wise!

Naturally of those included the name Marcus Smith jumps out due to the fact the 18-year-old that’s caught the attention of so many early on in this Premiership season. That attention first arrived through Eddie Jones' words about the young man in August and has been increased by the player's subsequent performances for Harlequins. Yet in today's live press conference England's head coach, in his own unique way, was quick to clarify the fly-half's position within this training squad. 

“Well he [Marcus Smith] is going to be holding a lot of bags. He's an apprentice, he’ll clean some boots and hold some bags. We're sure he'll do that well. He went to a good public school so he's well educated to do that.

“He's fifth choice number 10, so I'm sure he's going to be good at shining George Ford's shoes.”

It’s a reminder to Marcus Smith of the road ahead and a reminder to all that stepping into Eddie Jones’ England squad, and climbing the ladder up to being a regular Test starter, isn’t a walk in the park and doesn’t happen instantly.

With it now being less than two years to go before Rugby World Cup 2019 minds will have been even further focused on that competition. Since the 57-year-old took over as head coach a media session hasn't gone by without him referencing and focusing on their ultimate goal - winning RWC 2019. Today he looked ahead to the next two years and took stock of where they are right now. 

"You never know [if we're where we need to be], things change and we’re a dynamic team. Tomorrow a couple of players could be injured for the season or be injured for the World Cup so you never know where you are. But, in the first two years we’ve established a good base and we’ve got some credit in the bank. We’ve got a base of players to build on and now it’s about finding the 31 players that can win the World Cup for us. That’s the project for the next two years so we about to embark on that."

Look out for more from Eddie Jones arriving later on Friday evening including his view on 'popular rugby', competition for places and a back row forward not selected that did catch his eye. 

Eddie Jones Training Squad for Oxford

Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens).

Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester Tigers), Piers Francis (Northampton Saints), Alex Lozowski (Saracens), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Te’o (Worcester Warriors), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

Round 3 Reflections

A little later than normal it's time to look back at Round 3 before heading full speed into Eddie Jones' training squad announcement on Friday morning [9am] and Round 4 kicking off after that at Kingsholm. 

After 18 matches every side has lost a game and of course Worcester remain the only team not to be off the mark in terms of victories. At the other end of the spectrum Exeter Chiefs and Saracens sit joint top of the try scoring charts with 13 with Wasps close behind on 12. Rob Baxter’s side have also conceded the fewest points [45] with Newcastle Falcons’ defence being the next best having only let in 49. With the league as competitive as it is the focus for all clubs will undoubtably be on home form and then thriving on the road and picking up as many bonus points - try scoring or losing - as possible. 

A feisty encounter at the Ricoh Arena

Wasps and Harlequins may no longer be geographic neighbours however Sunday's clash between the two felt like a good old fashioned local derby didn’t it? From minute one to minute 80 the game had an extra bit of oomph and spark to it and that made it a compelling watch. 

Now I totally understand that in the modern game there isn't really a place for an old school punch up or the physicality that we once saw. However part of me wishes that, on occasion, it was allowed!! Obviously players' safety is king but when matches do have a little bit more to them, like Sunday afternoon's did and like East Midlands derby matches always do, then I personally enjoy them and I don't think that makes me a bad person!

John Kingston walked into the press room afterwards and praised his side for executing the approach that they had set out to do at the beginning of the week. Now setting a plan and delivering it on a match day sounds like a simple thing, yet when you throw in an opposition and other variables such as injuries and even the weather it can prove challenging. On Sunday Harlequins knew that if they were going to prevail over Wasps then they needed to be confrontational and in their faces.... they were and it worked. 

As a captain James Horwill led from the front with 17 carries, Marland Yarde looked busy all around the park and Marcus Smith delivered. With the pressure from Wasps' experienced back row I wondered if he would find it tough going yet the 18-year-old took it in his stride and flourished. Of course not everything that the young man did was perfect however by in large it was an impressive outing.  

At the point so much has been said about the Joe Marler and James Haskell ‘incident’ that I'm actually not going to dwell on it. Why? Well because at the end of the day, in matches like that one, things boil over. It was two players that know each other well and that are passionate about their sides. Neither were seriously hurt and let's face it we have seen much worse happen on a rugby field. 

Leicester are off the mark... 

Sitting in tenth position and being zero form two after the first two rounds of the new season certainly wasn’t part of Leicester Tigers’ plan nor was it what any of us expected to see. However that was the reality leading into Round 2 and it set up a game that Matt O’Connor described as approaching a 'must win' outing. 

Looking back now it's clear to see that their preparation was on point because the opening 40 minutes at Welford Road was on the money in terms of what was required on such an occasion. Unlike their first home game against Bath, the Tigers showed their opponents that they were going to dictate the game from the outset. Ben Youngs’ early brace highlighted the sharp thinking that Eddie Jones is a fan of and as a whole the cohesion within the back line was starting to arrive. 

There's no doubt the players, and management will be disappointed not to have secured the bonus point however given the aforementioned context - being nil from two - the win was the most important thing. 

Once again I'm sure that a large focus of the week will be on their lineout, especially given Harlequins' strength in that area, however by in large the positives should be focused on and developed on for their away outing. 

BP #2 for Exeter Chiefs

"I am chuffed to bits with the attitude we are showing. We are in the right frame of mind to go and attack teams, which is really pleasing and what we wanted. We knew everyone would be attacking us as champions, and the pleasing thing is we haven't dipped our attitude. We look hungry for another title. We cherished that game of rugby tonight. We put our all into it, took nothing for granted and tried to take as much out of it as we possibly could.”

Those are the words of Exeter Chiefs' Ali Hepher after the title holders' second successive bonus point victory. A Round 1 outing at Kingsholm was always going to be a challenge given the heightened motivation of Gloucester [with a new head close in place] yet as their Rob Baxter told me at the season launch it wouldn't define the effectiveness of their pre-season or their campaign as a whole and it hasn't!

Five tries, including a brace from Sam Simmonds who may just have a few notes in Eddie Jones’ notebook about himself, set out their stall going forwards while only conceding one set the tone defensively. As mentioned earlier the Chiefs have conceded 45 points, less than any other side, and as we all know you need to combine a ruthless attack with a rock solid defence in order prosper right to the top domestically. 

There’s no question that Wasps will be an altogether different prospect at Sandy Park this weekend and of course a different level of performance will need to be found. However, on the road at Sixways the Chiefs did exactly what they needed to do and should have returned home content.

16 points from Gareth Steenson’s boot, Jack Nowell opening his trying scoring account, Jonny Hill charging down the wing for his five-pointer and Sam Simmonds' outing were all big positives to take. In short Sunday’s clash with Wasps should be a belter because that Premiership final wasn't long again and will be fresh in both sides memories! 

Round 2 - Opta Rugby Rankings

Once again it’s time to take look through the Opta Rugby Rankings from the weekend’s Premiership action. While the round didn’t quite reach the try scoring heights of the opening weekend it did deliver us with some enthralling rugby... Friday night largely excluded from that statement! 

The top metre makers all had huge influences on their sides’ respective outings with Alex Goode topping the standings ahead of Semesa Rokoduguni and Tom Collins. At The Recreation Ground Saracens' full-back made 190 metres, beat ten defenders and made 18 carries. As Eddie Jones prepares to name his training squad for a camp in Oxford followed by his squad for the Old Mutual Wealth Series I expect that the calls for the 29-year-old’s inclusion to grow once again. Of course Mike Brown is still performing well for Harlequins and Anthony Watson is also showing just how effective he can be with 15 on his back. In short competition is as strong as ever which will push all the greater heights on the field and at the end of the day we all know that it's the head coach's call.   

Elsewhere Luke Hamilton and Sione Kalamafoni made 42 tackles between them at Franklin’s Gardens while Calum Green and Mark Wilson were highly industrious on that wet Friday night in Salford. When it comes to totting up the tackles made in Rounds 1 and 2 then Lewis Ludlow actually tops the charts with 40. He’s followed by Sione Kalamafoni on 33 and behind the Leicester No. 8 four players have each made 31 tackles over two rounds; Mike Coman, Maro Itoje, Will Welch and Sam Simmonds. 

Switching back to the statistics going forward then it would be remiss of me to finish this analysis without going back and focusing specifically on Semesa Rokoduguni and Tom Collins. On Saturday afternoon the Fijian pushed what I like to call the ‘Roko button’ on and showed his sensational prowess going forward to secure victory for Bath. He leads the way in terms of metres made this season with 249 and has beaten eight defenders thus far. Meanwhile back at Franklin’s Gardens Tom Collins continued his own electric start to the season. It was tough to shine in Round 1 but he did and as the side upped their physicality it gave the winger even more opportunities to work with in Round 2. After such a difficult time with injuries it’s great to see him thriving and tearing up the field again. He's beaten 11 defenders over the course of the two matches and has notched up a cool 186 metres. 

Tackles Made

Luke Hamilton - 21

Sione Kalamafoni - 21

Calum Green - 17

Mark Wilson - 17

Tom Dunn & Dom Barrow - 16

Carries

Schalk Brits - 19

Alex Goode - 18

Tom Collins - 17

Mike Brown - 17

Courtney Lawes & Jackson Wray - 16

Metres Made

Alex Goode - 190

Semesa Rokoduguni - 156

Tom Collins - 127

Olly Woodburn - 127

James Marshall - 111

Defenders Beaten

Alex Goode - 10

Anthony Watson - 7

Jack Nowell - 7

Marland Yarde - 7

Byron McGuigan & Ellis Genge - 6

Karl Dickson - The Next Chapter

On 2nd September at the Athletic Ground former Harlequins’ scrum-half Karl Dickson took charge of his first game as a professional referee when London Scottish faced Yorkshire Carnegie. Just three months prior he played his last game for Harlequins at the World Clubs 10s in Mauritius however the road to the next chapter in his rugby career started well before that. 

Three years ago his former team mate Will Skinner mentioned that he was going to take look at refereeing and the idea also appealed to the man who finished his club career with 167 appearances for the Harlequins. Following a quick phone call, the then Premiership scrum-half put the wheels in motion to sort his refereeing course out and officiated his first game on a Sunday afternoon for a group of U16s. Sitting with Wayne Barnes yesterday in Twickenham Stadium Karl recalled that there were a few shocked looks on the players' faces when he arrived up for that first game however he quickly reminded the lads not to worry about him and to get on with their rugby! They did and from there his career with a whistle in hand started. 

(C) London Irish

Juggling the demands of professional rugby while developing as a referee wasn’t easy and like others such as Ugo Monye and Nick Kennedy he could have carried on playing for another season or so but the opportunity to pursue life as a professional referee was simply ‘too good to pass up’. The final years of his rugby career often included playing and officiating in the same weekend and he believes that he changed ‘massively’ as a player once he’d picked up the whistle and was in the early stages of learning his trade as a referee. While he did continue to be his usual vocal self, after all that’s part of the scrum-half job description, as you'd expect he found a new level of respect for those that were taking charge of his matches.

One of the interesting elements that Karl spoke about at Twickenham Stadium was the fitness element to his transition. For him one of the biggest eye openers when moving into his new career was just how fit referees are;

(C) Paler Images

“As a player on average I covered about seven or seven and a bit km and as a referee I now reach about 8.5km to 9km per match. The biggest difference [fitness wise] is that as a rugby player you’re doing big weights and you’re running. Whereas as a referee you’re doing weights to prevent injury and then conditioning. 

“The referees are a lot fitter than players, I can tell you that for a fact now. If you took the 14 of us [referees] and put us against a load of the players then the referees are way above them because it’s a different type of fitness. But if you asked the referees to get up and down off the ground, ruck and tackle, it’s totally different. That was kind of my biggest ‘wow’ seeing that they [referees] are so much fitter than we were and I’m trying to get up to speed with these guys.”

It’s a great insight into one element of his transition from playing to officiating because I’m sure that most would have expected him to breeze the fitness element to his new professional role. Instead it’s an area of real focus and development to push himself to the top of the standings when it comes the officials' fitness tests and S&C training that they undertake as a group. 

As mentioned the 35-year-old didn’t just decide yesterday to become a referee instead he’s put in the hours, on and off the field, and is continuing to do so to learn his new craft. Without question the natural drive to succeed that can be found in professional sportspeople will hold him in good stead in this next chapter and he’s well aware of the development that’s needed from this point on;

“It’s like any job that you're in, you’ll start at the bottom, like when I was referring that U16 game for example, and you move up according to how people think that you’re performing. 

“It is the same that this stage, I’m in the Championship now and they’ll move me when they think that I’m ready. Or if I’m not ready then I won’t be moved. It’s performance based and you’ve got ten full time referees all vying for six Premiership games in a weekend or six Championship games. So if you’re up there in the top six then you’ll be refereeing and if you’re not you’ll be doing other things.

“Every ref, I imagine like I do, wants to referee international games. That’s the pinnacle just like every player wants to play international rugby. It’s about the process of how you get up the ladder and some people don’t make it and that’s just the nature of competition.”

(C) Paler Images

Without question it’s great see such a high-profile former Premiership player moving into the world of officiating. At this moment in time there will be a group of current professional players that are considering their next steps after rugby and as a result of Karl’s transition into refereeing I hope that some may consider to follow the same path too. Media and coaching are two clear ways to stay immersed in the world of rugby and perhaps now the world of officiating will push itself into players’ consideration sets given Karl’s move. Of course just because individuals have succeeded on the field as players doesn’t mean that they will automatically be outstanding officials. However having such detailed knowledge of playing the game provides a phenomenal base to work from and if individuals take to it and showcase the specific skills and mindset required then there’s no question our game will be better for more former players following Karl's route.

So what’s next for the game’s newest professional referee? Well this weekend it’s a trip to Jersey to run the line as the Reds host the Cornish Pirates in the Championship. At the time when it was announced that the former Harlequin would join the RFU’s team of professional match officials Tony Spreadbury highlighted him as an ‘exciting prospect’. From here on it’s about Karl building his experience game by game using the support of Tony, his professional referee coach Wayne Barnes and the other match officials around him. With his drive, commitment and trajectory of development thus far the future looks promising, so keep your eyes open because I’m sure that it won’t be too long before you see the words 'Referee: Karl Dickson' at an Aviva Premiership game near you. 

Round 2 Reflections

After the pacy start to the new Premiership Rugby season Round 2 didn't quite hit the try scoring heights of the first weekend however there is still plenty to discuss and it's time to touch on a few talking points.

As we all saw on the BT Sport coverage Eddie Jones and his coaching team were putting in the miles to take a look at various players across the country. Next Friday morning (22 October) he will announce the training squad that he will be taking for a camp in Oxford the week after and his final squad for the Old Mutual Wealth Series will arrive on the morning of Thursday 26 October. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing the mix of players that the Australia chooses for both the training camp and the internationals. Will he rest some of the British & Irish Lions and look at others or will he go all guns blazing? 

For now I'll pause on the England discussion because there will be a whole host of England features and articles coming over the next few weeks but right now here's a few of my reflections from Premiership Rugby Round 2.

It can’t always be pretty….

Friday night’s game at the AJ Bell Stadium is not one that spent very much time in the recorded programmes section of my Sky Box. In fact I deleted it as soon as I got home from my BBC shift and I’m sure that many of you did too. 

Following the 50-try high of Round 1 we were all set for Round 2 to start with a bang and instead we witnessed what I hope will be the worst first half of the season. I say that I hope it will be the worst half because I don’t think that I can take too many more like it!! Now I appreciate that the weather was horrendous and fit for ducks however the half was littered with errors and made you shout at the television for the wrong reasons. 

For Sale fans I imagine that was a frustrating Friday at the AJ Bell Stadium however for Newcastle’s fans I expect that they went home with a smile on their faces even after a game like that. Why? Well because those are the types of matches that good sides slog out and get maximum points from. Not all teams can win every game in a beautiful fashion because sometimes the elements, or injuries, are against you. However the sign of a team’s development is when they rough it out on the road at places like the AJ Bell Stadium. 

Team training in the USA - (C) @FalconsRugby

With the talent housed in Dean Richards’ squad the Falcons' ambition is to get the crowd on their feet and score tries yet having the backbone of being able to ride out match like Friday's will ensure that they are a team pushing for Champions Cup rugby this season. Of course next is a tussle with the back-to-back European champions and they're set to face a Saracens team coming off the back of a loss. Personally I'm interested to see how Newcastle raise their game in the face of such competition and equally which names might make first Premiership appearances on their team-sheet. We all know that DTH Van der Merwe, Toby Flood and Maxime Mermoz are yet feature in the competition and their influence as a trio, and as individuals, is likely to have a hugely positive effect on a team that has already shown a solid base in the first two rounds. 

A Rocking Rec

On Sunday morning The Sunday Times’ Stephen Jones took to social media to comment on the tremendous atmosphere at The Recreation Ground. Now Stephen isn’t one to hand out compliments without a valid reason. He’s a man that I personally have a huge amount of respect for and with years of global experience in the game his praise is hard-earned. The Recreation Ground is one of my favourite Premiership grounds to visit for a number of reasons. For me it's the combination of its picturesque situation, the passion of the fans and the feeling that the club such an integral part of the city. 

On Saturday afternoon The Rec was rocking and rightly so given the mixture of gumption and pizazz that the home side showed their fans. As a collective Bath delivered the hard-edge that they had taken on the road to Leicester and coupled that with a spot of flair. If that wasn't enough the icing on the cake was Semesa Rokoduguni pushing the ‘Roko button’ in the latter stages to secure victory. 

The squad’s Round 1 win on the road was their first in seven Premiership away games and their next trip to Franklin’s Gardens will test their metal again. In the past Northampton had been one of Bath's bogey teams and with injuries still a concern particularly up front they will be seriously tested. Yet what we’ve seen so far out of Farleigh House is a team that’s started with real confidence and one that’s showing serious intent for the season ahead. 

Seven days is a long time in sport

I can’t even being to imagine what Northampton Saints’ changing room was like at half-time at Twickenham Stadium. I can only assume that it was a sea of emotion after a productive pre-season had led to a 38-point deficit after 40 minutes out on the park. 

It was 40 minutes that no player or fan will wish to dwell on too much other than for the former to have used it as fuel to fire their emotions on Saturday. So often we talk about expecting a ‘reaction’ from a team and my goodness me did we see one from Jim Mallinder’s squad in the weekend's East Midlands derby.

Everything that the Saints lacked in Round 1 they showed in spades in Round 2 and none more so than physicality. At Twickenham Stadium they were second best on the gain line and were toyed with by Saracens. Yet at Franklin’s Gardens their key men - Courtney Lawes and Dylan Hartley in particular - set the tone from the off and were unrelenting in their pursuit of victory. As a collective the team bullied their opponents off the park and that took guts. 

Let’s not forget the emotions that the coaching staff will have gone through over the past week too. The pressure on them is clear, Northampton are an ambitious side and one that  hasn't kicked on as they would have liked after winning the Premiership. The Round 1 performance put immediate and intense pressure on all behind the scenes and yet clearly they did the right things in terms of rectify mistakes and preparing the side for Round 2. Now both the squad and coaching staff must show that such an outing can become the norm. Consistency must be the name of the game for Northampton Saints and if they deliver 20 more performances like Saturday’s then they will be just fine this season! 

Round 1 - Opta Rugby Rankings

After a busy weekend of Premiership Rugby I always enjoy perusing through the statistics that land in my Inbox courtsey of the very good people at Opta and this season I've decided to bring because the weekly statistics article. As the rounds tick by the review  will become a mix of cumulative statistics alongside the individual round’s performances however clearly after round one those two things are one and the same. 

First up let’s take a look at an individual that stood out statistically going forwards and it was Leicester’s full-back Telusa Veainu. While the Tigers did put too many silly errors on the park as I mentioned in the round reflections the positive signs are there and when they click it will be something to behold. 

Regardless of Leicester’s collective errors George Ford - who beat twice as many defenders as any other player - linked well with Ben Youngs and behind them the aforementioned Veainu showed us a fair few glimpses of the feet and wheels that he’s famed more. Metres wise Tigers’ full-back notched up 133, of course some were chasing Semesa Rokoduguni to the line, and beyond that he beat six defenders and made 16 carries, the most of any back. 

In terms of work rate and endeavour two back row duos turned heads with their tackle counts. Lewis Ludlow and Tom Savage made 47 tackles between them while Mike Coman and Blair Cowan put in an industrious 35 as a pairing. The form of the latter London Irish loose forwards surprised a few people but if you’d seen them perform in the Championship then you will know that these numbers are the norm and that actually they normally get through more work in a game. 

GJ van Velze ruled the skies by taking eight lineouts and interesting the highest number of lineouts stolen by any player was just one. Joe Launchbury, Calum Green, Elliott Stooke, Matt Garvey, Jeremy Thrush and Maro Itoje all taking one steal each.

Tackles made

Lewis Ludlow - 26

Maro Itoje - 22

Tom Savage - 21

Taulupe Faletau - 20

Mike Coman - 18

Carries

Courtney Lawes - 21

Sione Kalamafoni - 21

Sam Simmonds - 19

Telusa Veainu, Josh Strauss, Jonny May, Josh Adams, Ahsee Tuala and Tom Wood - 16

Metres made

Telusa Veainu - 133

Dan Robson - 122

Will Addison - 121

Mike Haley - 118

Henry Purdy - 108

Defenders Beaten 

George Ford - 12

Alex Tait, Charlie Walker, Joe Marchant, Telusa Veainu, Ahsee Tuala, Tom Collins, Schalk Brits and Nathan Hughes - 6

Turnovers Won

Ollie Thorley, David Paice, Francois Louw, Don Armand, Alex Lozowski and Will Welch - 2