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!