Knockout Rugby... London Style - Aviva Premiership Semi Final 2

On Saturday afternoon at 2pm it was time for the second of the Aviva Premiership Semi Finals as Saracens welcomed Harlequins to Allianz Park for the most important London Derby of the season.

Saracens have been in outstanding form and the expectation laid on the shoulders of Mark McCall’s men was huge. The last time that the selected squad stepped out onto a pitch together they produced one of the most outstanding displays of rugby that we have seen in years. In the build up to the game you could tell that they were quietly confident however equally they all knew that in order to beat Harlequins they had to deliver the same again and replicating brilliance is never easy. Conor O’Shea said before the match that he was sick of his side being written off and if you stop and pause for a moment you can understand his point. Harlequins didn’t make through to the Semi Final by accident; instead they worked tirelessly playing cup final after cup final in order to have the opportunity to run out at Allianz Park. 

Some say that Allianz Park is quite a quiet stadium and one that often lacks in atmosphere, well I can assure you that this was not the case on Saturday afternoon, the moment that Steve Borthwick led Saracens out, for the last time at home, whilst carrying his young child was truly special one and the noise throughout was ear piercing. Quins started well, they weren’t over-awed by the occasion and crucially they didn’t allow Saracens to race away from them. Instead they calmly recorded the first points of the match and sent a message to their opponents that they were there to break up the party. For all intents and purposes during the early stages of the game Quins looked to be the stronger of the two sides, they utilised their assets well and took their points when they had the opportunity. As with every single match that Saracens are involved in the physicality was brutal, at times it was shocking and I mean that in a good way and Quins matched this to a man. The manner in which Jacques Burger clears out rucks is eye watering brilliant and the clattering hits from both sides reverberated around the sunny stadium. Harlequins took advantage of the yellow cards to Bosch and Stevens and just before half time struck gold thanks to Mike Brown and that meant that after 40 minutes it was 17-11 to the visitors.

Owen Farrell had an uncharacteristically nervy day from the kicking tee and actually missed two penalties and one conversion and that mean that clawing the game back was a little harder than it should have been for McCall’s men however as we all suspected mid-way through the second half they began to dominate and find fifth gear. Whilst Quins began to look tired and battered Saracens went for the jugular and tries from Brad Barritt and Chris Ashton took the game to a place where Quins simply could not reach it. Focusing on individuals for a moment worryingly Mike Brown left the field injured and whilst the extent of his injury is unconfirmed it could be a nervy race against time to get him ready for England duty. For Saracens MOM Billy Vunipola treated us all to a delightful display and Schalk Brits continued to defy his job title as he, once again, looked more like Centre than a Hooker and when it mattered the whole squad showed their class to close out the match.

Harlequins should be immensely proud of their performance and equally of what they have achieved this season. O’Shea’s men have endured injury after injury after injury and yet they have powered through and during the process uncovered some brilliant talents; Kyle Sinckler and Dave Ward being the two most notable. However on Saturday afternoon it was just one step too far and Nick Evans summed it up following the game when he said “we gave it our all but sometimes that’s just not enough”.

Over the past 8 months Saracens have won the hearts and respect of all that watch the Aviva Premiership, they have evolved their game plan and become a world class side. Now Mark McCall’s men have another shot at Aviva Premiership glory and on top of that they have the chance to make history by doing the domestic and European double. I’m sure that at this moment, on Saturday evening, a few beers will be being consumed in celebration of a hard fought win however there will only be a few because now the work really starts... first stop Cardiff and Toulon before on 31st May they go head to head with the Northampton Saints in what is guaranteed to be an absolutely outstanding Aviva Premiership Final. 

See all of the Out On The Full Photos HERE

Knockout Rugby... East Midlands' Style - Aviva Premiership Semi Final 1

13,491 people at Franklin’s Gardens and millions more watching on BT Sport witnessed the most dramatic and enthralling match of the season on Friday evening, it was a Semi Final of the highest calibre and it resulted in the Saints reaching their second successive Aviva Premiership Final.

Image Claire Jones Red Hat Photography

Saints went into the match billed as the favourites, they were in form and they were at home, these are two factors that are usually match winning ones, however during the first forty minutes neither looked to be useful to Mallinder’s men as the Tigers’ bulldozed to a 17-6 lead. Tigers were clinical and when they had the opportunity to put points on the board they did so courtesy of two tries and a penalty. Initially the home side just weren’t quite firing on all four cylinders... it wasn’t due to a lack of desire, they were simply stifled by the intensity of the Tigers and small errors cost them many points scoring opportunities. As expected the physicality of the match was at the top end of the bone crunching scale and Dickinson’s first hit on Mulipola really did set the tone early on in the game. Manu's try was well worked however it was Ben Young’s that provided us with the best try scoring celebration that we have seen ever from Richard Cockerill, the double fist pumping was quite something to behold and he was equally animated in the tiny away dressing room at half time.

After the break Saints meant business, they knew that they needed to score first in order to keep themselves in the match and that they needed improve on their precision if they were to have any chance of getting back into the game. As with all East Midlands Derbies the players' emotions began to soar and on 50 minutes one individual's boiled over when Ma'afu threw a punch off the ball at Tom Youngs. The result was a yellow card for Youngs for instigating the incident however more significantly it was a red card for Ma'afu and the mountain that the home side had to climb grew by about 20 feet! In the minutes that followed the card the Saints did exactly what Leicester had done during the first half when they had a man in the bin, they upped their game and played fearlessly. Lee Dickson raised the tempo of the match and helped to step change home side's game and they clawed right back into it the Welsh wonder that is George North crossed the line. 66 minutes gone... Northampton Saints 16 Leicester Tigers 17. Leicester scored next, a coolly slotted penalty from young Owen Williams, however the momentum was still with Mallinder's men and with less then ten minutes remaining they had the bit between their teeth and the skill to match it. After what seemed like twenty phases of attacking play, I'm sure it was more like 9 in real like but stick with me here, Tom Wood powered his way across the line and stole the lead. Agonisingly for Saints Myler’s conversion hit the posts and it gave Tigers one final chance if they re-gained the restart to grasp back the match that they had thought for so was theirs. For Cockers' men it was not to be, in the dying seconds Saints gained the restart, wound the down the clock and then rejoiced as JP Doyle's final whistle sounded and Franklin’s Gardens erupted.

The Tigers put their hearts and souls into the game, they put their bodies on the line and captain Ed Slater led the side with maturity. Ed's record since taking over the role has been impeccable however he will be bitterly disappointed that it is on his watch that the team that has dominated the Aviva Premiership for so long won't be a part of the final. Huge plaudits should go to the workfare of the Youngs brothers, the physicality of the whole squad and the feet of Matthew Tait who had a storming game. 

All in all it was a simply outstanding game of rugby, so much occurred that if I missed your favourite part I do apologise, but I hope that I have been able to capture the essence of what as a match that made me proud to be a rugby fan. It was a game that touched all of our hearts due the raw emotion shown by all of the players, coaches and fans and the twists and turns throughout captivated us from minute one to minute eighty.  Whilst Leicester head home empty handed, Jim Mallinder’s men march on to Twickenham, the phrase this driving them this year is “It is our time” and after a win like that over their biggest rivals and the reigning Aviva Premiership Champions you can see why they believe it. 

Northampton Saints Photos © Claire Jones RedHatPhoto.com all proceeds supporting Restart, the rugby players' charity. See the full album HERE

Aviva Premiership Rugby Awards

The 2013/14 Aviva Premiership Season has been simply breathtaking, the matches have been closer than ever before and although some clubs’ seasons aren’t over just yet on Thursday 15th May it was time to pause for a moment and celebrate at the Aviva Premiership Awards.

The Awards Ceremony took place at the Park Lane Hilton, and the evening was hosted by BT Sport’s Craig Doyle. Craig is a fantastic presenter and interviewer and he had the audience in the palm on his hand for the entire night as he seamlessly led us through 10 awards and 10 brilliant interviews, more about them later!!  

Prior to the champagne reception as media we had the opportunity to speak to a number of the nominees and find out just how they were feeling about the evening, their seasons' and their forthcoming matches, if they had any. Firstly I spoke to Chris Pennell and having interviewed him a month or so ago it was great to congratulate him in person for being included in the England Training Squad. Chris' team may have had a difficult season and now find themselves in the Championship however right now he is focused on his own game and seeing what he can do to impress Stuart Lancaster. Next I chatted to Sale's captain, Dan Braid, was nominated for a number of awards and he was on tenderhooks... not only waiting to see if he’d won any of them, but secondly due to the fact that his wife is about to give birth any day now!! Finally I spoke to Anthony Watson who was nominated for the Landrover Discovery of the Season Award and whilst he was thrilled to be nominated he did admit that it was slightly bitter sweet given the 'heartbreak' that he and his team are still recovering from after their defeat to Harlequins last weekend. 

As I mentioned there were 10 Awards that were handed out over the course of night and I won't dwell on every single one, instead I thought that would provide you with a few of highlights and quotes from the night that you might not have heard about reading the articles online or following on Twitter, the inside scoop if you'd like to call it that!!

The speech of the night went to young Billy Vunipola who was awarded the Landrover Discovery Of The Season award. Since joining Saracens this year Billy has gone from strength to strength and naturally Craig asked whether there was anything in particular that has made him push himself hard this season and progress. He answered truthfully saying that the fact that his brother is with him at training every day pushes him because he if he isn’t working hard enough Mako gives him a 'clip around the ear'!!!! Secondly when he was asked what his mantra was before a game he simply said that he simply tells himself to run as hard as possible and then I hope for the best!! It seems so simple doesn’t it!!?! Then I supposed when you are 6 foot 2 inches tall, 19 stone and bursting with natural talent you don’t need to complicate things do you!?!

A couple of the winners were not in attendance on the night and instead they had their awards picked up for them by a colleague or in the case of Northampton's Tom Collins his Director Of Rugby Jim Mallinder. Tom won the ITV Sport Try Of The Season for his stunning finish against Gloucester Rugby and of course Jim took the opportunity to sing the young praises of his young winger. Ever the professional Craig didn't let Jim leave the stage without grilling him on the East Midlands Knockout Derby and Jim he had the room in stitches when he suggested that Richard Cockerill wasn't at the event due to the fact that he was practicing spot of yoga at home to calm himself down before such a huge match whereas he preferred to have a few beers!!

The last award of the night was the big one, the Aviva Premiership Player Of The Season and I believe that the whole country smiled when Mike Brown was announced to be the winner. The award is Mike's third of the year having already won the RBS 6 Nations Player of the Championships and the Man of the Series in the Autumn Internationals, however there is absolutely no hint of complacency from the Harlequins and England Full Back. Mike is a humble guy and took the opportunity to praise the talent and support of his Premiership team mates as well his Director Of Rugby. He also revealed that around the club at Harlequins Conor is known as 'Mike's Dad'!! Seeing Conor after you could tell that he was a very, very proud Dad!!

The evening was a simply stunning celebration of what has been an outstanding season of rugby, it was an honour to have been invited to attend the night and I must say I had a cracking time!! Although the awards are over for another year there is still the small matter of two humungous Aviva Premiership Semi Finals; an East Midlands and a London Derby. In the room last night you could almost taste the excitement and speaking to a number of the players involved in those matches they cannot wait... Schalk Brits summed it up perfectly when he simply said 'this is why we play rugby'.  

In signing off this piece I would like to do two things; firstly I'd like to congratulate all of the award winners and secondly I'd like to thank every single player that took part in this season, whilst handful were nominated and won awards to be great you have to have great competition to play against. Rivalries between teams and within teams bring out the best in professional sportsmen and with three games left of the season prepare yourselves to be amazed and delighted a little more before the final whistle of the final game of the 2013/14 Aviva Premiership is blown and we wave goodbye to the domestic season for another year. 

Out On The Full Awards

The 2013/14 Aviva Premiership Season has been more eventful than we could have possibly predicted, over the past nine months the competition has exceeded all expectations and it is not over yet. After 22 rounds the time is right to look back and showcase some of the key highlights, individuals and moments that have contributed to such a fabulous season. Now I realise that the award format is an extremely popular one and others that have more knowledge and resources than myself will be publishing their own however I felt that I couldn't let the season pass by without posting the Out On The Full Awards, I simply wouldn't be fulfilling my rugby duty if I did that. The awards are not an exhaustive list, if they were then we would be here until the Double Header in September because so many individuals have made the headlines and have delivered moments that have captured our hearts however here are just a few. 

Rugby is filled with big characters and we often get the chance to know them a little better during their media duties, we all know that the self proclaimed Archbishop of Banterbury, James Haskell, has a lot to say for himself however this year he has been eclipsed by another; Mr Joe Marler. Undoubtedly Joe's greatest moments were during the RBS 6 Nations' O2 Inside Line programmes and I do suggest that you dig them out later however he also provided us with a corker or two in the Aviva Premiership. The one that made the headlines and rightly so was when he asked referee Andrew Small whether he was wearing his brightly coloured boots for a bet!! Naturally Joe’s humour translates into his Twitter feed (@JoeMarler), his profile picture is a close up of Jonny May wearing a rather fetching bandage around his nose during the France game and he loves a lookalike or two. On the other side of the world The Honey Badger leads the way when it comes to humour and personally I am gunning for a Honey Badger and Marler double act interview because that would be extremely entertaining... Joe Marler wins the Out On The Full Gift Of The Gab award! 

When it comes to the spoken word there are a group of individuals that we rely on week in week out to provide the back drop to our televised matches; the commentary teams and one man in particular leads the way when it comes to creative yet informative commentary and that is Nick Mullins. Last year Nick provided us with one of the best descriptions of a player that I have ever heard when he said that Tom James was ‘like a giraffe on steroids’ and he has kept up his high standards. “Leroy Houston has had to leave us because he has a problem” and “Steve Borthwick scoops it up like a JCB” were a couple of my personal favourites this year and with the Semi Finals and Final still to come I can't wait to hear him end the season in style. Nick's commentary is a superb blend of extreme attention to detail and knowledge with classic crackers like the above and I take my hat off to him. Premiership Rugby simply wouldn’t be the same without our Out On The Full Commentator of The Year Nick Mullins. 

The Out On The Full Must Try Harder Award has to be awarded to the 'support team' at Gloucester Rugby after the infamous post facade at Kingsholm in Round 10. How can any of us forget the moment when the inflatable ball broke the posts and the hilarity that followed?? The Gloucester faithful must be complimented for their quick thinking and chants of ‘You don’t know what you are doing’ were delivered whilst the tractor driving debacle unfolded. Although a delay in kick off was extremely frustrating for the players even they hide their amusement as the tractor was positioned, moved and eventually the post hammered back in place. On behalf of everyone that watched that game and I’d like to say thank you ever so much for the entertainment, and I do mean that sincerely as it was very funny to watch!!! 

Heading back onto the pitch as rugby becomes more physical than ever choosing the Out On The Full Hit Of The Season has become almost impossible, week in week out we witness players being smashed into next year and I count my lucky stars that I am not out there on the pitch however there is one hit that happened fairly recently that we all enjoyed!!! I’m 99% sure that you will already know the one that I mean, it was delivered by referee Wayne Barnes on Schalk Brits and it gets better and better every time you watch it due to Schalk’s stunning facial expressions. Schalk has been phenomenal this season, he does things that no-one else in his position even dares to attempt and on top of that he is a lovely man. Many others players would have been terribly disgruntled by all the stick that has been directed his way since that fateful tackle but Schalk has simply taken it in his stride and I’ve heard that he might even use it on his own highlights reel when he eventually retires!!! The Out On The Full Hit Of The Season is awarded to referee Wayne Barnes with a little help from the weight of his Ref Cam!

Another Saracen that has been making the headlines is Jacques Burger, he has been outstanding from Round 1 and I believe that he could have been nominated for the Aviva Premiership Player Of The Month every single month, however in the spirit of 'sharing the love’ he wasn't. Jacques' complete disregard for his own safety whilst tackling and the fact that he often leads with his face has meant that he has received more stitches in one season than I have in my lifetime and continues to attack every single game in exactly the same way regardless of whether he has recently had bits of him stitched back together. More recently we have learned about the amount of maintenance work that he has to put in off the field to be able to go out and play the game that he loves and personally I am tremendously grateful for his dedication as he enriches all of our rugby lives. The only fitting title for this award is the Out On The Full Commitment To The Cause Award.

Stitches central! @Nabasboer

The formal awards for the Aviva Premiership Player of the Season, Director of Rugby of the Season, Young Player Of The Season and many more will be handed out at the Aviva Premiership Awards on 15th May and Out On The Full will be there to bring you all of the action from the evening and the reactions of the award winners therefore I am not going to even touch those categories!!!

The above are a selection of memorable moments/individuals from a season that has been one of the closest and most dramatic of recent years. Every single club, whether it has been mentioned or not, has contributed to a stunning 8 months of Aviva Premiership Rugby, it has been a joy to watch and write about. There are just three games left of the 13/14 season so it is time to savour every single minute of action before the Aviva Premiership closes its doors for another year. 

It’s a Knockout – Aviva Premiership Semi Finals

After 22 rounds of electric action it is time for the Semi Final knockouts... these two fixtures do not need a lengthy introduction as the word knockout says it all. It is sink or swim time for four giants of the Aviva Premiership and as spectators we are in for an almighty treat.

The first Aviva Premiership Semi Final kicks off at 7.45pm on Friday Night at Franklin’s Gardens as the Northampton Saints welcome the Leicester Tigers to town. Within the Aviva Premiership there are rivalries between sides that date back for centuries and local Derby Days were well known for their incomparable levels of drama and action, a Derby Day victory means that little bit more to all of the players and tastes just a touch sweeter than a usual Premiership win and the East Midlands Derby is one of the most intense rivalries of them all. 

Image Claire Jones 

Last weekend the Northampton Saints ran in 11 tries and obliterated London Wasps and they will need every ounce of that precision and confidence on Friday Night. In recent years the Tigers’ have been their ‘bogey’ team; indeed they have lost their  last three derbies at Franklin’s Gardens and then there was the small matter of what happened at last year's Aviva Premiership Final. Therefore the question must be asked does this make Northampton underdogs? In my eyes not necessarily, the Saints have a few new weapons in their armoury and some of their older ones have been given a new lease of life this year. The added fire power that George North and Kahn Fotulali’i provide should not be underestimated, they have the ability to win games single handedly and are experienced at delivering on big occasions. Stephen Myler is a different man this season, now he oozes confidence, albeit in a quiet unassuming manner, and has been instrumental in everything that has been brilliant about the side this year. The dependability and talent of their Old Guard should not be forgotten; the likes of Tom Wood, Phil Dowson and Ben Foden will lead the side and whilst the loss of Dylan Hartley to injury is a blow it is not necessarily a killer one. All in all Saints are different prospect to the one that they were almost 12 months ago, over the last 8 months they have made other Premiership sides look like child's play and on Friday night Franklin's Gardens will be rocking and Mallinder's men will feel believe that they are more than capable of winning the most important Derby Day of the season.

Last weekend at Welford Road the Leicester Tigers were finally able to field an almost fully fit squad for the first time in an extremely long time, their season, like others, has been decimated by injuries and it has pushed their resilience almost to breaking point. There were moments during the year when we doubted that they would even reach the playoffs however they have fought harder than they have ever done before to be in with a shot of retaining their Aviva Premiership Title. In The Rugby Paper this week the Tigers’ pack were described as ‘gnarly’ and for me that is an extremely fitting description of Cockers' forwards. The forward battle on Friday night will be gigantic and personally I cannot wait to see it, now for those of you that know me well that is a big statement, as normally my focus is a little biased towards the beauty of the backs!! Tigers' back line flair will be delivered by the dynamic Manu Tuilagi, whose battle with Luther Burrell makes me almost giddy with excitement and the insatiable Vereniki Goneva. Tigers’ season may have been difficult however right now they will have confidence in themselves and believe that they can continue their stranglehold over their East Midlands Rivals and progress forwards into yet another Aviva Premiership Final.

Premiership Final place please!

The second Semi Final is on Saturday afternoon in High Barnet between the league leaders, Saracens and the big finishers, Harlequins at Allianz Park. Saracens have dominated proceedings since September and I believe that they only relinquished the top spot of the Aviva Premiership Table for one week in the entire year. They have delighted us with their progression from a slightly one dimensional team to a team that is truly exciting and exhilarating to watch. In Europe they delivered one of the best performances from an English side that we have seen in years and if they do that again on Saturday afternoon then boy are we in for a treat and a half! Just why are Saracens so good!? In my eyes it is the blend of brute power and strength coupled with their hunger to score tries and run the ball, the leadership of Steve Borthwick, the fineness of Owen Farrell, the feet of Chris Ashton and David Strettle and the all around awesomeness (I believe that, that is a word) of Schalk Brits and Jacques Burger are just some of their major assets. The question of emotional wear out will not raise its head just yet for Saracens, this Semi Final the start of the biggest month in the club’s history and it is vital that they begin it with a win.

Harlequins’ season, like Leicester’s, has been absolutely ravaged by injuries and just a month ago many fans believed that their playoff dreams were down and out however the players had other ideas. In my eyes Harlequins are the team with the greatest momentum going into these knockout matches and the confidence that they gained beating Bath last weekend should not be underestimated. Harlequins have their own outrageously brilliant talents and assets and that makes them an extremely exciting team to watch. Quins rarely play a boring game of rugby and instead treat us all to scintillating games filled with excitement and the odd heart in mouth moment when they choose to run from extremely deep!! Chris Robshaw’s leadership and work-rate is just one of the critical elements they will need this weekend, the others are the experience and vision of Nick Evans, the enforcing nature of Nick Easter, the spectacular hands and feet of Danny Care and of course every element of Mike Brown! Will their pack have enough to fight the Wolfpack!? Who knows... however I can tell you one thing and that is that they will put up an almighty fight at Allianz Park. If Quins take the lead early and continue to ride on their wave of momentum and confidence we could see one of the biggest upsets in the history of the knockouts... who knows!?!

As you can probably tell I am like a child at Christmas ahead of these two immense Semi Final fixtures, we have 4 sides that are filled to bursting point with World Class talent and just 2 tiny spaces in the Aviva Premiership Final. Now is not the time for the fainthearted, the rugby will be fast paced and brutal and the players must be fearless in their quest for victory. It is time to brace yourselves because these matches will be unlike anything that we have seen this season, why? Because it's a knockout! 

Northampton Saints Photos © Claire Jones RedHatPhoto.com all proceeds supporting Restart, the rugby players' charity.

Brutal and Extremely Emotional - Aviva Premiership Round 22 Review

There you have it, the regular season is over, *insert a large sigh or even a little sob here, it has been a dramatic season of rugby and Round 22 was the icing on the cake. So let's dive into a full review of the action; 

At 3.15pm The Stoop and Harlequins braced themselves for the most emotional game of the

season, as Bath Rugby arrived in town for their head to head, winner takes all, playoff shoot out. With so much on the line it was always going to be physical but my goodness me it was difficult to watch at times, even the players on the benches were wincing at some of the hits. The first blood, went to Eusebio Guinazu and Bath’s hooker crisis was tested however Tom Dunn stood up well to the task at hand. O'Shea's men were brutal and unsurprisingly George Ford received a huge amount of ‘special attention’ as they ran at him time and time again however he is a tough young man and relentlessly took the hits. It was George's stunning piece of brilliance that gave Bath their try and whilst they made multiple line breaks they didn't finish them all and it was their lack of clinical precision that cost them the game. Harlequins’ big game players delivered as we all knew that they would; Chris Robshaw, Nick Easter, Mike Brown, Danny Care and Nick Evans all were electric and I think that young Dave Ward booked his seat on the plane to New Zealand. Bath’s pack stood up as they have done all season however Harlequins simply had 1% more than their visitors; Bath were courageous and they gave it absolutely everything that they had however in the end it wasn't enough and Quins' stunning resurgence continues. Final Score Harlequins 19 Bath 16

Image Claire Jones

Northampton needed just one point to book their home Semi Final and they achieved that within 38 minutes. London Wasps raced to a 13 - 0 start thanks to tries from Charlie Davies and Tom Varndell however after that they didn't score again in the match and Northampton Saints ran in 11 tries! It was the largest win of the season and for London Wasps it was a nightmare; Dai Youngs said that the performance was 'pretty embarrassing' and it was certainly a huge comedown from the high of qualifying for Europe last weekend. Northampton had a ball, they relaxed and opened up to devastating effect; captain Phil Dowson scored two, as did Lee Dickson and George North stretched his oh so powerful legs. Alex Corbisiero enjoyed a good half an hour of rugby and it was great to see him back on the pitch again after such a long spell  out. Saints' record breaking win sets them up for their outrageously exciting Semi Final against the Tigers whilst Wasps must regroup quickly to host Stade Francais at home. Final Score Northampton Saints 74 Wasps 13

Talking about Leicester they welcomed a 'young' Saracens side to Welford Road, on paper it was supposed to be a walk in the park for Cockers’ men however in practice it was a little more challenging. Toby Flood’s pinpoint kicking was fitting of his final home match at Welford Road whilst the emergence of Tom Croft from the bench with 10 minutes to go made the whole country smile and not just those at Welford Road. Saracens’ strong performance was jaded by a red card (just after half time) to German International Justin Meck as it was thought that he had eye gouged another player, Saracens are working hard to have this decision overturned as soon as possible as it is believed to have been a terrible mistake on the part of the officials. Young Maro Itoje (England U20 Flanker) enjoyed his first ever Premiership start, Ben Spencer ignited proceedings from scrum half and overall it was a competitive affair and more thrilling than it should have been in the circumstances. Leicester finished the day unscathed and now they will travel to Franklin’s Gardens for a repeat of last year’s Aviva Premiership Final. Saracens head home to Allianz Park where most of this squad will not feature heavily in their Semi Final  against Quins however they all will be richer for their Welford Road experience. Final Score Leicester 31 Saracens 27

Worcester ended their Premiership campaign at Sixways and gave their extremely loyal fans something to smile about recording a 28 - 27 win over Gloucester. Dean Ryan's men showed tenacity and character to overcome a slightly depleted Gloucester side and finished their Premiership season with a smile. It was a day to remember for two reasons for Freddie Burns, firstly it was his final game for the Cherry and Whites and secondly due to the fact that he ran out with his younger brother Billy for the first time. Sticking with the visitors in attack they opened up, Jonny May reminded us all why he is considered to be a 'special talent' and Shane Monahan added to his try count. Gloucester's game summed up their season as they gave away some silly penalities and stupid errors... the famous d word, discipline, cost them yet again. Worcester's resurgence came too late however hats off to their backbone Jonathan Thomas and Chris Pennell for leading the side with dignity and charisma throughout this match and the season. The Championship awaits for the Warriors and we all wish them extremely well whilst for Gloucester it is holiday time!! Final Score Worcester 28 Gloucester 27 

London Irish's last game of the season was at the Madjeski against the Sale Sharks. The home side's recent Aviva Premiership form has been less than ideal having lost 7 of their last 8 fixtures and they targeted this match to finish with a bang. For the Sharks it was a 'nothing game' they had 80 minutes to enjoy before the off-season and by their own admission they struggled to get motivated for the match. Two of Irish's departing Exiles signed off in style; Marland Yarde crossed with a trademark blistering run whilst James O'Connor's boot added valuable points to their tally. Andrew Fenby continued his stunning form with two tries and that was that. If this match had been played during the middle of the season Steve Diamond would certainly have had something to say to his men who 'threw away' a 17-7 lead instead he is more concerned that they won't have any buses close by for their end of season party, I promise that wasn't made up he was quoted saying that!! As a team the Sharks have been extremely impressive and now the focus shifts to one Shark in particular to see if he will be on the plane to NZ. Good Luck Mr Cipriani!  Final Score London Irish 22 Sale Sharks 20

The final match of the weekend was between the Newcastle Falcons and the Exeter Chiefs up at Kingston Park or as many would call it a ‘dead rubber’ match, however for 20 year old Luke Cowan-Dickie it was one of the biggest match's of his career as Stuart Lancaster was sat in the stands just to watch him. England’s hooker crisis is well documented and indeed a problem however Luke passed his audition with flying colours, he scored a try and worked tirelessly for 64 minutes, his performance shouted; “Hello Mr Lancaster I’m your man, I want to help you out!!” Switching the focus to the Newcastle Falcons they went into the match with a fifteen match winless run and sadly they didn't break that however in parts they played some good rugby. I keep banging on about him however young Joel Hodgson turned heads once again and commanded the game... after another off season of gym work expect him to return to the Premiership bigger and stronger again. The Chiefs successfully released a lot of their frustration after their topsy turvy season and Henry Slade reminded us all of his credentials for now and the future. Exeter will aim for a touch more consistency next year whilst Dean Richards has already said that he will change his side’s game plan completely and utilise his new signings (notably the two Tuilagi brothers) to great effect in the 2014/15 season. Final Score Newcastle Falcons 13 Exeter Chiefs 23

So that is that... after 22 rounds of rugby we have our four Aviva Premiership Semi Finalists and now I suggest that you fasten your seat belts because from hereon-in it is going to be a bumpy ride through to the Final on 31st May.  

Northampton Saints Photos © Claire Jones RedHatPhoto.com all proceeds supporting Restart, the rugby players' charity.

Winning Is Everything - Aviva Premiership Round 22 Preview

So here we are, we have reached the final round of the Aviva Premiership 2013/14 season, and it has been one of the closest and most dramatic seasons of recent years. Over the past 8 months there have been twists and turns in the race for European action, some clubs have exceeded expectations whilst others have fallen short and as fans we have delighted in countless minutes of outstanding action. Now, it all comes down to this; six matches, one round of rugby, and then it is time for the knockouts. Courtesy of Round 21 we now have our very own Aviva Premiership Quarter Final Match as well as five other extremely competitive fixtures that will complete the 'group' stages of the Aviva Premiership. On Saturday afternoon all of the fixtures will all kick off at 3.15pm, so without any further introduction for the last time let’s dive into the action and preview the forthcoming round of Aviva Premiership Action;

In the North of the country the Newcastle Falcons welcome the Exeter Chiefs to Kingston Park. The Falcons and their supporters can now breathe a huge sigh of relief after they secured a place in Premiership for another year last weekend. Dean Richards’ side have had quite a challenging season, as do so many clubs that are newly promoted from the Championship however they have survived and they will want to showcase their full repertoire of skills at the weekend. The Exeter Chiefs have also had their fair share of challenges this year, from the highs of their early season form and their LV Cup winning performance to their Round 20 low against the Sale Sharks... it must have been emotional to be part of the Tribe this year. The Chiefs so narrowly lost out to Harlequins in Round 21 and it is certain that Dean Mumm and his men will want to show just how much further on they are in their development than the Falcons. If the sun is shining then I’m expecting another fast paced game, both sides have some stunning runners; Sinoti, Cato and Vainikolo are the most prolific and if either forget to pack their defence then we could be in for another try fest.

Welford Road is likely to be an emotional place this weekend as the fans will say goodbye to Club Captain Toby Flood before he heads to France. The Tigers are hosting Saracens in what could be a rehearsal for an Aviva Premiership Semi Final however that all depends on the outcome of the match at The Stoop. Arguably the best way to describe Leicester’s season would be to say that it has been a bit of a nightmare, however like the true champions that they are they have battled through and secured themselves a playoff spot regardless. It says an awful lot about Richard Cockerill, his coaching team and the players that they have pushed themselves into such a strong position in spite of everything and I expect them to continue pushing hard this weekend to retain their momentum. Saracens have blossomed, in this month’s Rugby World Richard Wigglesworth said that his team has ‘evolved’ and they consciously made a decision to ‘stop forcing tries’ and boy has it paid off. Saracens put out a nearly full strength squad against Worcester however this weekend they have decided to utilise their full squad, Jamie George will captain the side from Hooker in a 'young' line up... with a few experienced heads thrown in there. 

At the Madjeski Stadium London Irish will welcome the Sale Sharks for both sides’ last game of the season... signing off on a high will be the aim and I suspect that tries will be the result. Steve Diamond is a very strong contender for the DoR of the Season and rightly so as he has unlocked the best from his side after last year’s skirmish with potential relegation. This year Sale have been a tight unit, they have been powerfully led from the front by Dan Braid and his pack whilst in behind them Dwayne Peel and Danny Cipriani have pushed the charge from the half backs. Since the arrival of James O’Connor in late October London Irish have played with more confidence though they haven’t delivered the type of consistency that they would have hoped. Alex Lewington has made headlines with his performances and up front Blair Cowen has been phenomenal. On Saturday afternoon the Exiles will wish to give their home crowd a show whilst the Sharks will want to end the year as they started it with a big fat W next to their name.  

Worcester’s last game in the Aviva Premiership will be on home soil at Sixways against Gloucester. It must be extremely difficult to go through the emotions of being relegated and still have to pick yourselves up and play one final match however the Warriors certainly know a thing or two about resilience so I expect them to fight hard at home. Gloucester, have had a really tough year, watching Charlie Sharples on Rugby Tonight last week it appeared even the players can’t quite put their finger on why things just haven't gelled on the pitch. Gloucester’s players like their supporters are proud rugby folk and I would bet my house (if I owned one) on the fact that they won’t have another season like this one for a number of years. For 80 minutes pride will be at stake for both sides, a win for Worcester may be immaterial however it would mean the world to the squad whist the Cherry and Whites will be targeting a bonus point victory that screams class.

Image Claire Jones

The first of the two televised matches is at Franklin’s Gardens where two teams that will be very happy with themselves face each other; the Northampton Saints versus London Wasps. Northampton’s happiness stems from the fact they have sewn up their home playoff position after that dramatic draw against Bath whilst Harlequins did London Wasps a huge favour beating the Chiefs last weekend and guaranteed them a trip to France for the European Playoff. Northampton have reintroduced, George North, Christian Day and Lee Dickson into the starting line up to  them game time following their various injuries and it is great to see Alex Corbisiero is back on the bench after a very long spell out of the game.  London Wasps have rotated their side to rest a number of players with knocks (Masi, Helu, Cooper-Wooley, Myall) or wrap a couple in cotton wool (Haskell, Simpson, Mullun). Dai Youngs sums it up perfectly; "We want to win every match we play and we are determined to get something out of this game. We also know we have a huge couple of weeks ahead of us in the home and away play-off for the European Rugby Champions Cup. We are not yet in a position where we can match the depth of squad of a club like Stade Francais and so we have had to be sensible in our selection, resting some players who have niggles to make sure they are fully fit next week, while also giving some players needed game time to ensure we are selecting from a balanced squad.” 

The final game to preview is what is now known as the Aviva Premiership Quarter Final, the knockout game between Harlequins and Bath at The Stoop. It is very simple, winning is everything, the winner takes all and will progress into the playoffs. There will be no speculation regarding selection decisions, both sides will field their strongest match day 23's possible and it will be epic. Bath and Harlequins have the potential to play stunning rugby; they have delicious combinations of ferocious forwards and blistering backs and light up whichever stadium they are playing in. Nick Easter will make his 232nd appearance, equalling Ceri Jones' record for the highest professional appearances for the club. Crucially Mike Brown is fit to start and George Robson returns to the starting line up.... two huge assets for the side and today supporters can breathe a sigh of relief. Bath have made just one change to their starting line up from Round 21 and that is to sort their own 'hooker crisis' as Eusebio Guinazu replaces the injured Rob Webber in the number two jersey for the winner-takes-all game, with Tom Dunn coming onto the bench for Ross Batty. The stage is set for a humongous battle at The Stoop... winning is everything. 

All that is left for me to say is let the games begin....

Out On The Full Introduces Rugby's Big Try Out

The Aviva Premiership is without a doubt one of the most exciting competitions in the world, for 9 months of the year our lives are enriched by the outrageously brilliant talents of our Aviva Premiership on the field and this May we are going to be treated to some of their off the field talents at ‘Rugby’s Big Try Out’.

Rugby’s Big Try Out is a fundraising event for The Matt Hampson Foundation and it will take place in London in just a couple of weeks time. The Matt Hampson Foundation continues to grow and develop helping those that have been seriously injured through sport. Matt Hampson is a truly inspirational individual and the work that he does through his foundation to assist others that have had their lives changed forever due to sports injuries is phenomenal. 

So just what is ‘Rugby’s Big Try Out’? Well if you think Britain’s Got Talent minus Simon Cowell and the dancing dogs then you won’t be far away!! The individuals whose talents will be judged will come from a range of our Premiership and Championship clubs... the players have been asked to bring their A Games in order to show us all, judges included, exactly what they are made of off the pitch!! The host for the evening and the man who will be keeping the proceedings and players in check is Mr George Chuter and I’ve been told from the organisers that the acts are deep in rehearsals already! Rumours of a boyband, a comedy act or two and even a magic set have reached me at Out On The Full, so I, like you, am hoping that we are going to be in for a great evening of entertainment!  Kelly Brown has confirmed that he will be performing on the night and I spoke to him about his act and why he has chosen to perform;

"The Matt Hampson Foundation is a fantastic charity and it is something that we at Saracens really relate to because of Henry Fraser so as soon as I was asked to take part I was absolutely delighted to say yes. When I was at school I used to sing, in choirs and school shows so now whenever I'm asked to sing on the bus I struggle to look as reluctant as possible and then I get up there and enjoy belting out a song. I know that to quite a lot of people that rugby players are simply seen as 'meatheads' but I think see if we have any other talents."

The evening will take place at The No1 Sports Bar in Moorgate, London on 20th May and is set to be a once in a season experience! Tickets are available here and all proceeds from the night will go directly to The Matt Hampson Foundation. I can't wait to see what the players have in store for us and am hoping that it will be a truly unforgettable night!!! 

Now That's What I Call Rugby - Aviva Premiership Round 21 Review

Round 21, the sharp end of proceedings, the business end of the season... whatever you wish to call it this weekend the Aviva Premiership got serious, very serious and we were treated to some tumultuous matches as a result. On Friday we still had twelve teams in the Aviva Premiership, we still had no idea which team would take on the European challenge or which teams would be in the playoffs in a few weeks time... now after a staggering 46 tries things are a little clearer!

The action started underneath the Friday Night Lights at The Rec, it was a gladiatorial battle between Bath Rugby and the Northampton Saints that was filled with drama from minute one to minute eighty one. The game was eye wateringly physical, the defensive intensity was up there with the level that we see in Test Match Rugby and both teams should be immensely proud of their efforts. The moments of attacking magic that penetrated the brutal defence were provided by the fly halves; George Ford’s sublime individual try enthralled us all whilst Stephen Myler showed his full box of tricks with a stunning offload to put in young Jamie Elliott. Amongst all of the brutality there was the small matter of the ‘hooker/no hooker, 14/15 men’ puzzle to decipher and in the end Nathan Catt showed a huge amount of character and heart and stepped in to play Hooker for his side instead of reducing them to 14 men and uncontested scrums. The immense effort that he showed epitomised the desire of both teams and the 19 apiece final score was fitting for what was a truly gutsy game of Premiership Rugby. 

On Saturday at Adams Park London Wasps hosted Newcastle Falcons and the crowd were treated to an 82 point thriller courtesy of 11 tries! Newcastle were quickest off the blocks in both halves and Dai Young's will certainly wish to sort out his side's tendency to let teams go ahead before they play their best rugby quickly. Throughout the game Newcastle's wingers Sinoti Sinoti and Noah Cato proved to be difficult for Wasps to handle and Joel Hodgson had a near-on faultless day at the office. However the home side really took it to Wasps up front and in the back row. Will Helu scored what could be a very strong contender for try of the season and eventually the experience of Wasps proved too much for Dean Richard’s side. Wasps had a nervous wait to find out if their bonus point victory was enough to secure them the European playoff spot and reliable on Harlequins to do a job at Sandy Park, thankfully they did and Wasps will now head to France to take on Stade Francais in their quest for European Rugby next year.

  

Kingsholm has seen its fair share of ‘interesting’ displays this season however things ended on a high this weekend in front of almost 15,000 fans as Gloucester held on to secure a hard fought win over London Irish. Neither side has consistently delivered form that befits their on paper potential however both did deliver in Round 21. The game was a swinger in terms of the scoreline with Gloucester going 17-5 up before Irish pulled back to 27-25. Shane Monahan and Marland Yarde both scored hat tricks and Freddie Burns signed off his tenure of Gloucester with a reminder of how well he can play. An ankle injury to Billy Twelvetrees will need to be quickly assessed and treated if he is to take part next weekend and then be on the plane for England's Summer Tour and equally Charlie Sharples’ dead leg may give Stuart Lancaster cause for concern. In the hours after the game it came to light that Mike Tindall looks set to retire from rugby, at the age of 35 he has had a glorious career and you can't blame him for wanting to enjoy family life and fatherhood however what did surprise me was the fact that that the option of playing for another year wasn’t given to him... surely Mike Tindall MBE is an asset to any squad in particular Gloucester ?

The AJ Bell Stadium enjoyed one of its largest crowds of the year as over 10,000 fans watched the Sale Sharks take on the Leicester Tigers. Leicester needed a bonus point win to guarantee their playoff position and they secured it pushing aside a Sharks side that just weren't quite clinical enough when it came to putting the points on the board. The Tigers’ End of Season award winners were all in fine form; Mulipola, Gibson and Williams showcased their talents although Owen Williams will be less than happy with his couple of misses. Sale did eventually score some tries; Mike Paterson, departing prop Henry Thomas and Johnny Leota all crossed to make the score look much more respectable however the game was out of their reach. It must be said that Leota's try was particularly spectacular and I'll confidently eat my hat if it isn't part of the Try Of The Week contest however it was too late. A certain Stuart Lancaster was once again in attendance and it will be interesting to see if he thinks that Danny Cipriani has done enough to be included in the touring squad over the summer, as I've said before I do hope so. On the whole it was the visitors’ day; they secured their playoff position for the tenth year in a row and can relax in Round 22 before the real work starts again the week after. 

  

At Allianz Park Saracens dealt Worcester the killer blow that confirmed their relegation from the Aviva Premiership and they did so with some force. The question of whether Mark McCall was going to rest all of his key men was answered on Friday lunchtime when he announced a near full strength squad for the match and from that point onwards you felt that it was always going to go Saracens’ way. Dean Ryan’s men showed tenacity and character throughout, as they have done all season however Saracens were simply too strong and too powerful. Jackson Wray will rejoice in his hat trick of tries for a long time to come and the try scoring machine that is Chris Ashton added another two to his tally. Casting an eye over the Warriors I make no apologies for singling out Chris Pennell once again as he oozed class and the Aviva Premiership will be a poorer place without him. After the game Dean Ryan spoke candidly; "What happened to this club had to happen, there aren’t many clubs that would have the balls to take the drastic change that was needed and we are going to try and grow a proper rugby club. There are some big players in that changing room and being in the Championship is going to hurt egos and test humility but it’s a drive to make sure we come back to this level and grow”. We wish the Warriors well in the Championship and hope to see them back very soon.

The final game of the weekend was by far the most dramatic as the Exeter Chiefs welcomed Harlequins to Sandy Park and the result was a blockbuster.  The home side had a lot of making up to do after their Round 20 ‘Sale Slump’ whilst Harlequins had their playoff destiny in their own hands. Harlequins' were dealt a huge blow before kick off when Mike Brown and Sam Smith were both ruled out due to injuries. The loss of the two men did make a difference, Brown in particular however Harlequins are made of strong stuff and boy did it show. Dean Mumm added a lot of the stability that they were missing and scrum half Dave Lewis lead from 9 brilliantly.  Exeter certainly buried the demons of Round 20 however they will be bitterly disappointed to not have hung onto the match and kept their European hopes alive. Harlequins’ never say die attitude was simply outstanding coming back from 23-5 down to win the match. Man of the match Dave Ward continued to showcase his very large box of talents whilst Robshaw, Easter and Evans all used their years of experience to drive their team to the narrowest of victories. The result means that next weekend at The Stoop it is a winner takes all match between the home side and Bath Rugby for that final knockout position... it really be absolutely cut-throat and I can't wait to watch it unfold.

So there you have it Round 21 was befitting of a gloriously sunny May Bank Holiday weekend, at times it has a certain Super 15 feel to it such was the flow of tries. Now that the action is over there is only one unknown left, which team will secure that final playoff place? Will it be Bath or will it be Harlequins? Only time will tell...

Northampton Saints Photos © Claire Jones RedHatPhoto.com all proceeds supporting Restart, the rugby players' charity.