England vs. New Zealand - The First Test

11,340 miles away men wearing white shirts with a red rose on them are about to embark on one of the toughest tours of their International careers. The All Blacks have led the way for years and they don't plan on relinquishing their stranglehold on world rugby any time soon, however this Summer with a home Rugby World Cup fast approaching England need to disrupt their Southern Hemisphere rivals and continue on their own coming of age journey.

Let's not beat around the bush here... the All Blacks are brilliant, their fitness, skill set and all around rugby prowess often leaves you open mouthed and silent in awe. In front of a home crowd they are expected to win and they are expected to demolish their opponents without a second glance. Under the reign of Steve Hanson they have managed to bring through some exciting talents without disrupting their momentum, with Dan Carter still on sabbatical starting Aaron Cruden is a given and no longer something that AB fans worry about.

Brode Retallick's shambolic first press conference was well documented this week... for those of you who missed it Brode couldn't name a single England players' name! Could it be that Brode thinks England just aren't important enough to know their names? Who knows? What I do know is that's.  it will certainly add a little spice to Saturday's fixture...  I can't wait for every squad member to personally introduce themselves to Brode in their own 'special way'!!!

The man that has pushed the side forward from the back row has been Kieran Reid, Reid eptiomises Kiwi rugby he is hard working, hard as nails and a phenomenal athlete, however on Saturday his side must do without him as he has suffered a reoccurrence of  his concussion symptoms that have kept him sidelined since April. Julian Savea also misses out due to a knee injury, Cory Jane and Jerome Kaino take their places, Kaino after a two-and-a-half-year absence from the set up... both must step up and fill the large shoes they are substituting for. Hanson's starting XV boasts 779 caps, almost every man has been there and done it all before, none more so than captain Richie McCaw who will receive his 124th cap!

England are not expected to win this first test, the 'seamless scheduling' means that Stuart's side isn't filled with his first choice players however personally I'm not completely writing them off. By now I'm sure that you all realise that I am an optimist, although not I hope that you also realise that I am not unrealistically so. My thought process with regard to not fully writing England off goes something like this; first, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that a player with five starts can be just as influential as one with fifty, being totally and utterly written off by most can have it's merits, just ask the 2012 side that ran out at Twickenham against McCaw's men. Second, this England XV has a point to prove, certain individuals more than others and that desire can produce rugby of a level that we haven't seen before. Yes, there are other men waiting in the wings however this XV know that if they deliver, collectively, then individually they may just secure that test jersey for another week. Reviewing the team selection that was announced late last night, I'm surprised to see Freddie Burns starting at 10, we all watched Freddie's nightmare domestic season unfold and is the question lingering is this; is International brilliance possible off the back of such a fragmented and frustrating time!? In an early press conference Stuart did say that fly half would be picked on form and that what panned out on the training field would heavily influence his decision, so let's hope that Freddie is flying! Kyle Eastmond starts at inside centre, I'd really like to see him open up and flourish with the support of a certain wrecking ball he must realise his full potential for 80 minutes. The news today that Danny Care is not fit to play the match due a shoulder injury does sway things further in the All Blacks favour. Ben Youngs starts and Lee Dickson moves onto the bench, both must step their games up another notch or three...! It can be done however the loss of Care could be pivotal. 

Crucially England must not be intimidated, Stuart Lancaster's side must erase any thoughts that they might not be good enough and instead run out of the tunnel confident in the knowledge that they have what it takes beat the competition. England must start well, they must stifle the threats of Dagg, Jane and Nonu early on, deal with the brutality of McCaw and his reliable pack and then flourish in their own game. The experience of Geoff Parling, Chris Robshaw and James Haskell and the physicality of Manu Tuilagi all critical elements in a game plan that will be focused on defensive brutality and blistering attacking intent. This weekend England have an almighty task on their hands, they are the underdogs and no-one is expecting them to win. The question is will they surprise us all and produce something majestic or will they fall short? Today, a couple of days before the big event we hope for the former and expect the latter... England it is over to you, show us what you are made of. 


England: Mike Brown (Harlequins); Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Manu Tuilagi, (Leicester Tigers), Kyle Eastmond (Bath), Jonny May (Gloucester); Freddie Burns (Leicester Tigers), Danny Care (Harlequins); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Rob Webber (Bath), David Wilson (Bath), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), James Haskell (Wasps), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), Ben Morgan (Gloucester) Replacements: Joe Gray (Harlequins), Matt Mullan (London Wasps), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), Dave Attwood (Bath), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks), Chris Pennell (Worcester)

New Zealand: Israel Dagg; Ben Smith, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Cory Jane, Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith; Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (captain), Liam Messam, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Tony Woodcock Replacements: Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Patrick Tuipulotu, Victor Vito, TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Malakai Fekitoa

KO 8.35am Saturday - Sky Sports 1

Out On The Full - Summer, Summer, Summer Times

If you are anything like me then your anxiety levels have been slowly building for the past few weeks as the end of the domestic rugby season has crept up on us. Weekends are made for watching Premiership Rugby and now that the season has ended we have a situation to deal with; how to fill that Premiership sized hole in our lives! They say that a problem shared is a problem halved therefore Out On The Full is going to tackle this issue head on and provide some suggestions and dates for the diary to keep you occupied during this challenging time.

This time last year we were gearing up for a tremendous month of British and Irish Lions action and this summer we revert back to the single nation variety. The Junior World Cup has already kicked off and that will reach its climax on 20th June whilst at a Senior Level the matches are just about to start. England have the mammoth challenge of taking on New Zealand in their own backyard, 3 tests and a mid-week fixture will certainly show what Stuart Lancaster's men are made of and I can't wait to watch them unfold!! Equally the other home nations will be tested to the max on their respective travels;  Wales are off to South Africa, Ireland to Argentina and  Scotland have their first tour under Vern Cotter with tests against USA, Canada, Argentina and South Africa. All of these matches take place across on the same weekends in June, 7th/8th, 14th/15th, 21st/22nd and Scotland finish on Saturday 28th. The games will be live on Sky Sports and England's matches are early morning kick offs so watching them with a hearty Full English seems like the best course of action to me.... although having a pint in hand is optional!!

In July, on Saturday 12th, we have the Sevens and The City Tournament at Allianz Park and the Legends Rugby Festival at Wimbledon RFC. The Legends Rugby Festival started last year and showcases the experienced members of our distinguished game. Old club rivalries will be rekindled in a strong top tier competition that includes whole host of Aviva Premiership sides and I've been informed that some rather well known faces will be dusting off their boots for the day. An Out On The Full Legends Festival Preview will be coming soon!  The inaugural Sevens and The City Tournament will take place at Allianz Park, it is the brainchild of Matt Stevens and David Strettle. Sevens and The City will be a great mix of elite rugby and rugby of the more ‘recreational’ variety as well as a Netball and 4Fittest their athletic competition. Saracens’ fans were treated to a taster of the entertainment side of things at their last home game when the Sevens and The City Jacuzzi arrived pitch-side! All in all and it promises to be a day filled with entertainment and enjoyment.  The elite competition will be broadcast live on BT Sport as a couple of the teams are using it as a warm up for the Commowealth Games.

Personally I’d then advice a little holiday for a few days, 4 maybe 5 at maximum before the end of July when everything kicks off again. Obviously if you like the round ball game then you can catch the latter stages of the Football World Cup but for those of you that are like me and find the thought of watching 90 minutes of football extremely difficult to swallow then of rest and recuperation will be the best option!

The Commonwealth Games will be live from Glasgow on 26th and 27th July and then domestic action returns, woooho!! This year the Premiership Rugby 7s Series will be larger than ever before as the Welsh Regions will take part for the first time. The BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park is the venue for the Welsh leg between Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, Ospreys, and Scarlets and then the English stages will be held at Kingsholm, Kingston Park and the Final will be at The Stoop. The Premiership Rugby 7s Series always showcases a whole host of talent to watch out for, for the year ahead, last year we saw the likes of Charlie Walker and Blaine Scully thrive in the sunshine at Allianz Park so expect a few ‘unknowns’ to turn heads again in 2014. Across the other side of the world the Super Rugby Final will take place and in France England Women will embark on their quest for world domination in the Women's World Cup.

Another 7s date for the diary is the World Club 7s tournament, on 16th & 17th August. Over two days Twickenham will host some electric footwork from all parts of the world, the NSW Waratahs, New York 7s and a host of other clubs will battle it out on the hallowed turf to be crowed the World Club 7s Champion. Last year the man of the tournament was Carlin Isles and this year’s tournament is guaranteed to be just as exciting as the last! Finally if you enjoy your Super Rugby then The Rugby Championship starts on 16th August, the annual tournament between Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina always delivers absolutely stunning rugby and its fair share of drama.

So I do hope that this article re-assures you that all is not lost during the summer months, there is plenty of rugby action, across the country and broadcast on TV to keep you occupied before the pre-season matches begin in mid August. Premiership Rugby will release their fixture list for the 2014/15 season on Friday 4th July and for those of you with a vested interest in the new European Rugby Champions Cup fixture list that will be launched officially in Switzerland on Tuesday 10th June!

Out On The Full will continue to bring you articles and features throughout the summer, starting with all of the England action this week! So for now it is time to iron those International shirts and get ready for a few early starts as the Summer Tours kick off in earnest in just a few days time. 

The View From Twickenham - England vs. Barbarians

At Twickenham Stadium on Sunday afternoon ‘an England XV’ showed a fierce amount of heart and determination against an extremely experienced and talented Barbarians side. Last year England cruised to victory however under the tutelage of Dean Richards and Mike Tindall the 2014 Barbarians side meant business and used every single one of their 700 plus caps to end the day victorious.

Much was discussed before the game regarding the age and inexperience of this England side and some feared that they would be steamrolled by the likes of Rokocoko, Leguizamon and however in the gorgeous June sunshine thankfully that was not the case. Crucially and indeed pleasingly for all involved in England Rugby to a man every single player took the occasion in their stride and delivered. Now of course we would always want to end a match on the right side of the score sheet however sometimes it is about more than just the result, it is about the performance after the match manager Jon Callard summed things up perfectly when he said; “it was an invaluable experience, even though as a coach you hurt because you we didn’t win, it will pay dividends for the future.” Jon singled out Henry Slade for his contribution throughout the match and I couldn't agree more. Henry is wise beyond his years and once again stepped up to mark and made it look extremely easy. For me another man stood out and that was full back Elliot Daly, now before you all say it I did see him miss a try saving tackle on Hosea Gear mid way through the second half however that was the only blemish on an otherwise impeccable day at the office. Daly’s natural speed and vision shone throughout and with an abundance of riches at fullback it would be great to see him run out at his preferred position Inside Centre next time area. Fanlly Captain Graham Kitchener led the side phenomenally; he oozed class and certainly held his own at the set piece and in the loose.

In his usual calm and matter of fact way acting Barbarian Head Coach Dean Ryan said that “the game was won because people kindly kicked to Hosea Gear” now obviously there was a little more to it than that, however Gear’s class was evident for all to see. On the pitch Ryan’s men put life back into the Barbarians’ shirt, the spirit of Barbarian rugby was never lost however somewhere over the last couple of years the competitiveness had gone slightly, however today it was back! In just one week, 10 nations came together and produced a display of rugby that was befitting of the history and tradition of the black and white striped shirt and they did it with a smile on their faces. Francois Trinh-Duc set a new trend when it comes to the socks protocol mixing and matching his boots and Juan Manuel Leguizamon led like a Champion.

For two members of the England squad it will be a nervous evening, there is just one spot left on the plane to New Zealand for a tighthead either Kyle Sinckler or Will Collier will get it. In the post match press conference Jon Callard found it difficult to pick between the two and he has gladly left the decision in the hands of the Senior Management. Over the next few hours we will find out which will head out to Auckland however one thing that we know for sure is that a tour to New Zealand in that position will be an even greater learning curve than this fixture against the Barbarians.

Today, an England XV taking on the Barbarians at Twickenham had everything that you could ask for from such a fixture, it gave 23 England players the chance to showcase their talents for now and for the future and the Barbarians highlighted their own athleticism and quality. English Rugby is in a good place right now, it is bursting with talent and enthusiasm and in spite of being on the wrong side of the result today’s fixture should be deemed a huge success. 

See all the Out On The Full Photos from Twickenham HERE

England vs. Barbarians

As the domestic season comes to a close it is time for England to take centre stage and this starts in a few hours time when a youthful and exciting England side take on the Barbarians. 

England versus the Barbarians is always a great fixture, it is a time that individuals emerge onto the International stage and show exactly what they are made of, 12 months ago Marland Yarde was handed his first taste of wearing the white jersey of England and today many others will be doing the same. The 2013 side ran out 40-12 winners against their star studded opponents and whilst this afternoon’s match will be tough the hope is that England will record a win.

This win won’t be easy to come by as the Barbarians house an almighty array of talent in their squad, between them they have over 700 International caps and represent 10 nations – on paper and I’m sure in practice they look to be quite a force to be reckoned with. Now you would have thought that with that much experience in the ranks nerves would be a thing of the past however you’d be wrong... the tradition of the Barbarians adds an extra dimension and weight of expectation to every player. This feeling was shared this week by Irish legend Donncha O’Callaghan who will play for the Barbarians for the first time today, in an interview with Nick Heath (@RugbyMedia) he admitted to feeling a huge weight of pressure because he wanted to deliver a performance that was befitting of the shirt. Donncha’s enthusiasm to ‘fulfil his boyhood dream’ of running out for the Barbarians showcased to us all how powerful the tradition name is and I strongly recommend you enjoy the full interview, the link at the end of the article. As mentioned throughout the Baa-Baa's squad the talent is extremely impressive and this week they’ve been training hard as well as enjoying a spot of fun too. The best Tweet that I saw, apart from the vast arrange of multi coloured boots on display during training, was from Juandre Kruger showcasing his and Jimmy Cowen’s #DinnerWithAMassage !! On the pitch this afternoon watch out for the experienced captain Juan Manuel Leguizamon, the feet and talent of Joe Rokocoko and the pivotal scrum half Jimmy Cowen, as I don’t think that we seen him at his very best yet this year! I expect Cowen to be prolific and with team-mates like O’Callaghan and Hosea Gear you can understand why I think this! 

Now, let’s turn the focus onto England and look at what they will bring to the party this weekend! The ‘seamless’ nature of this Summer Tour’s scheduling has been discussed until the cows come home and I am not going to dwell on that, instead I am going to draw your attention to the individuals that will be wearing white today. Some have called this a ‘nothing match’ and I must disagree, the 23 men that have been selected to represent their country will run out all guns blazing ready to do battle and show their worth, a strong performance will add to their credit in the England bank and could see them on the plane to New Zealand tomorrow!

England’s side is a delicious blend of experience and ‘youth’, it is filled with in form, exciting talents... as you all know I’m a sucker for an electric back line and the prospect of; Daly, Rokoduguni, Joseph, Hill, Sharples, Slade and Simpson makes me want to get up off my chair and do a little dance!! Daly sees things few others do, Rokoduguni, Sharples and Simpson all have electric pace and the Chief’s pairing of Hill and Slade finish things perfectly. I’m expecting a lot of meters to be made and eyes up rugby to be played on the bowling green surface that is Twickenham Stadium. All of these men have scored some sublime tries this year and wearing the red rose of England I’m expecting more of the same! The front 3; Harrison, Buchanan and Sinckler will have their work cut out with Taumalolo, Paulo and the Georgian Kubriashvili, however all three have proved themselves for their Clubs in the largest games of the season and will be raring to get stuck in to their opponents. Michael Paterson has had a stellar season at Sale, statistically he finished the season with the most lineouts won and will be a safe pair of hands for Buchanan to throw to. At 6, 7 and 8 we have 3 prolific back row forwards; Jamie Gibson, Luke Wallace and Dave Ewers are three will hit the breakdown like it is going out of fashion and all have work rates that take your breath away. The bench adds further excitement, Dan Robson, James Gaskell and Ollie Devoto are just a couple of names ready to come on and spark even more life into what will be a fast paced and intense match.

England’s side houses a lot of talent, the question is will they have had long enough to galvanise their different styles together in order to deliver a cohesive and decisive performance. For individuals a place on Monday’s plane to New Zealand would be the ultimate prize and that in itself creates pressure however today, 23 men wearing white shirts must go out and play the game that they love to the best of their abilities and if they do that the rest will take care of itself!

Enjoy Nick Heath's Interview with Donncha O'Callaghan HERE

England XV: Elliot Daly (London Wasps); Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Sam Hill (Exeter), Charlie Sharples (Gloucester); Henry Slade (Exeter), Joe Simpson (London Wasps); Ross Harrison  (Sale), Rob Buchanan (Harlequins), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins); Michael Paterson (Sale), Graham Kitchener (Leicester, Capt.); Jamie Gibson (Leicester), Luke Wallace (Harlequins), Dave Ewers (Exeter). Replacements: Tommy Taylor (Sale), Fraser Balmain (Leicester), Will Collier (Harlequins), Charlie Matthews (Harlequins), James Gaskell (Sale), Dan Robson (Gloucester), Ollie Devoto (Bath), Rob Miller (Sale).

Barbarians: Juan Martin Hernandez (Racing Metro & Argentina); Joe Rokocoko (Bayonne & New Zealand), Rene Ranger (Montpellier & New Zealand), Benson Stanley (Clermont & New Zealand), Hosea Gear (Toulouse & New Zealand); Brock James (Clermont), Jimmy Cowan (Gloucester & New Zealand); Sona Taumalolo (Perpignan & Tonga), Ti‘i Paulo (Clermont & Samoa), Davit Kubriashvili (Stade Francais & Georgia); Donncha O’Callaghan (Munster & Ireland), Juandre Kruger (Racing Metro & South Africa); Juan Manuel Leguizamon (Lyon & Argentina, Capt.), Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont & France); Mamuka Gorgodze (Montpellier & Georgia). Replacements: Andrew Hore (Maniototo & New Zealand), Julien Brugnaut (Racing Metro & France), Nahuel Lobo (Montpellier & Argentina), Joe Tekori (Toulouse & Samoa), Roger Wilson (Ulster & Ireland), Tomas Cubelli (Belgrano & Argentina), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier & France), Anthony Tuitavake (Montpellier & New Zealand).

Aviva Premiership Final – The Final 80 Minutes and More

The Aviva Premiership Final is the most important eighty minutes of the season and this year it was the turn of Saracens and Northampton to take to the stage at Twickenham and do battle in pursuit of the Title. These two teams have led the way all year in terms of their physicality and ability to demolish sides on a regular basis therefore we all knew that it was going to be an electric match but I don’t think that many of us predicted just how intense or long (!) it was going to be.

Both sides spent the first 5 minutes introducing themselves to each other and indeed to the Final, it was clear that in spite of there being a wealth of experience on the pitch every single man was nervous and felt the huge weight of expectation that was on their shoulders. A penalty from Owen Farrell settled the match and then the real end to end action started and the hits started to fly!! The battering ram Luther Burrell was matched by the bulldozer that is Billy Vunipola and for 10 minutes the possession was fairly even however critically Saracens came away with the points and clocked up a 6-0 lead. It was clear for all to see that Saracens were moving up the gears and initially Saints looked slightly powerless to stop them; however a moment of pure magic from Ken Pisi changed that. Ken’s break was a sublime and critically it gave Saints the confidence to go for the corner, not once but twice, and that set up Ben Foden for a delightful try. Myler’s boot added the extras and although the half ended as it started with Saracens in possession driving dangerously towards the try line no further points were scored. HT Saracens 6 Northampton Saints 7.

After 15 minutes of rest both sides returned to the pitch flying and if you can believe it, and I’m sure that you can if you watched the match, the hits and level of rugby went up a level. Hit wise I am talking about bone shattering, earth shaking, Twickenham silencing hits... North, Burrell, Farrell and even Ashton got in on the action. The tempo and pace of the match was breathtaking; one minute Saints looked to have a small stranglehold on the game the next Saracens were back in control... regard for personal safely had been thrown out the window at the first whistle and it was stunning rugby to watch. When George Pisi crossed with 20 minutes to go in other matches that would have been it however in this Aviva Premiership Final there was plenty of action left!! What followed was agonising intense and brilliantly compelling; Saracens scored, then had their try disallowed, then Saints looked to be weathering the storm before Marcelo Bosch crossed. Hodgson’s conversion hit the post and that meant the score was 14-14 with less than 5 minutes to go and it turned out that there was simply nothing that could separate the two and that meant that we went to extra time for the first time ever in an Aviva Premiership Final! 

With a short 5 minute break in between normal time and extra time it gave me a moment to think about what it must feel like to be a fan, coach or indeed a substituted player who was helpless on the sidelines until further notice and my heart went out to them, because I, as a neutral, was feeling a little emotional!!

The extra time started by trading penalties, Myler and Hodgson both were as cool as cucumbers and the struggle to get anything between the two sides continued. Neither side gave an inch, both continued to put their bodies on the line as if it was the first 10 minutes of the game not the second to last. Straight after the final break Luther Burrell gave away a penalty and the experienced Hodgson made no mistake when he secured the 3 points for his side. For the first time in almost 45 minutes Saracens had their noses in front and Saints looked to have their backs against the wall. As expected Saints weren’t finished yet... after drive, after drive, after drive, they edged themselves to the foot of the posts and then the decision was taken out of everyone’s hand as TMO Graham Hughes took centre stage. After what must have seemed like a lifetime for fans of both sides the decision was made and JP Doyle raised his arm in confirmation of the try, with the clock in the red that was it Northampton Saints were confirmed the Aviva Premiership Champions 2014. FT Northampton Saints 24 Saracens 20 

The Post Match Reaction 

Once the final whistle had blown the contrasting emotions of agony and ecstasy were plain for all to see, Mark McCall hailed his ‘heroic players’ for their outstanding efforts not only during the Final but throughout the year and he cut a lonely figure in the press conference, bitterly disappointed and hurting as much as his players will be. Steve Borthwick's career didn't end with him holding the trophy aloft and you suspect that, that will take a competitor like Steve a long time to get over. In contrast Jim Mallinder and Tom Wood were on top of the world, Mallinder described a ‘sense of relief’ and made no bones about the fact that winning the Aviva Premiership Title eclipsed the Amlin Challenge Cup Final last week! Tom praised his teammates heart and endeavour and none more so than Dylan Hartley. Dylan came and spoke to the media afterwards, shoes off and trophy in hand and you could not help but want to applaud the man who has come so very far since this time last year. Dylan, like his Captain will be on the plane to New Zealand on Monday to conduct some serious business on an international level but before then they will celebrate long into the night with their team mates.

This year’s Aviva Premiership Competition finished in the most dramatic fashion, it was a match that had everything that you could possibly want from a game of rugby and so much more... the cruelty of sport is that there had to be one loser... Saracens will lick their wounds and come back stronger whilst Saints will party hard and maybe next year they will aim to lift three trophies!!! Now all that is left for me to do is sign off from the Aviva Premiership for the year... the competition has given us all so much pleasure and joy and I’m sure that I’m not alone in saying that for a couple of months my life will be poorer without it! To all the players, coaches and staff at every Aviva Premiership Club I’d like to say thank you... what a season you gave us and what a way to finish it! 

Spotlight On... Aviva Premiership Final

“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” On the eve of the Aviva Premiership Final it feels exactly like Christmas Eve, except unlike the poem the rugby world is buzzing with excitement and shouting from the rooftops about the upcoming Aviva Premiership Final! The match between Saracens and Northampton will be breathtaking and at the home of England Rugby there is an action packed day of action planned before, during and after the match itself.  

Throughout the year the BT Sport team have guided us through round after round of action and rightly so they are dedicating almost the whole day to rugby! BT Sport 1 is the home of Aviva Premiership Rugby and it all starts at 11.30am with the BT Sports Panel discussing things rugby related with their guest Andy Goode. Once the panel are finished then the delightful Craig Doyle and the rest of the cracking BT Sport Rugby Team will take over to feature the match live and finally the Clare Balding Show will be hosted live from Twickenham for all of the post match reaction. The BT Sport Team has been working hard in the run up to the match... Rugby Tonight on Wednesday was filled with interviews from Saints and Saracens players and today (Friday 30th May) Lawrence Dallaligo and David Flatman had photocall at Waterloo Stadium with the Aviva Premiership Trophy. So if you can’t make it to Twickenham then as long as you have a TV or an iPad/PC in sight you will be fine, in fact with all of that coverage you have absolutely no excuse to miss any of the Aviva Premiership Final action!!

A match day at Twickenham is a unique and special experience and for those of you who are joining me at HQ we have a lot of exploring to do in the West Car Park! Naturally the first port of call is to get your face painted and mark your colours and let me reassure you all that lining up with the children in the queue is not embarrassing at all, you should queue with your head held high and maybe even a pint in hand!!! After that there are many activities on hand that will help you to release a few nerves through a spot of healthy competition;  there will be an Aviva Batak, the light up reaction game, a Grab A Ticket Booth and then two rugby challenges; the Gatorade Speed Pass Challenge and Kicking Distance Challenge.  The West Car Park will also house the Land Rover Owners Tent, a McLaren Mercedes Race Car Challenge and I’ve even heard there might be a spot of Pol Roger Champagne on offer, needless to say you know where to find me!!!!

The Final kicks off at 3pm and will showcase two superb rugby projects; the Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme and the HITZ Programme. These are two programmes that work throughout the year to develop our game and use the values of rugby to develop young people’s skills and help them to fulfil their potential.  future. The Schools Programme introduces rugby to schools that haven’t been heavily involved in it before and develops children’s’ understanding and skills across the country. One school from each Premiership Club’s programme will be on the pitch at half time to soak up the atmosphere and be inspired by the home of England Rugby. The HITZ Programme tackles some of the key challenges facing young people today including unemployment and crime and uses rugby to help young people re-build their lives. HITZ Programmes are associated with our Aviva Premiership Clubs and on Saturday 60 HITZ Young Ambassadors will share the day with our Premiership Finalists and hopefully be inspired by their achievements. Out On The Full will be bringing you the full story of the HITZ programme in the coming weeks so watch this space!

Twickenham Stadium is the home of England Rugby and it is one of the greatest venues in the world to watch rugby at. This year the Aviva Premiership has given us all a huge amount of pleasure and the Final will be a celebration of the 22 rounds of stunning action that was delivered to us by 12 outstanding teams. In South West London the sun is due to shine and the rugby is guaranteed to be electric so I suggest that you head to Twickenham early and delight in a full day of Aviva Premiership Rugby! 

The Big One - Aviva Premiership Final 2014 Preview

And then there were two... I’m sure that many of you are also struggling to understand how time can have flown by so quickly that we are now approaching the Aviva Premiership Final, it seems like yesterday that we were celebrating the start of the season on Friday 16th September at Kingston Park and now there are just 80 minutes of action left. This year's competition has been tighter than ever before, however two teams have successfully navigated their way to Twickenham and now have a shot at glory. 

Before the weekend’s European action, if I'm honest with you all I thought that there was little to nothing separating the two finalists, I struggled in vain to pull them apart and swayed back and forth trying to work out which would end the 80 minutes victorious. However now, after two mighty European fixtures, I think that there might just be a marginal leader in the race for the Aviva Premiership Title; the Northampton Saints. Why? I hear you cry... well they are riding a huge wave of momentum and confidence following their European victory over Bath and Saracens face the daunting task of mending their wounds after being battered, physically and emotionally, by Toulon. In my eyes this gives Saints a very small, but key head start in the race for the Aviva Premiership Title. 

Image Claire Jones (C) Red Hat Photography

Northampton’s memories of Twickenham and Aviva Premiership Finals are not great ones... the phrase always the bridesmaid and never the bride is the most appropriate to describe their ‘love affair’ with the match however this year you get the feeling that it could be time for them to say ‘I do’ and lift that trophy. Saints’ focus should be on their own game, over 22 rounds they have developed a delicious blend of stifling defense and blistering attack; their physicality has only been eclipsed by their title rivals. The man that has led proceedings has been the inspired Stephen Myler who has had the season of his life and he will play a central role in how Saturday afternoon's match pans out. Saints are a different team to the one that ran out against Tigers in last year’s Final, whilst many of their personnel may be the same, they have matured, individually and collectively and will run out at HQ on Saturday afternoon composed and ready for it to be their time. 

From Round 1 of the Aviva Premiership Saracens have been the form team, they have bulldozed over many a Premiership side with ease and at times have looked unstoppable, however as mentioned the impact of such a bruising European encounter could take its toll. Don't get me wrong I am not completely writing Saracens off, I'm simply saying that they have quite a large mountain to climb but if any team can do that then it is Saracens. Mark McCall’s side now play exciting rugby and that has won over many Premiership fans, David Strettle has scored 12 tries in 16 games and is just one part of an electric backline. Owen Farrell has been confirmed as being fit after he stepped on a TV cable and rolled his ankle before the Heineken Cup Final and his performance, like Stephen Myler’s, will be critical to his side’s success. Saracens' Wolfpack are devastating and always mean business, the forward battle will be scintillating as both packs have led the way this season in terms of their set piece proficiency and dominance at the breakdown. The final consideration for Saracens should be the ‘Steve Borthwick factor’, as we all know this Saturday’s match will be Steve’s last ever professional game and every single Saracens player will want to give him the send off that he deserves. 

Saints have their noses in front going into the match however Saracens have the ability to produce 80 minutes of brilliance at the drop of a hat and I believe that I am finishing this article where I started it, on the fence as to which side will end the match victorious and be crowned the Aviva Premiership Champions. However there is one thing that I am certain of and that is that it will be an incredible match, befitting of such an outstanding season of domestic rugby. So, for the last time let's prepare ourselves for the weekend's Aviva Premiership action! 


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

Wasps Swarm Paris In Style

For those of you that have been following rugby for a number of years you might remember the London Wasps’ glory days, the time when they secured four league titles in 6 years and won the Heineken Cup twice in 2004 and 2007. Since then then things have been a little rockier, both on and off the pitch, and at times the thought of returning to European glory has been almost a dream. This year, after 22 rounds of Aviva Premiership action Wasps had the chance to start the journey of re-visiting those heights by taking part in the two legged European Challenge Cup playoff against Stade Francais.

Two weeks ago the Adams Park leg didn’t go fully according to plan, Wasps let slip a 12 point lead and ended the day a single point ahead of their French rivals. This result and the fact that Stade Francais had only lost once at home this year that before this Saturday afternoon the majority of people thought that a win in Paris would be simply too greater ask for Dai Young's side... I believe that Phil Vickery said that they ‘would get destroyed’ however the players themselves had other ideas.

This year Wasps have had the potential to be devastating however due to their own mistakes they haven't clinically finished off their opponents in the way that they should, however in the Stade Jean-Bouin Wasps never once looked like losing the match. From minute one to minute eighty Dai Young's men were fueled by an insatiable will to win and they played Stade off the park. The home side were back to full strength led by Sergio Parisse but even the great man himself couldn't stop the swarm. The speed and creativity of Masi, Daly, Simpson and Vardnell was coupled with the firepower of Swainston, Festuccia, Johnson and Haskell and it proved all too much for the Parisian giants to handle. The passionate French crowd knew that their card was marked around the sixty minute mark when Guy Thompson scored the decisive try that put the match out of reach. Guy started in the 8 shirt in place of Nathan Hughes who was at his own wedding in Fiji and he had a storming match that caused many people to sit up and take notice of the young back row forward. Andy Goode's experience showed throughout and the score-line could have been even more favourable had two tries not been disallowed by referee Nigel Owens.

Overall the match was a climatic finish for Dai Young’s men, they truly saved their best, a 50-35 final score on aggregate was absolutely stunning and it was the manner in which they delivered the result that pleased their DoR the most; 

"I thought that we were excellent today. It was probably the first time we have played for the full 80 minutes. We did very little wrong throughout the game and I certainly felt like we wanted it more than them today. The boys did themselves proud and I am really proud of their efforts today.”

Dai is under no illusions that Europe will be tough next year, however he, like so many other Premiership DoR’s has signed sensibly and a boosted squad Wasps will seek to deliver performances like Saturday afternoon on a weekly basis both in Europe and in the Aviva Premiership. For now I’m sure that he and his players will head into the off-season or onto International Duty happy in with place that they have pushed their Club to and extremely excited for the 2014/15 season. 

See all the Out On The Full Photos from Paris; HERE

The RPA Awards 2014

After months of blood, sweat and the occasional tear we have nearly reached the end of the Domestic and European seasons for another year and it is safe to say that both competitions have exceeded all of our expectations and truly delighted us. The rugby calendar is a whirlwind; fixture after fixture, month after month however on Wednesday 21st May we paused for a moment to pay tribute to the outstanding achievements of a number of outstanding individuals at the RPA Computacenter Players’ Awards.

The Rugby Players Association (RPA) Awards is one of the largest award ceremonies in the calendar and like the Aviva Premiership Awards it is an absolutely stunning celebration befitting of the talented individuals that play our great game. As a player there isn't a greater honour than being endorsed by your team mates and with the level of talent that is currently housed within the professional game now winning an RPA award is even more special. As well as celebrating such talent the evening's ceremony also had another important role and that was to showcase the work of Restart - the official charity of the RPA. Restart supports professional players that are forced to retire though illness or injury and provides the players and their families with financial, practical and emotional support through what can be an extremely traumatic time. The auction at the RPA Awards is famous for boasting some of the most coveted lots that you can imagine and under the guidance of the extremely talented and persuasive auctioneer, Johnny Gould, the 2014 auction raised thousands of pounds for this incredible charity. Needless to say yours truly did not walk away with a lot... sadly they were just a little out of my price range!!!!

During the course of the night 9 awards were handed out by the superb Martin Bayfield and they included the Computacenter Players' Player of the Year 2014, LV= Young Player of the Year 2014, TAG Heuer Special Merit Award and one individual was inducted into the RPA Hall of Fame. 

This year's Computacenter Players Player of the Year was awarded to Vereniki Goneva who has had an outstanding season; he scored 12 tries in 18 Aviva Premiership appearances and added another 2 to his tally in the Heineken Cup. Niki also bucked the trend and decided to choose the UK over France when he extended his contract at the Leicester Tigers in early April. I'm sure that I can speak for every single fan of the Aviva Premiership when I say that the competition is much richer for his presence and that we are all very grateful that the bright lights of Leicester eclipsed the vineyards of the French countryside!!!!

Unsurprisingly Mike Brown added to his collection of honours when he picked up the England Player of the Year award. Mike’s interview was one of the best of the night and Martin started by asking him whether he has allowed himself a little moment to smile and say 'yes this has been a good year', he simply replied ‘no, we all know that I never smile!’ Mike also confirmed, much to the audience’s relief that a ‘little niggle’ wouldn’t stop him heading out to New Zealand, adding the caveat ‘if I am selected’. Naturally this amused everyone including the guest if honour Stuart Lancaster and Bayfs swiftly reassured Mike when he said; ‘I’ve think you’ve got that one nailed!’ 

Steve Borthwick received the TAG Heuer Special Merit Award and due to the fact that he, hopefully, has a rather large game at the weekend his good friend Danny Grewcock picked up the award for him. Danny shared with us a few stories from his time with Mr Bothwick and through one he assured us just how tough Steve is and exactly why he had no doubts about the fact that is more than likely to at the weekend. Danny recounted a time when Steve had an unfortunate injury to a very personal area of his body and on a Tuesday had to have a minor operation on it... 3 day later he proceeded to run out and play a full 80 minutes of rugby. Ever the professional Bayfs took the story in his stride and very politely mentioned that he didn’t think that he would be talking about that type of ‘rugby ball’ on stage in front of everyone but there’s always a first for everything! After the humour had died down the entire room sent their best regards to Steve for his recovery and equally wished the whole Saracens squad 'Good Luck' against Toulon. 

Throughout the night there were other many other awards and inspirational stories, Jonathan Davies was inducted into the RPA Hall of Fame, Richard Parks recounted his inspirational story following his retirement from rugby and Stuart Lancaster looked ahead to the Summer Tour.

It was a truly stunning evening, the RPA were absolutely impeccable hosts and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them sincerely and also to congratulate all of the award winners.

Amlin Challenge Cup Final Preview

This year the Amlin Challenge Cup has delivered us with some outstanding rugby however I am convinced that the best is yet to come as on Friday Night, on the artificial surface, at Cardiff Arms Park Bath Rugby and Northampton Saints will go head to head in pursuit of the title. 

The Saints and Bath have had differing journeys since their respective Amlin Challenge Cup Semi Finals; Northampton have been extremely busy, they put their bodies on the line and played a brutal 80 minutes of rugby against their fiercest rivals whilst Bath enjoyed some solid training time tucked away at Farleigh House after they had their hearts broken against Harlequins in Round 22. The question is which side's journey will have benefitted them most? Will Bath arrive at The Arms Park a little rusty? Or will they be bursting at the seams to get onto the pitch and arrive with a bang? Will Saints be tired or will the scent of a trophy mean that they pick up where they left off at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night, in spite of any bumps and bruises? Soon we will find out...

Bath have an impeccable record in the Amlin Challenge Cup Competition, they haven’t lost to an English Club since their 2003 Final against London Wasps and with Carl Fearns' defensive record you can understand why. Carl has made more tackles than any other player in the competition, 72 to be precise, and in that time he has only missed 2, simply phenomenal. He is part of a solid back row that has come into their own this year and one that Bath will need to rely heavily on, on Friday night. The big boost is the fact that Francois Louw returns for this fixture and his experience and go forward at 7 is invaluable. In the Amlin the men in black, blue and white have scored tries for fun and with the talent and speed housed in the back line you can see why. The Saints will target a quick defensive line seed to nullify Bath's runners however given their 'rest period' I'm expecting to see a few new calls from Mike Ford's men that could fox Saints.  

The Northampton Saints, what can I possibly say about Jim Mallinder's men that hasn’t already been said in the aftermath of that gargantuan win over the Leicester Tigers? They have been tumultuous this year, in spite of injuries to some of their key men, including Corbisiero, Foden and Hartley they have consistently delivered week in, week out. Saints are driven forward by a menacing pack of their own and the set piece battle will be a tasty one to watch during this match. Jim Mallinder has announced a full strength squad for the game in spite of saying previously they he may shake things up for the fixture… clearly the lure of a trophy is too strong. As expected Dickson starts at 9 over Kahn Fotuali'I after he made such an impact during their Premiership Final and Alex Corbisiero makes his first start in an extremely long time following his knee surgery. 

Both sides haven't won this competition for a number of years, the last time the Saints finished on top was back in 2009 and Bath were victorious the year before. Cup Final matches are always emotional and electric and this one will not be an exception to the rule... the game will be played at a blistering pace and will be fiercely competitive in all areas. Underneath the Friday Night Lights two sides will do battle, both are desperate to finish the game victorious  in order to show the rugby world that they can cut it when it really matters. 

The Race for Europe - London Wasps vs. Stade Francais

After patiently waiting all weekend for their turn in the spotlight on Sunday afternoon London Wasps started their quest for a place in the European Champions Cup as they hosted Stade Francais at Adams Park. The match was the first of a two pronged playoff in which the scores are aggregated and the side that ends up on top takes the final spot in Europe.

London Wasps are a club that are building, by their own admission they are not the finished article nor are they as good as they were during their Golden Era, however they are building again. Their performances in the Aviva Premiership have been patchy, from wins filled with brilliance to the low of last weekend's thumping against the Northampton Saints, it has been a bumpy ride. Stade Francais arrived in High Wycombe after a similar journey, initially they were flying high in the Top 14 and pushing the likes of Racing and Clermont however their season dramatically tailed off and they found themselves in a fight on the last weekend to secure a shot at Europe and claim that coveted 7th position.

Wasps were able to field an almost full strength side with Sam Jones and Jake Cooper-Wooley being the exceptions and whilst they would be missed Phil Swainston (starting) and Guy Thompson (benched) were more than capable of taking the reins. Stade’s missing link was a man that was less replaceable; Sergio Parisse and his  calming presence and brilliance was always going to be sorely missed by the visitors. Before kick off questions were posed regarding the soaring temperatures and whether this would suit Stade or Wasps better… the initial answers swayed towards an advantage to Wasps, given their fitness levels however there was a strong counter argument that Stade’s wingers, Arias and Camara, were used to a spot of sun and would flourish. The one thing that everyone agreed on was the fact that it would be a tight and fiercely competitive affair between two sides that were going to throw the ball around and play a lot of eyes up rugby. 

Stade had opportunities early on in the game however Julien Dupuy struggled off the tee and 6 points went begging from eminently kickable opportunities. Wasps felt their way into the match Daly looked sharp and Varndell was hungry for work and he was rewarded with lovely try. Crucially Stade weren't fazed, instead they calmly went about their business and answered every Wasps score with one of their own. It made for a tight first forty minutes and at half time the score line read Wasps 13 Stade Francais 12. 

The second half was extremely action packed as the match opened up; James Haskell looked to have scored early on however the TMO thought otherwise and then fellow back rower Ashley Johnson bulldozed over. Stade responded with a period of sustained pressure resulting in a Haskell sin bin and 3 more points from the boot of Dupuy who had found his range. As was the case with so many Premiership teams this weekend Wasps showed their resilience when down to 14 men and the solo try that Joe Simpson scored was one of the best that we have seen this year and at that point you thought that Wasps were home and dry. Rightly so Tom Palmer received a standing ovation from the crowd when he left the field, it was his last game at Adams Park and he is a firm club faourite that will be missed, They say never write off the French and that was certainly the case as Stade weren't done just yet, Vuidravuwalu had one more response and he glided over for the easiest try of the day and pushed the visitors’ noses in front. In playoff rugby every single point counts and Andy Goode’s last minute penalty secured the home side a 1 point lead and the win… 30 points to 29 is by no means emphatic however psychologically heading to Paris with a win is vital.

Stade at home are an altogether different prospect and Wasps know that they will step into a cauldron of noise and hostility in just a few days’ over the channel, they must be mentally and physically up for the challenge.  This weekend Sergio Parisse will be fit and his presence cannot be under-estimated... his aura and obviously skill set will add another dimension to the home side, Wasp have a small Parisian mountain to climb and the question is can it be done? Well naturally some of Wasps’ key men feel that it can, speaking to James Haskell and Ashley Johnson after they know that everyone has ‘written them off', their intention is to go to Paris and let the atmosphere fuel them in order to ‘play without fear'.

It was great to see so many fans of the Aviva Premiership getting behind London Wasps, I myself took off my cloak of neutrality and heartily cheered for the men in Black and Gold and I will do so from the stands in Paris this coming weekend. Premiership representation in Europe is vital as it pushes players to excel and provides them with test match level rugby throughout the year. It will be a tough ask for Young’s men however as mentioned the prize at stake is a significant one and I know that they will do everything in their power to ensure that the 20th and final place in Europe goes to an Aviva Premiership side. 

See all the Out On The Full Photos from Adams Park HERE