Seventh Heaven - Aviva Premiership Round 7

Welcome to November, the time of the year when we are privileged to be able to enjoy both Domestic and International rugby all at once and in my eyes that is what you call getting value for money from your weekends! In Round 7 the kick off times have been shifted slightly accommodate the Autumn Internationals so do check on your side’s time for I wouldn’t want anyone to miss a moment of domestic action this weekend. The Premiership is back with a bang so let us dive straight in and preview Round 7;

On Friday Night Gloucester will welcome Harlequins to Kingsholm in what will be a cracking fixture. Harlequins are missing some huge names however I'm sure that Conor O'Shea will be confident with the men wearing those beautiful Adidas away strips. Both sides have packs that are developing nicely however I'll be paying close attention to the backs for that is where the wheels lie in particular with the two Charlies; Sharples and Walker. Historically Harlequins have found it difficult to win at Kingsholm in fact they last won there in 1999 and without their talismanic leaders some believe Friday night could be too much, however I wouldn’t write off O’Shea’s side just yet with the likes of Luke Wallace, Kyle Sinckler, Dave Ward and co they’ll put up a good fight for sure.

At the same time about eighty miles away the league leaders the Northampton Saints will welcome third placed Exeter Chiefs to town in what will be another fascinating clash. Exeter remain largely unscathed during this International window whilst Northampton will be missing a fair few of their key men including Hartley, Lawes, Wood and North amongst others. However the fact that Ben Foden and Luther Burrell will be taking to the pitch is a huge plus. Exeter have yet to win in their five previous visits to Franklin’s Gardens  however even with the talent housed in Saints’ squad this will be one that Baxter and his side fancy. It will be a physical and intense encounter, watch out for the delightful Chiefs’ centre pairing that I've been banging on about since Round 1, Hill and Slade, and the return to Aviva Premiership action of skipper Dean Mumm. All in all this one will be a belter!

The Saturday rugby starts early at the AJ Bell Stadium as the Sale Sharks host London Irish for a noon kick off. Sale have performed well since Round 6 of the Aviva Premiership even if not all of the results went their way, against Munster they showed tremendous heart and fortitude even tough they were worn down by the experienced Irish men. Clermont was also tough however I’m sure that Steve Diamond will have taken many positives out of the performances; his side's intensity and accuracy in particular. Personally I think Sale will smash back into the Aviva Premiership in a much better place than they left  it. London Irish enjoyed a more comfortable time against Rovigo and Grenoble in the Challenge Cup however amongst others they’ll be their missing talismanic back rower Blair Cowen who will be on Scotland duty and his presence is always felt by any side facing the Exiles. Previous history can’t separate the two with two wins apiece and a draw so expect a close fought battle with a ‘look at me, look what you are missing’ display from fly half Danny Cipriani.

Next stop following an afternoon of England action The Rec opens it doors for a 5pm kick off between Bath Rugby and the Newcastle Falcons. With around a third of the England squad being made up of Bath players there will be a number of key men missing for the home side however I believe that this weekend will showcase to us all just how much depth Bath have. George Ford may be away on England duty but Gavin Henson isn't short of experience at fly half and although Paul James is away with Wales, Nathan Catt is seismic at scrum time. The Falcons have been building nicely, in Round 6 their performance against London Welsh saw them take a strangle hold on the game early on and avoid all of the psychological clutter of it being a 'relegation battle'. In spite of the fact that since that day they only have a 50% win ratio their performances have been building nicely and that is the most important factor for Dean Richards. On home soil I expect Bath to continue their five Premiership match unbeaten home run and personally am looking forward to seeing Henson unleashed in oodles of space, should he be selected (fingers crossed)!

On Sunday the action starts at 1pm at Welford Road where the Leicester Tigers host Saracens and what an encounter this will be! A few years ago at this time of year Leicester would have been rummaging around their academy for players due to the number of England call ups, now they should be able to field more of a complete side than their opponents. Clashes between these two, at any time of year, are always hugely physical and supreme battles of wills and this weekend won't be any different. Personally I can see Saracens doing well on the road even without Vunipola, Kruis, Farrell and Barritt, for they showed their true depth last weekend when they fielded two sides, one for the LV and the other against Western Province. They’ll be excitement out wide for both sides with Miles Benjamin and David Strettle being the two that really will catch my eye and Tiger Brad Thorn will have the honour of captaining his side at Welford Road for the first time. 

The final game of the weekend is Wasps’ last Aviva Premiership game to ever be played at Adams Park before their move to the Ricoh Arena. After such tremendous performances in the two recent LV=Cup fixtures Alex Lozowski more than deserves his place on the bench as does scrum half Tom Bliss.  London Welsh are still chasing their elusive win having lost all ten of their matches in all competitions so far this season however news of two huge signings will have boosted confidence and firepower for Chris Hala'ufia and Fonua Opeti are not to be messed with! The clash of the back rows will be colossal with Wasps fielding the combination of Hughes, Johnson and Haskell. When the two met in pre-season the scoreline was respective, will it be so again this weekend?

It is the time of the year where opportunity knocks for many of our Aviva Premiership players and I expect individuals to grasp their chance with both hands over the coming weeks Now, it is time to sit back, relax and enjoy bumper weekend of rugby action! 

Post Match Reaction Steve Hansen - England vs. All Blacks

Steve Hansen was straight and to the point following his side's match at Twickenham Stadium this weekend;

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Post Match Reaction Stuart Lancaster - England vs. All Blacks

Stuart Lancaster faced the press following yesterday's loss to the All Blacks here is the full reaction;

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The View From Twickenham - England vs. All Blacks

Prior to kick off the talk was all about the All Blacks, the All Blacks’ dominance, the All Blacks’ power and the All Blacks’ experience and England, well England played second fiddle to all of that. However this afternoon in a blustery Twickenham Stadium England decided, for forty minutes at least, that they’d had had enough of that and that they wanted to be the ones in control. However Steve Hanson’s side aren’t Number 1 in the World for nothing and once again, they turned the screw, dealt the killer blows and ended the day victorious.
  

The positive English tone that built throughout the opening forty was set by Jonny May who skinned Conrad Smith and Israel Dagg on the outside with just 4 minutes on the clock. There are few wingers that have done that in the world and even fewer that have made it look so effortless. Needless to say Twickenham rocked and as Swing Low boomed around the stands we all dared to wonder whether this was going to be the day? Thereafter England took New Zealand on in every single facet and in my eyes they did a grand job at it. George Kruis was thrown to the lions on 20 minutes and he stepped up like a 30 capper, totally un-phased by the fact that he had never played in white of England before and he had XV All Blacks against him. Indeed throughout the entire game the English pack fronted up and laid their marker down from Marler to Vunipola and all the way between, tanks were emptied and physicality imparted. This was one of the facts that we as fans and indeed Stuart and Graham Rowntree as coaches should take great heart from, for it was delivered without Alex Corbisiero, Dan Cole and Tom Youngs in the front three.

Turning points in matches creep up on you and once momentum swings it often requires super human effort to wrestle it back and today it was simply too much for England to do. Certainly there will be some questions asked regarding our kicking game, in particular the work of Care and Farrell in the second forty and perhaps we will see a different back line against the South Africans for England’s inability to gain the right territory was one of the swinging and ultimately deciding factors in this test match. New Zealand stepped it up when they needed to at the point when they were under the most pressure, down to 14 men, and that is what makes them so deadly. The All Black inner belief is outstanding and it is at a level that no other side has in the world. Today their 1,029 Test Caps showed their worth for when you have men that have been in those 'sticky' situations, more than once before and successfully navigated out of it then it makes the world of difference. Richie McCaw didn't end the day as the most popular man with the Twickenham crowd however he wasn't there to be liked he was there to win a Test match, and win it he did. McCaw may be in his mid thirties but he is fitter than ever and with a 90% win ratio as Captain he himself is a formidable force let alone when you put him with 14 other world class players. 

In the immediate aftermath of the final whistle I read online many reactions to the game and a lot of strong words being thrown out there regarding England’s ‘inability’ and England’s ‘awful game management' however personally I’m not going to lay into them quite so heavily. Obviously the second forty minutes were not how England want to play... yes they lacked territory, yes their shape went and yes they, unforgivably, didn’t take advantage of an extra man however as they have done in the past they will learn and improve from this. I like every single England fan at Twickenham and every single person watching at home wanted England to win and felt bitterly disappointed when they didn't however I am firmly in the camp with Stuart Lancaster who said this following the final whistle; 

“There are enough positives and enough cohesion to draw from that performance that we can improve for next week. Of course you want to win every game to stay firmly on track, but we are not going to deviate from the path that we are on because we believe in the players that we’ve got, the coaches and what we are building. We’ll keep our confidence and the direction in which we are going.”

At the end of the day it comes down to the words that Stuart followed that comments with; “in test rugby it doesn’t matter if it is the first minute or the eightieth minute it is taking all of your moments when you get them, and we didn’t quite manage that today”. 

A smarting South African side are next up, they are a side that will be hurting from their 15-29 loss in Dublin and one that just beat the All Blacks. However as we all know England never shy away from a challenge and I guarantee that there won’t be a minute of rugby that is played like the second half today. Stay with England, for 40 minutes of uncharacteristically slacking rugby does not make them a bad side that should start from scratch once again instead, after just one week together, the positives must be focused on and the reaction will be seen in just 7 days time.

Final Score England 21 New Zealand 24

See all the Out On The Full Photos from Twickenham here

Nick Evans - An All Blacks' Perspective

Before heading into tomorrow’s colossal match between England and New Zealand I thought that it was only good and proper to seek the opinion of someone from 'the other side' and someone that knows exactly what it is like to pull on that All Black jersey, enter stage left Harlequin, Nick Evans.

‘One of the most versatile backs in New Zealand’ those are the words that remain on AllBlacks.com to describe Nick and the description goes on to share that ‘Evans is deceptively quick and possesses a howitzer-like boot’, and I’ll admit now that yes I did need to Google exactly what a howitzer is. Whatever the words are to describe Nick the sentiment remains the same he is a bloody good player and a well loved All Black.

I caught up with Nick today on the eve of the big game, in what has been an extremely hectic build up as he explained;

“It’s been a full on media week this week, I’ve an All Blacks Adidas event this evening and worked with QBE on a number of other things. It’s been busy, my mother’s just arrived and I feel a bit bad because I haven’t had time to spend with her or my little one!!! That said, it’s a great week, it is always is when the All Blacks are in town because they create such a buzz around London and around the rugby community. Even more so this year due to the fact that this autumn is obviously their last visit before the World Cup.”

Naturally I was keen to ask Nick about the current All Blacks’ stock at fly half for at the moment the words ‘strength in depth’ are certainly appropriate with Aaron Cruden, Beauden Barrett and Dan Carter all vying for that covered 10 shirt. This weekend Nick believes that Steve Hanson has it spot on;

“Do you know what? I think that it is a really good call from Steven Hanson, Dan’s had his injury problems and although he looked class when he came on against the USA, Aaron [Cruden] is match fit, match hardened and ready to go. Actually I feel slightly sorry for Beauden Barritt for he has done nothing wrong and yet he has been struggling to really get a strong look in. I think you need to give Dan a couple of starts against Scotland and Wales, a good Super Rugby season and he’ll be back to the unquestionable Number 1 in the country by the World Cup, for sure. “

Across the board in the All Blacks side there are men that you can’t take your eyes off; Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, I could continue but I won’t... however there is one other name that springs to mind. He is a man that some of the current England side don’t have too much experience with and that, along with his un-rivalled talent makes him dangerous;

“Sonny Bill, oh Sonny Bill Williams, well you just never know what he is going to do do you!? He just comes out with the most ridiculous things; like a new offload that he just invented, it’s superb. He defends well and I’m sure that he’ll be attacking all day long down Eastmond’s channel.”

I questioned Nick regarding the aura surrounding the All Blacks in particular about where it is comes from and how it is created;

“You talk about aura, and really it is only something that teams have when they have been together for a long time, you just can’t have it in one or two years. The All Blacks aura has been developing for a long time... way back since the 2007 World Cup, Dan has over 100 caps, Richie has 134, Conrad Smith has 83, Kieran’s played in the odd test (!) and they’ve all been together for a long time and at the top of their game. That creates aura.

Honestly this World Cup coming may be one World Cup too early for England to have that, in 2019 the majority of this England group will still be there, bar a handful and then they are likely to be in the position the All Blacks are now.”

Certainly an interesting thought that England’s potential could be greater in 2019 than now however personally I hope that on this point alone Nick is a little ‘All Black’ biased!

Something I’ve been forever intrigued about and I’m sure that many of you are too is just what it is like to be part of that squad, that side that is so dominant the All Blacks and Nick shared with me this;

“It is so difficult to put it into words without actually being there and having the honour yourselfof making the All Blacks. What I will say is that as players the culture is very much about the fact that it is not your jersey, it is the country’s jersey and you are just a custodian of it. There is so much All Black history and the legends of the game are still very much involved in the team, they make sure that you know that you are representing them as much as you are your current team mates and your country.”

The final and of course most difficult question I posed to Nick was to ask his score prediction for tomorrow’s game... after proclaiming that it was tough and highlighting his slight ‘torn loyalties’ he settled on the All Blacks by 20. For England’s sake I hope it is much closer than that or that it even swings the other way... truthfully none of us know what is going to happen and the unpredictability of professional sport is why we love it so much.

Nick Evans was speaking on behalf of QBE, business insurance specialist and title sponsor of the QBE Internationals. Visit www.QBEeurope.com

The Ultimate Test - England vs. New Zealand

When you start to read the team sheets for this weekend’s QBE International the first names that you see at 15 are Mike Brown and Israel Dagg, next Semesa Rokoduguni and Ben Smith. As the list goes on through the half backs onto the forwards and across replacements I’m sure that you find, like I do, that the heart starts beating that little bit faster and the emotions start to build for you realise it is that time again. It is the time of the year when the giant of the Northern Hemisphere meets the giant of the Southern Hemisphere at Twickenham Stadium. Welcome to England versus New Zealand... 

2013 Test (22-30 All Blacks)

If we review the statistics it doesn’t take too much insight to come to the conclusion that there is one on paper favourite and they will be wearing all black; Steve Hanson’s side are ranked No1 in the World since 2009, they have only lost 2 matches under him and they house some of the most precocious talents in the history of the modern game. ‘The most precocious talents’ is a big statement however it one that I believe that few could disagree with if you pop the names Read and McCaw into that category. The All Blacks’ depth is particularly impressive, when you cannot find a place in your match day 23 for Dan Carter, even if he is returning from injury, then you are in a fortunate position. The adjective ‘impressive’ seems almost a little too fluffy to describe the side; Israel Dagg does things others can only dream out, Ben Smith is a pure delight, Sonny Bill Williams an enigma and as for Julian Savea... well I simply say all hail Savea. Up front Crockett, Coles and Franks can more than hold their own, the Retallick and Whitelock pairing is growing by the day and Kaino, McCaw and Read certainly know a thing or two about rugby!

Now you may be wondering why I haven’t yet mentioned Stuart Lancaster’s England, or the fact that the game will be played on home soil, well in all honestly I simply wished to contextualise the match we are about to witness based on the quality of opponents. I believe in England, I believe in Stuart Lancaster, his coaching team and their vision and path to the Rugby World Cup 2015 however I also believe that this weekend will be tough. Tough due to the fact that the All Blacks are that good, both individually and collectively and the recent Rugby Championship showed that in spades. Here comes the but.... but it is not impossible to beat them on Saturday afternoon or at any point in time. England showed that on that memorable day in December 2012 and during the course of the three tests in the Summer at Eden Park and at Dunedin in particular. England conquered the might through quietening Crockett and co up front and using that might as a huge platform. It created the platform to play off and they played with the ball in hand without fear or worry and this is what they must do again on Saturday. Marler, Hartley and Wilson will lead the charge, Lawes and Attwood must dominate the line out and in the loose boy do we need to be in the money. Backs... well it is time to show that Northern Hemisphere teams have some flair too and a lot of that responsibility will lie with Roko, Brown and Care.

Reading again down the team sheets do I feel we are weaker than the All Blacks in every single position? Hand on heart I do not, but do I think we have some question marks and areas that we as fans don’t know how are going to pan out. The clearest example is in the centres with the Kyle Eastmond and Brad Barritt combination; Kyle’s been outstanding for Bath and will be chomping at the bit to right his ‘wrongs’ of the summer and Brad is in the form of his life, however we haven’t seen them blend together or know definitively how they’ll cope against the Sonny Bill Williams and Conrad Smith machine. Is Jonny May defensively strong enough to pacify Julian Savea? What impact will our bench have versus the experienced Kiwi bench? These are all question marks and question marks that will go one way or the other. Crucially Chris Robshaw and has men always have a resilience and heart that exceeds any on paper statistic; in my eyes under Stuart Lancaster exceeding expectations is England's forte and whilst injuries have played a part already this year if this match day 23 exceed all of our expectations then they are capable of something remarkable.

England have been building for a number of years now, this side has already experienced many highs and many lows and this will be another experience in the bank. Never, in the time that Stuart Lancaster has been in charge, have England ever taken a step backwards and this first QBE International will be absolutely no different. England must believe that the All Blacks and their aura can be broken over the course of 80 minutes in South West London, even if the statistics and form book point against it. In the words of Andy Farrell it is time for 'the ultimate test'.  

England: 15 Mike Brown 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Brad Barritt 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Jonny May 10 Owen Farrell 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Dylan Hartley 3 David Wilson 4 David Attwood 5 Courtney Lawes 6 Tom Wood 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Billy Vunipola Replacements: 16 Rob Webber 17 Matt Mullan 18 Kieran Brookes 19 George Kruis 20 Ben Morgan 21 Ben Youngs 22 George Ford 23 Anthony Watson

New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg 14 Ben Smith 13 Conrad Smith 12 Sonny Bill Williams 11 Julian Savea 10 Aaron Cruden 9 Aaron Smith 1 Wyatt Crockett 2 Dane Coles 3 Owen Franks 4 Brodie Retallick 5 Sam Whitelock 6 Jerome Kaino 7 Richie McCaw (C) 8 Kieran Read Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu 17 Ben Franks 18 Charlie Faumuina 19 Patrick Tuiipulotu 20 Liam Messam 21 Thomas Perenara 22 Beauden Barrett 23 Ryan Crotty 

Allianz Rugby Speaker of the Year

Professional rugby players, be that current or retired, are usually never short of a word or two and by nature are extremely competitive. Later on this week these two factors will come together in order to make a fantastic event; the Allianz Rugby Speaker of the Year. Over a spot of lunch I'm expecting that the stories will flow as Austin Healey, Ben Kay and Doddie Weir all compete to be crowned the 2014 Allianz Rugby Speaker of the Year.

Martin Bayfield has been given the honour of keeping the three competitors in order, something that he is more than capable of and used to, working with Ben and Austin on a daily basis at BT Sport. Martin was crowned the winner of the event last year and that means that he can enjoy the luxurious position of sitting back and steering the ship as opposed to trying to impress the audience. The lunch will take place at The Brewery in the heart of Central London and I must say that it is quite the venue. It is impossible to predict the stories that will be shared over the course of the event however I expect big things from each 'competitor'. Voting will be interactive and we all know that Austin in particular hates to lose at anything, so it should make for an interesting time!! 

If you work in the City and fancy the ultimate lunch then it is time to act sharpish and book a table! Trust me when I say you’ll be a popular member of the office if you deliver this gem for you team. Also in attendance will be a very well known All Black Sean Fitzpatrick, who I'm sure will be prepared for a little friendly banter and a lot of discussion regarding the QBE International, just twenty four hours after, the recent Rugby Championship and forthcoming Rugby World Cup. 

All the important details to nab the last tickets are here; www.mbnpromotions.co.uk or for a good old fashioned phone call because as BT say ‘It’s Good to Talk’ - 0845 543 8277

Allianz Insurance, official title sponsors of Saracens and Allianz Park, is one of the largest general insurers in the UK and part of the Allianz SE Group.

LV=Cup - Round 1

This weekend the LV=Cup started with a bang as our 12 Aviva Premiership sides scored 309 points and played some outstanding rugby. In 5 days time the Welsh regions will join the party as Round 2 is ignited with the added spice of Anglo-Welsh rivalry. 

The live televised game of the weekend was at Allianz Park where Saracens hosted Harlequins in a good old London Derby! Saracens dominated the opening forty and were led throughout by 20 year old Maro Itoje. Now we have all been around the rugby block long enough to see many people be tipped as the next big thing and more often than we'd like they pail into insignificance after a season however I believe that Maro sits firmly in the 'real deal' category. Today Maro not only delivered positionally, at blindside flanker, but he also led his charges like a man ten years older and that was something coach Joe Shaw praised following the game; 

"He leads by example on the pitch and he is  a very calm influence for people that are actually older than him and more experienced. This was a step in the right direction for him leading the LV team today and he showed that he is pushing on very quickly." Let's not forget Maro is extremely young and every department at Saracens is thrilled by him as Joe shared; "The S&C coaches are very excited by him, he is growing everyday and his 'man strength' is getting better every day."

Saracens performance was strong and pushed every man in the side to deliver, not just Maro, and with Scott Spurling, Ben Ransom and Ben Spencer three others that enjoyed stand out days they are in a great position to push on in this LV=Cup competition. 

Turning the spotlight onto Harlequins, they found themselves lacking a spot of cohesion during the first forty minutes, their set piece was a little shaky and they couldn't regularly find their way through the gain line. That said, old timer (he’ll hate me for calling him that) Jordan Turner-Hall ran some superb lines and looked sharp and captain Karl Dickson was as dependable and solid as ever. Half time came and went and in the second forty O'Shea's side produced one hell of a comeback. They believed in themselves and showed a huge amount of resilience, something Conor was immensely proud of following the game; "I’m happy with the mental toughness of the players to not chuck in the towel, because they easily could have. Saracens got away from us in the first half through our own inaccuracies, we gave them the manadatory charge down which seems our way at the moment (!) but in the second boys started to win their collisions and played really well." Now, Harlequins have a 5 day turn around before they welcome the Newport Gwent Dragons to The Stoop on Friday evening and although they'll be some battered bodies Conor shared that he is looking to field a similar side to today's in order to continue the development of his young men. 

Elsewhere in the country we had some absolute thrillers; there was one point in it at Sandy Park between Exeter and Gloucester and anyone that was there classed it as a corker. However the win was tainted by the extremely sad news than a Chiefs' fan passed away at the ground during the game and of course all of our thoughts and prayers are with their family at this difficult time. At the Madjeski a single point also separated London Irish and the Leicester Tigers and Sale and Wasps were involved in a belter at the AJ Bell Stadium. Finally both Northampton and  Bath recorded more comfortable victories over Falcons and Welsh respectively. 

All of the highlights are on ITV tonight at 11.25pm and I can't wait to see them/record them and watch them tomorrow for I have work in the morning!!! Next weekend the Welsh Regions join the party and boy will they want to get stuck in against their English counterparts! So that is the LV=Cup Round 1 in a very small nutshell, personally I would have liked to have seen many more of the games on TV for in my eyes it is a cracking competition. 

Nick Cummins - The Honey Badger

The Honey Badger was on great form following the Barbarians match against Australia at Twickenham Stadium

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The View From Twickenham - Barbarians vs. Australia

Lung busting, enthralling and simply delightful to watch, that is my short and sweet assessment of the Barbarians taking on Australia at Twickenham Stadium and if the noise in the stadium was anything to go by the 53,568 strong crowd agreed!

Going into the game the two opponents started in very different places and head spaces; the Barbarians full of positivity and excitement whilst the Wallabies have been through the mill and back recently. In spite of this both sides had a job to do and boy did we all enjoy watching them do it!! 

Prior to the game Australia’s new Head Coach Michael Cheika outlined that his immediate focus is on clarifying a few things, first regarding the manner in which the Australian National side plays rugby, second, regarding how they wish their opponents to perceive them and finally nailing exactly what their identity is. Today at Twickenham his team started to do that, they weren’t perfect but the intent and focus was there. Tevita Kuridrani’s lines were a thing of rugby beauty and when combined with his physicality he really turned heads. The Cooper and Genia partnership that we all expected so much from started to sing again, Quade Cooper in particular hasn’t had a lot of game time this season and with the amount of talent they have between them the partnership will only go from strength to strength once more. However in my eyes there was one man in the Gold of Australia that really shone and that was Sean McMahon who had a absolute stormer. After coming on for Scott Higginbotham he worked his socks off, he was everywhere in defence and his lines were ones that Kuridrani would be proud of. 

The Barbarians’ Head Coach Sir John Kirwan was a happy man following the game and rightly so. He hit the nail on the head in the post match press conference when he said; “It was really important for us as a group of young players and as Barbarians to deliver today. We are very conscious that we need to try and protect the BaaBaas as a historical team and the only way we can do that is by performing like we did today. It was an outstanding game of rugby and when a Twickenham crowd sings Swing Low for a team like the Barbarians it is a special moment."

From minute one his side’s intentions were clear their opening exchanges showcased that they were here to play rugby, to entertain and to do the shirt proud. Colin Slade had an outstanding day at the office, he steered the men in black and white into all of the right places and whilst we all know that he has been dropped due to some world class All Blacks talents; Dan Carter, Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett, it is difficult to see such a superb player left out in the cold. Across the board from one to twenty three the Barbarian spirit shone through, in spades. In previous fixtures we have seen Barbarians sides 'implode' mid way through the second half and today it looked as if it was about to happen at 40-22 down however instead they dug deep and closed the widening gap on the score board through sheer guts and determination. Captain Al Kellock was masterful and indeed every member of the Barbarians squad that came and spoke to the press after the game couldn’t sing his praises enough.

If you haven’t seen the game yet, please do watch it, for it is an outstanding advert for the game with two top teams going at each other with every bit of energy that they have. The match provided a solid platform for the Wallabies to push on from as they head to Cardiff to take on Warren Gatland's Wales and it reminded us all that just how special the tradition of Barbarians rugby is. Sir John Kirwan and his side now have three days to collect their thoughts, re-fuel and head to Welford Road where the Leicester Tigers will be waiting for them. 

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LV=Cup - Let the Games Begin!

This year marks the 10th year that there has been an Anglo-Welsh tournament as part of our competitive rugby structure. Over the past decade the competition has had a number of different names however today it is lovingly known as the LV=Cup. Over the course of 6 weekends between now and March twelve Aviva Premiership Clubs and the four Welsh Regions will battle it out to follow in the footsteps of the Exeter Chiefs and be crowned the 2015 LV=Cup Champions. 

     

Over the past couple of years LV=Cup has firmly established its place in the professional structure, it is the springboard for young emerging players and allows them to showcase their talents to the wider rugby world. Alongside that purpose it also provides important game time to those, more senior players, that are coming back from injury or that on the fringes of their first team squads. 

Before I highlight a few key men to watch out for in this year's tournament let’s delve into a spot of house-keeping regarding the competition structure itself. Each team in the LV=Cup is guaranteed two home fixtures and two away fixtures and all of the fixtures played are inter-pool meaning that the teams in Pool 1 will play teams in Pool 4 and the teams in Pool 2 will play the teams in Pool 3. Following 4 weekends of Pool fixtures the winner of each Pool will progress through to the Semi Final knockouts and then the Final will held at Northampton Saints’ home Franklin’s Gardens.

This year Saracens sit in Pool 1 alongside Gloucester Rugby, Newport Gwent Dragons and Bath Rugby and as mentioned will play against the sides in Pool 4, the Exeter Chiefs, Harlequins, London Welsh and Ospreys. Facing off on the other side of the draw Pool 2 contains the Cardiff Blues, London Irish, the Northampton Saints and Sale Sharks and Pool 3 the Leicester Tigers, Newcastle Falcons, the Scarlets and Wasps. Yesterday was team announcement day for Round 1 and what was great was the split between the fresh faces and the elder statesmen.

Saracens' house a hugely exciting man within their squad, one that if you saw the Junior World Cup earlier in the year you will know all about; Maro Itoje. The 20 year old is reading a politics degree as well as making huge waves in the world of rugby; powerful, physical and sharp as anything Itoje will Captain an exciting Saracens side against Harlequins at Allianz Park on Sunday afternoon. The Northampton Saints is another side that makes the rugby excitement levels rise. Personally I love their back line with Tom Collins, Jamie Elliott, Tom Stephenson, Dom Waldock, Howard Packman and Will Hooley it certain has great blend of pace and power. Phil Dowson will Captain the side, his experience is second to none and will greatly assist Ethan Waller and Mike Haywood up front. 

A man that I believe will standout for Wasps is Alex Lozowski, this season Alex re-joined Wasps after completing his degree and has impressed everyone at the club with his natural ability and work ethic. As we all know fly half is a pressured position and one that can expose individuals, however seeing Alex run out for Wasps First XV in pre-season and for Wasps A more recently like all of the best players he makes rugby look effortless and seems to  have huge amount of time on the ball. Alex will be working with Ben Jacobs in the centre and has two prolific wingers outside of him Will Helu and Josh Bassett, all in all expect Wasps to fly

Bath Rugby are another side that have caught my eye for their XV is rammed with talent; a Gavin Henson and Chris Cook half back combination is LV Gold and up front Nick Auterac, Ross Batty and Kane Palma-Newport wouldn't look out of place in the Premiership. Charlie Ewels, after being thrown in at the deep again against Toulouse, will continue his rise to rugby fame. He is immensely strong and with his head totally screwed on this teenager is doing all the right things to go very, very far in the world of rugby. 

This is by no means an extensive list of ones to watch, there are many more but for all of our sakes I will pause there!! In closing I want to wish every player running out for our Premiership sides this weekend well. Over the course of 4 rounds of pool matches, the Semi Finals and the Final we will be treated to some outstanding rugby, for in this competition individuals and indeed teams will play with flair and without fear as they aim to showcase what they are made of. So, without any further introduction let the 2014/15 LV=Cup begin...