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HARLEQUINS 30 - 23 LEICESTER TIGERS

TWICKENHAM - Saturday 26th May 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 14-13 Att: 81,779

HARLEQUINS basked in glory as they took down Leicester Tigers at sunny Twickenham to become Aviva Premiership 2011-12 Champions, the first time they have taken home the title. And was preceded by a spectacular guard of honour that started at the home of Quins, the Twickenham Stoop, right through to the West Car Park at Twickenham to the Lions Gate.

The game was thrilling and fast paced, just as you would expect from a Final. However, the refereeing, done by Wayne Barnes, left much to be desired and caused both sides’ fans to cry out in pain. Although the rucks and scrums were chaotic at times, the rest of the play was excellent, and Quins certainly deserved to raise the trophy at the end of it all.

Quins held the top spot of the table from week 3 of the tournament but came into this match as underdogs, due to Leicester’s very impressive Finals history. The Tigers’ have made it to this stage of the competition for the last 8 years and have won 3 times in that period. However, all involved knew that there was plenty of opportunity for upsetting the bookies; the Londoners were never going to be an easy side.

Quins were the quickest out of the blocks, Nick Evans snatching an early lead with a penalty after just 2 minutes. His next hit the woodwork but this was swiftly followed by an excellent try from Tom Williams, who made the Tigers’ sit up and pay attention from then on. The conversion also rebounded off an upright but supporters were still ecstatic to see Quins take control so early on with positive play.

The scrum was a problem from the off and it was not long until Leicester grabbed a penalty from it, which flew to touch, and another soon after as Quins tackled off the ball. Leicester looked threatening until they knocked on, a problem which would rear its ugly head throughout the match. The tables turned as Quins were given a shot at goal, Tigers bringing down the driving maul, and Evans extended the margin. George Ford missed his first chance to reduce the deficit but was handed an easier shot straight after and slotted the ball to bring the gap to 5 points.

Suddenly, Leicester were looking confident and used a lineout to their full advantage, offloading and shifting the ball out to Steve Mafi, who finished the move by running a long distance before planting the ball over the whitewash. The scores were all square at the half-hour mark and Ford stepped up to add the extras perfectly, edging the Tigers in front. But Quins were undeterred and set off again into enemy territory in search of points. They encountered many problems though, with Tigers coming in to steal the ball from the side of the ruck without seeing repercussions, a lineout that left them wanting, and some cynical play by Thomas Waldrom. However, the latter saw the number-8 off to the sin bin for a spell and Evans chipped over the ensuing penalty to leave the score 14-13 at the break to the Mighty Quins.

Although it was boiling hot on the pitch, the opening 40 minutes had been a frenzy of activity and this continued at the restart. Although unable to pierce the solid Leicester defence, Quins made good use of their extra man and forced a further two penalties to keep their tally increasing. It looked as if Leicester were going to let the Quins have an easy second half, with Skipper and Man of the Match Chris Robshaw deftly finding the tryline for a converted score just before the hour was up. The gap increased to its greatest margin of 17 when Evans slotted another 3-pointer and Leicester were in serious trouble.

However, thanks to some amazing work from Ben Youngs, the Tigers began a comeback. Youngs broke free before offloading to Anthony Allen who raced through for a try. Ford made no mistake with the conversion and then smacked over a penalty for good measure. Youngs continued to play spectacularly and took due credit for Leicester’s gear change in the last quarter. The Tigers put in a valiant fight to try and squeeze further points, and were unlucky to not claim more penalties at scrums for Harlequins boring in. Their handling also let them down, with forward passes and knock ons halting any momentum they built up.

The Tigers spent the last 5 minutes camped out on the Quins tryline, but in the end just could not finish moves meaningfully as Quins showed them how it was done. The clock ticked down and the crowd erupted as Quins emerged victorious, but the ref did have to remind the winning side repeatedly that someone did actually have to put the ball into touch before the final whistle could be blown, and eventually, replacement fly half, Rory Clegg did the honours.

15 Mike Brown 14 Tom Williams 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 CHRIS ROBSHAW (C) 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Mark Lambert 18 Will Collier 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Tom Guest 21 Karl Dickson 22 Rory Clegg 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS T: Williams, Robshaw C: Evans P: Evans (6)

15 GEORDAN MURPHY (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi 12 Anthony Allen 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 George Ford 9 Ben Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Dan Cole 4 George Skivington 5 Geoff Parling 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Logovi’i Mulipola 18 Martin Castrogiovanni 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Craig Newby 21 Sam Harrison 22 Billy Twelvetrees 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Mafi, Allen C: Ford (2) P: Ford (3) Thomas Waldrom

Man of the Match: Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)

Referee: Wayne Barnes (107th Premiership match, 4th final) Asst Referees: Dave Pearson & Paul Dix TMO: Geoff Warren

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HARLEQUINS 25 - 23 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

TWICKENHAM STOOP - Saturday 12th May 2012
KO: 14:45 HT: 9-12 Att: 12,192

IN a penalty-strewn semi final at The Twickenham Stoop under the glare of glorious sunshine, Harlequins scraped through to the Final in a nail-biting ending as a massive surge of the pack in the last minutes of the match provided the try needed to deny Northampton Saints.

The game began badly for Saints even before the start as Chris Ashton was pulled from the starting line up and replaced by Vasily Artemyev. Following kick off they swiftly gave away a penalty at the breakdown, before being marched back 10 metres for annoying the referee, Andrew Small. Nick Evans teed up and slotted the kick to hand Quins an early lead. More ill-discipline followed for both sides and the half was error-strewn.

Mike Brown tried to gain ground for Quins but a terrible kick simply gave the visitors a penalty in his own territory. From the ensuing lineout a maul formed, but Quins foolishly dragged it down and Ryan Lamb equalised with a 3-pointer. Evans had a chance soon after to regain the advantage but his kick flew wide.

Northampton did well to hold their own with key players Chris Ashton and Tom Wood missing due to injury, and Calum Clark and Dylan Hartley suspended. Lamb soon stepped up again to find the posts once more. But both sides were making mistakes and Evans levelled the score within a couple of minutes.

Neither team was playing well, slowing the ball down and giving away unnecessary penalties. Saints produced the better attacks but could make nothing of them, the Quins defence shutting their opponents down quickly. However, the homeside finally awoke after 30 minutes of play and made their way menacingly into Saints territory. Roger Wilson was shown a yellow for infringements at the ruck and Quins took 3 points from the period of offence; not what they had hoped for but enough to draw the tallies.

A pattern began to form where every time a time one team scored, immediately they handed over a penalty. Quins gifted Saints another penalty straight after and Northampton pushed ahead once more due to Lamb’s boot, leaving the score 12-9 at the break.

It took Quins 8 minutes after the restart to square the scoreboard, but this half saw both sides begin to play the rugby the fans had come to see. Quins geared up and overpowered the Saints’ scrum, showing they had finally found some grit. Evans hit his target and put Quins onto the front foot, but meanwhile Lamb was limping, much to the concern of Northampton supporters. Quins did not refocus, again, and found themselves handing Lamb another shot at goal. The accurate kick showed Lamb clearly was not struggling as badly as previously thought. He then saved Saints from a solid Quins attack by making a stunning interception; he was certainly not ready to be removed from the pitch just yet. The homeside were cynical at the breakdown and Lamb slotted another 3-pointer.

The scrum was strongest for Quins throughout the match. Even with Saints replacing their entire front row, the visitors could not get a foothold in the setpiece, and scrum half brother Lee and Karl jostled on opposite sides throughout.

Tension was running high by this point and a tussle broke out between Joe Marler and Paul Doran Jones as tempers frayed. However, Saints fans were suddenly ecstatic when a brilliant piece of play started by a break from Ben Foden offloaded to Artemyev to George Pisi to Craig Downey was finished with a try from Lee Dickson, although the Pisi - Downey pass should have been called as forward. Unfortunately, Lamb missed the extras, something he rued by the end of the match, but Quins still knew they had a lot to do in the last 15 minutes if they intended to make the Final, now two scores behind at 15-23.

Evans clawed back 3 points to put the homeside within reach of victory with only 10 minutes to go. Quins heaped on the pressure in Saints’22, and in the 76th minute, a huge team effort culminated in one last surge, driving over Joe Marler to touchdown, as confirmed by the TMO. Unlike two earlier missed attempts at the uprights, Evans teed up for the winning conversion and coolly smacked the ball through.

Quins tactically slowed down play for the remaining 2 minutes, and thunderously loud countdown from the Quins supporters ended in a pleasing roar as the ball found touch, and Quins found themselves in the final.

15 Mike Brown 14 Tom Williams 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Nick Easter  BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Mark Lambert 18 Will Collier 19  Tomas Vallejos 20 Tom Guest 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS  T: Marler C: Evans P: Evans (6)

15 Ben Foden 14 Vasily Artemyev 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Paul Diggin 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson (C) 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Andy Long 3 Brian Mujati 4 Mark Sorenson 5 Christian Day 6 James Craig 7 Phil Dowson 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Ross McMillan 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Ben Nutley 20 Teimana Harrison 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Tom May

SCORERS  T: Lee Dickson P: Lamb (4) Roger Wilson

 

LEICESTER TIGERS vs SARACENS

WELFORD ROAD - Saturday 12th May 2012
KO: 17:30 HT: 13-12 Att: 20,173

LEICESTER TIGERS put in an excellent second half performance to beat off Saracens for a place in the Final in a physically fierce battle of 2nd and 3rd place teams in the Aviva Premiership.

Sarries were first to draw blood with a penalty from Owen Farrell in the 6th minute, but another young fly-half was also on form, George Ford, who equalised 4 minutes later. The visitors looked more threatening in the opening period, with David Strettle flying over in the corner doing well to keep his feet inside the touchline despite having Many Tuilagi on his tail, but was denied by the TMO. Farrell kept the points coming as he slotted another 3-pointer, but Leicester made no mistake in finding the tryline as Alesana Tuilagi crashed through for the touchdown after some brilliant open play for the Tigers.

Ford coolly added the extras but Tigers followed this with a few minutes of sloppy play, allowing Farrell to reduce the deficit once more. However, the next penalty was not on target for the usually accurate Farrell and Sarries lost out on a chance to take the lead. He soon redeemed himself though and Sarries pull ahead by 2 points, however, Leicester were about to become fierce. The Tigers threw some monster tackles at their opponents, crunching the bones of anyone they could lay their hands to. Their new found ferocious play yielded a penalty for Ford to whack through which left the score 13-12 at the whistle.

It was all to play for in the final 40 minutes and Tigers were the ones who took the bull by the horns. Ford was offered a chance to increase the margin but pulled the ball wide, his kicking suddenly reduced in accuracy in the early stages of the second half. The homeside were causing trouble in attack, swarming the Sarries’ defence and dominating at the scrum. It was not long until Alesana  burst through again and shifted the ball out wide, Mafi going over in the corner. During this passage of play, Sarries’ Mouritz Botha and Alex Goode collided, leaving the former dazed and the latter forced off the field. Ford teed up for the conversion but again swerved the ball horridly. His next shot on goal was far better though and he added a further 3 points to the tally as the Tigers left the visitors trailing 21-12.

The Saracens tried to counteract this with a spell of pressure but were unable to keep focused, losing possession due to penalties. Eventually Farrell smacked over another penalty, but the visiting fans knew that this would not be enough, a try was necessary. Leicester were soon in range of the tryline again but some messing around at the scrum caused numerous resets and, in the end, Sarries were able to clear their lines with a penalty kick.

Ford’s next penalty ricocheted off the crossbar and, unfortunately, the runners that were supposed to follow up the kick did not do their job efficiently, allowing a chance for a try to slip through their fingers. The scrum became tedious as both sides failed to bind or slowed the put in. After numerous resets, Tigers were given a penalty and Ford slotted the most important kick of the game. From this point on Leicester were in control and kept Sarries entertained until time ran out, earning themselves a trip to Twickenham to face the Harlequins.

15 Geordan Murphy (c) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi 12 Anthony Allen 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Dan Cole 4 George Skivington 5 Geoff Parling 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Logovi’i Mulipola 18 Martin Castrogiovanni 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Craig Newby 21 Sam Harrison 22 Billy Twelvetrees 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Alesana Tuilagi, Mafi C: Ford P: Ford (4)

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Owen Farrell 12 Brad Barritt 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Matt Stevens 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Jackson Wray 7 Will Fraser 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 John Smit 18 Carlos Nieto 19 Hugh Vyvyan 20 George Kruis 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Adam Powell 23 James Short

SCORERS P: Farrell (5)

 

 

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THE Aviva Premiership is reaching its peak after 22 weeks of battling by all involved. However, only the top four in the table continue on as we delve into the Semi Finals, Harlequins, Leicester Tigers, Saracens, and Northampton Saints making it through. These teams have all had their ups and downs in the tournament so far but are sure to face their toughest challenge in their next games.

Harlequins have held on to the top-spot of the table since week 3, an incredible feat that should leave them feeling very confident as they enter the knock-out stages. Their play is fast-pace and there is exceptional talent amongst their ranks. However, a defeat in the hands of Saracens in front of a record-breaking crowd at Twickenham Stadium left the Quins jittery for a time. They had been running on a huge winning streak but in week 11 Sarries proved to 82,000 fans that their opponents were not unbeatable.

The next few weeks saw Quins struggle to regain composure, taking a battering from Northampton Saints, narrowly losing to Gloucester Rugby, and only being able to scrape a draw against bottom-of-the-table Newcastle Falcons. Luckily, their earlier points tally had created a large enough margin to ride out this rough patch and, eventually, Quins grew in self-assurance once more. Their next clash is against Northampton Saints at the Twickenham Stoop against whom they did win comfortably in their first home fixture of the season, but a team that can evidently cause the Quins problems. However, Quins have the best home record, along with Saints, in the competition and this might be enough to give them the extra boost against their Northampton nemeses.

The Saints are a team who have had fans worrying periodically as their scores dipped whenever international matches came along. Losing the main core of their team left Northampton unable to put together an experienced side, causing their set pieces in particular to buckle under pressure. But with no players being whisked off to play for their country, and a good away record from current games, Northampton could shake the Quins and come out victorious. They can certainly pack a punch in the scrum when on form and have some excellent backs. However, with Nick Evans kicking for the opposition, they will have to keep a cool head and remain disciplined throughout. The Saints are saying goodbye to some well-known faces at the end of this season and these players will be looking to leave with a bang; this will definitely make the Saints dangerous to Quins and the match will bring plenty of excitement for fans of both teams.

Saracens were unlucky to not overtake Quins in the table during the last few weeks of the competition, taking advantage of the worry they had caused at Twickenham and its aftermath, but were only able to secure a third place finish. Their play has been consistent, and with Owen Farrell on side, they are formidable when it comes to kicking. Tying this together with the fact that they are fighting to retain the title of Aviva Premiership Champions from last season, the Saracens mean business. Sarries have a great ability to win away from home and have won their last 3 visits to Welford Road, giving Leicester Tigers little confidence to take from playing at home. Saracens have had a few problems with their scrum at times though, and will need to keep an eye on the Leicester forwards, who will be determined to cause upset.

Leicester have met Saracens in the finals of the Aviva Premiership twice in as many seasons but a third tussle for the title will not be seen, facing their strongest rivals a stage earlier. The Tigers have are a force to be reckoned with at Welford Road though and have had a good run up to this point, boosting their belief that Saracens will crumple. However, they will not be deluded enough to think that the task is an easy one and will be perfecting their set pieces to ensure they cause maximum damage.

Tigers fans were worried when Toby Flood left the pitch last week with an ankle injury that left him limping off and on crutches on the sidelines, adding to the list of injured players. Director of Rugby, Richard Cockerill, seems confident that the fly-half will return for the all-important fixture, along with Ben Youngs, Julien Salvi and George Skivington all expected to make appearances. However, the “he’ll be fine for the next game” noises were also made by the Leicester camp after Tom Croft took a battering during the Quins game three weeks previously, and the England flanker is now set to miss the summer tour to South Africa with a damaged disc in his neck that requires surgery. If the Tigers are correct in their assumption that Flood will be fine, then the home crowd are in for a treat, albeit a tense one.

 

 

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WEEK 22

LEICESTER TIGERS 28 - 3 BATH RUGBY

Welford Road - Saturday 5th May 2012
KO: 14:00 HT: 3-0 Att: 24,000

LEICESTER TIGERS made the most of a solid second half against Bath Rugby to head into the semis on a high. However, neither team were looking particularly on form during the opening period, each producing an error-strewn performance.

Toby Flood drew first blood, slotting a fourth minute penalty, although he had missed his first shot just a minute before. Olly Barkley had a chance to level the tallies soon after but could not find his target from long-range.

Bath looked to be heading for a touchdown when some neat kicking and a strong scrum saw them make progress towards the whitewash, but the attack came to nothing against a strong Leicester defence and a ferocious Manu Tuilagi. The visitors then had to prove their worth in defence as Tigers tried their luck, Horacio Agulla storming forward. However, some exceptionally poor passing to Geordan Murphy left Leicester wanting. Tuilagi continued to cause problems for his opponents, crashing through their tackles in the 29th minute, but knocked on before finally being grounded.

Bath’s defence stood firm against waves of attack from Flood and Thomas Waldrom before driving the Tigers back from a 5-metre scrum. Their strength and discipline was excellent during this period. Leicester took a serious blow when Flood was removed from play after injuring his leg and the mood worsened as his replacement, Billy Twelvetrees, missed a penalty on the stroke of half-time. The score being a measly 3-0 reflected the poor finishing abilities of both sides.

The situation did not brighten immediately for Twelvetrees, missing another shot at the post 7 minutes after the break. But he made no mistake with his third attempt, although Barkley also added one of his own to keep the margin unchanged.

Twelvetrees was soon showing that he had more to give than just kicking, providing a much needed boost for Leicester, with a break that ended with Anthony Allen touching down; the fly-half added the extras. Meanwhile, Bath’s efforts at reaching the tryline were thwarted by the Tigers’ efficient pack.

Twelvetrees whacked over another 3-pointer before Leicester earned a penalty try, the referee getting fed up with the collapsing Bath scrum. The final score was again set up by Twelvetrees, along with Tom Youngs, with well-timed pass to Agulla securing the final try. Bath had caused the Tigers little bother in the last 40 minutes. 

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi 12 Anthony Allen 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Martin Castrogiovanni 4 George Skivington 5 Geoff Parling 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Logovi’i Mulipola 18 Dan Cole 19 Craig Newby 20 Calum Green 21 Sam Harrison 21 Billy Twelvetrees 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Allen, Penalty Try, Agulla C: Twelvetrees (2) P: Flood, Twelvetrees (2)

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Matt Banahan 12 Olly Barkley 11 Tom Biggs 10 Stephen Donald 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Lee Mears (C) 3 David Wilson 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ben Skirving 6 Josh Ovens 7 Carl Fearns 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Charlie Beech 18 Duncan Bell 19 Will Spencer 20 Guy Mercer 21 Mark McMillan 22 Sam Vesty 23 Kyle Eastmond

SCORERS P: Barkley

 

 

LONDON IRISH 52 - 18 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

Madejski Stadium - Saturday 5th May 2013
KO: 14:00 HT: 34-11 Att: 9,610

MASS BRAWLING was not the only thing that left Gloucester Rugby bruised as they went down horridly to London Irish, after Exiles stalwart, Bob Casey led out his side as captain for one last time before retiring from the rugby field.

Tom Homer began scoring with a gigantic penalty from his own half but this was soon equalled by a simpler shot from Freddie Burns. However, Gloucester handed over plenty more kicks for Homer to land, as their scrum caused concern and allowed the fly-half to add another 9 points to the tally. The visitors responded positively though, Tom Voyce finishing some well-built play with a touchdown.

The Exiles extended their lead once more, however, with Homer slotting another 3-pointer before Darren Allinson planted the ball for a beautifully worked try. Homer knocked over the extras and Irish were in control. Gloucester stole another 3 points thanks to Burns, but the Exiles swarmed over the pitch. It did not take long before Sailosi Tagicakibau and Jonathan Joseph were crashing through for further tries to leave the score 34-11 at the break.

The frustration of the visitors boiled over in the early stages of the second half. David Paice and Gloucester skipper Jim Hamilton threw punches at each other off the ball, leading to other players getting involved. The referee tried to calm the situation and initially sin binned the pair, but they decided that the matter was not settled and began to tussle on the touchline, this time causing a full-scale brawl. Clearly the situation called for more stringent action and red cards were issued to the scrappers.

Once play resumed the Cherry-and-Whites were soon waving goodbye to another player as Mike Tindall being shown a yellow for pulling a player not in possession of the ball. Irish took full advantage of their extra man, Marland Yarde gathering a nice chip ball to increase the homeside’s tally. Armitage followed him swiftly over the tryline in his last game for the club, as he prepares to join brothers Steffon & Guy in Toulon next season, and it was clear that Gloucester were completely out of their depth.

Yarde took another opportunity and raced over completely uncovered by the visiting defence to end scoring for the homeside with his second try of the half. However, Voyce had a final burst, also adding his second try, to regain some of Gloucester’s battered dignity.  It was not a pretty game, in fact, it was far from it.

15 Tom Homer 14 Delon Armitage 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Joe Ansbro 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Steve Shingler 9 Darren Allinson 1 Max Lahiff 2 David Paice 3 Leo Halavatau 4 Bryn Evans 5 Bob Casey (C) 6 Jamie Gibson 7 David Sisi 8 Ofisa Treviranus BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Paulica Ion 18 Faan Rautenbach 19 Matt Garvey 20 Kieran Roche 21 Marland Yarde 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Ross Samson

SCORERS T: Allinson, Tagicakibau, Joseph, Yarde (2), Armitage C: Homer (2) P: Homer (6) Paice

15 Tom Voyce 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Jonny May 12 Mike Tindall 11 Ollie Phillips 10 Freddie Burns 9 Dave Lewis 1 Dan Murphy 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Jim Hamilton (C) 5 Alex Brown 6 Tom Savage 7 Alasdair Strokosch 8 Matt Cox BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Yann Thomas 18 Shaun Knight 19 Peter Buxton 20 Akapusi Qera 21 Dan Robson 22 Tim Taylor 23 Ian Clark

SCORERS T: Voyce (2) C: Burns P: Burns (2) Tindall Hamilton

 

LONDON WASPS 10 - 14 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Adams Park - Saturday 5th May 2014
KO: 14:00 HT: 10-0 Att: 10,516

IT is all over for Newcastle Falcons as even a win against London Wasps could not save them from facing relegation.

Newcastle were strong in the opening stages of the match, but lacked the final finesse needed to grab all-important points. The task set for the side of beating their opponents with either a bonus point score or a 24 point margin was huge, and all involved knew that it was a lot to ask. However, the Falcons made a valiant effort and were unfortunate not to claim any points in the first half. In fact, it took a full 36 minutes for any score to be seen, each side putting together an excellent defence.

Eventually, Wasps took the lead with a penalty from Nicky Robinson and this sparked the homeside into life. Richard Haughton cut through the defensive line and the ball made its way into the hands of Christian Wade via Robinson, who raced over for converted try - Wasps’ last points of the match. The whistle blew and Newcastle had work to do to reverse the 10-0 score.

A gutsy Falcons side took to the pitch at the restart and were swiftly handed a scoring opportunity. Ben Broster was sent marching to the sin bin for a scrum offence and the visitors again bravely chose to go for touch with the resultant penalty. This time their decision paid off brilliantly when James Fitzpatrick was awarded a touchdown by the TMO after hauling himself over the whitewash. Jimmy Gopperth added the extras and suddenly Newcastle had reduced the margin to just 3 points.

Referee Wayne Barnes allowed the Falcons to get away with their fast-becoming trademark dirty play, and any another ref would have sent off Taiasina Tu’ifua following his unprofessional behaviour, but a penalty was all that was awarded for a dangerous tackle followed by a harsh shove. And Barnes continued in his form where under a pile of black shirts, a Falcons player undoubtedly grounded the ball in the 72nd minute, but asking the wrong question of the TMO, the desperate visitors were denied. But they were not beaten yet.

Peter Stringer secured the win for the spirited Falcons in the final minutes of play but, although Gopperth converted, the score simply was not enough to remove them from the bottom of the table.

Wasps almost stole the win when Wade collected a chip through in hos own 22, ran first the width then half the length of the pitch before floating the ball across perfectly; Tom Varndell broke over half and the ball continued I the right direction, put the perfectly good pass was called foward by Barnes and momentum lost. Wasps may have lost the game but are safe in the knowledge they will not be heading to the Championship any time soon, and now simply need to secure that buyer.

Though winners, Newcastle are now left with an uncomfortable wait whilst the Championship rounds off and the final decision on their fate is made. It has been a bumpy ride for the Falcons but we have to say we have enjoyed having them around.

15 Richard Haughton 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Dominic Waldouck 11 Tom Varndell 10 Nick Robinson 9 Charlie Davies 1 Tim Payne 2 Tom Lindsay 3 Ben Broster 4 Richard Birkett 5 Marco Wentzel (C) 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Sam Jones 8 Billy Vunipola BENCH:16 Vladislav Korshunov 17 Zac Taulafo 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Ross Filipo 20 Tinus Du Plessis 21 Nic Berry 22 Will Robinson 23 Chris Mayor

SCORERS T: Wade C: Robinson P: Robinson Ben Broster

15 Greg Goosen 14 Corne Uys 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Ryan Shortland 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Peter Stringer 1 Jonny Golding 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 James Hudson 5 Tim Swinson 6 Ally Hogg 7 Will Welch 8 Adam Balding BENCH: 16 Matt Thompson 17 Grant Shiells 18 James Hall 19 James Goode 20 Taiasina Tu’ifua 21 Mark Wilson 22 Chris Pilgrim 23 Tom Catterick

SCORERS T: Fitzpatrick, Stringer C: Gopperth (2)

 

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 42 - 14 WORCESTER

Franklin's Gardens - Saturday 5th May 2015
KO: 14:00 HT: 17-7 Att: 13,475

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS had little trouble dispatching Worcester Warriors to make it through to the Semi Finals in fourth place.

Northampton waved a fond farewell to several players in this match, including the much-loved Chris Ashton, who will definitely be missed at Franklin’s Gardens. However, the last game for these members of the team was a good one, leaving the home crowd with plenty of happy memories.

The homeside showed control from the off with a huge scrum, which flustered Warriors for the entirety of play, earning themselves an early penalty. However, the Saints exhibited their intent by spurning a shot at goal for a lineout. This set piece was impressive too, with James Craig causing havoc for Worcester, and the Saints built an excellent attack that saw Ashton swan dive over the whitewash in his trademark fashion.

Meanwhile, Worcester hit back with a try of their own, Josh Drauniniu flying through for the touchdown. Gray converted to level the scores; the Warriors were not going to go down without a bit of a fight.

Ashton had problems with his leg soon after his try and it was not long until he was replaced by Tom May. May was unfortunate to be forced out of play, soon after his appearance on pitch, as he headed for the tryline. The Warriors did well to hold off several heavy attacks from Northampton, but were reduced to 14 men when Shaun Perry was shown a yellow for hands in the ruck just metres from his tryline. Myler slotted the penalty and was quickly teeing up again as Ben Foden stormed over on the toll of half-time. The Saints were the dominant force now and had a 10-point cushion of 17-7 at the break.

The second half really saw the Saints take control; Myler cracked over another penalty 4 minutes after the restart to extend their lead before this advantage was reduced by Kai Horstmann. The backrower heaved himself over the line from close-range and was confirmed to have planted the ball by the TMO. Again Gray converted but this was to be the last flourish we would see from the visitors.

Northampton stepped up a gear and soon Ryan Lamb, who had replaced Myler, was teeing up for his first attempt at goal, which he delivered successfully. This began a monsoon of points for the homeside, with Paul Diggin, Teimana Harrison and Alex Waller all bolting over for tries. Lamb managed to convert two of the three to finish the tally.

Worcester kept pushing for a final moment of joy but were left with losing Ed Shervington to the sin bin for tackling a player off the ball instead. Northampton will head to the next stage for an away fixture against Premiership leaders of 20 weeks, Harlequins, feeling confident after a clinical performance

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Paul Diggin 10 Stephen Myler 9 Lee Dickson (C) 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Andy Long 3 Brian Mujati 4 Mark Sorenson 5 Christian Day 6 James Craig 7 Phil Dowson 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Ross McMillan 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Ben Nutley 20 Teimana Harrison 21 Martin Roberts 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Tom May

SCORERS T: Ashton, Foden, Diggin, Harrison, Waller C: Myler (2), Lamb (2) P: Myler (2), Lamb

15 Tom Arscott 14 Miles Benjamin 13 Alex Grove 12 Ravai Fatiaki 11 Josh Drauniniu 10 Danny Gray 9 Shaun Perry (C) 1 George Porter 2 Chris Fortey 3 Brue Douglas 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Neil Best 7 Matt Kvesic 8 Kai Horstmann BENCH: 16 Ed Shervington 17 Ryan Furniss 18 Ceri Jones 19 Ben Gulliver 20 Sam Betty 21 Jonny Arr 22 Joe Carlisle 23 Charlie Hayter

SCORERS T: Drauniniu, Horstmann C: Gray (2) Shaun Perry, Ed Shervington

 

 

SALE SHARKS 10 - 24 HARLEQUINS

Edgeley Park - Saturday 5th May 2016
KO: 14:00 HT: 3-15 Att: 10,149

HARLEQUINS go into a home Semi Final in the table top-spot and ended this stage of the competition on a high, beating Sale Sharks at Edgeley Park.

The homeside had the better beginnings, with Luther Burrell and Mark Cueto combining to create some stunning play. Cueto kicked ahead and Will Addison planted the ball, however, foul play saw the try disallowed, much to the chagrin of the home crowd.

Nick Evans was given the chance to draw first blood for Quins when the Sale scrum struggled to meet the standards of its Harlequins counterpart, but the fly-half was not on target. The Sharks continued to attack with vigour but some truly excellent homeside defence left them empty handed. Danny Care, on the other hand, would not be denied and launched himself over a ruck to touchdown for Quins. Evans converted and suddenly the homeside were on the front foot. The Quins almost added to their tally moments later but this time they were rebuffed by the Sharks.

Tommy Bell finally got the Sale scoreboard ticking over with a penalty, but Evans responded with one of his own to return the gap to 7 points. Mike Brown extended the margin before the whistle with another try to finish the half with the visitors up 15-3.

The Quins were on full-throttle at the restart and it took a everything for Sale to keep them at bay. Eventually, Evans slotted another 3-pointer but the visitors then took a blow as Nick Easter was sent to the sin bin.

Addison was quick to take advantage and performed a breath-taking individual try, Bell added the extras. However, the rest of the Sharks’ attempts at heading over the whitewash were crumpled by a brilliant Quins defence and Evans secured the victory with a penalty in the 73rd minute.

Sale will be disappointed that they could not turn some outstanding attacks into further points, but to sweeten the pill they are at least going to be in the Heineken Cup next year due to Bath’s defeat.

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Will Addison 12 Luther Burrell 11 Mark Cueto 10 Tommy Bell 9 Scott Mathie 1 Lee Imiolek 2 Marc Jones 3 Henry Thomas 4 Kearnan Myall 5 Tom Holmes 6 Will Bordill 7 David Seymour (C) 8 Mark Easter BENCH: 16 Tommy Taylor 17 Ross Harrison 18 Joe Ward 19 Billy Emerson 20 Jordan Davies 21 Will Cliff 22 Iain Thornley 23 Charlie Amesbury

SCORERS T: Addison C: Bell P:  Bell

15 Mike Brown 14 Tom Williams 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Mark Lambert 18 Will Collier 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Tom Guest 21 Karl Dickson 22 Rory Clegg 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS T:  Care, Brown C:  Evans P: Evans (4) Nick Easter

 

 

SARACENS 40 - 22 EXETER CHIEFS

Vicarage Road - Saturday 5th May 2017
KO: 14:00 HT: 9-10 Att: 6,346

EXETER CHIEFS missed out on a place in the play offs after Saracens finally took control in the second half at Vicarage Road.

The Chiefs began positively, with Gareth Steenson knocking over an early penalty and some confident opening play. Even though Owen Farrell equalled the scores fairly swiftly, Exeter were focused and soon saw Tom Johnson crashing over for a try.

Meanwhile, Sarries were making handling errors and struggled to get into the game. It was this continuous fumbling that had set up the try for Johnson, giving the Exeter scrum the perfect position to take advantage.

Even the usually accurate Farrell was having trouble, missing a relatively simple penalty. However, he redeemed himself with a further two shots, which were on target. Steenson had a chance to extend the one-point gap but missed the posts, appropriately ending a mistake-filled half and leaving the score at 9-10.

The restart saw a new Sarries return to play, shooting off to score two tries in 5 minutes. First Bryan Rennie’s chip fell perfectly for James Short, not what was intended, and the winger charged a huge distance downfield without opposition to score. He was followed by Rhys Gill, who found the Exeter tackles easy to break, and Farrell added the extras for both. Short nearly claimed a second but was denied on the basis of a forward pass. Farrell slotted another 3-pointer and then was involved in some superb open play that left Alex Goode racing over the whitewash. Charlie Hodgson grabbed the best score of the match to top off the amazing second half for Sarries.

However, Exeter made one last surge and launched an attack that yielded two late tries, thanks to Chris Budgen and Matt Jess. It was all far too late for the Chiefs though; they had crumpled against the mighty Saracens who finish third I the Premiership and face Leicester at Welford Road.

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Chris Wyles 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Owen Farrell 9 Richard Wigglesworth 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Jackson Wray 7 Justin Melck 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 John Smit 18 Matt Stevens 19 George Kruis 20 Will Fraser 21 Neil de Kock 22 Charlie Hodgson 23 Joe Maddock

SCORERS T: Short, Gill, Goode, Hodgson C: Farrell (4) P:  Farrell (4)

15 Luke Arscott 14 Phil Dollman 13 Sireli Naqelevuki 12 Bryan Rennie 11 Matt Jess 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Kevin Barrett 1 Ben Moon 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Craig Mitchell 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Brett Sturgess 18 Chris Budgen 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Ben White 21 Hayden Thomas 22 Ignacio Mieres 23 Nic Sestaret

SCORERS T: Johnson, Budgen, Jess C: Steenson (2) P:  Steenson

 

 

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WEEK 21

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 3 - 9 SARACENS

KINGSTON PARK - Friday 20th April 2012
KO: 19:45 HT: 0-3 Att: 8,013

NEWCASTLE FALCONS held their own against high-flying Saracens but could not find that elusive try to win the match. Sarries took a blow before the game began, losing Brad Barritt to a leg injury and having to shuffle Owen Farrell into the lost position, whilst bringing Charlie Hodgson off the bench to be fly-half.

The first half was all the about the visitors attacking with full force and being brought down just short by some excellent Falcons’ tackles. The usually accurate Farrell was having an off-day though, only managing one kick from three to leave the score at the interval a mere 3-0 to the visitors.

Although there were several stunning breaks from Sarries, their play was generally rather clumsy and they paid for their mistakes, missing out on numerous try-scoring opportunities. The home crowd were pleased to see their team stand firm against the onslaught and were in high-spirits as the teams trooped down the tunnel. The Sarries, on the other hand, were worried; they should have been striding ahead. It was clear that the probable relegation side still had plenty of fight in them.

The Falcons found themselves another 3 points down soon after the restart, Farrell slotting the resultant penalty from a wheeling scrum. The homeside had struggled with the scrum throughout, which is usually their stronger set piece. However, Jimmy Gopperth put his side back on track with a shot at goal of his own and Newcastle began to stir.

Farrell increased the margin again but the final 10 minutes saw a brave attempt by the homeside to pierce the defence and head for the tryline. Justin Melck was sent to the sin bin and the chance Newcastle had been hoping for arose.

James Fitzpatrick had fans on their feet as he was halted just shy of the whitewash and then Falcons spurned a penalty shot for one last go at glory. Alas, the movement came to nothing as Sarries managed to shut down the offence and grip tight to their narrow victory.

15 Greg Goosen 14 Corne Uys 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Ryan Shortland 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Peter Stringer 1 Jonny Golding 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 James Hudson 5 Tim Swinson 6 Ally Hogg 7 Will Welch 8 Adam Balding BENCH: 16 Matt Thompson 17 Grant Shiells 18 James Hall 19 James Goode 20 Taiasina Tu’ifua 21 Mark Wilson 22 Chris Pilgrim 23 Tom Catterick

SCORERS P: Gopperth

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Chris Wyles 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Owen Farrell 9 Neil de Kock 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Matt Stevens 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 George Kruis 6 Jackson Wray 7 Will Fraser 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Carlos Nieto 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Justin Melck 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Charlie Hodgson 23 Michael Tagicakibau

SCORERS P: Farrell (3) Justin Melck

 

BATH RUGBY 17 - 12 LONDON WASPS

RECREATION GROUND - Saturday 21st April 2012
KO: 14:15 HT: 0-9 Att: 12,200

A second-half comeback saved Bath Rugby from the jaws of defeat, much to the disappointment of London Wasps. The visitors needed the win to keep Newcastle Falcons, and relegation, truly out of touch but only clinched a losing bonus point for their troubles.

Bath had several chances in the opening 40 minutes to grab points but were thwarted by some courageous tackling from Wasps. Meanwhile, Nicky Robinson slowly clocked up a score margin with some solid kicking. The homeside were slow off the mark and did not get a grip on the game in the initial stages, leaving Wasps’ fans optimistic of a positive finish to this crucial match. The whistle blew and Bath returned to the changing rooms to rally themselves 9-0 down.

The restart saw a new homeside emerge, one which was ready to drag themselves onto the front foot. It took Lee Mears all of 7 minutes to charge over for a touchdown and reduce the deficit significantly. Olly Barkley missed the conversion but made no such error with his next, once Stephen Donald had planted the ball to hand Bath the lead.

Bath then took advantage of the extra man after Dom Waldouck was sent to the bin, and although Barkley’s resultant penalty rebounded off the post, Matt Carraro sent Nick Abendanon over the whitewash with some simple passing as the homeside ran rings around their opponents, whose confidence appeared to have faded.

Wasps surged into the Bath territory one last time, and the homeside gifted Robinson a penalty with 5 minutes to go. His aim did not falter and Wasps secured the vital losing bonus point, though this was almost short-lived as Sam Vesty looked to have added the final nail to the Wasps coffin with a try. But in his haste at prematurely celebrating, Varndell put himself on the line and held Vesty up, and thought the TMO initially confirmed the try, on second thoughts he reversed his decision to leave the home crowd howling, Bath without the fourth try bonus point, and Wasps retaining their much needed losing bonus.

Bath move up to 7th in the Premiership table, and even with an unlikely bonus point win over Tigers in the final round at Welford Road, will not really be in a position to qualify for next season’s Heineken Cup. For the Wasps, not all is lost on the relegation front as long as they can prevent their final opponents, Newcastle Falcons from securing a bonus point win over them at Kingston Park in a fortnight.

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Carraro 13 Matt Banahan 12 Olly Barkley 11 Tom Biggs 10 Stephen Donald 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Lee Mears 3 David Wilson 4 Stuart Hooper (C) 5 Ben Skirving 6 Josh Ovens 7 Carl Fearns 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Pieter Dixon 17 David Flatman 18 Duncan Bell 19 Dave Attwood 20 Guy Mercer 21 Mark McMillan 22 Sam Vesty 23 Kyle Eastmond

SCORERS T: Mears, Donald, Abendanon C: Barkley

15 Jack Wallace 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Dominic Waldouck 11 Tom Varndell 10 Nick Robinson 9 Charlie Davies 1 Tim Payne 2 Tom Lindsay 3 Ben Broster 4 Joe Launchbury 5 Richard Birkett (C) 6 Sam Jones 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Billy Vunipola BENCH:16 Vladislav Korshunov 17 Zak Taulafo 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Ross Filipo 20 Tinus Du Plessis 21 Nic Berry 22 Chris Mayor 23 Lee Robinson

SCORERS P: Nicky Robinson (4) Dominic Waldouck

 

 

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 19 - 24 SALE SHARKS

KINGSHOLM - Saturday 21st April 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 16-10 Att: 14,491

GLOUCESTER RUGBY disappointed their fans, throwing away a win by allowing Sale Sharks to pull a victory back from the brink of defeat. Tensions were high from the off, with a mass brawl ensuing after James Simpson-Daniel was tussled into touch just short of the tryline. Akapusi Qera and Rob Miller took the heat for the scuffle, earning themselves 10 minutes to cool off in the sin bin.

The match was fast-paced and both sides had slotted 3-pointers before a thrilling couple of minutes saw a returned Miller storm over for a try, only for Charlie Sharples to respond moments later with one of his own. Both sides are desperate to grab a place in next year’s Heineken Cup and neither held back in the battle. Freddie Burns added a further two penalties before half-time to put the homeside on the front foot at the whistle, 16-10 up.

Burns chipped over one final 3-pointer before the tide turned and the Sharks hit back with some bite. Miller turned from bad-boy to hero as he raced over for his second try of the match, thanks to some neat passing from Mark Cueto.

Nick Macleod redeemed himself for missing the conversion by smacking over two penalties to hand the visitors the advantage as the closing stages drew in. His kicking continued to be flawless as Macleod executed a perfect drop-kick to extend Sale’s lead and grasp victory for the Sharks. Gloucester supporters were left wondering what had happened to the homeside, who had fizzled away to nothing over the course of the final half an hour.

15 Jonny May 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Mike Tindall 12 Tim Molenaar 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Dave Lewis 1 Dan Murphy 2 Scott Lawson 3 Rupert Harden 4 Jim Hamilton 5 Alex Brown 6 Peter Buxton (C) 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Alasdair Strokosch BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Shaun Knight 19 Will James 20 Matt Cox 21 Dan Robson 22 Ryan Mills 23 Tom Voyce

SCORERS T: Sharples C: Burns P: Burns (4) Akapusi Qera

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Will Addison 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Cillian Willis 1 Andrew Sheridan 2 Joe Ward 3 Tony Buckley 4 Andrei Ostrikov 5 Kearnan Myall 6 Mark Easter 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Marc Jones 17 Lee Imiolek 18 Henry Thomas 19 Tom Holmes 20 Tommy Taylor 21 Scott Mathie 22 Andrew Higgins 23 Charlie Amesbury

SCORERS T: Miller (2) C: Macleod P: Macleod (3) DG: Macleod Rob Miller

 

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 16 - 25 LONDON IRISH

SIXWAYS - Saturday 21st April 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 6-18 Att: 10,619

LONDON IRISH proved too strong for Worcester Warriors at Sixways, although the visitors were unable to steal a bonus point.

The Exiles began confidently and Tom Homer was soon teeing up for his first shot at goal, kicking the visitors into an early lead. The fullback showed off his impressive range, making another from 40 metres out look easy. Andy Goode responded with a penalty of his own for Warriors to keep the homeside just behind.

Irish were clearly the better side throughout the first half, hammering the defensive line before sending Joe Ansbro over for their first touchdown to finish the opening quarter. Homer converted neatly and Goode could only reply with another 3 points. The situation worsened for Worcester as they lost Jake Abbott to a leg injury, and then saw Homer bound over after picking up a beautiful chip ball from Jonathan Joseph, 5 minutes before the break. The Exiles ran in 18-6 clear of the homeside.

The restart saw several changes in the Warriors line-up but this had little impact as the visitors headed for the tryline once more and Shaun Perry had to make a last-ditch tackle to save the homeside. Homer’s ambitious attempt at goal from 50 metres struck the woodwork and Worcester were shaken into piling on yet more substitutions. But it was not Worcester’s lucky day as Ansbro collided with Dale Rasmussen, leaving the latter needing oxygen as he left the field and Matt Kvesic forced to play winger.

Miles Benjamin brought some happiness to the home crowd as he crashed over for a score. The moment was sweet but short though, Delon Armitage latching onto a cheeky inside pass to race over the whitewash. Marcel Garvey, fittingly, had the last word with a consolatory try to finish his time with the Warriors.

15 Chris Pennell 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Jonny Arr 1 Matt Mullan 2 Ed Shervington 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Sam Betty 7 Jake Abbott 8 Kai Horstmann (C) BENCH: 16 Aleki Lutui 17 George Porter 18 Bruce Douglas 19 Ben Gulliver 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Shaun Perry 22 Danny Gray 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS T: Benjamin, Garvey P: Goode (2)

15 Tom Homer 14 Delon Armitage 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Joe Ansbro 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Steve Shingler 9 Darren Allinson 1 Max Lahiff 2 David Paice 3 Leo Halavatau 4 Bryn Evans (C) 5 Matt Garvey 6 David Sisi 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Ofisa Treviranus BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Mark George 18 Paulica Ion 19 Kieran Low 20 Alex Gray 21 Topsy Ojo 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Ross Samson

SCORERS T: Ansbro, Homer, Armitage C: Homer (2) P: Homer (2)

 

 

HARLEQUINS 33 - 43 LEICESTER TIGERS

TWICKENHAM STOOP - Saturday 21st April 2012
KO: 15:15 HT: 26-23 Att: 14,282

A thrilling clash was seen as Harlequins narrowly missed out to Leicester Tigers at Twickenham Stoop. Both sides meant business but the Tigers got off the mark quickest, spurning a shot at goal for a lineout, and their ambitious play paid off as Thomas Waldrom was bundled over the whitewash. Toby Flood added the extras but Quins responded with a penalty by Nick Evans. The kickers each added a further 3-points and the frenetic play continued.

Much to the rapturous glee of the Quins supporters, Ugo Monye swiftly put the homeside in front at the end of the first quarter, racing over after intercepting Flood’s pass for a score followed up with a trademark Evans conversion. Meanwhile Leicester went down to 14 men as Manu Tuilagi tackled off the ball and earned himself a spell in the sin bin, allowing Evans to increase the margin further.

The homeside took full advantage of the extra man, Nick Easter crashing over for a second converted try for Quins within half-an-hour. In an effort to halt Easter, Tom Croft took a nasty knock against the No. 8’s head and was eventually stretchered from the field (later confirmed by coach Cockerill as just concussion with a stinger). Flood and Evans exchanged penalties once more before Steve Mafi reduced the deficit, squeezing through a gap to find the tryline. Flood’s conversion and following penalty brought the scores within 3 points at the break to 26-23.

The war raged on at the restart and Flood kicked the Tigers level after a Quins scrum could not take the strain. However, Quins quickly adjusted and found themselves ahead again as George Lowe clung on to a perfect kick from Evans to plant the ball.

Supporters from both sides were ecstatic with the performance being produced on-pitch, the quality of rugby was excellent and the match was exhilarating. The score was equalised again just 15 minutes later as Alesana Tuilagi bulldozed through and Flood added the extras once more.

Finally Leicester had cracked the homeside and Waldrom stormed over to clinch the bonus point and get a firm grip on the game. Flood converted and ended proceedings neatly with a 3-pointer. This match was certainly one of, if not the, best match of the season in terms of action and quality. Quins were disappointed to have let it slip at the last but coach Conor O'Shea was very proud of their efforts as they still retain their top spot on the table after 19 consecutive weeks.

15 Mike Brown 14 Ugo Monye 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Rob Buchanan 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Aston Croall 17 Mark Lambert 18 Will Collier 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Tom Guest 21 Karl Dickson 22 Rory Clegg 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Monye, Easter, Lowe C: Evans (3) P: Evans (4)

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi 12 Anthony Allen 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Dan Cole 4 George Skivington 5 Geoff Parling 6 Tom Croft 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Logovi’i Mulipola 18 Martin Castrogiovanni 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Steve Mafi 21 Sam Harrison 21 Billy Twelvetrees 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Waldrom (2), Mafi, A Tuilagi C: Flood (4) P: Flood (5) Manusamoa Tuilagi

 

 

EXETER CHIEFS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

SANDY PARK - Sunday 22nd April 2012
KO: 14:00 HT: 10-3 Att: 10,744

A sloppy second half by Exeter Chiefs left Northampton Saints with a close win at Sandy Park.

Saints were first to draw blood, Stephen Myler stepping up and knocking over a penalty early on. However, Chiefs replied with full force and Gonzalo Camacho was soon crashed over the tryline for a score. Ignacio Mieres added the extras before following up with an accurate shot at goal.

The game was dogged by a rather ferocious wind that caused problems in the lineout, as well as for kickers, leaving both sides struggling. Mieres was on top form, making some excellent breaks and providing plenty of opportunities, but was unable to make his moves stick. Meanwhile, the scrum was being relied upon heavily but proved troublesome to both teams, each incurring numerous penalties.

There were worries over Mieres after he ended up at the bottom of a heap but the fly-half jumped up unscathed from the incident. The interval came and Exeter were looking strongest in the unpleasant conditions, 10-3 up.

After the break, the situation took a nosedive for the Chiefs. A knock-on lead to another scrum and Saints made the most of it, Chris Ashton finding the whitewash. Myler missed the conversion, and both fly-halves each missed penalties due to the unpredictable gusts before Northampton took a grip of the game and began to show dominance.

The whole match was riddled with errors and the crowd became somewhat tired of the scrum resets and penalties. Still, in the driving rain, the match trundled on and Myler slotted a 3-pointer to claim a 1 point advantage over the homeside. The home crowd were unimpressed; it was a simple and foolish mistake by the Chiefs and opened the door to a Saints victory.

Saints turned up the heat, trying every trick to battle past a strong Exeter defence. Eventually their persistence paid off, Paul Diggin snatching a final try for the visitors. The Chiefs did not let up though, fighting until the bitter end and snatching a consolatory try thanks to Richard Baxter. It was all just a little too late, and Exeter had let the win slip through their fingers, and possibly their play off spot if they do not beat Saracens away.

15 Phil Dollman 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Bryan Rennie 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Ben Moon 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Brett Sturgess 18 Craig Mitchell 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Sireli Naqelevuki

SCORERS T: Camacho, Baxter C: Mieres P: Mieres

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Paul Diggin 10 Stephen Myler 9 Lee Dickson (C) 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Andy Long 3 Brian Mujati 4 Mark Sorenson 5 Christian Day 6 James Craig 7 Phil Dowson 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Ross McMillan 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Teimana Harrison 20 Ben Nutley 21 Martin Roberts 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Tom May

SCORERS T: Ashton, Diggin C: Myler P: Myler (2)

 

 

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WEEK 20

SALE SHARKS 16 - 9 BATH RUGBY

EDGELEY PARK - Friday 13th April 2012
KO: 19:45 HT: 6-3 Att: 8,043

SALE SHARKS squeezed a win from Bath Rugby at Edgeley Park, thanks to Rob Miller’s 71st minute try.

Bath began brightly and it did not take long for Tom Heathcote to be teeing up but his attempt at the posts flew wide. Sharks reacted with force with several penetrating runs towards the tryline that caused the Bath defence to scramble. Unfortunately, the whitewash remained just out of reach and Bath were able to clear their lines. It took a full 20 minutes of battling before any points were snatched, as Andrew Sheridan earned a spell in the sin bin, and Olly Barkley knocked over the ensuing penalty. But Sale were still causing problems and, even when a man down, they kept the pressure on. Andy Powell made a striking break but a sloppy pass left the homeside wanting with Matt Banahan stealing possession.

Bath replied with a surge of their own, but some stunning open play was ruined by a poor chip from Nick Abendanon. But Sale’s heavy pack kept Bath on the back foot for most of the half and two penalties from Nick Macleod saw the Sharks take a 6-3 lead at the break.

The moments of slick play were few and far between in the final 40 minutes as conditions worsened. The slippery ball left set pieces as the order of the half and Sale relished the chance to throw their full strength into the fray. Macleod soon added another 3 points after a confident restart.

Barkley produced soon excellent penalties of his own and levelled the tallies in the 63rd minute. It all came down to speed in the end with Miller making a chip and dash to beat Abendanon to the score. Macleod slotted the conversion and sealed the well-deserved victory to the elation of the home crowd.

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Andrew Sheridan 2 Jone Ward 3 Tony Buckley 4 Andrei Ostrikov 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Marc Jones 17 Vadim Cobilas 18 Henry Thomas 19 Richie Vernon 20 Mark Easter 21 Cillian Willis 22 Will Addison 23 Charlie Amesbury

SCORERS T: Miller C: Macleod P: Macleod (3) Andrew Sheridan

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Carraro 13 Matt Banahan 12 Olly Barkley 11 Tom Biggs 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Ross Batty 3 David Wilson 4 Dave Attwood 5 Stuart Hooper (C) 6 Ben Skirving 7 Carl Fearns 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Pieter Dixon 17 Charlie Beech 18 Anthony Perenise 19 Ryan Caldwell 20 Josh Ovens 21 Mark McMillan 22 Sam Vesty 23 Dan Hipkiss

SCORERS P: Barkley (3)

 

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 21 - 35 LEICESTER

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS - Saturday 14th April 2012
KO: 14:15 HT: 9-17 Att: 13,475

FANS were left disappointed as Northampton Saints found Leicester Tigers just too tough to take down in the local derby, taking the visitors into second place in the table and leaving Northampton out of the running for the Semis as they fall to fifth.

The homeside had a strong start with Ryan Lamb slotting two early penalties to take the lead. George Pisi almost added a try to the scoreboard, chasing an awkward chip but being denied by Manu Tuilagi’s brilliant last-ditch tackle. Scott Hamilton left the Tigers open to attack, being exceptionally slow to deal with loose balls.

The tables turned as Leicester charged down a restart from Lamb and Toby Flood latched on to the ball to plant it under the posts. Flood added the extras and handed the visitors the advantage after just 14 minutes of play. The situation worsened for the homeside as Horacio Agulla chipped and chased before neatly offloading to Alesana Tuilagi for the touchdown. Once again Flood slotted the easy conversion and the Tigers were suddenly comfortably in front.

Leicester turned up the heat in response and were unlucky not to see a score from George Skivington, who was deemed to have received a forward pass before finding the whitewash. Both kickers added a penalty and the margin remained at 9-17 as the half drew to a close. Paul Diggin came close to crashing over for Saints but Agulla flew in to halt his progress just before the break.

The visitors were focused from the restart and extended their lead within 3 minutes as Flood raced through a gap for his second try of the match. The fly-half added the extras, a penalty and almost a hat-trick over the course of the next 10 minutes, rounding off a superb opening to the half.

It fell to Agulla to pick up Leicester’s bonus point try, bounding over to inflict yet more woes on the home crowd. Although Flood missed his target with conversion, it was a dire state of affairs for Northampton fans.

The homeside knuckled down for the quarter though, Lee Dickson finished an excellent attacking period for the Saints with a much-needed score, and Stephen Myler reduced the deficit further with his conversion. Chris Ashton foolishly lost an opportunity tripping at the last whilst attempting to offload instead of heading for the tryline. Meanwhile, Flood added his final penalty and it was clear that the match belonged to the Tigers.

When Martin Castrogiovanni was sent marching to the sin bin for a professional foul, Ashton finally found his way over the whitewash for a consolatory score.

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Paul Diggin 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson (C) 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Andy Long 3 Brian Mujati 4 Samu Manoa 5 Christian Day 6 James Craig 7 Phil Dowson 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Ross McMillan 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Mark Sorenson 20 Ben Nutley 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Tom May

SCORERS T: Dickson, Ashton C: Myler P:  Lamb (3)

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi 12 Anthony Allen 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Dan Cole 4 George Skivington 5 Geoff Parling 6 Tom Croft 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Martin Castrogiovanni 18 Logovi’i Mulipola 19 Steve Mafi 20 Craig Newby 21 Sam Harrison 22 Billy Twelvetrees 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Flood (2), A Tuilagi, Agulla C:  Flood (3) P: Flood (3) Martin Castrogiovanni

 

 

GLOUCESTER 20 - 29 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

KINGSHOLM - Saturday 14th April 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 6-19 Att: 12,950

BOTTOM of the table Newcastle Falcons stormed to victory against Gloucester Rugby to keep the heat on London Wasps. The visitors produced a confident opening in their fight to avoid relegation and managed to keep a grip on the match to bag the win.

Jimmy Gopperth took advantage of Gloucester’s inability to get into the swing of the game with two early 3-pointers to put the Falcons on the front foot. The homeside were clumsy, but Freddie Burns found his mark to halve the deficit and get the Gloucester scoreboard ticking.

Newcastle were soon swarming into enemy territory and showed the drive and determination necessary to see them leave the table’s drop zone. Burns equalised but this was simply a precursor to a Falcons’ rampage. Gopperth slotted 3 penalties as Gloucester’s discipline failed and then broke the opposition’s defence to send Ally Hogg flying in for the try. The unstoppable fly-half added the extras to finish 10 minutes of hell for the homeside 19-6 ahead. The crowd were unforgiving and boos filled the air as the Gloucester players trudged down the tunnel for, it can be assumed, a very uncomfortable team talk.

After the interval, Burns produced a penalty to keep the scoreboard ticking for Gloucester, but by now the opposition were brimming with confidence and soon dominated once more. Gopperth made a rare error and sent a shot at goal soaring wide but it did little to knock the visitors off-course. The Falcons’ defence proved to be a force to be reckoned with and coolly dealt with any Gloucester attacks.

Burns kept the hopes of a Gloucester comeback just in range with another 3-pointer before Akapusi Qera grabbed the try his side had been desperately searching for. The conversion was too tricky for Burns though, leaving the Cherry-and-Whites 2 points adrift. The crowd bayed for blood but it was not to be. Gopperth chipped through a final penalty before Mark Wilson was left unmarked to dash through for the last touchdown. Gloucester were disappointed, their supporters were livid.

15 Jonny May 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Mike Tindall 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Nick Runciman 1 Dan Murphy 2 Scott Lawson 3 Rupert Harden 4 Jim Hamilton 5 Alex Brown 6 Peter Buxton 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 DarrenDawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Shaun Knight 19 Will James 20 Alasdair Strokosch 21 Dave Lewis 22 Tim Taylor 23 Tim Molenaar

SCORERS T: Qera P: Burns (5)

15 Greg Goosen 14 Corne Uys 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Ryan Shortland 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Peter Stringer 1 Jonny Golding 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 James Hudson 5 Tim Swinson 6 Ally Hogg 7 Will Welch 8 Adam Balding BENCH: 16 Matt Thompson 17 Grant Shiells 18 James Hall 19 James Goode 20 Taiasina Tu’ifua 21 Mark Wilson 22 Will Chudley 23 Tom Catterick

SCORERS T: Hogg, Wilson C: Gopperth (2) P:  Gopperth (5)

 

 

LONDON IRISH 19 - 28 SARACENS

MADEJSKI STADIUM - Saturday 14th April 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 14-12 Att: 9,473

SARACENS fought to beat London Irish at the Madejski Stadium, but still fell to third place in the table.

Irish began scoring with a penalty from Tom Homer but this was swiftly answered by Charlie Hodgson with a perfectly placed drop goal. But Saracens found themselves struggling in the scrum and Homer soon slotted two further goals to gain Irish advantage. Hodgson cut the deficit but the Exiles soon stretched the lead once more with Delon Armitage thundered through Alex Goode’s tackle attempt to score.

Hodgson’s kicking was flawless though, with two hugely impressive long-range shots before half-time to keep the visitors in touching range at 14-12. The Saracens did well to keep the homeside at bay for most of the opening exchanges as their pack dominated in the set pieces and used its strength to great advantage.

The tide turned though when the Exiles lost Jamie Gibson to the sin bin after being repeatedly warned about infringements at the breakdown. This gave Sarries the opportunity they had been waiting for, putting together a stunning maul which trundled a full 20 metres before Will Fraser plant the ball over the whitewash. Hodgson converted and the visitors had rumbled ahead.

Once back to full force, it took Irish little time to respond, Armitage breaking free and dodging his way over for a second try. Hodgson quelled nerves momentarily with another 3-pointer but the situation worsened as Will Fraser was shown a yellow for taking Homer in the air. However, in their eagerness to snatch a win, Irish became sloppy with their discipline and handed over two more penalties to Hodgson, who then added a final drop goal just for good measure to leave Saracens victorious.

15 Tom Homer 14 Delon Armitage 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Joe Ansbro 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Adrian Jarvis 9 Darren Allinson 1 Alex Corbisiero (C) 2 David Paice 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Bryn Evans 5 Matt Garvey 6 Jamie Gibson 7 Richard Thorpe 8 Ofisa Treviranus BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Max Lahiff 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Jebb Sinclair 20 Alex Gray 21 Topsy Ojo 22 Steve Shingler 23 Ross Samson

SCORERS T: Armitage (2) P: Homer (3) Jamie Gibson

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Chris Wyles 12 Brad Barritt 11 Michael Tagicakibau 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Matt Stevens 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 George Kruis 6 Jackson Wray 7 Will Fraser 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Carlos Nieto 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Justin Melck 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Adam Powell 23 Joel Tomkins

SCORERS T: Fraser C: Hodgson P: Hodgson (5) DG: Hodgson (2) Will Fraser

 

 

WORCESTER 26 - 31 EXETER CHIEFS

SIXWAYS - Saturday 14th April 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 14-16 Att: 10,477

A spectacular comeback by Exeter Chiefs left Worcester Warriors’ fans dumbfounded, wanting in a game that seemed like a sure win.

Marcel Garvey should have opened scoring as his offload to Chris Pennell left him open as the overlap, but the fullback was selfish and retained possession allowing the ball to be held up by the scrabbling defence. This error was to prove costly as Exeter found their footing in the game with an excellent lineout providing Ignacio Mieres with a shot at goal, which he slotted with ease. Pennell almost handed over more points as he failed to release but, fortunately for him, Mieres’ boot did not strike true and the ball glided wide.

The Chiefs continued their promising start with a superior scrum which led to a try as Mieres’ cross-kick was collected by Luke Arscott for the touchdown. However, the homeside responded brilliantly, driving Craig Gillies over the whitewash for a score, converted by Andy Goode. Mieres soon rattled through another penalty after James Percival came in with a high tackle, but Worcester were on a lucky streak as an over-hit ball rebounded off the crossbar and into the waiting arms of Miles Benjamin who planted the try. Again Goode slotted the extras but followed this with a missed penalty. Worcester lost focus just before the break and some truly poor defence allowed Bryan Rennie to steam through for an Exeter score, leaving the tally 14-16 at the break.

The visitors extended their advantage 2 minutes after the restart thanks to another Mieres penalty. Goode missed his first attempt at nullifying this, the ball crashing against an upright, but made no such mistake with his second. The Chiefs then had a nightmare 5 minutes, where they lost Gonzalo Camacho and Luke Arscott to the sin bin in quick succession for a dangerous tackle and deliberate offside respectively.

Goode added two penalties to snatch a single point advantage for the homeside before extended the margin to a converted try’s worth of points with only 10 minutes of play left. As the clock ticked down, it looked certain that the Warriors had bagged themselves a win but, in the 79th and 80th minutes, magic happened.

First Phil Dollman and then Sireli Naqelevuki burst over the tryline to snatch a success from the jaws of defeat. The home crowd were devastated as an exultant Exeter side revelled in their last-minute triumph.

15 Chris Pennell 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry (C) 1 Matt Mullan 2 Aleki Lutui 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Neil Best 7 Matt Kvesic 8 Blair Cowan BENCH: 16 Ed Shervington 17 George Porter 18 Bruce Douglas 19 Ben Gulliver 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Jonny Arr 22 Danny Gray 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS T: Gillies, Benjamin C: Goode (4) P: Goode (4)

15 Luke Arscott 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Bryan Rennie 12 Phil Dollman 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Ben Moon 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Brett Sturgess 18 Chris Budgen 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Sireli Naqelevuki

SCORERS T: Arscott, Rennie, Dollman, Naqelevuki C: Steenson P: Mieres (3) Gonzalo Camacho, Luke Arscott

 

 

HARLEQUINS 33 - 17 LONDON WASPS

TWICKENHAM STOOP - Saturday 14th April 2012
KO: 16:30 HT: 16-10 Att: 14,282

A struggling London Wasps side could not handle the dominant Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop. The Wasps have found the end of this tournament particularly difficult  with losing players both temporarily and permanently to injury, alongside the sale of the club falling through, only added to by the current owner, Steve Hayes arrested in a police case. They are now facing the real possibility of relegation unless their next two matches are wins.

The Quins opened with full force and Rory Clegg swiftly slotted a penalty. Nick Robinson responded with one of his own to equalise, but the Wasps looked shaky and quickly felt the heat. Clegg smacked over another 3-pointer before Ugo Moyne and George Robson found the tryline with ease to secure a comfortable lead for the homeside.

The visitors did not simply roll over though and put together a beautiful piece of open play to see the Premiership’s top try scorer, Christian Wade touchdown under the posts. Robinson added the extras and the Wasps had managed to keep on the tail of the homeside as they headed towards the tunnel, 16-10.

The second half brought Wasps to their knees, with Chris Robshaw powering through for a third try after only 6 minutes. The skipper had played exquisitely and forced himself over from close-range to steal a well-earned score, before soon leaving the field to a standing ovation. Clegg claimed his first successful conversion of the match and was soon teeing up again after Jordan Turner-Hall raced over to finish some neat passing for a bonus point.

As the Quins went hunting for further points, Wasps felt a further blow losing Billy Vunipola to the sin bin. The visitors were lucky to have Wade to hand, who made a beautiful break before offloading to send Ross Filipo flying across the whitewash. Robinson added the extras and both sides battled for possession in the closing stages, often coming close to accumulation more points. The whistle blew and Wasps were left to mull over their relegation fears whilst the home crowd cheered their table-topping side’s victory.

15 Mike Brown 14 Ugo Monye 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Sam Smith 10 Rory Clegg 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Rob Buchanan 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Aston Croall 17 Mark Lambert 18 Will Collier 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Tom Guest 21 Karl Dickson 22 Benjamin Urdapilleta 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Monye, Robson, Robshaw, Turner-Hall C: Clegg (2) P: Clegg (3)

15 Richard Haughton 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Ryan Davis 11 Tom Varndell 10 Nick Robinson 9 Charlie Davies 1 Tim Payne 2 Tom Lindsay 3 Ben Broster 4 James Cannon 5 Richard Birkett (C) 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Sam Jones BENCH:16 Vladislav Korshunov 17 Zak Taulafo 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Ross Filipo 20 Billy Vunipola 21 Lee Robinson 22 Chris Mayor 23 Jack Wallace

SCORERS T: Wade, Filipo C: Robinson (2) P: Robinson Billy Vunipola

 

 

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WEEK 19

LEICESTER TIGERS 43 - 12 WORCESTER

WELFORD ROAD - Friday 30th March 2012
KO: 19:45 HT: 17-3 Att: 21,344

PLAY became fraught early on at Welford Road, with both Leicester Tigers and Worcester Warriors seeing cards. Warriors began well, with Andy Goode smacking a long-range penalty over after just 3 minutes. However, the tide soon turned when Goode performed a professional foul and was the first to be heading to the sin bin for a spell.

The Tigers made excellent use of their extra man with Scott Hamilton flying over to claim a try. Toby Flood missed the conversion but Leicester did not dwell and were soon adding further to their tally, George Chuter finding the tryline this time.

The situation only worsened for the visitors when Goode’s bad behaviour continued, after going in with a flying shoulder barge on Tom Croft, who pinned the troublemaker to the ground; the fly-half was shown a red and was booed as he exited the field. This left the pitch wide open for the homeside’s attack, who were soon slipping through gaps with ease. Worcester players hurtled around, trying to halt the flood,  but Croft wanted revenge and took his chance to plant the third try for his side. Flood managed his first conversion of the night and it was clear that this was a Tigers’ game at the break as they went in 17-3 up.

The Warriors had to do some switching around at half-time to accommodate their lost kicker, so Danny Gray entered the fray and swiftly got Worcester’s scoreboard ticking again with a penalty. But the man-disadvantage was too much for the visitors to cope with and the onslaught continued.

Martin Castrogiovanni finished a strong display by the Tigers to grab the bonus point try. However, the numbers were suddenly equalised as Ed Slater earned himself a yellow, but the Warriors could not stop the juggernaut and Leicester racked up more points as Tom Waldrom and Tom Youngs both crossed.

George Ford snatched one last Tigers’ try before another yellow, this time handed to Alesana Tuilagi for punching, saw both teams end with 14 players. A consolatory try from Ceri Jones, with Gray adding the extras, brought to a close a match that Worcester fans, and Andy Goode, will be happy to forget.

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Scott Hamilton 13 Manu Tuilagi 12 Anthony Allen 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 James Grindal 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Martin Castrogiovanni 4 Ed Slater 5 Graham Kitchener 6 Tom Croft 7 Craig Newby 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Logovi’i Mulipola 18 Dan Cole 19 Steve Mafi 20 Julian Salvi 21 Sam Harrison 22 Matt Smith 23 George Ford

SCORERS T: Hamilton, Chuter, Croft, Castrogiovanni, Waldrom, Youngs, Ford C: Flood (3), Ford YC Ed Slater, Alesana Tuilagi

15 Chris Pennell 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Josh Drauniniu 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry (C) 1 Matt Mullan 2 Aleki Lutui 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Chris Jones 6 Sam Betty 7 Matt Kvesic 8 Blair Cowan BENCH: 16 Ed Shervington 17 Ceri Jones 18 Bruce Douglas 19 Craig Gillies 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Jonny Arr 22 Danny Gray 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS T: CR Jones C: Gray P: Goode, Gray Andy Goode Andy Goode

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 22 - 9 SALE SHARKS

KINGSTON PARK - Friday 30th March 2012
KO: 20:00 HT: 12-19 Att: 5,200

A second half comeback saw Newcastle Falcons beat Sale Sharks to keep fans’ non-relegation hopes alive.

The homeside were first off the mark with an early penalty from Jimmy Gopperth. However, the Sharks were quick to hit back and scooped two tries in 7 minutes as Tom Brady found the corner, after some excellent handling out wide, and James Gaskell followed suit, picking up an intelligent cross-kick from Nick Macleod. The fly-half converted the second and Sale had a comfortable lead.

But the visitors were sloppy in their discipline and handed over soft penalties, two of which Gopperth slotted over, bringing the score just 3 points adrift. It did not take long for the Sharks to extend the margin once more though, with a Rob Miller finishing a break to claim a third try before half time.

Newcastle had the last word of the first 40 minutes when, although a big surge towards the tryline was judged unworthy by the TMO, Gopperth added his fourth penalty to keep the Falcons in touching distance at 12-19. The home crowd knew their plucky side needed to return to the pitch with a renewed glint in the eyes if Newcastle were to make a resurgence.

After the restart there was a turning of the tides. The ever-present boot of Gopperth plucked another 3 points from the posts before Tim Swinson was heaved over by a huge drive to finally grab a Falcons’ try. Gopperth converted to tie the tallies; the crowd were on the edge of their seats as the match neared the final quarter.

Newcastle kept their nerve, hammering unrelentingly at their opponents. Gopperth missed a penalty shot and then was unfortunate to see his drop goal attempt charged down but, with only 4 minutes left, he teed up one last time. The home crowd held their breath as the ball hurtled through the air and cleanly between the posts. Falcons sealed their victory after a stunning second half and left fans exultant. They are catching up with London Wasps now and the promise of avoiding relegation is becoming more realistic.

15 Jeremy Manning 14 Corne Uys 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Tom Bedford 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Peter Stringer 1 Jonny Golding 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 Tim Swinson 5 James Goode 6 Taiasina Tu’ifua 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Matt Thompson 17 Grant Shiells 18 James Hall 19 James Hudson 20 Adam Balding 21 Mark Wilson 22 Will Chudley 23 Greg Goosen

SCORERS T: Swinson C: Gopperth P: Gopperth (5)

15Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Andrew Sheridan 2 Marc Jones 3 Tony Buckley 4 Kearnan Myall 5 James Gaskell 6 Richie Vernon 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Joe Ward 17 Alasdair Dickinson 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Tom Holmes 20 Mark Easter 21 Cillian Willis 22 Luther Burrell 23 Will Addison

SCORERS T: Brady, Gaskell, Miller C: Macleod (2)

 

EXETER CHIEFS 18 - 11 LONDON IRISH

SANDY PARK - Saturday 31st March 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 13-3 Att: 8,977

EXETER CHIEFS managed to snap up a victory against London Irish at Sandy Park.

Ignacio Mieres began scoring with a 7th minute long-range penalty, but Tom Homer levelled proceedings swiftly. However, the Chiefs’ fly-half soon handed a further two chances at goal, one of which he slotted to pull Exeter in front once more.

The homeside continued to show strong open play, with Richard Baxter making a brilliant break which Matt Garvey had to fly in to cover, before Bryan Rennie was stopped just short of the tryline. Mieres was given another shot at the posts, but his effort hit the woodwork.

It was with only 2 minutes of the half left that the Chiefs finally broke the Irish defence, which had been working flat out to control the homeside, with James Hanks heaving himself over for a touchdown.  Mieres made no mistake with the conversion and Exeter headed down the tunnel 13-3 up and pleased with their impact so far.

The second half was far better for the Exiles who drew first blood at the restart. Mieres missed his first penalty attempt of the half but Jarvis made no such error, his clever chip bouncing into Homer’s hands ready to be planted over the whitewash. Homer made the conversion too tricky for himself though and so the visitors remained 5 points adrift. However, Homer then added a 3-pointer and suddenly the Chiefs were worried as their advantage slipped away.

Gonzalo Camacho gave his side some breathing space again when he crossed in the 64th minute. Mieres could not find his mark though and Irish set up a final attack towards the closing stages. However, the Exeter defence held up and kept the visitors at bay until the whistle to emerge victorious.

15 Phil Dollman 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Bryan Rennie 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Hoani Tui 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Craig Mitchell 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Ben Moon 18 Chris Budgen 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Sireli Naqelevuki

SCORERS T: Hanks, Camacho C: Mieres P: Mieres (2)

15 Tom Homer 14 Marland Yarde 13 Joe Ansbro 12 Steven Shingler 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Adrian Jarvis 9 Darren Allinson 1 Alex Corbisiero 2 David Paice 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Nick Kennedy (C) 5 Bryn Evans 6 Declan Danaher 7 Matt Garvey 8 Jamie Gibson BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Max Lahiff 18 Paulica Ion 19 Bob Casey 20 Alex Gray 21 Ofisa Treviranus 22 Delon Armitage 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Homer P: Homer (2)

 

SARACENS 19 - 24 HARLEQUINS

WEMBLEY STADIUM - Saturday 31st March 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 12-14 Att: 83,761

RECORD numbers descended on Wembley to witness Saracens and Harlequins battle for the table top-spot. Harlequins were reduced to 13 men twice during the final throws of the match, but this was mainly due to some highly inconsistent refereeing by Greg Garner.

The Quins were off to a lightening start as Jordan Turner-Hall crashed through to plant the ball after only 4 minutes of play. Tom Williams’ offload was certainly on the borderline of forward but Garner gave the score none-the-less and Nick Evans added the extras.

The visitors soon lost their advantage though, with Sarries being handed three penalties in quick succession and Owen Farrell finding his target with ease. James Short then went charging at the tryline but was hauled down by a stunning tackle from George Robson. But Quins weathered the challenge and regained composure before George Lowe darted between the defence and thundered through a tackle for a touchdown. Evans converted before both he and his Sarries counterpart missed attempts at the sticks.

Both sides struggled to maintain a decent scrum and should have been penalised for not binding more often; the scrum collapses slowed the game with numerous resets. Farrell had the last word of the half, slotting a 3-pointer on the stroke of half time but the visitors were 2 points clear at 12-14.

Rory Clegg came on to replace Evans after the interval and had soon extended the Quins’ lead with a neat penalty, although he missed an earlier shot.

Saracens flew around the pitch looking menacing but it was the visitors who kept the scoreboard ticking with a lovely piece of open play sending Danny Care over. But Sarries had the tryline in their sights and hammered the Harlequins’ lines in a breathtakingly long surge of attack. David Strettle was causing havoc along with the Sarries’ centres but their efforts just eluded the whitewash.

George Lowe earned himself Man of the Match, not only for his earlier try but for his spectacular defensive skills which saw him save Quins twice from conceding tries. His second tackle took Chris Wyles into touch just before he could plant the ball and showed brilliant determination.

Meanwhile Quins had lost Joe Marler to the sin bin for infringements at the breakdown and were really feeling the squeeze.  The situation worsened as Care was deemed to be cynically offside and also saw a yellow, depleting numbers further. With a two man advantage, it did not take much for Richard Wigglesworth to dive in for a try off of a sturdy Saracens scrum. Farrell converted and the homeside were gearing up for the finale.

Quins regained Marler but swapped out Nick Easter, who was sent marching a few minutes later when Saracens had a 5 metre scrum. It was a tense ending with Saracens throwing everything they had at the Quins but the defence stood firm.

Quins managed to keep hold of the top-spot, despite the dodgy refereeing leaving them at a disadvantage, and Saracens remain lagging behind. Sarries put up a good fight though and all at Wembley were agreed that it had been a good match.   

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Chris Wyles 12 Owen Farrell 11 James Short 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 Matt Stevens 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Justin Melck 7 Will Fraser 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Petrus du Plessis 19 George Kruis 20 Jackson Wray 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Adam Powell 23 Michael Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: Wigglesworth C: Farrell P: Farrell (4)

15 Mike Brown 14 Tom Williams 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Rob Buchanan 3 James Johnston 4 Ollie Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Aston Croall 17 Mark Lambert 18 Will Collier 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Tom Guest 21 Karl Dickson 22 Rory Clegg 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Turner- Hall, Lowe, Care C: Evans (2), Clegg P: Clegg Joe Marler, Danny Care, Nick Easter

 

BATH RUGBY 6 - 26 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

RECREATION GROUND - Saturday 31st March 2012
KO: 17:30 HT: 6-16 Att: 12,200

A poor display by Bath Rugby saw Northampton Saints claim an easy win at the Recreation Ground.

It all began badly from the off for the homeside who could not lay hands to the ball for most of the first 10 minutes before finally giving away a penalty try for collapsing a 5-metre scrum for the third time. Ryan Lamb added the extras and it was clear that Northampton had the upper hand already.

The attacks kept coming with Paul Diggin and Christian Day both needing to be halted by the floundering Bath defence. The pressure yielded a penalty for Lamb, who slotted it with ease, and the situation was looking grim for Bath. However, the homeside woke up after 30 minutes of play, and claimed a couple of penalties, one of which Stephen Donald landed.

The fly-half then created an excellent opportunity for a try but Ryan Caldwell was unable to pass to his awaiting support. However, points did come for Donald once more as he added his second 3-pointer to the tally. But Lamb’s boot was not to be outdone, knocking over a beautiful drop goal and a penalty before the break to take the Saints 16-6 up.

The restart began with a bang as Bath set off to recapture control of the match. Ryan Caldwell darted downfield and Chris Ashton infringed at the ruck leaving Donald with a chance to diminish the margin. His attempt was wide, but he was soon generating another try-scoring opportunity with some brilliant passing. Chris Ashton seemed to palm the ball dead to avoid a Bath score but received no reprimand for the action.

The tide turned as Northampton went down to 14 men -Mark Sorenson infringing- and Bath turned up the heat. Ben Foden had to make a last-ditch tackle on Nick Abendanon, who had his sights firmly set on the whitewash. Donald was unable to hit his mark again when the Saints’ scrum crumpled, whilst Lamb nailed his shot to push up his side’s lead.

It was Bath’s turn to lose a man as Guy Mercer was shown a yellow on the hour mark, leaving his side to face another burst of offence from the visitors. It took just 3 minutes for Northampton to take benefit from the extra man, shoving Andy Long over from a thundering drive. Stephen Myler added the extras and the clock ran down on a disappointing game for the homeside.

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Banahan 13 Dan Hipkiss 12 Matt Carraro 11 Tom Biggs 10 Stephen Donald 9 Michael Claassens (C) 1 David Flatman 2 Pieter Dixon 3 David Wilson 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Ben Skirving 7 Carl Fearns 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Nathan Catt 18 Duncan Bell 19 Josh Ovens 20 Guy Mercer 21 Mark McMillan 22 Sam Vesty 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS P: Donald (2) Guy Mercer

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Paul Diggin 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson (C) 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Andy Long 3 Brian Mujati 4 Mark Sorenson 5 Christian Day 6 James Craig 7 Phil Dowson 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Ross McMillan 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Teimana Harrison 20 James Ingle 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Tom May

SCORERS T: Penalty Try, Long C: Lamb, Myler P: Lamb (3) DG: Lamb Mark Sorenson

 

LONDON WASPS 26-24 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

ADAMS PARK - Sunday 1st April 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 13-10 Att: tbc

AN intense second half saw Gloucester Rugby very nearly emerge triumphant but a determined London Wasps side stole the win to keep a gap between them and bottom-of-the-table Newcastle.

Wasps began confidently with Nick Robinson slotting a penalty in the 1st minute; this would be one of the few that the fly-half would manage as his aim was not at its best throughout. The homeside extended their lead swiftly with Nic Berry making the most of a quick tap-and-go to find the tryline. Robinson added the extras and Wasps were building a solid half, which was welcomed by their fans who had been through plenty of worries over the past few weeks.

Freddie Burns was short with his first chance to get Gloucester on the scoreboard but made no such error with his second. Robinson could not find his mark with his next opportunity and the scores were soon level. A pass from Burns, which nearly fell into enemy hands, found its way to James Simpson-Daniel and across to Scott Lawson for the touchdown. Burns’ conversion tied the tallies but Robinson bagged another 3 points before the half time whistle, 13-10.

The homeside hit the restart hard with Robinson nailing a third shot at goal before some inspired open play saw Hugo Southwell storm over to finish the move. Once again Robinson hit his target and Gloucester were back to playing catch-up.

However, the visitors replied immediately with Charlie Sharples racing over after some clever passing his teammates and Freddie Burns converted to leave the deficit at just 6 points.

The Gloucester attack then battered their opponents and, although the Wasps’ defence held up well, the Cherry-and-Whites eventually broke through pull themselves to a point advantage. Jonny May ran a full 70 metres and offloaded to Henry Trinder, who fed Akapusi Qera, sending the flanker over the whitewash. Burns knocked the conversion over and Gloucester were back in the game thanks to some stylish play.

The home crowd could barely watch as two penalties failed to reach their destination from Robinson’s boot. Elliot Daly was their saviour though, teeing up in the 79th minute to land the winning 3-pointer. Wasps remain just out of danger from Newcastle Falcons but the pressure is certainly still on.

15 Hugo Southwell (C) 14 Jack Wallace 13 Elliot Daly 12 Paul Emerick 11 Richard Haughton 10 Nick Robinson 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Tom Lindsay 3 Ben Broster 4 James Cannon 5 Richard Birkett 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Sam Jones 8 Billy Vunipola BENCH:16 Vladislav Korshunov 17 Sakaria Taulafo 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Ross Filipo 20 Tinus du Plessis 21 Charlie Davies 22 Ryan Davis 23 Tom Prydie

SCORERS T: Berry, Southwell C: Robinson (2) P: Robinson (3), Daly  

15 Jonny May 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Tim Molenaar 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Nick Runciman 1 Dan Murphy 2 Scott Lawson 3 Rupert Harden 4 Tom Savage 5 Jim Hamilton 6 Peter Buxton 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 DarrenDawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Shaun Knight 19 Alex Brown 20 Alasdair Strokosch 21 Dan Robson 22 Ryan Mills 23 Mike Tindall

SCORERS T: Lawson, Sharples, Qera C: Burns (3) P: Burns

 

 

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WEEK 18

SALE SHARKS 9 - 45 SARACENS

EDGELEY PARK - Friday 23rd March 2012
KO: 19:45 HT: 9-18 Att: 9,476

A disastrous match for Sale Sharks against Saracens saw their coach, Tony Hanks, leave the north west premiership club following the hammering. The Sharks showed no grit in attack and a lack-lustre defence that allowed Saracens to glide past on numerous occasions.

Nick Macleod had the first chance at points for the homeside but his kick did not have the length necessary. It was not long after that Saracens began their dance to victory with Chris Wyles finishing a set piece by scattering the homeside’s awful defence to touch down over the whitewash. Charlie Hodgson converted and the Sarries were off with a bang.

Sale gave attack a shot for a period with a domination of possession but could not break the cast-iron ranks of the visitors. Instead the Sharks had to make do with a penalty from Macleod and this was soon punished as a high ball went astray and Neil de Kock scooped it up. De Kock shifted the wayward ball to Ernst Joubert, who crashed over for the second try of the night. Hodgson missed the extras and Macleod decreased the deficit with another penalty. However, the Sarries loomed large and Hodgson had another opportunity to add points, this time he made no mistake. But the Sharks had one final push before the half ended and Macleod was able to slot a 3-pointer to keep the Sharks’ score ticking over, 9-18. Unfortunately, this would be the last points the homeside would see.

The final 40 minutes belonged to Saracens, with devastating attacks and most of the possession their tally soared. Hodgson fired over two quick penalties within the opening 2 minutes. Meanwhile, Sale found themselves floundering, trying to make an impact on a lost cause.

The tries came flooding in, Alex Goode and Michael Tagicakibau both racing over after some excellent open play by the visitors. It was left to Hugh Vyvyan to rub salt into the wound though, with a 78th minute touchdown that Hodgson converted to give the final result.

The Sharks had struggled in the first half but were annihilated in the second. The home crowd were shattered by their team’s despondent play, and it is no wonder Sharks and Hanks have parted company.

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Luther Burrell 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Andrew Sheridan 2 Marc Jones 3 Tony Buckley 4 Kearnan Myall 5 James Gaskell 6 Mark Easter 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Joe Ward 17 Alasdair Dickinson 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Tom Holmes 20 Richie Vernon 21 Cillian Willis 22 Johnny Leota 23 Will Addison

SCORERS P: Macleod (3)

15 Alex Goode 14 Duncan Taylor 13 Chris Wyles 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 John Smit 2 Schalk Brits 3 Matt Stevens 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 George Kruis 6 Justin Melck 7 Will Fraser 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Carlos Nieto 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Andy Saull 21 Ben Spencer 22 Adam Powell 23 Michael Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: Wyles, Joubert, Goode, Tagicakibau, Vyvyan C: Hodgson (4) P: Hodgson (4)

 

 

WORCESTER 19 - 9 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

SIXWAYS - Friday 23rd March 2012
KO: 19:45 HT: 3-3 Att: 11,192

A strong second half handed Worcester Warriors a win over the Newcastle Falcons, who are heading ever closer to relegation.

Newcastle had the first attempt on goal as Jimmy Gopperth tried a drop goal, his efforts were rushed and clumsy though and the ball swerved wide. Neither side showed particularly prominent attacks and opted to kick instead of run their chances for most of the game. However, Gopperth soon had another shot at the sticks and this time found his target to pull the Falcons into an early lead.

Yet more dull, and often pointless, kicking occurred before Andy Goode levelled the scores at 3-all as half time approached. The initial 40 minutes had given the supporters nothing to get excited about and left both sides with little to show for the time spent kicking and chasing.

The Falcons had been the slightly brighter side before the interval and this continued at the restart with Gopperth securing another 3 points for the visitors. However, Goode nullified his opponent’s efforts, before the same occurring again to leave the score 9-9.

The Warriors finally sprung to life during the final quarter. The homeside were suddenly eying up the tryline and were attacking with menace, building up phases and applying pressure. The Falcons’ defence surrendered and Alex Grove dived through for the try. Goode added the extras and another penalty before the whistle to seal the victory and quell the first half worries of their fans.

15 Chris Pennell 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry (C) 1 Matt Mullan 2 Aleki Lutui 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Chris Jones 6 Sam Betty 7 Jake Abbott 8 Kai Horstmann BENCH: 16 Ed Shervington 17 Ceri Jones 18 Bruce Douglas 19 Craig Gillies 20 Blair Cowan 21 Jonny Arr 22 Danny Gray 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS T: Grove C: Goode P: Goode (4)

15 Jeremy Manning 14 Corne Uys 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Alex Tait 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Peter Stringer 1 Jonny Golding 2 Matt Thompson 3 Euan Murray 4 Tim Swinson 5 James Goode 6 Taiasina Tu’ifua 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Joe Graham 17 Grant Shiells 18 Ashley Wells 19 Adriaan Fondse 20 Mark Wilson 21 Will Chudley 22 Greg Goosen 23 Rikki Sheriffe

SCORERS P: Gopperth (3)

 

 

HARLEQUINS 14 - 6 BATH RUGBY

TWICKENHAM STOOP - Saturday 24th March 2012
KO: 14:15 HT: 3-6 Att: 13,882

AFTER the earlier Saracens victory this weekend, Harlequins needed a win against Bath Rugby to steal back the table top-spot. The homeside had struggled recently with a lack of confidence but managed to rally themselves to take down their opponents and keep a grip on the tournament.

Bath made the brighter start with a penalty from Tom Heathcote after just 4 minutes of play, but their lead did not last as Nick Evans equalised with his response soon after. The visitors made some excellent attempts at attack, but strong defence and a last-ditch tackle from Mike Brown saw Harlequins keep the visitors at bay. Quins replied with a swift surge towards the tryline in which Brown found himself on the receiving end of a try-saving tackle.

The homeside regrouped and hit the Bath defence again, this time with Tom Williams grounded just short of the whitewash. However, the Quins were soon required to return to defence as they lost Joe Marler to the sin bin for his high tackle on Tom Biggs. This gave Bath the opportunity to regain the advantage as Heathcote slotted a 3-pointer to put the visitors in front.

Evans had two chances to nullify his rival’s efforts but he did not have his kicking boots on, missing both simple shots to the disappointment of the crowd. The whistle blew and there was not much between the sides as they headed down the tunnel 3-6, each needed a big second half.

Once again, Bath began with confidence and Heathcote made a brilliant break that left the Harlequins’ defence scattered and vulnerable. Olly Woodburn took the offload and was heading for home when Ugo Monye flew at him to save the Quins’ skins. This did not deter the visitors though; with Heathcote narrowly missing a shot at goal, and then Bath denied a try by the TMO, their luck just simply was not with them for this match.

The homeside, however, were thanking their lucky stars that they had come out unscathed from the hammering and could put together their own attack. Bath felt another blow as Nick Abendanon picked up an injury after he daringly rescued the ball for his side from three Quins players. Evans continued with unreliable kicks, ruining a good opportunity by whacking his penalty beyond the corner-post. However, he finally found his mark with a beautiful penalty from out wide which drew the tallies once more. This was the start of a Quins comeback, with Evans slotting another 3-pointer a few minutes later.

Bath found themselves a man down as Jack Cuthbert was sent marching after a controversial call from the referee claimed he had taken Brown in the air. This was the chance the homeside had been waiting for and they took it happily, and Maurie Fa’asavalu thundering over for the points. Evans hit the woodwork with the conversion and then the try-scorer turned bad as Fa’asavalu made a dangerous tackle on Heathcote and was of for a spell in the sin bin.

The returning Cuthbert took the resultant penalty but hit the post before sending his final attempt at goal wide, losing Bath’s hopes of a losing bonus point in the process. It was a tough game for Harlequins but they pulled through to emerge as the top team once more, and it was certainly well-deserved.

15 Mike Brown 14 Tom Williams 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 George Robson (C) 6 Tom Guest 7 Luke Wallace 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Mark Lambert 18 Will Collier 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Maurie Fa’asavalu 21 Karl Dickson 22 Rory Clegg 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Fa’asavalu P: Evans (3) Joe Marler, Maurie Fa’asavalu

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Matt Carraro 12 Olly Barkley 11 Tom Biggs 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Pieter Dixon 3 David Wilson 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Carl Fearns 7 Francois Louw (C) 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Charlie Beech 18 Kane Palma-Newport 19 Ben Skirving 20 Guy Mercer 21 Mark McMillan 22 Dan Hipkiss 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS P: Heathcote (2) Jack Cuthbert

 

 

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 27 - 28 EXETER CHIEFS

KINGSHOLM - Saturday 24th March 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 3-15 Att: 15,063

IT was a thrilling and intense battle between Gloucester Rugby and Exeter Chiefs at Kingsholm with the visitors clinching it with a last-minute try.

Gloucester were first to get points on the board, with Freddie Burns firing through a penalty, but it was Exeter who really got a grip on the game early on. James Scaysbrook sent a perfect pass to Haydn Thomas but alas, its reception was knocked-on and the attack halted.

Gloucester responded with Charlie Sharples storming through the Chiefs’ defensive line to create a scoring opportunity, but some excellent work by Tom Johnson left the homeside wanting. Eventually the visitors found the tryline, thanks to Craig Mitchell storming over and Ignacio Mieres adding the extras to haul the Chiefs in front.

Gloucester were extremely lucky not to lose Jim Hamilton for the entire match, being let off with a yellow card after punching Thomas. The Chiefs did not let this incident detract from their focus though and scooped another try before the half ended with Matt Jess passing through unmarked due to some stunning open play. Their lead could have been extended, but the referee judged James Hanks to have not scored. Mieres did however, slot a penalty to wrap up scoring to 15-3 at the break.

After the interval, Gloucester showed that the match was far from over, Burns knocking through a penalty to cut the deficit swiftly. But Mieres nullified this soon after and Gloucester needed to make a definite push for more points if they were to get back into the match.

Their saviour came in the form of James Simpson-Daniel, who made the most of the overlap to secure some much-needed points, to the great enjoyment of the home crowd. It was the beginning of a tornado as Burns stormed through, quickly followed by Nick Runciman, to heave the previously struggling Cherry-and-Whites to an advantage. Burns converted each touchdown with ease and it was down to the wire as Exeter fought to regain control.

Gareth Steenson grabbed another 3 points and the Chiefs went hunting for a winning try. Aly Muldowney supplied it with a minute to spare and Steenson chipped through the conversion to steal a nerve-wracking victory.

15 Jonny May 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Mike Tindall 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Dave Lewis 1 Dan Murphy 2 Scott Lawson 3 Rupert Harden 4 Jim Hamilton 5 Alex Brown 6 Matt Cox 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Dario Chistolini 19 Tom Savage 20 Peter Buxton 21 Nick Runciman 22 Tim Taylor 23 Tim Molenaar

SCORERS T: Simpson-Daniel, Burns, Runciman C: Burns (3) P: Burns (2) Jim Hamilton

15 Phil Dollman 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Bryan Rennie 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Hoani Tui 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Craig Mitchell 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Ben Moon 18 Chris Budgen 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Sireli Naqelevuki

SCORERS T: Mitchell, Jess, Muldowney C: Mieres, Steenson P: Mieres (2), Steenson

 

 

NORTHAMPTON 32 - 15 LONDON WASPS

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS - Saturday 24th March 2012
KO: 17:45 HT: 22-9 Att: 13,469

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS were caused few problems by London Wasps at Franklin’s Gardens. The visitors began with gusto, running good lines and were unfortunate to throw a forward pass to stop Hugo Southwell grabbing an opening try. Nick Robinson did get the scoreboard ticking though with a penalty for the Wasps, his efforts would collect all of the points for the visiting side. However, their already injury-torn team was to lose yet more players as Dom Waldouck and Jonathan Poff both left the field over the course of the opening 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, George Pisi sent through a stunning chip ahead which Ben Foden gathered calmly to cross for a try, sending Northampton into the lead. Ryan Lamb added the extras and the Saints had found their feet in attack.

The homeside grabbed a second score before the end of the half with James Downey blasted through a waiting gap after an excellent Saints scrum. Lamb pushed his conversion wide this time whilst Robinson had been slowly clocking up points with his boot. Lamb added a penalty of his own, after missing an earlier chance, and, although Wasps made their own attempts on the tryline, another touchdown was snatched by Saints as Foden scuttled over for his second of the game. Lamb hit his target and the score was left 22-9 at the break.

Robinson continued to kick extremely well and kept Wasps’ score slowly moving in the right direction, knocking over his fourth penalty soon after the restart. But both teams were to go down to 14 men, as Andy Long and Ben Broster were punished for getting too heated and were banished to the sin bin for the ensuing scuffle.

Lamb missed the resultant penalty, his kicking was not at its best for this match, but he redeemed himself swiftly with an easier shot in the 54th minute. This was soon nullified by Robinson, who then turned villain and was sent marching for the final 6 minutes of the match.

The Saints now set their sights on a final rush to seize the bonus point try. Martin Roberts managed to scrabble over just before the whistle with Stephen Myler adding the extras to finish a match which had been nothing but error-strewn for unlucky, injured Wasps.

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Paul Diggin 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson (C) 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Andy Long 3 Brian Mujati 4 James Craig 5 Christian Day 6 Phil Dowson 7 Tom Wood 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Ross McMillan 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Mark Sorenson 20 Teimana Harrison 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Tom May

SCORERS T: Foden (2), Downey, Roberts C: Lamb (2), Myler P: Lamb (2) Andy Long

15 Hugo Southwell (C) 14 Jack Wallace 13 Elliot Daly 12 Dom Waldouck 11 Richard Haughton 10 Nick Robinson 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Tom Lindsay 3 Ben Broster 4 James Cannon 5 Richard Birkett 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Sam Jones BENCH:16 Vladislav Korshunov 17 Sakaria Taulafo 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Ed O’Donoghue 20 John Hart 21 Charlie Davies 22 Ryan Davis 23 Paul Emerick

SCORERS P: Robinson (5) Ben Broster, Nick Robinson

 

 

LONDON IRISH 32 - 41 LEICESTER TIGERS

MADEJSKI STADIUM - Sunday 25th March 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 16-12 Att: tbc

IT was a fight to the last between London Irish and Leicester Tigers, but it was the visitors who dug their claws in.

The Exiles had the brightest start and could have picked up early points had Tom Homer’s kick not gone wide of its target. However, the fullback redeemed himself straight away, making no mistake with his next attempt and getting the homeside off to a strong start.

Irish then should have added to their tally with a try but some extremely selfish play from Joe Ansbro, who had made the initial break, left the side without.  However, the position did yield some points with Dan Bowden producing a beautiful drop goal, which appeased the disgruntled home crowd.

Leicester were not going to be outdone though and Toby Flood threw a perfect dummy to sneak over the tryline. His conversion did not go to plan, charged down by a daring Darren Allison. It was Flood combining with Thomas Waldrom which bore fruit next for the Tigers, the two creating some lovely open play before offloading to Julian Salvi, who was driven over for the touchdown. Flood’s conversion was left untouched this time and flew neatly through the posts. But the homeside were still not out of the race, Homer added another penalty before Allison stormed upfield and found a waiting Bryn Evans, who raced over the whitewash. Homer added the extras and the Exiles were 4 points up at the break, 16-12.

It was the ever-present Flood who cut the margin for the visitors with a penalty soon after the restart before kicking his side into the lead once more as the Exiles’ scrum felt the pressure. The advantage lasted less than a minute though as Homer ran and dodged the Leicester defence to emerge triumphantly with a score. He knocked over the conversion with ease but the Tigers had a steely look in their eyes and had gritted their teeth.

Flood again decreased the deficit before Billy Twelvetrees scorched through the defence and put Manu Tuilagi over the tryline. The visitors took a blow when Ben Youngs was carried off with a leg injury but, in all honesty, the scrum-half had been more than lucky not to receive a red for kneeing Jamie Gibson; it is likely he will be hearing from the citing commission for it in the near future.

On top of this Homer had a very busy 6 minutes where he managed to haul the homeside back in front thanks to some impressive shots at goal.

But Leicester had the last say, Flood adding his fourth penalty moments before their fourth try. Tom Croft dived over to seal the match and clinch a bonus point victory for the Tigers.

15 Tom Homer 14 Marland Yarde 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Steven Shingler 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Dan Bowden 9 Darren Allinson 1 Alex Corbisiero 2 David Paice 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Nick Kennedy (C) 5 Bryn Evans 6 Matt Garvey 7 Declan Danaher 8 Jamie Gibson BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Max Lahiff 18 Paulica Ion 19 Bob Casey 20 Alex Gray 21 Ofisa Treviranus 22 Delon Armitage 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Evans, Homer C: Homer (2) P: Homer (5) DG: Bowden

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Manu Tuilagi 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Dan Cole 4 George Skivington 5 Geoff Parling 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Martin Castrogiovanni 18 Logovi’i Mulipola 19 Tom Croft 20 Craig Newby 21 James Grindal 22 Anthony Allen 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Flood, Salvi, Tuilagi, Croft C: Flood (3) P: Flood (5)

 

 

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WEEK 17

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 9 - 9 HARLEQUINS

KINGSTON PARK - Friday 2nd March 2012
KO: 19:45 HT: 3-3 Att: 7,292

HARLEQUINS just managed to scrape a draw against a Newcastle Falcons team, who saw emotions run high in their battle to lift themselves from the bottom of the table. There was little to distinguish the two teams as both relied on their kickers to do the talking, although neither had a particularly good game.

Harlequins pulled ahead early on, as expected, with a 3rd minute penalty from Nick Evans. However, the plucky underdogs soon levelled the score thanks to Jimmy Gopperth, and were certainly in no mood to let Harlequins push them about. Both fly-halves were to miss numerous penalty opportunities during the half in a game that lacked focus on just playing rugby. The match became heated for the first time as Chris Pilgrim pulled Jordan Turner-Hall off the ball, earning himself a spell in the sin bin. Evans had several chances to grab points for the visitors but his accuracy was way off most of the match.

Meanwhile, Quins made some good ground but could not penetrate the solid Newcastle defence. The game was halted once more when Chris Brooker was left with a dislocated knee and, after some treatment on pitch, the hooker was removed on a stretcher. The long break had not quelled certain tempers though and the half ended in a tussle after a late tackle from Taiasina Tu’ifua left George Lowe furious. Tu’ifua was exceptionally lucky to not see a yellow during the match with his continual bad behaviour including late tackles, infringement at the rucks and taking a man in the air at the lineout. The whistle had blown but the scuffle grew, officials ran on to calm the situation and the teams were ushered down the tunnel with the score a paltry 3-all.

The restart was a copycat of the first half, Evans smacking over a 3-pointer before Gopperth tied the tallies again. Newcastle emptied their bench in an effort to make some headway with the Quins’ defensive line but could not find the edge they needed. The Quins were once again battering the Falcons, whose impressive defence held its own and did not crumple. It was not long until tempers flared once more though, this time Joe Marler and Ashley Wells scrapping, earning Newcastle a shot at goal from long-distance. Gopperth missed his target by a narrow margin but this was soon to be the least of the homeside’s problems.

The Falcons made a move into enemy territory and were slowly grinding away at the Quins at a breakdown when Rob Vickers had the red mist descend and punched Joe Marler in the face with full force. He was fortunate that the referee did not see red and only sent him to the sin bin for a cooling-off period. A man down for the second time in the match, the Falcons had to grit themselves for 10 minutes of battle against the now raging Harlequins. However, somehow, the homeside managed to charge down the pitch and claim a penalty, which Gopperth’s boot put away with ease.

Not only had the visitors endured some very rough and, it must be said, often illegal play, they were also down by 3 points to a team they should have walked over. There was now a manic yet determined gleam in the Quins’ eyes as they moved with purpose towards the tryline. But it was not to be. The second half was coming swiftly to an end and no progress was being made against the visitors’ sturdy opposition. As the end came into sight the Falcons faltered, giving away the penalty Evans had been waiting for. His less than perfect kicking had let down his side several times in the last 80 minutes, but he made no such errors as he clinched a draw for his bruised team.

15 Greg Goosen 14 Tom Bedford 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Jeremy Manning 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 Adriaan Fondse 5 Tim Swinson 6 Taiasina Tu’ifua 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Michael Mayhew 17 Jonny Golding 18 Ashley Wells 19 James Goode20 Mark Wilson 21 Adam Balding 22 Will Chudley 23 Alex Tait

SCORERS P: Gopperth (3) Chris Pilgrim, Rob Vickers

15 Mike Brown 14 Tom Williams 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Chris Brooker 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 Tomas Vallejos 6 Tom Guest 7 Luke Wallace 8 Nick Easter (C) BENCH: 16 Bob Buchanan 17 Mark Lambert 18 Tim Fairbrother 19 Pete Browne 20 Will Skinner 21 Karl Dickson 22 Rory Clegg 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS P: Evans (3)

 

 

BATH RUGBY 36 - 17 WORCESTER WARRIORS

RECREATION GROUND - Saturday 3rd March 2012
KO: 14:15 HT: 21-10 Att: 12,200

BATH RUGBY had no problem in tearing through the Worcester Warriors to seek out a bonus point victory. The homeside applied good opening pressure but careless passing left them without whilst the visitors grabbed their opportunity with some slick passing allowing Tom Arscott to glide over for the try. Andy Goode slotted the extras but it was not long until the Warriors were squeezed back into their 22. Bath soon had levelled the scores with Tom Biggs going over in the corner and Tom Heathcote adding the extras from the touchline.

This was the start of a barrage from Bath, who slipped past a weak Worcester defence a further two times in 15 minutes, Matt Banahan and Michael Claassens touching down to shoot the homeside into the lead. Heathcote made no error with his kicking and Bath now had a comfortable margin. Goode smacked over a penalty to lessen the deficit but damage had been done from which the Warriors would not recover. Half-time came and the home crowd were feeling confident that the match was theirs already at 21-10 up.

It took only 10 minutes from the restart for Bath to hit the Worcester tryline again with Claassens claiming his second try. Banahan could have been over beforehand but his efforts were deemed not quite good enough, and a scrum was called instead. But Claassens’ try followed swiftly after this disappointment and bagged the bonus point for the homeside. The Warriors emptied their bench and eventually managed a second try thanks to Miles Benjamin putting in a superb run, but it was far too late. Heathcote added another 3-pointer and Biggs rubbed salt into the wound with his second try just 2 minutes before the whistle. Heathcote missed the conversion but the scoreline hardly needed the extra 2 points. It was clear that Worcester’s loss of focus in the first half had cost them dearly.

15 Sam Vesty 14 Matt Banahan 13 Matt Carraro 12 Olly Barkley 11 Tom Biggs 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Michael Claassens 1 Charlie Beech 2 Lee Mears 3 Duncan Bell 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Ben Skirving 7 Francois Louw (C) 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Pieter Dixon 17 David Flatman 18 Kane Palma-Newport 19 Guy Mercer 20 Carl Fearns 21 Chris Cook 22 Olly Woodburn 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Biggs (2), Banahan, Claassens (2) C: Heathcote (4) P: Heathcote

15 Chris Pennell 14 Tom Arscott 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry (C) 1 Matt Mullan 2 Ed Shervington 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 Chris Jones 5 Craig Gillies 6 Sam Betty 7 Jake Abbott 8 Blair Cowan BENCH: 16 Aleki Lutui 17 George Porter 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Ben Gulliver 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Jonny Arr 22 Danny Gray 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS T: Arscott, Benjamin C: Goode, Gray P: Goode

 

 

EXETER CHIEFS 37 - 12 SALE SHARKS

SANDY PARK - Saturday 3rd March 2012
KO: 15:00

HT: 18-0 Att: 7,108

SALE SHARKS found Exeter Chiefs more than a struggle at Sandy Park, the Chiefs walking away with an easy bonus point win.

It took only 8 minutes for Exeter to break ranks as Jason Shoemark and Phil Dollman combined to see the latter in at the corner. Ignacio Mieres missed his target from a tough position but made no mistake with a close-range penalty 12 minutes later. The fly-half had soon teed up another 3-pointer and knocked it through without trouble to extend the homeside’s margin. Sale were yet to get into the match, fighting to keep the Chiefs at bay and seeing very little possession.

Exeter had set up camp in enemy territory and came close to bagging more points only to find their efforts held up. However, the ensuing scrum gave forth the points they had been denied moments before, Richard Baxter picking up from the back of it and sniping through a hole to the whitewash. Mieres placed the conversion neatly between the posts and the whistle blew for half-time. The Sharks looked despondent as they traipsed down the tunnel pointless to the Chiefs’ 18.

The situation worsened for the visitors after the interval as Nic Sestaret pulled the homeside even further out of the reach of the Sharks. However, it was the Chiefs who then had a spell of bad luck. Mieres’ conversion bounced off the woodwork and Richard Baxter was sent marching to the sin bin for a professional foul. Even though the home pack were a man down and Sale were finally pushing up on their lines, they still shoved their opposition about in the scrum and caused the Sharks to hand over a penalty. This relieved any pressure that Sale had managed to build up and allowed the Chiefs to work their way back towards the tryline. Matt Jess provided the bonus point try for the homeside, after some lovely open play with excellent passing.

Finally, however, Sale cracked down on the opposition’s line and broke through, with Luther Burrell flying in for a long-awaited try. Nick Macleod missed the conversion but at least fans could be safe in the knowledge that their team were on the scoreboard after a tense 68 minute delay. The Chiefs had not long been back to full strength before they again found themselves with only 14 men as Ben White was shown a yellow. Sale then stole a cheeky try from the back of an Exeter ruck after the referee called the ball out, and Tony Buckley stormed over. Macleod made no mistake this time round, but it was Chiefs who had the final word with a penalty try and a neat conversion from Gareth Steenson to finish off their rampage.

15 Phil Dollman 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Bryan Rennie 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Hoani Tui 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Craig Mitchell 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Ben Moon 18 Chris Budgen 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Nic Sestaret

SCORERS T: Dollman, Baxter, Sestaret, Jess, Penalty Try C: Mieres (2), Steenson P: Mieres (2) Richard Baxter, Ben White

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Andrew Sheridan 2 Marc Jones 3 Vadim Cobilas 4 Kearnan Myall 5 James Gaskell 6 Richie Vernon 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Joe Ward 17 Ross Harrison 18 Tony Buckley 19 Wame Lewaravu 20 Mark Easter 21 Cillian Willis 22 Luther Burrell 23 Joaquin Tuculet

SCORERS T: Burrell, Buckley C: Macleod

 

LONDON WASPS 18 - 13 LONDON IRISH

ADAMS PARK - Saturday 3rd March 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 6-6 Att: 7,136

IT was a tight match between London Wasps and London Irish, with Wasps stealing a much-needed win to keep Newcastle Falcons off their heels. The homeside’s win was all down to the accurate boot of Nick Robinson, who slotted six out of seven penalties to hand his side the victory.

Robinson missed his first attempt at the posts but quickly settled into the match and got scoring underway for the homeside.  Steve Shingler soon equalised but Robinson’s kicking struck again to put Wasps on the front foot. The Wasps came close to finding the tryline a couple of times, but careless play left them unable to turn possession to points. The Exiles drew level as Shingler slotted a 3-pointer but he could have handed the visitors the lead had his next penalty found its target. Wasps took a blow when Dom Waldouck was replaced due to an injury just before the whistle but luckily, he would return in the second half with his knee bound.

The Wasps restarted confidently and squeezed another penalty out of the Exiles after just 8 minutes. Robinson continued his show of impressive kicking with yet another 3-pointer just before the hour mark. The Wasps showed dominance in the scrum during the final 40 minutes and the Exiles had to work hard to keep a handle on the situation. However, what the Exiles lacked in muscle they made up for in pace, Sailosi Tagicakibau dodging tackles and racing over the line for the only try of the match. Shingler added the extras and hauled his side to a point advantage.

However, the Wasps scrum continued to cause problems and the Exiles saw their narrow victory slip away as the unstoppable Robinson knocked over two more penalties. The home crowd were exultant with their team’s triumph, this game had been a make-or-break one for their side, who had had Newcastle breathing down their necks in their quest to evade relegation. For now, it seems that Wasps will be steering clear of the danger spot on the table.

15 Hugo Southwell (C) 14 Tom Prydie 13 Elliot Daly 12 Dom Waldouck 11 Jack Wallace 10 Nick Robinson 9 Joe Simpson 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Simon McIntyre 4 James Cannon 5 Richard Birkett 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Sam Jones BENCH: 16 Tom Lindsay 17 Zak Taulafo 18 Ben Broster 19 Ed O’Donoghue 20 Tinus Du Plessis 21 Nic Berry 22 Ryan Davis 23 Paul Emerick

SCORERS P: Robinson (6)

15 Delon Armitage 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Daniel Bowden 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Steve Shingler 9 Ross Samson 1 Max Lahiff 2 James Buckland 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Nick Kennedy (C) 5 Matt Garvey 6 Declan Danaher 7 Richard Thorpe 8 Jebb Sinclair BENCH: 16 Brian Blaney 17 Clarke Dermody 18 Paulica Ion 19 Kieran Roche 20 David Sisi 21 Tom Homer 22 Jonathan Spratt 23 Darren Allinson

SCORERS T: Tagicakibau C: Shingler P: Shingler (2)

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 36-3 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

WELFORD ROAD - Sunday 4th March 2012
KO: 13:00 HT: 22-3 Att: 21,699

LEICESTER TIGERS were clinical in their take down of Gloucester Rugby, putting away five tries to claim a bonus point victory.

The match began brightly for Gloucester with an early penalty from Freddie Burns handing them the lead. However, the wind caused problems for the fly-half and caused him to miss a simpler shot minutes later. But Leicester had something the visitors were lacking - flair. Toby Flood launched a beautiful kick which baffled the opposition, Waldrom very nearly capitalised on it but was tackled to come up just short. But the Tigers were not to be denied and moments later Logovi’i Mulipola emerged from under a pile-up with points. Flood added the extras and Leicester were up and running. The Cherry-and-Whites were to spend the rest of the game from this point on the back foot, trying to halt the torrent of players that continually battered their lines. The Tigers used their brilliant set pieces to their full advantage, causing havoc for the Irish defence and seeing Steve Mafi over for another try. Flood missed the conversion but made amends with a penalty swiftly. The Tigers finished the half with Ben Youngs crossing after a 20-metre dash and Flood slotted the conversion to leave the homeside with a more than comfortable 22-3 margin at the break.

After the interval it was much of the same for both sides, although Gloucester made a rousing effort at keeping the ruthless Tigers away from their tryline. However, the inevitable happened just before the hour when Matt Smith darted through to snatch the bonus point and leave Gloucester at the point of no return. The shabby visitors tried in vain to muster some decent possession and create some chances, but the game had really ended in the first 40 minutes. Just 3 minutes later, Alesana Tuilagi added insult to injury with one final blow to the Gloucester ranks. Once again Flood found his target and the Tigers could take their foot off the gas for the last 20 minutes, happily in the knowledge that they had demolished their opponents.

The visitors heaved for the tryline in hope a consolatory try but the Tigers locked down and gave them no such pleasure. Gloucester fans tried to slink away unnoticed when the whistle blew, shaking their heads in disbelief.

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Matt Smith 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Logovi'i Mulipola 4 George Skivington 5 Graham Kitchener 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Julian White 19 Ben Pienaar 20 Craig Newby 21 James Grindal 22 George Ford 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Mulipola, Mafi, Youngs, Smith, Tuilagi C: Flood (4) P: Flood

15 Jonny May 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Mike Tindall (C) 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Will James 5 Alex Brown 6 Tom Savage 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Matt Cox BENCH: 16 Matias Cortese 17 Dan Murphy 18 Shaun Knight 19 Peter Buxton 20 Brett Deacon 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ryan Mills 23 Tom Voyce

SCORERS P: Burns

 

 

SARACENS vs NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

VICARAGE ROAD - Sunday 4th March 2012
KO: 17:00 HT: 9-6 Att: 6,044

IT was a kicking game for both sides at Vicarage Road but it was Saracens who came out on top. However, it was the visitors who gained an early lead with Stephen Myler knocking over his first of three penalties after Sarries pulled down the maul, although he missed his initial chance. But Charlie Hodgson doubled his efforts soon after to snatch the advantage back to Sarries’ favour, thanks to a high tackle and a lack of rolling away by Northampton.

Conditions were awful and the pitch waterlogged as the two sides battled for possession. The Saints were unfortunate to not grab a try as Scott Armstrong belted towards the tryline, only to be halted by a last-ditch tackle. Myler saw another attempt at the sticks fly wide as the slippery ball eluded his boot’s accuracy. He redeemed himself with his next shot though, although needing help from the uprights, and equalised with 5 minutes of the half left. However, Hodgson only needed one go at the posts and kicked a perfect penalty to pull his side back in front 9-6 a minute before the whistle.

The England fly-half continued to have pin-point aim with his fourth penalty from the same number of attempts screeching through. Hodgson added his fifth soon after, Northampton falling offside and being punished by his long-range effort. The referee then called the homeside as being offside, although this was somewhat contentious, and Myler reduced the deficit to 3 points once more. Both sides slipped and slid across the muddy ground, fumbling any potential to score. Hodgson sealed the game with his final 3-pointer and the match was called to a close. Saracens came out on top but neither side was complaining to see the warmth and dry of the changing rooms.

15 Alex Goode 14 Duncan Taylor 13 Chris Wyles 12 Adam Powell 11 James Short 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Peter Stringer 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 George Kruis 6 Justin Melck 7 Andy Saull 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 John Smit 18 Matt Stevens 19 Hugh Vyvyan 20 Jackson Wray 21 Neil de Kock 22 Joel Tomkins 23 Joe Maddock

SCORERS P: Hodgson (6)

15 Paul Diggin 14 Vasily Artemyev 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Scott Armstrong 10 Stephen Myler 9 Martin Roberts 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Andy Long 3 Paul Doran Jones 4 Samu Manoa 5 Christian Day 6 Phil Dowson 7 Calum Clark (C) 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Ross McMillan 17 Alex Waller 18 Tom Mercey 19 Mark Sorenson 20 Tom Wood 21 Ryan Glynn 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Tom May

SCORERS P: Myler (3), Lamb

 

 

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WEEK 16

SALE SHARKS 46 - 34 LONDON WASPS

EDGELEY PARK - Friday 24th February 2012
KO: 19:45 25-14 Att: 7,829

SALE SHARKS made the London Wasps’ weak defence buckle and break six times at Edgeley Park. The homeside began with a bang as Nick Macleod popped a pass to Tom Brady, who shifted it out to Sam Tuitupou for an early score. Macleod slotted the conversion and Sale could already see there was plenty of opportunity to be had against the poorly formed Wasps’ line. The visitors were soon fighting back though, as Sale’s ill-discipline caused problems at the breakdown and then at the scrum, allowing Elliot Daly to knock over three penalties in quick succession. This gave Wasps the lead, against the grain of play, but they did not hold on to it for long. Sale were clearly the dominant force and Dwayne Peel pulled them back on top by gathering a charged down clearance and heading over the whitewash. Macleod made the wide conversion look simple but Sale lost concentration briefly and the visitors took advantage. Just a minute after Peel swooping over, Waldouck was at the other end of the pitch and touching down for the opposition. This put the sides level and the Sharks gritted their teeth in order to get on the front foot by the break. Wasps created some good open play in attack but when defending fell apart, handing Macleod a penalty before seeing Tuitupou outstrip their ranks for his second try. Macleod missed the extras but added a drop goal to finish the half with style 25-12 up.

The Wasps managed to reduce the deficit soon after the restart thanks to another Daly 3-pointer. But 2 minutes later they were a man down with Jack Wallace shown a yellow for repeatedly infringing, making their ability to defend effectively practically non-existent. The powerful Andy Powell crashed over the tryline to increase the points margin, Macleod adding the extras. Daly kept the visitors’ scoreboard ticking over with another penalty but the Wasps found it hard work to keep possession. Johnny Leota scored one of his own with a storming run and then popped a pass to Rob Miller for one last try. But as the Sharks wound down, Joe Simpson saw two chances and took both. It was not enough to make a difference, but at least it made the scoreline more attractive. Simpson’s excellent last-ditch efforts were converted by Nick Robinson, but still Sale walked away with a bonus point victory to be proud of.

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Andrew Sheridan 2 Marc Jones 3 Vadim Cobilas 4 Andrei Ostrikov 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Joe Ward 17 Ross Harrison 18 Tony Buckley 19 Onosa’i Auva’a 20 Mark Easter 21 Cillian Willis 22 Luther Burrell 23 Joaquin Tuculet

SCORERS T: Tuitupou (2), Peel, Powell, Leota, Miller C: Macleod (5) P: Macleod DG: Macleod

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Prydie 13 Elliot Daly 12 Dom Waldouck 11 Jack Wallace 10 Nick Robinson 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Tom Lindsay 3 Ben Broster 4 James Cannon 5 Marco Wentzel (C) 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Billy Vunipola BENCH:16 Vladislav Korshunov 17 Zak Taulafo 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Ed O’Donoghue 20 Sam Jones 21 Joe Simpson 22 Ryan Davis 23 Paul Emerick

SCORERS T: Waldouck, Simpson (2) C: Robinson (2) P: Daly (5) Jack Wallace

 

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 16 -11 SARACENS

SIXWAYS - Friday 24th February 2012
KO: 19:45 HT: 10-8 Att: 10,101

A surprising night was seen at Sixways as Worcester Warriors made an outstanding comeback to secure a win over Saracens. Worcester made a bright start but sloppy passing saw any opportunity dwindle to nothing. Saracens held firm for this initial spell and then delivered a swift reminder of how it should be done with superb handling seen to send Michael Tagicakibau over the whitewash. Although Alex Goode missed the conversion, he made amends with a penalty to give his side a healthy opening score. The situation worsened for the Warriors as Errie Claassens had to leave the pitch due to injury and the Saracens battered their defence unrelentingly. But Worcester did well to hold off the visitors, heaving Chris Wyles and Andy Saull into touch just in time to halt their scoring. The hammering went on for 20 minutes and Sixways held its breath every time the Sarries bolted for the line. However, Worcester eventually got hold of the ball and claimed a penalty which Andy Goode knocked through to put them on the scoreboard. This inspired the Warriors who suddenly began to show some real flair with a crosskick that so nearly became a try. The homeside were unlucky to see the ball bounce out of reach but they would not be thwarted for long. On the stroke of half time, Worcester charged down Schalk Brits’ clearing kick and Alex Grove was able to bundle himself over the tryline taking them into the break 2 points clear. From what had looked to be a disaster in the making, the Warriors held their nerve and were rewarded with a first half that was exhilarating for the home crowd.

From the restart, Saracens retook the lead after Worcester infringed at a lineout, and Alex Goode added 3 points. Worcester had a chance to hit back but Andy Goode missed his target. However, with his second chance Goode made no such mistake. Worcester were on the front foot and remained so for the rest of the match, providing some brilliant drives into enemy territory. Chris Pennell saw his penalty attempt lack the legs needed and soon the visitors found themselves 5 points behind as Andy Goode added a final 3-pointer. The Saracens were not happy with this turn of events and made a monumental effort to grab a final try but, once again, they found the Worcester defence to be solid and impenetrable. The homeside came away victorious and should be hailed for showing some world-class defensive strength.

15 Errie Claassens 14 Chris Pennell 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry (C) 1 Matt Mullan 2 Aleki Lutui 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Chris Jones 6 Sam Betty 7 Jake Abbott 8 Blair Cowan BENCH: 16 Ed Shervington 17 George Porter 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Craig Gillies 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Jonny Arr 22 Danny Gray 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS T: Grove C: Goode P: Goode (3)

15 Alex Goode 14 Michael Tagicakibau 13 Joel Tomkins 12 Adam Powell 11 Chris Wyles 10 Nils Mordt 9 Neil de Kock 1 John Smit (C) 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 George Kruis 5 Hugh Vyvyan 6 Will Fraser 7 Andy Saull 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Rhys Gill 18 Petrus du Plessis 19 Eoin Sheriff 20 Jackson Wray 21 Peter Stringer 22 Joe Maddock 23 James Short

SCORERS T: Tagicakibau P: Goode (2)

 

 

LEICESTER 42 - 15 NEWCASTLE

WELFORD ROAD - Saturday 25th February 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 23-3 Att: 18,759

LEICESTER TIGERS had no problems when taking on Newcastle Falcons who could not deal with the homeside’s sophisticated play. The Falcons had some good early pressure but Leicester coped with this well and were first to bag some points as George Ford nailed a penalty. Clearly frustrated with this early blow, the visitors then took another as James Fitzpatrick was sent to the sin bin after delivering a high-tackle. It took the Tigers only a minute to take advantage; an excellent show of passing saw Horacio Agulla stopped short before the ball was recycled and Julian Salvi hauled himself over the tryline. Ford converted and Jimmy Gopperth answered with a penalty to get the Falcons up and running. The points kept rolling in for the homeside though as Billy Twelvetrees rocketed over the whitewash. Ford missed the posts for the conversion but soon redeemed himself with a penalty. The visitors were floundering by this point and could do nothing to stop Agulla from touching down in the 34th minute. The Falcons were really battling with their set pieces, often infringing at scrums and producing lack-lustre lineouts. Leicester hit the break with a very comfortable 23-3 lead and were certain that the second half would yield further rewards.

At the restart it was clear that the dominant Tigers’ pack was on the hunt for the bonus point; it took them all of 2 minutes to seek it out. Thomas Waldrom was driven over whilst Newcastle frantically tried to regroup. The Falcons eventually added to their tally with a break from Fitzpatrick and a close-range jump over from Jonny Golding. However, just as the situation seemed to be brightening for the Falcons, Taiasina Tu’ifua felt the wrath of the referee and was sent marching to the sin bin. This left their defence wide open again and scrum extremely shaky, allowing Waldrom to grab his second try and Niall Morris to stylishly gather a cross-kick and sweep over for the try number six. The Falcons were handed a consolatory score by Richard Mayhew but it did not bring much of a smile to any Falcons fan.

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Matt Smith 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Scott Hamilton 10 George Ford 9 James Grindall 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Logovi’i Mulipola 4 Ed Slater 5 George Skivington 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Julian White 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Craig Newby 21 Scott Steele 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Niall Morris

SCORERS T: Salvi, Twelvetrees, Agulla, Waldrom (2), Morris C: Ford (3) P: Ford (2)

15 Greg Goosen 14 Tom Bedford 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Jeremy Manning 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 Andrew van der Heijden 5 Tim Swinson 6 Ally Hogg 7 Will Welch 8 Mark Wilson BENCH: 16 Michael Mayhew 17 Jonny Golding 18 Ashley Wells 19 Taiasina Tu’ifua 20 Richard Mayhew 21 Will Chudley 22 Rikki Sheriffe 23 Joel Hodgson

SCORERS T: Golding, RW Mayhew C: Gopperth P: Gopperth James Fitzpatrick and Tai Tu’ifua

 

 

EXETER CHIEFS 9 - 12 BATH RUGBY

SANDY PARK - Saturday 25th February 2012
KO: 18:00 HT: 6-0 Att: 9,151

NEITHER side managed to pierce their opposition’s defence but Bath Rugby came out on top in a kicking battle against local rivals Exeter Chiefs. The Chiefs pushed up on the Bath line from the off but could not conjure a way around the defence. Meanwhile, Bath had two chances to draw first blood but Olly Barkley saw both his attempts miss the posts. The visitors were also denied a try by the referee, who judged that Barkley’s pass to Tom Biggs was forward. Neither side was playing with any grace, providing a show of unforced errors for the crowd. It took 35 minutes both Ignacio Mieres finally ended the points drought and landed a penalty after Francois Lowe entered the ruck from offside. Lowe did exactly the same 4 minutes later and handed over another soft 3-pointer to give Exeter a 6 point lead at the break.

Bath eventually began to pick up points after the interval with Tom Heathcote answering Mieres with a couple of penalties to tie the score up. The homeside’s fly-half was looking a little worse for wear after taking a heavy knock earlier on, but still slotted a long-range penalty to put his team back in front. The clearly injured Mieres was then replaced by Gareth Steenson. Heathcote added another 3-points and Exeter launched into an attack in an attempt to put some distance between them and their visitors. But, as seen all game, a fumble was to put an end to a good passage of play which should have been fruitful. Heathcote kicked the winning penalty with 7 minutes to go and, although they tried very hard, the homeside could not steal a last-minute try.

15 Phil Dollman 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Nic Sestaret 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Hoani Tui 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Craig Mitchell 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Peter Short 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Chris Budgen 18 John Andress 19 Aly Muldowney 20 James Phillips 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Bryan Rennie

SCORERS P: Mieres (3)

15 Sam Vesty 14 Matt Banahan 13 Matt Carraro 12 Olly Barkley 11 Tom Biggs 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Lee Mears 3 Anthony Perenise 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Ben Skirving 7 Francois Louw (C) 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Charlie Beech 18 Duncan Bell 19 Guy Mercer 20 Carl Fearns 21 Chris Cook 22 Olly Woodburn 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS P: Heathcote (4)

 

 

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 29 - 23 HARLEQUINS

KINGSHOLM - Saturday 25th February 2012
KO: 18:00 HT: 21-13 Att: 13,559

HARLEQUINS missed out on several chances in the second half but were not clinical enough to steal a win from Gloucester Rugby. The visitors had an awful opening 10 minutes, giving away a soft penalty to Freddie Burns and then allowing Charlie Sharples trick the defence and dash through for the score. James Simpson-Daniel very nearly burst through too but was halted just short by a last-ditch tackle. The Quins had been caught off-guard by Gloucester’s early offensive and it took them a while to settle into the match after this. However, Nick Evans calmed the nerves with two penalties to swiftly reduce the deficit. The visitors were just being to put together some nice open play and get their attack flowing when Jonny May romped through several missed tackles to find the tryline. The homeside had found the weak spots in the Quins’ line and were exploiting them to maximum advantage. The holes only became easier to find when the visitors were left with just 14 men as Ugo Monye took a spell in the sin bin for a high tackle. Burns added two further penalties to Gloucester’s scoreboard, but Quins hit back with a Ross Chisholm try that proved they had the ability to pull off a comeback if they knuckled down in the second half.

Both fly-halves knocked over a penalty just after the restart but it was only a matter of time before the homeside had broken ranks again. A sweeping piece of play saw Akapusi Qera storm over to claim a third for Gloucester, Burns swerved the conversion but by this point it was clear that the 2 points would not be missed. The Quins had several opportunities to move in and snatch some points but were thwarted by some brilliant ruck work by the Cherry-and-Whites. A final and valiant effort from the visitors meant that Chisholm was able to find the whitewash for a second time and, with Evans’ conversion, made the scoreline prettier. Gloucester were thrilled with the victory, although they were unable to clinch a bonus point, and proved they could turn up the heat when given the chance.

15 Jonny May 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Mike Tindall (C) 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Will James 5 Alex Brown 6 Tom Savage 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Matt Cox BENCH: 16 Matias Cortese 17 Dan Murphy 18 Shaun Knight 19 Peter Buxton 20 Brett Deacon 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ryan Mills 23 Tom Voyce

SCORERS T: Sharples, May, Qera C: Burns P: Burns (4)

15 Ross Chisholm 14 Tom Williams 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 James Johnston 4 Ollie Kohn 5 Tomas Vallejos 6 Tom Guest 7 Will Skinner 8 Nick Easter (C) BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Mark Lambert 18 Tim Fairbrother 19 Pete Browne 20 Luke Wallace 21 Danny Care 22 Rory Clegg 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS T: Chisholm (2) C: Evans (2) P: Evans (3)

 

 

LONDON IRISH 23 - 30 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

MADEJSKI STADIUM - Sunday 26th February 2012
KO: 13:15 HT: 18-11 Att: tbc

A close call left Northampton Saints on top after a fight back saw London Irish tumble. It was the visitors who had the best start with a try from Noah Cato after 10 minutes of play, although Stephen Myler had plenty of opportunity to extend their lead with a missed penalty and conversion going wanting. Myler must have been ruing his earlier inaccuracies as the Exiles switched proceedings up a gear and hit back hard. Adrian Jarvis proved his boot to be reliable with a penalty to get the homeside’s score going before converting a stunning try from Delon Armitage to haul Irish in front. Myler stepped up to reduce the deficit and finally hit his mark to leave only 2 points between the Saints and their opponents. But, just 2 minutes later, Jarvis had nullified his efforts and the Exiles had their sights set firmly on the tryline. Sailosi Tagicakibau took a lovely feed from Armitage and touched down to extend the gap, Jarvis hit the woodwork with the conversion. Myler managed to claw back 3 points on the toll of half-time but Northampton still needed to come out fighting at the restart.

It took a mere 3 minutes for Northampton to get back in the race with Roger Wilson planting the ball, although Myler’s kicking was still unpredictable and the conversion was missed. This positive start was just the beginning in the Saints revival. Paul Diggin was soon following suit and catapulted the visitors into an advantage, whilst the Exiles were flustered by this sudden change in pace. However, the homeside settled down and dug deep to send Declan Danaher over the tryline. This equalised the scores and both sides emptied their bench to try and find the winning edge. With just 3 minutes left of play, it was Saints who proved to be superior, thanks to Ben Nutley crashing over the whitewash to seal the victory which had been so unlikely in the first half. The Exiles will be disappointed that they fell by the wayside during the final 40 minutes after such a strong opening.

15 Delon Armitage 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Daniel Bowden 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Adrian Jarvis 9 Ross Samson 1 Max Lahiff 2 David Paice 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Nick Kennedy (C) 5 Matt Garvey 6 Declan Danaher 7 Richard Thorpe 8 Chris Hala’ufia BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Clarke Dermody 18 Paulica Ion 19 Kieran Roche 20 Jebb Sinclair 21 Tom Homer 22 Jonathan Spratt 23 Darren Allinson

SCORERS T: Armitage, Tagicakibau, Danaher C: Jarvis P: Jarvis (2)

15 Paul Diggin 14 Vasily Artemyev 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Noah Cato 10 Stephen Myler 9 Martin Roberts 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Andy Long 3 Paul Doran Jones 4 Mark Sorenson 5 Christian Day 6 Samu Manoa 7 Calum Clark (C) 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Ross McMillan 17 Alex Waller 18 Brian Mujati 19 James Craig 20 Ben Nutley 21 Ryan Glynn 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Tom May

SCORERS T: Cato, Wilson, Diggin, Nutley C: Myler, Lamb P: Myler (2)

 

 

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WEEK 15

BATH RUGBY vs GLOUCESTER RUGBY

RECREATION GROUND - Saturday 18th February 2012
KO: 14:30 HT: 5-11 Att: 12,200

IT was a heated derby at the Recreation Ground as Bath Rugby fought against local rivals Gloucester Rugby. It was mere 2 minutes before both teams were down 14 men as a mass brawl broke out with Jim Hamilton and Ryan Caldwell shown yellows. However, once the situation cooled down, it was Bath who showed promise in the opening minutes, claiming most of the territory and a try within 10 minutes of play. Tom Biggs was the one to plant the ball but the surprise element was a grubber from Lee Mears. The hooker outsmarted the defensive line with this unexpected mode of attack and Biggs was there to capitalise. Although the conversion was missed, it was a bright beginning for the homeside. It was not long until the scores were tied though, as Gloucester showed excellent ball handling and insightful play to get Nick Wood over the whitewash. Wood then produced another opportunity for points, squeezing Anthony Perenise in the scrum and forcing a penalty. Unfortunately, Freddie Burns was not able to convert his try or the penalty and so the score remained level whilst the battle raged on pitch. However, when given a second attempt at the posts, Burns made no mistake and handed the visitors the lead. The penalty was soured a little by the chance of a try moments earlier being squandered needlessly by Akapusi Qera, who was too greedy with the ball and paid the price. Both fly-halves struggled with accuracy for a period, each missing simple penalties, but Burns then extended the gap with another 3-pointer on the stroke of half-time, leaving Bath with some catching up to do in the second.

The homeside returned confidently to the field and wasted no time in moving in on Gloucester territory after a brief moment of cast-iron defence against a stunning maul from the Cherry-and-Whites. Bath went on the offensive and were close to cracking the defending line but instead found only a penalty which Olly Barkley successfully slotted, his first one of the match. Tom Heathcote followed suit just 3 minutes later and equalised as the game headed into a tense final quarter. Bath were applying good pressure but when Matt Banahan did not roll away from the tackle, Gloucester extracted the points needed for a win, Ryan Mills booting over the conceded penalty. Bath continued to attack with menace right up to the final whistle and very nearly stole a last-ditch try, but a knock-on left them wanting as Gloucester came out on top.

15 Sam Vesty 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Matt Banahan 12 Olly Barkley 11 Tom Biggs 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Lee Mears 3 Anthony Perenise 4 Stuart Hooper 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Ben Skirving 7 Francois Louw (C) 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Charlie Beech 18 Duncan Bell 19 Guy Mercer 20 Josh Ovens 21 Chris Cook 22 Matt Carraro 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Biggs P: Barkley, Heathcote Ryan Caldwell

15 Jonny May 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Mike Tindall (C) 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Scott Lawson 3 Rupert Harden 4 Jim Hamilton 5 Alex Brown 6 Tom Savage 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Matt Cox BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Dan Murphy 18 Shaun Knight 19 Will James 20 Peter Buxton 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ryan Mills 23 Tom Voyce

SCORERS T: Wood P: Burns (2), Mills Jim Hamilton

 

LONDON WASPS vs EXETER CHIEFS

ADAMS PARK - Saturday 18th February 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 3-9 Att: 5,183

LONDON WASPS are teetering very close to the bottom of the table as they took another blow this week against Exeter Chiefs. The homeside began well with Nick Robinson hammering home an early penalty. It was a fight of the fly-halves with the only points of the match coming from penalties. However, Robinson was handed another chance at the posts and this time managed to slice a rather simple shot instead of increasing the margin. But for the homeside, the frustrating part was their passing; they came so close to creating perfect touchdown opportunities but poor handling left them without each time.  Meanwhile, Exeter surged through on the attack and drew level as the accurate boot of Ignacio Mieres saw first use in the game. Mieres’ next kick left much to be desired though, being charged down by Wasps’ captain Marco Wentzel; luckily for Exeter the ball bounced out of bounds before the homeside could ground it. The Exeter fly-half knew he had to make amends and did so at the 20th minute by producing an impressive long-range penalty. Elliot Daly tried to drag the homeside back and equalise but this attempt missed its target whilst Mieres’ had no such problems. The visitors went into the tunnel 6 points up at the break though Wasps had seen most of the possession and prospects.

The second half was where Wasps should have found their feet but again they failed to penetrate the visiting defence. Mieres soon extended the Chiefs’ lead with another 3-pointer, thanks to his precision kicking against a howling wind. Robinson finally made his response with one of his own, only to have it nullified as Mieres stepped up again and found the posts. Once again the Wasps came close to the tryline and fumbled at the last, leaving fans exasperated by their team’s inability to finish. Robinson did grab some more points from the resulting scrum, but supporters wanted more positive action. The Wasps continued to hammer the defence but the Exeter line was quick to shut down any potential threat and once again Wasps came away with only 3 points. With only a penalty to separate the scores, Wasps went on the attack and this time it looked likely they would make it all the way, but a valiant effort saw Paul Emerick shoved into touch by two of the Chiefs. The home crowd were devastated; the victory should have been theirs so many times and yet they had to watch as Wasps fell at the last hurdle every time. To rub salt into the wound, this now leaves them in range of Newcastle and relegation, a sting indeed for Wasps.

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Prydie 13 Elliot Daly 12 Dom Waldouck 11 Richard Haughton 10 Nick Robinson 9 Nic Berry 1 Zak Taulafo 2 Tom Lindsay 3 Ben Broster 4 Ed O’Donoghue 5 Marco Wentzel (C) 6 Richard Birkett 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Billy Vunipola BENCH:16 Rob Webber 17 Tim Payne 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Joe Launchbury 20 Sam Jones 21 Joe Simpson 22 Ryan Davis 23 Paul Emerick

SCORERS P: Robinson (4)

15 Phil Dollman 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Nic Sestaret 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Hoani Tui 2 Neil Clark 3 Craig Mitchell 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Aly Muldowney 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Chris Whitehead 17 Chris Budgen 18 John Andress 19 James Phillips 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Bryan Rennie

SCORERS P: Mieres (5)

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS vs LONDON IRISH

KINGSTON PARK - Saturday 18th February 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 6-10 Att: 5,813

IT was a surprise victory for bottom of the table Newcastle Falcons who broke down London Irish to bag some much-needed points. The homeside’s win was all the more extraordinary as they fought back from a deficit at half-time with just 14 men for the final 20 minutes of the match. The Falcons got off to a flying start, pushing up into enemy territory before Jimmy Gopperth was handed a soft penalty to get his team on the scoreboard. It was not long until the Exiles got into the swing of things though with Tom Homer equalising before Sailosi Tagicakibau swooped in for a brilliant try. Homer converted and it was looking like this match would be similar to most of the Falcons’ matches this season. However, there was a twinkle in the homeside’s eyes as Gopperth performed a beautiful drop goal in the 36th minute to reduce the deficit to 6-10 at the interval.

The home crowd rallied as their side made their way out for the second half and soon the atmosphere was electric as Gopperth smacked over a long-range 3-pointer whilst Homer failed his attempt soon after. The visitors were not expecting the sudden change-up in play as Newcastle gritted their teeth and set their eyes on the tryline. The Falcons then took a massive blow though, losing Adriaan Fondse for the rest of the match after he swung a punch at Delon Armitage. But this did not distract Newcastle from their focus and, with some superb open play, the homeside found the gap they needed and Ryan Shortland dashed through for the touchdown. Gopperth added the extras and another penalty to put the Falcons into a comfortable lead with only 3 minutes to go. The homeside had done remarkably well to fend off any attacks with their decreased man power but a yellow for both sides in the 77th minute left the Falcons with even more work to do. The match had become fraught in the final 40 minutes and tensions boiled over once more with Jonny Golding and Richard Thorpe seeing yellows for scrapping. But squabbling would make no difference to the scoreline and Irish had to submit to a shock defeat. The Falcons fans were ecstatic with a glimmer of hope that they might avoid relegation, something they had lost all faith in weeks ago.

15 Greg Goosen 14 Tom Bedford 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Ryan Shortland 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 Adriaan Fondse 5 Tim Swinson 6 Ally Hogg 7 Will Welch 8 Mark Wilson BENCH: 16 Michael Mayhew 17 Jonny Golding 18 Ashley Wells 19 Andrew van der Heijden 20 Taiasina Tu’ifua 21 Will Chudley 22 Joel Hodgson 23 Rikki Sherrife

SCORERS T: Shortland C: Gopperth P: Gopperth (3) DG: Gopperth Jonny Golding Adriaan Fondse

15 Delon Armitage 14 Tom Homer 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Jonathan Spratt 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Dan Bowden 9 Darren Allinson 1 Max Lahiff 2 David Paice 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Nick Kennedy (C) 5 Bryn Evans 6 Matt Garvey 7 Kieran Roche 8 Richard Thorpe BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Clarke Dermody 18 Paulica Ion 19 Bob Casey 20 Ed Siggery 21 Marland Yarde 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Tagicakibau C: Homer P: Homer Richard Thorpe

 

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs SALE SHARKS

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS - Saturday 18th February 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 12-3 Att: 13,344

THANKS to an outstanding personal performance by Stephen Myler, Northampton Saints managed to see off Sale Sharks at Franklin’s Gardens. It was the visitors who had the first chance to grab early points but Nick Macleod missed his mark by a fairly substantial margin; meanwhile Myler made no such errors and began his staggering kicking display. However, Sale soon got their scoreboard going with Macleod nailing his second attempt at the sticks. Both sides made huge attacks but neither could breach the opposing defensive line. Noah Cato provided one of the few interesting moments of the half with a rush at the tryline, outstepping two defenders before finally being halted short. It was not until the half-hour mark when the next penalty flew through the posts, thanks to Myler, putting Northampton in front again. Straight after this Sale found them squeezed back as the Saints charged down a clearance kick and applied pressure. Yet another penalty was awarded and again Myler did no wrong. On the toll of half time, the Sharks lost Andrew Sheridan to the sin bin and they had to go into the break with a one man deficit as well as points.

Although a man down, Sale came out fighting at the restart and got the closest they had so far to the tryline. Some excellent passing and a burst of pace left Dwayne Peel just short of a touchdown, but the Saints were deemed offside and so Macleod added another 3 points instead. It took Myler just 5 minutes to nullify this with one of his own, but Sale hit back hard with Mark Cueto finally finding the whitewash after some impressive play by the visitors. Macleod could not find the conversion though, and the situation worsened for the Sharks with Peel going off with an injury and Sam Tuitupou feeling the wrath of the referee for a high tackle, earning himself a spell in the sin bin. Meanwhile, the Saints kept their tally ticking over with another Myler on target shot. Both fly-halves added a penalty each but it was to be Myler’s last as he took a swift exit after a blow to the head. Ryan Lamb replaced the remarkable Myler and showed his talent by pulling off a drop goal to put the final Saints’ mark on the match. However, Sale managed a last minute Macleod penalty to clinch the losing bonus point.

15 Paul Diggin 14 Vasily Artemyev 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Noah Cato 10 Stephen Myler 9 Martin Roberts 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Mike Haywood 3 Brian Mujati 4 Samu Manoa 5 Christian Day 6 Courtney Lawes 7 Calum Clark (C) 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Andy Long 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Mark Sorenson 20 Ben Nutley 21 Ryan Glynn 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Tom May

SCORERS P: Myler (7) DG: Lamb

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Andrew Sheridan 2 Marc Jones 3 Tony Buckley 4 Andrei Ostrikov 5 James Gaskell 6 Richie Vernon 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Joe Ward 17 Ross Harrison 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Mark Easter 21 Cillian Willis 22 Will Addison 23 Luther Burrell

SCORERS T: Cueto P: Macleod (4) Sam Tuitupou, Andrew Sheridan

 

 

HARLEQUINS vs WORCESTER WARRIORS

TWICKENHAM STOOP - Saturday 18th February 2012
KO: 17:30 HT: 10-8 Att: 12,416

HARLEQUINS scraped a win over Worcester Warriors to keep their place at the top of table. Worcester began with gusto, pushing up against a strong defence and stealing an early penalty which Danny Gray slotted. Miles Benjamin had soon extended their premature lead by diving over the whitewash and, although the conversion was not missed, it was a brilliant start for the visitors. Harlequins tried to retaliate but Mike Brown could not quite grasp the chip ball that promised a try. The Warriors were in full swing now and Marcel Garvey made a monstrous run of 60 metres, but a wild pass left Benjamin unable to finish the move. Meanwhile, Quins tried to gather their thoughts and calm down; they needed to open their account soon to quell their nerves. At the 22nd minute, Nick Evans slotted a penalty and finally the homeside were picking up points. Just 6 minutes later the home crowd were on their feet as Quins drove forward but were halted illegally. The referee awarded a penalty try and equalised the score before Evans added the extras to hand Quins the lead. The visitors lost Ed Shervington for pulling down the maul, but Quins failed to make the most of their extra man and the tally remained until the half-time whistle.

After the break, the homeside continued to dominate with Evans increasing the margin with another 3-pointer. But Worcester were not willing to let the Quins drift away and Gray found his target to reduce the deficit to just 2 points. The teams exchanged another penalty each but Worcester could not find the opportunity to steal a win. Although the visitors gave it their best, the homeside proved too much for them in the scrum, causing problems right up to the end. Harlequins missed their last two chances at the posts but it mattered not at they walked away with a narrow victory.

15 Mike Brown 14 Tom Williams 13 George Lowe 12 Tom Casson 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Chris Brooker 3 James Johnston 4 Ollie Kohn 5 George Robson (C) 6 Tom Guest 7 Luke Wallace 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Mark Lambert 18 Tim Fairbrother 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Will Skinner 21 Karl Dickson 22 Rory Clegg 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Penalty Try C: Evans P: Evans (3)

15 Chris Pennell 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Danny Gray 9 Shaun Perry (C) 1 Matt Mullan 2 Ed Shervington 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Chris Jones 6 Sam Betty 7 Jake Abbott 8 Blair Cowan BENCH: 16 Aleki Lutui 17 George Porter 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Craig Gillies 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Jonny Arr 22 Ravai Fatiaki 23 Errie Claassens

SCORERS T: Benjamin P: Gray (3) Ed Shervington

 

 

SARACENS vs LEICESTER TIGERS

VICARAGE ROAD - Sunday 19th February 2012
KO: 14:30 HT: 10-12 Att: 7,265

IT went down to the wire at Vicarage Road as Saracens saw a victory slip away as Leicester Tigers pulled off a drop goal 4 minutes into extra time. The Tigers took only a minute to lose a man as Ed Slater was shown a yellow after tackling a player in the air. This gave Saracens a chance at the posts; however, the homeside were left without as Alex Goode’s attempt flew wide. But after this unsettled beginning, the visitors started the scoring with a penalty from Toby Flood. The fly-half doubled the tally with another 3-pointer whilst Saracens struggled to get their scoreboard going, Goode missing another penalty. However, just a minute later, Saracens awoke and Neil de Kock flew in for a touchdown. Goode converted and suddenly the homeside were on the front foot. Their lead did not last long though as Flood added another penalty, Sarries were struggling with discipline especially in the set pieces. Goode responded but Flood nullified his efforts on the stroke of half-time to give the visitors the advantage at the break.

The second half saw a deluge from the bench for Saracens and it made all the difference as Goode kicked his team back in front and increased the deficit with two successful penalties in quick succession. However, the Tigers hit back hard with Slater making amends for his earlier sin binning with an excellent try to pull the Tigers to a 1 point advantage. Flood missed the conversion and Goode gave one final penalty to leave the Tigers furiously searching for points. However, it would not be Flood who would provide the 3 points needed but his captain, Geordan Murphy, who slotted a superb drop goal during the last run of play to snatch victory out of the hands of a frustrated Sarries side.

15 Alex Goode 14 Duncan Taylor 13 Chris Wyles 12 Adam Powell 11 James Short 10 Nils Mordt 9 Neil de Kock 1 John Smit (C) 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 George Kruis 5 Hayden Smith 6 Justin Melck 7 Andy Saull 8 Jackson Wray BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Rhys Gill 18 Matt Stevens 19 Hugh Vyvyan 20 Will Fraser 21 Ben Spencer 22 Joel Tomkins 23 Michael Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: de Kock C: Goode P: Goode (4)

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Manu Tuilagi 12 Anthony Allen 11 Matt Smith 10 Toby Flood 9 James Grindall 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Logovii Mulipola 4 Ed Slater 5 George Skivington 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Ryan Bower 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Craig Newby 21 Scott Steele 22 George Ford 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Slater P: Flood (4) DG: Murphy Ed Slater

 

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WEEK 14

SALE SHARKS 15 - 12 WORCESTER WARRIORS

EDGELEY PARK - Friday 10th February 2012
KO: 20:00 HT: 6-9 Att: 5,926

IT was a close contest between Sale Sharks and Worcester Warriors with neither finding the tryline in a tough 80 minutes. Sale began with a sloppy show of possession but, after a ruck infringement, got scoring underway with an impressive long-range penalty from Nick Macleod. Their handling was far from impressive during the opening quarter but slowly confidence grew and some better open play was seen. Meanwhile, Worcester were having their own problems; they had far less power in the scrum compared to their opponents and so struggled to keep a hold of the game during the set pieces. Macleod soon added to the homeside’s tally with another penalty whilst Andy Goode played catch-up with one of his own. The whole first half was dominated by kicking as neither team could find the gaps to penetrate enemy lines. The Sharks took a huge blow when Hendre Fourie was removed with a shoulder injury and this led to Worcester finding their feet in the scrum after their earlier problems. Thanks to their newly found brute force, the Warriors took the lead with two further 3-pointers by the accurate boot of Goode. It was clear that this was going to be a tough fight as the whistle blew for the interval.

At the restart, Sale came out with determination gleaming in their eyes and it was not long until they were seriously threatening the visitor’s tryline for the first time in the match. Tom Brady made a spectacular break but Richie Vernon knocked-on, ending the home crowd’s roars as they willed a try, only to be left disappointed. Macleod dragged the scores level once more and it was going to come down to the wire to find the victorious team. Sharks were certainly the more vibrant side but Worcester did well to fend them off, allowing Sale to make mistakes and give away possession. The Warriors jumped ahead again as Goode’s replacement, Danny Gray, walloped a penalty through. But their advantage did not last long and Macleod knocked over two more of his own to win the match. It had not been particularly thrilling to watch but the Sharks fans were happy enough with their team’s hard-earned success.

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Andrew Sheridan 2 Marc Jones 3 Tony Buckley 4 Andrei Ostrikov 5 James Gaskell 6 Hendre Fourie 7 David Seymour 8 Mark Easter BENCH: 16 Joe Ward 17 Lee Imiolek 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Richie Vernon 21 Cillian Willis 22 Will Addison 23 Luther Burrell

SCORERS P: Macleod (5)

15 Chris Pennell 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry (C) 1 Matt Mullan 2 Aleki Lutui 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Chris Jones 6 Sam Betty 7 Jake Abbott 8 Blair Cowan BENCH: 16 George Porter 17 Ed Shervington 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Craig Gillies 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Jonny Arr 22 Danny Gray 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS P: Goode (3), Gray

 

 

HARLEQUINS 30 - 23 LONDON IRISH

TWICKENHAM STOOP - Saturday 11th February 2012
KO: 14:00 HT: 10-13 Att: 13,418

HARLEQUINS found their stride again after beating London Irish to retain their table top-spot. The match did not begin brightly for Quins though, as Tom Homer stormed through their defence after just 4 minutes for a score. Homer converted himself and it was to be a brilliant match for the fullback. The homeside responded with Nick Evans popping over a 3-pointer, which Homer tried to nullify only to not find the range on his long-distance strike. But Homer’s unsuccessful effort was nothing in comparison to the two relatively simple penalties which Evans missed soon after. However, Quins soon found themselves in front after an excellent break and some swift handling saw Tom Casson swoop over the tryline. It was not long until Irish had heaved themselves into a 13-10 lead once more as Homer kicked two perfect penalties just before the break.

After the interval there was chaos in the Exiles’ ranks as Dan Bowden’s kick was charged down and Tom Williams turned up the gas to race in for the touchdown. This was when Quins really rose from the ashes of their recent performances and showed they still had what it takes to be table leaders. A charging maul push the homeside up into their opponents 22 and Danny Care took the opportunity to wallop through a drop goal. The visitors replied with Jonathan Joseph showing huge strength, breaking three tackles to crash over and plant the ball. Homer added the extras to equalise the tallies. But Quins were on the rampage now and soon on the front foot once more as Evans slotted another penalty. Ross Chisholm followed up by forcing his way through to find the tryline; Evans converted and the Quins were back to their confident selves. The Exiles managed to grab another 3 points, thanks to Adrian Jarvis, but the homeside’s defence held firm and earned the Quins a well-deserved victory. The home crowd were elated and hopeful that this was the launch of the return of the points-machine which was Quins at the earlier in the season.

15 Ross Chisholm 14 Tom Williams 13 Matt Hopper 12 Tom Casson 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Mark Lambert 2 Joe Gray 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 George Robson (C) 6 Tom Guest 7 Luke Wallace 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Aston Croall 18 Tim Fairbrother 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Will Skinner 21 Karl Dickson 22 Rory Clegg 23 George Lowe

SCORERS T: Casson, Williams, Chisholm C: Evans (3) P: Evans (2) DG: Care

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Shontayne Hape 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Dan Bowden 9 Darren Allinson 1 Clarke Dermody (C) 2 David Paice 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Bryn Evans 6 Matt Garvey 7 Kieran Roche 8 Richard Thorpe BENCH: 16 Brian Blaney 17 Max Lahiff 18 Paulica Ion 19 Ed Siggery 20 Marland Yarde 21 Delon Armitage 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Ross Samson

SCORERS T: Homer, Joseph C: Homer (2) P:  Homer (2), Jarvis

 

 

BATH RUGBY 30 - 24 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

RECREATION GROUND - Saturday 11th February 2012
KO: 14:15 HT: 8-14 Att: 11,944

NEWCASTLE FALCONS supporters saw a disappointing end to the match where they came so close to beating Bath Rugby at the Recreation Ground.  Bath began brightly with Olly Barkley opening the score with a long-range penalty after just 2 minutes. The Falcons looked fairly unthreatening as Bath showed some solid open play, and it was not long until Olly Woodburn had found a gap to slide through and over the whitewash. Although Barkley sent the conversion swerving wide, it was a strong first quarter for the homeside. But Newcastle had the determination and focus they had lacked in previous games, hitting back hard with a try from Mark Wilson. Gopperth added the extras and the deficit was reduced to a single point. The visitors were suddenly causing problems for the Bath defensive line and on the half hour mark, the Falcons pack heaved forward with an impressive scrum before Rob Vickers hauled himself over for the score. Gopperth converted again and, rather unexpectedly, the plucky visiting side were in front 14-8 at the half-time whistle. Tom Heathcote missed a chance to pull back 3-points, just skimming the woodwork before the interval.

After the break, more disastrous play from Bath saw Gopperth narrowly miss out on a try as the homeside’s defence scrabbled to tap the ball into touch. However, eventually Bath settled down and the points came rolling in, much to the joy of the home crowd. Anthony Perenise produced some stunning expansive play to pass the ball to Woodburn for his second try. Just 4 minutes later the referee handed over a penalty try after Gopperth flew in early to tackle Tom Biggs to stop him scoring. Gopperth was off to the sin bin and Bath were on the prowl for the bonus point. It took them 10 minutes to find it, Perenise diving through to provide the try. Heathcote converted and added a penalty before Gopperth replied with one of his own to get the Falcons’ points ticking over again. Newcastle were also in search of a bonus point though and, during a late surge, Will Chudley stumbled to the corner to clinch that all-important losing bonus point. The Falcons were disappointed that their second half let them down but should take pride in their performance, which was at its best.

15 Sam Vesty 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Matt Banahan 12 Olly Barkley 11 Tom Biggs 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Michael Claassens 1 David Flatman 2 Lee Mears 3 Anthony Perenise 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Ben Skirving 7 Francois Louw (C) 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Pieter Dixon 17 Nathan Catt 18 Kane Palma-Newport 19 Guy Mercer 20 Josh Ovens 21 Chris Cook 22 Matt Carraro 23 Nick Scott

SCORERS T: Woodburn (2), Penalty Try, Perenise C: Heathcote (2) P: Barkley, Heathcote

15 Greg Goosen 14 Ryan Shortland 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Suka Hufanga 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 Adriaan Fondse 5 Tim Swinson 6 Will Welch 7 Ally Hogg 8 Mark Wilson BENCH: 16 Matt Thompson 17 Jonny Golding 18 James Hall 19 Andrew van der Heijden 20 Taiasina Tu’ifua 21 Will Chudley 22 Joel Hodgson 23 Tom Bedford

SCORERS T: Wilson, Vickers, Chudley C: Gopperth (3) P: Gopperth Jimmy Gopperth

 

 

GLOUCESTER 27 - 24 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

KINGSHOLM - Saturday 11th February 2012
KO: 14:15 HT: 18-9 Att: 12,758

A second-half comeback was not quite enough for Northampton Saints as they tumbled at the hands of Gloucester Rugby. The homeside missed out on two early chances at the tryline as Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu made some brilliant runs only to be let down by sloppy passing. But it was third time lucky for Gloucester as Charlie Sharples squeezed in for the score. Freddie Burns added the extras and Gloucester were off to a flying start. The Saints, on the other hand, were having a horrid first quarter, losing Jamie Elliott to an injury early on. The visitors managed to grab a penalty thanks to Ryan Lamb, but this was soon answered by Burns. Although Gloucester were clearly the dominant force, Northampton got a lucky break with Courtney Lawes sprinting downfield, only to lose the ball before he could plant it. Fans groaned as they saw the chance slip away and the mood was not lifted as Lamb missed his target from a simple penalty. The kickers both exchanged penalties and Northampton were only trailing by 3 points. But the points gap widened as, on the toll of half-time, Darren Dawidiuk took a well-timed pass to haul Gloucester into a comfortable 18-9 lead.

At the restart Gloucester were not looking as sharp, luckily Lamb was not either and  he missed his shot at goal which had been a soft penalty from the Cherry-and-Whites. Saints were on the up though, and Lamb nailed his second attempt of the half whilst the Northampton attack tried ferociously to break through. But Burns kept the homeside’s score pushing upward as Saints began emptying their bench in order to find the missing ingredient. Eventually, the visitors pierced the Gloucester defence, Soane Tonga’uiha being bundled over to reduce the deficit and Stephen Myler converting. Although Gloucester had the reliable boot of Burns to add another 3 points, another try from the visitors, thanks to George Pisi, left the scores level for a nerve-jangling final 10 minutes. The home crowd held their heads in their hands as they saw Burns’ initial match-winning penalty bounce off the posts but, with his second chance, the skilled fly-half made no such errors. The whistle blew and a huge exhale rattled around the ground as Gloucester fans felt a wave of relief. 

15 Jonny May 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Mike Tindall 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Will James 5 Alex Brown 6 Peter Buxton (C) 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Matt Cox BENCH: 16 Matias Cortese 17 Dan Murphy 18 Shaun Knight 19 Tom Savage 20 Rob Langley 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ryan Mills 23 Tim Molenaar

SCORERS T: Sharples, Dawidiuk C: Burns P: Burns (5)

15 Paul Diggin 14 Jamie Elliott 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Vasily Artemyev 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Martin Roberts 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Andy Long 3 Brian Mujati 4 Samu Manoa 5 Christian Day 6 Courtney Lawes 7 Calum Clark (C) 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Mark Sorenson 20 Ben Nutley 21 Ryan Glynn 22 Stephen Myler 23 Tom May

SCORERS T: Tonga’uiha, Pisi C: Myler P: Lamb (4)

 

 

EXETER CHIEFS 19 - 11 LEICESTER TIGERS

SANDY PARK - Saturday 11th February 2012
KO: 18:00 HT: 6-8 Att: 9,025

EXETER CHIEFS proved too challenging for a clumsy Leicester Tigers side at Sandy Park. The Chiefs were quick to attack and applied some hefty early pressure but careless mistakes left them without an opening try. Both teams had trouble with handling which was not surprising considering how bitterly cold it was, but Leicester were first to put together some flowing play and rewarded by Alesana Tuilagi storming through for a score. The conversion proved too tricky for Toby Flood though and the next 20 minutes were as error filled as the previous 10. The homeside had troubles with their lineout and were not helped by the referee, with whom they have history for feeling hard done by. Eventually, referee Sean Davey got fed up with their questions and was close to giving a yellow card for dissent but decided to just have strong words instead. Flood extended the Tigers’ lead with a successful penalty but Ignacio Mieres swiftly replied with two of his own to bring Exeter back within 2 points of their opponents. The fly-half missed another penalty and his side was denied a try due to some heavy last-ditch tackling from the visitors just before half-time, and Tiger led 8-6.

The final 40 minutes were a huge improvement on the first for Chiefs who found their feet early on in the half. Flood added another 3 points but Exeter soon rebounded, charging down a kick before Richard Baxter raced through to plant the ball. Mieres produced a superb conversion and the Chiefs took the lead for the first time. Although Mieres then hit the post with a penalty opportunity, his next shot from the same position sailed through to boost the Chiefs’ advantage. Flood also had problems with the woodwork and was not given any more chances to find the missing points. The Exeter defence held strong against the final Tigers’ attack before Nic Sestaret very nearly gave the homeside a perfect ending, halted just short of the whitewash. 

15 Phil Dollman 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Nic Sestaret 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Neil Clark 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Aly Muldowney 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Chris Whitehead 17 Ben Moon 18 Craig Mitchell 19 James Phillips 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Bryan Rennie

SCORERS T: Baxter C: Mieres P: Mieres (4)

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Manu Tuilagi 12 Anthony Allen 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Sam Harrison 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Julian White 4 Ed Slater 5 George Skivington 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Logovii Mulipola 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Ben Woods 21 James Grindal 22 George Ford 23 Matt Smith

SCORERS T: AT Tuilagi P: Flood (2)

 

 

LONDON WASPS 17 - 22 SARACENS

ADAMS PARK - Sunday 12th February 2012
KO: 13:15HT: 14-16 Att: 5,574

IT was a sad ending to an excellent game for London Wasps as they fell to Saracens at home. The homeside were quick to bag points with a 3rd minute try by Billy Vunipola setting them off on positive note. Nick Robinson added the extras and Wasps looked confident compared to their usual lack-lustre efforts. The visitors soon took the lead though, as the Alex Goode thumped over two penalties and James Short blazed through the home defence for a try. But Wasps did not let this dip their heads and focused their eyes on the tryline, giving the Sarries’ defence plenty of problems. Tom Lindsay put his side back on the front foot, propelling the homeside’s tally with a superb try. But, as per usual, the Wasps gave away penalties with regularity and ended the half 14-16 down after Goode successfully kicked another 3 points.

The second half was less impressive for both sides but Wasps felt the bite hardest as they saw their opportunity for glory slip away. Goode slotted another penalty early into the second half thanks to the Wasps offending at the scrum, something Sarries’ had been taking advantage of all game. The visitors dominated in the set pieces as their opponents scrabbled about for scrappy ball. However, in open play the Wasps were clearly the greater force and were unlucky not to break through several times. Robinson missed a penalty chance but redeemed himself with a later attempt which put the homeside just 2 points behind. The final 10 minutes were excruciating for the home crowd as they willed their side towards Saracen territory. But alas, the Saracens were handed another penalty and Goode obliged, throwing down the gauntlet of a Wasp’s try to win. The challenge was too much; the homeside pushed and shoved but the visiting defence would not budge and they had to walk away with a consolatory losing bonus point.

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Richard Haughton 13 Dom Waldouck 12 Riki Flutey 11 Elliot Daly 10 Nick Robinson 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Tom Lindsay 3 Ben Broster 4 Ed O’Donoghue 5 Marco Wentzel (C) 6 Richard Birkett 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Billy Vunipola BENCH:16 Vladislav Korshunov 17 Zak Taulafo 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Heinz Koll 20 Sam Jones 21 Joe Simpson 22 Ryan Davis 23 Tom Prydie

SCORERS T: Vunipola, Lindsay C: Robinson (2) P: Robinson

15 Alex Goode 14 Duncan Taylor 13 Chris Wyles 12 Adam Powell 11 James Short 10 Nils Mordt 9 Peter Stringer 1 John Smit (C) 2 Jamie George 3 Carlos Nieto 4 George Kruis 5 Hayden Smith 6 Justin Melck 7 Andy Saull 8 Jackson Wray BENCH: 16 Schalk Brits 17 Rhys Gill 18 Petrus du Plessis 19 Hugh Vyvyan 20 Will Fraser 21 Neil de Kock 22 Joel Tomkins 23 Michael Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: Short C: Goode P: Goode (5)

 

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2^nd QUARTER REVIEW

by Emily Ruscoe

THE halfway marker has been reached for the teams in the Aviva Premiership and it is time for them to reflect upon their efforts so far. So who is flying high and who is playing catch-up? Some of the results are a bit of a shock.

The top of the table bears no surprise as Harlequins remain sitting pretty. Currently leading by 3 points over nearest rivals Saracens, the Quins had a magical start to their season. However, after managing to be unbeaten for the first ten weeks of the tournament, Quins finally fell against Saracens in front of record crowds at Twickenham at Big Game 4.This has shaken the Harlequins’ confidence, although they have held their table-topping position though their stumbling has given Saracens a chance to catch up. Although Sarries were 9 points behind Quins, their consistency has meant they have continued collecting the points solidly and now pose a huge threat to the high-flyers.

After the two front-runners, the table becomes pretty close. There are 6 teams teams –London Irish, Exeter Chiefs, Sale Sharks and Gloucester Rugby– that all yo-yo in position on an almost weekly basis, all battling it out for those coveted play-off places. Several of the clubs that usually grace the higher echelons of the points board began the Premiership in a disappointing fashion. Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints both languished near the bottom for several weeks as they struggled to fill the gap left by their international players called up for the Rugby World Cup. Although both sides have academies, their young stand-ins struggled against more experienced sides and this meant a series of defeats.But faith was restored when the lost players returned and swiftly got down to business. Racking up large victories, the previously worried fans saw their teams leap up the table. One stand-in who will certainly be seeing more regular play is Billy Twelvetrees for Tigers, who has been playing second fiddle to Toby Flood.The young kicker scored all of the Tigers’ points against London Wasps, his total tally against the Londoners is a staggering 58 points in two games!

In fact, things were going just swimmingly for all the clubs who had regained their internationals. But now comes the RBS Six Nations.Just when the sides were settling down to a rhythm with predictable team selections, wallop, in comes another international tournament to cast them asunder.The academy players will no doubt be back to hold the fort whilst their side’s stars scuttle off to their country’s call. However, does this mean we return to Rugby World Cup status or do some of them sides have something up their sleeve?Well, although Leicester, along with Northampton and Saracens, have been hit hardest they have been lucky to have Twelvetrees slip under the radar a little, being called into the England Saxons squad rather than the England Seniors and therefore will return in time for Round 14 of the Premiership. Saints have also managed to hold on to some young potential with Ryan Lamb making it to Saxons but no further ,and Tom May, who has been on form of late,not being called up at all. Gloucester have lost Charlie Sharples and Henry Trinder (temporarily) to the England Senior squad but this should not affect the side too much as their academy players are truly outstanding and can certainly hold their own against most clubs.  Saracens are the most likely to suffer as they lose a high proportion of key players to numerous international sides and this could mean that the gap between them and Harlequins could shoot open again.

Newcomers Worcester Warriors have no such problems and have not done too badly so far, coming away with some impressive wins. Although this initial burst of confidence has ebbed slightly, the Warriors can still turn up the heat in front of the home crowd.They are happy to play in a flowing, open style or to grind their opponent down and, though their set pieces sometimes prove their downfall, the Warriors have certainly learnt a lot so far. Worcester, alongside Bath Rugby and London Wasps look likely to remain in the Premiership for next season, unless Newcastle Falcons finally find some form.

The Falcons have had a particularly rough tournament so far, being firmly cemented to last place. The Newcastle side have seen nothing but disaster, facing 9 defeats in 13 games. However, their ever-loyal supporters do sometimes see their side produce shocking and exciting victories, like the nail-biting 1-point triumph over Gloucester. Jimmy Gopperth is often the back-bone of their scoring, with some superb kicking and play-making. But losing Euan Murray to the Scotland Squad makes life even trickier for Newcastle, leaving their already unpredictable scrum without his much-needed strength and experience. However, this will make little difference in the long term as it seems almost inevitable that we shall be bidding farewell to this plucky team come the end of the season.

 

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WEEK 13

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS vs HARLEQUINS

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS - Friday 6th January 2012
KO: 19:45 HT: 17-3 Att: 13,459

ANOTHER disappointing week for Harlequins’ fans who saw their side go down against Northampton Saints. It was all looking so hopeful for the visitors as they began the match with confidence and tested the Saints’ defence. However, an inability to finish moves and a loss of key opportunities soon saw the tide turn to the detriment of Quins. Ryan Lamb put the homeside in front after 12 minutes of play with his first penalty, and from this point it was the Saints’ game. Northampton squeezed their opponents back and set up camp inside their half. This proved to be too much for Quins who began to give away numerous penalties and, eventually, this led to Nick Easter being sent to the sin bin. The extra man opened up the perfect chance for Saints to break away and start collecting points. Within minutes, the homeside extended their lead to 11-0 as Lamb fired over a drop goal and Ben Foden flew over for a try. A further sting came from Lamb putting over another penalty just 2 minutes after Quins returned to a full pack. Although the visitors stemmed the flow for a while and managed to grab 3 points of their own, this was nullified by Lamb on the half-time whistle. It was a disastrous first 40 minutes for Quins, who have lost their stride since their first defeat of the season two weeks ago, and Saints could tell they were vulnerable.

The second half left Quins supporters with their heads in their hands as matters went from bad to worse. Once again the visitors began the half brightly, but when Rory Clegg failed to find the mark twice, losing out on 6 points, it was Northampton’s match to take. Roger Wilson swooped in for the kill, grabbing another try for the homeside and Lamb added the extras. It was not all plain sailing for the Saints though, as Mark Sorenson was shown yellow, but their defence held firm and Quins could make nothing of their chance to reduce the deficit.  The match drew to a close and neither side could add to their tally. Quins remain at the top of the table but the cracks are certainly showing now.

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Noah Cato 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Dylan Hartley (C) 3 Paul Doran Jones 4 Samu Manoa 5 Mark Sorenson 6 Phil Dowson 7 Tom Wood 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Brian Mujati 19 Christian Day 20 Ben Nutley 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Tom May

SCORERS T: Foden, Wilson C: Lamb P: Lamb (3) DG: Lamb Mark Sorenson

15 Mike Brown 14 Tom Williams 13 Matt Hopper 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Rory Clegg 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Chris Brooker 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Chris Robshaw (C) 7 Luke Wallace 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Mark Lambert 18 Tim Fairbrother 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Tom Guest 21 Richard Bolt 22 Ben Urdapilleta 23 Sam Smith

SCORERS P: Clegg Nick Easter

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS vs GLOUCESTER

SIXWAYS - Saturday 7th January 2012
KO: 14:45 HT: 6-10 Att: 12,024

THERE was a surprising result when Worcester Warriors beat Gloucester Rugby by 6 points at Sixways. Neither side has been doing well recently but Gloucester would have expected to produce a better performance and beat Worcester, considering the homeside are currently 10th in the table. Gloucester had a promising start with Freddie Burns putting them on the board early on with a penalty. However, Joe Carlisle soon did the same for his team and Worcester’s play was stronger than their opponents in general, although missing several opportunities to score. Worcester’s bad handling meant that, against the grain of play, Gloucester were the first to touchdown. Stringing together a stylish piece of play, the visitors outwitted the Worcester defence, Charlie Sharples went over and the TMO had the final word to put Gloucester in front again. Although Burns added another 3 points to the Warriors’ tally, they had plenty to think about in the changing rooms at half-time.

Worcester stepped up in the final 40 minutes though, giving it everything they had. Andy Goode began the attack, sweeping downfield to plant the ball between the posts. He then added the conversion and a penalty soon after, racking up the points thick and fast and handing the Warriors the lead. The situation then worsened for Gloucester as a scoring opportunity turned to a furthering of the points deficit as Marcel Garvey gathered a kick and raced over for another Worcester try. Gloucester tried to respond but it was all too late; a consolatory try by Jonny May in the 77th minute was not enough. Worcester were elated with their performance and it was made all the sweeter by the fact it had come beating their local rivals.

15 Chris Pennell (C) 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Joe Carlisle 9 Jonny Arr 1 Matt Mullan 2 Aleki Lutui 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Chris Jones 6 Sam Betty 7 Jake Abbott 8 Matt Kvesic BENCH: 16 Bruce Douglas 17 Ed Shervington 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Craig Gillies 20 Richard Muagututia 21 Shaun Perry 22 Andy Goode 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS T: Goode, Garvey C: Goode P: Carlisle (2), Goode

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Mike Tindall 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Scott Lawson 3 Rupert Harden 4 Jim Hamilton 5 Alex Brown 6 Alasdair Strokosch 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 Matias Cortese 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 Peter Buxton 20 Matt Cox 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ryan Mills 23 Jonny May

SCORERS T: Sharples, May C: Burns P: Burns

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS vs EXETER CHIEFS

KINGSTON PARK - Saturday 7th January 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 0-10 Att: 3,445

NEWCASTLE FALCONS managed to hold on to a losing bonus point, but were lucky to do so as Exeter Chiefs failed to take as the advantages on offer. The Chiefs wasted no time in getting down to business with Haydn Thomas spotting a rather obvious gap through which he could dive, supplying the visitors with early points. Ignacio Mieres slotted the conversion after just 10 minutes of play and Exeter were up and running. Although the Falcons produced some very good open play and had a couple of scoring opportunities, their set pieces struggled and caused the homeside some serious problems. Newcastle had a chance to get on the board but Jimmy Gopperth missed his target. Mieres did not make the same mistake, knocking over a penalty on the whistle to end the half.

After the break, Gopperth quickly redeemed himself with a kick through the posts but his efforts were soon equalled by Mieres. Newcastle then spent much defending furiously as Exeter attacked their weakness - the lineout, piling on the pressure. On top of this Gopperth continued to miss penalties, squandering valuable points. Mieres turned the screw with a classy drop goal and it was looking hopeless for the Falcons. But then, in a moment of magic, the Falcons put together a impressive play that was enough to send Tim Swinson flying over. Gopperth’s kicking came through and the Falcons walked away with a bonus point that no one had expected them to claim.

15 Greg Goosen 14 Luke Fielden 13 Suka Hufanga 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Jeremy Manning 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Jordi Pasqualin 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 Adriaan Fondse 5 Tim Swinson 6 Taiasina Tu’ifua 7 Will Welch 8 Richard Mayhew BENCH: 16 Michael Mayhew 17 Ashley Wells 18 James Hall 19 Mark Wilson 20 Ally Hogg 21 Chris Pilgrim 22 Tom Catterick 23 Corne Uys

SCORERS T: Swinson C: Gopperth P: Gopperth

15 Luke Arscott 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Nic Sestaret 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Neil Clark 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Aly Muldowney 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Simon Alcott 17 John Andress 18 Craig Mitchell 19 Chris Bentley 20 James Phillips 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Josh Tatupu

SCORERS T: Thomas C: Mieres P: Mieres (2) DG Mieres

 

LEICESTER TIGERS vs LONDON WASPS

WELFORD ROAD - Saturday 7th January 2012
KO: 17:00 HT: 16-11 Att: 21,310

A heroic performance by Billy Twelvetrees gave rise to an excellent victory for Leicester Tigers over London Wasps. Twelvetrees was prolific in his points gathering, collecting all of Leicester’s, though surprisingly not being awarded man of the match for his efforts. It was Wasps that were the first off the mark though with Elliot Daly grabbing an early penalty. But 11 minutes later, Twelvetrees replied with his first of five penalties. His second soon followed but Wasps were on form and Nic Berry brought them back in front as he tore over the tryline. However, Twelvetrees was unstoppable, creating a lovely piece of play which he then finished himself, crashing over and then adding the extras. A few more penalties later, with Ryan Davis responding from Wasps, the Tigers were 5 points up at the break.

Twelvetrees continued his scoring frenzy at the restart, knocking over another two penalties, whilst Wasps lost Tim Payne to the sin bin. Leicester began to squeeze the visitors from all sides but it was their fly-half who broke the defensive line once again and converted once more. The homeside was more a one man show but what a show it was - fans were ecstatic with the performance. Wasps should not be disappointed with their play, however, as they put up a good fight and their first half was very promising.    

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Matt Smith 12 Anthony Allen 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Billy Twelvetrees 9 Ben Youngs 1 Boris Stankovich 2 George Chuter 3 Dan Cole 4 Steve Mafi 5 Geoff Parling 6 Tom Croft 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Julian White 18 Logovii Mulipola 19 Ed Slater 20 Ben Woods 21 Sam Harrison 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Twelvetrees (2) C: Twelvetrees (2) P: Twelvetrees (5)

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Varndell 13 Elliot Daly 12 Riki Flutey 11 Richard Haughton 10 Ryan Davis 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Richard Birkett 5 Marco Wentzel (C) 6 Tinus Du Plessis 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Sam Jones BENCH:16 Tom Lindsay 17 Bob Baker 18 Jeremy Castex 19 Mike Powell 20 Matt Everard 21 Joe Simpson 22 Jack Wallace 23 Chris Mayor

SCORERS T: Berry P: Daly, Davis Tim Payne

 

LONDON IRISH 21 - 19 SALE SHARKS

MADEJSKI STADIUM - Sunday 8th January 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 12-10 Att: 8,088

IT was a nail-biting game when London Irish fought Sale Sharks for a victory. The Sharks made an exceptionally bright start when Rob Miller slid through a hole to find the tryline after just 6 minutes. Nick Macleod stepped up to convert and then hammered home a penalty for good measure. But suddenly, Irish sprang into action and became the dominant force. Irish attacked ferociously, keeping a good proportion of possession and eventually finding their way to some points. First Bryn Evans planted the ball with ease and then Topsy Ojo followed suit, although having to avoid a determined Sale defence. Homer only managed one of the conversions but it was enough to give them a narrow lead of 2 points at the interval. Sale had begun with confidence but this drained away over the half and some soul searching was needed.

At the restart the Sharks came out with renewed intensity and drive. They gave the homeside plenty to think about as they battered the defensive line. Irish held up well enough until David Paice received the attentions of the referee for a dump tackle and saw a yellow for his troubles. The visitors had a chance to hit back at the Exiles but did not do as much damage as they should have, only gaining another 3 points from their man advantage. The kickers continued to exchange penalties and the lead yo-yo’d between the two sides. It looked as if Sale had the victory in their clutches but, with only 4 minutes left on the clock, Adrian Jarvis knocked over his second penalty of the match to pull a win out of the bag for the homeside. Every fan had been sitting in a state of pure nerves as they saw their side battling for points in the closing stages, but it was the Exiles’ supporters who went home grinning.

15 Delon Armitage 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Spratt 12 Shontayne Hape 11 Tom Homer 10 Adrian Jarvis 9 Darren Allinson 1 Clarke Dermody (C) 2 David Paice 3 Paulica Ion 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Matt Garvey 6 Bryn Evans 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Alex Gray BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Alex Corbisiero 18 Faan Rautenbach 19 Bob Casey 20 David Sisi 21 Adam Thompstone 22 Steven Shingler 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Evans, Ojo C: Homer P: Homer, Jarvis (2) David Paice

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Joaquin Tuculet 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Alasdair Dickinson 2 Marc Jones 3 Tony Buckley 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 James Gaskell 6 Richie Vernon 7 Onosa’i Auva’a 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Andy Titterrell 17 Lee Imiolek 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Mark Easter 21 Cillian Willis 22 Luther Burrell 23 Will Addison

SCORERS T: Miller C: Macleod P: Macleod (4)

 

SARACENS 26 - 19 BATH RUGBY

VICARAGE ROAD - Sunday 8th January 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 13-10 Att: 5,799

SARACENS stay second in the table after a close battle with Bath Rugby at Vicarage Road. Bath were quick off the mark, with Stephen Donald cleaning up a loose ball and striding over for their first points after only 5 minutes of play. He then added the extras himself and had given his team a perfect start. Sarries had a chance to reply shortly after but Owen Farrell hit the woodwork with his attempt at goal. The visitors were looking strong, although struggling with the scrum at times, and tested the homeside several times. The attacks kept coming and eventually it was the Saracens scrum which faltered leaving the referee with no choice but to send Rhys Gill off to the sin bin. It was not all doom and gloom for Sarries supporters; Steve Borthwick got on the end of a superb break by David Strettle and soon the homeside were level. It did not last long though as the relentless Bath kept coming, winning themselves a penalty, which Donald slotted to pull them back in front. Farrell had a chance to equalise again but, once more, he saw his kick ricochet off the posts. But he made no such mistake with his next two attempts and kicked perfectly between the uprights to give Sarries the advantage to end the half with.

After the restart it was Saracens who were on the front foot. During the break they had obviously realised it was their game for the taking and they were going to make sure that is exactly what happened. Strettle flew about the pitch, causing havoc for Bath and, eventually, picking up a penalty for Farrell to smack over. Tom Heathcote tried his luck for the visitors but that ever-present post was as kind to him as it was to Farrell. He redeemed himself, however, with another attempt soon after and pulled the scores back level. Farrell’s kicking boots seemed to have been left in the changing room as he missed two chances, one being pretty simple by all accounts. But the home crowd were not to be disappointed when Chris Wyles scorched over the tryline after some great handling. Farrell converted and then exchanged penalties with Heathcote before the whistle finally blew. It had been a tough match but Saracens managed to come out on top.

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Owen Farrell 12 Brad Barritt 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Ben Spencer 1 Rhys Gill 2 John Smit 3 Matt Stevens 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Jackson Wray 7 Andy Saull 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Petrus du Plessis 18 Carlos Nieto 19 George Kruis 20 Justin Melck 21 Peter Stringer 22 Adam Powell 23 James Short

SCORERS T: Borthwick, Wyles C: Farrell (2) P: Farrell (4) Rhys Gill

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Matt Carraro 12 Matt Banahan 11 Tom Biggs 10 Stephen Donald 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Ross Batty 3 Anthony Perenise 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Andy Beattie 7 Francois Louw (C) 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Pieter Dixon 17 Charlie Beech 18 David Wilson 19 Ben Skirving 20 Guy Mercer 21 Chris Cook 22 Tom Heathcote 23 Kyle Eastmond

SCORERS T: Donald C: Donald P: Donald, Heathcote (3)

 

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WEEK 12

NEWCASTLE 14 - 32 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

KINGSTON PARK - Saturday 31st December 2011
KO: 14:00 HT: 11-13 Att: 6,017

BOTTOM of the table Newcastle Falcons handed over an easy win to Northampton Saints as they failed to muster a decent defence. Northampton were quick off the mark with Ryan Lamb knocking over an early penalty followed by a simplistic try for Ben Foden. Foden got the luck of the bounce as he chased a kick from George Pisi after Saints won a lineout. Newcastle’s set pieces were particularly poor this match and the visitors took full advantage. Lamb converted and the homeside did not have a good opening 10 minutes. However, their response was strong and, thanks to some unwanted pressure, Saints gave away 3 points as Jimmy Gopperth slotted his first penalty. Gopperth was a real play-maker for Newcastle and he set up Suka Hufanga perfectly to create the Falcons’ only try of the match. Unfortunately, the conversion was not on target but none-the-less the homeside were no longer left behind. Both kickers exchanged a penalty each before the half-time whistle and the 2 point margin was kept.

Newcastle fans were overjoyed when their team snuck in front soon after the interval, sparking hopes that the struggles of the initial 40 minutes were gone. However, disappointment soon swept back into the hearts of the home crowd as Foden crossed for his second try. The kick and chase tactic was a definite strength for the visiting side, so far claiming both their touchdowns; the Falcons’ defence just did not know how to shut it down. Once again, Lamb produced an impressive touchline conversion and from here on in the game was all Northampton. The Newcastle lineout let them down time and time again, allowing Soane Tonga’uiha to drive over for another Saints score. Falcons then received a crushing blow as Tim Swinson was shown a yellow, leaving the homeside completely helpless. Tom May had been on for mere minutes when he flew over for a final try and grabbed the bonus point for his side in the process. The Falcons had given up long ago and trudged off the pitch looking very shabby.

15 Greg Goosen 14 Jeremy Manning 13 James Fitzpatrick 12 Luke Eves 11 Suka Hufanga 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Jordi Pasqualin 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 James Hudson (C) 5 Adriaan Fondse 6 Richard Mayhew 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Joe Graham 17 Ashley Wells 18 Dan Frazier 19 Tim Swinson 20 Mark Wilson 21 Taiasina Tu’ifua 22 Chris Pilgrim 23 Tom Catterick

SCORERS T: Hufanga P: Gopperth (3) Tim Swinson

15 Ben Foden 14 Vasily Artemyev 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Jamie Elliott 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Dylan Hartley (C) 3 Paul Doran Jones 4 Samu Manoa 5 Mark Sorenson 6 Courtney Lawes 7 Phil Dowson 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Brian Mujati 19 Christian Day 20 Ben Nutley 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Scott Armstrong

SCORERS T: Foden (2), Tonga’uiha, May C: Lamb (2), Myler P: Lamb (2)

 

EXETER CHIEFS 9 - 11 HARLEQUINS

SANDY PARK - Saturday 31st December 2011
KO: 15:45 HT: 6-8 Att: 10,602

A shaky Harlequins side narrowly escaped with a win as Exeter Chiefs gave them a close contest. Quins began with determination; after their first defeat of the premiership last weekend they had something to prove. Supporters’ nerves were steadied early on when a tap-and-go from Danny Care left him racing over and, although the TMO had to confirm, the try looked to show that Quins were back on form. However, Rory Clegg missed the conversion and continued to miss the target throughout the match. Meanwhile, Ignacio Mieres was consistently kicking penalties as usual. The visitors tried to crack the Exeter defensive lines again but the initial breaches had been sealed tight. Mieres took the lead for the homeside after Clegg missed another penalty, leaving Quins fans biting their nails. However, on the toll of half-time, the imprecise Clegg finally aimed successfully, pulling the visitors back in front for the break.

The Chiefs began to show dominance towards the end of the first half and continued in this fashion after the restart. Their control pushed the Quins back and caused them plenty of problems in the scrum and at the breakdown. Clegg’s inaccuracies continued to frustrate the Quins’ supporters and left the score standing still, neither team managing to break through. Once again Exeter would pull ahead thanks to a penalty, this time from replacement Gareth Steenson with only 6 minutes left, and Harlequins looking unlikely to score. But, when it mattered, Clegg’s boot came through, dragging his side from dire straits to scramble to victory. It was not a pretty win and not well-deserved either, but it was enough to just increase their lead at the top of the league table.

15 Luke Arscott 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Nic Sestaret 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Neil Clark 3 John Andress 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Aly Muldowney 6 Richard Baxter 7 James Scaysbrook 8 James Phillips BENCH: 16 Simon Alcott 17 Hoani Tui 18 Craig Mitchell 19 Chris Bentley 20 Tom Johnson 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Josh Tatupu

SCORERS P: Mieres (2), Steenson

15 Mike Brown 14 Tom Williams 13 Matt Hopper 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Rory Clegg 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 Tim Fairbrother 4 Tomas Vallejos 5 George Robson 6 Chris Robshaw (C) 7 Luke Wallace 8 Tom Guest BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Mark Lambert 18 James Johnston 19 Pete Browne 20 Chris York 21 Richard Bolt 22 Ben Urdapilleta 23 Sam Smith

SCORERS: T: Care P: Clegg (2)

 

BATH RUGBY 30 - 3 LONDON IRISH

RECREATION GROUND - Sunday 1st January 2012
KO: 13:30 HT: 10-3 Att: 12,200

BATH RUGBY made London Irish look like amateurs as they stormed to victory in the wet. The rain did not bother Bath as they began to pick up points after just 15 minutes of play. Bath surged towards the tryline and Anthony Perenise claimed the homeside’s first try, however, the TMO awarded this even though there was a clear knock on during the drive. Exiles’ fans felt robbed but were never to salvage the points, Stephen Donald converted and Bath were looking confident. The visitors were really struggling with Bath’s physical and powerful play, being pushed about and almost punished a further two times. The TMO spotted the mistakes on both occasions fortunately, allowing the score to remain unchanged. However, Donald slotted a penalty shortly after and Irish slipped even further behind. Tom Homer gave the visitors their only score, with a penalty of his own. The half ended and Bath had nothing to worry about as they trooped into the dry.

After the restart the homeside turned the screw, leaving the Exiles floundering in the mud. Donald struck another penalty after just 3 minutes and then came the tries, one from Michael Claassens that was the finish to a beautiful piece of play and a penalty try after the pressure crushed the visitors. There were plenty of opportunities for more and some brave tackling was needed to halt the Bath offence reaching the tryline. Although Irish did have a moment of hope, where they were stopped by a last ditch tackle, they were mainly preoccupied in their own half for most of the match. When the whistle finally blew it could not have come a moment sooner for the bedraggled and dejected Exiles.

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Carraro 13 Dan Hipkiss 12 Matt Banahan 11 Tom Biggs 10 Stephen Donald 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Ross Batty 3 Anthony Perenise 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Andy Beattie 7 Francois Louw (C) 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Will Tanner 17 Charlie Beech 18 David Wilson 19 Ben Skirving 20 Guy Mercer 21 Chris Cook 22 Tom Heathcote 23 Kyle Eastmond

SCORERS T: Perenise, Claassens, Penalty Try C: Donald (3) P: Donald (3)

15 Delon Armitage 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Joe Ansbro 12 Shontayne Hape 11 Tom Homer 10 Steven Shingler 9 Darren Allinson 1 Alex Corbisiero 2 James Buckland 3 Paulica Ion 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Bryn Evans 6 Declan Danaher (C) 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Richard Thorpe BENCH: 16 David Paice 17 Clarke Dermody 18 Max Lahiff 19 Matt Garvey 20 Alex Gray 21 Adam Thompstone 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS P: Homer Delon Armitage

 

LONDON WASPS 0 - 6 WORCESTER WARRIORS

ADAMS PARK - Sunday 1st January 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 0-3 Att: 6,932

AN extraordinarily low-scoring match was seen at Adams Park as London Wasps failed to make an impression on Worcester Warriors. Wasps had a terrible week for injuries, even losing Richard Haughton in the pre-match warm up. Even so, the homeside began with some good squeezing of their opponents but were unable to collect points from it. Soon after, it was Worcester who were hit by injury as Ezra Taylor finished his play on a stretcher after just 3 minutes. Wasps continued to be the more dominant force but were unable to make any meaningful breaks. Yet more players yielded and fell to injury, leaving Wasps getting players off the bench at a higher rate than planned, the biggest blow being the loss of Nick Robinson who had almost scored a few minutes earlier. Joe Carlisle picked up the first points of the match just a minute before the break, edging the Warriors in front.

After the break it was much of the same, although Warriors went a man short as Marcel Garvey was sent to the sin bin for tripping. Even with the one-man advantage, Wasps failed to take their opportunities to get some points on the scoreboard. All their penalties flew wide and nothing could break the Worcester defence. Carlisle, on the other hand, stuck another penalty to give the full points of the game. Wasps had no answer and the game ended; Wasps will be severely disappointed with the result.

15 Richard Haughton 14 Tom Varndell 13 Dom Waldouck 12 Riki Flutey 11 Christian Wade 10 Nick Robinson 9 Joe Simpson 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Richard Birkett 5 Marco Wentzel (C) 6 Tinus Du Plessis 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Sam Jones BENCH:16 Tom Lindsay 17 Bob Baker 18 Jeremy Castex 19 Ed O’Donoghue 20 Matt Everard 21 Nic Berry 22 Ryan Davis 23 Elliot Daly

15 Chris Pennell (C) 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Joe Carlisle 9 Jonny Arr 1 Matt Mullan 2 Aleki Lutui 3 Oliver Tomaszczyk 4 James Percival 5 Chris Jones 6 Sam Betty 7 Matt Kvesic 8 Ezra Taylor BENCH: 16 Bruce Douglas 17 Ed Shervington 18 Tevita Taumoepeau 19 Ben Gulliver 20 Jake Abbott 21 Shaun Perry 22 Andy Goode 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS P: Carlisle (2) Marcel Garvey

 

SARACENS 15 - 15 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

VICARAGE ROAD - Sunday 1st January 2012
KO: 15:00 HT: 9-6 Att: 7,555

THE rare occurrence of a draw was seen when Saracens clashed with Gloucester Rugby for their first game of the New Year. Gloucester were the first to hand over a penalty after rucking offences but Owen Farrell could not find the target; however, minutes later he redeemed himself as he slotted his next chance at the posts. It took Freddie Burns only 3 minutes more to equalise though, and both sides battled through pouring rain to play some good, flowing rugby. Farrell found the goal again twice, whereas one of Burns’ replies veered off, although his side was beginning to put pressure on the homeside. Gloucester battened down the hatches and focused on winning the scrums and breakdowns but, unfortunately, nothing came from it and the half ended with Sarries just in front.

The control Gloucester had begun to grip upon the Saracens ebbed away during the interval and they made a lack-lustre start to the final 40 minutes. However, the tit-for-tat exchange of penalties continued for the kickers so, although no tries came, the scoreboard continued to climb. It was a tense final 10 minutes for Gloucester supporters with Farrell pulling his side ahead and holding them there until the 78th minute. Then, in a final moment of kicking magic, Burns pulled off another perfect penalty and drew the game. It may not have been the game anyone would have wanted but, considering the conditions, both sides put together some nice rugby and a draw will please them enough.

15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Wyles 13 Adam Powell 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Peter Stringer 1 Rhys Gill 2 Jamie George 3 Matt Stevens 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Kelly Brown 7 Andy Saull 8 Jackson Wray BENCH: 16 Schalk Brits 17 John Smit 18 Carlos Nieto 19 George Kruis 20 Justin Melck 21 Ben Spencer 22 Owen Farrell 23 Duncan Taylor

SCORERS P: Farrell (5)

15 Olly Morgan 14 Jonny May 13 Henry Trinder 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Scott Lawson 3 Rupert Harden 4 Peter Buxton 5 Jim Hamilton 6 Alasdair Strokosch 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 Matias Cortese 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 Brett Deacon 20 Matt Cox 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ryan Mills 23 Charlie Sharples

SCORERS P: Burns (5)

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 28 - 23 SALE SHARKS

WELFORD ROAD - Sunday 1st January 2012
KO: 15:30 HT: 17-10 Att: 23,132

IT was a close call for Leicester Tigers as Sale Sharks chased them throughout a pretty even match but, eventually, the homeside came out on top. Sale were unlucky to lose a couple of players to illness before kick-off and were struck again when Henry Thomas and David Seymour clashed heads. Although Thomas returned, Seymour was concussed and so replaced after just 2 minutes of play. Leicester spurned early penalties to head towards the tryline and, in trying to halt momentum, Sale handed the Tigers a penalty try in the 6th minute. Toby Flood made the simple conversion but failed to put over a penalty soon after. But undeterred, Flood went looking for more points and found them as he set up Billy Twelvetrees and Geordan Murphy’s combination, which ended in the latter crossing for a score. Nick Macleod had a chance to get the ball rolling for the Sharks but sent his penalty wide. Flood, on the other hand, made no mistake this time and slotted his to widen the margin. Then, out of nowhere, Sale produced a dazzling piece of play which culminated in Fraser McKenzie claiming a well-worked try. Macleod added the extras and a penalty soon after to decrease the deficit. Both teams lost players to leg injuries before the interval; Martin Castrogiovanni hobbled off for the Tigers and Henry Thomas left, for good this time, for Sale. It had been a less than lucky half for the Sharks and they had done well to keep in reach of Leicester.

The second half was far more positive for the visitors as their confidence grew and the injury toll subsided. While Leicester continually kicked away their possession, Sale had begun to put together some excellent play. So it was much to the chagrin of the visiting crowd when the homeside claimed another try, Alesana Tuilagi claiming the points. But Sale’s play was undeniably the better of the sides, and their next try was beauty in motion, finished by a speedy Rob Miller. Macleod managed the tricky conversion and Leicester had by no means won the match yet. Flood knocked over another penalty but Sale were unwilling to go home empty handed. Macleod snatched the losing bonus point in the dying minutes with a stylish drop goal.  In the end Leicester got their victory but the second-half was a little too dicey for the liking of their nervous supporters.

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Matt Smith 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Martin Castrogiovanni 2 Rob Hawkins 3 Dan Cole 4 Ed Slater 5 Graham Kitchener 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 George Chuter 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Logovii Mulipola 19 Ben Woods 20 Tom Croft 21 Micky Young 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Penalty Try, Murphy, Tuilagi C: Flood (2) P: Flood (3)

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Joaquin Tuculet 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Alasdair Dickinson 2 Marc Jones 3 Tony Buckley 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Andrei Ostrikov 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Andy Titterrell 17 Vadim Cobilas 18 Henry Thomas 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Mark Easter 21 Cillian Willis 22 Andrew Higgins 23 Will Addison

SCORERS T: McKenzie, Miller C: Macleod (2) P:  Macleod (2) DG: Macleod

 

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WEEK 11

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 22 - 13 BATH RUGBY

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS - Saturday 24th December 2011
KO: 15:15 HT: 22-3 Att: 13,475

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS found all of their points in the first half against Bath Rugby, but almost let their victory slip away with a careless final 40 minutes. Bath began with confidence, striking the first penalty of the match and seeing it glide over to give them an early lead. However, the Saints were soon to show that they were on top form as Vasily Artemyev produced fancy footwork before letting Phil Dowson finish. Ryan Lamb missed the conversion but Saints were dominant now with Bath’s early efforts falling by the wayside. It was only a few minutes before George Pisi pulled off a stunning performance, allowing Tom Wood to crash over for the score. The visitors’ defence came under attack from all angles as Bath scrabbled to close holes and regain control. In his attempts to save his team from further injury, Nick Abendanon incurred the wrath of the referee and, although stopping Pisi in his tracks, was left to troop off the field to the sin bin. Bath now had little hope of defending their line and it did not take long before the pressure became too much. Jamie Elliot, who had threatened to score earlier in the match, finally claimed the try he had been searching for and Lamb slotted the conversion to end the scoring for Saints.

The second half would bear no points for Northampton and this was due to a very sloppy approach to play. A rather downtrodden Bath returned to the pitch with renewed vigour and, with the reappointment of their 15th member, the team had determination in their eyes. They began with a neat penalty by Olly Barkley, closing the gap and building confidence. Unfortunately, Pisi tried to burst through again and once more Bath found themselves a man short as Stephen Donald saw a yellow. Meanwhile, much to the annoyance of the homeside’s fans, Elliot was denied his second try by the referee for a forward pass. Bath were not going to let the homeside start picking up points again though and began to cause problems for Northampton. Instead of reacting positively, the Saints equalled their opponent’s yellow card count within 2 minutes. Samu Manoa and James Downey both made bad choices and paid the price, leaving the homeside struggling. This gave Bath the break they had been waiting for and Francois Louw took full advantage by touching down. Barkley smacked over the conversion and Saints were looking worried. However, Bath could not find the further points and Saints managed to pull themselves together to keep hold of the victory.

15 Ben Foden 14 Vasily Artemyev 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Jamie Elliott 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Dylan Hartley (C) 3 Paul Doran Jones 4 Courtney Lawes 5 Mark Sorenson 6 Phil Dowson 7 Tom Wood 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Tom Mercey 19 Samu Manoa 20 Ben Nutley 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Scott Armstrong

SCORERS T: Dowson, Wood, Elliott C: Lamb (2) P: Lamb YC James Downey, Samu Manoa

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Carraro 13 Ben Williams 12 Olly Barkley 11 Matt Banahan 10 Stephen Donald 9 Michael Claassens 1 David Flatman 2 Ross Batty 3 David Wilson 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Andy Beattie 7 Guy Mercer 8 Francois Louw (C) BENCH: 16 Will Tanner 17 Nathan Catt 18 Anthony Perenise 19 Will Spencer 20 Josh Ovens 21 Chris Cook 22 Tom Heathcote 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Louw C: Barkley P: Barkley YC Nick Abendanon, Stephen Donald

 

SALE SHARKS 27 - 19 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

EDGELEY PARK - Monday 26th December 2011
KO: 14:30 HT: 19-10 Att: 9,045

IT was a clear victory for Sale Sharks as Newcastle Falcons were left trying to keep up at Edgeley Park. Newcastle had plenty of possession during the early stages but failed to claim any points.  Meanwhile, it only took a single opportunity for Tom Brady racing down the pitch to gain a magnificent try for the homeside. It was not just Brady who would provide a spectacle for fans in the first half; Nick Macleod’s kicking was stunning, and effectively won the match for the Sharks. The Falcons continued to have the most ball-time but did not seem to have any ideas on how to use it; long build-ups usually led to penalties being given away. Macleod was more than happy to take advantage of the opposition’s poor discipline and knocked over three penalties before Newcastle had a chance to reply. Eventually, it was a high tackle that gave Jimmy Gopperth his successful kick at goal and got the Falcons up and running. However, this was soon nullified by Macleod’s fourth penalty hitting home and regaining the gap. But Newcastle did finally manage to string together an extended period of pressure before Jeremy Manning forced his way over the tryline. Gopperth converted and although it was not pretty, the visitors were back in the game for half time.

After the interval, Newcastle fans were left feeling the same disappointment they had felt for most of the initial 40 minutes. The Falcons had every opportunity to strike but alas, possession would be lost briefly and their errors would be punished. Although managing to attain two further penalties, the visitors’ line was threatened by Alasdair Dickinson before they conceded another score as Mark Cueto kicked and chased. Gopperth slotted another 3-pointer but Macleod stuck his fifth of the match to claim the win. The Falcons would have been truly annoyed with themselves for not taking their chances, leaving fans underwhelmed and frustrated.

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Alasdair Dickinson 2 Marc Jones 3 Henry Thomas 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Andrei Ostrikov 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Andy Titterrell 17 Vadim Cobilas 18 Tony Buckley 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Mark Easter 21 Cillian Willis 22 Andrew Higgins 23 Will Addison

SCORERS T: Brady, Cueto C: Macleod P: Macleod (5)

15 Greg Goosen 14 Luke Eves 13 Corne Uys 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Suka Hufanga 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Jordi Pasqualin 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Euan Murray 4 James Hudson (C) 5 Tim Swinson 6 Taiasina Tuifua 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Joe Graham 17 Ashley Wells 18 Dan Frazier 19 Adriaan Fondse 20 Richard Mayhew 21 Chris Pilgrim 22 Tom Catterick 23 Jeremy Manning

SCORERS T: Manning C: Gopperth P: Gopperth (4)

 

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 39 - 10 LONDON WASPS

KINGSHOLM - Monday 26th December 2011
KO: 15:00 HT: 19-10 Att: 16,121

GLOUCESTER RUGBY made their victory over London Wasps look extremely easy as they crossed an impressive six times. Wasps did not start well, upsetting the home crowd as Richard Birkett tackled a player in the air. The crowd were baying for his blood but instead he was let off with a warning and a penalty.  It was clear from the off that Gloucester had the upper hand and it was not long until Luke Narraway had opened scoring after a brilliant show of strength by the homeside. Wasps made a valiant attempt at responding but Elliot Daly’s run came to nothing as his offload left a lot to be desired. Another chance to claim some points was lost soon after when Nick Robinson failed to find his target and was left to rue the mistake. Gloucester were back on the attack with Freddie Burns finding a gap to slip through before Jonny May planted the ball for a try after just 14 minutes of play. Burns stuck his second successful conversion and the home crowd were delighted with their team’s play so far. The visitors finally got into the swing of the game, playing Gloucester at their own game with some strong driving. This paid off hugely as Daly was able to bolt over the tryline through a rare gap in the Gloucester defence. Robinson added the extras and Wasps’ supporters finally had something to cheer about. But their elation lasted only briefly as Daly missed a penalty, albeit from 70 metres out, and Gloucester retaliated by finding touch, winning the lineout and May stormed over for his second try. Although Wasps came close to another try, they had to make do with a penalty instead and so trooped off the field 19-10 down at half time.

The second half was to continue to be as bad as the first for Wasps as soon after the interval, Burns booted over another penalty before Henry Trinder chased his own kick for Gloucester’s fourth try. That was it for Wasps, they accepted defeat. Olly Morgan glided past their defence twice in 3 minutes as Wasps made lack-lustre efforts to halt him. The game was lost and Wasps were broken; the pitch was flooded with the bench but none of the side had any spark left. Gloucester, on the other hand, rejoiced as they accepted an emphatic Boxing Day victory.

15 Olly Morgan 14 Jonny May 13 Henry Trinder 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Scott Lawson 3 Rupert Harden 4 Peter Buxton 5 Jim Hamilton 6 Alasdair Strokosch 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 Brett Deacon 20 Andy Hazell 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ryan Mills 23 Charlie Sharples

SCORERS T: Narraway, May (2), Trinder, Morgan (2) C: Burns (3) P: Burns

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Richard Haughton 13 Elliot Daly 12 Riki Flutey 11 Christian Wade 10 Nick Robinson 9 Joe Simpson 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Ed O’Donoghue 5 Marco Wentzel (C) 6 Richard Birkett 7 Matt Everard 8 Joe Burton BENCH:16 Tom Lindsay 17 Bob Baker 18 Jeremy Castex 19 Sam Jones 20 Jamie Harris 21 Nic Berry 22 Ryan Davis 23 Tom Varndell

SCORERS T: Daly C: Robinson P: Robinson

 

LONDON IRISH 29 - 22 EXETER CHIEFS

MADEJSKI STADIUM - Tuesday 27th December 2011
KO: 13:20 HT: 19-9 Att: 13,474

LONDON IRISH found themselves firmly in control as they took down Exeter Chiefs. The homeside made an excellent beginning, with Joe Ansbro breaking free for a superb try after just 3 minutes of play. This early lead was extended when Tom Homer converted successfully and the Exiles were off to a flying start. Exeter hit back with a penalty, which was equalled by one from Homer, followed by close calls for both sides, each being lucky not to see a yellow. But the game soon settled down with each kicker exchanging penalties and really showing their footwork. However, Exeter were looking superior in terms of strength and had begun to push their opponents about. Unfortunately this was not enough to give them the try they were looking for in the first half and, although Mieres managed to collect the Chiefs 9 points, the visitors were left wanting as they headed for the tunnel.

It was not long after the interval that Exeter seemed to finally grab that elusive score but, alas, the pass was called forward and disappointment reigned. Mieres slotted another 3-pointer but this was not the response needed and Irish pulled further ahead with another try, thanks to Shontayne Hape. Finally, after such a long build-up the Chiefs claimed that try they had been working so hard for. Luke Arscott stormed over and Mieres added the extras to scrabble back some of the deficit. Steve Shingler tried to add some flair with an attempted drop goal for the Exiles but, unfortunately, he missed his target. For a moment the situation looked dicey for the homeside, as Exeter pulled to just 4 points behind after a bit more Mieres magic. However, Homer booted over a final penalty and the whistle blew checking the Chiefs comeback. Irish could have kept a far greater gap if it had not of been for some sloppy discipline but, none-the-less, they proved their opposition lacking.

15 Delon Armitage 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Joe Ansbro 12 Shontayne Hape 11 Tom Homer 10 Steven Shingler 9 Darren Allinson 1 Clarke Dermody (C) 2 David Paice 3 Paulica Ion 4 Bryn Evans 5 Matt Garvey 6 Declan Danaher 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Richard Thorpe BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Alex Corbisiero 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Bob Casey 20 Alex Gray 21 Adam Thompstone 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Ansbro, Hape C: Homer (2) P: Homer (5)

15 Luke Arscott 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Nic Sestaret 12 Phil Dollman 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Hoani Tui 2 Simon Alcott 3 Craig Mitchell 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Chris Bentley 6 Richard Baxter 7 James Scaysbrook 8 James Phillips BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Brett Sturgess 18 John Andress 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Tom Johnson 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Jason Shoemark

SCORERS T: Arscott C: Mieres P: Mieres (5)

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 13 - 32 LEICESTER

SIXWAYS - Tuesday 27th December 2011
KO: 14:00 HT: 3-20 Att: 12,024

IT was easy pickings for Leicester Tigers as a scrappy Worcester Warriors side failed to challenge them. The homeside had barely got their bearings before the visitors tore past for their first try, thanks to a break by Toby Flood and a finish by Matt Smith. Flood was really on the ball this match, producing magnificent play throughout. Soon after, he walloped over a penalty to give his side a comfortable early lead. Warriors just could not stem the tide as Flood went over himself for a converted try to add to his personal tally of points. It was not until the 32nd minute that Worcester managed to put points on the board, with Joe Carlisle knocking over a penalty. But this rather discouraging half was to end on the sourest of notes as the visitors saw Chris Jones traipsing off-field for a spell in the sin bin just before the break.

The second half began brighter for the Warriors; Carlisle stuck his second penalty and play was much improved. By the time Jones returned, the homeside were looking confident and Jones was quick to redeem himself as he began an attack which led to their first try and sparked the Warriors’ comeback attempt. Unfortunately the rally was soon quashed as Leicester applied pressure, squeezing Worcester back before striking a deadly blow - a try from Louis Deacon. After this, the game belonged to Leicester. The homeside lost another to the sin bin and Agulla completed the Tiger’s score with a final touchdown. It had been a muddled and uninspiring game from Worcester, and they were made to pay for it handsomely.

15 Chris Pennell (C) 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Joe Carlisle 9 Shaun Perry 1 Matt Mullan 2 Ed Shervington 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Sam Betty 7 Jake Abbott 8 Chris Jones BENCH: 16 Bruce Douglas 17 Aleki Lutui 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Ben Gulliver 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Jonny Arr 22 Andy Goode 23 Ravai Fatiaki

SCORERS T: Garvey C: Carlisle P: Carlisle (2) YC Chris Jones, Oliver Tomaszczyk

15 Scott Hamilton 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Manu Tuilagi 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Matt Smith 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Boris Stankovich 2 George Chuter 3 Dan Cole 4 Louis Deacon (C) 5 Ed Slater 6 Tom Croft 7 Ben Woods 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Julian White 19 Steve Mafi 20 Julian Salvi 21 Micky Young 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Niall Morris

SCORERS T: Smith, Flood, Deacon, Agulla C: Flood (3) P: Flood (2)

 

HARLEQUINS 11 - 19 SARACENS

TWICKENHAM - Tuesday 27th December 2011
KO: 16:30 HT: 6-19 Att: 82,000

IT was the day no Harlequins fan wanted to see, the day of defeat, and what a match to be beaten in, in front of a world record-breaking crowd to London rivals Saracens. Following much fanfare with fireworks, aerial trapeze and some quite impressive singing from X Factor and classical stars, Saracens were determined to put their stamp on the match as quickly as possible. They succeeded in their endeavour thanks to three penalties fired from the boot of Owen Farrell. This hastily boosted Saracens into a lead which took the homeside by surprise. Although Nick Evans replied, he could only scrabble back 3 points. The Quins tried desperately to build their usually killer momentum but were hindered by their opposition, and sometimes the referee, Wayne Barnes, meaning they struggled to make their game flow. Meanwhile, Saracens were picking up pace and, in the 24th minute, David Strettle flew over the tryline to increase the deficit after intercepting the ball. The home crowd was nervous now but their side continued to fight back, unfortunately, conceding penalties in the process. Farrell converted the try and then smacked over his fourth penalty. Things were looking a little dismal for Quins at this point, but never to be down-heartened they strove to push back and were rewarded with a second penalty before the interval.

Though the first half had been a disaster for Quins, they came out with renewed spirit after the break. They stopped trying to play defensively and took on Sarries head on. They were soon reaping the benefits as Joe Marler crossed for a try after 49 minutes of play. However, Evans could not find the posts with his conversion attempt and this was to be last points Quins would pick up. Though the homeside had greater possession this half, their visitors had made the initial 40 minutes count. The early flurry of scoring had left Saracens in charge of the match for too long and the Quins never managed to recover.

15 Mike Brown 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Matt Hopper 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Chris Brooker 3 James Johnston 4 Tomas Vallejos 5 George Robson 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Mark Lambert 18 Tim Fairbrother 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Luke Wallace 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Tom Williams

SCORERS T: Marler P: Evans (2)

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Owen Farrell 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Peter Stringer 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 George Kruis 6 Kelly Brown 7 Andy Saull 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 John Smit 18 Matt Stevens 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Jackson Wray 21 Ben Spencer 22 Adam Powell 23 Chris Wyles

SCORERS T: Strettle C: Farrell P: Farrell (4)

 

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WEEK 10

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 26 - 25 GLOUCESTER

KINGSTON PARK - Friday 2nd December 2011
KO: 20:00 HT: 17-20 Att: 4,111

NEWCASTLE FALCONS stole an unexpected victory against Gloucester Rugby, grabbing a win at Kingston Park by just 1 point. The Falcons did not start well though, handing over an early try after just 2 minutes. Jimmy Gopperth’s kick went awry, straight into the arms of Gloucester who left Olly Morgan to score. Freddie Burns made the tricky conversion from the corner and Gloucester were away. However, Gopperth began to make amends soon after with a penalty, and Falcons soon snatched the lead back with a Jordi Pasqualin try and a Gopperth conversion. Burns made it all square after 14 minutes as the homeside were penalised at the scrum. Another penalty due to a line-out problem left Gloucester 13-10 in front as the first quarter came to a close. It was all looking a bit worrying for Newcastle as James Simpson-Daniel surged his away across the pitch and planted the ball to increase the margin. But the Falcons soon got another break when the visitors saw their numbers depleted as Alasdair Strokosch headed to the sin bin. The homeside did not need another invitation and swiftly swooped over the tryline thanks to James Fitzpatrick. Gopperth struck the conversion and suddenly the deficit was a more manageable 3 points. The half ended and it was still all to play for as the cherry and whites reflected on a surprisingly good display from their opponents leaving them in dangerous territory.

The threat became all the more real for the visitors when Gopperth smacked over another penalty seconds into the second half. He then handed the lead back to his plucky team with yet another well-struck penalty, the match was going far better than any Falcons fan had dreamt. Gloucester missed a golden opportunity to score and this would haunt them later on. Another penalty finished the scoring for the homeside but it was a tense final 15 minutes as Scott Lawson wriggled over to find a try. It was all left down to Burns; his conversion would give Gloucester the lead and, in the end, the win. His kick swerved off, to the dismay of the Gloucester supporters, missing its crucial target. Gopperth missed a final chance to increase the score but it did not matter, the Falcons had won by the skin of their teeth.

15 Greg Goosen 14 Saka Hufanga 13 Corne Uys 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Ryan Shortland 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Jordi Pasqualin 1 Grant Shiells 2 Michael Mayhew 3 Euan Murray 4 James Hudson (C) 5 Andrew van der Heijden 6 Taiasina Tuifua 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Joe Graham 17 Ashley Wells 18 Dan Frazier 19 Adriaan Fondse 20 Mark Wilson 21 Chris Pilgrim 22 Jamie Helleur 23 Tom Catterick

SCORERS T: Pasqualin, Fitzpatrick C: Gopperth (2) P: Gopperth (4)

15 Olly Morgan 14 James Simpson-Daniel 13 Mike Tindall 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu 11 Tom Voyce 10 Freddie Burns 9 Dave Lewis 1 Nick Wood 2 Scott Lawson 3 Rupert Harden 4 Will James 5 Jim Hamilton 6 Alasdair Strokosch 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 Matias Cortese 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 Peter Buxton 20 Brett Deacon 21 Rory Lawson 22 Tim Taylor 23 Henry Trinder

SCORERS T: Morgan, Simpson-Daniel, S Lawson C: Burns (2) P: Burns (2) Alasdair Strokosch

BATH RUGBY 13 - 16 SALE SHARKS

RECREATION GROUND - Saturday 3rd December 2011
KO: 14:15 HT: 10-0 Att: 12,040

A disappointing defeat was suffered by Bath Rugby at home, going down to Sale Sharks by just a 3 point margin. Bath began strongly, with hefty runs that left Sale on the back foot. Although Sale attempted to strike back, the accurate boot of Olly Barkley nudged the homeside into the lead with an early penalty. Michael Claassens crashed over the tryline after 9 minutes to spur Bath’s score forward and Barkley added the extras to give Bath a comfortable lead. Bath were gaining momentum and the visitors were being placed further into the shadows as the half wore on. Sale's defence was tested time and time again, and were often lucky to escape unscathed as Bath broke through and had to be wrenched away from the tryline. The whistle blew and it was Bath’s game to take, but what a difference the next 40 minutes would make.

After 7 minutes of the restart, Sale finally added some points thanks to Nick Macleod kicking his first from three penalty opportunities. This awoke the sleeping beast it seemed as Sale suddenly sparked into life. They started to attack ferociously, with Dwayne Peel and Mark Cueto combining to very nearly manage a try. However, Cueto soon bounced back from that disappointment and on the prowl gain for that elusive score. He got his second chance just minutes later and was not to be denied again squeezing in down the left wing. Macleod managed the tough conversion and it was all square and with everything to play for. Bath edged themselves back into the lead as Barkley smacked home another penalty. But Sale were the team to emerge triumphant as Macleod’s boot solidly grabbed 6 points and the match. Bath made a last gasp effort to bring in another converted try but it was all to no avail as the visitors' defence held tight.

15 Jack Cuthbert 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Matt Banahan 12 Olly Barkley 11 Nick Abendanon 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Michael Claassens 1 David Flatman 2 Will Tanner 3 David Wilson 4 Stuart Hooper (C) 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Josh Ovens 7 Guy Mercer 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Chris Biller 17 Charlie Beech 18 Anthony Perenise 19 Dave Attwood 20 James Tyas 21 Chris Cook 22 Dan Hipkiss 23 Sam Vesty

SCORERS T: Claassens C: Barkley P: Barkley (2)

15 Mark Cueto 14 Will Addison 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Joaquin Tuculet 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Alasdair Dickinson 2 Marc Jones 3 Tony Buckley 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Kearnan Myall 6 Richie Vernon 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Tommy Taylor 17 Vadim Cobilas 18 Henry Thomas 19 James Gaskell 20 Onosa’I Auva’a 21 Cillian Willis 22 Tasesa Lavea 23 Luther Burrell

SCORERS T: Cueto C: Macleod P: Macleod (3)

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 30 - 25 NORTHAMPTON

WELFORD ROAD - Saturday 3rd December 2011
KO: 14:15 HT: 15-6 Att: 24,000

LEICESTER TIGERS pull off a tense win over Northampton Saints at Welford Road. The match was impassioned from the off with Northampton really pushing the Tigers' defence. The runs came thick and fast, and even referee Wayne Barnes could not keep out of the way, taking a tumble early on. But Ryan Lamb soon got the scoreboard going for Saints, after they had fended off Leicester with skill. Toby Flood soon levelled the score and, after 11 minutes of play, things were about to heat up. Chris Ashton was at the centre of a bust-up after physical play turned nasty and he dragged Alesana Tuilagi off the pitch by his hair. Quickly numerous bodies from both sides were involved, swallowing up a very nervous ball-boy in the process. Once the moment was over and the referees had time to confer, it was Tuilagi and Tom Wood who literally saw red and had to traipse off to the dressing rooms for throwing punches. There were several others who were lucky to not get cited for similar offences, including the initiator, Ashton. After this incident, the game settled down again and Ben Foden made an excellent run, but his efforts gave no reward as Ashton was brought down by Matt Smith. The latter caused further trouble for Ashton minutes later as he headed up field and took himself and a tackling Ashton over the tryline. Smith almost grabbed a second when Ben Foden danced about with the ball on the tryline, taking almost too long to touch it down, allowing Smith to get dangerously close to getting a hand to it. The homeside came close to scoring once more, but sloppy passing from Toby Flood let the ball slip from possession. However, eventually, the long awaited second try came. Ben Foden’s kick was charged down leading to a lineout which Leicester used superbly to build up a chance for Steve Mafi, who stormed through some poor tackling to touchdown and Flood converted. Yet another non-player was up-ended as a cameraman was taken out by a tackled Foden, whilst Lamb managed another penalty to reduce the margin to 15-6 at the break.

The final 40 minutes began with Flood extending the gap but it would soon be rapidly reduced once more as Ashton flew over to score. Foden produced an excellent offload and Ashton took full advantage, squeezing in at the corner. However, Lamb was not as lucky missing the conversion and an easier penalty in quick succession. Northampton almost had a spectacular try as they stole the ball on their own line and Courtney Lawes passed perfectly to Tom May, who ran the full length of the field. Unfortunately, May was ankle-tapped by Mafi and fell just short as fans were distraught to be denied. Ben Youngs was not going down for anyone though as he grabbed the Tigers’ third try, driving over the line and being awarded the controversial score by the TMO. May responded with a replica try at the other end of the field and then Phil Dowson swiftly followed suit, Stephen Myler slotting both of the conversions giving the visitors the lead. But a last ditch effort by  the Tigers saw Horacio Agulla claim the try bonus point and the match when he went over in the 75th minute, adding in a cheeky Ashton-esque swallow dive just for good measure. Flood converted after a disappointing kicking game generally and the homeside tasted victory after a rough ride.

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Matt Smith 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Ben Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Dan Cole 4 Louis Deacon 5 George Skivington 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Martin Castrogiovanni 19 Ed Slater 20 Ben Woods 21 Sam Harrison 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Smith, Mafi, Youngs, Agulla C: Flood (2) P: Flood (2) Alesana Tuilagi

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 George Pisi 12 Tom May 11 Jamie Elliott 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Dylan Hartley (C) 3 Brian Mujati 4 Courtney Lawes 5 Mark Sorenson 6 Phil Dowson 7 Tom Wood 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Samu Manoa 20 Ben Nutley 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Jon Clarke

SCORERS T: Ashton, May, Dowson C: Myler (2) P: Lamb (2) Tom Wood

 

EXETER CHIEFS 15 - 9 WORCESTER WARRIORS

SANDY PARK - Saturday 3rd December 2011
KO: 15:00 HT: 9-6 Att: 7,337

A rather tedious kicking game was displayed at Sandy Park as Exeter saw off Worcester Warriors. The homeside were first to slip up, making an error at the scrum which Ignacio Mieres punished them for with his first of 5 successful penalties. Mieres’ accuracy could not be faulted in this match and was all that Exeter had to win the match. However, Joe Carlisle swiftly replied with a huge kick of his own. It was a nervous moment as the Worcester clan held their breath watching the ball bounce on the crossbar twice before finally rocking over. The visitors then saw some bad luck come their way as Matt Kvesic was stretchered off and then whisked off to hospital with a nasty ankle injury. Exeter tried feverishly to break the Worcester defence but it was cast-iron and the battering got them nowhere. After half-an-hour of little interesting play, Mieres struck again after being handed a 3-pointer as Worcester failed to roll away. Once again, Carlisle levelled the scores off as the homeside were found coming in at the side moments later. Both kickers got another shot at goal before the whistle but Mieres’ pin-point accuracy out did the Exeter’s as he landed his with ease, meanwhile Carlisle’s dipped under the crossbar.

It was much the same in the second half, with the Chiefs making some good attacks but were not able to pierce the formidable Worcester defence. Mieres added his fourth penalty after 54 minutes of play followed by a final one just before making a gracious exit. Finally, the Warriors made some surges into enemy territory which had some menace. But Exeter held up well against the pressure and the visitors were only able to claim one last penalty thanks to Andy Goode. A disappointing match for both sides, although their defence showed skill neither had any sparks of genius in attack.

15 Luke Arscott 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Nic Sestaret 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Neil Clark 3 Craig Mitchell 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Simon Alcott 17 Ben Moon 18 Hoane Tui 19 James Phillips 20 Ben White 21 Pat Phibbs 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Josh Tatupu

SCORERS P: Mieres (5)

15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen (C) 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Joe Carlisle 9 Shaun Perry 1 Bruce Douglas 2 Ed Shervington 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Sam Betty 7 Matt Kvesic 8 Chris Jones BENCH: 16 James Currie 17 Aleki Lutui 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Ben Gulliver 20 Jake Abbott 21 Jonny Arr 22 Andy Goode 23 Chris Pennell

SCORERS P: Carlisle (2), Goode

 

SARACENS 15 - 11 LONDON IRISH

VICARAGE ROAD - Sunday 4th December 2011
KO: 14:00 HT: 9-3 Att: 6,240

SARACENS again depended on Owen Farrell for the win at Vicarage Road, his kicking producing all of their points against London Irish. Saracens were struck a heavy blow early on as Joe Maddock had to be replaced after a leg injury left him grounded. Tom Homer got scoring underway for Irish with a neat penalty after just 5 minutes but Owen Farrell showed his kicking was on form too soon after. Matt Garvey then started to cause trouble for the Sarries’ defence storming through some weak tackling and gaining serious ground before finally being halted. Saracens had yet more bad luck as John Smit incurred the wrath of the referee and was sent off for a spell in the sin bin. Homer did not manage the consequent penalty, whereas Farrell was having no such problems. He kicked two more penalties before the break with precision, giving the homeside the lead. The Exiles were not going to let the game slip from them willingly though, battering away at the Saracens’ defence but coming up short each time. James Short almost gave Saracens a beautiful try, which would have secured the match, but the TMO concluded that he failed to ground the ball.

At the restart, it was the trailing visitors who were most vehement in their attack and were finally rewarded with a penalty which Bowden slotted over, although they were desperately in need of that elusive try. Once again Farrell pinned another 3 points to the board as the Exiles failed to release the ball and ruined a great piece of attacking play. He soon rounded off his perfect kicking with his fifth and final penalty in the 69th minute, a powerful whack from 40 metres out left the visitors needing two tries to win. David Paice provided one of these 4 minutes before the whistle thanks to a brilliant drive. This, however, was the only try the Exiles could produce and it was not enough.

15 Alex Goode 14 Joe Maddock 13 Chris Wyles 12 Adam Powell 11 James Short 10 Owen Farrell 9 Ben Spencer 1 Matt Stevens 2 John Smit 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Jackson Wray 7 Andy Saull 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Rhys Gill 18 Petrus du Plessis 19 George Kruis 20 Kelly Brown 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Duncan Taylor 23 David Strettle

SCORERS P: Farrell (5) John Smit

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Joe Ansbro 12 Jonathan Spratt 11 Adam Thompstone 10 Dan Bowden (C) 9 Paul Hodgson 1 Alex Corbisiero 2 James Buckland 3 Paulica Ion 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Matt Garvey 6 Declan Danaher 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Chris Hala’ufia BENCH: 16 David Paice 17 Clarke Dermody 18 Faan Rautenbach 19 Bryn Evans 20 Ofisa Treviranus 21 Guy Armitage 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Darren Allinson

SCORERS T: Paice P: Homer, Bowden

 

LONDON WASPS 16 - 22 HARLEQUINS

ADAMS PARK - Sunday 4th December 2011
KO: 16:00 HT: 6-7 Att: 6,792

HARLEQUINS continued their magical season with yet another win against London Wasps making the visitors look unstoppable with their 10th consecutive Premiership win. Quins began with style as Matt Hopper took a well-timed pass from Joe Marler to run in for their first try after just 7 minutes of play. Nick Evans converted and the Quins were off to another perfect start. However, Wasps were not going to be left behind early on and added 3 points thanks to Nick Robinson’s boot. The homeside looked to score when Joe Simpson found a gap to sneak through but Hopper made a saving tackle to ground him. The Wasps could have reduced the deficit further but Robinson swerved his next penalty opportunity. Wasps were on the offence and causing trouble for the visitors with their strong pack. However, Robinson finally pulled the homeside back into contention just a point short just before the interval.

The Quins shoved back in the scrum early in the second half, showing that they were not willing to be out-powered. This won them another penalty and Evans extended their lead further. Chris Robshaw, Hopper and Mike Brown combined in a moment of brilliance to produce a truly lovely second try for Quins. 7 minutes later Luke Wallace used brute force to grab a third, which Evans converted. Hopper, who had an excellent match so far, then had a less than glorious moment seeing a yellow card. Wasps needed no invitation to grasp the opportunity with Southwell squeezing in at the corner in the 63rd minute. Just 8 minutes later Tom Varndell raced past the Quins defence, leaving the Wasps just a converted try away from victory. But it was not to be; no matter how the Wasps pushed they just could not find those crucial points.

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Varndell 13 Dominic Waldouck 12 Riki Flutey 11 Christian Wade 10 Nick Robinson 9 Joe Simpson 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Ed O’Donoghue 5 Marco Wentzel 6 Richard Birkett 7 Matt Everard 8 John Hart (C) BENCH:16 Tom Lindsay 17 Zak Taulafo 18 Jeremy Castex 19 Joe Burton 20 Sam Jones 21 Charlie Davies 22 Ryan Davis 23 Elliot Daly

SCORERS T: Southwell, Varndell P: Robinson (2)

15 Mike Brown 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Matt Hopper 12 Tom Casson 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 James Johnston 4 Tomas Vallejos 5 Charlie Matthews 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 Luke Wallace 8 Chris Robshaw (C) BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Mark Lambert 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Pete Browne 20 Will Skinner 21 Richard Bolt 22 Ben Urdapilleta 23 Ugo Monye

SCORERS T: Hopper, Wallace, Brown C: Evans (2) P: Evans Matt Hopper

 

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WEEK 9

SALE SHARKS 23 - 30 EXETER CHIEFS

EDGELEY PARK - Friday 25th November 2011
HT: 23-7 Att: 6,877

A war of attrition was eventually won by Exeter Chiefs when a nerve-wracking game against Sale Sharks played out at Edgeley Park. The Sharks were the brightest starters, with ingenuity and flair that gave their game the edge. The homeside soon pulled away from their opponents, grabbing 6 points, thanks to Nick Macleod’s excellent penalties, and then the first try of the match from Rob Miller’s fancy footwork and speed with an excellent offload to Henry Thomas within 10 minutes of play. Sale were on top of the visitors, coming close to scoring from a loose ball moments after and then, after 18 minutes, grounding the ball again with a stunning run from Sam Tuitupou. Exeter looked like they were on the ropes for a while but eventually fought back. A lovely piece of quick passing left Richard Baxter with space to cross the tryline and get the Chiefs back in the running. But by the time the whistle blew for the interval, Macleod had added another penalty and Exeter were down 23-7.

The second half began more promisingly for Exeter but there was still a large score deficit to battle back from. In the 51st minute Gareth Steenson knocked over a penalty and then made way for Ignacio Mieres. Mieres was to be the visiting side’s saviour, but this was not clear from the off when he missed his first opportunity to add some points. However, he soon made amends by adding 3 points at the next available penalty due to Sale’s discipline taking a nose-dive with Thomas seeing a yellow card. The Chiefs took the bull by the horns and pushed the homeside back into their 22, applying pressure that yielded a penalty try. The score margin was suddenly narrowed to just 3 points and the Exeter fans were flooded with hope as they smelled a comeback. as could Mieres certainly did not disappoint. First he levelled the score with a penalty, and then swooped in for the kill, intercepting a pass he swept downfield and arose triumphant and ecstatic, a well-deserved win from an excellent game. 

15 Rob Miller 14 Mark Cueto 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Joaquin Tuculet 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Alasdair Dickinson 2 Marc Jones 3 Henry Thomas 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Tommy Taylor 17 Vadim Cobilas 18 Tony Buckley 19 Richie Vernon 20 Onosa’I Auva’a 21 Cillian Willis 22 Tasesa Lavea 23 Luther Burrell

SCORERS T: Thomas, Tuitupou C: Macleod (2) P: Macleod (3) Henry Thomas

15 Luke Arscott 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Nic Sestaret 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Pat Phibbs 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Neil Clark 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Simon Alcott 17 Ben Moon 18 Craig Mitchell 19 James Phillips 20 Ben White 21 Haydn Thomas 22 Ignacio Mieres 23 Josh Tatupu

SCORERS T: Baxter, Penalty Try, Mieres C: Steenson, Mieres (2) P: Steenson, Mieres (2)

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 16 - 7 BATH RUGBY

SIXWAYS - Friday 25th November 2011
HT: 10-0 Att: 10,694

A shock result from a struggling Worcester Warriors pulled off a victory against a usually confident Bath Rugby side. Neither side began well, with Worcester’s Joe Carlisle missing his first chance to grab points, but it was Bath who bore the brunt of the bad luck. Stephen Donald let two penalties soar wide for the visitors and Worcester pushed up on the struggling team. If the lack of skill being shown in all areas of play was not enough to make the Bath fans slump, their beloved team were also picking up injuries at a vast rate. Mark Lilley was left to take up a practically unknown position in the lineout after every other player suitable was carted off field with numerous woes. Then, the ultimate blow, Lewis Moody bloodied, battered and clearly in pain was forced off the pitch just before half time. He made a valiant attempt to return for the early part of the second half but, inevitably, ended up heading back towards the changing rooms for treatment after 49 minutes of play. This was devastating to Bath, who had been held up for most of the game by Moody’s brilliant attitude and commitment, and it took its toll. Just before half time Worcester made their break; Miles Benjamin dodged, side-stepped and danced for 30 metres before planting the ball. Worcester strolled off at the whistle feeling very pleased with themselves whilst bedraggled Bath tried to take stock.

The final 40 minutes showed some rare glimmers from Bath, taking possession early on. But, alas, some shoddy passing left the visitors wanting and Worcester increased the gap as Carlisle knocked over another penalty. Try as they may, Bath found the Worcester defence impenetrable, often clashing head on with the homeside for multiple phases whilst making little progress. However, their never-say-die outlook finally paid off as Charlie Beech got the scoreboard moving with a much-deserved try. But by now Worcester were the obvious victors and their confidence radiated as Andy Goode finished the game off with a beautiful drop goal. Bath were left with their side barely intact and with no losing bonus point to take the sting off.

15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen (C) 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Joe Carlisle 9 Shaun Perry 1 Matt Mullan 2 Aleki Lutui 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Neil Best 7 Jake Abbott 8 Chris Jones BENCH: 16 George Porter 17 Ed Shervington 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Adam Balding 20 Sam Betty 21 Ollie Frost 22 Andy Goode 23 Chris Pennell

SCORERS T: Benjamin C: Carlisle P: Carlisle (2) DG: Goode

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Dan Hipkiss 12 Sam Vesty 11 Tom Biggs 10 Stephen Donald 9 Michael Claassens 1 Charlie Beech 2 Mark Lilley 3 Anthony Perenise 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Francois Louw 7 Lewis Moody (C) 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Will Tanner 17 David Flatman 18 David Wilson 19 Stuart Hooper 20 Guy Mercer 21 Mark McMillan 22 Olly Barkley 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Beech C: Barkley

 

GLOUCESTER 14 - 19 LEICESTER TIGERS

KINGSHOLM - Saturday 26th November 2011
KO: 14:15 HT: 6-3 Att: 14,437

LEICESTER TIGERS managed to steal a win from the clutches of Gloucester Rugby due to some brilliant play in the second half. The homeside put the Tigers under pressure from the off with Freddie Burns making his presence known with a race towards the tryline, only to be stopped by a saving tackle from Tom Croft. It was Leicester who got the scoreboard running first though, with Toby Flood pulling off an impressive penalty kick in the 13th minute. However, Burns swiftly equalised and Gloucester set up camp in Tigers’ territory. This reaped little reward for the homeside though, as sloppy handling left them to only claim another 3 points instead of the try that seemed so likely. The opening 40 minutes had been disappointing for the Cherry and Whites, despite leading at the break, with their generally excellent play always faltering at the last.

Leicester made some tactical switches early into the second half and the benefits were clear to see. After just 4 minutes of play the TMO was called into action after the Tigers looked to have scored but, to the chagrin of the Tigers’ supporters, the try was denied. It was clear that the visitors were finally getting into their stride as they attacked mercilessly, coming within fingertips of scoring in some cases. Eventually it was Flood who finished the job, flying over for the Tigers’ first try and pulling the visitors into the lead. This did not last long though as Luke Narraway intercepted an awful pass and equalled the score with elegance. Suddenly the heat was on and Charlie Sharples clearance kick gave Alesana Tuilagi the opportunity to heave Leicester in front once more, charging down the kick and dashing downfield. It was left to Flood to call an end to proceedings as he knocked over his third penalty of the match and Gloucester were left with only the losing bonus point for comfort.

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Mike Tindall 11 Lesley Vainikolo 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Will James 5 Jim Hamilton 6 Alasdair Strokosch 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 Peter Buxton 20 Brett Deacon 21 Dave Lewis 22 Tim Taylor 23 Jonny May

SCORERS T: Narraway P: Burns (3)

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Matt Smith 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Sam Harrison 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Martin Castrogiovanni 4 Louis Deacon 5 George Skivington 6 Tom Croft 7 Ben Woods 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Dan Cole 19 Steve Mafi 20 Ed Slater 21 Ben Youngs 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Scott Hamilton

SCORERS T: Flood, Tuilagi P: Flood (3)

 

LONDON IRISH 21 - 17 LONDON WASPS

MADEJSKI STADIUM - Saturday 26th November 2011
KO: 15:00 HT: 9-6 Att: 7,987

A lack-lustre and rather dull match occurred between London Irish and London Wasps in what turned out to be a game based on kicking. The first half began as the match intended to go on, slowly and with little ambition. The lack of imagination from both sides was shocking and neither showed any hope of penetrating the opposition’s line throughout the half. Wasps were first to get the penalty frenzy started when, after 15 minutes of play, Nick Robinson sent his first one over. At the end of it all, it would be Robinson’s kicking up against Tom Homer’s boot which would decide the match. Homer equalised and then took the lead with his own 3-pointers, one of which came down to Ed O’Donoghue apparently being disrespectful to the referee. As per usual Wasps were really making a hash of the game in terms of discipline and, although the Exiles were pretty atrocious at points, it was this that lost them the game. Scrums had to be reset continually, lineouts were poor and open play was abysmal as both sides played defensively, boring their supporters with their lack of ideas. The whistle blew for the break and the 9-6 scoreline summed up the tediousness of the game so far.

The game droned on with Homer and Robinson exchanging further penalties. There were a couple of almost interesting moments but these were soon easily quashed. The wingers on both sides may well have not have turned up, hardly laying a hand on the ball the whole game. Wasps' discipline crumpled as the end drew near, giving away numerous penalties which Homer gladly booted over with ease, taking his total up to seven. The homeside began to pull away and Wasps were soon out of reach of even the losing bonus point. However, finally, the Wasps wing got to see some action and their score was all the better for it. Christian Wade made an excellent dash to provide the only try of the match in the dying minutes of the game, grasping back that all–important bonus point. And so the final whistle blasted and an underwhelming match was halted.  

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Joe Ansbro 12 Jonathan Spratt 11 Adam Thompstone 10 Dan Bowden 9 Paul Hodgson 1 Clark Dermody (C) 2 James Buckland 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Matt Garvey 6 Declan Danaher 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Jeb Sinclair BENCH: 16 David Paice 17 Max Lahiff 18 Alex Corbisiero 19 James Sandford 20 Ofisa Treviranus 21 Anthony Watson 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Ross Samson

SCORERS P: Homer (7)

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Varndell 13 Elliot Daly 12 Dom Waldouck 11 Christian Wade 10 Nick Robinson 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Ross Filipo 5 Marco Wentzel 6 Richard Birkett 7 Matt Everard 8 John Hart (C) BENCH:16 Tom Lindsay 17 Zak Taulafo 18 Bob Baker 19 Ed O’Donoghue 20 Sam Jones 21 Joe Simpson 22 Ryan Davis 23 Richard Haughton

SCORERS T: Wade P: Robinson (4)

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 30 - 8 SARACENS

FRANKLIN’S GARDEN - Saturday 26th November 2011
KO: 17:00 HT: 27-3 Att: 13,402

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS dominated Saracens in an imposing and stylish match at Franklin’s Gardens. Surprisingly it was Saracens who were quickest off the mark when the visitors very nearly snatched an early lead, thanks to the combined efforts of Alex Goode and David Strettle. Unfortunately, Strettle was halted just short of the tryline but this was a bright start for the Sarries. However, it was not long until the Saints were showing their abilities with Lee Dickson thundering over after just 9 minutes. Ryan Lamb added the extras and Northampton’s scoring fury began. Although Saracens got off the scoreboard with a penalty from Owen Farrell, this was soon answered by Lamb, who was on excellent kicking form. Lamb did, however, squander a scoring opportunity for the Saints as his pass went forward to ruin what was a stunning piece of play that would have yielded a try. But this was soon forgotten as the homeside rocketed further in front as George Pisi hauled himself past tacklers and sprinted over. Lamb’s boot secured the conversion before showing off with a lovely drop goal. The Saints were still not quite done for the half though, squeezing in another try by Phil Dowson which Lamb converted before the break. Sarries had been unable to build up any phases of play and were forced into playing defensively for the majority of the game.

Although the victors were clear to all, the second half kicked off and the Saracens faced up to their opponents bravely. Although Lamb kicked another penalty, this would be the only score for the Saints this half, whilst the visitors finally got to do some attacking. With little hope of winning, the main aim of the Saracens was to damage control, gaining points where possible and stopping Northampton from grabbing the try bonus point. Their plucky spirit and bold option choices paid off, rewarding them with a late try by Ernst Joubert. Although they had let the game slip through their fingers in the first half, the Saracens came back to make a match of it and this should be commended.

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 George Pisi 12 James Downey 11 Jamie Elliott 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Dylan Hartley (C) 3 Paul Doran Jones 4 Courtney Lawes 5 Mark Sorenson 6 Phil Dowson 7 Tom Wood 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Brian Mujati 19 Samu Manoa 20 Ben Nutley 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Jon Clarke

SCORERS T: Dickson, Pisi, Dowson C: Lamb (3) P: Lamb (2) DG: Lamb

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Chris Wyles 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Owen Farrell 9 Ben Spencer 1 Rhys Gill 2 John Smit 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Kelly Brown 7 Jacques Burger 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Deon Carstens 18 Matt Stevens 19 George Kruis 20 Jackson Wray 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Adam Powell 23 Duncan Taylor

SCORERS T: Joubert P: Farrell

 

HARLEQUINS 39 - 8 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

TWICKENHAM STOOP - Sunday 27th November 2011
KO: 15:00

HT: 15-5 Att: 12,521

AN emphatic win for Harlequins over Newcastle Falcons made it their thirteenth victory in a row across all tournaments and pinned them firmly to the top of the table. Newcastle held their own in the early minutes of the match fending off the Quins before hitting back with an attack of their own. Unfortunately, the Falcons were to be dogged with poor handling throughout the match and this left them missing out on some fantastic opportunities. Nick Evans eventually got the homeside score going as he thumped over a penalty after 18 minutes of play. It was then the Harlequins’ turn to disappoint with glimmers of hope being squandered with some badly executed passing. However, Seb Stegmann broke through in the 26th minute and was lucky that the Falcons’ tackles were so feeble as he had no support to offload to. Evans added the extras and Quins were starting to warm up. But Newcastle were by no means letting the table-leaders walk all over them, replying with a try of their own after Jimmy Gopperth broke their lines and scrambled back to try and stop Jeremy Manning. The Harlequins very nearly did manage to save themselves but the referee had a clear view and the score was given. Gopperth attempted to convert but failed; his kicking left much to be desired in this match. Quins made one last deadly move before half time culminating in Danny Care planting the ball in the corner.

Things deteriorated for the Falcons in the second half, being put under intense pressure and losing Tim Swinson and then Chris Pilgrim to spells in the sin bin. However, the fighting spirit was still strong with the visiting side and they produced some truly outstanding shows of valour. At one point a try seemed inevitable for Quins but the Falcons won the ball back and cleared their lines. Unfortunately this is where it all went downhill for Newcastle. Down to just 13 men, there was little to stop Luke Wallace from storming over the tryline, soon to be followed by Mike Brown who twisted himself over the line after some impressive open play. This claimed the bonus point for Quins but there were still two more tries to come, with Stegmann grabbing his second and James Johnston bringing the match to a close. Once again, Quins were a force to be reckoned with but Newcastle can hold their heads high as they remained determined and interesting to the end.

15 Mike Brown 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Matt Hopper 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care 1 Joe Marler 2 Chris Brooker 3 James Johnston 4 Tomas Vallejos 5 George Robson 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Nic Mayhew 18 Tim Fairbrother 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Luke Wallace 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Tom Casson

SCORERS T: Stegmann (2), Care, Wallace, Brown, Johnston C: Evans (2), Clegg P: Evans

15 Jeremy Manning 14 Alex Tait 13 Jamie Helleur 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Suka Hufanga 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Ashley Wells 2 Michael Mayhew 3 James Hall 4 James Hudson 5 Andrew van der Heijden 6 Tim Swinson 7 Ally Hogg 8 Taiasina Tuifua BENCH: 16 Joe Graham 17 Grant Shiells 18 Dan Frazier 19 Adriaan Fondse 20 Will Welch 21 Jordi Pasqualin 22 Rikki Sheriffe 23 Greg Goosen

SCORERS T: Manning P: Gopperth Tim Swinson, Chris Pilgrim

 

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WEEK 8

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 16 - 16 WORCESTER

KINGSTON PARK - Friday 4th November 2011
HT: 6-13 Att: 7,013

A draw at Kingston Park left Newcastle Falcons’ fans happy but hungry for more after struggling back against Worcester Warriors. The Warriors began with strength which left Joe Carlisle with the task of knocking over the first penalty after 5 minutes of play and placing the visitors in front. However, Jimmy Gopperth soon retaliated and levelled the scores thanks to some brilliant driving and determined play by Newcastle. The pendulum then swung back to Worcester’s advantage though, as Carlisle kicked another 3-pointer as once again the Falcons found themselves offside, soon to be matched by Gopperth once more. The homeside were struggling in terms of kicking and this meant Worcester looked the more dominating force, gathering in bad kicks and trying to make the most of their opportunities. From one of many poorly executed clearances came Worcester’s first try, with Shaun Perry producing an excellent loop with Carlisle to plant the ball over the tryline in the 27th minute. The Falcons managed to knuckle down and keep the score at 6-13 until the break which meant they were still in touching distance for the restart. However, most Falcons supporters thought that this was the start of an inevitable downfall as it was a tale they had witnessed far too often.

Then came the beginning of the second half and a new lease of life for Newcastle. They returned with focus and gutsy self-belief, ready to come back at Worcester with every move they could muster. This valiant effort paid off. After 7 minutes Gopperth reduced the deficit with yet another well-struck penalty and the Falcons looked confident as they ventured time and again into the Worcester 22. Alex Tait made a fabulous exertion, felling defenders with every pace, but was denied when brought down in the 22 and his pass to Corne Uys was fumbled. Andy Goode kept the Warriors’ scoreline flowing with a neat 3-pointer but the Falcons did not let this upset them and went in for the kill as the clock ticked down. With only 4 minutes left of play it looked like Newcastle’s bravery would go unrewarded until Michael Mayhew swooped in to save the day. With 12 minutes left, Andy Goode kicked a 45-metre penalty which looked to be the final act until that dramatic match-saving effort from the Falcons. Gopperth impressively kept his cool and the conversion left the scores at a draw, a well-deserved one at that.

15 Greg Goosen 14 Alex Tait 13 Corne Uys 12 Jamie Helleur 11 Rikki Sheriffe 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Jordi Pasqualin 1 Grant Shiells 2 Joe Graham 3 Euan Murray 4 James Hudson (C) 5 Andrew van der Heijden 6 Mark Wilson 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Michael Mayhew 17 Ashley Wells 18 James Hall 19 Tim Swinson 20 Redford Pennycook 21 Chris Pilgrim 22 Jeremy Manning 23 Luke Eves

SCORERS T: Mayhew C: Gopperth P: Gopperth (3)

15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen (C) 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Joe Carlisle 9 Shaun Perry 1 Matt Mullan 2 Aleki Lutui 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Neil Best 7 Jake Abbott 8 Chris Jones BENCH: 16 George Porter 17 Ed Shervington 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Adam Balding 20 Sam Betty 21 Ollie Frost 22 Andy Goode 23 Chris Pennell

SCORERS T: Perry C: Carlisle P: Carlisle (2), Goode

 

BATH RUGBY 13 - 26 HARLEQUINS

RECREATION GROUND - Saturday 5th November 2011
HT: 7-13 Att: 12,200

BATH RUGBY had a tough time at home as they went down to the table toppers, Harlequins. Bath made a promising start with some good play building up and Sam Vesty having 2 chances to get the points rolling but managing neither. However, Quins drew first blood thanks to Nick Evans, just 6 minutes in with a fine penalty kick. Tom Biggs came so close to scoring, only to be denied by an impressive double effort by George Lowe and Chris Robshaw that kept him held up. But Bath would not be stopped from powering over the line and in the end Dave Attwood was the one to finish the deed. The homeside enjoyed their lead for all of 5 minutes, after which Harlequins threw themselves back in front when Robshaw hauled himself over for a try, thanks to a clever decision to not go for the posts when awarded a penalty. Evans’ renowned boot converted with precision, as expected, and followed swiftly with a penalty allowing Quins to pull away happily from Bath. The rest of the half provided little action, with the only moment of true excitement coming from a near try for Quins after a 5-metre scrum. And so the sides left the pitch for half-time; Quins were in control and it looked like the home crowd were in for disappointment.

The situation worsened for Bath during the opening of the second half. Bad passing and a lack of focus left Bath floundering and the visitors capitalised with yet another Evans penalty. Vesty made a good attempt to pull Bath back into the game reducing the score margin with a 3-pointer of his own, but this was soon equalled by a reply from Evans after a scrap saw Bath penalised. Danny Care made a welcome return from injury for his first game of the season for Quins, replacing Dickson in the 58th minute. Bath were worried now and knew they had to strike soon if they had any hope of pulling off a win. Stuart Hooper began a very hopeful run and looked likely to score, but Care, rather unfairly, killed the ball to save the visitors. Bath were awarded a penalty for his actions and Vesty, although this time needing a nudge from the woodwork, successfully knocked it over. The homeside had been battling to catch up but, in the 73rd minute, Mike Brown sped through a poorly constructed Bath defence to seal the victory for Quins. The conversion went over without a problem and Quins retained their undefeated record.

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Dan Hipkiss 12 Matt Carraro 11 Tom Biggs 10 Sam Vesty 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Lee Mears 3 David Wilson 4 Stuart Hooper (C) 5 Dave Attwood 6 Ben Skirving 7 Francois Louw 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Charlie Beech 18 Anthony Perenise 19 Ryan Caldwell 20 Guy Mercer 21 Chris Cook 22 Tom Heathcote 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Attwood C: Vesty P: Vesty (2)

15 Mike Brown 14 Seb Stegmann 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 James Johnston 4 Olly Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Maurie Fa’asavalu 7 Chris Robshaw (C) 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Nic Mayhew 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Luke Wallace 21 Danny Care 22 Rory Clegg 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS T: Robshaw, Brown C: Evans (2) P: Evans (4)

 

EXETER CHIEFS 19 - 24 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

SANDY PARK - Saturday 5th November 2011
HT: 11-14 Att: 9,607

THE sting of defeat was felt by Exeter Chiefs as they fell to Gloucester Rugby at Sandy Park. The Chiefs took an early lead with Gareth Steenson smacking over a long-range penalty just 1 minute in. However, Gloucester were also quick off the mark and answered with a superb try from Freddie Burns, who converted himself with success. Exeter charged back at the visitors but were unfortunate not to ground the ball as Sireli Naqelevuki was held up, much to the disappointment of the home crowd. The Chiefs were spirited though, and Hoani Tui finally broke through after a long passage of play to score the try his team was hungry for. Steenson missed the conversion but soon redeemed himself as, once again, Gloucester found scrums a problem throughout the match and were penalised. The match was going well for Exeter until unnecessary errors left plenty of room for Mike Tindall and Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu  to work together with formidable ability. Akapusi Qera finished the move and the conversion by Burns pulled the Cherry and Whites into the 3 point lead. This stoked the visitors’ confidence and they held court for the rest of the half, although failing to make any points come their way.

The Gloucester domination continued at the restart with it taking only 7 minutes for Olly Morgan to touchdown in the corner. Burns made an excellent kick and added the extras to push Gloucester into a comfortable position.  Exeter knew they needed some magic and rejected kicking for the posts twice in hope of producing something more fruitful. But, eventually, Ignacio Mieres chose to give up on this tactic and knocked over a penalty gained from a penalised Gloucester scrum. But Mieres’ points were soon undone when the homeside made a careless mistake allowing Burns to reply with his own 3-pointer. Gloucester could have gone into cruise-control at this point but instead focused in on the final blow of a try bonus point. However, they would be left without as Kevin Barrett made a beautiful break and timed his pass to Jess perfectly to give Exeter the losing bonus point. But this would not have pleased the Chiefs or their fans much, being little consolation for a game of ups and downs.

15 Luke Arscott 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Sireli Naqelevuki 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Pat Phibbs 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Neil Clark 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Simon Alcott 17 Ben Moon 18 Craig Mitchell 19 Chris Bentley 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Ignacio Mieres 23 Josh Tatupu

SCORERS T: Tui, Jess P: Steenson (2), Mieres

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Mike Tindall 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu 11 Tom Voyce 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Will James 5 Jim Hamilton 6 Alasdair Strokosch 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 Tom Savage 20 Peter Buxton 21 Dave Lewis 22 Tim Taylor 23 Henry Trinder

SCORERS T: Burns, Qera, Morgan C: Burns (3) P: Burns

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 24 - 24 LONDON IRISH

WELFORD ROAD - Saturday 5th November 2011
HT: 11-14 Att: 20,479

THERE was a huge fight back from London Irish, leaving them tied with homeside Leicester Tigers, in the final 20 minutes of the match, much to the chagrin of Tigers coach, Richard Cockerill. Leicester made a bright start with Toby Flood given an easy penalty to get the scoreboard going, but he kicked poorly and the posts eluded him. However, Flood was given another chance moments later, and this time made no mistake. It would be the Exiles who crossed the tryline first though, with Shontayne Hape making a scorching run to grab the 5 points. Tom Homer converted and the visitors were playing with style, but this was quelled when Dan Bowden landed himself in the sin bin for holding on in the ruck. Irish were left defending frantically and Leicester began to push them about in the scrum. The Exiles could do little to stop the force of the Tigers and eventually handed over a penalty try. Homer attempted to equal the score but his kick just did not have the range needed. The half time whistle was about to blow and Flood finished the 40 minutes aptly with another penalty that pulled the stronger Tigers ahead by 6 points.

The final 40 minutes began as the last had ended with Flood adding two more penalties. It was looking desperate for Irish but it was clear that the visitors were gritting themselves for one last burst as they entered the last 30 minutes. It seemed as if it was all over for the Exiles when Tom Croft lunged for the tryline and Horacio Agulla completed his efforts to drag the score even further ahead, up to 24-7. And then, in the 65th minute, the luck of the Irish struck. Adam Thompstone made a 20-metre dash and Homer added the extras to leave the Exiles only 10 points behind. The points snatching continued as, just 3 minutes later, Homer knocked over a penalty. Irish fans could not believe what they were seeing as the visitors mounted attack after attack, causing the homeside’s defence numerous problems. Then a moment of pure class as Flood’s clearance was charged down and Matt Garvey plucked the ball from the air and stormed over the tryline. Homer showed great skill as he converted from the wide angle to pull the Exiles level, much to the horror of Tigers supporters. Leicester made a last ditch attempt to pressurise the Exiles and Flood won an 80th minute penalty which should have won the match. But, once again, his kicking left much to be desired and disappointment rattled around the ground as the ball flew wide.

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Scott Hamilton 13 Horacio Agulla 12 Matt Smith 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Sam Harrison 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Martin Castrogiovanni 4 Louis Deacon 5 Geoff Parling 6 Tom Croft 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Dan Cole 19 George Skivington 20 Ed Slater 21 James Grindal 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Niall Morris

SCORERS T: Penalty Try, Agulla C: Flood P: Flood (4)

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Steven Shingler 12 Shontayne Hape 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau 10 Dan Bowden (C) 9 Ross Samson 1 Alex Corbisiero 2 David Paice 3 Paulica Ion 4 James Sandford 5 Bryn Evans 6 Declan Danaher 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Jeb Sinclair BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Max Lahiff 18 Faan Rautenbach 19 Matt Garvey 20 Richard Thorpe 21 Adam Thompstone 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Darren Allinson

SCORERS T: Hape, Thompstone, Garvey C: Homer (3) P: Homer Dan Bowden

 

LONDON WASPS 13 - 24 NORTHAMPTON

ADAMS PARK - Sunday 6th November 2011
HT: 8-12 Att: 8,222

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS continued their comeback convincingly bringing down London Wasps at Adams Park. Wasps did not have a good start with Nick Robinson being left crumpled on the ground after a legal but bone-crushing tackle from Courtney Lawes. Robinson eventually found his feet again but Wasps found themselves a man down again 10 minutes later, this time thanks to a yellow card, as Tim Payne was punished for throwing a punch in a small fight involving several players. This scrappy beginning led to Northampton going 3 points up after 14 minutes, thanks to Ryan Lamb’s boot. The homeside were vulnerable but replied perfectly with a Riki Flutey touching down against the odds. The conversion was not successful but it looked as if Wasps were settling down into the match after their rocky start. Both sides whacked over penalties but after this another from Lamb was denied. The Northampton players were convinced the score should count and so the matter was deferred to the TMO who, finally, decided the kick was not on target. The chagrin of Lamb did not last more than a few minutes though, as he managed two superb long-distance penalties before the interval. This left the clearly better-disciplined Saints 4 points ahead.

Northampton restarted with gusto as Soane Tonga'uiha went over after just 1 minute of play due to some excellent decisions and handling by the visitors. 12 minutes later Brian Mujati also crashed through to confirm the victory for the Saints. Lamb converted, Lawes battered Hugo Southwell and the Saints emptied their bench to give everyone a run-out. Wasps tried to scrabble back from defeat being stopped close to the tryline several times. However, they could only manage a consolatory try in the 70th minute by Ross Filipo, which was not enough to give them the losing bonus point. Once again Wasps let themselves down in terms of discipline, a shame considering they could have come away with much more.

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Varndell 13 Chris Bell 12 Riki Flutey 11 Christian Wade 10 Nick Robinson 9 Joe Simpson 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Ross Filipo 5 Marco Wentzel 6 Richard Birkett 7 Jonathan Poff 8 John Hart (C) BENCH:16 Tom Lindsay 17 Zak Taulafo 18 Jeremy Castex 19 Joe Burton 20 Matt Everard 21 Nic Berry 22 Ryan Davis 23 Chris Mayor

SCORERS T: Flutey, Filipo P: Robinson Tim Payne

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 Jon Clarke 12 Tom May 11 Vasily Artemyev 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Dylan Hartley (C) 3 Brian Mujati 4 Courtney Lawes 5 Mark Sorenson 6 Calum Clark 7 Phil Dowson 8 Roger Wilson BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Samu Manoa 20 Tom Wood 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 George Pisi

SCORERS T: Tonga’uiha, Mujati C: Lamb P: Lamb (4)

 

SARACENS 23 - 10 SALE SHARKS

VICARAGE ROAD - Sunday 6th November 2011
HT: 10-0 Att: 6,012

SARACENS dispatched Sale Sharks with relative ease at Vicarage Road. Nick Macleod should have got Sale up and running with a 4th minute penalty but the ball flew across the posts. This did not deter the Sharks though as they applied early pressure and Saracens being penalised at two scrums for collapsing. It was a promising start for the visitors but Saracens had a trick up their sleeve, changing the pace and direction of play leaving Sale floundering. After 20 minutes Saracens produced their first try; David Strettle gave brilliant support to Neil de Kock, finishing perfectly with evading defenders to reach the tryline. Farrell kicked the conversion from wide and Saracens were giving the Sharks a hard time. Farrell knocked over a penalty 11 minutes later from 30 metres out and Sarries were a pleasing 10 points ahead. Sale had an opportunity to get some points on the board but strangely opted for a 5-metre lineout which meant possession fell swiftly back to the homeside. And so Sale traipsed down the tunnel with no points to show for their efforts.

Saracens were not struggling with their kicking like their hapless opponents and, 4 minutes after the restart, Farrell made long-distance penalty look simple. Sale then gave away another 3 points soon after and the score deficit was becoming pitiful. Macleod was having a rare off day and his kicking left Sale without again as another penalty veered off course. Then a death blow by Saracens as Matt Stevens was driven over the tryline as a despairing Sale crowd felt the salt being rubbed into a very sore wound. Finally, in the 71st minute, Rob Miller gave Sale so much needed points with a well-executed try. They were getting in the swing of things when Easter squirmed his way through to score with 5 minutes left. But it was all far too late, even to grasp the losing bonus point, and Sale will be truly disappointed with their performance.

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Owen Farrell 12 Brad Barritt 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 Deon Carstens 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Kelly Brown 7 Jacques Burger 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Rhys Gill 18 Matt Stevens 19 Hayden Smith 20 Andy Saull 21 Ben Spencer 22 Adam Powell 23 James Short

SCORERS T: Strettle, Stevens C: Farrell (2) P: Farrell (3)

15 Rob Miller 14 Will Addison 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Will Cliff 1 Alasdair Dickinson 2 Tommy Taylor 3 Henry Thomas 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 James Gaskell 6 Richie Vernon 7 David Seymour 8 Andy Powell BENCH: 16 Marc Jones 17 Vadim Cobilas 18 Tony Buckley 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Mark Easter 21 Cillian Willis 22 Tasesa Lavea 23 Tom Brady

SCORERS T: Miller, Easter

 

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WEEK 7

SALE SHARKS 13 - 34 LEICESTER TIGERS

EDGELEY PARK - Friday 28th October 2011
HT: 13-3 Att: 8,673

A half-time turnaround was seen at Edgeley Park as Leicester Tigers came back to taste victory against Sale Sharks. Tom Croft made a very early break and, although he could draw no points from it, the game started promisingly for Tigers. Sale reacted well though and would have been first on the scoreboard if Nick Macleod hadn’t missed a long-distance penalty. However, Toby Flood did not make the same mistake and after 9 minutes of play Leicester took the lead. Sale were not going to be outdone so early on though; they hit back in style only to see Tom Brady’s try not given by the TMO. It was not until 25 minutes in that the Sharks saw their first points with two of Macleod’s penalty kicks sailing over in quick succession, pulling the homeside ahead. Eventually Sale found that try they had been threatening with just 3 minutes before the interval and it would be the previously denied Brady who would finish a brilliant break from a tap-and-go penalty. Macleod knocked over the conversion and the half came to an end with the homeside looking confident. Leicester had shown moments of hope but they were certainly not on top form, but this was to change come the second half.

Flood had a chance to get the points tally going again for Leicester shortly after the re-start but missed the posts and it looked like this half would be as unlucky as the last for the visitors. However, it did not take him long to redeem himself as he chipped over an easy one right in front of the posts in the 48th minute. Alesana Tuilagi then levelled the scores with a superb converted try which left Leicester fans ecstatic and hopeful once more. This was to be the start of a Tigers try-scoring frenzy with Martin Castrogiovanni being heaved over the tryline just 3 minutes later and Flood converting.  Flood then did the double scoring himself with ease and stuck over the conversion for good measure. The Sale defence was being run ragged by the Tigers now and it would not stop here. A final blow was struck by Marcos Ayerza who was hauled over in the 69th minute to leave Sale looking lost and downtrodden. Once again Flood converted and the Tigers coasted for the final 10 minutes knowing they had truly shown their ability to close-down and destroy.

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Mark Cueto 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Vadim Cobilas 2 Marc Jones 3 Henry Thomas 4 Wame Lewaravu 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour 8 Richie Vernon BENCH: 16 Joe Ward 17 Lee Imiolek 18 Tony Buckley 19 Mark Easter 20 Andy Powell 21 Will Cliff 22 Luther Burrell 23 Will Addison

SCORERS T: Brady C: Macleod P: Macleod (2)

15 Geordan Murphy (C) 14 Scott Hamilton 13 Horacio Agulla 12 Matt Smith 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Toby Flood 9 Sam Harrison 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 George Chuter 3 Dan Cole 4 George Skivington 5 Geoff Parling 6 Tom Croft 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Boris Stankovich 18 Martin Castrogiovanni 19 Steve Mafi 20 Ed Slater 21 James Grindal 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Niall Morris

SCORERS T: Tuilagi, Castrogiovanni, Flood, Ayerza C: Flood (4) P: Flood (2)

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WORCESTER 12 - 14 LONDON WASPS

SIXWAYS - Friday 28th October 2011
HT: 3-6 Att: 9,304

IT was a close match between Worcester Warriors and London Wasps at Sixways but the homeside would feel the sting when narrowly beaten in the dying minutes. It was Worcester who led initially after just 4 minutes thanks to Andy Goode kicking an extremely well-struck penalty. However, this would go against the general state of play where Wasps made the best beginnings regarding possession and territory. The visitors would have been in front if it had not of been for sloppy play from Steve Thompson and Joe Simpson. Eventually, after 13 minutes, Nick Robinson equalled the scores with a long-range penalty of his own and Wasps continued to show dominance, leaving the Warriors struggling in their own territory. The opportunity came for Wasps to pull ahead when Marcel Garvey was deemed to have blocked Simpson, but Robinson pulled the kick wide. Robinson also missed another penalty attempt but, just before the whistle, he was finally successful in gaining a 3-point advantage over Worcester with a fantastic drop goal. Wasps had missed several chances in this half to grab tries due to bad passing and poor finishing ability, but it was clear that Worcester were lucky to be only a penalty behind.

Thanks to excellent kicking by interval replacement Joe Carlisle, Worcester ventured forth into Wasps’ territory after the restart to finally apply some pressure. Carlisle then managed to bring the Warriors back to a level footing with a penalty in the 46th minute. But Wasps soon responded and Robinson took the score to 6-9 after the home side handed over a penalty for scrummaging infringements. However, Carlisle brought the score even swiftly and Worcester were looking far better in these final 40 minutes. The last 10 minutes drew in and nothing could separate the sides or the score and so supporters of both sides held their breath hoping it would not be their team who faltered. Wasps did make an error and, with only 6 minutes left of play, Worcester took the lead as Carlisle kicked perfectly whilst under pressure. The home crowd were elated but it would not last long. Just 2 minutes before the whistle, Wasps produced a try as if by magic. Simpson made a dazzling break from a lineout and the resulting maul left Birkett to thunder over to win the match. Robinson could not convert but it did not matter, the Wasps had pulled themselves from the jaws of defeat.

15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen (C) 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry 1 Matt Mullan 2 Ed Shervington 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Neil Best 7 Jake Abbott 8 Chris Jones BENCH: 16 George Porter 17 Aleki Lutui 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Adam Balding 20 Sam Betty 21 Ollie Frost 22 Joe Carlisle 23 Chris Pennell

SCORERS P: Goode, Carlisle (3)

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Varndell 13 Chris Bell 12 Riki Flutey 11 Christian Wade 10 Nick Robinson 9 Joe Simpson 1 Tim Payne 2 Steve Thompson 3 Ben Broster 4 Ross Filipo 5 Marco Wentzel 6 Richard Birkett 7 Jonathan Poff 8 John Hart (C) BENCH:16 Rob Webber 17 Zak Taulafo 18 Jeremy Castex 19 Joe Burton 20 Matt Everard 21 Nic Berry 22 Ryan Davis 23 Chris Mayor
 
SCORERS T: Birkett P: Robinson (2) DG: Robinson

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LONDON IRISH 12 - 13 BATH RUGBY

MADEJSKI STADIUM - Saturday 29th October 2011
HT: 0-5 Att: 9,252

A confident London Irish side was thwarted by Bath Rugby in an intense display by both teams. It would be the visitors who made an impressive start at the Madejski Stadium, holding court for most of the first half. Delon Armitage did not help his struggling side either, making a high tackle which incurred the wrath of the referee just after half-an-hour of play, leaving for a spell in the sin bin. Sam Vesty capitalised on the extra man that Bath now had and went through the Irish defence 2 minutes later to claim a try. The conversion was not successful but Bath were deservedly in front. The Exiles had not shown much potential in the first half and were lucky to come away at the break with only a 5 point deficit. However, Bath had not taken the opportunities that had come their way and so headed to the changing rooms ahead but with more work to do.

Irish began the second half with more force and Tom Homer knocked over two penalties, nudging the homeside into the lead. Bath responded in the best possible way, building up pressure and keeping good momentum which ultimately led to Dave Attwood going over for their second try. Once again Irish played catch-up, with Homer doing the hard work of smacking over two more penalties, regaining the lead. Bath supporters were nervous now; they had managed all the excitement and impressive play but were about to lose out. However, Vesty stepped up to produce the match-winning kick in the 77th minute. The infringer, Shontayne Hape, who had made this possible, will be thoroughly frustrated with himself for being so foolish. Bath breathed a massive sigh of relief when the match ended and their 1 point lead remained intact.

15 Delon Armitage 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Shontayne Hape 11 Tom Homer 10 Dan Bowden (C) 9 Darren Allinson 1 Max Lahiff 2 David Paice 3 Paulica Ion 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Bryn Evans 6 Declan Danaher 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Richard Thorpe BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Alex Corbisiero 18 Faan Rautenbach 19 James Sandford 20 Jebb Sinclair 21 Adam Thompstone 22 Steve Shingler 23 Ross Samson

SCORERS P: Homer (4) Delon Armitage

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Matt Carraro 12 Matt Banahan 11 Tom Biggs 10 Sam Vesty 9 Michael Claassens 1 Nathan Catt 2 Lee Mears 3 Anthony Perenise 4 Stuart Hooper (C) 5 Dave Attwood 6 Ben Skirving 7 Guy Mercer 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Charlie Beech 18 David Wilson 19 Ryan Caldwell 20 Andy Beattie 21 Chris Cook 22 Paul Roberts 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Vesty, Attwood P: Vesty

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HARLEQUINS 19 - 13 EXETER CHIEFS

TWICKENHAM STOOP - Saturday 29th October 2011
HT: 9-0 Att: 12,395

A rollercoaster ride of emotion was felt at the Twickenham Stoop when Harlequins clashed with Exeter Chiefs. The match was full of scuffles, strange refereeing decisions and missed opportunities but it was the homeside who won out. Nick Evans continued his formidable kick habit of old, opening the scoring with penalty from just past half-way in the 3rd minute. Exeter had a real problem with giving away penalties throughout the match and this is ultimately what led to their demise. Quins pushed on the Chiefs’ defence but it stood up well and soon the tide was turned as Exeter made the Quins scrabble to protect their line. Matt Jess was so nearly an Exeter hero after a fantastic run up the wing but he was unable to pass to unmarked Luke Arscott to finish the attack. Exeter’s strong rucking abilities kept the pressure on for Quins but eventually a 5-metre scrum was awarded and fans were forced to sit through a tedious phase of resets. Eventually, referee Sean Davey found a reason to penalise and Harlequins could clear their lines. Mieres had a chance to put Exeter level soon after but hooked the ball wide. However, the lack of scoring was not representative of the game, which was exciting and fast-paced as both teams battle violently for possession. Evans pulled off another penalty just before the half-hour and there was little to separate the two sides in terms of open play, although the Exeter lineout left much to be desired.  Then a rather bizarre turn of events unfolded where in Davey reversed a penalty and showed George Robson a yellow after talking with the touch assistant. No one seemed to understand the decision, most of all the homeside, but on his 100th appearance for the team Robson was off to the bin.  Exeter, however, did not take advantage of being one man up, in fact they even allowed Evans to knock through another penalty. The whistle blew and an exhilarating but odd half came to an end.

After both sides struggling with the scrum, it was Harlequins that who were pinned for infringements, twice, early on in the second half. The second time gave Mieres a chance to redeem himself and this time he made no mistake, finally grabbing his team some well-earned points. This was followed by yet another as Quins once again bowed to the burden of the Exeter scrum. Once again Jess would be denied after a spectacular piece of play 54 minutes in, landing himself just short of the line. But the attack was not wasted with the Chiefs recycling well and setting up Bryan Rennie to storm over unchallenged. Mieres converted and Exeter had taken the lead for the first time. However, this just beckoned the Harlequins to step up and show what they were made of and, as if flicking a switch, the Quins flew into full offensive. They soon felt the benefits and a penalty by Evans brought them to just 1 point behind. With guts and grit, an unstoppable Mike Brown thundered over the tryline in the 60th minute and Evans converted, surging the Quins back in front. There were moments of worry for Quins as the Exeter scrum still loomed large, causing numerous issues and compressing them to their line. Quins held strong though, their disciplined defence meant they retained their lead and Exeter were left tired and defeated.

15 Mike Brown 14 Seb Stegmann 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Joe Marler 2 Chris Brooker 3 James Johnston 4 Ollie Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Chris Robshaw (C) 7 Luke Wallace 8 Nick Easter BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Kyle Sinckler 18 Tim Fairbrother 19 Tomas Vallejos 20 Maurie Fa’asavalu 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS T: Brown C: Evans P: Evans (4) George Robson

15 Luke Arscott 14 Bryan Rennie 13 Sireli Naqelevuki 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Chris Whitehead 3 John Andress  4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Ben Moon 18 Hoani Tui 19 Chris Bentley 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Josh Tatupu

SCORERS T: Rennie C: Mieres P: Mieres (2)

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NORTHAMPTON 44 - 15 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS - Saturday 29th October 2011
HT: 18-12 Att: 13,326

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS completely devastated Newcastle Falcons at Franklin’s Gardens. Both teams got off to a good start with Ryan Lamb and Jimmy Gopperth grabbing 3 points within 5 minutes of play. But it would be Northampton who truly claimed their stake in the game early on with Tom May running in after just 12 minutes. This was all thanks to Soane Tonga'uiha’s beautifully executed charge-down of a clearance kick and some fluid open play. Once again May and Tonga'uiha combined with lethal impact ending with May’s second try only 8 minutes after his first. This time Lamb managed the conversion and Newcastle were finding it a real problem to hold back the powerful Saints’ forwards. Gopperth was the only person standing between the visitors and a complete whitewash in the first half, kicking two successful penalties, the second of which was awarded due to Courtney Lawes tackling extremely late, earning himself a yellow for his efforts. Gopperth then added further points with a lovely drop goal but this was soon answered with a Lamb penalty which brought the half to a close.

The final 40 minutes started the same as the last with Vasily Artemyev punishing the Falcons heavily for an overthrown lineout and scoring 4 minutes after the restart. Artemyev then went over for his second 10 minutes later and stole the try bonus point for Saints in the process. The Falcons were looking completely trampled now and the demolition continued as Chris Ashton pulled out his standard swallow dive between the posts. Lamb converted and the Saints were straight back on top of the Falcons. Ashton struck again in the 75th minute with a breath-taking run before Myler converted to finish off this scoring whirlwind. Amidst all this Gopperth had claimed another penalty for Newcastle but the score deficit was brutal and the Saints had torn up the Falcons with ease and relish.

15 Ben Foden 14 Chris Ashton 13 Jon Clarke 12 Tom May 11 Vasily Artemyev 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Dylan Hartley (C) 3 Brian Mujati 4 Samu Manoa 5 Courtney Lawes 6 Calum Clark 7 Tom Wood 8 Phil Dowson BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Doran Jones 19 Mark Sorenson 20 Roger Wilson 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Scott Armstrong

SCORERS T: May (2), Artemyev (2), Ashton (2) C: Lamb (3), Myler P: Lamb (2) Courtney Lawes

15 Jeremy Manning 14 Luke Eves 13 Corne Uys 12 Jamie Helleur 11 Rikki Sheriffe 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Grant Shiells 2 Joe Graham 3 Euan Murray 4 Tim Swinson 5 Andrew van der Heijden 6 Mark Wilson 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg (C) BENCH: 16 Michael Mayhew 17 Ashley Wells 18 Dan Frazier 19 Glen Townson 20 Redford Pennycook 21 Jordi Pasqualin 22 Alex Tait 23 Greg Goosen

SCORERS P: Gopperth (4) DG: Gopperth

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GLOUCESTER RUGBY 17 -19 SARACENS

KINGSHOLM - Saturday 29th October 2011
HT: 11-3 Att: 11,949

A disappointing end was seen for Gloucester Rugby as they fell to Saracens despite finishing the first half up by 8 points. Referee Tim Wigglesworth had his hands full from the off, having to pull aside both captains for a talk after mere seconds of play. The homeside had an early chance of a try but a high pass left them wanting as Charlie Sharples was unable to make the stretch. The referee was soon awarding a penalty to Gloucester after Owen Farrell hit too high on Henry Trinder. It would have seemed prudent to take a no-nonsense approach at this point and award a yellow, but a talking to was favoured and Freddie Burns took the 3 points. Saracens were the team with the most possession but failed to finish any of their moves due to sloppy handling or ridiculous penalties. Olly Morgan made an exciting combination with Trinder in which he ran 40 metres and over the tryline. Burns missed the conversion but Gloucester seemed to be taking their opportunities instead of fumbling them like Sarries. Charlie Hodgson finally got the scoreboard moving for the visitors when he booted a long-range penalty, but this was swiftly cancelled out by Burns with one of his own.

However, Sarries were to make a comeback in the second half with Farrell knocking over two penalties to leave the deficit at only 2 points in the 54th minute. Both sides took a blow to their ranks when Nick Wood and Rhys Gill were sent marching after throwing punches in a petulant moment. It would be Gloucester who took this loss the best though with Tim Taylor to kicking two penalties to capitalise on the Saracens multitude of mistakes. Saracens were not going to give up though, and made valiant efforts to head over the tryline. Farrell lessened the gap and put the losing bonus point within their grasp but this was not enough. The Saracens wanted the win and so, with 5 minutes left, they chose to go for the lineout instead of the posts. The Sarries fans did not know what to do; they admired the team’s bravery but if it did not pay off then they would have no points at all. Farrell grubber kicked, Barritt scooped it up and launched for the line. Rory Lawson declared he had held it up but the TMO thought otherwise, the try was awarded. Farrell's conversion under huge pressure won the Sarries their well-deserved victory and Gloucester could not believe their misfortune.

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu 11 Jonny May 10 Freddie Burns 9 Rory Lawson 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Will James 5 Jim Hamilton 6 Alasdair Strokosch 7 Akapusi Qera 8 Luke Narraway (C) BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 Tom Savage 20 Peter Buxton 21 Dave Lewis 22 Tim Taylor 23 Mike Tindall

SCORERS T: Morgan P: Burns (2), Taylor (2) Nick Wood

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Owen Farrell 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Kelly Brown 7 Jacques Burger 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Deon Carstens 18 Matt Stevens 19 Hayden Smith 20 Andy Saull 21 Ben Spencer 22 Chris Wyles 23 Joe Maddock

SCORERS T: Barritt C: Farrell P: Hodgson, Farrell (3) Rhys Gill

 

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1^st QUARTER REVIEW

by Emily Ruscoe

AS we reach the end of the first quarter of the Aviva Premiership for a short hiatus, we review the season so far that has been full of ups and downs. Whilst the international players have been seeking world cup glory, their clubs have been fighting their way through grudge matches, local derbies and shock defeats.

HARLEQUINS are currently the strongest team, continuing the theme from last season, with a flawless record of a 6 week winning streak, the greatest performance being during week 3 against Gloucester Rugby, where Quins triumphed with a crushing 42-6 score that left the usually confident Gloucester pack downtrodden. It has not all been plain sailing for Quins though; they have found several of their victories hard work including the close match against newcomers Worcester Warriors in week 4. However, they are proving unstoppable and are certainly the team to beat as we end the week 6 of the tournament. Nick Evans has been a huge part of this brilliant performance and has been named Aviva Premiership’s Player of the Month for September.

SARACENS have had a promising start despite their initial loss to London Wasps at the London Double Header opening weekend. Some of the Sarries’ games have been close, winning by only a couple of points, but if anything this shows their drive and ambition in the face of adversity. Their greatest victory has been against Leicester Tigers, who went down 25-50 thanks to the combined excellence of Charlie Hodgson and Owen Farrell both scoring tries and kicking conversions.  Saracens have a solid defence and are a force to be reckoned with in terms of rucking. By no means are Sarries a slow team though, with a set of backs that can cause all sorts of trouble the Saracens are a team to keep an eye on. This was proven in week 6’s clash against a lowly Falcons side who struggled with the pace of the match and Saracens’ sweeping open play.

SALE SHARKS were shocked to find themselves bettered by newcomers Worcester Warriors in their first match of the season, but bounced back in week 2 to provide a nail-biting match were they clawed their way to a 1 point triumph over London Irish. They followed this by battering Wasps and causing havoc for Northampton. Week 5 saw Sale take a bit of blow as they fronted Harlequins but were unable to stop the Mighty Quins, although they gave it an excellent shot. They were back on form for week 6 though with yet another win, this time against Gloucester who provided a tough game that really tested Sale. In all of the Sharks games, one man has stood out as a lynch pin - Nick Macleod. The fly half has provided some of the best kicks of the season with precision and calmness that can rarely be rivalled. All-in-all, Sale have made a great start and have the spirit necessary to stay in the top half of the table.

LONDON IRISH had a rather nasty clash to kick off their Premiership challenge as they were pitted against Harlequins in the London Double Header. Although the Exiles were not successful, they did well to keep the points margin to a minimum and avoided any serious damage to their tournament hopes. However, they would have hoped that matches would pick up from this point but were instead left unhappy as Sale sent them packing to take up residence near Newcastle on the table. Weeks 3 and 4 finally saw Irish get into their stride with a one-point victory over Northampton and a complete hammering of brow-beaten Falcons side. However, it was back to the bitter taste of defeat in week 5 after an exhilarating and impressive game against Gloucester just fell short of expectations. It is unfortunate that it has taken Irish so long to firmly find their feet as; with backs like Topsy Ojo available to them, the Exiles should be creating dynamic play that leaves the competition for dust. This was illustrated perfectly in week 6’s decimation of Worcester Warriors where Irish’s speed, ball skills and vision were clear for all to see.

EXETER CHIEFS have also had a rocky time in the Premiership’s early stages. Although they wiped the floor with Newcastle Falcons and stole a shocking win over Leicester Tigers by the third week, Exeter seemed to have run out of momentum, losing to Bath 23-19. However, they fought valiantly in Week 4 which rewarded them with a victory over London Wasps and third place on the table. Week 5 brought disappointment for the Chiefs with a narrow loss to Saracens, but they retained their 3rd place slot and supporters should be delighted with their work ethic and determination. If Exeter could just stop getting nervous in the tougher games, they could easily have remained flying high in the table. However, their most recent defeat in week 6 by Northampton Saints was a crushing blow, seeing a flustered Chiefs team claim only 3 points against the opposition’s 33.

GLOUCESTER RUGBY have had a turbulent start to the season culminating in them yo-yoing up and down the table. Their relatively young squad has shown that in terms of set pieces and brute strength, they can command the field but often make unnecessary errors when put under pressure. Their highs of the season so far have been dramatically beating London Irish in week 5 in one of the most exciting and high-scoring matches of the tournament for either side, along with beating their local rivals Bath Rugby at Kingsholm in week 4. Although their performance in week 6 was not nearly as high class as expected,  Gloucester have been blessed with fast backs, such as Charlie Sharples and Jonny May, and hugely powerful forwards making them a force to be reckoned with. Add to this combination the awesome kicking abilities of Tim Taylor and Freddie Burns and Gloucester should be remaining in the upper echelons of the table if they can quash their nerves and crack down on discipline.

BATH RUGBY had a relaxing entry into the competition with their first match against Newcastle, thus leaving them unpressurised and able to iron out any last minute kinks. This should have left them with an easy job of dispatching Saracens but unfortunately, discipline problems saw them just miss out culminating in Bath conceding a last-minute penalty. Week 3 would have put smiles on the Bath players faces though as they managed to storm to a win over Exeter, the first team to do so in the tournament thus far. However, their elation would not last long as they met Gloucester for a local grudge match the week after and ended up being the underdogs. Week 5 saw discipline nearly strike down Bath again as they scraped a 1 point victory over Leicester Tigers, which should have had a much greater points margin if It was not for the six penalties Leicester were able to slot over. Bath were thwarted by their penalty count in week 6 losing to Wasps by a margin of 3 points. Although young, new talent Tom Heathcote did his best to hit back with penalties of his own, it was one again evident that Bath need to keep a lid on unnecessary errors.

LONDON WASPS began with a new lease of life after a disappointing season last year. Two victories in the initial 2 weeks gave them a boost up to the upper end up the table and a lift in confidence. Their week 1 battle against Saracens, where Wasps came out on top, definitely quelled some of the early tournament nerves but it was never going to be easy. By week 3 the discipline had stared to slip and slowly but surely the team’s dream start was unravelling as they met kickers who punished them for their penalty count. Week 5 saw their most embarrassing defeat against Newcastle Falcons, a team that every other side had beaten so far, and again it would be penalties that would toll the demise of London Wasps.  But in week 6 we saw a turnaround for the Wasps as they used penalties to their advantage, kicking themselves to a win against Bath. Dai Young was obviously the tonic the former Premiership winners needed to begin the return to previous glory.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS are another team who have had a tough time in the initial stages of the competition. Although beginning with a win over Gloucester was a confidence booster and showed the Saints’ potential, things soon went pear-shaped with losses against Harlequins, London Irish, Sale and Worcester. The Saints have struggled to keep composure during the second half of matches which has meant they have gone from leading strongly at half-time to playing catch-up. This has frustrated Northampton fans whose hopes are always raised before bring torn apart. The Saints needed to focus on closing down the game in the final 40 minutes and cleaning up their play to avoid penalties. The supporters’ prayers were answered in week 6 when Northampton wiped the floor with Exeter and, most importantly, showed consistency in their play for the full 80 minutes for the first time in the tournament.

WORCESTER WARRIORS were the newly promoted team of the season and wasted no time in proving that they had deserved their place in the Premiership. In week 1 they pulled off a surprising win against Sale Sharks, 17-12, which pushed them straight into the top half of the table. Andy Goode’s kicking skills have been invaluable to the side and, although they have suffered defeats to Gloucester, Saracens and Harlequins, Goode has always provided solid play and accumulated most of their points. This includes a 12-3 win over Northampton Saints where Goode scored all of Worcester’s points with 4 well-struck penalties. However, Worcester’s strong start has ebbed away and they are now in languishing in the lower half of the table, though are not nearly the worst off and so should be pleased with their return to the Premiership.

LEICESTER TIGERS have struggled more than most and their excuse is that they are worst affected by the loss of international players. The only win they have managed so far has been against a fragile Newcastle Falcons side, and even that was by the skin of their teeth. No team will welcome more warmly the world cup returners than the Tigers; without them the lack of experience, strength and often ideas, their performance has left fans distressed and disheartened. The next few weeks will be crucial for Leicester. If they do not start picking up some decent points then even the international contingent will not be able to save them.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS are currently thrashing around at the bottom of the table trying to draw breath. The Falcons had lost every game up until week 5 when they finally captured some points after a shock defeat of London Wasps. However, they slipped straight back into their usual pattern of being hung out to dry in week 6 against Saracens.  Although they showed potential at times, the Falcons often struggled with the basics and have found the tournament too challenging thus far. It seems that for Newcastle, the Premiership is going to be a depressing and lonely place unless they produce some magic.

 

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WEEK 6

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 33 - 3 EXETER CHIEFS

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS – Saturday 8th October 2011
HT: 20-3 Att: 12,542

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS annihilated Exeter Chiefs at Franklin’s Gardens with a breath-taking display of open play. The Saints began the onslaught with a breakaway try by James Downey after just 2 minutes. Downey sped past an unprepared Exeter defence and over the tryline with ease, Ryan Lamb converted and it was all systems go for Northampton. Exeter then endeavoured to claim a try of their own, and were unfortunate to be denied, but the Northampton lines were cast iron and Exeter could not penetrate them. Luckily for Exeter they were gifted with a penalty not long after and Ignacio Mieres successfully glided the ball over for what would be their only 3 points of the match.  From this point on, the Chiefs struggled to gain possession, let alone keep it, as Northampton ran amuck. Paul Diggin dived over the tryline after a carefully placed chipped ball and was deemed to have grounded it by the TMO, giving Lamb another conversion and the Saints another 7 points. Lamb then slotted over another two penalties before the break just to really rub salt into Exeter’s wounds. The points margin was not the only problem Exeter had in the first half; at 33 minutes in Luke Arscott was sent to the sin bin for an intentional knock-on leaving his chaotic team trying to defend with only 14 men when the whistle blew.

The final 40 minutes was much the same as the first. Northampton dominated the Chiefs and although Exeter emptied their bench in desperation, it was never going to be enough. They lacked in ambition and gave a lack-lustre performance for which the Saints punished them brutally. Lamb knocked over two more penalties before being replaced by Stephen Myler in the 67th minute. Northampton also cleared their bench in the second half, but it would be one of the starting line-up who would land the Saints’ final blow. Scott Armstrong planted the ball with 4 minutes to go and Myler added the extras. Northampton were ecstatic with this result after a poor start to the season, meanwhile Exeter were left wondering how it went so wrong for them.

15 Greig Tonks 14 Paul Diggin 13 Jon Clarke 12 James Downey 11 Scott Armstrong 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Lee Dickson 1 Paul Doran Jones 2 Brett Sharman 3 Brian Mujati 4 Samu Manoa 5 Christian Day 6 James Craig 7 Calum Clark 8 Phil Dowson (C) BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Tom Mercey 19 Mark Sorenson 20 Roger Wilson 21 Martin Roberts 22 Stephen Myler 23 Tom May

SCORERS T: Downey, Diggin, Armstrong C: Lamb (2), Myler P: Lamb (4)

15 Luke Arscott 14 Josh Tatupu 13 Sireli Naqelevuki 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Ben Moon 2 Neil Clark 3 John Andress 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Aly Muldowney 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Chris Whitehead 17 Brett Sturgess 18 Hoani Tui 19 James Phillips 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Bryan Rennie

SCORERS P: Mieres Luke Arscott

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SALE SHARKS 13 - 11 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

EDGELEY PARK – Saturday 8th October 2011
HT: 10-0 Att: 8,088

A home victory for Sale Sharks against Gloucester Rugby was exactly what was needed to keep Sale sitting happily near the top of the table. Sale were the first to be handed the opportunity of points, but failed to grasp the early lead after Nick Macleod had a rare problem of finding the length. However, Sale were soon pressurising the Gloucester defence and reaped the rewards when skipper David Seymour hauled himself over the tryline to pull the homeside into the lead after 17 minutes of play. Tim Taylor had a chance to start Gloucester’s points tally rolling but was unable to kick what should have been a relatively simple penalty successfully. Macleod managed another penalty on the toll of half time but overall neither team looked particularly convincing, neither showed much potential for scoring, and when they did, there was no precision or flair to finish. The only moment which provided any danger was when Sale chased a chip ball and Olly Morgan had to slide into the advertising boards to save Gloucester. Unfortunately Morgan’s heroics led to him picking up a hand injury and having to be replaced by Freddie Burns.

The beginning second half was, to the joy of Gloucester fans, far better for the Cherry and Whites. Within the first minute Taylor redeemed himself by attaining Gloucester’s first points with a precise penalty. Sale then took a double blow when Henry Thomas was shown a yellow and Tim Taylor sailed over the subsequent penalty in the 53rd minute. However, the Sharks were still in front, and with Macleod replying with a penalty of his own, Gloucester knew they would need more than penalties to win. Their prayers seemed to be answered when Henry Trinder finished a great piece of play by shooting over the tryline in the 68th minute. The Gloucester and Sale players alike held their breath as Taylor stepped up to convert, but it just was not his day and Sale rejoiced as they held onto their lead. Gloucester would have been dissatisfied with their performance and Taylor would certainly be frustrated that he had left his kicking boots at home.

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Will Addison 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Joaquin Tuculet 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Lee Imiolek 2 Marc Jones 3 Henry Thomas 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour (C) 8 Mark Easter BENCH: 16 Joe Ward 17 Alasdair Dickinson 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Tom Holmes 20 Richie Vernon 21 Scott Mathie 22 Andrew Higgins 23 Charlie Amesbury

SCORERS T: Seymour C: Macleod P: Macleod (2)

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Jonny May 11 Tom Voyce 10 Tim Taylor 9 Nick Runciman 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Tom Savage 5 Will James 6 Peter Buxton (C) 7 Luke Narraway 8 Brett Deacon BENCH: 16 Matias Cortese 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 David Lyons 20 Matt Cox 21 Dave Lewis 22 Freddie Burns 23 James Simpson-Daniel

SCORERS T: Trinder P: Taylor (2)

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LEICESTER TIGERS 18 - 27 HARLEQUINS

WELFORD ROAD – Saturday 8th October 2011
HT: 15-17 Att: 17,227

A real battle was seen between Leicester Tigers and Harlequins at Welford Road, but sadly for Leicester they were the ones left licking their wounds. The Tigers started with a bang as Boris Stankovich was driven over the tryline by a superb maul. Jeremy Staunton was unable to convert but things were looking bright for the Tigers after 2 minutes of play. This early lead would not last long though; both Sam Smith and Seb Stegmann hit back with excellent tries which showed Leicester just how formidable the Harlequins’ backs can be when they have space to run. Nick Evans converted both with ease and Quins had laid down the gauntlet for the homeside. The Tigers took up the challenge without hesitation and both teams charged at each other trying desperately to out-run, chip or dodge their opposition. Leicester managed to regain a large chunk of the points deficit when Scott Hamilton flew past the Quins defence, was tackled on the line and practically flipped backwards for a try, and Staunton successfully guided the ball between the posts in the 20th minute. They very nearly pulled off another soon after when Alesana Tuilagi –freshly returned from his Rugby World Cup escapade– steamed towards the corner but was dragged into touch just in time to save the Harlequins. So instead, the Tigers had to make do with a penalty from Staunton which was quickly equalled by one of Evans’ own. With the Harlequins only 2 points up at the break, the final 40 minutes were crucial for both teams.

The whistle blew and both sides sprang into action, big tackling, long kicks and plenty of blood being patched up was the order of the second half. Unlike the first, neither Leicester nor Quins could break through quickly and instead were made to work hard for every metre of territory they clawed back. Eventually both Evans and Staunton produced well-struck penalties but the score was still too close for comfort for Quins. However, Joe Marler was able to allow his team a bit more breathing room as he hauled himself over the tryline and planted the ball in the 73rd minute. Evans converted and the Quins could breathe a small sigh of relief. Although the Tigers, fought tooth and nail in order to find the extra points, Quins were now confidently shutting down their play and when the game finally ended, a tired but deserving Harlequins side emerged victorious, recording their 6th consecutive win since the stat of the Premiership.

15 Niall Morris 14 Mathew Tait 13 Matt Smith 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Jeremy Staunton 9 Sam Harrison 1 Boris Stankovich 2 George Chuter (C) 3 Julian White 4 Ed Slater 5 Geoff Parling 6 Steve Mafi 7 Ben Woods 8 Julian Salvi BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Michael Holford 18 Peter Bucknall 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Ben Pienaar 21 James Grindal 22 Scott Hamilton 23 George Ford

SCORERS T: Stankovich, Hamilton C: Staunton P: Staunton (2)

15 Mike Brown 14 Seb Stegmann 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Joe Marler 2 Chris Brooker 3 Tim Fairbrother 4 Ollie Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Chris Robshaw (C) 7 Luke Wallace 8 Chris York BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Mark Lambert 18 James Johnston 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Will Skinner 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Tom Casson

SCORERS T: Smith, Stegmann, Marler C: Evans (3) P: Evans (2)

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LONDON IRISH 42 - 24 WORCESTER WARRIORS

MADEJSKI STADIUM – Sunday 9th October 2011
HT: 16-10 Att: 6,385

LONDON IRISH triumphed convincingly over Worcester Warriors in a game which showed many true moments of brilliance by the Exiles. 8 minutes after kick-off and Irish were already proving a problem for the Warrior’s defence, climaxing with David Paice finding a gap and offloading skillfully to Steve Shingler who made a huge run to seal the try. Tom Homer added the extras and began what would be a stunning performance where he would earn 22 points for Irish.  Not everything was going to go swimmingly for the Exiles though, with Darren Allinson incurring the wrath of the referee and a cooling off in the sin bin. The Warriors made full use of the lessened Irish presence with Miles Benjamin and Andy Goode combining to level the score. Worcester were showing the most menace in the 2nd quarter and Goode proved to be huge problem for the Irish defence. Chris Jones paired up with Goode to provide a very close call for Worcester but was deemed to be pulled out into touch and thus denied the score. However, thanks to Homer’s precision kicking, Irish would end the half 6 points up as Worcester made a few unnecessary mistakes that cost them dearly.

The Exiles restarted with a more fervent performance, landing themselves firmly in Warriors territory and battening down the hatches. Their strength and determination bore fruit as Chris Hala’ufia hurled himself over the tryline with great force to extend the Irish lead. This was swiftly followed by even more points as Jonathan Joseph touched down and Homer converted successfully, as he had done with Hala’ufia’s as well. Worcester seemed to be haemorrhaging points and were fighting hard to stem the flow. They seemed to have gotten the situation under control when Marcel Garvey scored right under the posts, making the conversion child’s play for Goode, but this did not last long. The scoring machine which was Homer struck an almighty blow as he planted the ball himself and happily knocked the conversion over to give the Exiles the bonus point. Adam Thompstone was denied his first attack at the tryline but would not be stopped on his second attempt, adding the final collection of points to the impressive Irish scoreline. Garvey played valiantly and scrapped back a consolatory try for Worcester, which Joe Carlisle converted, but it was clear that the Warriors had been left floundering in this second half.

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Steve Shingler 11 Adam Thompstone 10 Dan Bowden 9 Darren Allinson 1 Clarke Dermody (C) 2 David Paice 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Bryn Evans 6 Declan Danaher 7 Jamie Gibson 8 Chris Hala'ufia BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Max Lahiff 18 Paulica Ion 19 David Sisi 20 Alex Gray 21 Guy Armitage 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Shingler, Hala’ufia, Joseph, Homer, Thompstone C: Homer (4) P: Homer (3) Darren Allinson

15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen (C) 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Ollie Frost 1 Matt Mullan 2 Ed Shervington 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Neil Best 7 Jake Abbott 8 Chris Jones BENCH: 16 Ceri Jones 17 Chris Fortey 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Adam Balding 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Danny Gray 22 Joe Carlisle 23 Tom Arscott

SCORERS T: Benjamin, Garvey (2) C: Goode (2), Carlisle P: Goode

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LONDON WASPS 27 - 24 BATH RUGBY

ADAMS PARK – Sunday 9th October 2011
HT: 18-13 Att: 6,835

AN impressive display was seen by London Wasps and Bath Rugby as they fought at Adams Park but eventually the homeside came through for the win. Bath gained a very premature lead as Tom Heathcote booted over a successful penalty. However, Wasps soon stole back the 3 points and added another 3 on top thanks to Nick Robinson’s good aim. Wasps then got down to business, heading up an attack with Hugo Southwell producing a lovely kick for Christian Wade to take advantage of and, with a little help from a deflection, Wade grabbed the chance to ground the ball for 5 points. Robinson slotted the conversion over and Wasps were clearly on the prowl to increase their margin. Bath were not going to let Wasps slip away quietly though and Kane Palma-Newport kept them within touching distance after pushing himself over the tryline. Bath followed this with two extremely courageous try attempts only to be deprived of points both times due to some excellent Wasps’ defence. Heathcote drew the scores level as the time hit half-an-hour of play with his second penalty of the match but Wasps would finish the half up. Putting together a stunning piece of play, Wasps left Tom Varndell to finish it off in the 32nd minute jettisoning them 5 points in front of Bath, a sore they sustained up to the break.

The final 40 minutes would hinge mainly on penalties, dangerous territory for Wasps in the past as problems with discipline often meant them losing out. However, Robinson produced three perfect penalties in 17 minutes and these would be the decider of the match. Heathcote kicked excellently retorting with two of his own and keeping the Bath tally ticking over, although he missed a crucial 3rd attempt. Matt Carraro should have been in with ease but a bad pass left him unable to make use of his unmarked position. However, Bath had a final flourish in the last 10 minutes as Guy Mercer scored to hand Bath the losing bonus point for their troubles. Wasps were deserving winners but Bath should not be disheartened after a genuinely admirable match.

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Varndell 13 Chris Mayor 12 Chris Bell 11 Christian Wade 10 Nick Robinson 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Marco Wentzel 5 Richard Birkett 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 John Hart (C) BENCH:16 Jeremy Castex 17 Tom Lindsay 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Ross Filipo 20 Matt Everard 21 Jonah Holmes 22 Ryan Davis 23 Jack Wallace

SCORERS T: Wade, Varndell C: Robinson P: Robinson (5)

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Carraro 13 Dan Hipkiss 12 Ben Williams 11 Tom Biggs 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Michael Claassens 1 David Flatman (C) 2 Pieter Dixon 3 Kane Palma-Newport 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Ben Skirving 7 Guy Mercer 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Charlie Beech 18 Mark Lilley 19 Will Spencer 20 Andy Beattie 21 Mark McMillan 22 Paul Roberts 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Palma-Newport, Mercer C: Heathcote P: Heathcote (4)

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SARACENS 25 - 5 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

VICARAGE ROAD – Sunday 9th October 2011
HT: 18-5 Att: 5,882

ONCE again the Newcastle Falcons felt the sting of defeat as they were beaten into submission by Saracens. Sarries were in attack mode from the off, flooding a flustered Falcons side. Newcastle managed to regain composure relatively quickly though and even launched a counter-offensive that could have paid off if it was not for a clumsy fumble at the end. But Saracens soon cracked down on the Falcons and a quick dash by Joe Maddock pulled them ahead after 14 minutes. Charlie Hodgson missed the conversion and, to the annoyance of the Saracens, the Falcons bounced back within a couple of minutes thanks to Luke Fielden firing over the tryline to ground the ball, even with James Short’s tackle restricting him. Hodgson corrected his early error and clattered home a penalty in the 24th minute. Sarries had begun to settle into the game properly now and flowing play was materialising to cause problems for Newcastle. Eventually, the Falcon’s defence could take no more and cracked as a beautiful sequence of passing left Alex Goode with a perfect hole to touchdown in. Newcastle continued to limp through the half but even the usual expertise of Jimmy Gopperth could not help them as his penalty hit the woodwork and the break was called.

Saracens sustained their obvious dominance for the whole of the second half. However, it was the Falcons who nearly begun the points tally moving again when Ally Hogg slid over the line but unfortunately his foot ventured beyond the touchline before he could touchdown. Shortly after, three Newcastle players were left dazed and lagging behind when Short sprang through the Falcons’ defence and was left unchallenged for a full 80 metres. He was eventually brought down, only to have the ball recycled back to him and be left to leap for the try. The Falcons were close to holding him up but just could not stop the back from finding the ground contact he needed.  Saracens went hunting for their much deserved fourth try and bonus point but, in the end, this was the only consolation for a ragged Newcastle side as they were unsuccessful in their quest.

15 Alex Goode 14 Joe Maddock 13 Owen Farrell 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 Deon Carstens 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 George Kruis 6 Jackson Wray 7 Andy Saull 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Rhys Gill 18 Mako Vunipola 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Justin Melck 21 Ben Spencer 22 Adam Powell 23 David Strettle

SCORERS T: Maddock, Goode, Short C: Hodgson (2) P: Hodgson (2)

15 Alex Tait 14 Luke Fielden 13 Corne Uys 12 Jamie Helleur 11 Ryan Shortland 10 Jimmy Gopperth (C) 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Grant Shiells 2 Joe Graham 3 James Hall 4 Glen Townson 5 Tim Swinson 6 Richard Mayhew 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Michael Mayhew 17 Darren Fearn 18 Ashley Wells 19 Redford Pennycook 20 Mark Wilson 21 Will Chudley 22 Greg Goosen 23 Luke Eves

SCORERS T: Fielden

 

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WEEK 5

WORCESTER WARRIORS 12 - 3 NORTHAMPTON

SIXWAYS – Friday 30th September 2011
HT: 6-3 Att: 9,248

WORCESTER WARRIORS met Northampton Saints at Sixways for a rather uninspired game.  The first half started with promise for the Warriors who made an early break, but a crucial high ball catch was missed and nothing came of it. Warriors then demonstrated their abilities in the scrum, forcing back the Saints and showing their dominance. Unfortunately, Worcester did not succeed in their first attempt at points with Andy Goode narrowly pulling wide a penalty. But, moments later he redeemed himself with another 3-pointer which he hit well and sailed over after 8 minutes of play. Worcester had the upper hand but lacked the flair to produce a try. Saints then equalled the score with a penalty of their own from Stephen Myler and it was clear that this would be 80 minutes focused on kicking.  Northampton showed moments of hope during the half but were never quite able to finish; either the Worcester defence shut them down or the Saints created problems for themselves. After 30 minutes of error-filled and kick-happy play, Goode slotted over another penalty giving the Warriors a 6-3 lead at the break.

The second half was much the same with the Warriors managing to force more penalties from Saints which Goode took advantage of in the 45th and 67th minute. The Saints looked even less menacing this half, showing very little in terms of running breaks. They relied mainly on the strong Northampton lineout which held up well, but could do nothing of brilliance with the ball afterwards. Worcester were unlucky not to have a try or two; they were clearly the overriding force of the match but did not seem to have any bright ideas on how to elude the Northampton defence. In fact, they were unfortunate not to get over the tryline 50 minutes in when they produced a stunning driving maul, but were to be impeded when Brian Mujati brought it down, earning himself a yellow in the process. Warriors won the game deservedly thanks to Goode’s boot, and the whistle blew on a dull match which neither team would want to repeat.

15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen (C) 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry 1 Matt Mullan 2 Ed Shervington 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Neil Best 7 Jake Abbott 8 Chris Jones BENCH: 16 Ceri Jones 17 Chris Fortey 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk 19 Adam Balding 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Ollie Frost 22 Joe Carlisle 23 Tom Arscott

SCORERS P: Goode (4)

15 Greig Tonks 14 Paul Diggin 13 Jon Clarke 12 James Downey 11 Scott Armstrong 10 Stephen Myler 9 Lee Dickson 1 Paul Doran Jones 2 Brett Sharman 3 Brian Mujati 4 Samu Manoa 5 Christian Day 6 Calum Clark 7 Ben Nutley 8 Phil Dowson (C) BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Tom Mercey 19 Mark Sorenson 20 James Craig 21 Martin Roberts 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Tom May

SCORERS P: Myler Brian Mujati

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GLOUCESTER RUGBY 33 - 30 LONDON IRISH

KINGSHOLM – Saturday 1st October 2011
HT: 23-17 Att: 10,864

GLOUCESTER RUGBY met London Irish at home for a full-throttle and compelling game in which they were to emerge the victors. Within a minute of kick-off London Irish pulled in front with a stunning interception by Alex Gray which he finished under the posts, easily converted by Tom Homer. Gloucester were soon back in the game though, using all their force to try and get a driving maul going, but the referee called a knock on. However, Gloucester managed to win a penalty from the subsequent scrum and the ball glided between the posts thanks to Tim Taylor. London Irish immediately replied with their own penalty struck cleanly by Homer. Gloucester then unleashed a brilliant break from within their own half with Tom Voyce sliding over the tryline near the corner. The conversion was tricky, but this did not perturb Taylor who neatly slotted it between the posts. It was end-to-end rugby as both sides battled valiantly for possession. 15 minutes into play and Taylor successfully pushed Gloucester ahead by another 3 points. Homer missed a couple of chances to add 3 points but did not let the next attempt slip away, putting the Exiles just penalty behind. But Taylor’s kicking was flawless, striking a superb penalty in the 27th minute. Soon after, the visitors took a blow as Chris Hala’ufia was binned for a late tackle and left to a booing crowd. It was all going downhill for Irish; Gloucester were pushing them about in the scrum and infringements caused the referee to award them a penalty try, converted by Taylor. Topsy Ojo soon brightened the outlook for Irish though, turning up the pace and planting the ball under the posts which Homer converted swiftly. The whistle blew and a half of ups and downs ended for the Exiles 23-17.

After catching their breath at half-time, both teams restarted with pace but it took only 2 minutes for Irish to draw first blood with a penalty from Homer. The Exiles were out to prove they meant business for the last 40 minutes and pulled themselves ahead early on with a nicely worked try finished by Faan Rautenbach. Gloucester were not going to let the lead slip from them though, and immediately struck back when Darren Dawidiuk hauled himself over the line and Taylor succeed to convert from a wide angle. The second half was very physical with even the referee being pushed out the way at one point by Gloucester. However, both teams had strong packs and were pretty equally matched in terms of scrums, rucks and mauls. Irish came close to another try but the ball was spilled last minute and their efforts came to nothing. Homer just scraped another penalty between the posts to bring the scores to 30-all and both teams were looking for those crucial winning points. Taylor then gave way for Freddie Burns in the 59th minute and Gloucester made their way ominously towards the Exile’s tryline. The Cherry and Whites did not make it to the line but were awarded a penalty which Burns clattered over with ease. Gloucester were looking more dominant now and the Irish defence were really feeling the pinch. Both teams injected fresh legs throughout the half to keep up with the exhausting speed of play in the intense heat. Irish had moments where they threatened to puncture the Gloucester defence but, in the end, they found themselves soon receding back into their own half. Gloucester forced another penalty right in front of the posts with only 5 minutes left to play but Burns hit the woodwork with a clumsy attempt. It mattered not. Gloucester ran the time down and retained their 3 point lead, leaving the Exiles just out of reach.

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Jonny May 11 Tom Voyce 10 Tim Taylor 9 Nick Runciman 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Tom Savage 5 Will James 6 Peter Buxton (C) 7 Luke Narraway 8 Brett Deacon BENCH: 16 Matias Cortese 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 David Lyons 20 Gareth Evans 21 Dave Lewis 22 Freddie Burns 23 James Simpson-Daniel

SCORERS T: Voyce, Penalty Try, Dawidiuk C: Taylor (3) P: Taylor (3), Burns

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Steve Shingler 11 Adam Thompstone 10 Dan Bowden 9 Darren Allinson 1 Clarke Dermody (C) 2 David Paice 3 Max Lahiff 4 Nick Kennedy 5 James Sandford 6 Bryn Evans 7 Alex Gray 8 Chris Hala'ufia BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Mark George 18 Faan Rautenbach 19 Declan Danaher 20 Jamie Gibson 21 Guy Armitage 22 Adrian Jarvis 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Gray, Ojo, Shingler C: Homer (3) P: Homer (3) Chris Hala’ufia

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EXETER CHIEFS 13 - 17 SARACENS

SANDY PARK – Saturday 1st October 2011
HT: 6-10 Att: 6,793

SARACENS continued their confident season so far with a win against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park. Chiefs started nervously, knocking on at the kick-off and then popping up in the subsequent scrum. Saracens jumped on the chance to assert their authority early on with lovely flowing play and solid rucking. Owen Farrell was the first to break through the Exeter ranks; a bad tackle left him free to run straight over and plant the ball after just 3 minutes. Charlie Hodgson then slotted the conversion and Saracens were off to a perfect start. This shook the Chiefs from their daze a little and were quickly rewarded with a penalty, but Ignacio Mieres could not get the length or direction necessary. He made no mistakes on the next one though and picked up 3 points 9 minutes in. Saracens had gone from clean, strong play in the early minutes to being sloppy and ill-disciplined. After the slow beginning from Exeter, it was now clear that they were awake and determined. Each side had good opportunities to score but could not find the moves needed to get over the tryline. However, Saracens were looking the more prevailing force and worried the Exeter defence on numerous occasions. Farrell and Mieres both claimed penalties during the second quarter for their teams, although they missed several between them too, and Saracens retained their lead at half-time.

The second half began with both teams substituting numerous players and had problems with their scrummaging. Saracens were to be the ones penalised first for the scrum collapsing this half though, and Exeter tried to take advantage of their infringements but, again, could not find the whitewash. However, the Exeter lineout was well worked and made life tricky for Saracens. But, eventually Saracens were back to charging the Chiefs’ defensive lines, although not as successfully as they would have liked. That is, not until Hodgson flew diagonally through a gap and gave Sarries the try they had been hunting for. He then swiftly converted to earn the full 7 points and Saracens’ score were looking comfortable. Exeter were by no means down and out though; they continued to show they had grit and were ready to take their chance when messy Sarries play allowed it. It would not be until the 80th minute that they were able to escape the Saracens and receive a consolatory try for their efforts. Kevin Barrett broke initially, Richard Baxter heaved himself to the line and Mieres concluded the game with the conversion. Saracens just managed a win, but their play was scrappy and their victory was not the prettiest they could muster.

15 Luke Arscott 14 Nic Sestaret 13 Sireli Naqelevuki 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Aly Muldowney 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Ben Moon 18 John Andress 19 James Phillips 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Bryan Rennie

SCORERS T: Baxter C: Mieres P: Mieres (2)

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Owen Farrell 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Jackson Wray 7 Will Fraser 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Deon Carstens 18 Mako Vunipola 19 George Kruis 20 Andy Saull 21 Ben Spencer 22 Adam Powell 23 Joe Maddock

SCORERS T: Farrell, Hodgson C: Hodgson (2) P: Farrell

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HARLEQUINS 48 - 41 SALE SHARKS

TWICKENHAM STOOP – Saturday 1st October 2011
HT: 38-17 Att: 10,802

A high-impact, high-scoring game was seen at The Twickenham Stoop when Harlequins did battle with Sale Sharks. Harlequins got the points tally underway within the first 2 minutes as Seb Stegmann stepped inside and flew down the centre before passing off to Chris York, who was brought down but popped the ball up for Mike Brown to dash over the line. Nick Evans added the extras and Quins were off to a furious start. Sale were by no means overwhelmed though; they were producing very good open play with huge tackles and forceful rucks. However, their scrum was pulled up for angling in, and this left the Sharks pressurised with a lineout in their own half. Quins ruthlessly drove the Sharks back and George Lowe leapt over to claim the try. Evans converted and Quins were 14 points up within the first 10 minutes. Nick Macleod managed to produce some points for Sale with a penalty, but this was answered by Evans –due to back scrummaging by Sale– keeping the points gap open for Harlequins. This was soon to change though as the Sharks pulled a try out of the bag from nowhere - Sam Tuitupou made a brilliantly timed pass to Rob Miller who sprinted between the posts. Macleod easily makes the conversion and Sale were suddenly only a converted try behind. But then Quins stepped up a gear, scoring three tries in 5 minutes. Ollie Kohn, Mike Brown for his second of the match, and Mark Lambert were the culprits and Evans kicked three for three to leave Sale’s situation looking hopeless. However, the Sharks were not going to end the half on that sour note and Dwayne Peel stole another try in the 40th minute, leaving Macleod’s conversion to draw the first 40 minutes to a finish.

Unsurprisingly it was Quins who produced the first try after the break with Evans swiping after 7 points with a try and conversion combination. Sale were left far behind now and downtrodden fans were sure they would see their team savaged by the end. Rory Clegg added to their woes with yet another try, after replacing Evans who left to a standing ovation. But Sale were far from done. Miller claimed his second try of the match with an excellent dummy and showed Quins that the Sharks were not ready to roll over just yet. It was a tough game for Sale and especially for Will Addison who took a nasty knock, picking up a neck injury for which he was stretchered off. However, if ever there was a way to finish a match with a flourish then Sharks showed us all how to do it. From being 48-24 down Sale roared into life in the last 10 minutes. Vadim Cobilas began the shower of tries throwing himself into the corner; Miller was helped out by the woodwork and the conversion is given. This was quickly followed by Tom Brady and Joaquin Tuculet both thundering over to the confusion and disbelief of the Quins pack. This game could not have been more thrilling, and Sale turned what could have been a thorough battering into a courageous encounter.

15 Mike Brown 14 Seb Stegmann 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Sam Smith 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Mark Lambert 2 Joe Gray 3 Tim Fairbrother 4 Ollie Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Chris Robshaw (C) 7 Luke Wallace 8 Chris York BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker  17 Joe Marler 18 James Johnston 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Will Skinner 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Tom Casson

SCORERS T: Brown (2), Lowe, Kohn, Lambert, Evans C: Evans (6) P: Evans, Clegg

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Will Addison 12 Sam Tuitupou (C) 11 Joaquin Tuculet 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Lee Imiolek 2 Marc Jones 3 Henry Thomas 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour 8 Mark Easter BENCH: 16 Tommy Taylor 17 Aston Croall 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Tom Holmes 20 Neil Briggs 21 Scott Mathie 22 Andrew Higgins 23 Charlie Amesbury

SCORERS T: Miller (2), Peel, Cobilas, Brady, Tuculet C: Macleod (3), Miller P: Macleod

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BATH RUGBY 26 - 25 LEICESTER TIGERS

RECREATION GROUND – Saturday 1st October 2011
HT: 13-16 Att: 11,768

BATH RUGBY narrowly beat Leicester Tigers at home in a tight contest between the sides. Sam Vesty gathered in early points for Bath with a penalty putting the homeside ahead after just 4 minutes, although he missed his first chance to do so. But Jeremy Staunton replied by breaking away and racing over the tryline, taking Bath by surprise who had not seen much pressure from the Tigers. Staunton then finished off the point collection with a conversion. Vesty managed another penalty, although his kicking was not on form generally, but this was overshadowed by three of Staunton’s own 3-pointers. Bath strived towards the Tigers’ line but it just evaded them every time. Eventually, Bath got the elusive try thanks to Dave Attwood, who stretched himself to touch down the ball in the dying minutes of the first half.

The final 40 minutes began badly for Bath when their deficit was increased due to two more penalties from Staunton’s boot. Staunton was on stunning form scoring very point that Leicester earned. Vesty, on the other hand, was having a poor match and was replaced by Tom Heathcote who turned out to be Bath’s saving grace. Matt Carraro finished a multi-phased display of great support and clear thinking by Bath, and was awarded the try by the TMO. Heathcote converted from the wide angle and Bath were back in the game. Heathcote pulled bath in front in the 70th minute, much to the disappointment of Tigers, who had played well and had seemed sure winners at the start of the half. However, Staunton retaliated and stole the lead back with one of his own beautiful kicks. Heathcote pushed Bath to just one point ahead just 5 minutes later. Finally, Staunton had a last minute penalty, which would have won the game for Leicester, but his flawless kicking faltered and it swung wide. Bath scrabbled to a victory but Staunton should be proud of his efforts for the Tigers.

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Carraro 13 Dan Hipkiss 12 Ben Williams 11 Tom Biggs 10 Sam Vesty 9 Michael Claassens 1 David Flatman (C) 2 Pieter Dixon 3 Kane Palma-Newport 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Ben Skirving 7 Guy Mercer 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Charlie Beech 18 Duncan Bell 19 Will Spencer 20 Andy Beattie 21 Mark McMillan 22 Tom Heathcote 23 Olly Woodburn

SCORERS T: Attwood, Carraro  C: Vesty, Heathcote P: Vesty (2), Heathcote (2)

15 Niall Morris 14 Scott Hamilton 13 Matt Smith 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Mathew Tait 10 Jeremy Staunton 9 James Grindal 1 Boris Stankovich 2 George Chuter (C) 3 Michael Holford 4 Ed Slater 5 Geoff Parling 6 Steve Mafi 7 Ben Woods 8 Julian Salvi BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Jonny Harris 18 Peter Bucknall 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Ben Pienaar 21 Sam Harrison 22 George Ford 23 Andy Forsyth

SCORERS T: Staunton C: Staunton P: Staunton (6)

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NEWCASTLE FALCONS vs LONDON WASPS

KINGSTON PARK – Sunday 2nd October 2011
HT: 9-7 Att: 4,052

NEWCASTLE FALCONS took on London Wasps at home in a match which would see Wasps’ lack of discipline be a problem. Even before the match Wasps had troubles though, being forced to change their starting line-up due to Riki Flutey unfortunately straining his calf in practice, so Chris Mayor came in as a replacement. Newcastle, however, started well with Jimmy Gopperth scoring 3 points for Newcastle after just 2 minutes. Gopperth would go on to score all of the Falcons’ points in the game with some beautifully accurate kicking. Wasps started well though with a try by Christian Wade, who stormed over the tryline to place the ball near the corner. Ryan Davis converted and the visitors were in front after 6 minutes of play. They had a few more opportunities to increase their score, including a debatable moment where Wasps thought they had but Newcastle were said to have touched the ball down instead; with no TMO to check, the referee’s decision stood. But from here on it all went downhill for Wasps. The plucky Falcons side defended well against any attacks that were launched against them, and the Wasps started to give away penalties that were in range for the formidable Gopperth. This was to be their undoing as Gopperth kicked two more successful penalties before the whistle to give Falcons the edge at the break.

The second half began the way the last had ended, with Gopperth booting another penalty through the posts just 6 minutes in after Ross Filipo illegally tackled at the lineout. This left the Wasps straggling and searching for a converted try to pull them in front. They almost had one within the first minute of the restart, but bad decision making left them with nothing to show for their energies. The best that could be mustered, however, was a penalty kick by Davis who succeeded in dragging Wasps to just two points behind. A confident Newcastle side then decided to empty their bench and see whether fresh blood would induce a try. Gopperth made a valiant attempt to produce a drop goal but Wasps did well and charged down the ball before it could soar out of reach. Unfortunately, no try was to be seen but Gopperth added a final 3 points in the 68th minute and this wrapped up the Falcons’ scoring and their victory. And so it ended with a frustrated Wasps side and a Newcastle team proudly claiming their first win of the tournament so far.

15 Greg Goosen 14 Luke Fielden 13 Corne Uys 12 Jamie Helleur 11 Ryan Shortland 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Will Chudley 1 Grant Shiells 2 Joe Graham 3 Ashley Wells 4 Tim Swinson 5 James Hudson (C) 6 Richard Mayhew 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Michael Mayhew 17 Darren Fearn 18 James Hall 19 Glen Townson 20 Mark Wilson 21 Chris Pilgrim 22 Luke Eves 23 Alex Tait

SCORERS P: Gopperth (5)

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Varndell 13 Chris Bell 12 Riki Flutey 11 Christian Wade 10 Ryan Davis 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Richard Birkett 5 Ross Filipo 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 John Hart (C) BENCH:16 Tom Lindsay 17 Jeremy Castex 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Joe Burton 20 Matt Everard 21 Jonah Holmes 22 Elliot Daly 23 Richard Haughton

SCORERS T Wade: C: Davis P: Davis

 

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WEEK 4

SALE SHARKS 29 - 21 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

EDGELEY PARK – Friday 23rd September 2011
HT: 6-12 Att: 6,250

SALE SHARKS pulled a win out of the bag at Edgeley Park after ending the first half down to Northampton Saints. Within minutes of starting, Stephen Myler went down with an injured neck but was soon back to his feet to take the first shot at goal, which he missed. Sale did likewise with their first penalty, and it looked a nervy start for both teams. Another penalty opportunity arose not much later and Myler struck the ball well this time to take Saints into the lead. Sale were on the offensive though and looking to penetrate the Saints’ defence, but were stopped just short being bundled into touch. Northampton had a few attempts at scoring but knocked on instead of finishing their chances. The first half was purely based on penalties with Saints coming out on top. Saints looked the more dominant pack but Sale had a cast-iron defence, filling any gaps quickly and shutting down the visitors runs. Nick Macleod began the Sale points rolling at last with a successful penalty but he needed to keep them coming if the Sharks were going to catch the Saints before the break. However, Sale were not helped by Dwayne Peel being sent off 27mins in for kicking the ball out of Martin Roberts’ hands as he tried to tap-and-go, meaning they had to work extra hard to defend. Northampton continued the pressure, and although Macleod managed to get another penalty 2 minutes before half time, the Saints were clearly the stronger side in the first half and, thanks to some great kicking by Myler, the score showed it.

The start to the second half was not much different with penalties flying about all over the pitch. However, Sale seemed to look like they were keen to attack this half and soon this paid off. At the 57th minute, Mark Easter battled over the tryline and the TMO confirmed it was not held up by the numerous Saints surrounding him. Unfortunately Macleod did not manage to convert but this was the start of Northampton’s downfall. They swiftly felt the bite as Calum Clark and Phil Dowson were given yellow cards in quick succession. This was an open invitation to Sale to continue adding to their points tally, first with a Macleod penalty and then a try by Peel, which more than made up for his earlier sin binning. Sale had gone from being pushed around to doing the pushing as strong driving and brute force brought them the fruits of their labour. Northampton kept the points ticking over with another penalty, but it was never going to be enough. David Seymour capped it all off with Sale’s final try in the 73rd minute, and finally Macleod successfully converted. It had all looked so promising for Northampton at the start; how quickly it can all change in a final 40 minutes.

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Andrew Higgins 12 Will Addison 11 Joaquin Tuculet 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Lee Imiolek 2 Marc Jones 3 Henry Thomas 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour (C) 8 Mark Easter BENCH: 16 Tommy Taylor 17 Aston Croall 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Tom Holmes 20 Neil Briggs 21 Scott Mathie 22 Sam Tuitupou 23 Charlie Amesbury

SCORERS T: Easter, Peel, Seymour C: Macleod P: Macleod (4) Dwayne Peel

15 Jon Clarke 14 Paul Diggin 13 Tom May 12 James Downey 11 Noah Cato 10 Stephen Myler 9 Martin Roberts 1 Paul Doran Jones 2 Brett Sharman 3 Brian Mujati 4 Samu Manoa 5 Christian Day 6 Calum Clark 7 Ben Nutley 8 Phil Dowson (C) BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Tom Mercey 19 Mark Sorenson 20 James Craig 21 Stuart Commins 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Scott Armstrong

SCORERS P: Myler (7) Calum Clark, Phil Dowson

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LEICESTER TIGERS 25 - 50 SARACENS

WELFORD ROAD – Saturday 24th September 2011
HT: 11-23 Att: 17,557

SARACENS demolished Leicester Tigers away at Welford Road, totting up six tries in total. Charlie Hodgson was on fire in the first half, especially the initial 20 minutes where he racked up three penalties, a try and a conversion. That is not to say that Leicester were not trying though; they tested the Saracens’ defence at times but found it too tough to pierce. Billy Twelvetrees got Leicester on the scoreboard with a couple of penalties, but it was not enough against the tidal wave of points going to Saracens. Ernst Joubert finished in style after some lovely handling by Saracens, handing off two tackles and sprinting over the tryline. Hodgson converted and it was not looking good for Leicester at all. But the Tigers still had a trick up their sleeve before half time in the form of Niall Morris who dashed over to plant the ball in the corner, making the conversion too tricky for Twelvetrees but bringing the Tigers up to a more respectable score of 11-23.

However, the Saracens turned up the heat on the struggling Tigers at the beginning of the final 40 minutes. Owen Farrell and Jamie George both scored tries within the first 10 minutes, one of which was converted by Hodgson, and the pressure was poured onto the Leicester lines. But it was not all plain sailing for Saracens as Joe Maddock incurred the wrath of the referee and was binned in the 50th minute. The Tigers took just 1 minute to capitalise on this as Julian Salvi took the chance to score and Twelvetrees converted. But Saracens were confident, emptying their bench to give everyone a go at the Tigers. They continued the hammering with further tries by Joubert and Brad Barritt plus a conversion and a penalty by Farrell. Ben Woods achieved a consolatory try for Leicester 4 minutes before the whistle, but the Tigers were left battered by a Sarries onslaught.  

15 Scott Hamilton 14 Matt Smith 13 Billy Twelvetrees 12 Anthony Allen 11 Niall Morris 10 George Ford 9 James Grindal 1 Boris Stankovich 2 George Chuter (C) 3 Michael Holford 4 Ed Slater 5 Graham Kitchener 6 Steve Mafi 7 Ben Woods 8 Julian Salvi BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Jonny Harris 18 Peter Bucknall 19 Tom Youngs 20 Tom Armes 21 Mickey Young 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Mathew Tait

SCORERS T: Morris, Salvi, Woods C: Twelvetrees (2) P: Twelvetrees (2)

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Brad Barritt 12 Owen Farrell 11 Joe Maddock 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 Rhys Gill 2 Jamie George 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Jackson Wray 7 Will Fraser 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Harry Allen 17 Deon Carstens 18 Mako Vunipola 19 George Kruis 20 Andy Saull 21 Ben Spencer 22 Adam Powell 23 James Short

SCORERS T: Hodgson, Joubert (2), Farrell, George, Barritt C: Hodgson (3), Farrell P: Hodgson (3), Farrell Joe Maddock

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GLOUCESTER RUGBY 23 - 6 BATH RUGBY

KINGSHOLM – Saturday 24th September 2011
HT: 10-6 Att: 14,736

THE local derby between Gloucester Rugby and Bath Rugby resulted in the homeside coming out on top by a country mile. Bath started promisingly, often giving Gloucester cause for concern and were even the first team to put points on the board thanks to the kicking skills of Sam Vesty in the 20th and 25th minutes. But unfortunately, these would be the only points Bath saw all match. Bath tried valiantly during the first half to punch through but the Gloucester defence was sealed tight against them. The same could not be said for their own scrum which was a point of worry for Bath and had been causing problems from the off. However, Bath did well to maximise possession which left Gloucester bereft of points for quite some time. Finally, and inevitably, the Gloucester points started to come thick and fast, beginning with a penalty from Tim Taylor 32 minutes in and swiftly followed by a try from Darren Dawidiuk. Gloucester had found Bath’s weakness - their strength - and exploited it perfectly with a driving maul. Taylor converted and Bath were in real trouble. The whistle blew to end the half and Gloucester headed confidently towards the changing room 10-6 up.

The second half did not begin well for Bath, and it was about to go from bad to worse as the minutes ticked by. Taylor kicked another penalty just a minute after the restart and followed up with yet another 16 minutes later, leaving Bath straggling behind and feeling more than slightly battered. Gloucester continued to make big hits and use all the force they could muster against their seemingly feebler opposition. Bath injected some renewed vigour into their play by emptying their bench, but it still was not enough. Many a time Bath came so close to scoring only to be halted, sometimes mere inches from the line. Tempers frayed minutes before the final whistle and Gloucester, disappointedly, lost Lesley Vainikolo to the sin bin. Bath had so much possession but just could not make anything of it. The final blow was struck by Charlie Sharples who in the 79th minute, tore down the field after a lovely kick by Freddie Burns and leapt over the tryline. Burns converted and the match ended.

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Jonny May 12 Lesley Vainikolo 11 Tom Voyce 10 Tim Taylor 9 Nick Runciman 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Rupert Harden 4 Will James 5 Tom Savage 6 Peter Buxton (C) 7 Matt Cox 8 Brett Deacon BENCH: 16Matias Cortese 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 David Lyons 20 Gareth Evans 21 Dan Robson 22 Freddie Burns 23 Henry Trinder

SCORERS T: Dawidiuk, Sharples C: Taylor, Burns P: Taylor (3) YC Lesley Vainikolo

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Jack Cuthbert 13 Matt Carraro 12 Dan Hipkiss 11 Tom Biggs 10 Sam Vesty 9 Michael Claassens (C) 1 Nathan Catt 2 Ross Batty 3 Duncan Bell 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Carl Fearns 7 Guy Mercer 8 Ben Skirving BENCH: 16 Mark Lilley 17 Charlie Beech 18 Kane Palma-Newport 19 Will Spencer 20 Andy Beattie 21 Mark McMillan 22 Tom Heathcote 23 Nick Scott

SCORERS P: Vesty (2)

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LONDON IRISH 46 - 29 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

MADEJSKI STADIUM – Saturday 24th September 2011
HT: 19-12 Att: 6,333

A feisty match was seen between London Irish and Newcastle Falcons at Madejski Stadium. Irish started well with an early penalty by Tom Homer, but these were soon to be answered by two from Jimmy Gopperth, one of which was from a considerable distance. It was not long until the players were squaring up to each other however, but this was not surprising considering how physical the game was from the off. After 13 minutes of tough play, Topsy Ojo broke through, slipped and then charged over the tryline to give the Exiles their first try of the match. Homer stepped up and converted. The Falcons took another blow when a minute later, James Hudson was binned for taking out Matt Garvey mid-air. The rest of the half was tit-for-tat penalties, with Homer scoring three more and Gopperth replying with two. Both teams must have felt severely bruised after 40 minutes of brutal hits and rucks. Irish had certainly shown they had pace too though, and were rewarded with ending the half 19-12 in advance of their opposition.

The second half began as the first had finished, roughly and with several penalties. Newcastle came out on the offensive and came close, but the Irish defence ripped away at them, stopping any triumph. Both Gopperth and Homer kicked successful penalties within the initial 10 minutes of the restart, and so the point margin remained stable. But it was not long until the Exiles were forging forward again, opening up the gap between them and the Falcons. Homer added another penalty and Jonathan Joseph gave him the ability to add a conversion after a magnificent run from near Joseph’s own 22 once he had gathered a spilt ball. The Falcons fought on and in the 70th minute, Darren Fearn was heaved over the tryline with help from several Newcastle forwards. Again, tempers were lost and players fronted each other, but this soon died off and play resumed as frantic as ever. Newcastle were clearly frustrated and this was starting to show in their play, especially at the scrum where Tom Catterick was shown a yellow card for infringing. This did not stop the Falcons from collapsing the scrum twice right next to the tryline though, and so the referee awarded a penalty try. It was all over for the Falcons; Joseph swooped in for his second try putting the Irish score to double that of Newcastle’s; Homer neatly booted over the conversion. But Newcastle had one last flurry towards the dying minutes where Jamie Helleur raced through the Irish pack to squeeze in one final try before the whistle. Gopperth converted and a very fierce match ended.

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Steve Shingler 11 Adam Thompstone 10 Dan Bowden 9 Darren Allinson 1 Clarke Dermody (C) 2 David Paice 3 Leo Halavatau 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Matt Garvey 6 Bryn Evans 7 Alex Gray 8 Chris Hala'ufia BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Max Lahiff 18 Mark George 19 James Sandford 20 Declan Danaher 21 Guy Armitage 22 Anthony Watson 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Ojo, Joseph (2), PT C: Homer (4) P: Homer (6)

15 Greg Goosen 14 Alex Tait 13 Luke Eves 12 Jamie Helleur 11 Ryan Shortland 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Jordi Pasqualin 1 Grant Shiells 2 Joe Graham 3 Ashley Wells 4 James Hudson (C) 5 Tim Swinson 6 Richard Mayhew 7 Will Welch 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 Michael Mayhew 17 Darren Fearn 18 James Hall 19 Glen Townson 20 Redford Pennycook 21 Will Chudley 22 Rikki Sheriffe 23 Tom Catterick

SCORERS T: Fearn, Helleur C: Gopperth (2) P: Gopperth (5) James Hudson, Tom Catterick

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WORCESTER WARRIORS 15 - 17 HARLEQUINS

SIXWAYS – Saturday 24th September 2011
HT: 9-3 Att: 7,965

HARLEQUINS made a miraculous recovery at Sixways as they came back in the last 20 minutes to defeat Worcester Warriors on their home turf. Quins found the strong Warriors pack hard to cope with during the first half with their scrum looking decidedly shaky at times. Worcester had several chances to break Quins’ defence but bad ball handling and poor work at the breakdown left them wanting. Fortunately for the Warriors, the Harlequins were handing out penalties regularly and so they  sailed into the lead on the boot of Andy Goode. Thanks to Nick Evans, Harlequins managed to get 3 points by way of a penalty, but were looking lacklustre in offence as they fought off ongoing attempts by the rampaging Warriors. Added woes were thrown into the heart of every Quins fan as Ugo Monye limped off the pitch 27 minutes in to be replaced by Seb Stegmann. Towards the end of the half, Harlequins were beginning to show more spirit and began to hit back in the scrums and rucks. However, they could not increase their score before the break and knew they had a lot to do next half.

The Warriors restarted well, building up pressure and holding on to possession. Once again the Harlequins’ scrum would prove a weakness as Worcester forced another penalty from them and Goode took the Warriors 12-3 up after 43 minutes of play. Worcester almost struck gold when Neil Best charged down a clearance kick and started a drive towards the tryline, but the Warriors were just stopped short. But Worcester thundered on and Goode produced a stunning drop goal to further their lead at the 52nd minute. Harlequins’ supporters were forlorn as the time slipped away with just over 20 minutes to go. Then, from the ashes, arose Sam Smith who bolted through a gap,  stormed over the line and behind the posts. Evans popped over the conversion and things were finally looking up for the Quins. From here on out the Harlequins were like a new team; they had determination, confidence and tactics that had been lacking all game. Ironically, it would be a 5m scrum that would win Quins the match. Jake Abbott had just been binned for infringing at the scrum and the Warriors foolishly carried on doing so at the reset, giving Harlequins the extra 7 points which pulled them ahead. Worcester would have been so disappointed that they threw away the match with such unnecessary errors. For Quins, this was a lucky escape and certainly not something they will want to repeat.

15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry 1 Matt Mullan 2 Chris Fortey 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Chris Jones 6 Neil Best 7 Jake Abbott 8 Kai Horstmann (C) BENCH: 16 Ceri Jones 17 Ed Shervington 18 Bruce Douglas 19 Craig Gillies 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Ollie Frost 22 Joe Carlisle 23 Any Short

SCORERS P: Goode (4) DG: Goode Jake Abbott

15 Mike Brown 14 Sam Smith 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Mark Lambert 2 Joe Gray 3 Tim Fairbrother 4 Ollie Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Chris Robshaw (C) 7 Luke Wallace 8 Chris York BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Darryl Marfo 18 James Johnston 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Joe Trayfoot 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Seb Stegmann

SCORERS T: Smith, PT C: Evans (2) P: Evans

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EXETER CHIEFS 21 - 11 LONDON WASPS

SANDY PARK – Sunday 25th September 2011
HT: 5-6 Att: 6,795

EXETER chiefs were tested by London Wasps at Sandy Park and proved themselves to be as strong as ever. Wasps scored the first 3 points after Ryan Davis hit a stunning penalty with distance and angle against him. Things got worse for the Chiefs after they lost Nic Sestaret early on due to injury, but Exeter were determined and kept on attacking the Wasps’ line. As another Exeter casualty, Peter Short, was carried off the pitch with an injured ankle, the Chiefs’ bench was getting used earlier than they would have liked. Wasps were not having a good time either with Richard Birkett being binned for infringements at the maul. But despite all this, Exeter were unfortunate to not finish a few very good chances, but eventually they were rewarded with a try by Johnson giving the Chiefs the lead. However, Ignacio Mieres was unable to convert and they would not retain that lead for long as Davis soon kicked another penalty through the posts during the 31st minute. Exeter were left just a point away from Wasps somewhat undeservedly before the break, 5-6.

Exeter came out hungry for points at the restart and Mieres was first to grab some when he booted a massive kick from inside his own half to clinch 3 points. Mieres’ next penalty was much easier, right in front of the posts and he knocked the ball over for another simple 3. Soon it was Gareth Steenson’s turn to do the kicking as he replaced Mieres in the 54th minute; he delivered with yet another penalty a few minutes later. Wasps fans were frustrated that their team was showing such waning discipline; their score had not increased since the first half and these unnecessary mistakes were causing major problems. Then came a huge blow to the Wasps’ confidence - another try to Exeter as Chris Budgen was shoved over and awarded the try by the TMO. Steenson converted and the Exeter pack went after more points. But it would be Wasps who broke ranks with Jack Wallace providing perfect support for Davis and thundering over the tryline, giving Director Dai Young something to smile about after a poor game from the Wasps left them trailing 21-11 when the whistle blew.

15 Luke Arscott 14 Nic Sestaret 13 Sireli Naqelevuki 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Peter Short 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Ben Moon 18 Chris Budgen 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Bryan Rennie

SCORERS T: Johnson, Budgen C: Steenson P: Mieres (2), Steenson

15 Richard Haughton 14 Tom Varndell 13 Chris Bell 12 Riki Flutey 11 Christian Wade 10 Ryan Davis 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber (C) 3 Bob Baker 4 Richard Birkett 5 Marco Wentzel 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 Ross Filipo BENCH:16 Tom Lindsay 17 Jeremy Castex 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Joe Burton 20 Matt Everard 21 Jonah Holmes 22 Elliot Daly 23 Jack Wallace

SCORERS T: Wallace P: Davis (2) Richard Birkett

 

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WEEK 3

THE competition is getting tougher in the Premiership and this week many clubs who were doing well faced frustration and discontent. Whilst some felt the pinch, others finally had something to smile about and were rewarded for their efforts with a well-needed victory to boost points and morale.

HARLEQUINS 42 - 6 GLOUCESTER

TWICKENHAM STOOP – Saturday 17th September 2011
HT: 18-6 Att: 10,526

GLOUCESTER RUGBY had a very disappointing outing to Twickenham which ended in a crushing defeat. Although the first half began well, with Freddie Burns scoring the first 3 points of the match, the situation for Gloucester quickly disintegrated. The Harlequins pushed up into the Gloucester half and set up camp just past their 22 within 10 minutes. A run by Mike Brown almost gave Harlequins their first break but he did not quite manage to scoop the ball up. Gloucester kept Quins at bay for a little while longer until 18 minutes in, Sam Smith broke through the Cherry & Whites ranks to score the first of the five Quins tries.  Nick Evans converted and Harlequins were off to a flying start. Evans then added two penalties before half time, but failed to convert Luke Wallace’s try which came from a great drive by the Quins pack. Burns added another 3 points towards the end of the half but that would be the last of the Gloucester score.

Quins rampaged in the second half while Gloucester spent a lot of time trying desperately to clear their lines but the cracks were showing from the off. Ugo Monye was the first to exploit the defensive failings when storming through after 54 minutes of play; Evans converted, though minutes earlier, he had hit the post with a penalty.  Wallace soon followed suit with his second try, and just before Rory Clegg replaced him, Evans struck over one more conversion. Clegg continued building the score for Quins with a penalty and finally converting the last try of the game by Chris Brooker. Gloucester never really had a chance to recover any points, and were not helped by Matt Cox being binned for coming in at the side of the ruck. The Quins had clearly been dominant throughout while Gloucester were devastatingly taken apart.

15 Mike Brown 14 Sam Smith 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Mark Lambert 2 Joe Gray 3 Tim Fairbrother 4 Ollie Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Chris Robshaw (C) 7 Luke Wallace 8 Chris York BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Darryl Marfo 18 James Johnston 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Joe Trayfoot 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Charlie Walker

SCORERS T: Smith, Wallace (2), Monye, Brooker C: Evans (3), Clegg P: Evans (2), Clegg

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Lesley Vainikolo 11 Tom Voyce 10 Freddie Burns 9 Nick Runciman 1 Nick Wood 2 Nathan Charles 3 Rupert Harden 4 Tom Savage 5 Alex Brown 6 Peter Buxton (C) 7 Matt Cox 8 Brett Deacon BENCH: 16Darren Dawidiuk 17 Dan Murphy 18 Dario Chistolini 19 David Lyons 20 Gareth Evans 21 Dan Robson 22 Tim Taylor 23 Jonny May

SCORERS P: Burns (2) Matt Cox

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LONDON WASPS 18 - 29 SALE SHARKS

ADAMS PARK – Saturday 17th September 2011
HT: 10-19 Att: 5,078

THE dream start to London Wasps’ season was tarnished by Sale Sharks this weekend when they lost at home. Wasps started well with confident runs which unfortunately did not yield any points. Nick Macleod took his opportunity to put Sale on the scoreboard by kicking an excellent penalty from quite a distance. It was Macleod’s pin-point accuracy that would be the undoing of the Wasps as his top form kicking was seen throughout the match. Wasps hit back hard with a try from Chris Bell out wide and a superb conversion by Ryan Davis. He then added a penalty and Wasps were looking strong with a score to be happy with. However, the homeside’s discipline was not so good and Macleod had plenty of opportunity to pick up points, successfully kicking 3 more penalties, although he made a rare error and missed one other. New signing Fraser McKenzie mustered his first try for the Sharks in the 35th minute after Sale had been pressurising the opposition for most of the time. Wasps had moments of hope but they had certainly fizzled out after their initial flourish.

The last 40 minutes was much better for Wasps with less penalties being given away. Sale were still showing promise with an early break which should have led to a try but it was knocked on at the last moment. Wasps had to make some dramatic tackles to stop the Sharks from charging over and showed class defending at times. The defence was not enough to stop skipper, David Seymour who was driven over in the 54th minute in a brilliant maul by the Sale pack. Wasps eventually replied when Davis managed to spin? over the tryline but unfortunately made the conversion too hard for himself. Macleod finished his collection of penalties with another successful one 18 minutes before the final whistle. Wasps were left wishing they had tightened up their discipline in the first half, and Sale were thankful that they had not. However, the Wasps’ defence held up well and Sale were unfortunate not to score more.

15 Richard Haughton 14 Tom Varndell 13 Chris Mayor 12 Chris Bell 11 Christian Wade 10 Ryan Davis 9 Nic Berry 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Ross Filipo 5 Marco Wentzel 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 John Hart (C) BENCH:16 Tom Lindsay 17 Jeremy Castex 18 Bob Baker 19 Richard Birkett 20 Joe Burton 21 Jonah Holmes 22 Riki Flutey 23 Hugo Southwell

SCORERS T: Bell, Davis C: Davis P: Davis (2)

15 Rob Miller 14 Joaquin Tuculet 13 Andrew Higgins 12 Will Addison 11 Charlie Amesbury 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Lee Imiolek 2 Marc Jones 3 Henry Thomas 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour (C) 8 Mark Easter BENCH: 16 Tommy Taylor 17 Aston Croall 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Tom Holmes 20 Neil Briggs 21 Scott Mathie 22 Kyle Tonetti 23 Tom Brady

SCORERS T: McKenzie, Seymour C: Macleod (2) P: Macleod (5)

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NORTHAMPTON 13 - 14 LONDON IRISH

FRANKLIN’S GARDENS – Saturday 17th September 2011
HT: 6-3 Att: 12,557

LONDON Irish ended their losing streak against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens but only just. The first half was a string of penalty kicks punctuated by huge tackles and drives. There was plenty of opportunity for each side to kick for goal but, pleasantly, each showed more ambition than this and often went for touch and the lineout instead. Saints had a couple of good breaks but the Irish defence shut them down and the ball was spilt both times. However, Tom Homer did accomplish early points for Irish within the first 10 minutes and Ryan Lamb answered with his own 3 points. Lamb then added to this just before half time when it was clear that it was best to take the points and not attempt  a try. The Exiles then felt a blow when Leo Halavatau was sent packing with a yellow for pulling down the maul on the stroke of half time; luckily they were not stung by points too as Lamb missed the simple penalty hitting the upright instead.

Northampton began the second half with gusto as they took their opportunity to get straight on top of the Irish defence. But once again some excellent play came to nothing after sloppy passes and bad catching ran amuck. Irish were not willing to allow their attempts to end in a similar fashion and took their chance to even the score with a penalty by Homer, which was precursored by a tedious session of aerial tennis. Finally, Chris Hala’ufia broke through, passed off to Topsy Ojo and the ball was recycled out to Nick Kennedy for the finish. Homer could not find the posts from the wide angle and the pressure was not eased by Saints who were soon back in Irish territory. Both sides then emptied their benches, and Myler missed his first penalty chance of the match for Saints after replacing Lamb. Things were looking fine for the Exiles until repeated offences in the scrum left them giving away a penalty try with just 8 minutes left of play. The conversion was easily chipped over by Myler and Irish were in real trouble. It was all left down to a 78th minute penalty kick by Homer who pulled it out of the bag. However, Saints were left outraged as a knock-on that occurred just before they were penalised went unnoticed by the referee. For Irish, the win was welcomed warmly and finally Director of Rugby Toby Booth had something to smile about.

15 Jon Clarke 14 Paul Diggin 13 Tom May 12 James Downey 11 Noah Cato 10 Ryan Lamb 9 Martin Roberts 1 Alex Waller 2 Brett Sharman 3 Tom Mercey 4 Samu Manoa 5 Christian Day 6 Calum Clark 7 Ben Nutley 8 Phil Dowson (C) BENCH: 16 Andy Long 17 Paul Doran Jones 18 Brian Mujati 19 Mark Sorenson 20 James Craig 21 Stuart Commins 22 Stephen Myler 23 Scott Armstrong

SCORERS T: Penalty Try C: Myler P: Lamb (2)

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Steve Shingler 11 Adam Thompstone 10 Dan Bowden 9 Darren Allinson 1 Clarke Dermody (C) 2 David Paice 3 Leo Halavatau 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Matt Garvey 6 Ed Siggery 7 Alex Gray 8 Chris Hala'ufia BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Max Lahiff 18 Mark George 19 Bryn Evans 20 Dave Sisi 21 Guy Armitage 22 Anthony Watson 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Kennedy P: Homer (3) Leo Halavatau

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NEWCASTLE FALCONS 26 - 27 LEICESTER

KINGSTON PARK – Saturday 17th September 2011
HT: 11-11 Att: 4,214

STRUGGLING sides Leicester Tigers and Newcastle Falcons battled to avoid being bottom of the table at Kingston Park. Homeside Newcastle started well, going straight at the Tigers’ defence from the off and picking up 3 points in the process from Jimmy Gopperth. A shocked Leicester side then woke up a little and came back with determination. Billy Twelvetrees evened the score to 3-3 within 5 minutes, and both sides worked hard to try and create space. Twelvetrees missed his next chance to knock over a penalty, which was eventually confirmed by the TMO, whereas Gopperth succeeded in his attempt minutes later. Play was scrappy with the Tigers looking slightly more untidy in their play than the Falcons, but Leicester were the first to seek out the tryline. Ed Slater finished a sweeping piece of play  but Twelvetrees was unable to convert from the wide angle. Newcastle were so close on many occasions but after Slater’s finish, they took the bull by the horns and delivered their own slick try just 5 minutes later from Greg Goosen. The conversion was similarly missed by Gopperth but it was enough to put the Falcons in front 11-8. Twelvetrees levelled the score in the 28th minute and it would remain so up to half time even though both teams had point scoring opportunities before the break.

Just after the restart Twelvetrees missed another penalty; his form was much deteriorated from last week, and Newcastle pushed into the lead when carefully considered play ended with Tim Swinson planting the ball and Gopperth converting. Julian Salvi then escaped the grasp of the Newcastle defence to bring the Tigers within 2 points of the Falcons, but Twelvetrees failed to convert again to close the gap. He regained some confidence though as an easy penalty sailed through minutes later. The score then swung between teams as each kicker added another 3 points before Newcastle took the lead again with controversial try in the 65th minute by Luke Fielden, who did not seem to believe he had succeeded himself, and it seemed likely that Leicester would see another defeat. However, in the 76th minute, Steve Mafi bolted over the line after some surging scrummaging led to wide open play. Leicester had clawed their way to victory and Newcastle were unlucky not to claim the win for themselves.  

15 Greg Goosen 14 Luke Fielden 13 Luke Eves 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Alex Tait 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Ashley Wells 4 James Hudson (C) 5 Tim Swinson 6 Mark Wilson 7 Will Welch 8 Richard Mayhew BENCH: 16 Joe Graham 17 Darren Fearne 18 James Hall 19 Glen Townson 20 Ally Hogg 21 Jordi Pasqualin 22 Rikki Sheriffe 23 Tom Catterick

SCORERS T: Goosen, Hudson, Fielden C: Gopperth P: Gopperth (3)

15 Scott Hamilton 14 Matt Smith 13 Billy Twelvetrees 12 Anthony Allen 11 Niall Morris 10 George Ford 9 James Grindal 1 Boris Stankovich 2 George Chuter (C) 3 Julian White 4 Ed Slater 5 George Skivington 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Michael Holford 18 Kieran Brookes 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Ben Woods 21 Mickey Young 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Andy Forsyth

SCORERS T: Slater, Salvi, Mafi P: Twelvetrees (4)

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BATH RUGBY 23 - 19 EXETER CHIEFS

RECREATION GROUND – Saturday 17th September 2011
HT: 9-6 Att: 10,827

EXETER Chiefs found themselves pressurised at The Rec against Bath Rugby, dampening their brilliant start to the season. Sam Vesty opened scoring early with a penalty which Exeter were foolish to give away. The homeside then pushed up into Chiefs territory and were determined to stay there. However, bad scrummaging gave Exeter a chance to clear their lines and enter into the Bath half. Unfortunately, their trip did not last long as Bath soon had possession again and squeezed Exeter back. Bath were on the brink of a try but were unable to penetrate; however, they still were awarded a penalty which Vesty happily popped over. Exeter began their scoring 2 minutes later when Ignacio Mieres replied with one of his own after Ben Skirving was caught coming in from the side. The referee caused a few problems for both teams in terms of calling when the ball was out of a ruck and this caused the game to not flow as nicely as it should have. However, Exeter had a few key moments where they could have capitalised if their passing had remained decent and the game was looking less one-sided in open play. Vesty and Mieres both scored another penalty each and the teams entered the changing room with little between them at half time, although Bath seemed to be struggling with the scrum.

Bath broke free from Exeter within a minute of play at the restart as Dan Hipkiss flew through the defence, brushing aside any tackles and ran over half the pitch to score. Vesty converted and Exeter looked unsettled. Bath had a change up with several new pairs of legs hitting the pitch and Exeter could do little but hope for penalties. Mieres claimed two of these and managed to move the Chiefs to only 4 points adrift before his own bench was spilt out onto the field to bring renewed attempts at the tryline.  It was Bath who would see the fruit of their efforts  though as Nathan Catt was shoved over and the TMO confirmed he was successful. Once again Vesty converted and Bath were assured of victory since the Chiefs could not catch up. Exeter had one last go at the Bath defence and took full advantage of their weak scrum, gaining a penalty try and an easy conversion for Mieres in the last minute of the match.  

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Carraro 13 Dan Hipkiss 12 Ben Williams 11 Tom Biggs 10 Sam Vesty 9 Mark McMillan 1 David Flatman 2 Pieter Dixon 3 Duncan Bell 4 Stuart Hooper (C) 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Carl Fearns 7 Guy Mercer 8 Ben Skirving BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Nathan Catt 18 Kane Palma-Newport 19 Dave Attwood 20 Andy Beattie 21 Michael Claassens 22 Tom Heathcote 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Hipkiss, Catt C: Vesty (2) P: Vesty (3)

15 Phil Dollman 14 Nic Sestaret 13 Bryan Rennie 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Peter Short 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 James Phillips BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Ben Moon 18 Chris Budgen 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Mark Foster

SCORERS T: Penalty Try C: Mieres P: Mieres (4)

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SARACENS 18 - 6 WORCESTER WARRIORS

VICARAGE ROAD – Sunday 18th September 2011
HT: 3-6 Att: 5,937

AT Vicarage Road, Saracens were met by a gutsy Worcester Warriors side who were keen to show the Sarries what they were made of. However, it was Charlie Hodgson who drew first blood when he slotted over a penalty just 2 minutes into play for the homeside. Saracens then dominated possession for most of the half with Worcester struggling to keep hold of the ball. The Warriors showed determination and grit in defence though, not allowing Saracens to breakthrough and do damage. Hodgson missed a penalty that struck the post, allowing Worcester to apply pressure and force a penalty which allowed Andy Goode to take a cheeky drop goal and level the score. From this point Worcester seem to awaken from their dull haze of the earlier minutes and really pushed on the Saracens’ defence. Eventually this led to the Warriors being awarded a penalty and Goode kicked Worcester into the lead for the end of the half.

Saracens seemed to be back with a renewed hunger  and clawed back the points within minutes of the beginning of the final 40 minutes thanks to Hodgson.. Worcester still troubled the Saracens and caused several worrying moments for their defence, but Saracens would be the ones to keep the score ticking over. Both fly halves missed chances for points with bad decision-making and kicking, but Hodgson soon made up for his mistakes breaking the Warriors’ ranks. The Saracens slickly passed and dodged before David Strettle finally planted the ball in the corner, unfortunately making the conversion too tough for Hodgson to manage. The second Saracens try was not as pretty, but showed the brute strength of Brad Barritt who heaved himself to the line, and was easier for Hodgson to convert successfully. Worcester had some fleeting prospects to pull back some points but nothing came of them, leaving the Warriors disappointed when the final whistle blew.

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Adam Powell 12 Brad Barritt 11 Joe Maddock 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Justin Melck 7 Andy Saull 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Deon Carstens 18 Mako Vunipola 19 Hugh Vyvyan 20 Will Fraser 21 Ben Spencer 22 Owen Farrell 23 James Short

SCORERS T: Strettle, Barritt C: Hodgson P: Hodgson (2)

15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Alex Crockett 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Jonny Arr 1 Matt Mullan 2 Chris Fortey 3 Bruce Douglas 4 Chris Jones 5 Craig Gillies 6 Matt Kvesic 7 Jake Abbott 8 Kai Horstmann (C) BENCH: 16 Ceri Jones 17 Ed Shervington 18 Tevita Taumoepeau 19 James Percival 20 Sam Betty 21 Ollie Frost 22 Joe Carlisle 23 Any Short

SCORERS P: Goode DG: Goode

 

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WEEK 2

TEMPERS were lost, cards were seen and, of course, fantastic tries were scored in this weekend’s Aviva Premiership clashes. First week jitters were no longer an excuse, and it was time for every team to prove they were up to scratch.

HARLEQUINS 26 - 13 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

TWICKENHAM STOOP – Friday 9th September 2011
HT: 12-7 Att: 10,990

NORTHAMPTON Saints knew that it would be a tough match against Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop, and from the off they looked a little out of their depth. Quins consistently applied pressure throughout the first half and had several wasted opportunities. So it was somewhat surprising when Northampton, after a few careful visits into enemy territory, suddenly spurted through the Harlequin ranks to score the first try of the match. Greig Tonks was the finisher in the 23rd minute, but the key break was made by Martin Roberts who snuck through the Quins defence just enough to open up some space. Stephen Myler converted with ease and Northampton were unexpectedly up 7-6. However, Quins ended the half in front due to plenty of penalties caused by forcing Saints into defence continually. Excellent kicking by Nick Evans was seen throughout the match, but he really excelled in the first 40 minutes leaving Quins 12-7 ahead at the break.

Quins were obviously not satisfied with the lack of tries so far as they restarted with real menace, and it was not long until their efforts paid off. The Saints’ defence had been holding up well and caused problems for the Harlequins, but Joe Gray eventually managed to pierce it at the 45th minute. However, tempers frayed throughout the match and after Gray’s try, there was a disturbance due to a late knee coming in from Saints. Myler managed to add another 3 points for Saints, but this was no use when Ugo Monye finished a beautiful passage of play and cruised over the tryline. After that, there was little hope for the Saints; they battled hard to make another breakthrough but it was never to be. Ryan Lamb mustered another token 3 points, but even when Quins numbers fell to 14 as James Johnston was binned in the 73rd minute, the Saints just could not find the gaps they needed.

15 Mike Brown 14 Ross Chisholm 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 Tim Fairbrother  4 Ollie Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Chris Robshaw (C)  7 Will Skinner 8 Chris York BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker  17 Mark  Lambert 18 James Johnston 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Luke Wallace 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Sam Smith

SCORERS T: Gray, Monye C: Evans (2) P: Evans (4) James Johnston

15 Greig Tonks 14 Tom May 13 Jon Clarke 12 James Downey 11 Noah Cato 10 Stephen Myler 9 Martin Roberts 1 Alex Waller 2 Andy Long 3 Brian Mujati 4 Samu Manoa 5 Christian Day 6 Calum Clark 7 Ben Nutley 8 Phil Dowson (C) BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Paul Doran Jones 18 Tom Mercey 19 Mark Sorenson 20 James Craig 21 Stuart Commins 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Scott Armstrong

SCORERS T: Tonks C: Myler P: Myler, Lamb

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SALE SHARKS 30 - 29 LONDON IRISH

EDGELEY PARK – Friday 9th September 2011
HT: 20-23 Att: 6,547

SUPPORTERS who made the trip to Edgeley Park were greeted with a fast paced, high energy game that was full of action. Sale Sharks got scoring underway with a lovely run by Rob Miller which led to Henry Thomas –who provided great support– dashing over the tryline after just 3 minutes.  Nick Macleod converted gracefully and the Sharks had laid down the gauntlet. London Irish accepted the challenge, and with a penalty by Tom Homer swiftly followed by a try from David Paice, which Homer converted, the score swung rapidly into Irish favour. From that point on it was end-to-end rugby and the score rocketed up for both sides. Sale hit back with a brilliant converted try from Gaskell and two penalties by the expert marksman Macleod. However, it was Irish who ended the half just ahead at 20-23 after more superb kicking by Homer and a well-deserved try from Jonathan Joseph. Sale were having trouble at times with set pieces, especially scrums, and this cost them points from penalties.

The second half did not begin as well for Sale as they would have hoped; Macleod made a rare error and missed the first penalty of the restart. It was the Exiles who had a major loss though with Marland Yarde having to be taken off with a dislocated shoulder after 47 minutes of play. However, almost immediately after this Homer managed to get the score moving again with a well-placed penalty. The match continued to have a huge turnover rate with each team working hard for possession. The points may have slowed but the pace of the game certainly did not. Eventually Dwayne Peel provided the only try of the second half with a miraculous run where he tripped and dodged several tackles before finally planting the ball. Miller stepped up to convert and Sale Sharks were nudged into the lead by a single point at 27-26. Miller then extended the gap with a penalty and although Irish tried desperately to find another 5 points, Homer could only muster another 3. The home side breathed a sigh of relief as the final whistle blew as they just managed to hold onto a Sharks victory.  

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Andrew Higgins 12 Will Addison 11 Joaquin Tuculet 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Lee Imiolek 2 Joe Ward 3 Henry Thomas 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour (C) 8 Mark Easter BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Aston Croall 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Tom Holmes 20 Tommy Taylor 21 Scott Mathie 22 Jordan Davies 23 Charlie Amesbury

SCORERS T: Thomas, Gaskell, Peel C: Macleod (3) P: Macleod (2), Miller

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Steve Shingler 11 Marland Yarde 10 Dan Bowden 9 Darren Allinson 1 Clarke Dermody (C) 2 David Paice 3 Leo Halavatau 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Matt Garvey 6 Kieran Roche 7 Alex Gray 8 Chris Hala'ufia BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Max Lahiff 18 Mark George 19 Tom Alexander 20 Ed Siggery 21 Adam Thompstone 22 Guy Armitage 23 Paul Hodgson

SCORERS T: Paice, Joseph C: Homer (2) P: Homer (5)

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EXETER CHIEFS 32 - 15 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

SANDY PARK – Saturday 10th September 2011
HT: 13-8 Att: 5,405

THERE was no waiting around for action from the Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park. Within 90 seconds of kick-off, Josh Tatupu had charged through an unprepared Newcastle Falcons side to claim the first try. The conversion was easy for Ignacio Mieres and the Chiefs were off to a flying start. Mieres then added to this early lead with a penalty at 17 minutes in, it was the perfect beginning but the Falcons were not going to roll over. Tom Catterick retaliated for Newcastle with a try but, unfortunately, he touched the ball down right in the corner, leaving the kick at a tricky angle and Jimmy Gopperth did not manage the conversion. Just before half time, Mieres successfully kicked another penalty and, although Gopperth answered this with a penalty of his own, the Chiefs headed down the tunnel happy with their attempts thus far 13-8 up.

The Falcons had remained in touching distance so far, but with the start of the second half their situation rapidly deteriorated. Sireli Naqelevuki charged his way through to find the tryline within 10 minutes of the restart and Mieres neatly converted. The Falcons threatened to come back at Exeter but were unable to make any use of the opportunities they had, and the Exeter defence held them at bay. Then a break for Exeter from Matt Jess allowed a quick offload to Phil Dollman, who slotted it under the posts giving Mieres another simple 2 points to add.  Newcastle did not give in to defeat though; they were still hunting for points and found them when James Fitzpatrick slipped the strong Exeter defence and grounded the ball for a consolatory try. But even with Gopperth successfully converting, it was not enough for the Falcons. Then, to add insult to injury, the Chiefs kept the ball in play after the 80 minutes were up long enough to score another try in the corner thanks to Jason Shoemark. Exeter were ecstatic with their play but Newcastle should not be disheartened; they fought hard and were unfortunate not to capitalise on more of their chances.

15 Phil Dollman 14 Josh Tatupu 13 Sireli Naqelevuki 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Hoani Tui 4 Tom Hayes (C) 5 Peter Short 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Ben Moon 18 Chris Budgen 19 Aly Muldowney 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Bryan Rennie

SCORERS T: Tatupu, Naqelevuki, Dollman, Shoemark C: Mieres (3) P: Mieres (2)

15 Greg Goosen 14 Luke Fielden 13 Luke Eves 12 James Fitzpatrick 11 Alex Tait 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Ashley Wells 4 James Hudson (C) 5 Tim Swinson 6 Mark Wilson 7 Will Welch 8 Richard Mayhew BENCH: 16 Joe Graham 17 Dan Frazier 18 James Hall 19 Glen Townson 20 Ally Hogg 21 Jordi Pasqualin 22 Rikki Sheriffe 23 Tom Catterick

SCORERS T: Catterick, Fitzpatrick C: Gopperth  P: Gopperth

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GLOUCESTER 29 - 8 WORCESTER WARRIORS

KINGSHOLM – Saturday 10th September 2011
HT: 19-3 Att: 12,604

GLOUCESTER had a shaky start at home with Tim Taylor finding touch from the kick-off causing a scrum which his side were then penalised for. But the homeside were soon applying pressure to Worcester and began to push the Warriors around in mauls. But strangely, it would be from a mistake that Gloucester’s first try would come. A failure to clear their lines properly with a kick left Gloucester facing a Warriors lineout in their own half, but loose passing from Joe Carlisle allowed Jonny May to take his opportunity and fly through under the posts. Carlisle then missed Worcester’s first chance at points pulling his kick to the left; he had a very poor match overall with bad kicking throughout. Taylor, however, was no longer having kicking problems and managed four successful penalties in the first half. Carlisle redeemed himself eventually with a penalty 4 minutes before half time, but the damage had been done. Warriors also felt a blow when Garvey was given a yellow for ball killing a minute before the break which added to their woes as they headed off the pitch down 19-3.

Worcester had a large deficit to make up in the second half and they began strongly, coming within just a couple of metres from the line early on, but it was not to be. The Warriors emptied their bench in the hope that fresh legs would help them but it was not enough. Gloucester had iron defence and Worcester just could not find the breaks needed and missed crucial penalties. Taylor was replaced after having an excellent match by Freddie Burns, who soon started adding to the Gloucester score with a penalty. At 76 minutes Gloucester were provided with a second try by Tom Voyce, converted by Burns, and Worcester fans slumped in the acceptance of defeat. Dale Rasmussen managed a last minute try but it was not enough to lift the mood; the Warriors had been crushed.

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Jonny May 12 Lesley Vainikolo 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Tim Taylor 9 Nick Runciman 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Dario Chistolini 4 Will James 5 Tom Savage 6 Peter Buxton (C) 7 Andy Hazell 8 Matt Cox BENCH: 16Nathan Charles 17 Dan Murphy 18 Rupert Harden 19 David Lyons 20 Gareth Evans 21 Dan Robson 22 Freddie Burns 23 Tom Voyce

SCORERS T: May, Voyce C: Taylor, Burns P: Taylor (4), Burns

Worcester Warriors: 15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Joe Carlisle 9 Shaun Perry 1 Matt Mullan 2 Chris Fortey 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Neil Best 7 Jake Abbott 8 Kai Horstmann (C) BENCH: 16 Ed Shervington 17 George Porter 18 Bruce Douglas 19 Chris Jones 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Jonny Arr 22 Andy Goode 23 Tom Arscott

SCORERS T: Rasmussen P: Carlisle  Marcel Garvey

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BATH RUGBY 26 - 28 SARACENS

RECREATION GROUND – Saturday 10th September 2011
HT: 17-13 Att: 10,085

A strong clash was seen at Bath Rugby’s home ground as they met Saracens for a close match. Bath started well with a simple penalty kick for Sam Vesty to glide over. Owen Farrell soon answered this with one of his own, with some help from an upright. Farrell was then provided with an early conversion to quell any nerves after James Short broke through to finish a long passage of play by Saracens. But Bath hit back within a 2 minutes with a lovely through ball from Vesty which bounced up nicely for Nick Abendanon, who planted it neatly.  The scores now equal at 10 a piece in less than 15 minutes, both teams were really pushing themselves to find more. Each side had problems with the scrum however, often causing collapses, but Saracens were the ones to claim the key penalty from it and Farrell took the opportunity successfully. It was Bath who ended the half triumphantly though with Carl Fearns making the long dash to the line after a quick break and offload by Ben Skirving.

But it would be penalties in the second half which would be the decider for the match. Both Farrell and Vesty were on top kicking form, and there was plenty of opportunity for them to show it. Saracens went down to 14 men after Andy Saull was binned in the 65th minute but Bath still could not break the hard-hitting Sarries defence. The score swung violently as with each penalty kick, the advantage swerved between teams. Farrell had managed to get the Sarries 17-22 up before Vesty answered him with two penalties pulling Bath ahead by 1 point. The last 10 minutes were tense as Farrell kicked Sarries ahead again, only to be overshadowed by another Vesty kick; it looked like the home side would scrape a victory. But, in the final minute of the match, Farrell got his chance. He stepped up to take the pivotal kick from a wide angle and hit the posts before the ball fell in to win the match.

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Carraro 13 Dan Hipkiss 12 Ben Williams 11 Tom Biggs 10 Sam Vesty 9 Michael Claassens 1 David Flatman (C) 2 Pieter Dixon 3 Kane Palma-Newport 4 Dave Attwood 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Ben Skirving 7 Carl Fearns 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Nathan Catt 18 Duncan Bell 19 Will Spencer 20 Guy Mercer 21 Mark McMillan 22 Paul Roberts 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Abendanon, Fearns C: Vesty, Roberts P: Vesty (4)

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Adam Powell 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Owen Farrell 9 Neil de Kock 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Justin Melck 7 Andy Saull 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Deon Carstens 18 Mako Vunipola 19 George Kruis 20 Will Fraser 21 Ben Spencer 22 Charlie Hodgson 23 Joe Maddock

SCORERS T: Short C: Farrell P: Farrell (7)

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LONDON WASPS 35 - 29 LEICESTER TIGERS

ADAMS PARK – Sunday 11th September 2011
HT: 17-20 Att: 5,078

LONDON Wasps continued their excellent start to the season at home when they met Leicester Tigers. Leicester started well with good pressure on Wasps and were awarded an early penalty which Billy Twelvetrees successfully took. This was the start of an outstanding game for Twelvetrees, who scored all of Leicester’s points. Nicky Robinson missed his first chance to equalise, but managed to swerve his second chance over the bar in the 10th minute. Twelvetrees did not let the score remain this way for long though and went on the rampage, scoring a penalty, a try and a conversion in the space of 4 minutes. Wasps replied in the strongest fashion possible, first with a try from Nic Berry which was expertly set-up by Christian Wade, and then from Wade himself who’s pace was formidable, both of which were converted by Robinson. But the Tigers were prowling and were not willing to end the half down, George Ford broke away from the ruck and Twelvetrees finished the job before slotting over the conversion for a 20-17 lead.

The second half saw Twelvetrees continue to be on brilliant kicking form, but it was not enough. Out of nowhere, Wade took off for a truly awe-inspiring run. He flew past the Tigers, dodging any threat of a tackle, and scored a beautiful try. Unfortunately, Robinson’s shot at goal ricocheted off the post. His kicking had not been good all game and was soon replaced by Ryan Davis. Davis quickly added 3 points to put Wasps in the lead, but this was soon lost back to Leicester with Twelvetrees achieving an easy penalty. But the home side showed grit and determination with another penalty plus an additional try from Wade, who once again won the race to the ball. Wasps rejoiced as even with another penalty for Leicester, the game was theirs. Wasps could not have asked for a better opening fortnight to the Premiership.

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Varndell 13 Chris Bell 12 Riki Flutey 11 Christian Wade 10 Nicky Robinson 9 Charlie Davies 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Richard Birkett 5 Marco Wentzel 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 John Hart (C) BENCH:16 Nathan Morris 17 Jeremy Castex 18 Bob Baker 19 Ross Filipo 20 Joe Burton 21 Nic Berry 22 Ryan Davis 23 Richard Haughton

SCORERS T: Berry, Wade (3) C: Robinson (2), Davis P: Robinson, Davis (2)

15 Scott Hamilton 14 Matt Smith 13 Billy Twelvetrees 12 Anthony Allen 11 Mathew Tait 10 George Ford 9 James Grindal 1 Boris Stankovich 2 George Chuter (C) 3 Kieran Brookes 4 Ed Slater 5 George Skivington 6 Steve Mafi 7 Ben Woods 8 Julian Salvi BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Jonny Harris 18 Peter Bucknall 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Thomas Waldrom 21 Mickey Young 22 Jeremy Staunton 23 Niall Morris

SCORERS T: Twelvetrees (2) C: Twelvetrees (2) P: Twelvetrees (5)

 

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WEEK 1

THE Aviva Premiership began in thrilling fashion  on Saturday with more than one shock amongst the results.

LONDON IRISH 24 - 29 HARLEQUINS

TWICKENHAM - Saturday 3rd September 2011
HT: 6-13 Att: 55,437

THE 2011-12 tournament kicked off at Twickenham in glorious sunshine and saw Harlequins triumph over London Irish 24-29. Quins dominated from the outset with a try from James Johnston, and some excellent kicking by Nick Evans, with little competition from Irish. Irish stayed within touching distance with two penalties by Tom Homer, but the first half had not been a convincing performance, and Quins led 13-6 going into the break.

When the Exiles strode out onto the pitch after half time, they clearly meant business. Topsy Ojo pulled out all the stops and managed to pick up two tries within 11 minutes, which Homer successfully converted. Harlequins continued to play well though and Ugo Monye added to their points with another try. The Exiles battled back with some ambitious play, and Homer managed to achieve another 3 points in the 77th minute. But Quins held a great defence and continued to apply pressure until the end, leaving Irish just out of reach. Irish Coach, Toby Booth was not too downhearted though; he agreed that there had been more good than bad in the Irish game and was pleased to see his younger players trying out more complex play, even if it did not always pay off.

15 Tom Homer 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Dan Bowden (C) 11 Marland Yarde 10 Adrian Jarvis 9 Paul Hodgson 1 Max Lahiff 2 David Paice 3 Faan Rautenbach 4 Nick Kennedy 5 Matt Garvey 6 Kieran Roche 7 Richard Thorpe 8 Chris Hala’ufia BENCH: 16 James Buckland 17 Clarke Dermody 18 Leo Halavatau 19 James Sandford 20 Alex Gray 21 Adam Thompstone 22 Steve Shingler 23 Darren Allinson
 
SCORERS T: Ojo (2) C: Homer P: Homer (4)

15 Mike Brown 14 Ross Chisholm 13 George Lowe 12 Jordan Turner-Hall 11 Ugo Monye 10 Nick Evans 9 Karl Dickson 1 Joe Marler 2 Joe Gray 3 James Johnston 4 Ollie Kohn 5 George Robson 6 Chris Robshaw (C) 7 Will Skinner 8 Tom Guest BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Mark Lambert 18 Tim Fairbrother 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Chris York 21 Richard Bolt 22 Rory Clegg 23 Sam Smith

SCORERS T: Johnston, Monye C: Evans (2) P: Evans (5)

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LEICESTER TIGERS 28 - 30 EXETER CHIEFS

WELFORD ROAD - Saturday 3rd September 2011
HT: 15-23 Att: 18,251

THE biggest upset of the round one came from Exeter Chiefs narrowly beating Leicester Tigers 28-30 at fortress Welford Road. The game was 80 minutes of tension and fast pace play, starting with an instantaneous try by Sireli Naqelevuki for Exeter almost directly from kick-off which took Leicester by surprise. The first half saw end-to-end combat from then on, with each team answering the other as the points stacked up on both sides. The Tigers saw two tries, thanks to Thomas Waldrom and Niall Morris, one conversion from Billy Twelvetrees, and a drop goal by George Ford all in the first ten minutes in response to the Chiefs early points. But this was not enough. Leicester’s poor defence allowed Tom Johnson to score another try which Ignacio Mieres converted successfully as he had done previously with Naqelevuki’s. Mieres also kicked 3 beautifully accurate penalties in the half leaving Exeter on top at half time at 15-23.

The second half began just as fiercely with Twelvetrees adding the first points from a penalty. But the Chiefs were soon slipping past the Tiger’s defensive lines again, and this time Matt Jess took the opportunity to plant the ball straight under the posts, setting up an easy conversion for Mieres. The Tigers were not about to roll over and let the Chiefs claim a victory easily though; Waldrom set up a brilliant try for Morris by passing him a lovely chip ball to chase and finish, leading to another 7 points for Leicester. But at the end of the match it all came down to a drop goal. There were just 2 points in it and Ford punted the ball in a valiant effort to steal the match, but it was to no avail. Exeter Chiefs held onto the win and walked away proud of their first match of the season.

15 Scott Hamilton 14 Matt Smith 13 Billy Twelvetrees 12 Anthony Allen 11 Niall Morris 10 George Ford 9 James Grindal 1 Boris Stankovich 2 George Chuter (C) 3 Kieran Brookes 4 Ed Slater 5 George Skivington 6 Steve Mafi 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Jenny Harris 18 Pete Bucknall 19 Ben Woods 20 Tom Armes 21 Micky Young 22 Lee Robinson 23 Andy Forsyth

SCORERS T: Waldrom, Morris (2) C: Twelvetrees (2) P: Twelvetrees (2) D: Ford

15 Luke Arscott 14 Josh Tatupu 13 Sireli Naqelevuki 12 Jason Shoemark 11 Matt Jess 10 Ignacio Mieres 9 Haydn Thomas 1 Brett Sturgess 2 Chris Whitehead 3 Hoani Tui 4 Peter Short 5 James Hanks 6 Tom Johnson 7 James Scaysbrook (C) 8 Richard Baxter BENCH: 16 Neil Clark 17 Ben Moon 18 Chris Budgen 19 Tom Hayes 20 Ben White 21 Kevin Barrett 22 Gareth Steenson 23 Bryan Rennie

SCORERS T: Naqelevuki, Johnson, Jess C: Mieres (3) P: Mieres (3)

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WORCESTER 17 - 12 SALE SHARKS

SIXWAYS - Saturday 3rd September 2011
HT: 7-6 Att: 8,602

THIS season’s newly promoted Worcester Warriors beat a strong Sale Sharks team at Sixways. Warriors seemed to be struggle for the first 20 minutes with Sale having most of the possession and all the opportunities. Even after Sale lost Rob Miller to injury within the first 10 minutes, the Sharks remained strong. But after this, Worcester awoke and started to make some good breaks into Shark territory. Sharks had definite problems with their scrum, pulling it down almost every time which left them being penalised repeatedly. Both teams battled for the remainder of the half, but it looked like Sale would finish it with the only points thanks to Nick Macleod. But in the 40th minute, Miles Benjamin sprinted over the try line after a good piece of open play - minus an earlier uncalled forward pass - from the Warriors. Goode converted and the half ended with the Warriors a point up, 7-6.

It was to get worse for the Sharks in the second half in terms of scrummaging; the constant errors in the scrum 5m from the Sharks line eventually persuaded the referee, David Rose, to award a penalty try to Warriors. This left the visitors trailing 14-6 and they never managed to recover. Even when Worcester’s Alex Grove was made briefly absent due to a yellow card, the Sharks could not capitalise on the extra manpower. Both Goode and Macleod added further penalty kicks for their respective sides, but Macleod’s efforts were not enough and the match ended with an elated Warriors team winning 17-12.

15 Errie Claassens 14 Marcel Garvey 13 Alex Grove 12 Dale Rasmussen 11 Miles Benjamin 10 Andy Goode 9 Shaun Perry 1 Matt Mullan 2 Ed Shervington 3 Tevita Taumoepeau 4 James Percival 5 Craig Gillies 6 Neil Best 7 Jake Abbott 8 Kai Horstmann (C) BENCH: 16 Chris Fortey 17 George Porter 18 Bruce Douglas 19 Chris Jones 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Jonny Arr 22 Joe Carlisle 23 Chris Pennell

SCORERS T: Benjamin, PT C: Goode (2) P: Goode

15 Rob Miller 14 Tom Brady 13 Andrew Higgins 12 Will Addison 11 Joaquin Tuculet 10 Nick Macleod 9 Dwayne Peel 1 Lee Imiolek 2 Joe Ward 3 Vadim Cobilas 4 Fraser McKenzie 5 Kearnan Myall 6 James Gaskell 7 David Seymour (C) 8 Mark Easter BENCH: 16 Marc Jones 17 Aston Croall 18 Henry Thomas 19 Tom Holmes 20 Neil Briggs 21 Scott Mathie 22 Kyle Tonetti 23 Charlie Amesbury

SCORERS P: Macleod (3) DG: Macleod

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SARACENS 15 - 20 LONDON WASPS

TWICKENHAM - Saturday 3rd September 2011
HT: 9-13 Att: 55,437

ANOTHER slight jolt of surprise was sent shivering around Twickenham when London Wasps stepped up against Saracens and won 20-15. Wasps brought a passionate game to the London Double Header and showed the determination they had been lacking last season. Christian Wade in the first half, and Tom Varndell in the second, both scored superb tries, and paired with brilliantly accurate kicking from Nicky Robinson, the Wasps were on top form.

Director of Rugby, Dai Young was obviously delighted with the win but was clear that the team still are not the finished article and need to stay focus on constant improvement. Saracens had a disappointing first home game in terms of set pieces and defence, especially when it came to lineouts. Although both Owen Farrell and Charlie Hodgson had a good kicking match, it was not enough to save Saracens and they were thwarted in successfully finding the try line. Director of Rugby, Mark McCall said there was a lot to learn from this game and, although the start to their season has not gone to plan, the Saracens would certainly not let it hold them back. But for Wasps, this victory was a great achievement and a brilliant way to start the season.

15 Alex Goode 14 David Strettle 13 Adam Powell 12 Brad Barritt 11 James Short 10 Owen Farrell 9 Neil de Kock 1 Rhys Gill 2 Schalk Brits 3 Carlos Nieto 4 Steve Borthwick (C) 5 Mouritz Botha 6 Justin Melck 7 Andy Saull 8 Ernst Joubert BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Deon Carstens 18 Petrus du Plessis 19 George Kruis 20 Jackson Wray 21 Ben Spencer 22 Charlie Hodgson 23 Duncan Taylor

SCORERS P: Farrell (3), Hodgson (2)

15 Hugo Southwell 14 Tom Varndell 13 Chris Bell 12 Riki Flutey 11 Christian Wade 10 Nicky Robinson 9 Charlie Davies 1 Tim Payne 2 Rob Webber 3 Ben Broster 4 Richard Birkett 5 Marco Wentzel 6 Joe Launchbury 7 Jonathan Poff 8 John Hart (C) BENCH: 16 Nathan Morris 17 Jeremy Castex 18 Bob Baker 19 James Cannon 20 Billy Vunipola 21 Nic Berry 22 Ryan Davis 23 Richard Haughton

SCORERS T: Wade, Varndell C: Robinson (2) P: Robinson (2)

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NEWCASTLE FALCONS 9 - 22 BATH RUGBY

KINGSTON PARK - Saturday 3rd September 2011
HT: 9-13 Att: 3,250

NEWCASTLE FALCONS struggled against Bath Rugby and it showed, losing 9-22 at Kingston Park. It all started to go wrong for the Falcons within the first 10 minutes when Sam Vesty made an explosive break through the Newcastle ranks and passed out to Matt Carraro who finished neatly. Vesty then began his kicking streak by converting this early try before going on to successfully pull off a drop goal. The rest of the points were based on penalties; Newcastle scored just three within the first half, thanks to some beautiful kicking from Jimmy Gopperth, but there was no more to come. The Falcons showed grit and determination in parts, especially early on, but never managed to use any of their few opportunities advantageously. Vesty showed how talented he is with his boots through four successful penalties throughout the match, three in the second half. Newcastle looked unconvincing through the entirety, worrying the Bath defence every now and then before losing possession, and Bath coasted to victory.

15 Greg Goosen 14 Luke Fielden 13 Luke Eves 12 Jamie Helleur 11 Alex Tait 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Chris Pilgrim 1 Grant Shiells 2 Rob Vickers 3 Ashley Wells 4 James Hudson (C) 5 Andrew van der Heijden 6 Mark Wilson 7 Will Welch 8 Richard Mayhew BENCH: 16 Joe Graham 17 Dan Frazier 18 James Hall 19 Tim Swinson 20 Ally Hogg 21 Jordi Pasqualin 22 James Fitzpatrick 23 Tom Catterick

SCORERS P: Gopperth (3)

15 Nick Abendanon 14 Matt Carraro 13 Dan Hipkiss 12 Ben Williams 11 Tom Briggs 10 Sam Vesty 9 Michael Claassens 1 David Flatman 2 Pieter Dixon 3 Kane Palma-Newport 4 Stuart Hooper (C) 5 Ryan Caldwell 6 Ben Skirving 7 Carl Ferns 8 Simon Taylor BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Nathan Catt 18 Duncan Bell 19 Dave Attwood 20 Guy Mercer 21 Mark McMillan 22 Paul Roberts 23 Jack Cuthbert

SCORERS T: Carraro C: Vesty P: Vesty (4) DG: Vesty

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NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 26 - 24 GLOUCESTER

FRANKLIN'S GARDENS - Sunday 4th September 2011
HT: 17-13 Att: 12,032

THE only Sunday game was that of Northampton Saints against Gloucester Rugby at Franklin’s Gardens, where the Saints narrowly came out victorious at 26-24. Both teams began strongly with tit-for-tat play, but it was Saints who achieved the first points of the match with a penalty kicked by Stephen Myler 13 minutes in. Gloucester soon equalised with their own penalty from Tim Taylor, and the Cherry and Whites also began testing out the Saints’ defence with some imposing runs. However, the Gloucester lines were the first to crack, yielding Northampton a try thanks to skilful play by Greig Tonks and Myler with captain, Phil Dowson finishing perfectly under the posts for an easy conversion. But Gloucester replied with Jonny May charging down a badly executed kick and running through to score, allowing Taylor to pop the ball over neatly at the conversion. But it was a try by Martin Roberts that left the Saints 17-13 up at half time after catching Gloucester off-guard.

The visitors felt the pressure in the second half, and this was not helped by losing Peter Buxton to a yellow for ball killing. They began a comeback, first with a penalty kicked by Freddie Burns, and then a try by Charlie Sharples; there was the promise of victory in the air and Gloucester could taste it. The fans must have thought Gloucester were winners when Burns kicked a well-timed and executed drop goal in the last 10 minutes but alas, they were to be proved wrong. A late penalty to Saints gave them success when Ryan Lamb coolly took a 77th minute penalty leaving the Saints two points ahead.

15 Greig Tonks 14 Paul Diggin 13 Tom May 12 James Downey 11 Noah Cato 10 Stephen Myler 9 Martin Roberts 1 Paul Doran-Jones 2 Andy Long 3 Brian Mujati 4 Samu Manoa 5 Mark Sorenson 6 Calum Clark 7 Ben Nutley 8 Phil Dowson (C) BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Tom Mercey 19 Christian Day 20 James Craig 21 Stuart Commins 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Scott Armstrong

SCORERS T: Dowson, Roberts C: Myler (2) P: Myler (3), Lamb

15 Olly Morgan 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Jonny May 12 Lesley Vainikolo 11 James Simpson-Daniel 10 Tim Taylor 9 Dave Lewis 1 Nick Wood 2 Darren Dawidiuk 3 Dario Chistolini 4 Will James 5 Alex Brown 6 Peter Buxton (C) 7 Andrew Hazell 8 Matt Cox BENCH: 16 Nathan Charles 17 Dan Murphy 18 Rupert Harden 19 Tom Savage 20 Gareth Evans 21 Nick Runciman 22 Freddie Burns 23 Tom Voyce

SCORERS T: May, Sharples C: Taylor P: Taylor (2), Burns DG: Burns

 

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2011-12...AN INTRO...

by Emily Ruscoe

THE Aviva Premiership is upon us and this year’s tournament promises to be an exciting one. Not only are there plenty of changes within teams, and promoted Worcester Warriors replace relegated Leeds Carnegie, but there is the added factor that the Rugby World Cup 2011 has left many teams without key players.

Last year, Leicester Tigers lost out to Saracens in a dramatic final and are determined not to be disappointed again. They have several new additions to their team including Mathew Tait. The former Shark is a very welcome addition to the team –especially as Manu Tuilagi is in New Zealand– and will add experience to the side. It is not just Tuilagi who is lost to the England World Cup team though; Dan Cole, Tom Croft, Louis Deacon, Toby Flood and Ben Youngs are all included in the squad, leaving Leicester somewhat flustered. Add in their captain, Geordan Murphy, surprisingly being called up for Ireland, and Jordan Crane being out for injury, selection options are looking tricky. But Leicester remain confident with their first match being against Exeter Chiefs, who they beat twice last season in the Premiership.

Exeter will not be letting them have an easy match though after beating Leicester in January for the first time in 45 years in the LV= Cup. They have not been hit hard by the Rugby World Cup and have managed to draw in several useful transfers. The Chiefs are also looking to secure Pat Phibbs on a short term loan at the last minute in order to sure-up their number 9 position. Tommy Hayes has been tasked with captaining the team through the season and avoiding ‘second season syndrome’ for the Chiefs. He is eager to take up the challenge and there is confidence that this season is going to be a good one for Exeter.

Worcester also have high hopes for this season. The Warriors have seen themselves move up out of the RFU Championship after losing just one match in an impressive 2010-11 season.  However, they are very unfortunate in the loss of their captain, Pat Sanderson, who was forced into retirement due to a shoulder injury. But Head Coach Richard Hill has said he has faith in his young flanker options Jake Abbott and Matt Kvesic who have played very well in pre-season. The Warriors meet Sale Sharks in their opening game of the season.

Alongside Steve Diamond returning to Sale as Executive Director of Sport at the beginning of the year, and former Wasps coach Tony Hanks taking over the reins as 1st XV coach this season, the Sharks have a new captain, Sam Tuitupou, to head up their bid for the Premiership title. After a disappointing end to their campaign last year, Tuitupou needs to ensure the team is off to a winning start. With Andrew Sheridan and Mark Cueto away in New Zealand, and Mathew Tait and Charlie Hodgson transferring away, the Sharks will need to show their strength from the outset.

Newcastle Falcons take on Bath Rugby for the first round and neither team are looking particularly strong. The Falcons lost their last 7 matches of last season’s Premiership but have gained two Samoan internationals who should help.Bath are weakened substantially by world cup absentees including losing Matt Banahan and Lewis Moody. However, they have signed Springbok Francois Louw who has had a good Tri Nations even if his team did not. Unfortunately Louw will not be seeing any action for his new club until he returns from New Zealand after playing for South Africa.

Gloucester Rugby and Northampton Saints have also lost key players for the duration of the Rugby World Cup but are both keen to show what they are made of. Gloucester will need to bring determination and commitment to their game as their away statistics are not favourable at the moment, nor were their results from last season’s Premiership winning 2 out of 6 of their last games. Saints are eager to lay down a challenge and prove they have what it takes this year having reached the play off last season.

Meanwhile, the London sides are preparing for the London Double Header at Twickenham as Saracens meet London Wasps and London Irish take on Harlequins in what promises to be two thrilling matches. Irish and Harlequins are both struggling with missing RWC players, but the Exiles see the addition of Tom Alexander who should prove be an effective signing. The Harlequins are the reigning Amlin Challenge Cup champions and so should certainly not be underestimated. They are a spirited team who have been steadily rebuilding under the leadership of Conor O’Shea since the departure of Dean Richards and will certainly not lie down for the Exiles , though equally, London Irish are not likely to take no for an answer.

Wasps are the team to watch this season; after a dismal display last year they are resolute to come back fighting. The new Director of Rugby, Dai Young, is sure that his team are more able this season and has signed many new players to create a “much better balance in the squad”. However, they have recently lost Tom Rees to injury and Dan Ward-Smith has had to retire with back problems.

Saracens are reigning Aviva Premiership winners and are not going to relinquish the title without a fight. They will prove a tough contest for Wasps to start their campaign, especially with their current played 11 - won 11 record. But with many of their star players absent, will they hold it together?

Let the games begin...