Round Five of the Aviva Premiership saw victories for Bath, Harlequins, Sale, Gloucester, Northampton Saints and Newcastle. Here are the Top five talking points of this week.
Five Talking Points After Week Five of the Aviva Premiership
1: Bath Show Title Credentials With Saracens Victory
For a second week running Bath were involved in the stand-out game in the Aviva Premiership. On this occasion they came out victorious in the top of the table clash against Saracens.
Centre pairing Kyle Eastmond and Jonathan Joseph got the tries in a 10 point victory. Both players also added to their calls for International recognition with their performances as they dovetailed superbly in midfield. Where Sam Burgess is going to fit into the team is a nice headache for Head Coach Mike Ford to have.
Burgess’ arrival at Bath will now be delayed due to the fractured cheekbone and eye socket injuries he acquired during the NRL Rugby League Final. He has had a metal plate inserted in his face and no decision has yet been made on when he will arrive at the Rec.
2: Falcons Safe From Relegation?
Is it possible that Newcastle Falcons have already secured their status with a surprise victory over the Exeter Chiefs last weekend? There are 17 rounds of fixtures yet to be played but this win could see Dean Richards’ side safe from the dreaded drop.
Their main relegation rivals, London Welsh, received another hammering in their game against Harlequins. Welsh already have a -205 points differential and it looks bleak for them even at this early stage of the season.
Falcons fans will take solace from the win against the Chiefs and will be hoping to see more of the same in their game with London Welsh on Saturday. If Newcastle manage to get an away win in this game it will surely be curtains for Welsh.
3: Cockerill Under Increasing Pressure
Two wins from their opening five games tells only part of the story for Leicester Tigers’ season so far. The run of injuries that the club are going through is unprecedented and you can now add full back Matthew Tait to the list after he injured his neck in the game against Gloucester.
This week Tigers head coach faced the media and took full blame for the poor start, adding that he is not in fear of losing his job. Cockerill said:
“We are in this together and we will come out the other end. I need to talk to protect the playing environment. I’ll talk about things. We are in this together and we will come out the other end. There is only so much players can say anyway. It’s my fault if we lose. I’m not worried about getting the sack.”
Tigers take on Harlequins at Welford Road this Friday and this has to be seen as a must win game for Cockerill.
4: Game of The Weekend: Saracens v Gloucester
Last weekend we saw a glimpse of what Gloucester can do as they steamrolled a poor Tigers team. They played superbly in the first half, which David Humphreys will want to see more often from his charges. Consistency is the key and they will be severely tested with a trip to Saracens on Saturday.
Saracens tasted defeat for the first time this season against Bath and will be out for revenge against Gloucester. Sarries are third in the the defeat while the Cherry and Whites lie in fifth.
Gloucester have to match the Saracens scrum if they are to have any hope of coming from Allianz Park with any points. If they don’t, I can see Sarries running riot against a side who are showing plenty of promise but are nowhere near the levels of that Saracens set week by week.
5: England Out Half Watch
Freddie Burns, Danny Cipriani, George Ford and Stephen Myler all started for their clubs in Week five, but there was no Owen Farrell in the Saracens as he remains injured
George Ford continued his sensational start to the season as he orchestrated Bath’s win over Saracens. He missed two tricky kicks in the first half but nailed a crucial one before half time. Ford ended up with 11 points.
Stephen Myler was also crucial to Northampton Saints win away to London Irish. Myler kicked 14 of their 19 points. Danny Cipriani notched up 10 points in Sale Sharks win against Wasps. Freddie Burns was not on kicking duties for Leicester Tigers and would not have started if Seremaia Bai had not got injured before the game.
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