Round 7 of the Aviva Premiership saw victories for Harlequins, Wasps, Exeter Chiefs, Sale Sharks, and Bath. Leicester Tigers and Saracens drew. Here are my top five Talking Points after Round Seven.
Five Talking Points After Round 7 of Aviva Premiership
1: Wasps Bid Farewell To Adams Park
Wasps finished their 12 year stay at Adams Park with a massive win over London Welsh on Sunday. A 71-6 victory over the Premiership’s bottom side was a fitting farewell for Dai Young’s ever improving team.
Adams Park has not been the fortress it once was in the last number of seasons but the era of 2005 – 2010 that saw Dallaglio, Vickery, Shaw and Dawson light up the stadium will always live long in the memories of all Wasps fans. Many top teams visited and left with nothing when Wasps were in their pomp during this period.
A fresh start in Coventry is just what the club needs to help bring back the glory days. Players like Elliot Daly, Nathan Hughes and Ashley Johnson are the future of the club, and have the ability to lead Wasps into a new, successful era.
2: Waldrom and Hughes England’s Best No. 8 Options at Present
Thomas Waldrom and Nathan Hughes are the in-form Number 8’s in the Aviva Premiership this season and their omission from the England set up is becoming a major talking point. Billy Vunipola and Ben Morgan are not at their best and Stuart Lancaster needs to make a decision before the 6 Nations on these two players.
Waldrom has taken to life in Devon with the Chiefs like a duck to water and is benefiting from starting regularly after his move from Leicester. Hughes has been sensational for Wasps this season and both deserve to be in Lancaster’s plans.
Vunipola looks like a player that is carrying an injury and could do with a break. His dynamism with ball in hand is his greatest quality but he has not been up to scratch so far this season. Morgan has his chance against Samoa this weekend but question marks remain about his ability to play international rugby. Saturday’s game could be a make-or-break for him.
3: Chiefs Continue To Impress
Exeter Chiefs moved up to second in the table after they saw off Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens. Thomas Waldrom weighed in with two first half tries as the Chiefs went into half time with a 21-6 lead over their top-of-the-table rivals. Luke Cowan-Dickie scored their third try. Saints launched a second half comeback to earn a losing bonus point.
Rob Baxter is looking to build a dynasty at Exeter and if he can keep his star young players, Sam Hill, Jack Nowell, Dave Ewers and Henry Slade at the club, few would argue that Baxter’s boys aren’t here to stay in the upper echelons of the Premiership.
The Chiefs welcome Wasps to Sandy Park this weekend and will have extra motivation as they have the chance to go top of the table if results go their way. This will be no easy task as Wasps are in good form themselves. It’s sure to be one of the games of the weekend.
4: Tigers Slowly Clawing Their Way Back
A quick glance at the Aviva Premiership will see Leicester Tigers in the very unfamiliar 9th place, 10 points off the leaders. A lot of that is due to the horrendous injuries they have suffered but all may not have been right on the coaching front.
Backs Coach Paul Burke left at the end of October and his responsibilities will be shared by Phil Blake and Tigers legend Geordan Murphy. There were little shoots of growth on show against Saracens last weekend when a lot of hard work and a little bit of Saracens ill discipline helped Tigers to a deserved draw.
Brad Thorn was made captain for this game and it proved to be a master stroke from Richard Cockerill. Thorn leads from the front and the Tigers performance embodied Thorn completely. The return of Dan Cole was also a highlight and the 21,680 home crowd were beyond happy to see the tighthead prop take his place in the starting lineup.
5: England Out Half Watch
Owen Farrell started while George Ford came off the bench as England lost to South Africa. Danny Cipriani and Stephen Myler both started for their clubs while Freddie Burns was an unused sub for Leicester Tigers.
Myler kept up his good form in Northampton’s defeat against Exeter where he kicked eight points. Cipriani also continued his impressive start to the season by kicking 11 points in Sale’s victory over London Irish.
Freddie Burns has fallen behind Owen Williams in the pecking order at Leicester and this has to be a major worry for the former Gloucester man. Burns needs to get back into the Tigers team quickly if he is to have any chance of getting back in the England setup.
An interesting proposition for England sees George Ford picked at out half with Owen Farrell shifting to inside centre for the game against Samoa. Farrell has played in the position before and if the link up works, we could see it against Australia next weekend. Interesting times are ahead.
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