Round 9 of the Aviva Premiership saw victories for Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs, Northampton Saints Sale Sharks, Bath and Leicester Tigers. Here are my Top Five Talking Points After Round Nine of Aviva Premiership.
1: Burgess Debut In Bath Win
Sam Burgess’ switch from rugby league has completely captured the imagination of the majority of northern hemisphere union fans and we got a glimpse of him as Bath beat Harlequins at the Rec last weekend.
Burgess arrived on the scene with 20 minutes remaining and with Quins down to 12 men. In truth, the Yorkshire man did not have a huge impact on the game, but we will get another chance to see him in action this weekend when Bath play Montpellier in the Champions Cup.
The debate rages on as to where Burgess’ talents will best serve club and country, but for the moment it looks like Bath see him as an inside centre. This will please England coach Stuart Lancaster as he continues to tinker with his centre pairing.
2: Chiefs Continue To Soar
Exeter continued their rise up the table with their fourth consecutive win in the Aviva Premiership. Saracens were the latest victims thanks to the boot of Gareth Steenson’s, who kicked nine penalties. Steenson’s week got even better this week as he signed a new three year contract.
The Chiefs now sit in third place; three points off top of the table Northampton and seven ahead of fourth place Saracens. Sandy Park has become one of the most difficult places to visit in the league and the Chiefs have taken full advantage of it.
Their young stars like Henry Slade, Sam Hill, and Dave Ewers have grabbed a lot of the headlines this season but they have been propped up with superb performances from Steenson, Dean Mumm, Moray Low, as well as the sensational form of Thomas Waldrom. The Chiefs have become a joy to watch.
3: Cipriani’s Class Clinches Sharks Win
All the talk before, during, and after the Autumn Internationals has been the debate over who should start out at half for England with Owen Farrell and George Ford being the main protagonists. Danny Cipriani reminded everyone against Newcastle Flacons that he still has supreme ability.
For the majority of this game the Falcons were on top, but could not pull away from Sale. Enter Cipriani. Inside his own 22, the mercurial out half chipped over the Falcons defence, showed his speed to collect and pass to Mark Jennings, who passed to Jonny Leota for the try.
This was a moment of genius from Cipriani that clinched Sale’s third win in a row. Cipriani has been effectively discarded by Stuart Lancaster, but if he continues to produce moments like this on a more consistent basis, the calls for Cipriani to return to the England fold will become louder and louder.
4: Saracens In Decline?
Saracens suffered another defeat last weekend making no wins from their last three games. For most teams this would be just a blip, but for Saracens this could be seen as a crisis. They have not won since they beat Gloucester before the first European break.
Sarries did not lose many players to International call ups and have a strong enough squad to deal with those that were called up. Discipline is the corner stone of everything Saracens are, and in recent games the discipline level has not been up to scratch.
The Wolf Pack have the chance to get back on track this weekend in the Champions Cup with a trip to Premiership rivals Sale Sharks. It is an ideal test for Mark McCall’s men. One other bit of news at Saracens is the departure of lock Mouritz Botha. Botha will join South Africa’s Sharks on 1 January.
5: Champions Cup Preview
Pool 1: Sale Sharks welcome Saracens to the AJ Bell Stadium on Friday night in what could be an absolute belter of game. Danny Cipriani will be trying to get one up on Owen Farrell in the battle of the number 10’s. Sarries should have enough to beat an in form Sharks team, but only just.
Pool 2: Harlequins will have to be at their best as Leinster visit the Twickenham Stoop. It is a top of the pool clash and a win for Quins will go a long way to qualification. This game will be a welcome distraction to their awful Aviva form. Wasps travel to Castres and this game could go either way. Both teams have lost their opening two games. Castres should have enough to win on home soil.
Pool 3: Leicester Tigers welcome star studded Toulon to Welford Road on Sunday evening. This is a must win game for the Tigers if they are to have any hope of qualification. Toulon are a machine in Europe, but Tigers could pull off a shock if they are at their best.
Pool 4: Bath need to beat Montpellier to keep their very slim hopes of qualifying for the pool stages alive. Mike Ford’s side will need to transfer their excellent Aviva Premiership form to the European stage, and I expect they can. A try bonus point victory is a must.
Pool 5: Northampton Saints travel to Treviso this weekend and will expect a winning bonus point. With Treviso visiting Franklins Gardens the following weekend, Saints are in with a chance of maximum points from the two games and that would surely be enough for qualification to the next round.
The Aviva Premiership now takes a break until 19 December when Round 10 begins.
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