The final round of the Aviva Premiership regular season saw victories for Saracens, Exeter Chiefs, Newcastle Falcons, Bath and Gloucester. London Irish and Wasps drew. Here are my Top 5 Talking Points after Round 22 of the Aviva Premiership.
1: Chiefs Lose Out on Final Day Drama
It was joy for Leicester Tigers and Saracens but heartbreak for Exeter Chiefs on the final day of the Aviva Premiership regular season. Tigers managed to overcome top of the table Northampton Saints. Saracens comfortably saw off London Welsh and despite their victory over Sale Sharks, while Exeter lost out on a top four finish.
It was hardly surprising that it was the Tigers’ strong pack that laid the foundation for their victory. Jordan Crane was at his very best and was ably assisted by Brad Thorn and the returning Ed Slater. Chris Ashton was the star man for Sarries, crossing for four of his sides 10 tries.
Although they didn’t make the top four, Exeter have enjoyed a fantastic season and should be immensely proud of their efforts. Saracens now travel to Northampton while Leicester make their way to Bath in this weekend’s Semi Finals.
2: Roberts Signs For Quins
Welsh international centre Jamie Roberts has signed for Harlequins after spending two years at French side Racing Metro. Roberts will also combine his playing duties while completing a Masters in Medical Science at Cambridge University.
This is another major signing for Quins following the earlier announcements that Adam Jones, James Horwill, Winston Stanley and Tim Visser will be playing at the Twickenham Stoop next season. Roberts will add a much needed oomph to a Quins midfield that has been lacking this term.
Speaking on the arrival of Roberts, Quins Head Coach Conor O’Shea said: “The whole club is ecstatic to have signed a player of Jamie’s quality. He is massively ambitious to achieve at both club and international level. As a role model to all of our players, he will be someone we can all learn from.”
3: Lancaster should be applauded for Exiling of Tuilagi
This week saw Leicester Tigers and England centre Manu Tuilagi convicted of assaulting two police officers and a taxi driver. On the back of this, England coach Stuart Lancaster has decided to exile Tuilagi from the squad.
Tulagi will now miss the World Cup and his absence will present opportunities for players like Elliot Daly and Sam Burgess. The Tigers man faces an uncertain future in the game with this being the latest incident in a long line of indiscretions.
Lancaster has acted in a swift and decisive manner in dealing with this situation and should be applauded for doing so. He has completely changed the attitude of the England set up during his tenure as head coach.
4: Welsh’s Premiership Adventure Ends with Another Defeat
London Welsh’s nightmare season in the Aviva Premiership came to an end with another crushing defeat in their final game. This time it was Saracens who did the damage, coming away from the Kassam Stadium with a 68-17 win.
This drew the curtain on a season that could only be described as catastrophic for London Welsh. They only managed one losing bonus point in 22 games conceding over 1000 points in doing so and only scoring 223.
Welsh’s performance has led to a lot of talk again about the promotion / relegation system. This is unfortunate for a team that shocked the rugby community by beating Bristol to gain promotion under a year ago. A far cry from that joyous day.
5: Semi Finals Preview:
Northampton Saints v Saracens:
Northampton Saints will go into this game as favourites due to both their outstanding home record and the questionable recent form of Saracens. Saints only lost one at Franklins Gardens during the regular season and will be confident of keeping that record intact.
Sarries on the other hand effectively have nothing to lose from this game and that makes them extremely dangerous. The battle up front will be key and will go a long way to deciding the game. If Billy Vunipola is at his very best Saracens have a great chance but Saints will expect to get dominance at the set piece. In a tight game I expect Saints to just shade it.
Bath v Leicester Tigers:
Bath will expect to win this at home but must beware of the Tigers and how well they are currently playing. The Tigers’ pack is nearly back to its very best and Bath will need to have their wits about them at the set piece to make the final.
Mike Ford has done a sensational job with Bath this season and he will hope that his outstanding backline can keep at their level. Key to this game will be the speed that the scrum halves get the ball. Enter Julian Salvi and Francois Louw. Whoever wins the battle of the openside flanker’s, wins this game.
