This week’s talking points include Dylan Hartley’s latest disciplinary issues, Worcester’s sensational win in the Championship playoff, a review of the Premiership Semi – Finals, England’s 50 man squad for the World Cup and a look ahead to this weekend’s Premiership Final between Bath and Saracens.
5 Talking Points of the Aviva Premiership 28/05/2015
1: Dylan Hartley Suspended Yet Again
Dylan Hartley has been suspended for a month after head-butting Saracens hooker Jamie George in the Premiership semi – final. The ban runs from August 15th to September 21st which means that Hartley will miss England’s first game of the World Cup against Fiji.
This is the sixth ban of Hartley’s career and his second of this season. He was suspended for three weeks last December after pleading guilty to a striking charge in a game against Leicester Tigers in Round 10 of the Aviva Premiership.
Hartley’s latest indiscretion puts England head coach Stuart Lancaster in a very difficult position. Lancaster said that he would hold talks with Hartley after the red card against the Tigers but it seems that the Saints hooker can’t stay out of trouble. The calls for his removal from the England squad will continue to get louder and Lancaster may have to act.
2: Warriors Back in Premiership after Dramatic Playoff Finale
Worcester Warriors will be playing their rugby in the Aviva Premiership after drawing with Bristol in a dramatic finale to the second leg of their playoff. The Warriors led by one point going into the game at Sixways having beaten Bristol in the first game.
Bristol led by 14 points with 70 minutes on the clock but a penalty try, Chris Pennell’s second try of the game and a game levelling conversion from Ryan Lamb saw Worcester winning on aggregate by the smallest of margins.
Worcester’s win was especially sweet for full back Pennell who turned down several offers from Premiership teams to sign a new contract with the Warriors. This kind of loyalty is nearly a thing of the past in modern rugby and Pennell has been fully rewarded for his belief in what Worcester are trying to achieve.
3: Premiership Semi – Final’s Review
Saracens overcame Northampton Saints thanks to a nerveless kicking display from Owen Farrell. The Saracens out half slotted 19 points from the boot while his Northampton counterpart Stephen Myler landed 14 points.
Saints will be devastated with this loss but could have no complaints with this result. The game was full of errors but Saracens managed to just do enough to win and exact a little bit of revenge for last season’s Final defeat to the Saints.
In the other semi – final Bath easily saw off Leicester Tigers by a whopping 37 points. Matt Banahan scored a hat – trick but it was no surprise to see George Ford pulling all the strings in what was a sensational all round display by Bath.
It must have been even worse for the Tigers given that it was Ford doing most of the damage as he was a part of the last Leicester team to win a Premiership back in 2013. This will be Bath’s first final since 2004 where they lost to Wasps on a scoreline of 10-6.
4: England Announce 50 Man Squad for World Cup
England have announced their squad for this autumn’s World Cup and unsurprisingly the biggest talking points surround the absences of Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon. Stuart Lancaster has stayed true to his philosophy of not picking players playing overseas other than in “exceptional circumstances”.
This is a big blow for both players given their outstanding form this season. The squad will be trimmed down to a final 31 players by August 31st. Chris Ashton and David Strettle have been rewarded for their outstanding seasons with places in the extended squad.
Alex Corbisiero, Joe Launchbury, Ben Morgan, Ed Slater and David Wilson are all included in the 50 having missed the Six Nations because of injury. Some of the players that will feel unlucky to have been left out of the squad, namely Dave Ewers and Christian Wade could come into consideration somewhere down the line.
Ben Foden, Joe Simpson and Tom Croft were not considered at this stage due to injury but could also come into the reckoning closer to the tournament’s commencement.
5: Aviva Premiership Final Preview: Bath v Saracens
Bath go into this weekend’s final on the back of a sensational win over Leicester Tigers while Saracens will be brimming with confidence after their impressive away win against Northampton Saints. Saracens lost last year’s final and their last win came in 2011 whereas Bath haven’t reached a final since 2004 and haven’t won a Premiership title since 1996.
It is no secret that Bath like to play an expansive game with George Ford being the conductor of his side’s backline. If they get quick ball from the base of the ruck they could cause untold damage to Saracens.
On the other hand, Saracens thrive on slowing opposition ball and that’s exactly what they did in the semi – final. It was no surprise to see Jacques Burger receiving the man of the match award after an all action display, especially at the breakdown.
Both sides have the capabilities to make this a cracking game. The referee will have a major impact on this match and let’s all hope that Wayne Barnes has one of his quieter days in the middle, leaving the two teams battle out what is sure to be a fascinating contest.
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