Gallagher Premiership Review: Round 3
Bath picked up an important win against Harlequins
©PA
Reigning champions Saracens along with Exeter continued their winning starts to the season while there were also victories for Gloucester, Wasps, Newcastle and Bath in Round Three of the Gallagher Premiership.
Gloucester Rugby 35 – 13 Bristol Bears
Gloucester continued to impress this weekend. Although Danny Cipriani did not have a game defining moment of magic, the home side dominated their visitors overall.
The Gloucester back-row was pretty much faultless. Lewis Ludlow, Jake Polledri and Ruan Ackermann all made over 60 meters with ball in hand, made three turnovers between them all and put in a lot of tackles.
Bristol on the other hand struggled to get forward advantage. On top of this, George Smith was penalised on six occasions, which wouldn’t have helped with gaining momentum.
The Bears did score a very good try through Luke Morahan, but unfortunately that would be the highlight of their night. In comparison, Gloucester scored five tries.
It was veteran winger Charlie Sharples who got two of them after being left plenty of space by Bears defenders. Ed Slater and Gerbrandt Grobler started off their second-row partnership in impressive fashion too.
Both locks bundled over the line to help the Cherry and Whites on their search for a second home win of the season. Matt Banahan also scored his first Kingsholm try in Gloucester colours. The mountain of a winger finished smartly in the corner to consolidate his team’s win.
Ian Madigan was reliable for Bristol when he was involved in the game. The Irish international was starved of the ball for large periods of the game and was unable to have an influence on the game.
However, Bristol fans need not be concerned. Ashton Gate is likely to become a fortress this season, especially if it’s packed to the rafters like the season opener. Their next game is at their home ground against an indifferent Harlequins.
Gloucester will travel to the Allianz where they will face Saracens in what should be a very competitive top-of-the-table fixture.
Exeter Chiefs 35 – 18 Sale Sharks
In just two home games so far this season, Exeter have already scored 75 points. It was Sale who were unable to answer any of the questions asked of them this week.
Santiago Cordero continued impressing yet again. Going over the whitewash with under 10 minutes gone, the Argentinian looks a different man to the one that arrived in the Premiership last season.
Tries from Jonny Hill and Jack Mauder helped to extend Exeter’s lead, with only a Marland Yarde effort and some AJ MacGinty penalties coming as a response from Sale.
Alex Cuthbert scored his first try for Chiefs and was number eight, Tom Lawday, who put the result beyond any doubt. The former University of Exeter man, scored a try on what was a really impressive afternoon for him.
Both of these sides have had such contrasting starts to the season. Exeter seem to have got better during the off-season, whilst many are still waiting for Sale to spring into action and really show us what they are about.
Harlequins 32 – 37 Bath Rugby
This was quite possibly the upset of the weekend. Up to this point, Quins looked like they had turned a corner since Paul Gustard took over at the Stoop.
With this said they were pulled apart by a Bath side needing to get a win on the third time of asking. Jamie Roberts played well against his former employers, scoring a try and he made 17 carries in total on Saturday afternoon.
This isn’t to say that the home side didn’t have their moments of brilliance. Danny Care and Joe Marchant finished off great moves and had to show tremendous amounts of desire to get over the try line on both occasions.
Zach Mercer and Joe Cokanasiga scored two tries each in London as well. Mercer really shone in that number eight shirt, controversially ahead of Talupe Faletau. Cokanasiga finally proved that his potential could be fulfilled. He was just a handful all afternoon and made Quins’ lives very difficult as he could break a challenge, or offload in contact with ease.
There was a lot of spirit shown by the home side. Quins refused to lie down. Joe Marler and Charlie Mulchrone scored tries late on to bring them into contention, but unfortunately it was too late, and Bath had already won.
The painful thing about Quins right now is that you can tell they are better, but for some reason they lost this game. Perhaps more annoying is that they lost at home, which for any club should be a fortress.
Bath, on the other hand, will be more than happy with their trip to London. Actually, looking like a side that wanted to win, it was the club’s young talent that really shone through, along with the more experienced head of Roberts.
Northampton Saints 27 – 38 Saracens
Saracens played an unconventional side at Franklin’s Gardens and were still able to come away with a win over the weekend. Alex Goode lined up at fly-half, with Liam Williams stepping in at fullback.
Piers Francis started the try scoring 15 minutes in, but Alex Lewington ran in two quick fire tries to suddenly put Sarries ahead just after the 30-minute mark.
Ben Spencer scored his first try of the season two minutes into the second half. The scrum-half converted his own score and a penalty before being replaced by Richard Wigglesworth.
England captain Dylan Hartley scored his second try in two games, before former All Black Ben Franks went over the line to make it a very close game following Biggar’s conversion.
It was returning winger, David Strettle who put the game beyond doubt for Saracens though. The 35-year-old showed impressive pace to go over twice in the corner in quick succession, scoring his 50th Premiership try in the process.
This was another game that just proved how strong Saracens’ depth is. Alex Goode slipped seamlessly into the 10 shirt and Liam Williams ran the ball really well from fullback. The champions were simply immense.
Worcester Warriors 20 – 23 Newcastle Falcons
If you were a supporter of either of these teams, you would have no doubt had a tense afternoon. With both sides having lost their opening two games, whichever side failed in this game would be having to fight tooth and nail for the rest of the season.
Falcons got the early advantage through a Tane Takulua try. The Tongan scrum-half got on the end of the impressive Sami Mavinga’s pass to slide in in the fifth minute. Falcons were at it again not too long after as Toby Flood smartly found Sinoti Sinoti who raced over to extend Falcons lead.
Worcester did get on the scoresheet late on in the half. Their continued pressure near the Falcons’ try line ended up in them getting a penalty try following Johnny Williams’ infringement. In the second half, Worcester started the stronger as Duncan Weir latched onto the end of a kick to level the scores.
From then on it became all about penalties. Flood produced a masterful display from the tee and Chris Pennell impressed with a long-range effort for the Warriors. However, Flood kicked the decisive points in the 72nd minute to clinch the win for Newcastle.
Falcons fans’ celebrations could be short lived though as Exeter Chiefs come to visit on Friday while Worcester have a very tough away fixture at Leicester Tigers.
Wasps 41 – 35 Leicester Tigers
George Ford gave another very good performance as his side lost their derby game against Wasps while Lima Sopoaga had a very promising afternoon as well on his first start for his new employers.
Juan De Jongh started the try-scoring early on, then winger Josh Bassett contributed as well, giving Sopoaga four points from the tee, before the 15th minute mark. Nathan Hughes also crossed the whitewash, but Sopoaga was unable to convert.
Leicester’s highlights of the half came through a Jonny May try and a Telusa Veainu effort before the halfway mark. The main talking point of the game came not too longer after Veainu’s score.
Will Spencer’s red card has been hotly debated ever since the referee issued the former Worcester man with it. He leant downwards into Tommy Taylor who received contact to the head/neck area. Regardless of whether the decision was right or not, Leicester came out firing in the second half.
Leicester scored two tries through Jonny May and Sione Kalamafoni, but it was Juan De Jongh’s 54th minute effort, along with Sopoaga’s penalties, that meant Wasps were victorious.
This was a good win for Wasps following their home loss to Exeter last time out and Sopoaga looked seriously impressive on his full debut at the Ricoh. Leicester also looked like a good outfit too, so they can’t be too disheartened going into next week’s game against Worcester.
