Aviva Premiership 2014/15 Round 9 Review

The start of this round's matches saw the long awaited inclusion of Sam Burgess, who was picked on the bench against Quins at the Rec, which was almost to full capacity.

On Friday night Harlequins headed to The Rec with the intention to break up the Burgess party however his new team-mates ensured that there was no chance of that before the headline creating man even stepped onto the field of play. Bath’s dominance at scrum time was the driving force for their victory and in the back line Kyle Eastmond and Jonathan Joseph put on a flawless show in difficult conditions. Wayne Barnes made full use of his cards and at one point Harlequins were reduced to 12 men and uncontested scrums. It was a less than ideal situation however their heroic defence must be applauded for they repelled challenge after challenge after challenge before eventually Ross Batty proved to be one man too many. Bath and their squad depth is the real deal and their form this international period says it all; played three, and won three. Harlequins continue to search for that kind of consistency, but rest assured they’ll be back with a bang when their Premiership and their England men return.   Final Score Bath Rugby 25 Harlequins 6

Exeter have been building for a number of rounds now and the fact that they beat Saracens at home should come as no surprise to anyone.  It was the boot of Gareth Steenson that directed the home side with no less than 9 successful kicks off the tee. Henry Slade and Jack Nowell added sparkle, Dave Ewers grunt and the tight five delivered beautifully. Saracens again suffered at scrum time as James Johnston was sent to the bin just before the break. Maro Itoje's late try was of little consolation and with set piece difficulties for two weeks in a row a spot of focus is needed before their European double header. Rob Baxter's sentiment about his side’s form is plain and simple 'it is about time', he has seen this potential for a while and only now is it manifesting itself on the pitch. Victories over the Northampton Saints, Wasps and now Saracens in recent weeks have set the Chiefs up superbly. Final Score Exeter Chiefs 27 Saracens 19

At Welford Road it wasn’t a classic game of rugby and certainly future games between these two, when it becomes a local derby will be of a higher calibre. For Leicester Tigers was the expertise of another Premiership fly half, Owen Williams, that ultimately won them the match however as Richard Cockerill pointed out they ‘had senior players making poor decisions’ and they paid for it. Wasps lacked discipline and that that cost them any chance of gaining a foothold in the game and indeed proved to be their demise in the final ten minutes. Both Directors of Rugby must re-group their sides and fire them up for a spot of French European action as Leicester welcome Toulon and Wasps travel to Castres; raising things to another level will be only way either will take anything from the games. Final Score Leicester Tigers 18 Wasps 16

At the Madjeski Stadium London Irish fell to their sixth straight Aviva Premiership defeat in a game that won't win any awards for the most fluid of the weekend's clashes! The scoreboard read 0-3 at half time and the match didn't spring into life until the second forty through the wheels of Henry Purdy on the wing. Elsewhere on the field James Hook and Greig Laidlaw continued where they left off before International duties pulled them apart and up front Gloucester’s pack pushed them to victory. For the Exiles it was great to see Tom Homer back on the field; however they need to make more use of their territory and possession if they are to press on and gain their first home win of this 2014/15 Aviva Premiership campaign. Final Score London Irish 9 Gloucester Rugby 21

Dean Richards summed up the thoughts of every single Newcastle Falcons’ player and fan when he said; ‘It was incredibly disappointing to lose that game, even if I can't fault the boys' effort. Our choice of options was wrong sometimes, as was our execution, and that second try was an absolute killer.’ His side are starting to take shape nicely, they were physical in all facets and their 9, 10 and 12 axis hung together beautifully. There was only one element that they didn’t have and that is Danny Cipriani. Danny’s magic created that killer try and boy was it a beauty. It was a battle of wills in the North East and a physical one at that, Sale’s usual suspects Braid and Lund. However the focus should remain on Newcastle a side that make breaks and looked fresher and more exciting this season than they have in a long time. Frustration, of a positive kind, will fuel them in Europe now whilst Sale do battle with Saracens for two weeks in a row. Final Score Newcastle Falcons 13 Sales Sharks 18

Finally on a chilly afternoon in Oxford London Welsh fell at the hands of the Northampton Saints however they did so with a huge amount of credibility, in spite of what you might think if you read the score line cold. For the first forty Justin Burnell’s side enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession however they simply couldn’t find a way to convert all into tangible points. The visitors remained firm and patient and simply waited to time their surge. That surge came just after half time with the man advantage and 5 tries later and the job was done. Jamie Elliott impressed out wide with superb distribution and speed whilst Phil Dowson put in a Captain's shift. For London Welsh their attacking intent was hugely positive; their Captain Tom May delivered, as always and Carl Kirwan performed particularly well on his return from injury. Both sides should head into their respective European travels with a spot of confidence after a positive afternoon at The Kassam. Final Score London Welsh 13 Northampton Saints 43