Aviva Premiership Round 4 - The Fan's View

Reviewing our Twitter and Facebook feeds this last weekend, we found some interesting rugby views and rugby insights to share with you. In old money it's rugby news!

Our rugby union news does not come from a weekend in front of the TV watching BT Sport – we’ve not got it yet!

Many of you felt that George Ford was a stand-out performer this last weekend for Bath Rugby. He certainly kicks well and his attack is creative and mature. We would suggest his Dad, Mike Ford, the former England defence coach will be able to assist with the D.

We first came across Ford at the England U-16 trials, where he seemed to appear from nowhere to play for the North of England. In appalling conditions against the South West he showed great authority. He was to tour in France that year with Owen Farrell alongside him at inside centre and Northampton’s Ryan Glynn at scrum-half.

The performance of Ford at The Rec is last weekend will surely heap pressure on Freddie Burns, Toby Flood and Farrell. However, don’t lose sight of Tom Heathcote at Bath; this lad is something special on a rugby pitch. Staying with Bath Rugby, your tweets have focussed on the strength in depth they have in the back row and Guy Mercer’s performance coring tries, underlined his. Mercer has long been a favourite at the Rec for the Bath faithful.

With Carl Fearns appearing in the A league fixture this week, it will be intriguing to see which side Gary Gold and Mike Ford will settle on. After Ford’s comments on rotation, the back row will be one to watch.

Another TalkingRugbyUnion favourite is Will Skuse and we believe that he is half a season away from a regular slot at 6 or 8. Early indications point to Skuse impressing at the expense of David Sisi. Sisi arrived in a blaze of publicity and is a massive unit who was clearly popular and highly rated at London Irish. We will watch the back row with great interest.

Our messages on Twitter and Facebook pointed to rugby union fans showing concern for how London Irish and Worcester Warriors might progress this Premiership season. There are several new players at both clubs and they do seem to be taking a little time to settle into the defensive patterns.

Wasps have a prop as coach, Dai Young and our followers have been mighty impressed by the three young props he is bringing through this season; they are Mullan, Cooper-Woolley and McIntyre. Having covered BUCS rugby throughout 2010–2012, Cooper-Woolley failed to impress TalkingRugbyUnion but his starts for Wasps this season go to demonstrate that props mature and need game time. Our Twitter master would say #propscount

Another club with two young props are Sale Sharks. Earlier in the season we were invited over to their ground to spend time with players and management. Steve Diamond, the boss, focussed on the consistency of his team at the end of last season. If that consistency can be repeated then a top 6 finish is likely.

To date, the team has had a sporadic start. The rugby union fans tweeting TalkingRugbyUnion are convinced that the season depends on Cipriani leading this young team. The pack remains hit and miss, but with Braid in charge in the back row there is every chance games can be won.

A former Sale hooker, Neil Briggs, finds himself at Leicester Tigers as understudy to Tom Youngs; or is Rob Hawkins understudy? A very powerful display by the Tigers against Exeter Chiefs created the most column inches in the weekend’s rugby press. Tigers had a well-deserved win and the Chief’s Rob Baxter must wonder what went wrong. Both the scrum and the line out failed for the Chiefs, and Baxter will need to sort things out quickly if he wishes to challenge for the top 6.

Northampton Saints managed to stop Jim Mallinder abusing the advertising boards this weekend; thanks to very skilled performances from North, Elliott and Foden.

The tweets were intense about the power of Saracens this weekend gone. There is never any doubt who rules the line out and that is Steve Borthwick. In the scrum, England prop, Joe Marler seems to be "looking over his shoulder", as Vunipola goes from strength to strength on the loosehead. Marler’s somewhat cheesy grin, on getting a yellow card was an indication of that intense rivalry. If Marler goes into decline then the whole Harlequins pack will follow.

The proud traditions of the Shed and Gloucester Rugby have taken a turn. The forwards, for so long the galvanising force, have seen themselves on the back foot. The very poor discipline of Nick Wood has created a front row crisis. The selection of England age grade hooker Korree Britton at prop for an A league fixture caused consternation with our regular followers.

When this report was filed midday on Monday, the final sentence read: "We remember Britton being asked to prop at England U-16’s trial at Broadstreet; not an enjoyable experience but pretty sure he will take it out on someone. Careful Nigel Davies!"

Very prophetic as Britton and Tigers Ryan Lamb traded blows; Lamb suspended plus a fractured hand and Britton suspended for four weeks.