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| Rugby union: talking points from the weekend Premiership and Pro12 action | Rugby union: talking points from the weekend Premiership and Pro12 action |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| 1) Will Saracens make a play for the fans Wasps leave behind? | 1) Will Saracens make a play for the fans Wasps leave behind? |
| This shouldn’t be the place to discuss the trials or otherwise of another team, but there was much talk at Saracens about Wasps’ decision last week to take their leave of a century-old local rivalry once and for all by legging it further away up the M40 to Coventry. After, no doubt, a suitable period of respect for the departed, expect Saracens to mount some outrageous campaign or other to win over the disaffected fans Wasps have left behind. Once upon a time these two were united, if not in love, then in their humble status as North Londoners playing on little more than park pitches – or actually so in Saracens’ case. When Sarries left Bramley Road nearly 20 years ago to move first to Enfield, then to Watford, there was an almighty uproar among the happy few who called themselves their faithful, but now that decision to offend those men and their dogs looks positively quaint and endearing. Saracens’ balance sheet may not bear much in the way of scrutiny yet, but there is no doubt they have at last settled upon a home that is everything they could have wanted. You sense they can scarce believe their luck at the solution Wasps have arrived at. Not that they would ever say as much, of course. Michael Alywin | This shouldn’t be the place to discuss the trials or otherwise of another team, but there was much talk at Saracens about Wasps’ decision last week to take their leave of a century-old local rivalry once and for all by legging it further away up the M40 to Coventry. After, no doubt, a suitable period of respect for the departed, expect Saracens to mount some outrageous campaign or other to win over the disaffected fans Wasps have left behind. Once upon a time these two were united, if not in love, then in their humble status as North Londoners playing on little more than park pitches – or actually so in Saracens’ case. When Sarries left Bramley Road nearly 20 years ago to move first to Enfield, then to Watford, there was an almighty uproar among the happy few who called themselves their faithful, but now that decision to offend those men and their dogs looks positively quaint and endearing. Saracens’ balance sheet may not bear much in the way of scrutiny yet, but there is no doubt they have at last settled upon a home that is everything they could have wanted. You sense they can scarce believe their luck at the solution Wasps have arrived at. Not that they would ever say as much, of course. Michael Alywin |
| 2) London Welsh prepared to risk Hala’ufia deal | 2) London Welsh prepared to risk Hala’ufia deal |
| London Welsh are considering extending the loan deal of the No8 Chris Hala’ufia from the Scarlets. The 35-year old added thrust to their attacks, although the Exiles continued to play behind the gain line too often, but the risk lies in the forward’s disciplinary record. He ended up on a pay-as-you-play deal with London Irish because of his regular dates with disciplinary committees, mostly to explain his tackling technique. He gave away a penalty against London Irish after making a robust tackle on Scott Wilson that left the prop needing treatment. The referee closely scrutinised a replay of the incident,pinging the forward for a subsequent gentle slap on Wilson as the front rower lay on the ground wondering where he was. The Exiles need targets and leaders and Hala’ufia was the player who most concerned Newcastle as they prepared for the match. Given their position at the bottom of the table, London Welsh are in the risk business. Paul Rees | London Welsh are considering extending the loan deal of the No8 Chris Hala’ufia from the Scarlets. The 35-year old added thrust to their attacks, although the Exiles continued to play behind the gain line too often, but the risk lies in the forward’s disciplinary record. He ended up on a pay-as-you-play deal with London Irish because of his regular dates with disciplinary committees, mostly to explain his tackling technique. He gave away a penalty against London Irish after making a robust tackle on Scott Wilson that left the prop needing treatment. The referee closely scrutinised a replay of the incident,pinging the forward for a subsequent gentle slap on Wilson as the front rower lay on the ground wondering where he was. The Exiles need targets and leaders and Hala’ufia was the player who most concerned Newcastle as they prepared for the match. Given their position at the bottom of the table, London Welsh are in the risk business. Paul Rees |
| 3) Northampton’s buzz may make life difficult for Wasps | 3) Northampton’s buzz may make life difficult for Wasps |
| Northampton won’t make life easy for their new neighbour, Wasps. Franklin’s Gardens was sold out for the third home game of the season on Saturday and with Saints tries coming at an average of four a game, few of the Northampton faithful will be lured the 35 miles down the M1 to the Ricoh Stadium. Add those 13,400 to the 21,500 who turned out to watch Leicester rediscover a bit of form on Friday night and competition in the Midlands is going to be hard for a side which is leaving its already modest fan base two hours to the south. Mike Averis | Northampton won’t make life easy for their new neighbour, Wasps. Franklin’s Gardens was sold out for the third home game of the season on Saturday and with Saints tries coming at an average of four a game, few of the Northampton faithful will be lured the 35 miles down the M1 to the Ricoh Stadium. Add those 13,400 to the 21,500 who turned out to watch Leicester rediscover a bit of form on Friday night and competition in the Midlands is going to be hard for a side which is leaving its already modest fan base two hours to the south. Mike Averis |
| 4) Marler needs to make presence felt at Quins | 4) Marler needs to make presence felt at Quins |
| Has the focus been on the wrong team in terms of unexpectedly poor results in recent weeks? The fact Leicester had lost three consecutive games meant all the attention was on the Tigers in the build-up to Friday night’s game at Welford Road, but Quins’ defeat was their third in six Premiership games, and while Leicester have been able to point to a ridiculously long injury list, Quins director of rugby Conor O’Shea could only acknowledge his side is not playing well, or as he put it, smartly, (in the sense of intelligently). In that respect prop Joe Marler, who has replaced England skipper Chris Robshaw as club captain, needs to make his influence around the club, which O’Shea claimed on announcing his appointment was massive, felt sooner rather than later. Richard Rae | |
| 5) Exeter exceeding all expectations | 5) Exeter exceeding all expectations |
| The opening Premiership chunk of six games is now over and there is no question which club has exceeded most people’s expectations by the widest margin. Exeter Chiefs have won four of their six games and had it not been for a last-quarter collapse in Newcastle would now be only a point behind leaders Northampton. Their positive energy is right up with the best teams in the country, their defensive organisation is much improved and their injury list is beginning to shorten as well. Given they are not involved in the European Champions’ Cup this season, they could easily continue to prosper during the November international period when they will have fewer international calls than some of the other leading sides. As ever, Rob Baxter and his coaches deserve a massive amount of credit. Robert Kitson | |
| 6) Mullan masterclass emerges amid controversy | 6) Mullan masterclass emerges amid controversy |
| Amid all the continuing debate about Wasps’ move to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, it was easy to overlook the day’s most significant on-field performance. It came from Wasps’ Matt Mullan who gave one of the best displays by an English-qualified loosehead this season. The fact that it came from someone lining up opposite England’s starting tight-head, Davey Wilson, made it more significant still. “People know I’m not going to knock other players and England are really blessed in that area,” said Dai Young, Wasps’ director of rugby and a distinguished ex-Lions prop himself. “But Matt’s been going from strength to strength. I thought he was outstanding in the scrum but his contribution around the field is always up there with the best of them as well. He always makes a lot of tackles, he hits a lot of rucks and carries a bit as well. He put his hand up for inclusion, that’s for sure.” Robert Kitson | |
| 7) Experience not everything for Ospreys | 7) Experience not everything for Ospreys |
| Ospreys returned to the top of the Pro 12 with a 26-15 derby victory over Cardiff Blues before a crowd of nearly 11,000 at the Liberty Stadium, maintaining their unbeaten record against their Welsh rivals since Steve Tandy took over as head coach in 2012. A team tipped to struggle after losing a number of experienced internationals in the close season has the only remaining 100 per cent record in the league after Glasgow’s 29-9 defeat to Ulster and will expect to make a winning start to the European Champions Cup campaign with Treviso, who picked up their first Pro 12 point of the campaign with a three-point defeat to Connacht, visiting Swansea on Sunday, although Northampton and Racing Metro then follow. Tandy was upset at conceding two late tries to the Blues, but Ospreys have the best defensive record in the league, with Ulster and Munster, as they continue to show that experience is not everything, Dan Biggar controlled the first hour and kicked 16 more points; he looks, for the first time in his career, Wales’s first choice 10. Paul Rees | Ospreys returned to the top of the Pro 12 with a 26-15 derby victory over Cardiff Blues before a crowd of nearly 11,000 at the Liberty Stadium, maintaining their unbeaten record against their Welsh rivals since Steve Tandy took over as head coach in 2012. A team tipped to struggle after losing a number of experienced internationals in the close season has the only remaining 100 per cent record in the league after Glasgow’s 29-9 defeat to Ulster and will expect to make a winning start to the European Champions Cup campaign with Treviso, who picked up their first Pro 12 point of the campaign with a three-point defeat to Connacht, visiting Swansea on Sunday, although Northampton and Racing Metro then follow. Tandy was upset at conceding two late tries to the Blues, but Ospreys have the best defensive record in the league, with Ulster and Munster, as they continue to show that experience is not everything, Dan Biggar controlled the first hour and kicked 16 more points; he looks, for the first time in his career, Wales’s first choice 10. Paul Rees |