Preview: Guinness Premiership, Rd 11
With the Celtic nations involved in Magners League action this week, after their two-week Heineken Cup hiatus, England’s top teams head back into Guinness Premiership mode with a host of mouth-watering fixtures on the cards this Boxing Day weekend.
Saturday sees Worcester play host to Northampton, with the rest of the action taking place on Sunday – from Leicester, to Bath, to Reading, to Newcastle and, finally, to Twickenham in what should be a pulsating London Derby.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26:
Worcester Warriors v Northampton Saints
Sixways, kick-off: 16.15
The Warriors have suffered some very close losses in 2009/10 – especially on the opening day of the season when they went down 17-20 to the Northampton Saints; that after leading 17-0 at one stage.
Most teams would simply curl up into a little ball and ‘play dead’ after a result like that – but not the Warriors and certainly not on coach Mike Ruddock’s watch, with him saying this week: “Northampton Saints are a very good side. But we pushed them all the way down at Franklin’s Gardens at the start of the season and we have got to take some confidence from that.”
Both teams have announced powerful line-ups for this Boxing Day battle with full internationals Sam Tuitupou and Chris Latham back in the mix for Worcester and Northampton opting for the all-round skills of Stephen Myler ahead of playmaker Shane Geraghty at flyhalf after a crushing win over Treviso in Heineken Cup action last weekend.
“We were happy with the win in Treviso [last week], but not so happy with the performance,” said Saints boss Jim Mallinder. “We made far too many mistakes and did not impose ourselves enough on Treviso. It certainly was not a good enough performance to win at somewhere like Worcester and every aspect of our play will have to improve on Saturday.”
rugby365.com Prediction: Okay… This is not an easy one to call – but we’re going to put our necks out here and plump for a home win by the narrowest of margins – the Warriors by two points.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27:
Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks
Welford Road, kick-off: 14.00
Leicester Tigers, the defending Guinness Premiership champions, have had an up-and-down season so far…
Unbeaten at home – when are they not?! – their away form has been patchy, so much so that they find themselves in fourth place on the Premiership table – not a bad return, but not a return one would expect from the defending champs and a side with such a proud history.
Their form, however, has been better than that of Sale’s; the 2005/06 champions find themselves in ninth position in the GP at present – having won just three out of their nine matches thus far.
Sale, however, remain a dangerous side and with players like Ben Cohen, Charlie Hodgson and Richard Wigglesworth to call upon – even in the absence of the rested Mark Cueto and Mat Tait – Leicester, now under the captaincy of Lewis Moody, will have to make sure they use their hard-earned ball properly; unlike last weekend when Clermont let them off the hook.
rugby365.com Prediction: Leicester Tigers are unbeaten in their last 23 matches at Welford Road in all competitions since London Wasps won there, 28-19, in the Guinness Premiership last year. We cannot see that changing – the Tigers to beat Sale by more than seven points.
Bath Rugby v Gloucester Rugby
Recreation Ground, kick-off: 14.15
Bath head coach Steve Meehan believes his side’s encounter with Gloucester is their “biggest match of the season” and it is hard to argue with the Australian.
Languishing in 11th position on the Guinness Premiership table, after just one win in ten games thus far, the second West Country Derby of 2009/10 could just shape the rest of Bath Rugby’s season.
Of course, Gloucester won the opening-day battle between these two sides at Kingsholm a few months ago and with Leeds Carnegie – the only team below Bath on the GP standings – next up on January 2, it is easy to understand just why this match is shaping up as the one the home side simply has to win.
Gloucester, too, have had their fair share of problems this year and whilst matches between these two sides are never for faint-hearted, Sunday’s fixture has an element of desperation to it – something that could just suit Bath in the final analysis.
rugby365.com Prediction: Wow – bookies, don’t come to us for advice! Phew… Can Bath lose another one? Will they get relegated? They won’t lose on Sunday and that will certainly take them a step closer to avoiding the dreaded drop.
London Irish v Saracens
Madejski Stadium, kick-off: 15.00
London Irish are no longer the surprise package of the Guinness Premiership. In fact, last season’s losing finalists are one of the major contenders now and the fact they lost at home to Newcastle a month ago was a real shock.
Lying in second place on the Premiership table before this weekend, they can once again stake a major claim for a play-off spot this season should they manage to put one past the current pace-setters – and the only unbeaten side in the 2009/10 season.
The return of inspirational England fullback Delon Armitage – from a serious shoulder injury – will be a huge boost for the ‘Exiles’, as will their recent form in the Heineken Cup where they claimed back-to-back wins over Brive; both at home and in France.
Saracens, meanwhile, have been campaigning the Amlin Challenge Cup, but with coach Brendan Venter – himself a former ‘Exile’ – having such a clever rotation plan in place, the 23 players selected for duty this weekend will have a very clear understanding as to just what they need to achieve.
rugby365.com Prediction: Saracens certainly know how to scrap for wins as their record this season shows. However, their outstanding form has to come to an end some time – they know that themselves – and we think it will be this weekend at the Madejski. The ‘Exiles’ by five points.
Newcastle Falcons v Leeds Carnegie
Kingston Park, kick-off: 15.00
Leeds will be fighting for survival when they travel to Kingston Park this weekend. In an ideal world, Neil Back’s men will win this match – and Bath will lose at home to Gloucester – but there is nothing ideal about this level of rugby and the former England flanker would have prepared his team for just that.
Newcastle, in fact, have run into some good form of late and currently find themselves in seventh place on the Premiership standings with three wins, three draws and four losses from their ten fixtures so far.
“It’s a big game for both sides, and we will be looking at getting points for different reasons,” said fit-again Falcons captain Carl Hayman.
“Leeds obviously need to get some wins to push them away from the bottom spot, so they will have placed a lot of emphasis on this one, and then from the Newcastle angle we want to get back into that top half and push on in the second half of the season.
“Some people might say that a win on Sunday kind of ends any doubts about relegation, but we’re not even thinking like that because we have a few points on the board already and are really ambitious about pushing further up the table in the new year.”
rugby365.com Prediction: The first-round clash between these two sides produced a scrappy 9-9 draw. Could lightning strike twice? We think no and are backing the Falcons to edge out their visitors by at least four points.
Harlequins v London Wasps
Twickenham, kick-off: 16.15
Both Harlequins and Wasps are running into some good form at the moment; Quins no doubt boosted by the appointment of Irishman Conor O’Shea as their new Director of Rugby, but also buoyed by the slight bit of progress they have made since losing their first three matches of the season.
Their recent results have been a lot better (W, W, L, W, W) – after their Heineken Cup disappointment – and they are just one good win away from putting serious pressure on the Top Four.
Of course, that good win could just come this weekend against their London rivals, Wasps, but with Danny Cipriani back in tow – and with plenty to prove – the 2006/07 champions will be no pushovers.
“There is always an extra edge in these local London Derbies and Wasps v Harlequins games are always highly-competitive and entertaining,” said Wasps Director of Rugby Tony Hanks.
“We are all looking forward to the challenge and we know Quins’ quality and league focus as they really start to match the form that took them to the Guinness Premiership semifinal last year.”
rugby365.com Prediction: Quins to edge a tight one – only just… by fewer than seven points.
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