Saints down Bath in top of table clash
The Northampton Saints were the big winners in the Aviva Premiership this weekend, the champions sending out a daunting title warning with a 21-13 win away at Bath, their closest challengers at the top of the table. They now hold a nine point lead over the side from the West Country, who seem to be suffering from the same malaise as last year, when they lost several crucial games at the business end of the season.
They will be looking nervously over their shoulder, as the mid-table has become ever more crowded. Exeter, Sale and Leicester all registered wins, while Wasps drew, to leave just four points separating Bath in second and Wasps in seventh. The Coventry-based side missed the chance to win against a plucky Newcastle, who are starting to show that they are far from just making up the numbers in the league this season, as they drew 23-23. Three tries and eight points from the boot of Tom Catterick were enough to get them a share of the points.
Elsewhere Sale showed how far they have come with a commanding win over Saracens, last year’s finalists needing a late converted try to bag a bonus point as they went down 10-14. Exeter again proved their play-off credentials as a wonderful performance from Henry Slade saw them beat Harlequins 32-21 at the Stoop, the young fly-half nailing eight of his nine kicks to see the Chiefs home despite three yellow cards. Gloucester handed out the mandatory drubbing to London Welsh, winning 48-10, while the Tigers made it over five hours without scoring a try in the league as they played out a 12-6 win over London Irish in one of the worst spectacles on a rugby pitch in living memory.
Glasgow consolidate place at top of PRO12
Back-up fly-half Peter Horne nervelessly slotted two late penalties to give Glasgow a 19-16 win over fellow title hopefuls Ospreys at Scotstoun, allowing the Scottish side to open up a four point lead at the summit of the Guinness PRO12. The result sees the Ospreys slip out of the top four for the first time this season, on a woeful weekend for the Welsh regions with only the Scarlets managing to avoid defeat, as they drew 25-25 at home to Munster. Even that was a disappointment, however, with the hosts conceding two late tries to concede the win having held a commanding 12 point lead with six minutes to go.
Cardiff suffered the ignominy of becoming the first side other than Zebre to lose to Treviso this season, as they were outclassed by the Italians in a 24-40 loss. The Dragons rounded off a weekend to forget in Wales, going down at home 25-30 to Connacht. There was controversy aplenty as Rynard Landman received his marching orders in the 14th minute for a senseless elbow to the head of fly-half Jack Carty. Stuart McCloskey was similarly red-carded for Ulster in Edinburgh, for dangerously lifting a player in the ruck – if it wasn’t meant with any malice, the legs were clearly lifted above the horizontal and a red card was the correct punishment. Edinburgh couldn’t take advantage, however, with Tom Heathcote having a terrible day from the tee (he missed six kicks) and the Irish province managing to hold on for a 20-17 win.
In the other game of the round, Leinster were made to work hard for their 29-8 win over Zebre, only securing the bonus point with two late tries from Luke Fitzgerald and Sean Cronin.
Stormers, Chiefs and Hurricanes bag consecutive wins in Super Rugby
The Hurricanes are looking like this season’s surprise package in Super Rugby, as they bagged a mightily impressive 17-13 win over the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, the South African franchise losing two in a row at their previously-daunting home for the first time since 2008. The Stormers climbed to the top of the standings with a 27-16 win over the Blues, a game which they could have won more comfortably had Demetri Catrakilis not left eight points out there from the tee.
The Chiefs were the other side to register a consecutive victory, as Aaron Cruden slotted a penalty with the last kick of the game to give them a 19-17 win over the Brumbies in an entertaining repeat of the 2013 final. Elsewhere, the Waratahs, Reds, Sharks and Crusaders all bounced back from opening weekend defeats to beat the Rebels (38-28), Force (18-6), Lions (29-12) and Highlanders (26-20) respectively.
Top four all miss chances to win in Top 14
To nobody’s great surprise, the home sides dominated yet another round of Top 14 action across the channel. In the highest profile tie of the weekend, Racing Métro and Clermont Auvergne played out a 13-13 draw in Paris, with replacement Noa Nakaitaci scoring a late try to deny the hosts a win. Perhaps most crucially, both Johnny Sexton and Jonathan Davies came through the game unscathed and will be available this weekend.
Toulon missed the chance to consolidate their lead at the top, instead slipping to second place after Bordeaux mounted a second half comeback to win 28-23. Tolouse faced a nervous last few minutes as a late Lyon try threatened to spoil their party, but eventually held on for a 23-20 win, while Stade Français looked far from the title challengers they are as they lost 6-23 at Bayonne. Grenoble kept the pace with the play-off hopefuls with a 20-18 win over Montpellier, while Castres look all but relegated after losing 13-23 at Oyannax.
Try of the week: the Reds’ Lachie Turner was intrumental in their win over the Force, scoring 13 points which included finishing off an incredible 70 metre counter attack – watch it below.
Le superbe essai collectif des Reds contre la… by Le-Rugbynistere
Hero of the weekend: Bordeaux’s Sofiane Guitone for one of the most outrageously good sidesteps we’ve seen for some time, leaving Juan Martin Hernandez completely flat-footed. You can’t teach talent like this.
Video credit: Monsieur Wiko
Villain of the weekend: very tempting to give it to Rynard Landman for what was one of the stupidest red cards in recent memory, but instead the villain of this weekend is the general theme of endless reset scrums. Anyone who had the impressive fortitude to sit through the utterly dire London Irish vs Leicester game will have been particularly bored by the six minute passage in the second half in which the scrum was endlessly reset. The game was so bad that we didn’t actually miss a great deal, but there was a similar sequence in the entertaining Highlanders vs Crusaders game. It’s time the clock was stopped while the ball is in a scrum, and only started again once it has left the set-piece.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
10 replies on “Best of the weekend: Northampton and Glasgow open up leads at summit”
Villain of the weekend for me was the woeful referee in the Quins v Chiefs game.
People around me, from both sets of fans and a neutral actually questioned whether he was a qualified ref.
Are Bath suffering the same malaise as last year? Or are they struggling during the International period?
Wilson is out injured, while Attwood, Ford, Joseph and Watson were all retained by England. James was also with Wales for last week’s loss against Saracens.
I don’t think their squad is big enough to cope with losing 5/6 of their top players, so in that respect they are victims of their own success. Obviously though, it has happened to most teams in the past, and how Bath manage this period may be key to their success, or otherwise, this season.
They have a favourable set of fixtures after the Six Nations, so assuming they do not lose too much more ground now, I think they should make the play-offs.
“Are Bath suffering the same malaise as last year? Or are they struggling during the International period?” – whether it is the same one as last year I am not sure, but I do think that they have gone off the boil a bit recently.
Yes in part you could blame the loss of players, but looking at the team that got put out both weekends, on paper that should be a strong side and whilst away to Saracens was always going to be a tough ask, at home to Saints is one they should have won and a lot of people (going on superbru stats), myself included as a Bath fan, thought they were going to win.
P.S. I’ve not seen the match yet so am commenting somewhat blind, but disappointed that we’ve allowed the chasing pack to catch us in the table, as you say though, post six nations it looks a little easier for us so fingers crossed agree we should finish top-four!
Saw the Quins v Exeter game, but what has happened to Quins’ attack?! Is O’Shea taking a leaf out of Lancaster’s old rule book? I thought CO’S was a Greek Island. May as well be until he discovers Smirnoff… & some back line innovation! His attack was SO predictable, running endlessly E to W & then W to E. Made it so easy for Exeter to defend. Kept CROWDING the wider men into touch so that Yarde, e.g., looked ordinary, being forced to run back into a horde of tacklers.
And little changed @ 1/2 time! The backs, incl Evans, also kept cutting back into midfield traffic, or passed too wide, too soon, too often… & kept running across field! I felt for Care as he’s slipped down England’s pecking, but he too ran ran WIDE before passing. It was like a series of action replays.
Exeter defended well enough, better than Quins, who were exposed on a couple of occasions, but it was such pedestrian stuff by the latter. Both teams indulged in some mindless aerial ping pong @ times too. It’s more about the quality of kicking, not the quantity for me.
The ST talked Henry Slade up. Future * & all that (shades of Sam ‘The rescuer’ Burgess?). No such thing for me. Either he’s a player of now, or he ain’t. Who knows what the future holds (ask JJ… but for injury)? HS kicked alright @ times & took his try well enough, but nothing more than competent in a winning side IMO.
Then again, is that not what most rugby is about anyway? Competence? So keep @ it, Henry & who knows? Fordy might turn an ankle & as you must know, Lancs so distrusts Cip.
Do you not think that the way Quins are playing now proves how important the players are to a system? Without Brown around, and without the Evans of old Quins are simply unable to play that way – whatever the will of the coach.
Similarly, SL seems to be perfectly capable of having England play expansively but when the likes of Twelvetrees where unable to execute it (think awful offload against NZ last summer that lead to a try) – he drew back. In the AI’s we saw him play more conservatively.
You can also use Schmidt as an example here. Always have Leinster playing brilliant stuff. However, with BOD, and with Conor Murray at 9 it makes far more sense for Ireland to use that kicking game to good use. With Bowe being an awesome kick chaser that he didn’t have at Leinster, and a centre pairing at Ireland that are good but obviously aren’t of the BOD ilk.
Point being – good coaches try to make the best of what is at their disposal.
Thought Rokoduguni was poor in almost butchering that first try. Not only did he appear to be slowing down, but he started to wave in his finger on the air as some do to celebrate scoring before dotting the ball down.
I thought that Benjit, thought Roko looked like he wasn’t running hard most of game actually.
Wonder if that performance from Slade has made SL sit up?
Jacob
In a word, (or 2) ‘no’. Over reliance on individuals. ABs for instance have played for some time/periods WITHOUT Carter, McCaw, Woodcock & latterly Nonu. Others have slotted into the ‘systems’, as you call them, in place. It’s also about being coached in making the right decisions, in or out of comfort zones (position/s), in what to do, when. Coaches should also cater for injuries as these always happen (as England know & as the press keep telling us).
Who put a gun to Quins’ head & made them run l to r. It was fundamentally flawed, basic play. What is the ‘Evans of old ‘ anyway? With his exp, he (& Care) should have known better than to fritter possession as they did. And CO’S should have changed this (early) as opposed to sticking his head in the sand. Their season’s gone now don’t you think?
‘… AI’s we saw him (SL) play more conservatively’… or revert to type. England still don’t execute (pass) as well as the SH. Play from too much, too deep when it’s not on (decision making). They still don’t straighten the line soon enough (that’s why I bang on about Cip), so where’s the space for the wingers? It’s quite subtle, but vital, as is the timing & accuracy of passing.
Have used ‘Schmidt as an example here’ & he did ‘have Leinster playing brilliant stuff’. I’ve also said that his current style has surprised me as it’s become 1 dimensional & predictable. If his fwds get duffed up (as may happen, acc my perception of the gen perception here… esp with no O’Brien?), what then? No pt in doing the same ol’ (like Quins) if it’s not working is there? Need to have a wider (all round) game (like Bath?) as well. Trouble is, if a team gets stuck playing 1 way, it’s harder to change & play catch up. Better to have some foresight. Maybe Joe S has some hidden up his sleeve… & the 6N ain’t quite over yet, is it?
You have diff way of looking @ it that’s all. It’s a NH v SH thing, so don’t feel bad (t in c).
So what you’ve done there is rant about something completely different to my post. I really should have known better than to try and debate something with you. Never mind.
Jacob
‘Point being – good coaches try to make the best of what is at their disposal’.
Ok, that’s yr take & with some MERIT, but what about also trying to improve the team/individuals in order to execute/expand game plans/tactics?
Nodding dogs don’t always drop anchor here & because I have a dif perspective doesn’t nec equate to a ‘rant’, so don’t quite see why you were so put out.
I did end by stating; ‘You have diff way of looking @ it that’s all..’ etc. Perhaps a ‘maybe’ chucked in would have helped? And I did also mention ‘tongue in cheek’ (‘t in c’).
You could always come back with more ‘debate’, but srry you saw it the way you did.
Better luck nxt time.