The Aviva Premiership Rugby 2013/14 Season is off and running in the most part to form with signs of great things to come.
The weekend kicked off with Falcons being shown how tough it will be as Bath took the points back home with a 0-21 victory, from 0-6 at half-time. Bath new boy George Ford posted most of the teams points and looks a good buy.
Saturday and four games with first up London Irish being given a lesson by Saracens going down 20-42, Sarries controlled the game from start to finish and turned at 10-21 half-time. There is no doubt that on this showing Saracens will be in the top four come the end of the season and Irish in the bottom four. Next up and Gloucester hosted Sale Sharks and expected to have a simple run in. Sharks had other ideas and went from 3-14 at the break to the final score of 16-22 though they had to withstand some mighty pressure to gain the reward. On this showing expect both sides to be mid table come the end of the season.
Northampton Saints and business as usual with a power display against an Exeter Chiefs from whom we expected more. This was out of sight at 31-6 at half-time and the home side relaxed in the second period and posted just seven points to Chiefs five giving us the final score of 38-11. Looks like Saints will be in the mix at season end, but for Chiefs has their continuous improvement trend ended? Last up for Saturday was London Wasps and Harlequins which Quins won by the tightest of margins 15-16. Wasps led 10-3 at the break but this was tight all the way and Harlequins took the lead and held out against some pressure plays by Wasps until the end of regular time when Wasps scored out wide and the conversion bounced back off the posts giving the spoils to Quins. On the showing here Quins will be in the mix, Wasps will fall short as they struggle up front.
Sunday and Welford Road was the venue for Leicester Tigers and Worcester Warriors. From the Tigers showing it was carry on from last season as they opened with a bonus point win 32-15. This was 18-3 at the break and although Warriors did give some opposition Dean Ryan will be looking for improvements over the coming weeks.
So week one done and dusted and we called two wrong with Falcons and Gloucester falling short.
Results Round One
Fri 6th Sep 13 19:45 Newcastle Falcons 0-21 Bath Kingston Park BT Sport
Sat 7th Sep 13 14:00 London Irish 20-42 Saracens Twickenham Stadium BT Sport
Sat 7th Sep 13 15:00 Gloucester 16-22 Sale Sharks Kingsholm
Sat 7th Sep 13 15:00 Northampton Saints 38-11 Exeter Chiefs Franklin’s Gardens
Sat 7th Sep 13 16:30 London Wasps 15-16 Harlequins Twickenham Stadium BT Sport
Sun 8th Sep 13 14:00 Leicester Tigers 32-15 Worcester Warriors Welford Road BT Sport
Round Two and a couple of exciting match ups not least Quins Saints on Friday night.Check out all our picks below in Bold:
Fixtures Round Two
All Times Local
Fri 13th Sep 13 19:45 Harlequins v Northampton Saints Twickenham Stoop BT Sport
Fri 13th Sep 13 20:00 Sale Sharks v Newcastle Falcons Salford City Stadium
Sat 14th Sep 13 15:00 Exeter Chiefs v London Wasps Sandy Park
Sat 14th Sep 13 15:00 Worcester Warriors v London Irish Sixways
Sat 14th Sep 13 15:15 Bath v Leicester Tigers Recreation Ground BT Sport
Sun 15th Sep 13 14:00 Saracens v Gloucester Allianz Park BT Sport