Inexperienced England push the Barbarians close, but Experience Prevails

A fast-paced first half with some free-running rugby gave England a healthy lead going into half-time. In the second half the Barbarians' physicality and maturity proved too much for England.

England got off to a tremendous start with Henry Trinder popping over into the right-hand corner. Charlie Hodgson converted. Frederic Michalak put Benoit Baby in for a try; this suggested England were not going to be able to run away with the game against such experienced players. Michalak duly added the conversion. England 7 Barbarians 7

Charlie Hodgson popped over a penalty to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Ugo Monye then put through a chip ahead and pressurised Nicolas Jeanjean at the ruck. Monye won a turnover and squeezed over for a try. Hodgson again converted. England 17 Barbarians 7

England’s third try was a delightful combination between two Gloucester players. Captain Luke Narraway threw a dummy that Sergio Parisse bought and he fed James Simpson-Daniel. Simpson-Daniel still had plenty of work to do and stepped powerfully off his right side to side-step Ruan Pienaar. It was a fine finish by Simpson-Daniel who held his hand up for a possible plane ticket to New Zealand. Hodgson slotted the touchline conversion. England 24 Barbarians 7

The Barbarians increased the pressure on the young English side and Carl Fearns ended up being yellow-carded for an offense at the breakdown in his own 22. From the resulting 5 metre scrum Sackey was put in for a simple try in the corner, but Joe van Niekerk’s pass was deemed forward. Once again the scrum was under intense pressure with Ugo Monye filling in for Fearns on the flank. Paul Doran-Jones was given a tough time in the scrum by Salvatore Perugini and gave a way a penalty. In true Barbarian style, the men in black and white went quickly off the penalty; unfortunately they knocked the ball on. Sergio Parisse should have opted for another scrum as the referee was looking likely to be heading under the posts for a penalty-try.

England had avoided considerable pressure and Mike Brown made a scything break only for Paul Hodgson to gift a try to Frederic Michalak. He gave a pass that was never on and the French fly-half strolled over for the score. Michalak then converted his own try to make the score England 21- Barbarians 14.

Half Time: England 21- Barbarians 14.

England started the second half poorly with Matt Banahan trying to get over the gain-line unsuccessfully. He gave away a penalty. The Barbarians kicked to the corner. A few plays later Mathieu Bastareaud looked to have been through to score, however, Sergio Parrise’s pass was ruled forward.

Ugo Monye was helped off the field after a collision with Paul Sackey. Hopefully he will not be out for too long as he was hoping to push for a place in Martin Johnson’s World Cup squad.

Michalak opted for a cross-kick to nothing, Visser won the ball in the air and Simpson-Daniel could not make the tackle. Visser powered over to score in the scorner. The French no. 10 could not add the extras. The Barbarians showed their further physical ambition with the introduction of Seru Rabeni, Carl Hayman and Sabastien Bruno.

England won a penalty from the resulting re-start; however, Hodgson missed the penalty attempt to the left of the uprights. Joe van Niekerk made a powerful charge through the English defensive line, but knocked the ball on. The English scrum was demolished by the Barbarians. The Barbarians once again turned down a kick at goal. A few phases later with some considerable attacking pressure the highly-experienced Australian flanker George Smith popped over in the right-hand corner. This levelled the scores. The kick went wide. England 24 Barbarians 24

Another mistake from England gave the Barbarians a counter-attacking try. Michalak kicked on from a spilt ball and Simpson-Daniel was turned over on his 5 metre line. Joe van Niekerk barged over and Michalak was successful with the conversation attempt. England 24 Barbarians 31

On a sad note for England the young English prop Joe Marler was stretchered off the field. Hopefully this was just a precautionary measure and he will be back to full fitness soon. Paul Doran-Jones returned to the field of play.

England in the 1^st 20 minutes of the second half had not once ventured into the Barbarian 22. England made a surge forward and won a penalty. Luke Narraway as Captain made the right decision to kick for goal, even if the Twickenham crowd felt otherwise. Hodgson narrowed the gap. England 27 Barbarians 31

Willie Mason made his 1^st appearance as a Rugby Union player from the bench. The Barbarian back-line looked terrifyingly physical compared to some of the youngsters involved on the English side. Henry Trinder made a nice run up the left-wing only to be tackled highly by Rabeni. Rabeni was penalised and fortunate not to have been yellow-carded.

Stephen Myler, replacing Mike Brown made a clever chip over the defensive line. His kick was well caught by Banahan. However, England lost possession and the Barbarians cleared their line. Simpson-Daniel fielded the kick and made a delightful run back into Barbarian territory. Banahan and Gaskell charged forward, only for Sergio Parisse to give away a clear penalty near his own try line. This should have been an obvious yellow card with a try beckoning.

England took the penalty quickly and the ball was spread wide to Exeter’s Tom Johnson. Johnson’s deceptive pace and strength, combined with a convincing dummy to Charlie Hodgson took him over for his first try in England colours. Unfortunately Hodgson was unsuccessful with the conversion attempt, hitting the post. England 32 Barbarians 31 with six minutes remaining.

The young and inexperienced England side had fought themselves back into the lead. However, heartbreakingly for them, the Barbarians’ experience proved too much. They made an excellent break courtesy of Joe Tekori, who linked with van Niekerk. Van Niekerk was hauled down by Charlie Hodgson. Tim Visser was on hand to land the decisive blow. In the final act of the game Pienaar slotted the conversion.

Final Score England 32- Barbarians 38

My Man of the Match: Joe van Niekerk: Try scorer and excellent around the breakdown. His experience was vital.

English World Cup Prospects:

Luke Narrway led admirably and showed terrific attacking ability to set up his club mate for England’s third try. He would be a worthy addition to Martin Johnson’s squad.

James Simpson-Daniel is always a threat with the ball and his try was a finish that any World-class winger would have been proud of. He made one significant defensive error leading to Tim Visser’s first try. Otherwise he made a bold claim for a place. Martin Johnson will need to consider the fact that Chris Ashton, Mark Cueto and Ugo Monye have injury worries.

Matt Banahan did the basics well. He gave England forward momentum. I am still not convinced he is a centre. Perhaps he should remain on the wing and be looking to come in-field to use his size and strength in other ways.

Tom Johnson will be a certainty for the Churchill Cup squad. Further strong performances will give him a chance of a seat to New Zealand. However, injuries may have to be the deciding factor on whether he is taken to the World Cup. Martin Johnson has a very strong back-row contingent to choose from.

Henry Trinder played well and took his try-scoring opportunity when it came. However, he is not the finished article. Trinder is an excellent prospect for the future. He will be running rings around opponents in the Churchill Cup along with Charlie Sharples.

Saracens Storm through to win their First Aviva Premiership Title

In a match where many expected a narrow defensive game, Saracens produced some excellent running rugby and rock-solid defence at the end of the match.

Toby Flood kicked off the match with rapturous cheers from a packed Twickenham crowd. Saracens successfully cleared their lines. A few phases of play later, Shalk Brits fielded a kick in his own half and responded with an up-and-under of his own. Excellent chasing and pressure gave the Saracens a turnover. Neil de Kock, the man who called the right side of the coin to be given the starting no.9 jersey nearly made the line. He was inches short causing Ben Youngs to concede a penalty for preventing a near certain try. He was yellow-carded by Wayne Barnes. Young Owen Farrell stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty. Leicester 0 Saracens 3

With a man down, Leicester sought to play rugby in Saracens’ half. A pinpoint up-and-under by Flood was caught by Matt Smith, who had replaced the banned Manu Tuilagi. Smith leapt up into the air and took the ball out of Alex Goode’s hands. Leicester pilled on the pressure with a few small line-breaks and forced a penalty. Flood did his job making the score Leicester 3 Saracens 3. Not a bad response from the 14-man Tigers.

Soon the pressure on Leicester of not having an expert scrum-half became apparent. Anthony Allen filled in for Youngs. The Tigers were looking to clear their line. Unfortunately Allen threw an appalling pass back to Toby Flood, who was standing in the in-goal area. Flood then nearly gifted Saracens the first try by throwing a blind pass back inside rather than being tackled to the ground conceding a 5-metre scrum. Allen made amends for his poor pass by diving on the ball.

Leicester were rattled, but were let off the hook when Matt Stephens led the Saracens pack to engage early at the scrum, giving Leicester a free kick, from which they cleared their lines. A few phases later, Saracens cleared from their 22 and the ball came to Horacio Aguilla. Aguilla took an audacious attempt at a drop-goal from 55 metres out on the right-wing. Truthfully, he is no Francois Steyn and the attempt faded wide and short. Flood was seen strongly rebuking his team mate for not giving the ball inside when he was screaming for the ball.

Youngs came back onto the pitch. Leicester had been fortunate not to be a try down during the time he was in the sin-bin. The Saracens line-out had been performing well in the early stages of the game. However, the control for the tap-back to de Kock was not accurate. Saracens conceded a penalty trying to tread back and secure the ball. Flood struck the ball beautifully making the score. Leicester 6 Saracens 3

Ben Youngs put in a poor box-kick which was fielded superbly by Brits. He barrelled past George Chuter and Saracens forced a penalty. Farrell stepped up to tie the scores. Leicester 6 Saracens 6

Owen Farrell was soon targeted by Craig Newby after a high clearance kick. Newby let his knee catch Farrell, causing some pain for the youngster. With Farrell momentarily down, Alex Goode had a go at a drop-goal. He snatched at the attempt and it flew low and to the left of the posts. A clever kick from Flood put Goode under pressure; he managed to rush a kick away. This gave the Tigers their first line-out with excellent field position. They won their own ball and started their traditional maul. Saracens must be congratulated for successfully preventing the maul from gaining ground. So far Saracens had more than matched Leicester on the big occasion.

A box-kick from Youngs was not chased properly. Saracens chose to take the line-out quickly seeing that Shalk Brits was screaming for the long pass in-field. Brits used his considerable pace to make ground into the Leicester 22. He drew the final defender popping the ball to James Short. Short still had work to do, but managed to dive over in the corner, narrowly avoiding Scott Hamilton’s last-ditch tackle. Short who was barrelled into touch by Rory Lawson in the semi-final against Gloucester, finished exceptionally well on this occasion. The TMO confirmed the score. Farrell showed he was on form with the boot and split the uprights from the touchline. Leicester 6 Saracens 13

I have to say it was surprising to see Saracens playing such expansive rugby. I was one of the critics of Saracens, in my match-preview I suggested the men in black would play pragmatic, simple rugby and rely on their strong defence to try and win. I was proved wrong and am glad that Saracens played with pace and vision. However, Brits turned down another scoring chance when he could have taken advantage of a 2 on 1.

Leicester strung a few phases together in the Saracens’ half. Their backs lacked any dynamism and were not running onto the ball at pace. It was disappointing not to see Alesana Tuilagi given the ball at pace as he had already shown his strength, crashing through two would-be tacklers in David Strettle and Owen Farrell.

Saracens pulled off a flowing backs move with de Kock on a loop running an excellent line. It is a shame Saracens did not play like they did yesterday all season. The pressure eventually tolled for Leicester and they gave away another penalty. Farrell showed his composure, his inexperience was not apparent as he once again took 3 points for his side. Leicester 6 Saracens 16

Matt Stephens was penalised at a scrum and Flood managed to punish Saracens. Leicester 9 Saracens 16. After the re-start, Leicester chose to run-down the clock till half-time. Flood booted the ball out and Leicester ran into the changing room with a Richard Cockerill team talk to look forward to.

Half-time Leicester 9 Saracens 16

Leicester had 40 minutes to come back into the game. With only a seven point gap to recover, no one was writing the Tigers off at half-time.

It was Saracens who made the best start to the half. They won a penalty at the scrum and Farrell opened the scoring in the second half with another penalty Leicester 9 Saracens 19.

Alex Goode made an outstanding individual effort to keep the ball in-play after a Leicester clearance kick. However, keeping the ball in-play turned out to be a bad option as the Leicester kick-chase piled on the pressure, earning them a penalty. Flood made no mistake Leicester 12 Saracens 19.

Shalk Brits once again fielded a kick like a member of the back-three. A scrum soon followed. Matt Stephens was replaced and the Tigers destroyed the scrum forcing a penalty. However, Flood was unsuccessful with the penalty, although the kick was from a relatively straight-forward position. Perhaps unexpectedly, Flood buckled before Farrell in the kicking duel.

A half-break was made by Tom Croft and the Tigers were given another shot at goal when Kelly Brown infringed at the ruck. Flood once again missed the target. Two missed kicks in a row were starting to cost Leicester. They would have been losing by one if Flood had made the two attempts successful. Flood failed to make touch kicking from a penalty – a simple mistake that is not typical of his usual play.

Leicester again made another silly mistake when they were awarded a penalty. Youngs, perhaps trying to make amends for his yellow card earlier in the match went quickly and kicked ahead which came to nothing. Leicester should have taken their time and kicked into touch for field position. Simple mistakes like these were preventing the Tigers from getting back into the game.

During Leicester’s next phases of possession, Saracens were pushing the offside line and then Hugh Vyvyan went offside at a ruck. Flood made no mistake with the resulting kick at goal. Leicester 15 Saracens 19

The Tigers were back in the match; however another break was made by Brits. The Saracens hooker was all over the pitch, he won his side another crucial penalty and Farrell once again sent the ball through the posts. Leicester 15 Saracens 22

Leicester won a penalty straight from the kick-off. Saracens were showing signs of nerves, (perhaps in the back of some players’ minds was last year’s agonising defeat in the final due to a try in the last few minutes of the match). Flood’s kick was successful. Leicester 18 Saracens 22

The game opened up for Leicester. They threw the ball around looking for a winning score. Alesana Tuilagi looked to be away for a try, but Brits heroically brought the Samoan down. Billy Twelvetrees, on as a replacement made a handling error. The game seemed to be over.

However, Leicester won a penalty and kicked towards the corner flag. Did Leicester have the composure to play the phases and win the match? They threw everything they could at Saracens, stringing together over 30 phases of possession. The Tigers got to within inches of the line and then Youngs made a selfish decision to try and run himself. However, Leicester won another penalty. They had to tap and go due to time constraints. Owen Farrell put in a huge hit on Toby Flood, the current England Fly-half. Farrell immediately suffered from cramp, showing the effort he put into the match. Leicester conceded a penalty.

Saracens started celebrating, but the ball still had to be kicked into touch. Farrell jumped up off the floor and kicked the ball into the crowd. The final kick of the match brought about another onset of cramp, but the young Englishman was not going to worry too much. Saracens were declared deserved champions. The Tigers experienced the agony of topping the table and losing in the play-offs. I hope that Saracens play like they did in the final every game next season. This was far more entertaining to watch than I expected and Saracens proved they have the players capable of playing expansive rugby.

Final Score Leicester 18 Saracens 22

Man of the match was a touch decision in this game. Farrell was terrific with the boot and did not let his inexperience prevent Saracens from fulfilling their dream. However, Shalk Brits was outstanding. His leadership, ball carrying, kick fielding and ultimately his pace which set up the only try in the match means that he was my many of the match. The South African hooker was an inspiration to his team mates.

Aviva Premiership Grand Final- Replay of Last Year’s Dramatic Finale

Last Year Leicester sealed a dramatic win over Saracens courtesy of a Dan Hipkiss try at the death. The match finished Leicester 33 Saracens 27. Saracens will be hoping to avoid heartache for a second year running, whereas Leicester will be looking to add yet another Premiership title to their Trophy Cabinet.

It will be interesting to see how the Leicester Tigers approach this game. A lot has been written about Saracens’ pragmatic approach to rugby. Saracens will try and play efficient rugby, taking their chances at goal and perhaps popping up in the corner for a try after a period of sustained pressure. The Tigers are the more exciting side to watch. However, they can play simple rugby when required, a quality of championship-winning sides. 

The Saracens try-line will not be breached easily. They have statistically the best defence in the league. This season they have only conceded 26 tries. The Tigers have defended well (as you would expect from the side that topped the table), but let in three more tries than Saracens. Leicester has scored nearly twice as many tries as Saracens with 67 throughout the regular season. It will be interesting to see if the two approaches balance out. I hope for the spectacle itself that the Tigers are not dragged into a lacklustre game without any attacking dynamism.

Leicester vs. Saracens Player Comparison

1. Marcos Ayerza vs. Matt Stephens

Ayerza is an excellent competitor in the scrum and brings aggression to the Tigers’ front five. He has already faced disciplinary action this season for a scrap with Joe Marler and will be fired up for the occasion. It has been fantastic to see Matt Stephens returning from his days in the wilderness following his ban for drug use.  His reputation has been slowly rebuilt and he has put in some excellent efforts at club level. His efforts in the scrum and in the loose make him a dangerous member of the Saracens side. The game will not be decided solely by the forwards, but he is one member of the front five who will be looking to turn the screw on Leicester early on. The question is will Martin Johnson give him a chance to regain the rugby population’s respect in New Zealand?

2. George Chuter vs. Shalk Brits

These are highly contrasting hookers. George Chuter is built in the traditional mould of a hooker, strong in the scrum and confident throwing into the line-out. Brits is an entirely different player. He is fast, has great hands and has even been known to put the odd spiral kick downfield. A tremendous talisman for Saracens this season, expect him to be causing problems in the loose.

3. Martin Castrogiovanni vs. Carlos Nieto

Both packs are full of excellent ambassadors of the set-piece. Castrogiovanni has played consistently this season and will battle bravely in the scrum. Carlos Nieto has improved since leaving Gloucester and has won Saracens several vital penalties at scrum time. Both props are strong ball carriers and will be looking to give their team forward momentum.

4. Steve Mafi vs. Stephen Borthwick (Captain)

Mafi is one of many fine ball carriers in the Leicester squad. He has been a reliable squad member this season. He will not make the headlines on Saturday, but he will be working hard in the engine room. Borthwick is a highly experienced player and will lead his side with confidence. He was harshly yellow-carded in the Semi-Final vs. Gloucester and he will be wishing to put in a full 80 minutes. He has captained England and is excellent in the line-out. His performance will be crucial to allow Saracens quality possession. His leadership will be essential in a team with several young players.

5. George Skivvington vs. Mourtiz Botha

Skivvington captained the England Saxons last season. The Leicester squad is full of leaders and Skivvington will need to be in form in the set-piece to implement a Leicester victory. Botha adds a huge physical presence to the Saracens front five standing at 6”6 and weighing 112 kg. His Strength in the scrum and at the breakdown will be influential in deciding Saracen’s ability to win quick, effective ball.

6. Tom Croft vs. Kelly Brown

Tom Croft has been unfortunate with shoulder injuries recently, however he has put in some strong performances this season. Croft is an agile line-out jumper and hard working back-row forward who likes to pop up on the wing for the occasional try. Expect a strong performance from the British Lion on Saturday as he will want to affirm his place on the plane to New Zealand this autumn. Kelly Brown is a key member of the Saracens back-row unit. Saracens rely on their suffocating defence and competitiveness at the breakdown.  The Scottish International will be looking to slow the ball down and prevent the Tigers from playing their backs in space.

7. Craig Newby (Captain) vs. Jacques Burger

Newby captains the Tigers at Twickenham. He has led the side well and will have his work cut out to compete with the Saracens’ back-row. Burger is a tremendous work-horse and the hard hitting Namibian will be looking to unsettle Toby Flood and Ben Youngs in the early exchanges. Burger is also another expert at slowing the ball down. For Leicester to be able to play their own game Newby and his colleagues will have to nullify the Saracens back row from scavenging their possession.

8. Jordan Crane vs. Ernst Joubert

Crane was man of the match in last year’s Grand Final. He is another excellent ball carrier for Leicester with pace to match. Crane famously converted the winning kick in the historic Heineken Cup semi-final shoot-out against Cardiff Blues in 2009. The three time England cap is very capable of performing under pressure. Joubert is a key leader in for the Saracens having captained the side at the end of last season. He is destructive in the loose and a handy line out co-ordinator.

9. Ben Youngs vs. Neil de Kock

Youngs has been criticised of late, but there is no doubt he can be a match winner on his day. His 1^st try for England providing the grounds for victory over Australia away in the 2^nd Test last summer is a testament to that. Youngs will snipe around the edges and try and find gaps, but he will do well to find them with the powerful presence of the Saracens back row. Saracens rather unconventionally chose their starting scrum-half based on the toss of a coin. Richard Wigglesworth will be disappointed not to have won the toss but will be eager to make an impact from the bench. Neil de Kock brings control and experience to proceedings. His experience makes him a useful partner to youngster Owen Farrell at fly-Half.

Key Battle: 10. Toby Flood vs. Owen Farrell

This is a delightful match up for those interested in the future of English fly-halves. It is strange to think that Flood is the experienced player now. He has accomplished a great deal in his career to date. Flood will be confident, having led England well in the Six Nations this year. We know what to expect from him now, he will kick his goals and offer a serious attacking threat. Owen Farrell has an opportunity to stake his claim perhaps prematurely to the England no.10 Jersey. Farrell will need to kick his goals if Saracens want to give themselves a shot at the trophy. I fear for his sake if Leicester repeat the tactic they used in the 2007 Premiership Final vs. Gloucester when they threw Alesana Tuilagi down Ryan Lamb’s channel at every given opportunity. 

11. Alesana Tuilagi vs. James Short

Alesana Tuilagi does not need much of an introduction. He is the top try scorer in the Aviva Premiership with 13 tries and is huge physical threat. Saracens will have to make sure they tackle the big Samoan around the ankles and before he gets up to full pace. James Short is a relative unknown compared to his opposite number. However, the 21 year old has performed well for his club this season scoring 5 tries. His kick chase will be crucial; he must put Scott Hamilton and the rest of the Leicester back three under pressure. 

12. Anthony Allen vs. Brad Barritt

Anthony Allen has significantly improved his game since leaving Gloucester. Now he is a better-rounded professional. Allen burst onto the scene at Gloucester Rugby after signing from Millfield School. He was given a chance on the International scene but was perhaps too young at the time to hold onto to a regular place. His creativity, intelligent running lines and strong defence make him a potential candidate for a World Cup place. He has been consistent this season for Leicester and as a result was voted Leicester Players’ Player of the Season. Brad Barritt is not a very dynamic inside centre; however he does his job well. He defends well and can put significant pressure on opposing centres.

13. Matt Smith vs. Chris Wyles

There will be no Manu Tuilagi this week after his altercation with Chris Ashton two weeks ago. He was rightly banned for his actions and hopefully he will learn from this experience. Leicester will miss his physicality but in Matt Smith they have an excellent back-up.  Smith was a try-scorer in last year’s Grand Final and will be keen to take his opportunity. Wyles, the American International will have his work cut out defending against Allen and Smith. He will be looking to release speedster David Strettle into space at any given opportunity.

14. Horacio Aguilla vs. David Strettle

Aguilla has not been in try-scoring form this season and has been overshadowed by the Tuilagi brothers. However he has the speed and agility to cause defences problems.  Strettle has suffered with injuries over the years and has missed out on several England caps. However this man is a very dangerous runner. He has topped the statistics list this season in the premiership with the top amount of defenders beaten (43) and he has scored 5 tries for the men in black. Some suggest he might have an outside chance of a call up to the England Squad, but he faces tough competition from the likes of Chris Ashton, Delon Armitage and Mark Cueto.

15. Scot Hamilton vs. Alex Goode

This is another great match up; Goode perhaps lacks the attacking flair of his Kiwi opponent. But he can be dangerous in space. Hamilton covers well and is good under the high ball. He has scored 7 tries this season. Farrell will try and put him under pressure as Hamilton has conceded the 5^th highest amount of turnovers in the league this season. He will have a busy day collecting ‘bombs’ and avoiding the fast kick chase from Strettle and Short.

Prediction: Leicester to win by 10. Their experience of winning previous Grand Finals will be vital and I think Leicester will not be drawn into the negative, defensive approach of Saracens.

Young Guns Given a Chance to Fire Against the Barbarians

A non-cap game for England is the perfect chance for any players with World Cup ambitions to stake their claim for a place in the World Cup squad. The team has an exciting blend of experience and youth.

Luke Narraway deservedly captains the team. He has been exceptional for Gloucester Rugby this season. He led the club into 3^rd place in the Aviva Premiership when Mike Tindall has been away with England or injured. Narraway is a very different no.8 compared to Nick Easter, he has great pace and hands that some backs would kill for. I believe he would be a valued addition to the squad in New Zealand. Used as an impact sub when teams are tiring he could be very effective.

There have been a few interesting choices. Young prospects such as Henry Trinder, Carl Fearns and Graham Kitchener have been included. Kitchener helped Worcester regain promotion to the Aviva Premiership this season. Trinder has an excellent try-scoring record for Gloucester having scored 13 tries in all competitions this season. A strong performance against the Barbarians and further good performances in the Churchill Cup could land these youngsters a wild-card style pick from manager Martin Johnson. These players have been picked on the basis of excellent form for their clubs. Also this may be an example of planning further ahead than the World Cup in New Zealand this year. A centre partnership of Manu Tuilagi and Henry Trinder would be a very exciting combination of youth, pace and power.

Charlie Hodgson at fly-half will provide direction and he will put England in the right areas of the pitch to play. Other highly experienced club players such as Matt Banahan, Mike Brown and James Simpson-Daniel will provide attacking threat and defensive nous. Banahan’s physicality will provide forward momentum allowing the likes of Ugo Monye, James Simpson-Daniel and Henry Trinder time and space to utilise their pace.

Tom Johnson has had an impressive season for the Exeter Chiefs. He has been a true leader on the pitch and his physicality helped Exeter achieve beyond expectations this season, helping them finish 8^th in the Aviva Premiership. Johnson is a powerful ball carrier and a hard hitting flanker. I am sure he will take his chance well.

The Barbarian matches can be great demonstrations of flair and speed. Some of the best players in World Rugby in one team make a great spectacle of rugby. The inclusion of powerful International backs such as Paul Sackey and Mathieu Bastareaud combined with the talented half-back combination of Ruan Pienaar and Frederick Michalak shows a real mix of flair and sheer strength that the Barbarians will exert over their opponents.

The forwards chosen to represent the Baa Baa’s are equally impressive. The back-row combination of Joe van Neikerk, George Smith and Sergio Parrise, (who captains the side) has over 230 international caps between them. This could well be where the match is decided. Their experience and physicality at the breakdown will be a stern test for Tom Johnson, Carl Fearns and Luke Narraway. If the Englishmen can truly compete against this back-row they surely deserve full-international recognition.

The Barbarians have had little time to gel in training. Players have to rely on their natural instincts. One weakness could be Willie Mason, the giant Rugby-League convert playing his first game of Rugby Union (should he be given a start from the bench). I suspect his sheer size and physicality will get him through the game, but his lack of experience of Rugby Union’s defensive lines and tactics may be an area to exploit. Bannahan and Trinder will be ready to pounce on defensive frailties.

Prediction: Barbarians to win by 10. It will be a close game, but the experience and quality throughout the Barbarians team will prevail. Any naivety will be exploited at this level. However, the English side will give it their all. The youngsters will dream of replicating this moment courtesy of James Simpson-Daniel vs. Barbarians in 2002 when he ran rings around Jonah Lomu. 

Gloucester Rugby Skills Session

Gloucester players Mike Tindall, Freddie Burns, Henry Trinder, Charlie Sharples and Jonny May demonstrate their skills. Its nice to see Tindall enjoying himself before his big day in the 2nd Royal Wedding of 2011! Fantastic skills, I wonder how many takes it took to get these right?

True Class Shines Through

What a spectacle for Northern Hemisphere Rugby. Any cynics and critics of the Northern Hemisphere game could not have asked for a more thrilling, skillful and tension-filled occasion.

The Majority of the media suggested Northampton were underdogs, and this clearly went in their favour in the opening exchanges. Perhaps because the pressure was on Leinster to take their third Heineken Cup trophy Northampton felt free to play their own game and give it their all. Any regular viewers of the Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup this year will know that Northampton pride themselves on their brutal strength in the scrum. They fronted up in the first half and earned penalties and an early psychological advantage over Leinster. In a flash Dowson barges over in the corner, the Millennium Stadium erupts, perhaps unexpectedly to Northampton’s first try. Leinster looked stunned, whilst confidence spread throughout the Saints team. Sexton nudges over a kick at goal. No reason for Leinster to panic yet. Another destruction of the Irish scrum and Myler adds the penalty goal. 

The next highlight for Northampton gave the side a huge sense of pride and belief that they were in Cardiff to lay claim to the trophy. O’Driscoll cut a great line of O’Brian and looked to be in for the corner, halted by a committed try-saving tackle from Ben Foden. The England full-back demonstrating his credentials and why he should be starting in New Zealand for England this autumn. It was not going to be a day of headlines for Brian O’Driscoll.

Mujati was sin binned. For many teams losing a man down in a showpiece final would spell absolute disaster. However, Saints weathered the storm and it was difficult to notice they were a man down. Another penalty was given to the Saints at scrum time and Myler kicked for territory. Clarke sent Foden around Brian O’Driscoll to score their 2^nd try of the evening. The conversion duly followed. 17-3 to Northampton after half an hours play. Sexton did his job with a penalty shortly afterwards, but then the Saints pressure tolled again. Ashton was surging for the line and I have to admit I did not want him to score because I could not bear the headlines to have been about him and another swan dive! Ashton went agonisingly close, but Hartley soon drove over to score after confirmation from the TMO. Myler could not add the extras, hitting the woodwork.

Half time: Leinster 6- Northampton 22

A dream first half for the Saints. Surely if they played territory and controlled the possession in the second half they would be confident of closing the game out. I am sure at half-time they were not foolish enough to think the game was in the bag, but they could not have expected such a resounding response from Leinster in the 2^nd Half.  

It took only a matter of minutes before Brian O'Driscoll picked up a loose ball and burst through with Jamie Heaslip and Isa Nacewa in support. The ball was moved quickly to left and Eoin Reddan sent Jonathan Sexton over to start their comeback. The change in momentum was epitomised by Sexton’s conversion hitting the post and bouncing through. Saints looked shocked and at this stage no one was writing off a full comeback.

Leinster again went close only to be denied by the TMO. However, Sexton showed his pace and eye for a gap to sneak over for his second try of the match. He converted his own try leaving the Irish side only 2 points behind Northampton.  A further shift in the game occurred when Leinster demolished a Northampton scrum giving Sexton the chance to put his team in the lead. He duly converted the chance and you could see Northampton’s disappointment creeping in.

Northampton were not out of the game by any means, but the onslaught of attacking pressure and relentless possession took its toll. Players began to tire and discipline inevitably wavered. Dowson, in the 1^st half the try scorer, looking to be a likely hero for Northampton was yellow carded. Sexton punished the Saints by slotting the resulting penalty.

With a man down, Leinster showed their class and determination to make sure Northampton could not come back into the game. Nathan Hines found his way to the line, a memorable moment for his last game in a Leinster shirt. Sexton once again split the uprights and Leinster looked comfortable in the lead.

Shane Geraghty was put on in place of Stephen Myler who had offered very little in the 2^nd half, a shame after doing everything right in the 1^st half. Geraghty looked for space with a jinking run of his but ended up being put under considerable pressure by Leinster forwards. A penalty followed and Sexton missed the kick. Surely that would not cost Leinster now?

Not even a final onslaught from England colleagues Foden and Ashton could resurrect the Saint's Trophy hopes. The ball was hoofed out of play deep into the stands and Leinster were crowned 2011 Champions of the Heineken Cup.

Final Score Leinster: 34- Northampton 22
Man of the Match: Jonathan Sexton (Leinster)

Northampton can be proud of their 1^st half effort as no one expected them to achieve so much in 40 minutes. However it is an 80 minute game and the top sides know this. Leinster had the poise, precision and passion to make the 2^nd 40 minutes count. It was not a day for Brian O’Driscoll headlines, but yesterday we saw the true class of young Jonathan Sexton. The composure of the young man and his self-belief was exemplary. Any seasoned veteran would have been proud of that performance and it is one to show any young aspiring player. Lions caps beckon and I would suggest that Ireland could cause more than a stir in New Zealand with Sexton at the helm. I have no doubts that Northampton will go onto great things with their current side, but it will be interesting to see how they fare next season in the Aviva Premiership losing so many players to the World Cup.