Injuries and Suspensions not good enough excuses for England should they fail this November

Eight rounds of Aviva Premiership Rugby and two weeks of European encounters have given England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster plenty of selection headaches. Injuries and suspension rule out many experienced and in-form players. However, the Premiership is producing plenty of strength-in-depth for the former Leeds Carnegie Director of Rugby to consider. The QBE International series sees England play four games at Twickenham: against Fiji, Australia, South Africa and finally, the current World Champions New Zealand. These bouts will provide a real acid-test for Lancaster’s squad. Crucially, England must remain in the top-four of the official IRB rankings system ahead of the draw for the 2015 Rugby World Cup on home soil. If they can maintain their ranking, England may avoid facing another top side until the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Without the injured Dylan Hartley, some pundits suggest England may struggle to compete in the set-piece. Against rugby’s elite, England make the most of limited phases of possession. England look to the inexperienced Tom Youngs and Premiership veteran David Paice as England’s selections at hooker. London Irish’s Paice has represented the England Saxons and won two caps in the senior side’s tour to New Zealand in 2008. Paice has played over 120 games for the Reading outfit and has been unfortunate not to have accumulated more senior England caps. Youngs, (brother of England team mate Ben) is a former-centre who only recently became a first-choice hooker for Leicester. Tom moved to the front-row under Heyneke Meyer’s tenure at Welford Road after failing to establish himself in the centres. The England selectors have been impressed with some encouraging performances in the Premiership, and Youngs also put in a promising shift at home against the Ospreys in the Heineken Cup. As a former centre, Youngs has excellent handling skills and a high work-rate around the field. However, his composure at line-out time is questionable; he had an average night at the office at Kingsholm in Leicester’s 27-21 defeat. As a hooker, he has unquestionable potential, yet his naivety in the position could have devastating consequences against the top sides in world rugby.

The Aviva Premiership boasts an embarrassment of riches when it comes to England-qualified props. The latest headline-maker is Mako Vunipola, born in Wellington, New Zealand. The loose-head qualifies on residential grounds and represented England at age-level international rugby for the U18s and U20s. At only 21-years-of-age, the Saracen has forced his way in to contention on the senior international stage with combative performances n the Aviva Premiership and in Europe. England’s forward coach, Graham Rowntree couldn’t praise the youngster highly enough. He said: “I have no doubt he will make his name in this autumn series. I have got every confidence in him. I am looking for a fault in his game and I can’t find one at the moment.” Sky Sports reported that he added, “He is a dynamic ball-carrier and he loves a scrum and you know that turns me on!”
Rowntree’s scrummaging fetish aside, England has plenty of options at lose-head. Joe Marler, the Harlequin, has continued to help guarantee the current Premiership Champions a solid platform from set-piece ball. Last season and during the current campaign, Marler has let his bullish scrummaging rather than his lavish-hairstyles do the talking. Harlequins are top of the domestic table and proudly sit at the top of pool 3 in the Heineken cup, with 9 points from a possible 10. The Londoners are notorious for their free-flowing style of attacking rugby, but this is only possible with front-foot ball, provided by a well-drilled and dominant pack. England’s other options at tight-head include Leicester stalwart Dan Cole, who has been keeping the 84-time-capped Italian Martin Castrogiovanni out of the No.3 Tigers shirt and Bath’s David Wilson. Often Cole is criticised for giving away too many penalties under pressure in the scrum, however, he is an excellent option and with the right front-row forwards along side him in the ‘engine-room’ he can wreak havoc at scrum-time.

Two London Wasps make-up two-thirds of the options in the second-row in Tom Palmer and 21-year-old Joe Launchbury, who was a surprise call-up to the match-day squad vs. Fiji after Northampton’s Courtney Lawes succumbed to injury. If called upon, the versatile youngster could line-up at lock, or in the back-row. Palmer on the other hand brings a wealth of experience to a squad with several untested internationals. They are joined by Leicester’s Geoff Parling, who has been working efficiently in the line-out for the Tigers as their go-to-man. Mouritz Botha has been released back to Saracens, to force his way in to contention next weekend against Australia.

This November, pundits will be waxing lyrical about the breakdown specialists such as Australia’s David Pocock, South Africa’s Francois Louw and New Zealand’s Richie McCaw. This non-exhaustive trio are just few examples of the extremely-talented breakdown gurus that England will face this November. To compete against the best, Lancaster and his coaching team must select a finely-balanced back-row with a work-horse, a scavenger and a wrecking-ball at number eight to get England over the gain-line. Tom Johnson is the in-form blind-side flanker in the Premiership, his work-rate is second-to-none and he is physical enough to compete with any of the opposing back-row forwards in world rugby. The open-side position is justifiably claimed by the Harlequins and England captain Chris Robshaw. Robshaw skippered Quins to their first Premiership title last season and he captained England with pride and assurance during a period of dramatic changes to the coaching set-up. Thomas Waldrom is the favoured No.8, although, Leicester have played him at open-side during their loose-forward injury crisis. Waldrom is not a turn-over winning scavenger. His best position is No. 8 and it will be a thrilling battle between Waldrom and Gloucester’s Ben Morgan this November to claim and retain the shirt at the back of the scrum.

Can Mike Catt and Andy Farrell put together a back-line capable of beating the World’s best?
The duo of former England centres is a shrewd combination. Mike Catt was one of England’s most creative attacking centres, in the latter stages of the Rugby World Cup in 2003, his tactical nous and game-reading ability helped guide England to World Cup glory. In Farrell, England have a defensive technician and former Rugby League legend that embodied physicality in the contact area. Emphasis will be placed on disciplined, aggressive defence, with the necessity to create and execute even from the most unlikely of try-scoring positions.

Danny Care has been in scintillating form for Harlequins in both the domestic and European competitions. Thankfully, the sniping scrum-half has put his misdemeanours from the turn of the new-year behind him, and he is entirely focused on his rugby. The former England Sevens star has an eye for a gap, and he is always looking a quick tap-and-go. This catches a lazy retreating defence off-guard. He should start in the No.9 shirt ahead of Ben Youngs, as he has better distribution than his rival for the starting position and is quicker around the park.

Lancaster has to make a decision about the kind of game plan he wants his team to execute. If he wants England to play a defensive-minded game with a simple kicking game and strong kick-chase, he will choose Owen Farrell at 10. However, if he wants to play in an attacking, open and flowing style, he will opt for Toby Flood at fly-half. Farrell is unquestionably an effective option to gradually build a lead or close out and win a game; however, he lacks the creative spark required to unlock the best defences in world rugby. Also, the young utility-back does not play at fly-half week-in-week-out for Saracens; he has the guiding influence of Charlie Hodgson at 10, which allows the Wigan born warrior the time needed to develop his own game.

Brad Barritt was a rock in defence in last season’s RBS Six Nations and he continues to keep the Saracen defensive line intact. If Farrell is deployed the No.12 shirt, this offers the team another kicking option. After excellent efforts in the Premiership and Europe, Jordan Turner-Hall thoroughly deserves game-time at inside-centre; however, the Harlequins centre was released from England duty because he requires further treatment on his knee. Leicester’s Manu Tuilagi will start in the outside channel. We have not witnessed dazzling form from the rampaging Tiger this season; however, the test series should bring the best out in him. It is important to have creative options around him, to avoid the temptation to adopt the ‘pass it to Manu’ tactic England turn to in times of difficulty or stagnation. Jonathan Joseph has been the only stand-out player in a miss-firing London Irish in the first phase of the season; however, sadly the agile outside-centre misses out after failing a fitness test on his ankle.

Chris Ashton’s week-long suspension for a series of dangerous tackles gives both Gloucester’s Charlie Sharples and Harlequins’ Ugo Monye the opportunity to stake their claim for starting berths on the wing. Sharples recently returned from a shoulder injury, yet has returned in fine form having scored two tries against Bordeaux-Bègles in the Amlin Challenge Cup, and one in the victory over Leicester. Monye was a British & Irish Lion in South Africa in 2009 and is in outstanding form, having scored four tries in the Premiership so far this season. His strength allows him to power past the first attempted tackle, and he has the pace to finish of tries from depth. Monye scored two tries against London Welsh in Harlequins’ opening home game of the season. Unsurprisingly, he is a firm favourite at the Stoop as he always threatens opposing defences and creates several opportunities for his team-mates.

With Ben Foden recovering from ankle surgery, either Mike Brown or Alex Goode will step in to the vacant full-back position. Critics suggest that Brown is not quite as fast as Foden, yet his technical skills under the high ball and his ability to counter-attack from deep are excellent. Brown was sensational against Gloucester at last weekend in the current Premiership Champions’ 28-25 victory at the Twickenham Stoop; he was an irrepressible threat in attack and looked dependable in defence. Goode provides stability at full-back and yet another tactical kicking option. This November, England face the most devastating counter-attacking back-threes in the World. The likes of Fiji’s Vereniki Goneva, Australia’s Digby Ioane, South Africa’s JP Pietersen and New Zealand’s Israel Dagg force England’s tactical kicking game to be executed with the utmost accuracy. Any mistakes either by the kickers or by the kick-chasers at this level will be punished.

My predictions for the QBE Internationals:
England vs. Fiji (10/11/12 k.o. 14:30) – England to win by 20 points
England vs. Australia (17/11/12 k.o 14:30) – England to win by 8 points
England vs. South Africa (24/11/12 k.o 14:30) – South Africa to win by 12 points
England vs. New Zealand (1/12/12 k.o. 14:30) – New Zealand to win by 17 points

Have you got any thoughts/comments about England’s upcoming test series? Do you agree with my predictions for the test series? Please comment below or message/follow me on twitter @tommyd91. Any re-tweets or recommendations are greatly appreciated. 

This post was also published on the #RugbyUnited blog. It can be found here: http://blog.rugbyunited.info/2012/11/autumn-internationals-preview-england/

Gloucester‘s resilient second-half performance not enough to prevent Northampton from sealing a promising away victory. Gloucester 19 Northampton 24

Nigel Davies took charge of his first ever game in the Aviva Premiership against Northampton at Kingsholm on Saturday. His squad had plenty to prove and faced a strong Saints side looking to bounce back from a disappointing 15-24 loss to Leicester in the semi-final of the Premiership last season. Before the game kicked off, the crowd was treated to an exciting entrance by six members of the Red Devils parachute regiment, who landed with the match ball on the hallowed Kingsholm turf greeted by a hearty applause.

The first half was dominated by the away side. Northampton forced their way downfield on several occasions and used their driving maul to great effect. George Pisi opened the scoring with an easy try after only 17 minutes. A flowing counter-attacking move caught Gloucester off guard in defence and left plenty of space on the left side of the pitch. Pisi strolled over for the first try of the game and former Gloucester favourite Ryan Lamb added the conversion.

England’s Dylan Hartley silenced the Shed as he collected a pass on the blind-side of a ruck and barged his way in to the left corner past Charlie Sharples’ attempted tackle. The try came from a period of sustained pressure, Gloucester initially did well to hold Northampton back, but the Saints raised very serious defensive worries for Nigel Davies’ side.

In attack, Gloucester had some encouraging breaks with Charlie Sharples and Billy Twelvetrees making initial inroads past the Northampton defensive line. Scrum-half Dan Robson was held back trying to get to the back of a ruck and this gave Freddie Burns the chance to open Gloucester’s account. The former Bath academy fly-half made no mistake and got Gloucester on the scoreboard.

Northampton again pressed the Gloucester line, but player/coach Mike Tindall made a thumping tackle to force a penalty for the home side. However, Tindall then turned hero to villain in a matter of minutes as he infringed at a ruck. Lamb added a simple penalty pick and stretched Northampton’s lead to 11 points at half-time.

The home side came out positively in the second-half after a team talk with Nigel Davies. The Cherry and Whites forced an early turnover and Soane Tonga-uiha was caught offside trying to catch Twelvetrees. Burns was successful with his kick at goal.

One of the best moments of Gloucester’s performance soon followed. James Simpson-Daniel collected a pass from Burns and chipped ahead with the precision normally associated with a World-class fly-half. The winger then collected his own kick and surged forward to just outside the Northampton 22 metre line. Another few phases followed from a resurgent Gloucester side and the Saints gave away a penalty under heavy pressure. Burns closed the gap to five points.  

George Pisi went over for his second try as momentum once again shifted back in Northampton’s favour. This gave the Saints a comfortable lead. As with Pisis’s 1^st try, Northampton narrowed Gloucester’s defensive line and some simple, but effective passing put the Samoan in for his second score of the day. Lamb added the touchline conversion to make the score Gloucester 12 Northampton 24 with less than half an hour left in the game.

During his Kingsholm tenure, Lamb was infamous for his inconsistency, and this proved true again in his visit wearing a Northampton shirt.  The fly-half missed an easy penalty from just outside of Gloucester’s 22 metre line. This could have cost Northampton dearly, it certainly made the final quarter more difficult than it needed to be.

Lamb’s miss gave Gloucester a much needed boost. The comeback began with a clever interception by Freddie Burns; he picked off a pass in his own 22 and had to run the length of the pitch. However, the playmaker realised he didn’t have the pace to make the line and he slowed down looking for support from Twelvetrees. His pass was stopped by a Saints hand and the visiting side were fortunate not to concede from the earlier poorly-timed pass.

Gloucester put Northampton under immense pressure; however, they could not put together the final scoring pass. Burns produced a clever chip, but it came to nothing. A series of offsides at the breakdown resulted in Dave Pearson giving GJ Van Velze a yellow card. This put Northampton down to 14 men and Gloucester had a commanding position with a 5 metre scrum.

The home side destroyed the first scrum and won the first of many penalties. The second scrum was re-set and was followed by another penalty. One further penalty followed and Paul Doran-Jones, formerly of Gloucester was sent to the sin-bin to the delight of the home crowd. Another man down, Northampton could not cope with the pressure from Gloucester’s full scrum and Dave Pearson finally blew his whistle and went under the posts for a penalty try. Burns added the easy conversion to bring the home side within five points with 8 minutes remaining.

From the kick-off, Gloucester spread the ball out wide to Henry Trinder and the young centre put in a fantastic clearance kick. A quick kick-chase forced Ben Foden to hurry his clearance. From the resulting line-out, Big carries from Ben Morgan and Sione Kalamafoni stretched Northampton to breaking point. However, Jonny May lost the ball with the try-line beckoning.

Gloucester pushed for the score that would tie the game with the opportunity to win the match with a conversion, however, the Cherry and Whites were not clinical enough. Knock-ons and other simple errors cost the home side the chance of a victory. Dave Lewis looked to pin Northampton back in to their own 22, however, his box kick was too long and it went out on the full.

Gloucester still had one more opportunity to win the game; they were awarded a penalty and had enough time left on the clock to kick the ball into Saints territory. Burns just about made touch as he got cramp in rather dramatic fashion. The home side then lost the ball forward and the chance of an unlikely comeback went with the blast of the final whistle.

Full time: Gloucester 19 Northampton 24.

Man of the match: George Pisi (Northampton) The centre finished off two tries clinically and put in a fine defensive performance.

After the game, I spoke to Gloucester’s new Director of Rugby Nigel Davies:

 ‘When they had their opportunities they took them very well.’

‘They deserved that lead at half time, but I’m disappointed because we came back so well in the second half and had a chance to win it.’

‘We’ve only been together for three months, it probably showed there in the game and we grew a bit as a side in the second-half.’

 ‘The positive thing from my point of view was that we weren’t really in that game in the first-half, but we came back in to it.’

‘We just weren’t clinical enough.’

 Northampton’s Jim Mallinder seemed relieved to come away with the win:

‘I think in the end, we were lucky to win.’

‘The team spirit was really good to hang on there with 13 men for 10 minutes.’

‘We overplayed at times and got in to trouble. That put pressure on us.’

Mallinder was very encouraged by his new centre partnership, ‘Dominic Waldouck and George Pisi are going to be a great pairing in the centre’.

The Northampton coach was thrilled with Tom Wood’s first full comeback game after being plagued with injury last season.  ‘I’m delighted for Tom Wood that he played a full 80 minutes, we’ve not been overplaying him in pre-season. We’ve been cautious with him. We are really pleased he is back and playing well.’

A fine effort from the home side in the 2^nd half could not overcome a determined Northampton side. Even when the Saints went down to 13 men, Gloucester could not find the scoring pass to close the game out. Poor defence in the 1^st half cost Gloucester dearly. Nigel Davies has plenty to work on with his new side ahead of his next game. Jim Mallinder on the other hand will be very happy to sneak an away victory even when poor discipline looked to have cost his team dearly.

Where you at the game? What did you think of your team’s performance? Comment below, or tweet/follow me on twitter @tommyd91. 

Preview to 2012/13 Aviva Premiership Season: Club by Club Guide

Chris Robshaw currently has both hands on the Aviva Premiership Trophy, but who will get their hands on the silverware in 2012/13?

Bath

Bath had a difficult season last year; they started poorly, but turned their act around in the second half of the season and managed to scrape in to 8^th place. This year, they have landed the services of former Leicester man Horacio Agulla who will add experience and try-scoring potency on the wing, and Paul James from the Ospreys who is an able scrummaging replacement for David Flatman in the front row. The coaching team has completely changed with the appointment of head Coach Garry Gold, who will hope to have a more successful season than he did at Newcastle in 2011/12, and Toby Booth, the former London Irish coach, who comes in to work with the Forwards along with Neal Hatley. Gold’s coaching team also includes Mike Ford and Brad Davis who will work on Defence and Skills respectively.

Key man: Michael Classens. The South African scrum-half is the heartbeat of the entire team. His combative approach around the base of the scrum and ability to fire out quick ball to his fly-half is crucial to Bath’s success.

Signings: Paul James (Ospreys), Rob Webber (London Wasps), Dominic Day (Scarlets), Horacio Agulla (Leicester Tigers).
Players out: David Flatman (retired), Duncan Bell (Clifton), Scott Hobson (Retired), Andy Beattie (retired), Peter Dixon (retired), Lewis Moody (retired), Matt Carraro (Montpellier), Nick Scott (London Welsh), Matt Keyte (London Welsh), Billy Moss (London Welsh), Mark Lilley (Bristol), Paul Roberts (Plymouth).

Last Season: 8^th

This Season: 9^th Bath will hope to improve on last season with the arrival of new coaches and a few key signings; however, the Aviva Premiership will be so competitive this season. Bath will not be able to compete with the physicality and pace exhibited by the middle of the table.

Exeter

The Chiefs backed up their outstanding first season in the Aviva Premiership with a phenomenal performance in last year’s tournament. They were unlucky to just miss out on the 4^th and final play-off position. The men from the South-West qualified for Heineken Cup rugby which is a huge financial boost to the club, as long as the Chiefs don’t allow themselves to be too distracted by the European Competition, they should be capable of another top six finish. Exeter added some attacking intent to their repertoire last season, they need to continue to improve this if they want to push higher up the table and further in Europe.

Key player: Tom Johnson. The flanker is a tremendous leader for the Chiefs and his work rate at the breakdown was vital for impressive wins over Gloucester, Leicester and Sale last season. Johnson will hope to push for further England honours, but Rob Baxter will quietly be hoping to hold on to his club’s talisman.

Signings: A Brown (Doncaster), C Rimmer (Pirates), J Yeandle (Doncaster), D Welch (Scarlets), D Mumm (Waratahs), K Horstmann (Worcester), W Chudley (Newcastle).
Players out: J Andress (Worcester), C Bentley (retired), C Slade (Oyonnax), P Phibbs, B Rennie (Bristol), J Lightfoot-Brown (England Sevens), A Lockley (Moseley), P Phibbs (Leicester), H Stupple, J Vickers (Plymouth Albion), C Walker-Blair (released), P Short (retired).

Last season: 5^th

This season: 7th this season’s campaign will be tighter than ever and the Chiefs have put a huge amount of pressure on themselves due to their success to date. Other sides have made more influential signings and this could prove to be the difference.

Gloucester

Gloucester’s season capitulated at the crucial stage of the tournament when Bryan Redpath jumped ship following a series of disastrous results. However, change is just what Gloucester needed. They have an experienced coach in Nigel Davies who worked wonders with young Welsh talent such as George North and Scott Williams at the Scarlets. Before Redpath left, he made some smart signings and Davies has added to the collection with Rob Cook, a masterful goal-kicker who averaged 80% in the Championship last season. Gloucester’s back-line is infamous for its running rugby, with the likes of Charlie Sharples, Jonny May, Freddie Burns and Henry Trinder all able to run in tries for fun.  Now Gloucester look likely to be able to back-up the flair with some much needed grunt in the forwards. Ben Morgan and Sione Kalamafoni will add real drive to the back row. This season, the Cherry and Whites will be captained by Jim Hamilton, shedheads will hope the passionate Scotsman can control of his temper and remain on the pitch for the full 80 minutes.

Key Man: Jimmy Cowan. The former Highlander will provide Gloucester’s young back line with much needed quality possession. Too often last season, Rory Lawson was too slow from the base of the scrum. Cowan will also tutor Dave Lewis and the very promising Dan Robson who represented England U20s last seasons.

Signings: H Edmonds (Brumbies), S Kalamafoni (Nottingham), B Morgan (Scarlets), J Cowan (Highlanders), R Cook, D Locke (Pirates), B Twelvetrees (Leicester), S Monahan (Rotherham), M Thomas (Dragons).
Players out: M Cortese (Colomiers), S Lawson (L Irish), A Strokosch, L Narraway (Perpignan), B Deacon (Leicester), R Lawson (Newcastle), E Fuimaono-Sapolu (West Red Sparks), L Vainikolo (La Rochelle), N Runciman (London Welsh).

Last season: 9^th.

This season: 5^th Gloucester enter another year of transition, but useful signings in Billy Twelvetrees and Drew Locke complement the existing array of talent and help the West Country side jump back up the table.

Harlequins                                                         

Connor O’Shea’s side were outstanding last season, they ran in 53 tries and finished top of the Aviva Premiership in the regular season. Then, they beat Northampton 25-23 in the Semi-Final and took on Leicester in the Final at Twickenham. They won 30-23 in front of a sell-out crowd. Undoubtedly, Harlequins’ first Premiership title came thanks to a fine balance between a big, hard-working set of forwards and the speed and flair of Danny Care and former All Black Nick Evans as half-backs. Harlequins have not recruited widely, but they did not need to. Quins will need to stay composed trying to defend their title; teams will want to take the prestigious scalp of beating last season’s Champions.

Key man: Nick Evans, the former All Black was the cornerstone to Harlequins’ success last season. His is one of the best passing fly-halves in the Premiership and his tactical nouse is second-to-none. Also, Evans is a dangerous runner, meaning that he can pick off tiring forwards at will.

Signings: Dave Ward (Cornish Pirates), Ben Botica (Perigeuex), Darryl Marfo, Rob Buchannan, Charlie Matthews, Joe Trayfoot, Ollie Lindsay-Hague, Will Collier, Sam Stuart (Academy players).
Players out: Tomas Vallejos (Scarlets), Chris York (Newcastle), Richard Bolt (London Scottish), Benjamin Urdapilleta (Oyonnax),Tomas Vallejos (Scarlets), Aston Croall (Sale), Matt Cairns (ret).

Last season: 1^st and play-off winners.

This season: 2^nd Harlequins will have another solid season, but they will not benefit from the World Cup like they did last year. Quins did not loose too many players, whereas Leicester and Northampton lost several key players. They should still be a good bet to make the final.

Leicester

The Tigers were beaten finalists last year and they will be looking to get back to winning ways with a strong showing this season. Leicester lost several players to the World Cup in 2011, but this season they will have a full squad available. New signing Miles Benjamin will be one to watch, the flier had an excellent try-scoring record at Worcester and he will get even more quality ball with the Tigers. He is my bet for top try-scorer in the Aviva Premiership in the 2012/13 season.

Key man: Manu Tuilagi. The England centre gives Leicester’s guaranteed forward momentum. His powerful ability to shrug off a tackle and deceptive pace make him a defender’s nightmare.

Signings: Robert Andrew (Pau), Dan Bowden (London Irish), Matt Cornwell (Mogliano), Verenki Goneva (Tarbes), Adam Thompstone (London Irish), Miles Benjamin (Worcester), Brett Deacon (Gloucester), Pat Phibbs (Exeter Chiefs)
Players out: Julian White (ret), Calum Green (Leeds), George Skivington (L Irish), Ben Pienaar (Moseley), James Grindal (Bristol), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), Horacio Agulla (Bath), Jeremy Staunton, Alesana Tuillagi (NTT Shining Arcs), Tom Bowe (Plymouth Albion).

Last season: 2nd (lost in final to Harlequins)

This season: 1st Leicester will return to the top of the domestic table this season. They have recruited well and have enough strength in depth to cover the Six Nations and November international periods.

London Irish

After a promising 2008/09 season, London Irish have gone quiet in recent years. The club struggled financially and lost star players. The prodigal son, Shane Geraghty returns to the Reading based outfit, his agility and passing prowess should give London Irish an edge in attack this season.

Key man: Tom Homer. Last season’s top point scorer (with 278) is a goal-kicking machine and is a vital contributor to London Irish’s attempts to break in to the top six. Teams will be wary of him because he is a dangerous weapon with his boot off the tee and also with ball in hand.

Signings: H Aulika (Leeds), S Lawson (Gloucester), C Griffiths (Ospreys), G Skivington (Leicester), J Fisher (Bedford), T O'Leary (Munster), S Geraghty (Brive), I Humphreys (Ulster), S Sa (Catalan RL), M Worrincy (Skolars RL), C Gaston (Ulster), S Malton (Johannesburg University).
Players Out: C Dermody (ret), P Hodgson (Worcester), A Jarvis (Bristol), D Bowden (Leicester), S Hape (Montpellier), J Spratt (Ospreys), A Thompstone (Leicester), B Casey, K Roche (ret).

Last season: 7^th

This season: 8^th London Irish have exciting attacking talent in Jonathan Joseph, Sailosi Tagicakibau and Topsy Ojo, but they will miss the influence of Delon Armitage and Dan Bowden this season. Sadly, Irish have not been ambitious enough in the recruitment market.

London Welsh

Premiership new boys London Welsh face a monumental task to stay in the top-tier of English rugby. The Exiles were promoted after they challenged Premier Rugby’s decision to turn down their entry to the Aviva Premiership. London Welsh now face the prospect of having to increase their supporter base in their new home in Oxford at the Kassam stadium while producing the performances on the pitch that will guarantee them another season at the top table of English rugby. Gavin Henson was seen a risky signing for some, but it his signature guarantees plenty of media interest in the Premiership newbies’ exploits. Unluckily for the Exiles, Henson suffered a fractured cheekbone in the pre-season 17-23 loss against the Scarlets. He will be out for six weeks. Despite Henson’s off-field antics of late, London Welsh will miss the fly-half/centre in his absence. It will however; give other members of the squad the chance to earn their Premiership colours.

Key man: Sonny Parker. The former Osprey brings a wealth of experience in to the centres, he was capped 31 times for Wales and the New Zealand-born centre played in Heineken Cups, Grand Slams and two World Cups. He will be a vital addition to the squad, his leadership and physicality will be inspire the squad’s youngsters to keep London Welsh’s hopes of survival alive.

Signings: E Williamson (Leeds), D Browne (Grenoble), M Keyte (Bristol), N Runciman (Gloucester), S Parker (Ospreys), G Henson (unattached), P Mackenzie (Esher), T Arscott (Worcester), B Davies (Ospreys), G Evans (Plymouth), N Briggs (Bourgoin), T Bristow (Dorking), P Ion (London Irish).
Players Out: G Roan (Cavalieri Prato), G Johnson (Cornish Pirates), M Powell (Moseley), R Lewis (Cardiff), P Mackey (Rosslyn Park), L Gibson (Blackheath), W Hurrell (Rotherham).

Last season: Championship Playoff Winners.

This season: 12^th (Relegated). It is hard to see Exiles staying in the Premiership for more than one season; they do not have the squad to compete with the big guns. Their best hope is to try and keep their home record intact for as long as possible and to pick up a few points away at other relegation candidates’ venues.

Northampton

The Saints were unfortunate to narrowly lose 23-25 to eventual Champions Harlequins in the semi-final of the Premiership last season. Northampton play a good brand of running rugby, they have a fierce pack and some creative backs.  They will undoubtedly be in the running for one of the play-off positions. It will be interesting to see if the try-scoring supremo Chris Ashton will be missed, and if Dominic Waldouck and Kevin Pisi can provide genuine try-scoring options.

Key Man: Tom Wood. The England flanker has had a poor record with injury of late, Saints fans will hope he will be back and fit in time for their first away game against Gloucester at Kingsholm. Wood is a combative back-row forward with enough pace to cause defences problems in open play.

Signings: Sam Dickinson (Rotherham), Gerrit-jan van Velze (Blue Bulls), James Wilson (Bourgoin), Luther Burrell (Sale), Dom Waldouck (Wasps), Kevin Pisi (North Harbour), Jamie Elliot, Ben Nutley, Mike Haywood (Academy).
Players out: Andy Long (ret), Ben Prescott, Cesare Sempere, Stuart Commins (all released), James Downey (Munster), Jon Clarke (Worcester), Chris Ashton (Saracens), Greig Tonks (Edinburgh).

Last season: 4^th (lost in 15-24 in the semi-final to Leicester)

This season: 3^rd The Saints should build on another promising season, they will be desperate to go one stage further this season and make the Aviva Premiership Final. As long as they can avoid too many injuries this season, they will have a good chance to make the showpiece Grand Finale in May.

Sale

The Sharks have gone through a summer of change; they have moved from the worn-out Edgeley Park stadium in Stockport to the new Salford Reds stadium and they have a new coach in Bryan Redpath. Steve Diamond is very ambitious about his side from the North West; they have recruited well and are back in the Heineken Cup. The 2006 Premiership Champions have been inconsistent since their first title, but they should challenge the top-six again this year. Diamond has built up a big pack with Scotsman Richie Gray in at second row, to compliment the muscular presence of Andy Powell at the back of the scrum. Sale has one of the best technical scrum-halves in the Premiership in Dwayne Peel and they have a fly-half in Danny Cipriani, who on his day can be one of the most attacking playmakers in the world. However, sadly Cipriani is known to be a headline maker for the wrong reasons. I spoke to Redpath at the Sharks in City event in Manchester and he said that Danny will be making headlines for the right reasons. He said, “Danny has been very focused and training well in pre-season”. Cipriani seems determined to play for England again, so expect an impressive season from the former Wasps and Melbourne Rebels man.

Key man: Mark Cueto. The gifted try-scorer recently declared that his England career was over. However, Sale will be delighted to have his services all season, he remains a deadly attacking threat and is chasing Steve Hanley’s all time Premiership record of 75 tries. Cueto is only two short of equalling Hanley’s record; he should break the record in no time.

Singings: Eiffion Lewis-Roberts (Toulon), Richie Gray (Glasgow), Danny Cipriani (Melbourne Rebels), Cameron Shepherd (Western Force).
Players out: Andrew Sheridan (Toulon), Wame Lewaravu (Mont-de-Marsan), Scott Mathie (Eastern Province), Tommy Bell (Wasps), Andy Higgins (Newcastle), Luther Burrell (Nothampton), Iain Thornley (Wigan), Joaquin Tuculet (Grenoble).

Last season: 6^th

This season: 6^th Sale will look to consolidate last season’s efforts by securing another season in the Heineken Cup. Sale lack the strength in depth required to make the top four.

Saracens

The 2010/11 Aviva Premiership Champions had a solid season in their attempt to defend their title. They finished 3^rd, but put in some terrific performances, losing only six matches and drawing one game. Owen Farrell is maturing nicely and is comfortable at fly-half or centre. Last season, he was helped by Charlie Hodgson pulling the strings in the No.10 shirt. With the two of them on the field, Saracens have excellent tactical kicking ability and sublime distributive options. In the forwards, Saracens boast the agility of Shalk Brits at hooker combined with the power of Carlos Nieto at prop, Mouritz Botha at lock and Ernst Joubert at No. 8. Saracens need to develop their ability to convert scoring chances and play some slightly more attacking rugby to creep in to the top two positions in the Premiership.

Key man: Chris Ashton. The former Northampton man will be looking to recreate the ‘Ash-Splash’ for his new club while searching for the form he found in the 2011 RBS Six Nations, Ashton has a lot to prove after falling out with Jim Mallinder at Northampton following the announcement of his departure.

Signings: Lorenzo Romano (Aironi), Alistair Hargreaves (Natal Sharks), Nick Fenton-Wells (Stormers), Chris Ashton (Northampton)
Players out: Hugh Vyvyan (ret), Luke Baldwin (Bedford), Michael Tagicakibau (Bristol), Marcus Watson (England Sevens), Harry Allen (Harlequins), Hayden Smith (New York Jets NFL).

Last season: 3^rd (lost in 15-24 to Leicester in the semi-final).

This season: 4^th Saracens will make the top four with ease, they are very confident at home and have a tough approach to away games. Last season, they picked up victories away against Gloucester, London Irish, Bath and Leicester. If they can continue to build on that away form, they could force themselves back in to the top two playoff positions

Wasps

London Wasps have struggled on the pitch and off it financially recently. Although, coach Dai Young has stated that a secure takeover is imminent. This will provide the former Championship-winning side with much needed security. New signings include veteran Welsh and British and Irish Lions fly-half Stephen Jones and the powerful back-row forward James Haskell, who returns to his former clubs after stints in France, New Zealand and Japan. Wasps will still struggle to compete with the top half of the table, but they are more than capable of pulling off occasional shock victories when called upon.

Key player: Marco Wentzel. The vice-captain is an outstanding line-out forward and inspirational leader on and off the pitch. Wentzel will be vital to Wasps climbing up the table and any ambitious hopes of reaching Heineken Cup qualification.

Signings: R Thomas (Cardiff), P Swainston (Leeds), W Taylor (Ospreys), T Palmer (Stade Français), A Johnson (Cheetahs), J Haskell (Highlanders), T Bell (Sale), S Jones (Scarlets), L Thomas, J Bailey (Lyon), A Masi (Aironi), F Staibano (Airioni).
Players out: R Webber (Bath), B Broster (Biarritz), J Castex (Perpignan), A Cheeseman (Pirates), R Flutey (Ricoh Black Rams), T Prydie (Dragons), R Haughton (Jersey), J Burton (Loughborough), B Baker (Oxford University), S Thompson, D Ward-Smith, Tom Rees (ret).

Last season: 11^th

This season: 10^th even with financial security, Wasps do not have the squad capable of winning trophies like they did from 2003 onwards. Dai Young’s side should be confident in remaining in the Premiership as London Welsh are a much weaker outfit and they should sneak above Worcester this season with smarter signings over the summer.

Worcester

The Warriors had a good season in 2011/12;  Premiership security was guaranteed with plenty of time remaining in the season. Home performances were crucial to Premiership survival, if Richard Hill’s side wish to climb higher up the table; they need to pick up more away wins.

Key man: Craig Gillies. The towering second-row is consistently one of the best line-out forwards in England. The Scotsman weighs in at 115kg and gives real brutality to the Worcester pack. Without him, the Warriors would struggle in the set-piece and would be more wary of relegation.

Signings: J Andress (Exeter), R O’Donnell (Rotherham), D Schofield (Toulon), S Taulava (Rotherham), P Hodgson (L Irish), J Clarke (Northampton), J Matavesi (Racing Metro), D Lemi (Glasgow), N Walker (Ospreys).
Players out: C Fortey (Hartpury), B Douglas (Bristol), O Tomasczyk (Newcastle), B Gulliver (Bedford), K Horstmann (Exeter), C Hayter (Moseley), A Crockett (Newcastle), M Garvey (Castres), M Benjamin (Leicester), T Arscott (L Welsh), A Balding (Newcastle).

Last season: 10^th

This season: 11^th Worcester has shrugged off the tag of Premiership newbies and will look to build on a respectable effort last season. They will target strong performances in the Amlin Challenge Cup and attempt to force their way up the table. Ambitious Warriors fans will dream of Heineken Cup rugby, but this may seem far-fetched to many.

My Aviva Premiership Predictions:

1.      Leicester (play-off winners)

2.      Harlequins

3.      Northampton

4.      Saracens

5.      Gloucester

6.      Sale

7.      Exeter

8.      London Irish

9.       Bath

10.   Wasps

11.   Worcester

12.   London Welsh

Top Try scorer: Miles Benjamin (Leicester)

Top Point scorer: Nick Evans (Harlequins)

Have you any thoughts or comments?  Who do you think will be crowned Champions in the Aviva Premiership 2012/13 season? Who do you think will be condemned to the misery of relegation?

Post your thoughts below or message/follow Crouch Touch Engage on twitter @CTErugby or myself @tommyd91.

Rugby in Rio 2016

Jonah Lomu honed his skills on the 7s circuit before storming on to the world stage in the 15 a side game

The curtain has only just fallen on the 2012 Olympics in London, but thoughts are already looking ahead to the next Games in Rio, Brazil. In 2016, the Olympics will head to Rio for the first Olympic Games ever to be held in South America. This will undoubtedly be a massive occasion for Rio; however, rugby fans across the world are excited because the faster, more expansive version of rugby - 7s will be appearing in the Olympics for the first time. This cannot come soon enough for some fans who tire of watching events such as the speed walking or table tennis; rugby will take its rightful place at the top table in international sport.

Currently, 7s is only a part of the Commonwealth Games; the move to the Olympics can only benefit the sport. The IRB 7s circuit which runs throughout the year across the World has grown enormously. Inevitably, the top tier of 7s rugby is dominated by New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, South Africa and England, however, teams such as Zimbabwe, Kenya and Portugal have the chance to genuinely compete in the cup and plate tiers of the tournaments in the smaller version of the game.

The IRB 7s series has been vital to the development of players such as Jonah Lomu for New Zealand, Alex Cuthbert for Wales and Mark Cueto for England. Lomu obviously went on to achieve great success with the All Blacks in the 15 man game and Cuthbert has stormed on to the scene over the past year.

In England, 7s is only seen in the JP Morgan series, the final of which was recently won by London Irish in a narrow 31-29 victory over Gloucester. These tournaments have previously been used as pre-season preparation and as a chance to blood young Academy players. However, this season, some teams fielded their star playmakers including Freddie Burns and Jonny May of Gloucester and Tom Biggs and Matt Banahan of Bath. This shows that teams are using 7s to push their players in to peak physical condition and to give the crowds attending more of a show; attendances have risen in line with this change in attitude.

Rugby fans across Great Britain get bored over the summer months without domestic or international rugby and tentatively wait for their sides to start the new season while listening for squad news during the demanding pre-season schedule. However, with rugby making a move to the Olympics in 2016, lovers of the 15 man game will get to cheer their GB 7s squad on in hope of an Olympic Gold Medal.

7s matches are played on full length pitches and the games are 7 minutes each-way with a short break at half time. The action is fast and furious and basic skills are tested to the limit. Missed-tackles are exposed with only 7 defenders and passing has to be long and accurate. For those who hate to see aimless kicking in the 15 man game will love the 7s experience - kicking is used only in rare situations. Teams run the ball from their own try line and work their way up the field with ball in hand. Conversions are taken with drop-kicks to keep the games flowing and penalties are usually taken quickly.

In 2016, Team GB will have a wealth of talent to choose from; England players Chris Ashton and Alex Goode have declared their interest in representing their nation. But, who would be in your team?

Do you have any thoughts or comments? Are you looking forward to seeing 7s in the Olympics? Comment bellow or tweet and follow Crouch Touch Engage @CTErugby and @tommyd91.

Sharks bid farewell to Edgeley Park as London Welsh get off to winning ways in Round 2 of the JP Morgan 7s

Charlie Amesbury was in fine form for Sale in the JP Morgan 7s at Edgeley Park

Round 2 of the JP Morgan 7s was an opportunity for Sale fans to bid a fond farewell to Edgeley Park before they make the move to the Salford Reds stadium for the start of the 2012/13 season.  The pool saw Leicester Tigers, London Welsh, Northampton Saints and the Sharks do battle in 7s.

Game 1: Sale 19 London Welsh 31

Newly-promoted London Welsh took on Sale in the first game of the evening in front of an enthusiastic crowd. The Premiership newbies scored with their first phase of possession after Peceli Nacamavuto, the British Army centre stormed through the hosts’ defence and offloaded to playmaker Chris Banfield who opened the scoring in Round 2 with a converted try.  The Exiles soon showed their counter-attacking guile with a fantastic 60 metre solo effort from another Army 7s star, Ben Seru who beat several would-be tacklers to score an unconverted try. The hosts responded with a well worked try courtesy of Charlie Amesbury.  London Welsh demonstrated their 7s class with several outstanding and often outrageous offloads. With an excellent ability to keep the ball alive, Welsh created a second try for Seru which was converted to end the second half with the Exiles up by 19-5.

The second half saw a ring of changes for Sale and this made an immediate impact. A huge pass was thrown out wide by hooker Will Hefu and Will Cliff; the England Counties scrum-half finished off in style and converted his own try. The next score from London Welsh saw the best offload of the night, Iolo Evans, the Welsh U20 full back managed to release an offload from the back of his hand in a manner which is usually only pulled off  by Sonny Bill Williams. This unexpected trick gave former-Sale man Michael Hills acres of space to gallop over in the corner. Sale once again rallied and smart interplay gave Johnny Leota a simple finish, which met huge applause from the home crowd. The converted try gave the hosts a glimpse at a come back. However, with time ticking down, outstanding support play from Banfield allowed the flier to dot down under the posts and secure the win for the Exiles.

Game 2: Northampton Saints 26 Leicester Tigers 24

The second match was a close and entertaining spectacle. Anders Mogensen got the game off to a flying start with a length of the field effort which was converted by Ryan Glynn.  The Tigers responded after clever usage of the blind-side and a neat offload by Joe Cain created the space for Matt Cornwell to score an unconverted try. Shortly afterwards, some clever footwork by Leicester’s Alex Lewington allowed him to sneak in to the right hand corner. Tom Hudson added an impressive drop-goal conversion from the right-hand touchline. Northampton responded with a fantastic team try as Glynn fed Mogensen for his 2^nd try which was converted by Will Hooley. Next, Tom Stephenson scored a clever opportunist try for the Saints to round up the first half with his side in the lead 19-12.

The second half saw the Tigers take advantage of a tiring Saints defence as simple handling drew the last defender to allow Tom Bellak to score. This closed the gap to just two points and shortly afterwards, Leicester went in to the lead after Tom Hudson sprinted clear to touch down under the post and convert his own try. However, a length of the field team effort in which every Saints player touched the ball, allowed Jack Allcock to score under the posts. The simple conversion gave Northampton a 26-24 bonus point win to end an enthralling game.

Game 3: London Welsh 33 Northampton Saints 7

The London Welsh 7s superstars dominated the Northampton Saints; firstly, Iolo Evans picked a phenomenal line and ran 40 metres to open the scoring. Then, Aaron Myers swerved his way to the left corner to score the second try. After a few minutes of moving from side to side, Ed Tellwright, the GB Students Sevens supremo used his nimble footwork to beat the last man and dart in under the posts. The simple conversion was successful. Some horrific handling from the Saints resulted in the ball being touched down in the in-goal area in a panic, however, luckily for them; the whistle blew for the end of the half to spare their blushes. At the break, Welsh led 17-0.

Michael Hills opened the half with a score after a length of the field effort and then Banfield exposed a huge hole in the Saints’ defence to score his own converted try.  The Saints scored a consolation converted try courtesy of Alex Woolford to avoid a whitewash. The match was wrapped up with another length of the field effort by Ben Seru which was converted to give London Welsh a strong 33-7 victory over the Saints.

Game 4: Sale 50 Leicester Tigers 5

Sale came out determined to be a different side compared to the one that lost to London Welsh in the opening game. The Sharks tore an inexperienced Leicester outfit apart in the first half with tries from Mark Jones, Johnny Leota, Tom Brady and Charlie Amesbury. Leicester tried to stop the rout, but could only muster a try after a controlled fly-hack from Harry Wells and the England U19 man touched down just before half time. After the 1^st half the hosts led by 26-5.

Sale retrieved the ball off the kick off and Will Addison was fed in to the corner. Straight after the try, Leota made a powerful break to the pleasure of the home crowd and then fed Amesbury for his second try under the posts. James Doyle joined the try-scoring party with a fine show of strength and in the last play of the game; Tom Cruise made a monumental run and finished with a Hollywood celebration under the posts. The conversion was a success and Sale finished with a 50-5 lead over a poor, young Leicester team.

Game 5: London Welsh 52 Leicester Tigers 5

The first half saw two fine tries from Ed Tellwright and Leicester’s only score after a mazy run by full back Tom Bellak. After the break, London Welsh found their stride and booked a place in the finals of the JP Morgan 7s. Tellwright added two further tries in quick succession and then Peceli Nacamavuto came on to heighten the pain for the young Tigers. The Army powerhouse made an immediate impact as he set up Gerhard Wessells for a fine try. Ben Seru then added his first try in the match after sloppy defending from the kick off as he walked in to score. Then, a fantastic team try followed which was finished off by Rhodri McAtee. In the final play of the game, Seru scored his second try after strolling through non-existent Tigers defence. The final whistle play blew to crown the Exiles as Pool B winners and hand them a commanding 52-5 victory over Leicester.

Game 6: Sale 36 Northampton Saints 14

Sale went in to the match knowing that a draw would see them through to the finals of the JP Morgan 7s as Pool B runners-up. Also, the final game of the evening was the last match of rugby to be played at Edgeley Park, it was fitting that the Sharks were able to finish their stint in Stockport with a good win.

A mesmerising demonstration of counter-attacking rugby was finished off by Charlie Amesbury; the conversion however, was missed. Tom Stephenson responded for the Saints with a scintillating break and Ryan Glynn added the conversion with impressive accuracy. Tom Brady managed to scamper his way to the line through several would-be tacklers and then Johnny Leota broke up field and the ball was recycled to feed Amesbury for his second try of the game. The conversion was successful and the hosts led 19-7 at half time.

After the break, a fighting spirit from the Saints side allowed Alex Day to sprint over to close the gap to just five points after the conversion was landed. This was to be the last score for the Saints in the competition as Sale stormed their way into the finals.

The Tongan Hooker, Will Hafu showed his dexterity and outright pace as he galloped his way to the line from 50 metres out to seal the win for Sale. The powerful Tongan was barely able to catch his breath when he intercepted the kick off to score his second try. Amazingly, his two efforts hadn’t exhausted him and the raucous crowd were treated to an extravagant celebration, usually seen in Super 15 matches. Leota added the final try of the night, which was converted and the final whistle blew confirming Sale’s place in the finals of the JP Morgan 7s after a 36-14 victory.

After the game, I spoke to Sale’s Pete Anglesea, who was in charge of their 7s exploits:

On the first match vs. London Welsh

“We started a bit sluggish to be honest, very individual and indecisive.”

“We gave the boys a talking to about what the shirt means to people, about how many people were watching them and said, you’ve got to perform”

On the other matches

“They went out with a completely different attitude, we were controlled, we attacked when we needed to and we defended when we needed to. There was a calmness about us and then we started to run some nice tries in.”

“It’s a good way to leave the stadium now, with smiles on people’s faces”

“Mark Jennings was sensational, he gave the boys a massive lift and we have our pace men, Charlie Amesbury, Tom Brady and Will Addison, I thought they really got stuck in and looked comfortable.”

On the youngsters pushing for 1^st Team action:

“We don’t want to hold them back; they are all going to get stuck in. All of our young kids train with the 1^st team, we give them a licence to get in the team. If Andy Powell is not in the right place, you can go and tell him or Mark Cueto (or whoever it is) to get out of the way. It is great for competition amongst the squad.”

On the remaining pre-season schedule

“We have warm-up games against Fylde and Glasgow (which is Mark Cueto’s testimonial) and then we finish off against Leinster. It will be very tough, but we have to go and play these teams and have a feel for where we are. It’s a great test for us.”

On the new stadium, new players and coaches

“As a club, we are moving in the right direction with everything off the field and I think we have the right team on the field. With Danny Cipriani and Richie Gray etc. we are really moving in the right direction.”

On this year’s target

“We want to play Heineken Cup rugby; we want to test ourselves against the best teams. We know it’s a step up and a challenge for the club. I’ve played in it myself and I know how tough it is, it is getting harder and harder now.

Did you go to the JP Morgan 7s in Stockport? Who stood out for you? Do you think Sale Sharks are moving in the right direction? Comment below or message/follow me on twitter @tommyd91