Lions set to roar in Australia – Key members of the pride to look out for

After months of speculation, Warren Gatland’s squad was announced on Tuesday. The most hotly contested decision was the captaincy and Sam Warburton receives that honour. Despite having been dropped during this year’s RBS Six Nations, the flanker has been given the armband because of his excellent leadership skills. Surprisingly, Chris Robshaw does not make the touring party despite having had a phenomenal impact for England as captain. The squad is full of natural leaders in Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Jamie Heaslip and Tom Croft just to name a few. However, who are the lions to watch out for this summer? 

Alex Cuthbert (Wales, 18 caps)

The gigantic winger has already proven his Test match pedigree with 9 tries in his first 18 tests for Wales.  The hard ground in Australia will suit the Cardiff Blues try-scoring machine. The tour this summer will be an unbelievable experience for the 23 year old; this may be the opportunity to prove to the World that he can perform on one of the biggest stages in rugby union.

Manu Tuilagi (England, 21 caps)

The Leicester battering-ram has already made a name for himself at age of 21, his ability to break the gain-line will provide plenty of go forward momentum for the Lions and offer his outside men chances to score if they time their supporting lines well. His success this summer depends on where is played in Gatland’s squad. The Lions will not get much ball wide if he slots in at inside-centre, however, if he plays at outside-centre, his normal position he will provide a more potent threat. Tuilagi showed his immaturity in the 2011 Rugby World Cup when he jumped off a ferry; this tour will be a big test of his professionalism.

Owen Farrell (England, 16 caps)

Instrumental in England’s infamous 38-21 victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham last year, Farrell has started to add a more creative side to his game. His passing is improving, however, in the Heineken Cup semi-final against Toulon, he showed that his wide floated passes need work. On one occasion if had produced the right wide pass, he could have put in Kelly Brown for a vital try against a side packed with international superstars. Ice runs in his veins when it comes to place-kicking, the Saracens playmaker has the temperament needed to land crucial efforts at goal when called upon.  He will face a tough task to earn and keep the No.10 shirt from Jonny Sexton; however, he should have the opportunity to show his worth at 10 or 12 in the matches against the Australian Super Rugby sides.

Richie Gray (Scotland, 31 caps)

After a less than convincing season with Sale Sharks, Gray has much to prove this summer. His move to Castres has angered fans at the Salford City Stadium, but it may be for the best if the Sharks are to continue to languish at the bottom of the Aviva Premiership table.  The 23 year old is a real impact player and a fantastic line-out option as he stands at 6 foot 10”, he is not an easy man to miss in the set-piece. The blonde goliath needs to assert his dominance with ball in hand while maintaining his high standards in the line-out and the scrum. The second row options at Gatland’s disposal are immensely talented and experienced, Gray will have to graft in the early stages of the tour as Paul O’Connell, Alun–Wyn Jones, Geoff Parling and Ian Evans will be competing for starting places.

Justin Tipuric (Wales, 15 caps)

Many pundits have argued that the 23 year old should start ahead of Sam Warburton at open-side as he took the skipper’s place during the Six Nations, however, the flanker is equally effective as a blind-side flanker. The Ospreys back-row is phenomenal at the breakdown as he forces turnovers and makes a nuisance of himself, as any flanker should. Fellow countryman Dan Lydiate and England’s Tom Croft will be battling for the No. 6 shirt, so Tipuric has to hit the ground running in Australia and impress Gatland in training.

Squad for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia:

Backs: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales), Stuart Hogg (Scotland), Rob Kearney (Ireland), Tommy Bowe (Ireland), Alex Cuthbert (Wales), Sean Maitland (Scotland), George North (Wales), Jonathan Davies (Wales), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Manu Tuilagi (England), Owen Farrell (England), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland), Conor Murray (Ireland), Mike Phillips (Wales), Ben Youngs (England).

Forwards: Dan Cole (England), Cian Healy (Ireland), Gethin Jenkins (Wales), Adam Jones (Wales), Matt Stevens (England), Mako Vunipola (England), Dylan Hartley (England), Richard Hibbard (Wales), Tom Youngs (England), Ian Evans (Wales), Richie Gray (Scotland), Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales), Paul O'Connell (Ireland), Geoff Parling (England), Tom Croft (England), Toby Faletau (Wales), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Dan Lydiate (Wales), Sean O'Brien (Ireland), Justin Tipuric (Wales), Sam Warburton (Wales).

Do you have any thoughts about players who will stand out for the Lions this summer? Comment below or send me a tweet @tommyd91

Six Nations Round 4 Preview

After three rounds in this year’s Six Nations, England are looking for their first Grand Slam since 2003 and Wales are the only other side realistically able to challenge Stuart Lancaster’s side for the title. The French are in disarray and the Irish are underperforming after peaking to early in the first half of their opening 22-30 victory in Cardiff. Italy on the other hand have has shown signs of genuine progression, while Scotland are slowly getting back to winning ways with an unlikely 12-8 win over Ireland in the last round.

Scotland v Wales

Duncan Weir is set to start his first international game for Scotland

The Scots are currently in a phase of transition and will take great confidence from their narrow 12-8 win against Ireland. They barely touched the ball and made a staggering 128 tackles, a monumental effort that kept the misfiring Irish backline at bay.  It wasn’t an enjoyable match to watch, but victories in that manner forge a team spirit and inspire a side to believe there are better performances to come. If Scotland can continue their defensive endeavours and add some cutting-edge to their attacking game, they could challenge Wales at Murrayfield.

The Scottish game plan is simple; they send their big forwards in Jim Hamilton, Richie Gray and others round the side of a ruck or contact area to win the initial collision. This is an easy way to create a forward platform; the trouble is that they lack the cutting edge to score when they make it into an opponent’s 22. Both of their tries against England were on the break and they rarely score from strike-moves or from sustained pressure. Their set-piece is fairly reliable, and they have a good goal-kicker in Craig Laidlaw, Welsh errors at breakdowns resulting in penalties will be punished.

Duncan Weir starts at fly-half for Scotland, in what will be the Glasgow playmaker’s first start for his country. His inexperience will be an area for Wales to target as he will be severely tested in defence by the likes of Jamie Roberts on the crash ball. This is a big game for Scotland, their lack of a quality, experienced No.10 may prove costly against Wales

The Welsh got off to a slow start at home to Ireland in the tournament.  However, they have steadily found their feet. Injuries have played their part to halt last year’s Grand Slam momentum; luckily, their strike runners in Alex Cuthbert and George North have once again found their try-scoring form.

Alun Wyn-Jones comes back in to the second-row, his influence has been greatly missed, the Welsh line-out has looked weak without him and he is an important player around the pitch with ball carries and work rate in defence.

Ryan Jones, Sam Warburton and Toby Faletau make up a very effective back-row. Jones is a great option in the line-out and Warburton is a tremendous operator at the breakdown. He will need to prevent the Scots from slowing down their ball when in their 22. Faletau on the other hand is a very powerful ball-carrier and has an outstanding work-rate in defence, he will need to chop down Scotland’s big carriers and prevent them from gaining forward momentum.

Prediction: Wales by 10, the Scots are improving - however, the Welsh are more likely to finish off their scoring chances and are a much more developed side compared to their opposition. The Scots will fight bravely, but they will not be able to keep within touching distance of Wales if they earn the same amount of possession as Ireland did in the last round.

Ireland v France

Paddy Jackson is retained at fly-half despite a poor performance against Scotland in the last round.

Many pundits backed either Ireland or France at the start of the tournament to take home this year’s trophy. However, both teams have underperformed. Ireland started promisingly with a 22-30 win in Cardiff, the first half was one of the finest 40 minutes many have ever seen in a Six Nations tournament. They completely blew the Welsh away with accurate finishing and ferocious defending. The French however, are hapless at the moment, after a devastating loss to Italy and two further defeats to Wales and England, the squad which is full of outstanding potential and flair seem lost.

Philippe Saint-Andre’s days in charge seem to be dwindling week-by-week, the French Top 14 does not promote home grown talent whatsoever, with the majority of crucial roles filled by foreign imports. Perhaps this needs to change for French international rugby to thrive again, but it seems a good excuse for the mean time. A squad with the likes of Wesley Fofana, Yoann Huget, Morgan Parra, Thierry Dusetoir and Louis Picamoles, should not be struggling at the bottom of the table after three rounds of matches.

Paddy Jackson had a poor game against Scotland in the last round however; he is trusted with the starting fly-half position once again, with Ronan O’Gara cast to the bench, hinting at an end to ROG’s distinguished career. Jackson needs to get the back-line firing, against the Scots, Ireland had an unimaginable amount of possession, but they could not convert territory in to points. Added to this, Jackson had an off day with the boot, missing two simple chances from short-range. This cost his side dearly. Also, the Irish lack some defensive guile without the injured Gordon D’Arcy, this could be an area for the French to target with the inexperienced Luke Marshall at inside-centre.

Bizarrely, Frederick Michalak once again starts at fly-half; I cannot understand why Philippe Saint-Andre continues to trust such a mercurial player in the pivotal position he does not play in regularly for his club, Toulon. The former Toulouse superstar has lacked any form of composure and has struggled to get his outstanding back line moving. Thankfully, Saint-Andre has decided to give Morgan Parra a chance again at scrum-half; Clermont’s ‘petit-general’ is one of the best scrum-halves in Europe, how he was on the bench for the opening two rounds confounds belief. If these two don’t click in their starting positions, they should switch as Parra has been known to do a great job at fly-half.

The battle at the breakdown will be an exciting one, with Thierry Dusetoir and Louis Picamoles against the likes of Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip, there is a thrilling blend of sheer power and counter-rucking nous. The battle in the scrum should be fairly even, neither side has really established themselves in the set-piece in this year’s tournament.

Prediction: Ireland by 6 points The French have been too inconsistent this season, they will face a tough task in Dublin. The Irish seem to be in a better place mentally, having won their opening match against Wales; however, the French are heading towards their first wooden spoon in the tournament.

England v Italy

Mako Vuinipola is to make his first start for England against Italy on Sunday

Stuart Lancaster has found a winning formula, and his side have gone from strength-to-strength under his leadership. This match should not be too much of a challenge for his side, captained by Chris Robshaw. However, it is an opportunity to try a few different combinations with the 2015 Rugby World Cup in mind.

Owen Farrell’s injury gives Toby Flood a chance to come back in to the fly-half shirt and he needs a big performance to make it his own again. Farrell has been exceptional from the kicking tee and is learning how to manage the full 80 minutes as each game passes.  Danny Care has waited patiently for a re-call to the starting line-up, he has been one of the most consistent performers in the Aviva Premiership and he will be eager to oust Ben Youngs from the starting position. Care takes a few more risks than his competitor Youngs, as he tends to look for quick-taps from penalties or free-kicks and is able to up the tempo whenever he sees the opportunity to attack.

Chris Ashton needs a big performance, he nearly lost his place to an experimental move to put Manu Tuilagi on the wing, the Saracens wing needs to get on the score-sheet again and he will be looking to prove his defensive capabilities to the many doubting critics who have questioned him over the past two weeks.

Mako Vunipola has made plenty of impact with ball in hand and in the set-piece from the bench in the opening rounds, and he is rightly rewarded with his first international start this weekend. Joe Marler has been doing a fantastic job, but it is a fine opportunity for Vunipola to test himself against a traditionally strong Italian pack.

James Haskell returns on the blind-side flank after a poor performance from Courtney Lawes in his non-accustomed position. The Wasps back-row forward will need to halt Sergio Parisse in his tracks, his knowledge of the position will be vital to stopping an important attacking threat.

Italy made headlines in the opening round with a 23-18 shock victory against France; however, since then, they have struggled. They fell to an embarrassing 34-10 loss to Scotland and then were outmuscled by Wales at home losing 9-26. Unfortunately, their talisman, Sergio Parisse was absent through suspension, but with his return, he will provide the Italians with some strong carries from the base of the scrum and will tackle his heart out for the Azzurri.

Italy’s fly-half Luciano Orquera was world class against France, however, he needs to add consistency to his game. He will face Toby Flood at Twickenham on Sunday, a man who is desperate to re-ignite his England career, so he will have to be on top of his game. Orquera demonstrated his ability to control a high-pressure match against the French, his tactical kicking was excellent and he knew when to take a drop-goal and keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Andrea Masi has impressed at Wasps this season, and the full-back provides a wealth of experience to Italy’s backline. He is an impressive counter-attacker and is assured under the high ball. England’s half-backs will be keen to test his skills in the early exchanges, Stuart Lancaster’s side are becoming very effective kick-chasers, and this tactic puts a lot of pressure on the opposition and takes something special to break through.

Martin Castrogiovanni continues to be a nuisance in the scrum, the destructive scrummager will earn his 95^th cap this weekend, but the Leicester prop still has plenty to give on the international stage. This will be a big test for Mako Vunipola; the Italian scrum is always a powerful weapon, it is important for England to win the first few penalties to get on the right side of the referee’s whistle.

Prediction: England by 20 points - England’s fitness and quality from the Bench will prove too much for the Italians. Expect a tight first half, but the game should open up in the second half

Have you got any thoughts or comments? Do you agree with my predictions? Do you think there will be an big upsets this weekend? Comment below or tweet your thoughts to @tommyd91 on twitter

Six Nations Round 3 - Highlights and Summary

The third round of the 2013 RBS Six Nations saw Wales travel to giant-killers Italy, England welcome an underperforming French side and Scotland host Ireland hoping to claim a huge scalp at Murrayfield. This year’s competition has provided just as many shocks and as much drama as we have come to know and expect, the form-book is disregarded in this unique tournament and any team can win on the day.

Welsh forwards set platform for away victory in rain-soaked Rome

Italy welcomed Wales to the Stadio Olimpico without their talismanic captain - Sergio Parisse, who missed out on the important game following his suspension for abusing a referee in a Top 14 fixture. This was a big loss for the Azzurri, but Martin Castrogiovanni stepped up to lead his side.

The first half was a real battle for supremacy in the scrum, Wales had the upper hand in the early exchanges of the set-piece and this allowed Leigh Halfpenny the chance to open the scoring for his side with a comfortable kick at goal. Moments later, Chris Burton replied in kind after Italy got the nudge on the scrum in Welsh territory. The Brisbane born playmaker slotted the effort through the middle of the posts to bring the scores level.  The Welsh scrum began to really prosper and the pack offered Halfpenny two further penalty chances, both of which he converted.

The conditions in Rome were not ideal and after a horrendous downpour, Italy managed to force the Welsh pack to collapse a scrum. Burton added his second penalty and the half ended with the visitors in the lead. Half-time score: Italy 6 Wales 9.

An innocuous kick from Mike Phillips bounced horribly for Italy in their own 22 and Jonathan Davies was sharp enough to hack the ball forwards, gather and score Wales’ first try of the match. Halfpenny added the conversion, which dampened Italian hopes.

Burton was again successful from the tee with a penalty to narrow the gap to seven points; however, the lead did not last long. Another devastating Welsh scrum saw referee, Romain Poite yellow card Castrogiovanni for repetitive scrum offences. Halfpenny increased the lead to ten points at a crucial stage in the game.

With Italy a man down, Wales upped the tempo and after a few phases in Italian territory, Alex Cuthbert came off his wing and picked a wonderful outside arcing run and burst through several attempted tackles to score the second try of the game for Wales in the corner. Halfpenny showed his accuracy with the conversion as he made no mistake from the left-hand touchline.

With Wales 15 points ahead, and conditions worsening, the visitors were able to grind out a well-worked away victory. Full time: Italy 9 Wales 24.

Painfully physical English side out-work an out-of-form French side

Philippe Saint-Andre’s side arrived at Twickenham following two poor performances - losses to Italy and Wales. However, with 8 changes to the side that lost to Wales at the Stade de France two weeks ago, and the enticing prospect of trying to spoil the party at the home of rugby, few expected the French to turn out for another lacklustre match.

The first half was full of bone-shuddering hits, Manu Tuilagi ripped part of his ear off in a collision with Toulouse’s Louis Picamoles, however, the Leicester gladiator chose to stay on the pitch and have his 19 stitches after the match.

England took the lead after only two minutes after the French went off their feet at a ruck. Owen Farrell - who is becoming a world-class goal kicker, slotted the penalty from 40 metres out. Moments later, Clermont’s Morgan Parra responded with an effort of his own to level the scores.

After Tuilagi made a devastating break in to the French 22, the visiting side strayed offside. Farrell, playing the advantage saw Chris Ashton in space on the right wing and put a cross-kick in to the in-goal area, however, the effort was over-cooked and the ball flew out of play. The penalty stood and the Saracens fly-half added the easy 3 points.

On the half our mark, Wesley Fofana, who had returned to his strongest position (inside centre) made a searing 60 metre break to score one of the tires of the tournament to date. However, it should be noted that Courtney Lawes and Chris Ashton missed their tackles in the build up to the try. The latter is really struggling for form in the England jersey, and he didn’t do his cause any justice with a weak attempt with his left arm to try and contain the Clermont speedster. Parra added the conversion, to worry the home crowd.

Luckily, the French were penalised for killing the ball in their own half and Farrell added his third penalty of the game to close the gap to one point at half time. Half time: England 9 France 10.

England came out for the second half with plenty of aggression and set up a promising rolling maul, however, it was brought down illegally. Farrell punished the French mistake with the accurate penalty attempt and England re-took the lead.

With 25 minutes to go, Tom Wood took a chance in a ruck and hacked the ball forwards, it fortuitously bounced of Mako Vunipola, however, England were not penalised. The ball was expertly gathered by Tuilagi who accelerated off to the try-line to score unopposed. Farrell could not add the extras, but this re-ignited the excitement of the home support.

Sadly, England gave replacement Freddie Michalak the chance to reduce the gap to 4 points from the kick-off. The mercurial half-back skewed his attempt, however, it just about went through the uprights.

Farrell, who had marshalled the game with expertise and maturity beyond his years, tweaked his hamstring and saw a long penalty attempt fall miserably short. He was replaced by Toby Flood and the Leicester stand-off took his chance well, he added two penalties of his own to help grind out a thrilling victory in front of a capacity Twickenham crowd. Full time: England 23 France 13.

Dogged Scottish defensive effort nullifies Irish possession and territory at Murrayfield

The first half saw Ireland maintain an unimaginable amount of possession (78%) and play almost entirely in the attacking third of the pitch; however, the Irish lacked the killer blow to cut a line and pile up the points. Declan Kidney’s side has a long injury list and Cian Healey’s suspension added to his worries before the match. Influential playmaker Jonathan Sexton’s injury gave the young Ulster 10 – Paddy Jackson the chance to earn his first cap for his country. The youngster’s form in the Pro 12 has been fantastic; however, it looked like he let nerves get the better of him as he missed two simple penalty attempts in the first half. It also looks like he may lack the physicality needed to thrive on the international scene.

It took 35 minutes for Ireland to break the deadlock, after continued pressure, Scotland were forced to conceded a penalty. Jackson slotted the easy attempt and the only other chance of note in the first half was a long range penalty attempt by Stuart Hogg. The full back, not a regular goal kicker, boot his boot through the ball, however, it dropped short of the bar. Half time: Scotland 0 Ireland 3.

The Irish came out for the second half and played with a much higher tempo. Connor Murray looked eager to get his forwards barging their way over the gain-line and this allowed Craig Gilroy the chance to spin his way over the line for the first try of the match. Sadly, Jackson could not add the conversion.

Four Craig Laidlaw penalties in the second half allowed the Scots to grind out an unlikely victory. Surprisingly, one of the penalty chances came from a naïve move from the veteran Ronan O’Gara. The Munster fly-half came on to assure the Irish of victory, however, he foolishly opted for an ambitious cross-kick to nothing in his own half and put pressure on his side.

The second half wasn’t a victory parade for the Scots though; the Irish were awarded a penalty on Scotland’s 5 metre line with the last play of the game. The pick-and-go option should have continued, however, Ireland chose to spin the ball wide too early, the ball went to ground and the final whistle blew to the delight of the home crowd. Full time: Scotland 12 Ireland 8.

This match was won because of a determined defensive effort, Scotland made a staggering 128 tackles compared to Ireland’s 44 and the home side only had 29% of possession in the whole match. It proves that statistics can lie, and all that matters is the score at the final whistle. With Sexton at the helm, Ireland would not have lost this game, however, the Scots will gain confidence from the victory and the new coaching set-up of Scott Johnson and Dean Ryan can look forward with excitement.

Do you have any thoughts or comments on the 3^rd round of matches? Who shone for your team and who struggled? Comment bellow or message me on twitter @tommyd91

Round-up of the opening matches in 2013 RBS Six Nations

The Six Nations kicked-off with a bang on Saturday, were treated to an enthralling battle between Wales and Ireland in Cardiff played at a very high tempo, a physical and skilful encounter between England and Scotland and a surprise victory for Italy against France in Rome. This tournament always provides entertaining matches, and if the opening round was anything to go be, this season’s will be the most exciting yet. No team is assured of victory, home or away and form has nothing to do with the outcome on the day. This article gives summarises the key moments in all three of last weekend’s matches. 

Wales 22 Ireland 30. Ireland’s first-half effort blows Wales away

The Irish performance in the first half at the Millennium Stadium was phenomenal, but it was built on the basics; they ran on to the ball at pace from depth, committed to the breakdown and got the set-piece right from the off.  It only took 10 minutes to break down the Welsh defence, Jonathan Sexton found Brian O’Driscoll who picked a smart arcing running-line, drew in three defenders and then offloaded out of the tackle to Simon Zebo, the Munster winger who touched down with ease. Sexton added the conversion and shortly afterwards added a penalty.

Dan Biggar’s hesitated attempted clearance was charged down by Rory Best who found his captain Jamie Heaslip, who in turn shipped the ball on to Zebo, the pass was behind him, but an extravagant sideways flick-kick to himself allowed him to collect the loose ball. A phase later and Leinster’s Cian Healey barged over the line from a couple of metres out. Sexton added the conversion to make the score 17-0 in the visitors’ favour.

Shortly before halftime, the Welsh got on the scoreboard after the Irish went off their feet at a ruck in their own half. Leigh Halfpenny slotted the penalty. This gave the home crowd their first reason to cheer in the game, but Sexton soon cancelled out the score with an effort of his own before the break. The Irish lead by 20 points at half-time – Wales 3 Ireland 23.

The onslaught didn’t end straight after half-time. The Irish immediately put Wales under pressure, Rob Kearney made a quick break, but he was just halted before the line. However, the astute O’Driscoll noticed a lack of Welsh guards at the ruck and simply reached out through the ruck to score Ireland’s third try of the match. Sexton made no mistake with the conversion to stretch the Irish lead to 27 points.

Finally the Welsh comeback came after continued pressure in the Irish 22. Dan Biggar found Alex Cuthbert who cut an incisive outside run from ten metres out to open the Welsh try-scoring account. Halfpenny added the conversion and ten minutes later, he got on the end of a flowing Welsh move and finished really well under heavy pressure (from Heaslip and Zebo) in the right-hand corner.

Exeter’s Craig Mitchell burrowed his way over five minutes from time and the replacement’s effort gave some diehard fans a faint hope of a miraculous comeback. Halfpenny added the conversion, but time was not on Wales’ side.

The Welsh tried to force something from deep, however, the Irish defence held firm.

Full time: Wales 22 Ireland 30. Man of the Match: Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)

England 38 Scotland 18. Despite early scare, Stuart Lancaster’s men earn a convincing win over the Scots

Owen Farrell opened the scoring for England with a simple penalty after Scotland were penalised for handling on the ground. However, shortly before 10 minutes had passed in the game, Mike Brown’s clearance kick failed to make touch and his kick-chase was weak. Stuart Hogg made a scything kick-return and Scotland built up a few phases. Debutant, Sean Maitland popped over in the right-hand corner which silenced the capacity Twickenham crowd. Greig Laidlaw could not add the touchline conversion.

The Scottish lead did not last very long, Farrell added a further two penalties to ease the worries of the Twickenham faithful. Tom Youngs gave away a silly penalty at a ruck in England’s 22 which game Laidlaw the chance to add another three points for the visitors.

After 30 minutes, England had worked their way in to the match and  a spell of intense pressure in the Scottish 22 followed.  A big carry from Joe Launchbury put Scotland on the back-foot and Chris Ashton smashed his way through two defenders to score England’s first try of the match. Farrell added the conversion and shortly afterwards slotted another penalty. However, just before half-time, England transgressed at the breakdown and Laidlaw closed the half with a successful penalty kick – the score at half-time: England 19 Scotland 11.

Two minutes after the break Billy Twelvetrees crashed over the line, he simply hit the line at pace and brushed through two would-be-tacklers. The Gloucester centre was delighted to score on his debut, he worked hard, making several key carries over the gain-line and he created a lot of opportunities for his team mates. With Manu Tuilagi due back from injury, Lancaster has a big selection headache in store for the game against Ireland. Farrell added the conversion to Twelvetrees’ try and England looked like they were cruising to victory.

James Haskell replaced Ben Morgan at No.8 and the Wasps wing-forward made an immediate impact. He forced a turnover in the Scottish half and this allowed Ben Youngs to make a searing break into their 22 which helped set-up the moment of the match. Farrell, who has been criticised by many for not having an expansive game, first delayed his pass to hold the opposition defenders and then produced a wonderful looping pass which took out three defenders and put Geoff Parling in for his first try for England. The promising Saracen playmaker made his only error off the tee from that conversion, but few could rebuke him for that miss after such a marvellous pass.

With ten minutes to go, Scotland scored a consolation try after turning the ball over in their own 22. Maitland kicked ahead and Hogg hacked ahead again and gathered the ball before the chasing Toby Flood could get anywhere near him. The try was testament to the new belief in the team, but it wasn’t going to affect the result.

There was still time for Harlequin’s Danny Care to dart over the line from a short distance to rub salt into Scottish wounds and add some extra gloss on to the English victory. Farrell added the conversion from under the posts. The fly-half was rightly named man of the match for his control of the game, excellent tackling, 7/8 successful kicks at goal and some delightful passing,

Full time: England 38 Scotland 18. Man of the Match: Owen Farrell (England)

Italy 23 France 18. Hard-working Italy dispatch lacklustre French in Rome

The away fixture in Rome has become a real nightmare for French teams. Two years ago, Italy won 22-21, Italian rugby’s finest day, until last Sunday. The French did not look as passionate or as well organised as the Italians, which was a huge shock. Philippe Saint-Andre’s side were confident going into the game after a successful autumn international series. However, form can be irrelevant on the day.

Luke McLean gathered a kick in his own half and made his way up to the half-way line, this sparked the Italian forwards in to action, who offloaded well and carried well in to French territory.  Surprisingly, Luciano Orquera beat several players as he made a very influential break and then released his captain, Sergio Parisse to score the first try of the match with ease. Orquera added the conversion and Six Nations fans around Europe began to wonder if another shock was on the cards in Rome.

However, shortly afterwards the French responded as Louis Picamoles powered his way past his opposite number Parisse to score France’s first try. Frederick Michalak, playing at fly-half for the French could not add the conversion.

Orquera kept the scoreboard ticking over when he received slow ball, he popped a drop-goal over from 25 metres out in a clinical display any fly-half would be proud of.

The French forwards fought their way over the Italian try-line; however, the TMO ruled that no try could be given as the ball was held-up.  Following this, Michalak kept the visitors in the game with a penalty.

After 34 minutes, the visitors took the lead from the Italians; a fine team try was finished by Benjamin Fall who cantered in under the posts. Michalak made no mistake with the simple conversion. This gave France a narrow two-point lead at the break. Half-time Italy 13 France 15.

It was a slow start to the second half, with Michalak adding another penalty after the Italian scrum folded in their own half.  Five minutes later, the Italians pressed the French try-line. Patient play allowed Orquera to make a half-break and Martin Castrogiovanni was on his left-shoulder to crash over for Italy’s second try. Orquera added the conversion; the French spirit was going to be really tested now.

Chris Burton came on for Orquera, who had run the show for the first 60 minutes and Burton followed suit with a drop-goal 12 minutes from time. This gave Italy a five-point cushion in the closing stages of the match.

You would imagine that France, currently ranked 4^th in the IRB World Rankings only 5 points down against Italy (10^th) would be able to call upon an inspired comeback. However, this was not the case, the French looked unmotivated and lacked any urgency and commitment to claw their way back in to the game. It was a big error to put Michalak at 10, he hasn’t played there often for Toulon this season and it showed; he missed touch from penalty kicks and lacked the control needed to boss the game.arHaH

Another error was not playing Morgan Parra from the start of the game; Clermont’s scrum-half was seemingly the only player trying to up the tempo at the end of the match. The French managed to muster one effort in the Italian 22, but the damage had already been dealt by the professional game plan and execution from Orquera, Parisse and Burton.

Full time: Italy 23 France 18. Man of the Match: Luciano Orquera (Italy)

What did you think about Round 1 of the RBS Six Nations? Who stood out for you personally? Do you think Italy can cause any more shocks in the tournament? Post below or send me a tweet @tommyd91

Preview of 2013 RBS Six Nations

It is that time of year again, the 2013 RBS Six Nations kicks off tomorrow and team captains have stressed the importance of getting off to a good start. Momentum as in any tournament is crucial - starting with a victory builds confidence and gets the press on-side. A loss can de-rail a side’s ambitions even before the tournament is in full-flow.

England

It is hard to believe that Stuart Lancaster has only been in charge of the national side for a year, the former Leeds coach has flourished in the role. His focus on a strong squad work-ethic and commitment to blooding young players has seen 17 newly-capped players turn out for England over the past year. Lancaster memorably guided England to 2^nd place in last year’s tournament. His highlights to date include beating France (24-22) in Paris last season and the memorable victory (38-21) against the reigning World Champions New Zealand at Twickenham in November.

Philippe Saint-Andre, the French national team coach has suggested that the ‘Red Rose’ are favourites to win this year’s Six Nations championship. The side has found a way of winning games effectively with a solid set-piece and the ever reliable boot of Owen Farrell. However, in the match against New Zealand, England stepped up their game and found an attacking prowess that has been unseen at Twickenham for years. Manu Tuilagi and Brad Barritt proved they are not just tackling machines as they offloaded and timed their passes to great effect. With Tuilagi injured, Billy Twelvetrees gets the opportunity to put his excellent club form with Gloucester into practice on the international stage. The former Leicester centre offers an excellent distributive option, while not compromising on physicality in defence. The back row and the back-three are the most competitive positions this season, highlighted by Ben Foden’s omission for the Scotland game. Mike Brown, Chris Ashton and Alex Goode make up an exciting counter-attacking combination; any inaccurate clearance kicks in the tournament will be punished. In the back row, Chris Robshaw is prospering as captain, while Tom Wood’s substitute performances in the autumn has earned him a re-call to the blind-side flank. Battering ram Ben Morgan retains the No.8 shirt; his direct, powerful running and ability to offload in the tackle provide a genuine attacking threat.

Prediction: Champions on points difference. Playing the French at home gives England a huge advantage and I expect them to win 4 matches. Owen Farrell can’t miss from the kicking tee, and Lancaster has developed some attacking guile, which will see England cross the try line more often than compared to last season’s tournament.

France

French international rugby seems to be heading back in the right direction after a promising autumn international period - a commanding 33-6 win against the Wallabies and an assured performance in the 39-22 victory against a revitalised Argentinian side. Confidence is high amongst Philippe Saint Andre’s squad and les Bleus have the chance to claim a first win against Italy in Rome. The French have been embarrassed by the Italians in recent years, however, the set-piece will be able to match the famous Italian scrum’s prowess and with the likes of Wesley Fofana and Yoann Huget, they have the strike power to spoil the party at the Stadio Olimpico. Frederick Michalak has been in fine form for Toulon, who are currently top of the top of the Top 14. His international form has been inconsistent; however, he has earned a re-call to the No.10 shirt. Normally, the former Toulouse playmaker operates at scrum-half, but the ageless Jonny Wilkinson occupies the fly-half starting role. A very creative player, who always looks to attack, however, he has been questioned in defence and for his decision making.

The French pack is one of the most physical and aggressive in the tournament, in the front-row, Nicolas Mas is one of the game’s strongest scrummagers; the Perpignan prop doesn’t give an inch in the set-piece and is a destructive ball carrier in the loose. Behind him in the engine room are Yoann Maestri and Pascal Pape, two very impressive line-out operators, who also offer a lot of power in the scrum. Maestri weighs in at a staggering 18 stone 10 lbs. this strong centre of the scrum will overpower most sides in the tournament. The French are always known for their back row’s competitive nature at the breakdown. With the Toulousain combination of Thierry Dusetoir and Louis Picamoles, they will be looking to scavenge lose ball and chop down any attackers running down their channel.

Prediction: 2^nd on points difference, on balance the trip to Twickenham should decide the outcome in the tournament. The French have some very exciting players coming through and unquestionable experience, but do they have enough to win their first Six Nations since the 2010 Grand Slam?

Ireland

Very few pundits are talking about the Irish as potential Six Nations champions; however, this could be an advantage to Declan Kidney’s men. The 2009 Grand Slam champions have two fantastic options at fly half in Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara. Sexton has recently signed a lucrative deal with Racing Metro; however, his focus for now will be to guide his national side to victory. Both fly halves are shrewd rugby players who know when to up the tempo and when to kick for territory. Outside them, lies the experienced combination of Gordan D’Arcy and Brian O’Driscoll. Both are warriors in defence and O’Driscoll still holds the try-scoring record in the tournament, having crossed the line 25 times. Craig Gilroy (Ulster) and Simon Zebo (Munster) are two thrilling young talents, who hope to make a name for themselves at the international level after impressing in the Rabo Direct this season. The youngsters out on the wings are backed up by Rob Kearney at full back, the British and Irish Lion has a reliable kicking game and will be a useful last line of defence for Ireland.

The Irish pack is without talisman Paul O’Connell who misses out due to a back injury; however, they boast strength-in-depth in the second row with Donnacha Ryan, and Mike McCarthy claiming the starting berths leaving the highly experienced line-out guru Donncha O’Callaghan on the bench against Wales in Cardiff. Another player who misses out due to injury is Stephen Ferris, the Ulster flankers, however, the Irish have an abundance of riches in the back-row, with Sean O’Brien and captain Jamie Heaslip both strong ball carriers from the base of the scrum and great scavengers at the breakdown.

Prediction: 3^rd sides should not underestimate the Irish, who can play very expansive rugby at the right time. However, France and England’s defence is more disciplined and I think the Irish will lose to France at home in Round 4.

Italy

Sadly the Italians are wooden spoon contenders year-in-year-out. While there are a few stand-out players in the squad, they do not have the opportunity to play together as often as the other Six Nations sides. Added to this is the harsh reality that the two Italian sides in the Rabo Direct Pro 12 -Zebre and Treviso are underfunded and tend to be the ‘whipping boys’ on a weekly basis. However, the Italians have produced some wonderful upsets in Six Nations history, most recently in the 2011/12 Six Nations, in Rome when they beat France 22-21. Traditionally, the ‘Azzurri’ has an impressive, physical pack; however, the Italians have struggled to find a marshalling fly-half and a reliable goal-kicker for many years. Martin Castrogiovanni is still one of the best tight-head props in the World; however, he has spent much of this season on the bench with Leicester due to Dan Cole’s impressive form. Sergio Parisse is consistently one of the best performers in the Six Nations despite being on the losing side more often than he would like. Often, the Stade Français powerhouse is the heart of Italy’s dynamism; hopefully he can inspire his teammates to reach new levels this season. Elsewhere in the forwards, Italy seems light in terms of ability, but not in terms of size and power.

Andrea Masi is a thrilling counter-attacking winger/full back. He has rejuvenated his career of late following a move to London Wasps who are on the up in the Aviva Premiership. He provides plenty of experience and nous to the Italian back line. Elsewhere in the backs, the Italians have good club men, but no one of real international class to match up to the quality of opposition they will face. Few are expecting miracles for the Italians this season, however unlikely it may be, two victories in this season’s competition would be a real step forward.

Prediction: 6^th I think Italy could run Scotland close at Murrayfield; however, it is hard to see the ‘Azzurri’ picking up any other away victories. Also home games against France and Ireland will most likely prove fruitless.

Scotland

The Scots have a new management team with Scott Johnson and Dean Ryan teaming up to try and restore credibility to the Scottish game after an embarrassing autumn international defeat against Tonga (15-21). Undoubtedly, Johnson’s side will go back to basics, focusing on the set piece and physicality in the contact area. The first game against England is one that will require few words to inspire players in the changing room beforehand. The Calcutta Cup matches are traditionally very close, with most games decided by 7 points or less. The side in transition face testing away trips to Twickenham and the Stade de France in this year’s competition, with little expectation on their shoulders, can the Scots fight back and establish themselves once again as a competitive outfit in the tournament?

Troublingly, the Scots struggle to score tries, they are capable of holding on to possession in the right areas of the pitch, however, they struggle to execute their chances and cross the try line. This is surprising given the finishing talent of Tim Visser and Sean Lamont. Sean Maitland is set to make his debut against England; the former Crusaders speedster is a dangerous man going forward with excellent footwork and a nimble turn of pace. Cousin to Australian playmaker Quade Cooper, the winger has turned out for the New Zealand Maori; however, his Scottish grandparents make him an eligible Scottish international. Ruaridh Jackson has matured and rightfully kept the No.10 shirt for Ulster this season, it will be exciting to see him go up against another young talent in Owen Farrell at Twickenham.  The pack will be as thuggish as ever with the bulk of Jim Hamilton and Richie Gray in the second row, backed up by Alisdair Strokosch, Kelly Brown and Johnnie Beattie in the back-row. The Scots will always play with passion and vigour, if they wish to make any inroads in the competition, their forwards have to keep the side on the front foot and they have to finish the few chances that come their way.

Prediction: 5^th it is always difficult to predict how a side in transition will perform, but given Scotland’s form over the past year or so with a similar squad it is difficult to see them winning many matches. They should beat Italy at home and may have a chance at sneaking a victory over Wales at Murrayfield if it comes down to a kicking duel on a wet afternoon in Edinburgh.

Wales

The Welsh are plagued with a long injury list, mostly affecting their pack including Huw Bennett, Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Ryan Jones and Dan Lydiate just to name a few . However, these injuries give several unlikely candidates the chance to represent Wales at the highest level. Andrew Coombs, the Newport Dragons second-row is set to make his debut against Ireland, while Olly Kohn, the Harlequins Premiership veteran gets a call up to the squad. The 31-year-old is the shock call-up in this year’s tournament. The Welsh have not won a game since beating the Barbarians 30-21 in June. Last year’s champions have a lot to prove after a disappointing autumn international series, in which they threw away leads in the final phases of games. The back-line boasts several likely British and Irish Lions this summer for the tour in Australia. Lee Halfpenny has become a reliable long-distance goal kicker and an elusive runner in attack. In their short international careers to date, Alex Cuthbert and George North have demonstrated a cut throat ability to find the try-line, their work-rate around the pitch is phenomenal, and their running lines are world class for wingers of their age and experience.

Dan Biggar and James Hook have been competing for the No.10 shirt, with Biggar given the chance to stake his claim for the starting berth on a regular basis. Hook has been in fine form for Perpignan, but he takes his place on the bench for the first match against Ireland, able to come on at fly-half, centre or full-back, his versatility could be very useful and he is certainly a game-changer.  The Welsh second-row is a little weak compared to normal, due to injuries; however, the front-row is exceptional. With Gethin Jenkins, Mathew Rees and Adam Jones, the destructive scrummaging capability is there. The Welsh struggle in the set-piece without either Jenkins or Jones, so they will be hoping to stay fit for the entirety of the tournament. Sam Warburton captains the side again; he is a fantastic out-and-out 7 and will be hoping to book his ticket for the Lions tour with an impressive performance in this year’s tournament. Toby Faletau is one of the hardest working Welsh players, his tackle-rate and carries across the gain-line are outstanding, he makes the hard yards and chops down players at will.

Prediction: 4^th with a long injury list mainly in the forwards at the start of the tournament, which is only likely to get longer, it is hard to see Wales being as competitive as last year. Their backs may be some of the most exciting prospects in the northern hemisphere, but if they can’t operate from a solid platform provided by the forwards, they will not be as effective as they can be.

Prediction for the 2013 RBS Six Nations

1.       England

2.       France

3.       Ireland

4.       Wales

5.       Scotland

6.       Italy

My individual player predictions for the tournament:

Top Try-Scorer Wesley Fofana (France)

Top Points Scorer Owen Farrell (England)

Have you got any thoughts or comments? Who do you think will win the 2013 RBS Six Nations? Comment below or tweet me @tommyd91

The battle to stay in the Aviva Premiership begins

Champagne moment: London Welsh celebrate promotion at the end of last season. Can they avoid the drop at the end of this season?

After 12 tough rounds of Premiership rugby and the turn of the New Year, Worcester, London Welsh, London Irish and the Sale Sharks find themselves struggling at the bottom of the table. With ten matches left in the regular season, each set of coaches will pass on the old cliché that ‘it is all to play for’ or ‘we will take it one game at a time’. This article will look at how each of the aforementioned teams wound up at the bottom of the pile and asses their chances at staying up in the top league of English rugby.

Worcester Warriors 9th (W4 D1 L7 – Pts 25)

Richard Hill’s men have been sitting fairly comfortably in the table this season. They nearly caused a big upset against league leaders Harlequins at the Stoop at the end of November, narrowly losing 22-19. Also, they gave the Northampton Saints a fright at Franklins Gardens in an enthralling 37-31 loss. Home victories over relegation candidates London Irish and Sale Sharks have kept the Warriors just above the real danger zone. Andy Goode at 32 years of age is providing his side with very reliable kicking off the tee and his unrivalled experience allows the 97kg fly half to guide his team to losing bonus points which keep the league table points ticking over.  David Lemi is still an elusive threat in attack, having managed to weave his way to the line four times this season. Having acquired former England and British and Irish Lions defence coach Phil Larder, the Midlands outfit look more assured without the ball and should be a pretty certain to avoid the drop.  

Verdict – Safe from relegation, Worcester are used to the media-circus that follows a relegation battle and their experienced players including  Andy Goode, Shaun Perry and Craig Gillies should help the Warriors from falling in to the abyss. If the Warriors can maintain a good home record this season, they could sneak up on any stalling mid-table sides. Heineken Cup qualification is still another season or more away, and depends on recruitment for next season.

London Welsh 10^th (W4 L8 – Pts 20)

The Premiership newbies picked up promising back-to-back victories against Exeter and Sale in September. This was an impressive turnaround after heavy defeats to Leicester and Harlequins in the opening two rounds of the league. It showed a determination not to cave in and to become the ‘whipping boys’ of the competition. Losing bonus points have been won via the boot of former Scottish international Gordon Ross, who is the 4^th top point scorer in the season to date with 108. Early large defeats aside, the Exiles have been in some tight encounters, and only late surges from mid-table sides have robbed them of unlikely victories. The worry is that the Welsh do not create enough try-scoring chances compared to the other relegation candidates and rely too heavily on kicking penalties for victories.  Also, with a lower budget at their disposal compared to the rest of the league, injuries will test their strength in depth and this could cost them their premiership survival.

Verdict – Relegated, London Welsh face Harlequins at Home and Leicester away in the next two rounds of Premiership action and they are unlikely to come away with any points. The pressure will be ramped-up in round 15 when they take on the Sale Sharks at the Kassam Stadium in a potential relegation decider. The Exiles also face tough weeks in rounds 17 and 18 as they take on both Saracens and Gloucester away. The side’s lack of experience in a relegation battle could also cost them their place in next year’s competition.

London Irish 11^th (W2 L10 –Pts12)

Irish have struggled with a mass player exodus over the past two seasons having lost influential game changers including the Armitage brothers, Nick Kennedy and Paul Hodgson. However, nobody expected Brian Smith’s side to be right at the heart of the relegation battle. It is bizarre that player-retention has become an issue given that only in 2009; Irish were Premiership finalists, narrowly beaten 10-9 by Leicester. Their only Premiership victories so far this season came against Bath (29-22) and Northampton (39-17). This is surprising given that talents such as Jonathan Joseph, Marland Yarde and Tom Homer have began to blossom over the past year. The Irish are a bogey side for many teams, with enthusiastic young backs at their disposal, no team should underestimate them, and they certainly have more try-scoring threat than London Welsh. However, crucially this is yet to come to fruition. Many pundits empathise with Irish because they think something hasn't clicked yet. However, something has to happen soon, or it will be too late. With Gloucester away and Saracens at home in the next two rounds and Leicester waiting for them in the last round of the season, Irish need to at least make sure they win their home encounters with Sale, London Welsh and Worcester and pick up as many losing bonus points as possible to try and survive.

Verdict- Safe, a dreadful first half of the season, but Irish have enough home games against sides from the bottom half of the table to see them through. As the pitches get firmer as we move out of the tough, wet winter, their young fliers will get their chance to prosper and rescue their club.

Sale Sharks 12^th (W2 L10 –Pts11)

Sale’s summer of change seems to have done the North-West club no good at all, they went from finishing 6^th in the League last season to 12^th at the turn of this year. With a new stadium, shared with the Salford City Reds, a new Director of Rugby in Bryan Redpath and a few clever signings, the club looked to be back on the up after a couple of seasons in the wilderness. However, nothing seemed to go right for the sharks. Bryan Redpath took a lot of abuse from the Gloucester faithful after the debacle surrounding his departure from Kingsholm last season, but he managed to do nothing for his new side much to the Shed’s amusement! He was recently demoted to backs coach. John Mitchell came in for a month on a consultancy basis, but he decided to return home as he was missing his partner in South Africa.  New signings Richie Gray and Danny Cipriani have added little to the side’s attacking ability, with the latter recently receiving a barrage of negative press after Sale were completely outclassed by Toulon in Europe. Sale’s first victory of the season in the premiership came at home against London Irish at the start of November where they came out on top in a 21-9 victory. Their patient fans had to wait until the end of December for the second win, where Sale won 33-27 against Worcester. Steve Diamond is now reportedly getting more involved with the coaching of the team; he has stepped down as CEO for the meantime. He needs to turn his squad around immediately; any more dismal performances will leave his side an unmanageable uphill challenge to ensure their survival. Key battles for the Sharks come in round 15 where they play London Welsh away and in round 19 where they face a testing trip to play London Irish at the Madejski stadium. These two matches could decide the fate of the only remaining Northern side in England’s top tier of domestic rugby.

Verdict- Safe­, the Sharks should just about avoid relegation by the skin of their mascot Sharky’s teeth. If Danny Cipriani is focused, continues to work on his defence and his forwards can give him more of a platform, Sale have the muscle upfront and the nous in the backs with the experience of Mark Cueto and attacking threat of Johnny Leota and Rob Miller needed to stay above water.

Who do you think will face the drop at the end of the season? Comment below or message me on twitter @tommyd91

Aviva Premiership XV of the 2012/13 Season after 12 Rounds

Smiles all round: Tom Varndell has been running in tries for fun this season

After 12 rounds in the Aviva Premiership, last season’s champions Harlequins currently occupy the top-spot.  Leicester, Saracens and Gloucester are in hot pursuit, the competition for playoff positions between the chasing pack is fiercer than ever. After a summer full of PR hype and anticipation about a new stadium, a new Director of Rugby and many lucrative signings including Danny Cipriani and Richie Gray, the Sale Sharks are swimming against the tide at the bottom end of the table. There have been some enthralling encounters, but which individuals have impressed in the opening half of the season?

1. Joe Marler (Harlequins) England’s lose-head prop has been in destructive form for club and country, it is no surprise to see Harlequins top of the pile as they have a formidable platform created by hard-working forwards. Marler’s technical nous in the scrum has won his side countless penalties slotted by the reliable former All Black Nick Evans. He also provides a threat with ball in hand which this helps draw in defenders and give Quins attacking momentum.

2. Tom Youngs (Leicester) the hooker has made a smooth transition from the centres and looks right at home at the coalface in the scrum. His throwing in to the line-out has improved and this will get better as he gains more experience at the top level at hooker. Youngs is only 5 foot 9, however, he is very powerful and his ability to get low and keep his strong leg drive going makes him a difficult player to bring down.

3. Dan Cole (Leicester) Cole is one of the most improved players of 2012-his form pushed the Tigers and Italian stalwart Martin Castrogiovanni to the bench for the majority of this season. The tight-head seems to be giving away fewer penalties and has mastered the ability to put the squeeze on an opposing front-row, seen most recently in Leicester’s demolition job against Gloucester in the 17-12 victory at Welford Road.

4. Joe Launchbury (Wasps) is one of the most promising young players around - the 21 year old has a bright future ahead of him. He already has 4 England caps to his name, and some outstanding performances in the Premiership behind him, Launchbury will get better as he gets more experience at the top level. He has already proved himself to be a viable line-out option and a powerful ball carrier. One to watch, Wasps will be delighted to have secured his signature until the end of the 2014/15 season.

5. Geoff Parling (Leicester) the line-out guru has excelled this season; he has an uncanny ability to read the opposition’s set-up and react quickly during defensive line-outs, and is a versatile and reliable jumper in an attacking set-piece. Yet to commit himself to another contract with Leicester, many other Premiership sides and some French outfits are keen to acquire his services for next season.

6. Kelly Brown (Saracens) the Scottish flanker’s ability to get to the breakdown and both secure and steal possession has helped Sarries to second place in the table going in to the New Year. His experience with Scotland (52 caps) is a real asset to Saracens, the breakdown in the Premiership is a contentious issue, however, if you are quick and smart enough, you can occasionally exploit the official’s naivety to  your side’s benefit. Brown does this with ease, and he leads a stringent back row in defence, his side have the best defence in the league, having only conceded 162 points in 12 games.

7. Akapusi Qera (Gloucester) the Fijian powerhouse has been knocking players backwards all season, his work rate is phenomenal and his passion to play for the Cherry and Whites is undeniable. Promisingly, the flanker has shown more than sheer physicality, as he is the league’s top scoring forward, having crossed the line 4 times to date.

8. Nick Easter (Harlequins) England’s ‘forgotten man’ is still thriving at the Stoop, it is easy to understand Stuart Lancaster’s decision to look to youth ahead of the Rugby World Cup in 2015 on home soil, however, Easter continues to work his socks off in defence and break the gain-line from the back of the champions’ scrum. He is particularly strong collecting kick-offs and making the hard yards to keep his side on the front foot.

9. Danny Care (Harlequins) simply the best scrum-half in the league so far this season, however, most scrum halves in the tournament would thrive with the amount of quality possession that Care has at his disposal. What impresses me about Care is his ability to raise his side’s tempo at any point in a game and his quick-thinking. He creates opportunities for his team-mates and always looks to catch lazy defences napping from quick-taps or penalties.

10. Freddie Burns (Gloucester) has matured and has added vital controlling aspects to his game needed to help force Gloucester in to the top four. Twice voted Premiership player of the month, the former Bath academy playmaker was rightly given with his first England cap as a replacement in the 38-21 victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham. He has always been able to create something out of nothing; however, his tactical kicking has kept a slightly misfiring Gloucester in matches, when in previous seasons they would have folded at earlier stages in the game. His place-kicking has also vastly improved, for most of the season he has been hovering at around 80%. Currently, Burns is the league’s top points scorer with 173.

11. Matt Jess (Exeter) surprisingly, the Chiefs are the league’s joint top try scorers with Harlequins with 29 scores to date. This has been an exciting turnaround for Rob Baxter’s men, who in their first two seasons, were typecast by their gritty performances and victories based around reliable place kicking. However, the South Westerners have added some variety and creativity to their game to Jess’s benefit, the former Coventry speedster has crossed 4 times this season, proving himself to be a more than capable finisher in the Premiership.

12. Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester) Leicester’s Richard Cockerill was furious when he heard he was loosing his centre/fly-half to Gloucester and it obvious to see why. Twelvetrees is very strong at the breakdown, he wins turnovers and penalties with ease and his long kicking game gives Freddie Burns another option to relieve pressure and also to turn the screw on retreating defences. Encouragingly, the England Saxon centre has more to give; he needs to be used more in distributing the ball wide to danger man such as England’s Charlie Sharples, Jonny May (when he returns from injury) and the lesser known, but equally dangerous runner Shane Monahan.

13. Owen Farrell (Saracens) normally plays at inside-centre for his club, but he has turned out for his club at outside-centre. His passion for the physical aspects of the game is inspiring, he never backs out of a tackle and he is becoming a very shrewd rugby player. When the pitches harden during the final quarter of the season, Farrell needs to add more creativity to his game. He needs to replicate his performance at fly-half for England against the All Blacks in the No. 10 shirt. However, Saracens often look to the veteran Charlie Hodgson, who is still the best passing fly-half in the league and has a metronomic boot. As with their new stadium – the Allianz Park equipped with a 4G playing surface, Saracens need to look to the future, and give Farrell a chance in the commanding fly-half position.

14. Tom Varndell (Wasps) one of the remarkable turnarounds this season, Varndell was unfortunate to suffer long-term injuries in previous seasons. However, the wing capped 4 times by England has been part of a fascinating comeback by Wasps, who currently sit one point behind the top four in 5^th position.  Sadly, his England career didn't take off as he was criticised for a weak defensive game, however, his attacking game has never been in doubt – he has dotted down ten times this season. His footwork and raw pace gives him the ability to finish chances even in the narrowest of channels.

15. Mike Brown (Harlequins) continued his excellent form from the 2011/2012 championship winning season with Harlequins. His counter-attacking ability and tactical kicking prowess make him an incredibly dangerous full-back to kick to. Brown played two games in the autumn internationals on the wing, however, his strongest position is at full-back, where he can read the game and provide a useful attacking threat from deep.

Do you have any thoughts or comments about my selections? Who do you think have been standout players for your club this season? Comment below or tweet me @tommyd91