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

Top Transfers in the Aviva Premiership

Jimmy Cowan is just one of the new exciting signings appearing in the Aviva Premiership in 2012/13

Bath

Horacio Agulla- the former Leicester winger may have been upstaged on a regular basis by Alesana Tuilagi, but the Argentine winger knows his way to the try-line and can create plenty of opportunities for the rest of his team. The 34 time capped speedster will also give young Tom Biggs a guiding hand over the next couple of seasons.

Exeter

Dean Mumm- the Sydney born lock/flanker will add a significant amount of international experience with his 33 caps for the Wallabies. The former Waratahs forward is just coming in to his prime according to Rob Baxter which can only be a good thing for the Chiefs. Mumm is an athletic line-out forward and will add plenty of bulk to the Exeter pack.

Gloucester

It has been a summer of change at Kingsholm, the Cherry and Whites have a new Director of Rugby in Nigel Davies, Paddy Anson as their new conditioning coach, Mike Tindall as their new backs coach and several key signings. Davies will be hoping he can turn the West Country side’s fortunes around this season. New signings Ben Morgan, Billy Twelvetrees, Drew Locke and latest recruit Rob Cook will look to become Shed favourites. However, one signing stands out:

Jimmy Cowan- the World Cup winner with the All Blacks is a smart move by Gloucester, the 50 time-capped scrum-half will provide more stability and leadership at half-back. His influence will be vital in the development of youngsters Freddie Burns, Jonny May and Charlie Sharples among others.

Harlequins

The Aviva Premiership Champions from last seasons have not recruited many new players, adding to the old saying ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’. The only additions are Dave Ward (hooker) and Ben Botica (fly-half). Botica turned out for North Harbour in New Zealand last season; the 22-year-old is a reliable goal-kicker and will be an eager understudy to fellow kiwi Nick Evans.

Leicester

Miles Benjamin- with the departure of Alesana Tuilagi to Japan, the Midlands club had big shoes to fill; it looks like they have filled those with an outstanding signature. Benjamin has worked wonders at Worcester scoring 60 tries, however, he felt it was time to move on and chase a future with England rugby.  The strong winger has represented his country at U19, U20 and at England Saxon level and has a bright future ahead of him having signed for the powerhouse of English rugby at the start of his peak at just 24 years old.

London Irish

Tomas O’Leary- the former Munster scrum-half will be a more than adequate replacement for Paul Hodgson. At Munster, O’Leary was a vital contributor to the Heineken Cup championship victories in 2005/06 and 2007/08 seasons. His speed to the breakdown and snappy passing combined with his accurate kicking game will give Irish the push they need to break in to the top-six this season.

London Welsh

Premiership new boys London Welsh have made several smart signings in a bid to keep them in the top league of domestic rugby this season. Sonny Parker, Barry Davies and the highly experienced Tom Voyce are amongst the new members in the squad. However, one name for many reasons has been through the back pages of the national newspapers more than others:

Gavin Henson- the former Ospreys utility back has had a mercurial career of late, one minute he was dancing on reality TV, the next, moving from club to club causing trouble. Off-field matters aside, if Henson can get back to anywhere near the kind of form he found for Wales in their Grand Slam years of 2005 and 2008, London Welsh will be able to call on a fantastic tackler, reliable goal-kicker and magnificent passer of the ball. Henson could well prove the difference between Premiership survival or bouncing back down to the Championship after a disappointing season. It is now up to him now to decide if he will take rugby seriously again.

Northampton

Dominic Waldouck- the ex-Wasp was a late addition to Jim Mallinder’s squad after a last-minute decision to move on from the struggling London side. The very talented centre reportedly played at youth level for Fulham FC and was a member of South-England’s U16 cricket XI. Waldouck has one Premiership title under his belt and will be chasing another at Franklin’s Gardens this season. At only 24, Waldouck will hope for some good performances at his new club to impress Stuart Lancaster and force his way into the England coach’s plans for the World Cup in 2015.

Sale

The Sharks are another side who have gone through dramatic changes in the off-season, they have moved in to a new home, sharing a stadium with the Salford Reds and they have a new Director of Rugby in Bryan Redpath who controversially jumped ship from Gloucester at the end of last season. The Sharks have recruited well and are reportedly on the hunt for another centre. The mercurial Danny Cipriani also moves back to England after his stint with the Melbourne Rebels.

Richie Gray- is the standout signing for Sale this season, at just 22 years of age, the towering second row has already won 24 caps for Scotland. The 6”10 forward is a valuable asset in the line-out and his dynamism in the loose is outstanding. Gray has a bright future for both club and country and it will be fascinating to see how he fits in to Redpath’s side.

Saracens

Chris Ashton- the England man has not been on form recently, however, the former Northampton flier will hope a change of scenery will see him crossing the whitewash many times this season. The ex-rugby league star scored an impressive 92 tries for the Saints in his time at Franklin’s Gardens, to replicate that scoring record, Saracens will have to start playing a more expansive game of rugby. Ashton will need to work hard off the ball and come off his wing in order to see more of the ball with his new club.

Wasps

Despite their financial troubles, Wasps have made several interesting signings. James Haskell returns to his former club, Welsh veteran Stephen Jones joins Dai Young’s ranks and James Bailey returns to England after his adventures across the channel with Lyon.

Andrea Masi- the centre/fly-half/full-back has represented Italy at two World Cups and in 2011 he was voted the RBS Six Nations player of the tournament after scoring a try in Italy’s famous 22-21 win over France. Masi is a more than capable replacement for Dominic Waldouck who has left the club in order to pursue a career at Northampton. Masi is a versatile back with plenty of experience and is a useful signing for the London side.

Worcester

David Lemi- with try-scoring machine Miles Benjamin having left Sixways, Worcester has found a short-term replacement in Lemi. The 30 year-old was outstanding at Bristol, he scored 47 tries in 81 matches. The Samoan international knows his way to the try line and is a difficult player to bring down due to his impressive footwork. Whilst Worcester has lost the next great young thing in Benjamin, they have signed a master of try-scoring in the Samoan speed merchant.

Have you got any thoughts or comments on your side’s latest signings? Who do you think will make the biggest impact in the Aviva Premiership this season? Comment below or message/follow me on twitter @tommyd91